Tag: salad

Mediterranean Tuna Salad

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups salad mix of your choice
  • 6-7 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1/3 cup feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup sliced kalamata olives
  • 1 mini cucumber, diced
  • 1 can tuna
  • 1/2 red onion, sliced
  • 1 tsp fresh basil, ripped
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • salt/pepper to taste
  • balsamic vinaigrette to dress (I used store bought but you can make your own)

Directions

  1. In a small bowl dress the tuna in the olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper.
  2. In a larger bowl place your salad mix.
  3. Then one at a time place your ingredients in whatever way you want across the top of the greens. (I like to do it in quadrants because it takes a nice picture. You can sprinkle and layer however you like.)
  4. Dress with the balsamic dressing and enjoy.

I always feel kind of silly giving instructions on how to put a salad together because you could throw the ingredients at the bowl from across the room and it would still be good. Creamy feta, bright tomatoes, briny olives and crisp fresh greens make this salad a delicious addition to the table any way you decide to serve it up.

Greek orzo chicken salad

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It’s the perfect dinner for those nights where you want something light and easy. It’s bright and tangy and delicious.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chicken breast
  • 2 cups orzo
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup kalamata olives
  • 1 cucumber, diced
  • 1/2 cup spinach, chopped
  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 tbsp. Basil, chopped
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • Lemon juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

  1. Cut your chicken breast into 1/2 inch to inch pieces. Cook on medium high heat with salt and pepper until browned.
  2. While chicken is cooking cook orzo according to package instructions. 9-12 minutes is the normal cooking time.
  3. When orzo is done stir spinach and basil into warm pasta so that it wilts slightly.
  4. Add your chicken, cheese, olives and veggies to a bowl.
  5. Add your orzo to the bowl and mix well to combine.
  6. In a separate smaller bowl ads oil, lemon juice and garlic. Whisk well to combine.
  7. Add dressing to salad bowl and mix to combine.

You can always add more feta if you like more cheese. More olives if you want more tang. More onion if you want more punch. It’s kind of a recipeless recipe.

Antipasto salad

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My husband asked me for a salad like none I had made before. So I looked yet again to the internet for inspiration. You beautiful people never disappoint. I found antipasto salad there in the midst of all your wonderful ideas.

It’s the perfect salad for a night where you want something light and punchy.

Ingredients

  • Romaine lettuce
  • Salami slices, thick cut
  • Peperoncino peppers
  • Cherry tomatoes, sliced
  • Mozzarella cheese, small balls
  • Black olives
  • Artichoke hearts
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp. Oregano
  • 1/4 tsp. Chili flake
  • Salt/pepper

Directions

  1. Combine oil, vinegar, Dijon and dry spices together in a small mixing bowl.
  2. Put lettuce in a medium to large serving bowl.
  3. Dress salad with toppings either in sections or sprinkle on top.
  4. Pour dressing over top and use tongs to combine.

Pork Schnitzel and Chonky Potato Salad

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Crispy Cronchy Amazing

As an attempt to continue our trip through German food we have found our way to pork schnitzel. I had never fried anything in Panko before so when this worked out for me on the first try I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was. The potato salad is also my new favorite way to eat potatoes. The sour cream gives the potato salad a lightness that is pleasantly different from the over dressed packaged ones in the deli section of the store.

Ingredients

Pork Schnitzel

  • 4 boneless pork chops, pounded to about a 1/4 inch thickness
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup panko bread crumb
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
  • salt/pepper
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • neutral oil for frying

Potato Salad

  • 8 red potatoes, chunky dice
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 clove grated garlic
  • 1 tsp. fresh chopped dill
  • kosher salt/pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Set up your bread station: flour and seasonings in one bowl. Egg and dijon mustard in another. Bread crumbs in the third bowl.
  2. Pound out your pork chops and place them on a plate. Set aside.
  3. Chop potatoes and place them in a pot of salted boiling water. These will take about 10 minutes depending on how chunky you cut them.
  4. Put sour cream, dill, garlic and salt into a medium size bowl and set aside.
  5. When potatoes only have a couple minutes left you want to put a pan on medium heat and put about 2 tbsp. oil in.
  6. Start breading your pork: First put it in the flour. Make sure both sides are coated. Then dip into the egg and mustard mixture. Let the excess drip off. Then coat in bread crumb. Make sure both sides are evenly coated.
  7. By this time your potatoes should be done. Drain the water and put in bowl with sour cream. Mix together and set aside.
  8. Fry up your pork. You can put two in a pan together cooking them about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes on each side. You want your pork to be slightly pink and glistening inside. If its grey you have gone to far. You have shoe leather now.
  9. Lightly salt the schnitzel once its done frying and serve it up next to your potato salad.

Smashed Chickpea Salad

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Briny and Bright

I had never had a chickpea salad in my life till a couple of weeks ago. Now I keep at least two cans in my pantry cupboard for emergencies. Like I’m super lazy and I need something that is going to be light and filling at the same time. It’s a magic salad actually.

Ingredients

  • 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1/4 red onion, diced
  • 3 dill pickles, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 1 tbsp. pickle juice
  • kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Drain and rinse your can of chickpeas. Place in small mixing bowl. Using a fork mash the chickpeas leaving some of them still whole.
  2. Add onion, pickle and pickle juice and stir.
  3. Add mayo, garlic and salt/pepper and stir to combine.
  4. Optional: Lemon juice to add more acid.
  5. Optional: Celery to add more cronch.
  6. Optional: Tahini/more mayo to add more creaminess.
  7. Optional: Chili flake to add some heat.

This recipe is something I learned from one of the food editors of the basically column from Bon Appetit. It’s magic because the recipe could be adapted to what you have. This is the recipe that I used and It was delicious. Serve it in a wrap or on a sandwich. You could also just eat it straight out of the bowl with a spoon.