Roasted Tri Color Veggie and Gorgonzola Salad with Basil-Balsamic Dressing

I'll be perfectly honest with you - I grilled this salad.  I just love the smokiness grilling the vegetables imparts.  But for those of you too timid (or sensible) to wander outside in the snow to use the grill, I'm sure the roasting method will do just fine!

This is easy to make and is a lovely vibrant dish that could be served as a salad or side dish.

Yield:  2-4 servings

Salad Ingredients:
2 cups assorted cherry tomatoes, halved (I was able to buy both yellow and red at my local grocer)
2 bell peppers (one yellow, one red)
1 large red onion, sliced 

Dressing Ingredients: 
6 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped  
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Garnish:
1 cup Gorgonzola or other cheese (feta or Mozzarella would also be good choices!)

Directions:
Start by roasting the tomatoes and onion.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, and roast in a 400 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes, turning once, until the vegetables are soft and have begun to char in places.

While the veggies are roasting, grill the bell peppers over an open flame (the stovetop works fine for this!) until the skins blister and blacken.  Set aside to cool and then remove the skins (or you can do the trick where you place the peppers in ziplock bags and then the skins sort of fall off - whatever works for you!).  Once you have peeled the peppers, remove the stems and seeds and slice into thin strips.  Add to a large bowl.

Remove the tomatoes and onions from the oven and add to the bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together until combined and season to taste.  Gently toss the salad with the dressing and sprinkle with the Gorgonzola cheese.  Refrigerate to cool, then serve.  Enjoy!

Blue Cheese and Bacon Wedge Salad

 

I love a wedge salad.  It's so simple but so fresh and delicious!  This is great as lunch, a side dish or an appetizer.

Ingredients:
2 heads iceberg lettuce
3/4 cup fried crumbled bacon
4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 1/2 cups blue cheese dressing 

Blue Cheese Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
2 tbsp buttermilk
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
Salt and black pepper, to taste
 
Directions:
Begin by making the dressing. Whisk together the mayonnaise and sour cream. Add the buttermilk and garlic powder and whisk until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir, then fold in the blue cheese. This can be made a day or two in advance and refrigerated for up to a week.

For the salad, remove any wilted leaves from outside of the lettuce heads. Hit the bottom of each lettuce head on a flat surface to loosen the inner core, then pull it out.  Slice into approximately 2 inch thick wedges.

Spoon dressing over the wedges and top with chopped tomatoes, bacon and blue cheese, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tips:  Don't forget to season your salad!  One of the major mistakes that home cooks make is omitting the seasoning in salads and vegetables.  Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper do wonders for the taste of a salad.

This is also good if you add diced avocado or crumbled egg.  Enjoy!

Summery Shrimp Salad

This can be served as a salad or a sandwich.  I made this for a catering event and served it in halved pitas, and then served the leftovers the following day as a salad.  It was yummy either way!

Yield: 6-10 servings as a salad, or 4 full pita sandwiches

Ingredients: 
3 green onions, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup baby carrots, sliced into rounds
1 cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 pounds small or medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp white sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice 
1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper, to taste

If making sandwiches, you'll need pita bread (4 whole or 8 halved)

Directions:
Chop vegetables and set aside.  Toss shrimp with olive oil, paprika, and salt and pepper.  Spread on a baking sheet.  Broil until the shrimp are opaque, about 4 minutes.  Drain and cool.

Mix vegetables, shrimp and spices in a large bowl.  Add sour cream, sugar and lemon juice.  Season to taste.

If serving in pita bread, wait until just before eating to stuff the bread so it doesn't get soggy.

Tips:
This needs a lot of seasoning so be sure to salt liberally and taste to make sure it isn't bland.  I used baby carrots and sliced them into rounds, which I thought looked cute, but you could also use shredded or matchstick carrots.  Perfect for summer!

Grilled Corn & Pepper Salad

Mmmmm.... summery!

Ingredients:
4 ears of corn, seasoned and grilled
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup black or pinto beans
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1-2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup cotija cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lime juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:
Set grill to medium heat.  Shuck corn, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on grill and turn occasionally, browning the corn just slightly.  This should only take about 5 minutes per side.

Set the corn aside to cool.  Chop other vegetables and combine in large bowl.  Remove the kernels from the corn and add corn to the mixture.  Mix together with remaining ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste.
That's it!

Tips - This can be served cold or at room temperature.  If you have time you can also grilled the peppers.  Enjoy!

Mixed Berry Summer Salad

  

I stole this salad recipe.  Heisted it right from a wedding I attended!  It wasn't hard to crack the code.

Yield:  4 entree portions or 10 appetizer sized portions

Ingredients:

1 lb baby spinach leaves
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
1 8 ounce container feta cheese
Raspberry vinaigrette (to taste)

Directions:

Do you really need them?  Rinse the spinach and the berries, slice the strawberries, and toss together with the dressing and feta.  Don't dress the salad too long before you plan to serve it, as the spinach will get limp... and nobody likes that.

Tips:  This would also be good with tropical fruits such as mango or pineapple, or topped with roasted nuts.  Enjoy!

Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese, Cranberries, and Toasted Almonds

My boyfriend's mother, who is like a cuter, sweeter, and more fashionable version of Martha Stewart, made me this recipe over the holidays.  I believe she made it up, cause that's just the kind of lady she is....  It's sweet, tangy, healthy and delicious - I've made it about six times since.  Thanks Lyla - and I'm sorry if I changed any measurements, if so, it wasn't purposeful!

Lyla's Spinach Salad Ingredients:

1 package fresh baby spinach leaves
3/4 cup almond slices, toasted
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 package (4 oz) goat cheese
Poppyseed dressing (about 1/2 a bottle)

Directions:
Toast almonds in the oven at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove and cool.  Toss spinach with chilled dressing, goat cheese, cranberries and almonds. 

Tips:  If preparing in advance (straight from Lyla's kitchen!), store separate ingredients in ziplock bags and toss together just before serving.  All of these ingredients can be easily modified in portion size to suit your tastes - I used more dressing and extra almonds when I made it for myself, but not everyone would approve.  Also, Newman's Own carries this flavor of dressing, as do several other brands.  Enjoy!

Southwest Cobb Salad

Yes, I eat salad, everyone!  Usually for lunch...  I rarely take the time to make a salad this nice at home, but I should do it more often.

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

1 pkg mixed salad greens
3 grilled seasoned chicken breasts

2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed
1 cup shredded cheese (I used a blend of Cheddar and Monterey Jack)
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 avocado, sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes

Dressing:
1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup red salsa

1/2 tsp chili powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Cook the bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels, and reserve.  Meanwhile, boil eggs, then remove shells and chop.  Season chicken breasts (I used a mix of salt, pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin and coriander, about 1/8 tsp each) and grill or cook until done, then set aside.  

Chop or crumble cooled bacon, reserve.  Remove avocado from skin and chop.  To keep the avocado from turning brown, toss it with a teaspoon of lemon or lime juice, set aside.  Cut the cooked chicken into cubes, then rinse the lettuce and tomatoes, and drain/rinse black beans.  Now you are ready to assemble the salad!

Choose a plate and layer with greens.  Arrange remaining ingredients in rows over the lettuce.  Mix the dressing ingredients and season to taste.  Drizzle over salad just before serving.
 

Tips:   Substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream for calorie savings!

Ceasar Salad Boats

This is a fun take on the classic salad.  Add chicken to turn this into a more hearty appetizer.

Ingredients:

Endive or romaine lettuce leaves

Caesar salad dressing

Mini croutons (prepared, or homemade!)

Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Trim the endive or romaine, keeping the boats as close to the same size as possible and reserving any pieces that are too large or not uniformly shaped.  Rinse and set leaves aside.  Take discarded portions and chop.  Toss with dressing and spoon into endive boats.  Garnish with croutons and parmesan cheese.

Tips:

If you have never made homemade croutons, this would be a good time to try!  There really is quite a flavor difference between fresh ones and store bought.  For homemade croutons, simply slice a loaf of french bread into desired size cubes.  Season with salt, pepper, garlic and fresh chopped thyme.  Saute in olive oil until brown and crisp.  Yum!

The first time I made this, they didn't have endive leaves at the grocery store I went to, so I used romaine.  It actually worked out fine because I was able to trim the leaves and shape each one into several boats, so endive or romaine will work, just a bit more chopping involved if you use the romaine.  Enjoy!

Crab & Papaya Salad

This is a light, summery salad that can be served as a first course or an appetizer, or a light lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

3 cups papaya, diced and peeled

1 pound lump crabmeat

1 orange bell pepper, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 finely chopped jalapeño pepper

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

3 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix papaya, green onions, jalapeño pepper, bell peppers and crab meat.  In another bowl, combine canola oil, lemon juice, cider vinegar, sugar, black pepper, and salt, stirring with a whisk.  Drizzle vinegar mixture over crab mixture and mix.  Chill before serving.  Enjoy!

Texas Caviar

This was my first encounter with Texas Caviar.  I had planned to serve it as a dip, but after I prepared it, I realized it is better as a salad.  The vinegar makes it taste kind of weird with chips, in my opinion, but it's delicious as a chilled side dish or salad.  The only change I made to the original recipe was that I grilled the corn, for a more smoky flavor, and added a few extra spices.

Ingredients:

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

2 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 ears grilled corn

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, undrained
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

1 red bell pepper - cored, seeded and finely chopped

1 green bell pepper - cored, seeded and finely chopped

1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 bunch cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white sugar

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp coriander

Directions:

Grill corn until slightly charred and remove from cob.  Mix the black beans, pinto beans, corn, green chiles, jalapeno pepper, red and green bell peppers, red onion, and cilantro together in a large bowl.

To make the dressing, stir the rice vinegar, olive oil, sugar, and spices together in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat, and cool.  Pour dressing over bean mixture, and toss to mix evenly.  Serve chilled.  As you can see, this makes for a lovely presentation, as the colors are so vibrant in the "caviar".  Enjoy!

Grilled Margarita Shrimp Salad

The shrimp can be marinated up to 3 hours before grilling. This marinade is also good on chicken.  I made this for dinner one night (with corn on the cob and some other sides), and then had the leftover shrimp the next day in this salad.  You could easily half this recipe if just making the salad.

For the margarita shrimp:
1 pound large shrimp

3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons tequila

3 teaspoons triple sec

3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper
bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the shrimp, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, tequila, triple sec, cilantro, red pepper, and salt in a bowl; toss to combine; refrigerate 30 minutes.

Preheat a grill to high heat and lightly oil grate. Drain the marinade from the shrimp and discard; thread the shrimp on the skewers.

Cook on preheated grill until the shrimp turn pink, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

For the salad:

4 cups spinach

3 hardboiled eggs

2 avocados

1 pint cherry tomatos

¾ cup cilantro

½ cup chopped green onions

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Margarita shrimp (I used about 6 for each salad)

I thought this was a really nice, crisp combination of flavors.  The salad made about 3 servings.  Enjoy!

Caprese Salad Skewers

This is one of my favorite salads because of the fresh, bold flavors. Serving it on skewers is a unique way to showcase the vibrantly colored ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
 
Fresh Mozzarella balls
(if you cannot find these, you can use a mozzarella log and slice it into cubes roughly the same size as the cherry tomatoes - I've also used string cheese as a replacement!)
 
4 tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Basil
Sea salt and black pepper
Wooden skewers

Directions:
Chop the basil into one inch pieces. Thread a tomato, a mozzarella ball, and a piece of basil onto a skewer. Repeat. Place the skewers on a plate and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Next, transfer the skewers to a serving dish or bowl.

If you can find cherry tomatoes in different colors (the grocery store sometimes has them), you can also coordinate colors like I did above. It also looks pretty with just the red and the green!

Tips - Don't drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar onto the skewers until you are nearly ready to serve them, as the vinegar will soak into the mozzarella and change the color and consistency.

Asian Coleslaw with Peanut Butter Dressing

This is a tasty alternative to regular coleslaw, with an intense, nutty flavor!


Recipe:

3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons white sugar

1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves

6 green onions, chopped

2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced

8 cups shredded cabbage

2 carrots, julienned

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

Stir together peanut butter, garlic, salt, sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and hot pepper sauce until smooth. Fold in cilantro, green onions, and red pepper. Add shredded cabbage, and toss until well coated. Scoop into a serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.

Tips - Do not put the dressing on too far in advance, as the salad will wilt.  You can add more sugar to make this sweeter, or more tabasco or even a minced jalapeno to make it spicier.  Another ingredient I have added is ginger.

Spicy Southwest Salad With Grilled Chicken

• This recipe takes a little time because of all the grilling involved, but it is very tasty!
• 
  

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 cobbs of corn, husked
• 1 cup of cooked black beans
• 1/2 small red onion, peeled and sliced
• 2 tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and cut in half
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 cup crumbled queso fresco
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Cilantro sprigs for garnish
• 2 tortillas, deep fried while pressed in a wire basket so it is a shell shape.

DIRECTIONS

Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and a bit of olive oil.  Cook on a hot, oiled grill about 5 minutes per side. Let rest and then cut into strips. Add the corn to the grill and cook on all sides until tender and slightly charred - about 7-8 minutes. Dice the chicken breast. Drizzle the corn, scallions, tomatoes and tomatoes with olive oil and place on the grill until slightly charred. Slice the red onion into slivers and also grill. Grill the limes, cut side down on the grill also. 


Dice the grilled vegetables and shuck the kernels of corn off the cobb. 


Make the dressing by combining the sour cream with chipotle and adobo and grilled lime juice and mix with a fork. Add a little olive oil to make it nice and smooth.


To mix the salad: place the chopped vegetables and diced chicken into a large bowl and combine well. Dress the salad with a little of the dressing and mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 


To serve, place spoonfuls of salad into tortilla shells and garnish with sliced avocado and fresh cilantro.


Tips:  If you're in a hurry, you can use canned corn and just grill the onions, chicken and bell pepper.  Also, if you're not a fan of chipotle, this is also good with a standard southwest style ranch.