Salads

Warm Potato Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

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This dish is so very simple to put together and can be made a couple of hours in advance and kept at room temperature.  It’s the perfect side dish to take to a picnic or bbq because it does not need to be refrigerated and is such a nice change of pace from your typical, expected potato salad.  I have made this in the past for many different bouts of company and had such great reviews from all.  The sweetness of the red potatoes pairs so well with the tanginess of the dressing and it makes a great side dish to almost anything; we especially love it along side grilled steak, pork or burgers.  Simple enough for a weeknight dinner and special enough for company; my kind of dish.

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Warm Potato Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

adapted from this recipe

Ingredients

2 Pounds New Potatoes

1 3/4 Teaspoons Salt

1 Medium Shallot, finely chopped (about 3 Tablespoons)

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1 Tablespoon Stone Ground Mustard

2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 Teaspoon Pepper

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 1/2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Tarragon

Directions

Place potatoes and 1 teaspoon salt in a large pot and cover with water by one inch.  Bring to a boil and let cook for 10 minutes or until potatoes are just fork tender.  Drain in a colander.

While potatoes are slightly cooling in a colander whisk shallot, dijon and stone ground mustards, vinegar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, olive oil and tarragon in a large bowl until well combined.  Cut the potatoes into fourths and add them to the vinaigrette in the large bowl.  Stir potatoes gently to coat with the vinaigrette.  Serve immediately while salad is still warm or at room temperature.

Chopped Cobb Salad

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Chopped salads are one of my favorite ways to clean out the fridge.  Combine proteins, veggies, fruits, healthful fats and a little chopping and you’ll have a rock solid meal in no time.  A chopped cobb was this weeks version and it tasted amazing.  The beauty of chopping the ingredients into bite size pieces is that you can get a little taste of everything in one bite.  Num.

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Chopped Cobb Salad

Ingredients

3 Leafy Romain Leaves, chopped into small pieces

1/2 Cup Grated Carrots, roughly chopped

1/2 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved

1/2 Cup Cubed Smoked Gouda Cheese

3/4 Cup Chopped Chicken

1 Avocado, diced

2 Hard Boiled Eggs, diced

3-4 Tablespoons Real Ranch Dressing, recipe here

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and toss until combined.  Serve immediately.  Serves 2-3

Chickpea, Sun Dried Tomato and Spinach Salad

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This salad and I, we go back a few years.  Our relationship started in the midst of my pregnancy…and I fell hard.  Each day after my workout this was my treat at the cafe and it was history from there.  Well, sort of.  We broke up for a bit and I was beside myself.  It was a beautiful, sunny day in mid August.  A day I will never forget.  I walked into the cafe, post workout, and looked for my boyfriend salad in the cooler.  It was not there.  What?  Oh it must just not be made up yet, no biggie, we all run late.  And then I asked and my life was forever changed.  “I’m so sorry”, said the chef, “we’ve switched up our menu and we are not offering it anymore”.  My bottom lip began to quiver.  WHAT?  How could this be?!  That salad loved me…how were we going to live without each other?  More importantly, what is going to be my motivation for getting my butt on the treadmill?!

I wasn’t having any of this nonsense.  Not one bit.  So I went home that very day and figured out a way to clone that salad in my own kitchen.  Turns out, it’s quite possibly the most simple recipe ever…at least my take on it is.  Since then, our relationship has blossomed.  I have shared the love with my daughter and husband and we all agree that the breakup was one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.  I just hope the health club’s version was able to move on; I just want it to be happy.

Chickpea, Sun Dried Tomato and Spinach Salad

Note:  This salad grows even more delicious as it sits.  It’s great to make at the beginning of the week and have on hand for quick, nourishing lunches.  It has the whole sha-bang:  protein, greens and healthy fat.

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) Can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/3 Cup Sun Dried Tomatoes Packed In Olive Oil, chopped + 1/2 Tablespoon of the Oil

2 Cups Fresh Baby Spinach Leaves

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

2 Ounces Feta Cheese, crumbled

1/8 Teaspoon Salt

1/8 Teaspoon Pepper

Directions:

In a medium bowl combine all ingredients and mix well.  Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator.

Asian Noodle Salad

~ nourishedpeach ~ 11 Comments

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I think my husband was Italian in his past life.  Pasta pasta pasta…with meatballs and red sauce which is all fine and dandy with me.  My favorite cuisine is Asian in any way, shape or form.  I’m partial to the flavors and the heat of most Asian dishes, specifically Thai.  My husband; here nor there about it.  This type of conversation is very common between him and I (yes, our lives are THIS boring)

Me: Is there anything you’re hungry for this week?

Nick:  Not really.

Me:  I mean, could you throw me a bone here…stir fry sound good?

Nick:  Eh, not really.  (as you can see, he is a man of many words)

Me:  WELL THEN TELL ME WHAT SOUNDS GOOD!!!!!!!!

Nick:  How bout pasta?

Me:  I’m really hungry for Asian.

Nick: Then why did you ask me in the first place?

The end.  This is how it works around here…I ask the poor man questions in hopes of getting the answers I want to hear.  When, unfortunately, my husband, the wonderful guy that he is, is most definitely not a mind reader.  I mean VERY far from it 😉

So, when Nick is hungry for pasta and I want Asian this dish is our happy place.  He loves the heartiness of the noodles and the crunch of the peanuts.  In turn, I get all of the crisp veggies and the sweet, salty and spicy flavors that I adore.  This dish is definitely entertaining-worthy and would be perfect for a bbq or potluck as it can be served both chilled or at room temperature.  It is also great to make over the weekend and have on hand all week for quick lunches…its awesome leftover, just ask my friend Meagan, she stopped over for a quick hug and lunch today 🙂   It’s a simple, nutrient rich, gluten-free recipe; chopping the beautiful veggies is the most time consuming part, which is hardly time-consuming at all

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Before I tell you the recipe I’d like to touch on fresh ginger root.  It adds unbeatable flavor to many dishes, including this one, and has amazing anti-inflammatory properties along with providing antioxidants and promoting digestive health.  I know many people that are turned off by fresh ginger root because they only use a small amount and the rest goes to waste or because they do not know how to handle it.  It truly is so simple to make this a part of your regular diet and always have it on hand.  When I get it home from the store I immediately wash it under cold water and peel the skin of it with a vegetable peeler.  I then place it in a freezer bag and put it in the freezer…It will keep for months.  When you need it for a recipe just pull it out of the freezer and grate it over a microplane while it is still frozen, just like this

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After you are done, stick it back in the freezer until next time you need it.  So simple.

Asian Noodle Salad

Ingredients:

For The Salad:

14 Ounces Brown Rice Fettucini

1 Red Pepper, seeded and roughly chopped

4 Green Onions, thinly sliced

1 Cup Snap Peas, roughly chopped

1/2 Cup Grated Carrots

1/2 Cup Cilantro Leaves, chopped

1/2 Cup Roasted Peanuts

4 Chicken Breasts, grilled (optional)

Dressing:

1/3 Cup Peanut Butter, warmed in the microwave for 10 seconds

1/4 Cup Tamari (soy sauce can be substituted)

1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil

1 Tablespoon Ground Chili Paste *in Asian section of supermarket

2 Cloves Garlic, grated or pressed

1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar

2 Teaspoons Fresh Grated Ginger Root

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

Juice From One Orange

Directions:

Cook the pasta:  Cook according to package directions.  Drain in a colander and rinse well with cold water.  Rinse the pot you cooked the pasta in well with cold water, add the pasta back into the pot and fill with cold water.  Pasta can sit in the cold water until you are ready to mix the salad.

Make the dressing:  Combine all ingredients together in a medium bowl and whisk until combined.

Assemble the salad:  Pour pasta into a colander to drain and pour it back into the pot.  Add red pepper, green onion, snap peas, grated carrots and cilantro.  Pour in dressing and mix thoroughly with your hands.  Place a serving of the pasta on a plate and top with peanuts and  chicken breasts.  Can be served chilled or at room temperature.

Egg Salad

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I am an egg yolk advocate all the way.  Aside from the fact that they taste like a big Christmas present, they are the most nutrient rich part of the egg.  Just a few of the essential nutrients they provide are magnesium, calcium, iron and folate.  And don’t forget about the essential fatty acids they grace us with.  They contain great amounts of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids which are critical to brain and retinal function.  These omegas are also required in our bodies for healthy hair, reproduction, skin and injury recovery.  They are so incredibly important for our small children with regard to brain and nervous system development.  Without the yolks, eggs would be nothing.  Those whites owe the yolks, big time.

I know, I know, they raise cholesterol which causes heart disease, right?  WRONG!  Our body’s major carrier of cholesterol are LDL particles.  When those LDL particles are damaged (through toxins and deficient diets) is when we are at risk for heart disease.  Egg yolks are not the culprit.

Have I convinced you yet?  Please, eat the yolks 🙂

This egg salad is a hit in our home.  It is my perfect lunch piled on top of a piece of whole grain Ezekiel toast.  My neurotic, habitual self usually makes this on Mondays and we eat it throughout the week.  It is packed full of healthy fats and vitamins…and basically tastes like a deviled egg on steroids-healthy, wonderful steroids, that is…

Egg Salad

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons Greek Yogurt

1 1/2 Teaspoons Mustard

1/4 Teaspoon Onion Powder

1/8 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/8 Teaspoon Pepper

8 Hard-Boiled Eggs, chopped

1 Cup Fresh Spinach, chopped

2 Teaspoons Chopped Fresh Dill Weed

Directions:

Whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper until combined.  Stir in hard-boiled eggs and spinach and serve.

Chicken, Avocado and Mango Salad

~ nourishedpeach ~ 11 Comments

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Guys.  Its April 11th.  And it snowed today.  Again.  For what seems like the 432nd day this year.  I know, there’s not that many days in an entire year…but it seems like that’s how many days have been in our Minnesota winter alone.  ENOUGH!  While out shoveling today I decided I was going to boycott winter food at all costs this evening.  Hence, this salad.  Its light, fresh and full of so much flavor.  It will make you feel like your sitting on a beach, sipping a beautifully colored cocktail and hearing the crashing waves of the ocean.  Or not.  But its fun to dream…and it tastes pretty darn good 🙂

Although any cooked chicken will do for this recipe, below is my all time favorite way to prepare boneless chicken breasts indoors.  The pan roasting gives the chicken the most savory flavor imaginable.  Its my go-to method for so many recipes, and so simple!

Chicken, Avocado and Mango Salad

Ingredients:

For the Vinaigrette:

1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Juice of One Orange

1 Clove Garlic, grated or pressed

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Pepper

For the Salad:

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts + 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 Mango, Diced

1 Avocado, Diced

1/2 Cup Walnut Halves

4 Cups Greens, Chopped  *I used leafy romaine this time

Directions:

For the Vinaigrette:

Whisk all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.

For the Salad:

Preheat oven to 400 and season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.  In an oven proof skillet heat olive oil on medium high heat.  Add the chicken and cook, top side down, until you get a nice sear on top, about 4 minutes.  Flip chicken over, transfer to the oven and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes.  Let the chicken rest for about ten minutes after taking it out of the oven so the meat can absorb all of the juices.

Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces.  Combine greens, chicken, mango, avocado and walnuts.  Drizzle the salad with half of the dressing and toss to coat.  Serve the other half of the dressing on the side.