Everything Salad

This salad has so many delicious things in it.  Beets, cranberries, pears, nuts.... and it all tastes so wonderful together.  I made this salad because I was craving something super healthy and flavourful.  And with all these fruits and vegetables I felt healthy indeed.  If I had had some Parmesan cheese I would have grated a bit of that into this salad, so if you have some...grate away!  I tossed everything with a homemade vinaigrette which didn't overwhelm the multitude of flavours in this salad.  

Everything Salad

1 large bowl of mixed greens
1 ripe pear, thinly sliced
1 beet, peeled and grated
1 golden beet, peeled and grated (optional)
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tbsp hulled sunflower seeds

Dressing:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil, or oil of your choice
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper

Combine all of the salad ingredients in a bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients and toss the desired amount with the salad,

Spring Roll Salad

Everything about this salad is amazing!  The flavours blend together so well, I could probably eat it every day.  And it's so refreshing to have in the middle of winter.  The fresh lime and cilantro and the overall brightness of this salad makes me feel like spring is just around the corner.  I found the original recipe for this salad here, but I have made a few changes to it, such as the addition of mango.  I love mango in spring rolls, and I also think mango, cilantro, and lime go really well together, so I wanted it in this salad.  If you have the time I recommend making the dressing ahead of time so the flavours have a chance to mingle.  I found it tasted better the next day, but it was also delicious the first day, so if you can't make it ahead of time don't worry.

Spring Roll Salad

100g Vermicelli noodles, cooked according to pkg

3 cups shredded Napa Cabbage

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup sliced English cucumber

1 red pepper, cut into thin strips

1 mango, julienned

1 can baby corn, sliced

2 green onions, sliced

spicy dressing:

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp sriracha hot sauce

1 lime, juice and zest

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp minced ginger

1 garlic clove, minced

Cut the noodles into bite-sized pieces and put in a large bowl.  Add the rest of the salad ingredients to the bowl and toss.  

Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and stir into the salad.  

Cabbage and Ramen Noodle Salad

When I first got this recipe from my sister-in-law I was a bit skeptical.  Mr. Noodles in a salad?  Seemed a bit iffy.  But she assured me it was good, and I'm happy to say that she was right.  It's crunchy and flavourful and brings something different to the 'coleslaw table'.  I love the taste of the sesame seeds with the cabbage, it makes it a great side dish for some sesame chicken or shrimp satay.  So try it, you won't be disappointed:)

Cabbage and Ramen Noodle Salad

Approximately 4 cups of shredded cabbage
4 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3 tbsp sesame seeds
1 pkg. Mr. Noodles
3 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
pepper, to taste

Toast the sesame seeds and almonds in a pan over medium heat, just until they begin to turn golden.  Crush the noodles and mix with the cabbage, onions, nuts, and seeds.  Mix the vinegar, oil, sugar, pepper, and half of the contents of the Mr. Noodles' seasoning package.  Pour over the salad.  Let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Summer Salad with Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

This is a light and fresh salad that is perfect on a hot summer day.  The berries give it a nice sweetness while the red onion and balsamic vinegar give it a little zing.  I like to make this salad with blackberries and strawberries, but a variety of fruit could be used, such as sliced pears or grapes.  I love making my own salad dressings because I believe they taste better, and it also involves less waste.  I will seldom use a whole bottle of dressing before it expires, but when I make my own I can just make what I need.  This dressing is very simple, but it tastes great.  And this salad is a good one to take to work for lunch, just keep the dressing separate until you are ready to eat it:)

Summer Salad with Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette (Recipe is for 1 personal salad)

1 cup lettuce or spring mix, in bite sized pieces

3 large strawberries, cut into small wedges

1/4 cup blackberries

2 slices of red onion, cut into small pieces

2-3 tbsp feta cheese, crumbled

10 pecan or walnut halves

Dressing:

1 tbsp raspberry jam

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp white vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

Toss all of the salad ingredients in a bowl.  Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over top.  Enjoy!

Taco Salad

There have been occasions where I have made tacos for dinner just so that I can make taco salad the next day.  I love it so much.  Of course, I could just make the salad without making tacos, but I like tacos too, so it's win-win.  My girlfriends and I actually have an annual taco party where everyone brings different ingredients for the tacos. And each year we always get into a huge discussion about what order the toppings should go on on a taco.  Personally I like meat first, then the cheese so it can melt, then taco sauce, sour cream, lettuce (it needs to be next to the sour cream so that it has something to stick to!), guacamole, and then the tomatoes.  The guacamole keeps the tomatoes on nicely.  And it has to be a hard taco shell, and not the stand-and-stuff because the bottoms break after the first bite.  So...ya, that's my opinion about tacos, how do you like yours made?

So anyhow, back to the salad.  As I said, I usually make mine with leftover taco ingredients, but I will write the recipe for just the salad on it's own.  It's easy and delicious, and a salad that my hubby loves because it's full of beef.  Enjoy!

I forgot to buy avocado, so it's missing:(

Taco Salad
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pkg taco seasoning mix*
1 head iceburg lettuce
2 tomatoes
1 avocado
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crushed corn chips or tortilla chips or taco shells
1/4 cup taco sauce
1/4 cup French or Catalina  salad dressing
2 tbsp chopped cilantro (optional)

Cook beef and taco seasoning according to package directions.  Shred the lettuce and dice the tomatoes and avocado.  Put into a large bowl with the shredded cheese and crushed chips. Top with the ground beef.  Mix the salad dressing and taco sauce together and pour over salad.  (Only salad dressing can be used if taco sauce is not available.)  Serve with cilantro, if desired.

*The package is for a pound a beef, so just use half:)

Easy Peasy Pasta Salad

This is such an easy pasta salad to make, and you can make it with such a variety of ingredients.  I usually put tuna in mine, and then add some kind of combination of vegetables.  Peppers, green onions, cherry tomatoes, peas, carrots, asparagus, and/or cucumber.  Basically I use whatever veggies I have on hand.  If I use carrots or asparagus I always partly cook them first so they aren't too crunchy.  Just throw them in with the pasta while it's cooking for the last 2 minutes or so.  If I don't have tuna on hand I will make it with cut up hard-boiled eggs, which is also good if you want a vegetarian dish.  I find the best pasta to make this with is farfalle (bow tie).  The shape of them just seems to work really well with the mayonnaise and vegetables.
This 'recipe' is pretty basic, it's completely up to your own tastes as to what, and how much, you put into it.  I'll write the ingredients for the salad pictured, but it's just a basic outline for whatever you like.

Easy Pasta Salad:

1 can of tuna, drained and flaked
5 cups of cooked pasta, cooled
1 yellow pepper, cut into small pieces
1 carrot, cut into thin slices and blanched (toss into cooking pasta for last 2 minutes of cooking time)
1/2 cup of fresh peas, blanched
1/4 cup mayonnaise
pepper, to taste

Toss all of the ingredients together and serve!

Salmon Burgers with Chile-Inspired Salad

I just spent 10 days in Chile over the Christmas break, and boy did I enjoy some delicious food!  And I ate avocados every single day!  Ok, perhaps most people wouldn't be so excited about that, but avocados are one of my favourite foods and I wish I had an avocado tree in my backyard.  I also tried palmitos (palm hearts) for the first time and love them too.  When I got home and was met with the sad fact that it's still winter here I really wanted to have some Chilean food to make me feel sunnier.  And I don't feel confident enough to make ceviche here since the fish needs to be fresh, as in caught-that-morning fresh.  So I decided to make a salad that I had many times while I was there, and paired it with some cooked salmon... a zesty lime salmon burger.  The lime went really well with the tastes of the salad.  I also had cold, cooked beets with many of my meals in Chile, so I made some of them too.  I was going to make a cream sauce to go with the salmon burger, but instead I put a few slices of avocado on top which went perfectly with it.  I found the salmon burger recipe in Chatelaine magazine's Superfood mini cookbook.  The salmon has 400% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin D, so it's a great food to eat in the winter when the weather is lacking sunshine.

I don't know why the beets look black, they were a wonderful purple on-camera.

Both recipes make 4 servings.

Zesty Lime Salmon Burgers:

- 1 large can (450g) can Sockeye Salmon

- 1 egg

- 1 green onion, thinly sliced

- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro or basil (I used cilantro)

- 1/4 cup fine bread crumbs

- 1 lime (1 tsp. of zest and 2 tbsp. of juice)

- 1 tsp. Tobasco sauce

- 1/2 tsp salt

- vegetable oil for frying

Drain salmon and break up with a fork.  You can leave the skin and bones in for extra calcium.  In a bowl whisk egg, then rest of ingredients, except the oil.  Using a fork mix the salmon into the egg mixture.  Form into 4 firmly packed burgers, about 1 cm. thick.

Generously coat a large non-stick pan with oil and turn heat to medium.  When hot add burgers and cook uncovered for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until a thick golden crust forms.  Serve with sliced avocado on top.

Chile-Inspired Salad:

- 1 large head of iceburg lettuce, chopped

- 4 avocados, thinly sliced*

- 2 tomatoes, cut into small wedges

- 1 can of palm hearts, sliced (They are in the canned vegetable section of my grocery store)

- olive oil and lemon juice to use as dressing

Just divide the ingredients among 4 plates, save some of the avocado slices to garnish the salmon burger if desired.

* To slice an avocado first cut it in half by slicing it all the way around, right down to the pit.  Then twist the 2 halves so that one side pulls apart from the pit.  Use a spoon to scoop out the pit from the other side.  Then make thin slices, while the pulp is still in the skin.  Then use a spoon to carefully scoop out the slices.