Tag: salad

Creamy Cucumber Salad with Lemon

Cucumber salad is super easy to throw together and makes a refreshing side dish on a hot summer day. A lot of recipes use a mayo-vinegar dressing, but I think subbing in lemon for the vinegar adds a nice flavor. For a prettier salad, partially peel your cucumbers lengthwise (creating stripes), so that each slice alternates dark green skin and light green flesh around the edge.

Ingredients

1 lb cucumbers, partially peeled and sliced thin
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
zest and juice (about 2 tbsp) of one lemon
1 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp sugar
pinch cayenne
pepper

In a medium bowl, toss cucumbers in salt. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain thoroughly.

Meanwhile, in a serving bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, dill, sugar and cayenne. Stir in the cucumbers. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Pictured: Federal Batter Bowl

Antipasto Salad with Lemon Garbanzos

Garbanzo beans are one of the stars of this tangy, vibrant salad, so I amped up their flavor with a simple marinade of lemon juice, parsley and salt. Most of the other ingredients can be adjusted to taste: For example, while salami is one of the things that puts the “antipasto” in an antipasto salad, it can be omitted for an equally delicious vegetarian version.

Make sure all the salad ingredients are thoroughly drained and/or patted with a towel so they are as dry as possible before combining.

Serves 10-12

Ingredients

For the dressing:
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
2 tsp whole- or coarse-grain mustard
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
pinch cayenne

For the lemon garbanzos:
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
juice of 2 lemons
2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp salt

For the salad:
1-2 romaine hearts, torn into bite-sized pieces
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/2 lb cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
8 oz fresh mozzarella balls
6 oz pitted Kalamata olives
4 oz whole or thick-cut dry salami, cut into small chunks
12-15 pepperoncini peppers, sliced
2 oz shaved Parmesan cheese

In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld. (Note: This recipe makes more dressing than needed for one salad; refrigerate the excess and use within 1 week.)

In another bowl, toss the garbanzos with lemon juice, parsley and salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours, stirring occasionally to distribute the marinade.

Drain the garbanzos, then combine with the rest of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with dressing to taste and serve.

Pictured: Pyrex Verde 404 Round Mixing Bowl, Pyrex Spring Blossom 401 Round Mixing Bowl

Pasta Salad with Snap Peas, Tomatoes and Mint

With summer around the corner, I’ve been looking for recipes that work well for barbecues, picnics and afternoons at the pool. Naturally, pasta salad is one of those recipes — plus, it happens to be my daughter’s latest favorite food.

As I was poking around the internet for pasta salad ideas, I came across Yotam Ottolenghi’s Pasta Salad with Spring Vegetables and Tomatoes on Epicurious. And I have to say: I’m sure his pasta salad is amazing. Roasted tomatoes in an orange-ginger glaze,  peas and spring onions each charred to perfection in separate batches, everything gently tossed and beautiful. But the recipe is so time-consuming! I’m just not going to spend an hour roasting tomatoes before I can even start assembling the final dish.

So instead, I’ve made a simplified pasta salad inspired by some of the flavors and ingredients in Ottolenghi’s version. I think it’s just as pretty as the original, and pretty tasty too.

Serves 6 

Ingredients

12 oz farfalle pasta (or your favorite shape)
8 oz sugar snap peas
4 stalks green onions, chopped
3 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (red and yellow are nice)
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped fine
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped fine
olive oil
salt
pepper

Cook pasta in salted water, according to package directions. Drain, then transfer to a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil to keep from sticking. Let cool to room temperature.

Blanch the snap peas by immersing in boiling water for about 30 seconds and then plunging in an ice water bath. Trim the ends and slice in half diagnonally.

Add the snap peas, green onions, tomatoes, lemon juice, mint and parsley to the pasta and stir gently until evenly mixed. Season with salt, pepper, olive oil and more lemon juice to taste.

Pictured: Pyrex Yellow 404 Round Mixing Bowl

Rainbow Coleslaw with Citrus Vinaigrette

It’s starting to feel like summer in Northern California — the days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer and the school year is winding down. And BBQ season is ramping up!

All of those things put me in the mood to make a summery coleslaw — light and colorful with a subtle citrus tang. I prefer chopping the cabbage and bell pepper by hand, to give the slaw a more rustic look, but I cheat with pre-shredded carrots. A sprinkling of salt in the prep process helps the veggies release some of their excess moisture, so that the finished product remains crisp but doesn’t get as watery.

Serves 6

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Ingredients

1/4 head green cabbage, sliced thin
1/4 head red cabbage, sliced thin
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
5 oz shredded carrots
2 tsp salt
1/3 cup parsley, roughly chopped
honey lemon dressing
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (optional)

In a large colander, toss the cabbage, pepper and carrots with the salt. Place the colander over a bowl and allow the veggies to drain for at least one hour, up to four hours. Rinse and drain thoroughly (patting dry with paper towels helps too).

Transfer the veggies to a bowl and stir in the parsley. Toss with the honey lemon dressing to taste. If you prefer a little extra tang, add the cider vinegar and toss until well mixed.

Pictured: Pyrex Yellow 404 Round Mixing Bowl 

Rainbow Black-Eyed Pea Salad

I can’t think of a better way to ring in the new year than with a colorful, bright and tangy salad that doubles as a good-luck charm. Black-eyed peas are a symbol of luck and prosperity in the South and a traditional New Year’s Day dish (usually simmered with greens and served over rice).

Here I incorporated them in a chilled salad that can be made up to one day in advance, serves a crowd and is vegetarian-friendly — perfect for a New Year’s potluck. If you’re not a fan of black-eyed peas, you can substitute pretty much any kind of canned bean — navy beans or garbanzos (or both) would be good too. The vinaigrette is also great on its own as an all-purpose dressing.

Adapted from Bay Area Bites’ Healthy Black-Eyed Pea Salad.

Serves 12

Ingredients

4 15 1/2-oz cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 red onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, chopped fine
1 orange bell pepper, chopped fine
4 stalks celery, chopped fine
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned)
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp coarse-ground Dijon mustard
1 tsp sugar
salt
pepper

In a large bowl, stir together beans, red onion, bell peppers, celery, green onions, parsley and lemon zest.

In a separate bowl, whisk together lemon juice, rice vinegar, olive oil, mustard, sugar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour over the bean mixture.

Stir until combined, then cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Pictured: Pyrex Yellow 404 Round Mixing Bowl, Pyrex Spring Blossom 401 Round Mixing Bowl