Category Archives: Salads and Sides

Get Saucy With Me

 

Easy sauces

They say taste is free. It’s darned easy too when you just add some sauce.

If there was ever a time to go long on veggies and salads, it is now, in the dim days of January when we are warding off seasonal affective disorder, flu season, sub zero temperatures and the lingering effects of holiday excess. If none of the above applies to you it’s probably because you’ve been eating your veggies all along. It’s not hard to do that if you plan ahead a bit, and it’s downright easy if you have a repertoire of go-to sauces that give even the humblest of greens and veggies some soul-satisfying mojo.

This is the first of a two-part installment aimed at getting a whole lot of fresh into your fridge and opening up Bring It possibilities like Deconstructed Lunch (coming atcha soon) instead of a boring old sandwich or sad-looking leftovers.

These sauces are all easy to prepare and most are lightening quick as well. They dress up salads, sandwiches, vegetables, grains, and pretty much anything (inanimate) that can be dressed. With any of these kicking around your fridge your meals need never be uninspired. Let’s start with the easiest and work from there.

Mi So Easy, Mi So Good…

I was afraid of miso’s new ageyness until I discovered this dressing. Now I always have miso on hand. This could not be easier, and reminds me of the strangely addictive dressing that comes on that distressingly tiny salad served at Japanese steakhouses. It is great as is, or made with rice vinegar if you don’t have lemons. As an added bonus, this doesn’t even require a food processor or blender.

Miso Tahini Dressing

from The Kitchn

Makes about 6 ounces

1/4 cup tahini
1 Tbsp red miso
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup or more warm water
freshly cracked black pepper

Method

In a small bowl or lidded jar, combine the tahini, miso and lemon juice. Mix with a spoon into a smooth paste. Add the warm water gradually, stirring or shaking (if using a jar) until the dressing reaches desired consistency. It may need more than 1/4 cup. Taste for seasoning. Add pepper if desired. Store in the refrigerator for about a week. Dressing thickens up as it sits, so you will need to add more water to thin.

Healthy and Hearty…

I got this in a roundabout way from Jane Esselstyn who lived in the schoolhouse next door way back before her brother Rip became famous with his Engine 2 diet book. This versatile three-ingredient (plus water) sauce is a healthy, Esselstyn family favorite, featured in Rip and Jane’s latest book, My Beef with Meat as well.  Put it on anything from kale and quinoa to pizza and grilled cheese (and probably burgers, but don’t tell Rip and Jane).

 OMG Walnut Sauce

1 cup of walnuts
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp low-sodium tamari sauce (soy sauce)
1/4 – 1/2 cup water, for desired consistency

Method

Combine the walnuts, garlic and tamari in a food processor and blend, adding water until the desired texture is reached, (1/4 to 1/2 cup). Use more water for a thinner dressing, less water for a thicker dip.

Shalloticious…

Shallots are just plain magic. Mince them into any dressing, (like this one from Joy The Baker, also pictured above) and they make everything work.  This sauce is part of the more involved Spring Roll Salad  from 101 Cookbooks, which is a taste sensation. It requires roasting shallots, which is super easy and makes them even better if that is possible. As you know from roastarama. I can’t help filling up a high temp oven, so I threw more shallots and an unpeeled head of garlic onto the sheet as well. It’s pretty handy to have both on hand for anything that needs some cha-cha (dressings, hummus, stir fry’s, etc) throughout the week.

Roasted Shallot Peanut Sauce

Makes 2 cups

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
3 Tbsp natural sugar, preferably maple sugar or evaporated cane sugar
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp shoyu
3 medium shallots, unpeeled
2 Tbsp plus 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Method

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Place the shallots on a parchment-covered baking sheet and roast until they are very tender and the juices have started to ooze out, 30 to 35 minutes. Let the shallots cool slightly, and then squeeze the pulp out of the skins. Place the shallot pulp and all the remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth. The sauce will keep, covered and refrigerated for up to a week. Heat or serve at room temperature.

And for some spice…

For a spicy girl trapped in a houseful of Yankees this sauce is money. Put it on anything that needs some zap, or just on toast or a piece of sharp cheddar. I love that it relies on jarred stuff from your pantry, and of course that it involves the blender. Oh, and it makes a great DIY gift.

Pantry Raid Spicy Sauce

From Food 52

Makes 2 cups (Where this recipe calls for ounces my guestimates are included. It’s not an exact science.)

4 ounces B&G hot cherry peppers or other pickled hot peppers, stemmed (a generous ¾ cup, or about 8)
2 ounces roasted red peppers (1/3 cup or so)
2 ounces crushed tomato  (same as above, about 1/3 cup)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp chile flakes
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp sugar
Salt to taste

Method

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender, and mix until slightly smooth.

Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad

 

Kale and Brussels sprouts

It’s time to put down the candy corn and get your green on

The party is OVER. Bring on the kale!

Harsh, I know. And really, at this point does our world need another kale salad? After tasting this one I can happily say, yes! It’s simple, delicious, healthy, moderately addictive, loves to travel and is just a tad decadent with the cheese and almonds. And it is just the thing to rescue you from the Halloween sugar coma. Not that I’d know anything about that.

I highly recommend dressing this well before serving time. When I first had it at a picnic the salad was dressed and tossed before we went on an hour plus hike. It was perfect.  This originally came from Bon Appetit.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp minced shallot
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1/4 tsp kosher salt plus more for seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper
2 large bunches of Tuscan kale (about 1 1/2 pound total), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced. (I have used regular curly kale too and it was great.)
12 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely grated or shredded with a knife
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/3 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped
1 cup finely grated Pecorino

Method

Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl. Stir to blend; set aside to let flavors meld. Mix thinly sliced kale and shredded brussels sprouts in a large bowl.

Measure 1/2 cup oil into a cup. Spoon 1 tablespoon oil from cup into a small skillet; heat oil over medium-high heat. Add almonds to skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts to a paper towel–lined plate. Sprinkle almonds lightly with salt.

Slowly whisk remaining olive oil in cup into lemon-juice mixture. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

Add dressing and cheese to kale mixture (see intro above for timing—the earlier the better); toss to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Garnish with almonds.

Bring It!

Dressing, kale mixture, and toasted almonds can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover dressing and kale mixture separately and chill. Cover almonds and let stand at room temperature.

Halloween salad bowl

Goodbye October…

Kale Brussels sprouts salad

…Hello November!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Healthy Bok Choy Salad

 

Who brought this salad?

Who brought this salad?

Bok Choy doesn’t get nearly enough play. It is something that I know I pass by regularly in the vegetable aisle.  But if you are looking for something different and want to bring a bright, fun, slightly different salad than the standard mixed greens, this is a great option.  It looks so vibrant with the purple, orange, and yellow colors and the flavor of the dressing with the sesame oil and tamari are so good. Also, a healthy option as we head into the holidays! Try it at your next party.  Everyone will be asking, “Who made the salad”?

Ingredients

3 cups thinly sliced baby bok choy
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup thinly sliced purple cabbage
1 mango, peeled and chopped (or substitute with a clementine)
1 small jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp agave nectar
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp low sodium tamari
½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Method

Combine bok choy, carrot, cabbage, mango, jalapeno, and cilantro in a large bowl.  Stir together lime juice, agave, sesame oil, and tamari in a small bowl. Pour dressing over salad and mix to combine.  Garnish with toasted walnuts.

 

Sautéed Sweet Potatoes

 

Beets add color, flavor, and a bit of a kick!

Beets add color, flavor, and a bit of a kick!

Sweet potatoes are everywhere!  They can be found in your breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and even your smoothies. This is great news because sweet potatoes rock if you are looking for Vitamin A or Beta-Carotene. So add this to your repertoire of healthy stuff to bring to pot lucks, etc because many use those events as an excuse to haul out the unhealthy heart attack food. This sweet potato recipe is a side dish that might be perfect on Thanksgiving, especially if you’re trying to get away from that sickeningly sweet side dish of sweet potatoes with marshmallows (who likes that dish anyway?).  This recipe comes from Terry Walters of Clean Food.  For this version I added grated beets but that is totally optional.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp grated ginger
1 red onion, minced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded
1 small beet (optional), peeled and shredded
3 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp ground nutmeg
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Method

In large sauté pan over medium heat, sauté ginger and onion in olive oil until soft ( about 5 minutes).  Add shredded sweet potatoes (beet if using) and lime juice, and increase heat to medium-high.  Stir continuously and sauté 5-7 minutes or until sweet potatoes start to soften.  Season with nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook a couple minutes longer. Voila!

Ingredients for sauteed sweet pototoes

Ingredients for sauteed sweet pototoes

 

Warm Millet with Roasted Vegetables

Warms the heart and soul

Warms the heart and soul

Now that it’s fall, comfort foods are an order.  I love this warm millet salad mixed with roasted vegetables.  Millet is my GO TO grain lately (check out these millet muffins if you have a chance).  For you gluten free folks, this is a gluten free food and has lots of health benefits (good source of protein, essential amino acids, and fiber) so go for it!. Also, in a websearch, while trying to figure out what this grain was all about, I found it listed as the oldest human food and first domesticated cereal!  So, I’m thinking it must be good for you, right?  And if not, then it gets big points purely for it’s staying power.   For this warm millet salad I used Brussels sprouts and carrots but you can mix it up with sweet potatoes, beets, asparagus, beans, or any other vegetable of your choice.   And you can always throw in some tofu to make a complete meal.

Ingredients

1 lb Brussels sprouts (or mix of other vegetables), trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into disks similar in size to the Brussels sprouts
5 Tbsp canola oil, divided
3/4 cup millet
2/3 cup toasted chopped walnuts
2/3 cup chopped dried cranberries
3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp grated lemon zest

Method

Perheat oven to 450. Toss Brussels sprouts and carrots with 2 Tbsp canola oil in large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper, if desired.  Arrange sprouts and carrots in a single layer in a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.  Roast 20 minutes or until tender and a little brown.  Cool 5 minutes.

Heat large pan over medium heat.  Add millet and cook 6-8 minutes or until golden brown.  Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.  Transfer millet to large bowl. Cool 5 minutes.  Fold in Brussels sprouts and carrots, walnuts, cranberries, and parsley into millet.

Whisk together remaining 3 Tbsp oil, vinegar, maple syrup, lemon juice, and lemon zest in bowl.  Stir into millet mixture.  Add salt and pepper if needed.

Roasted vegetables

Roasted vegetables

Zucchini Corn Summer Swansong Salad

Corn-zucchini-salad-meal

It’s the end of summer, you can’t go a day without eating corn because it’s so darned good, and zucchinis appear in your car when your back is turned. What’s a girl to do? Make this salad! I almost didn’t make it because it looked so simple. That was a week ago and now I’ve made it three times. I even put it to the Bring It test, delivering it with a loaf of easiest french bread ever. It meets all the Bring It criteria, especially the part about being EASY.

Recipe from Giada De Laurentis via the Food Network

Ingredients

Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salad:
1 cup garbanzo beans
2 medium zucchini, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (cut off leftover cobs from last night’s BBQ)
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced, rinsed
5 romaine lettuce leaves, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
1 ounce Parmesan, crumbled into 1/4-inch pieces

Method

For the Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper until combined.

For the Salad: Place the garbanzo beans, zucchini, corn, red onion, and lettuce in a large salad bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well. Garnish with the crumbled Parmesan cheese and serve.

Dressed salad and sliced romaine. These two should really get together

Dressed salad and sliced romaine. These two should really get together

 

Bring It!

Cut the romaine and put it in a sealed container. Combine all other ingredients (except the parmesan), toss with dressing and put in another sealed container. I actually like to let it sit a bit in the fridge to make the onions less aggressive and to let the flavors all schmooze together. Just before serving combine both containers into a serving bowl, toss and add the parm on top. To be totally honest I have yet to add the parm but I’ll bet that takes this over the top.

Raw Kale Confetti Salad

massaged-kale-salad

I always thought kale had to be cooked to taste good. What I learned with this salad is – not so much! This raw kale salad is perfect in the summer when you don’t want to turn on the stove. I brought this salad to the last four parties I’ve gone to. It is so easy to make – just raw kale with olive oil, lemon juice, lime juice and ginger massaged into the vegetables to give great flavor. You can use any vegetables on hand. In this version I used carrots, tomatoes, and red onion. This salad is a modified version of a salad in Terry Walter’s Clean Start Cookbook. Her recipes are amazing – click here to check out her website and recipes.

Ingredients

1 bunch of kale
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp sea salt
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped
3 Tbsp finely chopped red onion
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 Tbsp toasted sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp lime juice

Method

Remove stalks from kale and chop leaves into small pieces. Drizzle with olive oil and, using your fingers, massage oil into kale leaves. Sprinkle with salt and ginger, add avocado and massage again. Add other vegetables and sunflower seeds. Drizzle with lemon and lime juice. Add salt and massage one last time to combine. Yum!

Bring It!

You can just put in a bowl and cover with plastic or foil. Remember to bring salad tongs!

roasted-veggies

Roastarama

I never mean to go overboard in the kitchen, but when my compulsions kick in one thing leads to another and events like “roastarama” ensue. I have a thing about making use of a good hot oven. It may stem from not having a working microwave or it may go way back to some primal cavewoman worship of the discretionary use of fire and heat.

Whatever the cause, I find myself uncomfortable firing up an oven without using much of its interior real estate. This happened most recently when I set about simply roasting a pile of beets, after being inspired by some luscious looking recipes including balsamic roasted beets on Stone Soup.

Ingredients and Method

roasted beets
Balsamic roasted beets

The beets only filled up one baking dish so I figured I might as well roast the remaining beet with the parsnips and sweet potatoes that were kicking around too. Then I looked at the grape tomatoes languishing on the counter and made a pan of them with garlic and onions. And then I remembered the portabella mushrooms that were drifting around in the veggie drawer, having never made an appearance with the all male guest list at my last bbq. All of a sudden my oven was full, the kitchen smelled great and I veggies-containedwas set up with days worth of salad and sandwich fixings, pizza and bruschetta toppings, omelet fillings etc.

The beauty of it is that the whole mess of extra veggies (except the mushrooms, see below) followed the same basic protocol: Cut them into largish pieces, spread them on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, scootch them around to distribute then give them a sprinkle of kosher salt. They all went in at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes. When they look and smell amazing, they’re done.

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Hero Slaw

napa

Behold the humble cabbage that became a neighborhood icon. It all started when I found this recipe in Sunset magazine. (When you are a west coast girl living in the east, Sunset is like crack, with all its pictures of patio parties, seaside picnics and year round outdoor showers.) I started making it one summer and people loved it. They asked for the recipe, cautiously, which was the first time I realized some people guard their recipes like state secrets. As if one person’s resolve is any match for google. Anyway, I made it more and people kept asking.

But as many times as I emailed the recipe, nobody ever made the slaw. It was as if I was the only one with neighborhood rights to it. One friend claimed she had tried to make it but it “just wasn’t the same.” Nobody took ownership for making it, but they darned well knew about it. One time I brought the slaw to an end of school party and realized I had forgotten the dressing at home. As I headed to my car to retrieve it back at my house, one of the other guests quickly looked in the fridge and pulled out some ranch dressing. “Here!” she said helpfully. “This will work fine.” The assembled mothers looked at her like she had just proposed year round school. “No,” said another woman shaking her head with resignation. “She needs to go home.”

I always sent the recipe along with its original name, but it became “Edie’s Slaw” by reputation. Then one time I paused before hitting send, and changed the title to “Edie’s Slaw.” I have never been great at self-promotion, but I figured with all the dicing and slicing I deserved some credit, right?

Still, I never felt comfortable with putting my name on something just because I saw it first. It was our neighbor and plumber who solved both the distribution and naming issues. He had tasted the slaw at a mutual friend’s house and one time when he came to fix our frozen pipes he mentioned how much he liked the slaw. I passed along the recipe. A few years passed, and as far as I could tell I remained sole bearer of the slaw. Finally, one summer I ran into the plumber on a non-professional basis, and he said he needed to make a confession.

“I bring that slaw to every barbecue I go to in the summer,” he admitted sheepishly. “And I feel so guilty, because every time I’m the hero, even though I tell people it’s not really mine.”

“It’s yours,” I assured him. “Run with it!”

That’s when I decided to name it “Hero Slaw” and leave it at that. Not two days later a woman I barely knew waved me down as I made my way home: “I made your slaw again yesterday. It’s great!” So here it is, your key to getting an invite to every pot luck you desire.
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