Jicama Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing ~ Meatless Monday

I've been including jicama in my meals a lot more and have been trying out new ways to serve it. Giving this slightly sweet, delicately crunchy, thoroughly delightful root veggie the Asian treatment is one of my favorite ways of enjoying it. Jicama has such an accommodating flavor and texture, it makes a really versatile additional your veggie lineup. It can be made into the star of a dish, or it can be turned into a background player. Enjoy it at room temp on a veggie tray, as part of a cold salad or in a warm dish, it's all good. I do love a veggie that can play so many different roles with such ease.

To make this  ~ Jicama Salad ~ combine: matchstick slices of peeled jicama, shredded carrots, thin sliced onions rings, diced celery, half-moon slices of radishes and freshly chopped cilantro & parsley. I top it with a quick homemade ~ Spicy Peanut Dressing ~ that includes: peanut butter, toasted sesame oil, Braggs (similar to soy sauce,) a few drops of Sriracha sauce, a couple shakes of Asian spice mix, fresh lime juice and a bit of warm water to help it all combine into a thick-ish pourable dressing. I give it all a healthy toss... and I'm good to go. A quick and easy salad for my lunch or dinner. I've got just one word for it ~ Yum!!

Hugh Jass Salad

I like to make great, big salads. The bigger the better. Thanks to the cookbook ~ Peas & Thank You ~ I now have a name for my over the top creations. My I present my ~ Hugh Jass... Salad.  It's never made the same way twice, variety is the spice of life.  How I love my Huge Jass. So I just gotta ask, how big is yours? hehe :)

Seaweed Salad

When I was cleaning out my pantry the other day, I found a package of nori sheets (the black/dark green seaweed wrappers that are used for making sushi) hiding in the back. I decided to see what type of other recipes used nori sheets besides sushi. I came across this recipe for a quick and easy Seaweed Salad that looked interesting, so off to the kitchen I went. I'm happy to report that the dish was a success, I just loved it! I used my kitchen scissors to make quick work of cutting the nori sheets into thin ribbons and after just a few minutes of soaking them in warm water, a bit of easy shredding/combining of other ingredients, I was ready to assemble my lunch. I've seen seaweed salads for sale in some of the upscale markets, but they're always expensive, so I'd never tried them before. Didn't know what I was missing. So happy that I can now make it at home. Cheap and cheerful makes this cook smile. :)

Quinoa Tabbouleh ~ Meatless Monday

I was craving tabbouleh, but was all out of cracked bulgur wheat. Dang it! I did have some leftover cooked quinoa in the fridge...good enough.  Into the bowl of quinoa went ~ chopped tomatoes, diced red bell pepper, lots of chopped parsley, a little chopped cilantro, a big squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a dash of balsamic vinegar, a sprinkling of sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper, and a bit of hot red pepper flakes.  I gave it all a good toss, chilled it for a bit, and then served it.  This quick and easy to make salad satisfied my craving, was full of the superfood quinoa...and it helped me use up some leftovers.  I call that a win-win!  Toss in some cooked beans, tofu or tempeh, and you've got a quick, protein packed  meal.

Curried Tempeh Waldorf Salad ~ Meatless Monday

I was in the mood for some Indian food when I made this salad.  I had no plan in mind when I started creating this meal, but pretty quick an idea emerged, and I came up with what I'm calling my ~ Curried Tempeh Waldorf Salad.  I hit the fruit/veggie bin hard, chopping up ~ an apple, a celery stalk, a bit of sweet yellow bell pepper, walnuts and then crumbled in some tempeh.  I stirred in some low fat mayo, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, salt/pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.  It tasted sorta like the classic Waldorf Salad...but, a Waldorf Salad with an Indian curry attitude.  This salad was so easy to throw together.  My little impromptu lunch was full of fresh flavors, crunchy textures and was really satisfying.  This time I ate it straight out of the bowl, but next time I think I might add it to...a pita pocket...or, maybe I'll roll it up in a wheat wrap...or, maybe it'll be stuffed into a tomato...or, maybe nestled into half an avocado...or...   :)

Hamburger Patty Salad Deluxe

When I crave a hamburger, but don't want all the carbs, I'll have it...but, without the bun.  I'll put the burger on top of a chopped iceburg lettuce salad, and then smother it with ~ sliced fresh onions, dill pickle chips, chopped tomatoes, a little ranch dressing, mustard & ketchup.   Is it the same as a traditional, juicy burger?  Nope, but my ~ Hamburger Patty Salad Deluxe ~ sure is tasty, and it hits the spot!

Avocado & Pink Grapefruit Salad with Spinach

My dear friend, Annie, gave me a wonderful book ~ The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market Cookbook ~ for my birthday.  It's full of beautiful photos, farm fresh produce info and lots of creative recipes for using all the seasonal fresh bounty found at farmers' markets.  It's perfect reading for this cookbook and travel lovin' foodie gal!

The other night I was looking through my new cookbook again, and I decided I just had to make something from it...immediately. So, I went through my pantry and fridge, and was able to come up with most of the ingredients, on-the-fly, for the recipe for ~ Avocado & Grapefruit Salad with Frisée.  It just took a bit of creative license to get it to come together, as you will see...

 

Since I didn't have any frisée, I used spinach.  Since I didn't have scallions, I used white onion.  Since I didn't have fresh pink grapefruit, I used canned (sooo much easier since it's already segmented for you).  I did have a fresh avocado, balsamic vinegar, fresh cracked black pepper, sea salt and EVOO... so, for being made spur of the moment, I think I did pretty darn good.  Not having all the exact ingredients called for in a recipe, will never stop this girl when the urge to cook strikes.

Thanks so much for my new cookbook, Annie!!  Now, when I get homesick for Cali, I'll know where to turn for inspiration!  :)

Easy Cinnamon Red Hots Mousse

Our friend, Dick, shared one of his mother's old family recipes with me.  It's a simple to make, but big-on-flavor type of recipe that was so very popular in the 1950's & 1960's ~ Cinnamon Red Hots Mousse. It's been enjoyed by his family for generations. It's an easy to make sweet treat that can be served as a dessert in a pretty glass...or as an old-fashioned type of 'sweet fruit salad'.  Just serve it on a lettuce lined salad plate and you've got a hip, retro starter salad.  Your call, it works great at both ends of the meal.  Cool.  Either way we've had it, it's always a favorite.  Who can resist a bit of spicy cinnamon candy slipped into a dish?  Certainly not me.  :)

With its pretty pink hue, I think it would make a nice addition any holiday table, be it ~ Valentine's Day, Easter, or as his mother always did, at Christmas time.  Hope you enjoy this blast-from-the-past recipe as much as we do. 

Easy Cinnamon Red Hots Mousse

Ingredients

• 1  15oz can of crushed pineapple, with juice
• 1/2 cup Cinnamon Red Hots
• 2 cups mini marshmallows
• 1   8oz container Cool Whip, thawed (regular or fat free)

Directions

Into a large bowl add the crushed pineapple.  Stir in the Cinnamon Red Hots.  Allow mixture to stand in the fridge for 24 hours.  Add marshmallows and Cool Whip, stir well.  Let mousse sit for an hour.  Serve as a dessert or as a starter salad.  Enjoy! 

Warm Spinach & Sriracha Chicken Salad

Now that the holidays are over and most of the sweet treats are gone, I'm trying to eat a more low carb diet.  (I'm trying to get back to eating more Fat Flush Plan diet friendly) What with all the lack of motivation to leave the house, due to all this bitter cold winter weather, as well as all the indulging in extra rich holiday foods in December...it's now definitely time to change up my meals.   Yesterday, I threw together a wonderful lunch that included a spinach salad with chicken and a side of steamed baby bok choy.

Just by chance, I tried a new way of making my salad.  This method of tossing heated ingredients into spinach (which slightly 'wilts' it) has turned out to be my new favorite way to eat/enjoy a healthy spinach salad.  I'm thinking this will work just a well with other types of heated protein, too. Like ~ beans, quinoa or grilled tofu.  I'm so looking forward to trying it in all different ways.  :)

And, as an extra bonus, the dressing is spicy and fat free ~ yes!  This is the first time I've ever dressed a salad with Sriracha sauce, and it won't be the last...don't know why I've never thought of it before.   The combo of the hot chili, garlic-y, sweet/spicy Sriracha sauce and Bragg's soy sauce flavor was truly amazing.  It makes for a really lively dressing, that's also super low-cal.

I didn't measure anything as I was making my salad, I was just throwing stuff into the bowl as the inspiration came to me.  So, I don't have a recipe per se, but, here is what I tossed together...

Warm Spinach & Sriracha Chicken Salad

serves 1

Into a big salad bowl throw...

• 4-6 handfuls of washed spinach leaves
• 6 oz. of leftover shredded chicken, heated through until really hot
• 1/2 small white onion, cut into thin 1/2 rings
• 1/4 cucumber, sliced into 1/4's
• a couple spoonfuls of toasted slivered almonds

Then drizzle with...

• Sriracha sauce (to taste)
• Bragg's amino acids or soy sauce (to taste)

Then sprinkle on...

• favorite spice blend & pepper (to taste)

Then get ready to eat...

Once all has been assembled in the bowl, toss the salad.  The heat of the chicken will begin to lightly wilt the spinach...yum!  Taste and add more Sriracha sauce or Bragg's/soy sauce as desired. (I'm pretty heavy handed with the Sriracha, I like my food hot & spicy)  Enjoy! 

 

Quinoa Tuna Salad

Quinoa and Tuna? Together, like as in tuna salad?  You betcha!!!  One day I added a a cup of cooked quinoa to a cup of canned tuna.  Why?  Because I had some cooked quinoa in the fridge and not enough tuna to go around for lunch.  They are the perfect match!  Not only have we had it in a traditional sandwich, we've also eaten it on crackers; stuffed in a pita; and as part of a green salad.  Just make your tuna salad like you normally do and then throw in the cooked quinoa.  Such an easy and tasty way to get a superfood on your plate.  Give it a try, I think you'll love it, too!

 

Hot Wilted Kale and Lettuce Salad ~ Meatless Monday

The inspiration for making this Hot Wilted Kale and Lettuce Salad was a simple one ~ I had some iceberg lettuce and kale in my veggie bin that had seen better days and it was time to either use it, or toss it.  Since I'm not one to throw out food if it is still edible, I decided to assist the 'wilting' of my veggies...by chopping and chucking them into a hot skillet!  I sauteed the greens in some EVOO, along with a splash of Balsamic vinegar and Braggs, diced onions, minced garlic, a little chopped green apple, a handful of walnuts and some spices.  It was a wonderfully light, meatless lunch that was ready in a flash.  I love it when I can make a meal from seemingly nothing ~ like Grandma Bunni always said, "Waste not, want not!"

 

Albacore Tuna Salad ~ making a lunchtime classic using broiled albacore tuna steaks

I recently bought some frozen albacore tuna steaks from Trader Joe's.  I love their frozen fish ~ it's reasonably priced, has great flavor/texture and they have a good selection.  The first time I cooked with it, I was paying attention to what I was doing and the fish turned out great.  The next time I made it, I got distracted and let it cook too long...not a good thing when you're cooking tuna!  Those tuna steaks turned out too well done and were a tad (OK, more than a tad) on the dry side.  We ate some of it, but about half of the tuna steaks went into the fridge. I'm too cheap to toss out anything, so I let it sit in the fridge until I could figure out what to do with it.

The next day, I decided to taste it again and...it was still too dry.  Drats!!   But, as I was chewing it, it now reminded me a lot of canned albacore tuna.  OK, I can work with that!  I chunked/shredded the remaining tuna, added some low fat Hellmann's Mayonnaise, a few spices, gave it all a good stir and we were in business!  I truly enjoyed my 'non-canned, fresh cooked'  Albacore Tuna Salad.  I think I may have just stumbled upon my new way of making tuna salad!  When prepared this way, it's so much 'meater', it's less salty and it's not soggy like canned tuna can sometimes be.  I love it when I can salvage a cooking faux pas and turn it into a success! 

Homegrown Radishes & Radish Greens ~ simple, clean-eating at its best!

Our neighbor, (the same 'gentleman farmer' that I wrote this post about last year) was kind enough to bring over some of his first of the season's produce yesterday.  It was a robust bunch of radishes ~ I love homegrown radishes!  For some reason I have not had any luck growing them here, luckily for us, we now know someone who does.  :)

I decided to enjoy the radishes simply, with just a sprinkle of some of the ~ Spanish rosemary infused gourmet sea salt ~ that my friend, Anne, sent me for Christmas.  If you've never tried flavored sea salt, I HIGHLY recommend it! I absolutely adore my cherry wood smoked flavor, it smells and tastes divine.

After I had my fill of radishes, I kept thinking the radish greens just looked too healthy and vibrant to let them go to waste.  So, I searched the web and discovered you can eat radish leaves!  I never knew that...but thinking of how sorry looking the radish greens are in the market, it's not surprising that I'd never thought to eat them before.  Now I know ~ homegrown and fresh is the only way to go with radish greens! 

   

I threw in a few of the baby radish leaves into my dinner salad ~ it was outstanding!  The radish leaves have a little, sharp/spicy kick and were a nice compliment  to the romaine and Parmesan cheese.  Simple, clean-eating at its best!  Thanks so much for sharing the radishes with us, Brett!

Waldorf Chicken Salad ~ from America's Test Kitchen

When I was on the treadmill at the gym the other day,  I watched this episode clip from America's Test Kitchen (it's available for viewing for a limited time, so check it out soon).  They shared a recipe for a spin on a classic chicken salad.  They called their version ~ Waldorf Chicken Salad.  It looked so good, I came home and made it for my dinner.  The recipe was easy to follow and made for a great tasting chicken salad.  The thing that really caught my attention, was them cooking the chicken breasts in a homemade version of sous-vide cooker.  Interesting concept...  I'm not fully convinced that it was worth the extra effort, but I was glad that I tried preparing it that way. 

I made a simple, throw-it-all-in-the-pot ~ Chicken & Vegetable Miso Soup ~ using the leftover water/broth.  What a great way to use up leftover veggies in the fridge.  There's no waste is this kitchen!!

Since you have to sign-up over at America's Test Kitchen before they will let you see the actual recipe, and some might not want to do that, here is another great sounding Waldof Chicken Salad recipe that has similar flavors. ((this recipe has no Let-us-send-you-a-Cooks-Illustrated-magazine-to-review-&-then-write-'cancel'-on-the-invoice-we-send-to-you-,-even-if-you-don't-want-to-pay-$24.99-a-year-for-a-subscription catch to it.))    :)  teehee  

Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap with Avocado ~ Low Carb

Today, the ~ Ides of March ~ are upon us.  Every March 15th, I feel the need to eat a meal that includes the name, Caesar, in it.  Don't know why, I just do...call it a quirk.  :) 

Last year I shared my healthy and good-for-you ~ Kale Caesar Salad with Homemade Vegetarian Caesar Salad Dressing.  This year I'm going for a low carb ~ Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap with Avocado.  Using my favorite precooked, packaged chicken strips & low calorie Caesar dressing  makes it a snap to throw together.  A salad, all wrapped up, nice and snug.  (I think of it as a toga for food :)  Caesar, all hail!  teehee


Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap with Avocado ~ Low Carb

Gather it together ~

• low carb tortillas (I use La Banderita)
• fully cooked sliced chicken strips (like John Soules brand) heated or chilled ~ your call
• chopped lettuce ~ romaine or whatever is in the fridge
• sliced avocado
• chopped tomatoes
• thin sliced onion
• Caesar dressing
• grated Parmesan cheese
• salt/pepper, to taste

Wrap it up ~ 

• layer a bit of all the above ingredients on the low carb tortilla and then roll it up, sandwich wrap-style (OR toss all the chopped ingredients together with the Caesar dressing, just as you would a tossed salad, then fill/wrap the toga...Oops, I mean tortilla.  :)   Enjoy!

Grilled Pork Loin Chop Salad

I'm trying to eat more salads and eat a bit more low carb.  One way I like to do that is to grill a piece of meat on my George Foreman Grill and then serve the sliced meat on top of a big bed of fresh lettuce and chopped up veggies.

For this salad, I cooked a lean pork loin chop and seasoned it with a Cajun spice blend.  Then I just sliced it up and drizzled the salad with a light vinaigrette.  (in case you were wondering, that big bowl of salad was just for me :)   It was on the table in no time, I like that.  Simple cooking at its best.

Quinoa, Kale, Walnut & Cranberry Salad

When I'm trying to get more greens into my diet, kale is one of the first veggies I head for.  I really enjoy eating raw kale in salads, especially when I have some leftover quinoa in the fridge.  Throw in a handful of walnuts and cranberries, a big spoonful of quinoa, then drizzle on some olive oil and balsamic vinegar, give it all a toss and I'm good to go.  Who says eating your greens has to be boring?  Certainly not me!

Lemony Kale Salad ~ Lisa Oz / Dr. Oz

I was reading a magazine and came across an article from Dr. Oz and his wife, Lisa.  She mentioned a salad that she likes to make at home, it's her own recipe for ~ Lemony Kale Salad.  It sounded really good, I had almost all  the ingredients to make it ~ so I did.

I skipped the hemp seeds since I don't have any in my pantry, I used an onion instead of a shallot and threw in a handful of chopped walnuts.  As Lisa says, get your hands messy and give the salad a really good massage.  It's super easy, super tasty and super good for you.  Cool!  Check out the recipe ~ here ~, it's over on the Oprah site.

Cinnamon Red Hots Applesauce ~ a vintage family recipe from the 30's

Our dear family friend, Dick, makes a wonderful vintage gelatin 'apple sauce salad'.  I've always called it by my own name for it ~ Cinnamon Red Hots Applesauce.  It's a recipe that he got from his Aunt Maud and dates back to the 1930's.  Way back when, Cherry Jello and Cinnamon Red Hots were new taste sensations that were all the rage, as were Jello/gelatin 'salads'.  So, it's not surprising that she combined them into this unusual combo.  We enjoy it so much, that I always ask Dick to bring a bowlful of it to our holiday dinners.  When he was a child, Dick says he remembers it being served on a bed of lettuce, as the 'salad course' of a special dinner.  I just serve it right along with everything else.  To me it's more of a fun and tasty spin on traditional applesauce, rather than a 'salad'.  Different times, different definitions of what a 'salad' is. 

Yesterday, I posted a picture on the blog's Facebook page showing what we had for our Christmas dinner and mentioned the Cinnamon Red Hots Applesauce.  (it was on last years Christmas dinner plate, too)  Thanks to Crystal (a reader of the blog) for asking for the recipe and giving me the inspiration for today's blog post.   Here you go, Crystal, hope you like it!

Cinnamon Red Hots Applesauce

makes 4~6 servings 

(Roy likes it with 1/4 cup CRH & I like it a little spicier, so sometimes I use 1/3 cup CRH)

Ingredients

• 1 cup boiling hot water
• 1/4 cup Cinnamon Red Hots candies (add more for an even spicier, cinnamon-y taste)
• 1 small box Cherry Jello (or your favorite red flavor)
• 1 pint unsweetened applesauce (16 oz)

Directions 

Add 1/4 cup Cinnamon Red Hots to one cup of boiling hot water, stir to dissolve.  ((gently heat up the water/CRH in a saucepan if the Cinnamon Red Hots don't dissolve completely with just stirring))

Add one package Cherry Jello to the hot water/Cinnamon Red Hots liquid, stir 2 minutes or until Jello is completely dissolved.   Add the pint of applesauce to the Jello mixture, stir well.  Refrigerate for a few hours until it firms up.   ((It will be thicker than regular applesauce, but not as firm as Jello))  Enjoy!

Sauteed Kale, Tempeh, Mushrooms & Walnuts ~ Meatless Monday

Sauteed Kale, Tempeh, Mushrooms & Walnuts

Sometimes when I'm out of ideas for a meal, I'll just scrounge around the fridge and pantry, looking for things to inspire me... or if that fails, things that need using up.  I can almost always come up with something tasty and on nights like this, I really like to make meals that I can throw together in my wok/skillet.

This time what I found was turned into ~ Sauteed Kale, Tempeh, Mushrooms & Walnuts.  I sauteed everything together in the wok, with a little olive oil.  Cooked it until the kale was wilted, the tempeh was heated through and the mushrooms started giving off a little of their liquid.  Then I added ~ a few walnuts, spices and some jarred sauce ~ just before it was finished cooking.  It took no time at all to made a little Spinach and Strawberry Salad and I was good to go ~ dinner on the table in under 20 minutes.  Sometimes, it's nice to cook without recipes or expectations.  Letting the meal evolve as you find things to use can lead to some great food and I'm all about a good meal.