RESOLUTION WEEK - SHRIMP SALAD

Yes shrimp is low in calories...about 6 per shrimp ......not so good in a iodine and cholesterol...but in moderation....the slaw.... the slaw in this recipe...did I say the SLAW...is sooo good.....

Ingredients:

2 lbs jumbo shrimp (at least around 26 count) cleaned deveined
1-1/2 lb Napa cabbage sliced thin
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 large red pepper sliced thin
2 shallots sliced thin
1/3 cup chopped lightly or unsalted peanuts
3 tbl rice vinegar
4 tsp sugar
4 tsp fish sauce
2 tbl sesame oil
salt
pepper

Combine vinegar, sugar, fish sauce, 1/8 tsp salt over low heat until sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl combine cabbage, carrots, peppers, and shallots. Pour vinegar mix over the vegetable mix and add peanuts and toss well. Let sit stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes.

In a saute pan, heat oil over medium-high heat and add shrimp with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add the cooked shrimp to the slaw and serve. The Asian flavor is very tasty. It is filling without adding calories.......

Good Luck...I need a diet!!!!!!
ENJOY!

RESOLUTION WEEK - TURKEY SALAD WITH TARRAGON VINAIGRETTE

Holidays over - Resolution diet in! Good Luck to All!

I really like the tight leaves of Belgian endive but if you prefer the lighter greens from heads of romaine lettuce, they are great too. You can also substitute chicken breasts for the turkey. Helpful diet hint: Rotisserie chicken or turkey breasts pack a lot of calories as they are constantly basted with butter and oil. So buy boneless breasts and fry in a pan with cooking spray.

Salad:

2 cups diced turkey

1 cup thinly sliced celery hearts

1/3 cups non-salted toasted almonds

1 Fuji or Honeycrisp apple (sweet apple) cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 oz crumbled blue cheese

1 Belgian endive leaves separated and cleaned

In a large bowl toss all ingredients except lettuce and blue cheese and sprinkle blue cheese on top. Reserve the lettuce leaves.

Vinaigrette:

2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon

2 tsp grainy Dijon mustard

2 tbl tarragon vinegar

6 tbl extra virgin olive oil

salt

pepper

Whisk together all ingredients and taste to adjust seasoning. Pour over turkey mixture and toss well. Serve with lettuce leaves on the side. Fill the leaves with the salad and dive in!!!!

For a less calorie salad, limit the blue cheese and oil.

Get a good start!

ENJOY!

TOMATO, OLIVE, FETA AND MINT SALAD

Tomatoes...GET THEM WHILE YOU CAN...seriously. Pretty soon we will have only the bland ones available. This goes with green beans too..which I will blog tomorrow. It is still somewhat summer-like outside, so nice refreshing side dishes are great!!!

Ingredients:

4 large ripe tomatoes sliced

1/2 large cucumber peeled, seeded and diced

1/2 lb cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (preferably yellow or orange)

1/2 cup kalamata olives halved

6 oz feta cheese crumbled

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp lemon zest

4 tsp lemon juice

Salt

Pepper

Combine the crumbled feta and mint in a small bowl and set aside. Season tomato slices with salt and arrange them on a serving platter, slightly overlapping. Toss the cucumbers over the tomatoes. Add the cherry or grape tomatoes on top and then the olives.

Whisk the olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice together. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle this mixture over the salad. Scatter the feta, mint mixture over the dressing and garnish with a mint sprig or two.

So refreshing!

ENJOY!

TOMATO, MANGO AND AVOCADO SALAD

Such a simple salad with a very simple dressing but takes you away from the typical "lettuce" salad. Now that tomatoes couldn't taste better...USE THEM IN EVERYTHING...haha!!! The tomato season seems so short I really do love to incorporate fresh ones into just about anything I make and salads are a perfect fit.

Ingredients:

10 medium tomatoes sliced to 1/4 inch
3 large ripe mangoes peeled and sliced to 1/4 inch
2 large ripe avocados peeled and sliced to 1/4 inch
3 large shallots sliced thin
2 cups fresh basil thinly sliced
1/4 cup + 1 tbl red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt

In a small bowl combine red wine vinegar with the olive oil and season with salt. Add the sliced shallots and 1 cup of the basil and toss well.

Arrange the tomatoes on a platter with the mangoes and avocados. Drizzle with the dressing and garnish with the extra basil.

This makes about 10 servings so adjust your ingredients accordingly.

It is so refreshing served at a summer bbq and takes about 15 minutes to make!
ENJOY!

SALMON AND BREAD SALAD

Another great recipe from Grace Parisi. This salad is another terrific use of salmon. It's light with the lemon and capers and an all in one meal with salmon, tomatoes and bread. No need for any side dishes..only a nice glass oif white wine.

Ingredients:

5 tbl olive oil

2 pints grape tomatoes halved

2 large garlic cloves

2 tbl capers chopped

loaf of ciabatta bread cut into chunks

1 lemon halved and very thinly sliced

1/4 cup Italian parsley chopped

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

2 lbs salmon, skinned and cut into large chunks

salt

pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

On a baking sheet toss the ciabatta chunks with 2 tbl olive oil and roast in the oven for about 5 minutes until the bread is toasted.

In a bowl, mix tomatoes, garlic, capers, lemon, parsley, red pepper and 2 tbl olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Stir the tomato mixture with the bread and roast for about 10-15 minutes until tomatoes begin to soften and blister.

In the same bowl toss the salmon with remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Combine salmon with the bread and tomatoes and roast for about 6-8 minutes until salmon is cooked through.

Try to serve immediately! So much wonderful flavor and so simple!

ENJOY!

ENDIVE LEAVES STUFFED WITH CAESAR SALAD

This simple appetizer is so pretty and delicious. The presentation is beautiful and it really is simple to eat as finger food. They are a nice alternative to the typical cold appetizers of cucumber rounds with cream cheese, cheese plates and antipasto salads. It is especially refreshing if you pair it with a more heavy Italian dinner of big pastas like lasagna.

As a short cut I buy good store bought croutons preferably from a bread store or Whole Foods Market-type place. But you can toast your own with bread cubes in olive oil with salt and pepper in the oven for about 10 minutes.

Ingredients:

Croutons
Caesar dressing (recipe on this blog)
Belgian endive leaves
Parmesan cheese grated

Depending on the size of your party and the size of the endive you will need to determine how much endive to buy. You should prepare at least two per person.

Trim the ends of the endive and remove the largest leaves. Clean them and set aside. Stack the remaining cleaned leaves and chop to 1/2 inch squares. Toss the chopped endive with the dressing. Spoon this salad into the large endive leaves. Garnish with the croutons and parmesan cheese.

Super simple, but should be served immediately as you do not want the dressing to wilt the endive.

Might have to make these again this weekend...guests coming!!!!
ENJOY!

ELLEN'S STRAWBERRY SALAD

Yes another great recipe from my dear friend Ellen. As all summer fruits and vegetables are at their best, mixing them in great summer salads are always great and appreciated on these hot days. Ellen says every time she makes this salad it is always A BIG HIT!

Adding a nice ciabatta or other italian bread or even nice sliced toasted tortillas makes it more of a meal.

Ingredients:

Salad

2-1/2 cups sliced strawberries

6 cups field greens

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Dressing

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp pepper

Mix all salad ingredients in a large serving bowl. In a small bowl mix together all dressing ingredients and pour over the salad. Gently toss and serve.

A nice summer treat!

Thanks Ellen!

ENJOY!

WATERMELON AND FETA SALAD

Are you HOT enough!!!!????? Are you HOT enough!!!!!???????

It is definitely a salad night. A true treasure of Maine is the fruit and watermelon is so sweet and delicious right now. While this may seem a little weird...watermelon and cheese....the combination is perfect...so refreshing!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tbl fresh lemon juice

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp Tabasco

One 7-8 lb seedless watermelon cut into small chunks

2 cups Feta cheese crumbled

1-1/4 pitted kalamata olives chopped

1 small sweet onion diced (optional)

1 cup chopped mint leaves

In a bowl, whisk oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and Tabasco. Add the watermelon, feta, olives and onion and toss gently. Garnish with the mint and serve.

Keep Cool!

ENJOY!

ROASTED BEET, CANDIED WALNUT AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD

While it seemed FREEZING COLD here yesterday it is beautiful, breezy and sunny today! So hopefully summer is here..and when summer arrives, the soup pot goes away and the salad recipes emerge.

Now I was never really one for beets until I had an amazing roasted beet salad in Portland Oregon at the Red Star Tavern. They only served it in season and I couldn't wait for summer to show up. Well, living in Portland makes everyone wait for summer to show up!

I like to use a combination of golden yellow and orange beets, but if the original purple are all you can find they are delicious as well. This salad may seem like a lot of steps but it is worth every minute. If you would like to use your favorite vinaigrette instead of the recipe here - go for it - any one will be fabulous.

With the candied walnuts and chunks of goat cheese, this is a more upscale "out to impress" salad. I personally don't like arugula, so I choose a variety of lettuces I like. I like to add a large slice of carrot and cucumber as a nice side garnish. You can add olives as well...lots of possibilities.

Ingredients:

BEETS:
3/4 lb assorted beets, cleaned
2 tbl olive oil
2 tbl sherry vinegar

Combine beets with oil and vinegar. Wrap in tin foil and bake for an hour at 425 degrees. Remove from the oven and cool. Turn the oven heat to 350 degrees

CANDIED WALNUTS:

1 lb walnuts
1 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbl whole milk
1 tsp vanilla

While beets cool, spread walnuts on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees until they start to brown. Remove from oven. In a medium saucepan combine sugar, cinnamon, salt and milk. Cook over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes until the mixture thickens and softly boils. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Add walnuts and stir to combine. Spread walnuts on waxed paper and spread with a fork so the walnuts are separated. Let cool.

DRESSING:
6 tbl olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbl finely chopped tarragon
salt
pepper

Mix all ingredients except salt and pepper. Taste and season.

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
3 oz goat cheese
Variety of mixed greens



When beets cool, peel and cut into wedges. Break goat cheese into small chunks. Place lettuces in a large serving bowl. Add beets, walnuts and cheese. Pour dressing on top and lightly toss. Garnish each plate with carrot and cucmber slice or olives...your choice.

Light, refreshing and so full of flavors!!!
ENJOY!

TORTELLINI SALAD

Now I know what you are saying...pasta salads are a bit old news and overdone. But be honest you still love a good one. This is so easy a cave man...you know the rest. Using a tortellini instead of pasta makes it much more of a meal. The array of colors in this dish make it so appealing to the eye you just have to try it. This makes about 6 quarts so adjust the ingredients to your size crowd.

Ingredients:

3 lbs tortellini (your choice)

1/4 cup canola oil

2 cups tomatoes diced

3 cups broccoli (blanched and cooled)

1 small red onion diced

2 cups carrots diced (blanched)

2 yellow peppers diced

3 tbl fresh basil

1-1/2 cups bleu cheese crumbled

2 cups vinaigrette

Cook the tortellini according to package directions and let cool. When blanching the vegetables, don't overcook them. You want everything crunchy.

When the pasta, broccoli and carrots have cooled, mix all the ingredients together, refrigerate for about and hour and serve.

ENJOY!

MY ANTIPASTO SALAD

Well for starters, this is an actual picture of the dish I just made for a party tomorrow...YES I took this picture at my kitchen counter....if you didn't know, all the other pictures so far have been found elsewhere on the internet, but of course they always look a lot like my finished product....Rachel are you proud of me????



I am serving this to my family at a party tomorrow. Now most people would think of an antipasto platter as a platter with slices of meats and cheeses and maybe some olives, peppers, etc. While I do like this serving style too, I like my guests to be able to take a scoop of this antipasto, get all the great flavors in one bite with no need for silverware. I serve it with hot crostini so it becomes more like an unbelievably good antipasto bruschetta. The fact that it is also a "make it the day before" appetizer makes me have more time greeting and enjoying my guests when they arrive.


I don't like much heat in my food so if you like heat just add some pepperocinis, or hot giardiniera which is found near the roasted red peppers and italian artichokes in your market.



Ingredients


10 oz jar roasted red peppers chopped, reserve juice

12 oz jar marinated artichokes chopped, reserve juice

6 oz jar pitted kalamata olives chopped reserve juice

10 oz sopressata (salami) diced very small

10 oz genoa salami diced very small

12 oz smoked mozzarella diced very small
12 oz provolone diced very small
10 oz mild (or hot) giardiniera, reserve juice


This serves about 12-15 people as an appetizer, so vary the ingredients for your guest size. In a large bowl combine salamis and cheeses. Add red peppers, artichokes, kalamata olives and giardiniera. Combine all the reserved juices form the red peppers, artichokes, giadiniera and olives and stir. Add about 1/2 cup to the bowl. Stir and taste. Keep adding more juice until your desired flavor. You may want to add some additional olive oil, red wine vinegar or just more juices from the jars of the peppers, artichokes and olives. I find that the juices I reserve seem to be enough to compliment the other ingredients.
I usually plate this in a bowl with a nice red leaf or romaine on the bottom and just pile this on top so that some of the lettuce leaves surround the outside of the bowl, or you can simply serve it like the picture above. A true crowd pleaser and easy to eat while standing at a cocktail party.
ENJOY!