Grilled Bruschetta and Salmon

A grilled lunch for a perfect Saturday.

 

 

1 ripe tomato, diced

4 large basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp or so of freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 large garlic clove, pressed
Salt and Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Loaf of crusty sourdough bread, cut into thick slices
2 5-oz salmon filets, with skin
Tajin seasoning (we put this on everything!)

Preheat grill to high, about 450˚.

In a small bowl, combine tomato, basil, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle with EVOO and mix; set aside. Prepare toast by brushing both sides of bread slices with EVOO; set aside.

Season skinless side of salmon with Tajin. Place skin side down on grill, allowing to char, about 3-4 minutes. Flip salmon and carefully remove skin. Allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes. Flip filet again and grill 1-2 minutes. Filets should easily flake, do not overcook.

Grill bread for about one minute. Flip bread and move to top rack of grill, away from direct heat. Spoon tomato mixture onto each slice and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Plate salmon over a small bed of baby kale and serve with the bruschetta.

 

Battle of the Potato Salads: Czech Potato Salad vs. Vinaigrette Potato Salad

When my husband told me that he didn’t care for the Czech style potato salad that my family makes, 1) I was shocked that I’ve never heard this before considering we’ve been together for 10 years, and 2) how can you not like the potato salad?! It’s so good! His friend did confirm that it was strange to have peas and carrots in a potato salad, which didn’t occur to me as strange considering that’s how I’ve always had it. 

 

So, since we were having our friends over for a BBQ this weekend, I decided to have a ‘battle of the potato salads’ and let our guests decided which on was better. Here are the two contenders: Czech Potato Salad and a Vinaigrette Potato Salad. Let the battle begin. 

 

I recommend making the salad a day before to let the flavors blend overnight.

 

Czech Potato Salad vs. Vinaigrette Potato Salad

Czech Potato Salad

3 large Yukon Gold potatoes
2 large carrots, diced
½ cup frozen peas
2 celery stalks, diced
1small yellow onion, minced
2 green onion sprigs, diced
2 large pickles, diced
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

Dressing:

¾ cup mayo
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp pickle juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot of salted water, boil potatoes whole until skins break and they are fork tender. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel skins and cut into cubes. Add potatoes into a large bowl.

While potatoes are cooling, dice carrots and place in a small pot of boiling salted water. Add peas and cook until carrots are fork tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and add to large bowl. Add remaining ingredients.

In a small bowl, combine ingredients for dressing. Whisk together until combined. Add to potatoes and veggies. Gently toss with dressing. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Vinaigrette Potato Salad

3 large Yukon Gold potatoes
5 strips of bacon
3 green onion sprigs, diced
½ small red onion, finely minced
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
2 celery stalks, diced
3 hardboiled eggs, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Champagne vinaigrette (store bought)

In a large pot of salted water, boil potatoes whole until skins break and they are fork tender. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel skins and cut into cubes. Add potatoes into a large bowl.

While potatoes are cooling, cook bacon in a frying pan until crispy. Remove bacon from pan onto a paper towel lined plate to soak up extra grease. Once cooled, roughly chop and add to bowl. Add remaining ingredients to bowl. Mix together. Add the eggs last, gently folding in with dressing. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Grilled Salmon Burgers with Kale and Caprese Salad

I love salmon. I can literally eat it every day. I’ve also been on a kale kick. And that’s how this little beauty was created. This was yesterday's healthy lunch.

 

 12-14 oz minced or ground fresh salmon
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp mayo
1 large slice of sourdough bread, diced (you can use regular or panko breadcrumbs too)
1/4 small red onion, minced
½ small red bell pepper, diced
1 Tbsp freshly minced Italian flat leaf parsley
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Kale, stalks removed and roughly chopped

Thinly sliced red onion, 2 or 3 rings
Vinaigrette dressing

2 Ciabatta rolls

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Caprese salad

1 large, ripe tomato, sliced
1 large fresh mozzarella ball, sliced
Balsamic vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
4 large fresh basil leaves, sliced

In a medium sized bowl, combine all ingredients for salmon patties. Using wet hands, shape mixture into 2 patties. Over medium high heat, grill until cooked all the way through, about 3 minutes per side, depending on thickness.

Cut Ciabatta rolls in half and lightly brush insides of rolls with EVOO. Place open sides on grill to lightly toast.

In a small bowl, combine kale and red onion. Toss with vinaigrette.

To plate, make a Caprese salad on one side by layering slices of tomato and mozzarella. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and EVOO. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with basil leaves.

Assemble salmon burger by placing salmon patty on toasted bottom roll. Top with kale salad and add top roll.

 

 

Chicken Top Ramen Salad

I’ve been on a cabbage kick, preparing it in different ways - cooked and raw. Here’s a little spin on the traditional top ramen salad where I’ve fancied it up a bit by adding some additional veggies and colors. This is even good the next day, so I like to bring it to work for lunch. The dressing marinates into the cabbage similar to a coleslaw.

 

Chicken:
2 chicken breasts
Italian dressing

Salad:

1 head napa cabbage, shredded
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled into ribbons
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup slivered almonds
1 package of chicken flavored ramen noodles, crumbled

Dressing:

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
4 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 package of chicken ramen seasoning

Marinate chicken in Italian dressing, overnight preferred or for at least 30 minutes. Grill chicken over medium high heat, for about 4-6 minutes per side depending on thickness. Grill until cooked all the way through and no longer pink in the middle. Let rest before slicing.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for salad; set aside.

In a small bowl, add ingredients for dressing and whisk together. Drizzle over salad and toss.

Serve salad with sliced chicken on top.

Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad

Where the flavors of Italy and the Mediterranean meet and create happiness in your mouth.

 

1 lb dried Orzo pasta

1 cup mozzarella cheese pearls

½ cup sliced Kalamata olives

1/3 cup diced sun dried tomatoes

1 large bunch of basil, chopped

2 green onion sprigs, chopped

1/3 cup minced Italian flat leaf parsley

Marinade:

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar

Juice from one lemon

Salt and pepper, to taste

 

Cook Orzo according to directions on packaging; cook until al dente. Set aside and allow to cool.

 

In a small bowl, combine marinade ingredients and whisk together; set aside. 

 

Toss cooled Orzo pasta with remaining ingredients. Add marinade and mix together until well combined.

 

Helpful hint: For a more flavorful pasta, make this dish a day ahead to allow the flavors to marinate overnight. 

 

Variations:

·         Substitute the sun dried tomatoes for halved fresh cherry tomatoes

·         Substitute the  marinade for a pesto sauce

Lentil and Cabbage Salad with Beets

I received this month’s Food & Wine mag in the mail today and was inspired by one of their recipes. The hubby LOVED it! He said it was a "flavor explosion in his mouth" and that this was the type of dinner he’d want me to make if his boss were to come over. Obviously he liked it. Though he said the name of the recipe wasn’t too appetizing, and that it sounds more like something they’d serve in an orphanage as a punishment. I guess I have to work on that.

1 cup lentils
4 thick slices of bacon
½ cup EVOO
Juice from one lemon
2 large beets
3 Tbsp freshly minced parsley
1 ½ cups chopped green cabbage
½ cup blue cheese crumbs
Salt and fresh cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and cut beets into large cubes. Toss with EVOO, place in a casserole dish, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes, or until beets are fork tender. While beets are baking, cook lentils.

Place lentils in a pot and cover with about 1 inch of water. Add 1/2 tsp salt. Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, until they are tender. Drain and set aside. While lentils are cooking, cook bacon.

In a skillet over med-high heat, cook bacon until crispy. Once done, set on paper towel lined plate. When cooled, roughly chop; set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk EVOO and lemon juice together; season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, toss lentils, cabbage and parsley with lemon dressing.

Plate lentil and cabbage salad topped with warm beets. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with bacon and blue cheese. Serve with grilled salmon or sautéed pork chops.

Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Coleslaw

I received my Food & Wine issue last month, which featured the movie The Help and included recipes from the movie. Then I saw the movie this weekend and had to make some classic southern fried chicken! I’ve never made fried chicken this way before. I usually make a thin chicken schnitzel in bread crumbs, but this was easy and a hit with the hubby.

Fried Chicken

2 chicken breasts

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 egg
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp seasoned salt
1 Tbsp freshly cracked pepper
Vegetable oil

In a small bowl, whisk milk and egg; coat chicken. In another bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper; dredge chicken.

In a medium frying pan, heat oil until med-high. The oil should only be about half way up the chicken. Cook chicken for about 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness, turning occasionally, until all sides are browned. Remove from pan and set on a paper towels to soak up excess oil.

Coleslaw in Vinaigrette
3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp mustard
½ tsp fresh cracked pepper
A few dashed of red pepper flakes
2-3 cups of shredded green cabbage
1-2 cups of shredded purple cabbage
1 large carrot, peel off ribbons
2-3 green onions, sliced

In a small bowl, whisk together the first 6 ingredients. In a large bowl combine the vegetables and then toss with vinaigrette dressing. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Mashed Potatoes
2 large red skinned potatoes, quartered
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup milk or heavy cream
Salt & pepper, to taste

In a pot of boiling water, cook potatoes until fork tender, about 15 minutes; Drain. Add butter and milk to pot with the potatoes; mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.



Seared Tuna Salad

A light and tasty dinner on a warm summer evening.

2 Ahi tuna steaks
Lemon pepper seasoning
Salt
EVOO
Mixed green salad
Sliced red bell pepper
Shelled edamame
Chopped cucumber
Vinaigrette dressing
Lentil salad

Heat grill or pan to high heat. Brush tuna with EVOO and season with lemon pepper and salt. Over high heat, grill tuna for 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on thickness you might want to reduce or increase heat.

Prepare salad by starting with a bed of greens and top with veggies; drizzle with vinaigrette dressing. Add lentil salad and top with sliced, seared tuna.

Note: I just happened to have some lentil salad on hand so I threw it into the dish. I felt it added a little more substance so I’m not sure how much it really “matches” the dish.

Lentil Salad

2-3 servings

½ lb dried lentils

4 cups water
2 Bay leaves
1-2 carrots, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
½ small onion, diced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
Zest from one lemon
Juice from one lemon
¼ cup fresh flat leaf Italian parsley, minced
Salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
EVOO

Boil water in a pot and add Bay leaves and lentils; turn heat to low and cook for 25 minutes. Drain any excess water, remove Bay leaves and set aside.

In a medium sauce pan, heat EVOO over med-high heat and sauté veggies and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

In a mixing bowl, add lentil and drizzle with EVOO. Toss with sautéed veggies, lemon zest, lemon juice and parsley.

Eat alone as a vegetarian dish or serve as a side. Eat warm or cold.

Fresh Vegetable Pasta Salad

A great dish for a potluck or BBQ, or as a side for any grilled meat.

Although it calls for many different fresh herbs, if you don’t have one or two of them on hand, don’t let it stop you from putting this pasta salad together.

About 3 good servings

2 large handfuls of Ditalini pasta (or any pasta of your choice)
½ small red onion, diced
½ red bell pepper, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
3-4 radishes, diced
¼ cup fresh parsley, minced
1/2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 Tbsp fresh basil, sliced
1 Tbsp fresh chives, minced
2-3 oz of Pepper Jack or Cheddar cheese, cubed

Dressing
2 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp water
1 large clove of garlic, minced
½ tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together ingredients for dressing; set aside.

In a large bowl, mix cooled pasta, veggies, herbs, cheese and toss with dressing. If the pasta seems a little dry, drizzle with more EVOO and toss.

Steak Taco Salad

A great meal to use up leftover grilled steak. Fast and tasty.

Grilled skirt steak, sliced (I used cold leftovers from this recipe)

Mixed greens
Crushed tortilla chips

Black beans (cold or warm)
½ red bell pepper, sliced
½ avocado, sliced
Jalapenos slices (canned)
Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Make salad by starting with a bed of salad then top with the listed ingredients, finishing with sliced steak. Top with a dollop of sour cream and salsa or serve with ranch dressing.

Chicken Taco Salad

This salad is so tasty it doesn’t even need dressing. So easy to put together and you can modify the ingredients to your liking.

3 chicken boneless breasts
1 can of diced tomatoes with jalapenos
Lettuce mix
Corn tortilla chips
1 can of black beans, drained
Shredded cheddar cheese
Jarred jalapenos slices, chopped
Green onions, sliced
Salsa

Before you go to work in the morning, add the chicken and canned tomatoes in the crock pot. Turn to low and let cook for 6+ hours, or until you get home from work. Then take two forks and shred the chicken, mixing in the juice from the tomatoes. Set aside.

To assemble salad, start with lettuce, top with crushed tortilla chips, add beans (cold), top with shredded chicken, add cheese and finish off with jalapenos, green onions and a dollop of salsa. (I would have also added sliced avocado and sour cream, but I didn’t have any. Sliced olives would have also been a nice topping.)

Husband's inquiry, “So, it’s like we’re having nachos for dinner, but on a bed of lettuce?”

Cute.

Apple, Pecan and Blue Cheese Salad

½ bag of mixed greens
½ Fiji apples, sliced
Pecan halves
Blue cheese crumbles
Balsamic vinaigrette

Plate mixed greens, top with apples, pecans and blue cheese. Drizzle with Balsamic vinaigrette.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

I found this Buffalo Blue Cheese dressing from Fresh & Easy and threw it together in this salad.

1 bag of a spicy salad, like arugula
2-3 ribs of celery, chopped
2-3 mini bell peppers
¼ cucumber, chopped
8-10 chicken tenders
½ cup of flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 eggs, beaten
½ - 1 cup of seasoned bread crumbs
¼ cup of Frank’s RedHot
Buffalo Blue Cheese dressing from Fresh & Easy (found in produce section)
EVOO

In a large sauce pan, heat EVOO over medium high heat. Dredge chicken tenders in flour, then egg, and then bread crumbs. Fry chicken until each piece is crispy, golden brown and cooked all the way through. In a medium mixing bowl, add fried chicken tenders and toss with Frank’s RedHot.

Assemble salad, by creating a bed of greens, top with veggies and drizzle with salad dressing. Finish by topping with chicken.

Chicken Salad with Almonds

This is a simple salad to put together. One night, we ate sandwiches by filling rolls with the chicken salad and adding crispy bacon strips. Then I used the leftovers to top a green salad, which I took to work for lunch. I didn’t even need to add salad dressing. Yum!

2 grilled chicken breasts, chopped
3 ribs of celery, chopped
½ cup of almond slivers
2 green onion springs, chopped
½ mayo
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Sea salt
Freshly crushed black pepper

Mix all the ingredients together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top a green salad or fill a roll with the chicken salad. It tastes even better the next day, once the flavors have a chance to blend.

Spicy Sausage Burger with Veggie and Bean Salad

2 sweet Hawaiian hamburger buns
2 Chicken Jalapeño Sausage links, uncooked
2 slices of provolone cheese
2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach
1 large garlic clove, minced
EVOO
1 can of black beans, drained
1/3 cucumber, chopped
½ avocado, chopped
½ medium red bell pepper, diced
2 green onion sprigs, chopped
3 radishes, chopped
Crumbled feta cheese
2-3 Tbsp on Balsamic dressing
Couple squirts of lime juice
Salt to taste
Mayo, for burgers

Heat grill over medium heat. Remove sausage from casing. With wet hands, shape sausage into two patties. Brush each side of sausage burgers with EVOO and grill on each side for about 4 minutes, until no longer pink in the middle. When the burgers are almost done, add cheese and melt.

Sauté spinach with a couple drizzles of EVOO. When the spinach is almost wilted, add garlic and continue to sauté until garlic is soft and turns translucent.

For the bean salad, mix beans, veggies, Balsamic dressing, lime juice and salt. Top with crumbled feta cheese.

Toast buns on grill. Assemble burger by spreading top bun with mayo, put burger on bottom bun and top with garlic spinach. Serve burgers with a side of the veggie and bean salad.

Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad

We had this delicious and refreshing appetizer to start off Ben's Birthday dinner at my parent's house. The tomatoes and herbs were from their garden.

large, ripe tomatoes, sliced (about 1 1/2 tomato per person)
fresh basil, roll leaves and slice into strips
Italian flat leaf parsley, minced
Chives, minced
Red onion, sliced
Goat cheese chunks
Freshly crushed sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Balsamic vinegar
EVOO

Place tomatoes on plate in a circle, over lapping the next slice. Top with red onion, cheese, herbs, S&P. Drizzle with vinegar and EVOO.

Crab Rolls and Veggie Salad

2 sourdough rolls
2 slices of sharp Cheddar cheese

crabs salad
2-6.5 oz cans of white lump crab, drained
2 Tbsp of mayo
1 small garlic glove, pressed or grated
1 rib of celery, minced
2 radishes, minced
1-2 Tbsp parsley, minced
Juice of ¼ lemon
½ tsp of sea salt
½ tsp lemon pepper
¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper

veggie salad
1/2 of a large carrot, diced
¼ red bell pepper, diced
1 slice of jicama, diced
1 small Roma tomato, diced
1 bunch of green onions, sliced
1/3 cucumber, diced
Crumbled feta cheese
Sea salt
Freshly cracked pepper
EVOO
Balsamic vinegar

Split rolls in half and toast. Add cheese on one side of roll and melt. For crab salad, mix all ingredients together. Add to other half of roll and close.

For veggie salad, mix all veggies together. Season with S&P to taste. Drizzle with EVOO and vinegar to taste. Top with feta cheese.

Turkey and Brie or Cheddar Panini with Side Salad

Sourdough baguette
Mayo
Pesto sauce
Leftover grilled turkey tenderloin slices
Brie cheese
2 sharp cheddar cheese slices
Baby spinach (pick a few out of the mixed greens)

Side Salad:
Mixed greens
Red onion, sliced
Green bell pepper, sliced
Tomato, cut in wedges
Cucumber, sliced

Heat the George Forman grill until ready. Cut baguette into thirds. On one baguette third, spread with mayo and pesto, layer with turkey slices and brie. Press in grill until cheese is melted. On the other baguette third, spread with mayo and pesto, layer with turkey slices, cheddar cheese and baby spinach leaves. Remove turkey & brie and replace with turkey and cheddar. Grill until cheese is melted and spinach is wilted.

Make side salad by layering veggies on top of mixed greens. Serve with your favorite dressing.

Cut sandwiches in half. Either serve both of one type of sandwich or mix halves. Serve with salad.

Grilled Turkey Tenderloin with Bean Salad

2-1/2 lb. each turkey tenderloins
Italian salad dressing
Grill seasoning
1 can of pinto beans, drained
1 can of black beans, drained
1 ear of corn, boiled, corn cut from cob
½ green bell pepper, chopped
2 red onion slices, chopped
Feta cheese
1/2 cup of EVOO
2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
1 ½ tsp of Dijon mustard
½ tsp of fresh crushed pepper
1/2 tsp of salt
Juice from ¼ of a lemon
1 small tomato, slice in wedges, for garnish

Marinate tenderloins in Italian salad dressing over-night.

Remove tenderloins from marinade. Shake off excess dressing. Sprinkle with grill seasoning. Over medium-low heat, grill the turkey tenderloin on each side for about 10-12 minutes, depending on thickness. Cook until the tenderloin is no longer pink in the middle.

In a medium bowl, add beans, cut corn, peppers, onion and mix together. In a small bowl, add the EVOO, vinegar, mustard, pepper, salt, lemon juice and whisk together. Pour vinaigrette over bean mixture and mix well. Add feta cheese and mix again.

Slice turkey and serve with a generous portion of bean salad. Add tomato wedges as a garnish.