Greek Couscous Salad

I've made this salad a couple of times lately and it's just so good! I love Israeli couscous. The size and texture are nothing short of perfect. And this salad has pickled banana peppers in it - I've never added those to salad before and I LOVE it! AND it has a Cubanelle pepper, which I now love. (I'm pretty sure I've never used a Cubanelle before.) It's the light green pepper right with the other peppers and its flavor is less in-your-face than a green pepper.

This is the perfect summer salad. Fresh, tangy, colorful. Make it. You'll be glad you did.

Greek Couscous Salad
Inspired by Geoffrey Zakarian

1 cup uncooked Israeli Couscous
8 oz. baby arugula, thinly sliced/chopped
1/2 large red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup kalamata olives (I leave them whole so my husband can pick them out; otherwise I would chop them finely)
1/2 cup chopped pickled banana peppers
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 cubanelle pepper, chopped finely
about a cup of grape tomatoes, chopped into thirds
1 English cucumber, chopped finely
6 oz. feta cheese crumbles
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Cook the couscous in salted boiling water until it's cooked through. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool. Place in a large salad bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, except the feta, and toss to combine. Add the feta and stir gently as to not break it up too much. Serve immediately or chill first and then serve.

Chopped Salad

This salad just sort of evolved...I've made it so many times this summer, each a little different than the last. Oh summer, how are you already giving way to fall? I love fall...but I really love summer.

And I loved tossed salads. Quinoa gives this wonderful texture and flavor to salads...if you haven't tried it, you've got to.

Really you can toss just about anything in and it would be yummy. Roasted red peppers would be great...I might need to try that next time.

The Garlic Expressions Vinaigrette is amazing...it's in regular stores like Kroger but usually in a random spot, like some shelf in the produce department. But the best part is that it has whole garlic cloves at the bottom. They. are. amazing. My friend brought me this dressing when Levi was born and I've been eating it ever since.

On that note, Levi is fixin' to be 1 (do y'all say fixin'? Or is that South speech?). What in the world. He is an absolute joy.

Here is the baby, helping himself to an Asian pear we just picked. Our apples and pears have been abundant. We've made apple butter, pear butter, canned pears, applesauce, baked apples, skillet apple pie (oh my word. it was amazing)...

And yes, I will still call him "the baby" when he's 4...and 6...and probably 15.

Chopped Salad
4 oz. arugula
1 heart of romaine, chopped
1/2 cup quinoa, cooked in 1 cup water & 1/2 tsp salt until done and cooled to room temperature
15 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped small
8 oz. grape tomatoes, cut in half or thirds
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 can garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed (optional)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup sliced toasted almonds
Garlic Expressions Vinaigrette (delicious) or Italian dressing...or Greek Feta dressing...whatever you like

Toss ingredients in a large bowl. Add enough dressing to moisten (but not too much!)....you can always add more if you need it. Serve immediately.

Grilled Corn Salad

I've been making this salad this summer and everyone loves it everywhere I take it. I know it's technically not summer anymore because Labor Day has passed and we're not supposed to wear white shoes (I don't actually own any white shoes) or summery dresses. But it's 94 degrees here and I'm really pregnant so I'll eat corn salad and wear summery dresses if I feel like it. Just sayin'.

Have you grilled corn? It's smoky and sweet and absolutely delicious. Mixed with the other salad ingredients - like feta cheese - downright addictive.


That's probably all I need to say about this.



Go forth and make it while the corn is still fresh-picked and delicious.

Grilled Corn Salad

8 ears of corn, grilled until slightly charred (I usually brush it with olive oil before grilling)

3 avocados, diced & tossed with the juice from one lemon (to prevent browning)

2 cups tomatoes (I use garden-fresh heirlooms or grape tomatoes), chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 (heaping) cup crumbled feta cheese

English cucumber, peeled and diced

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Vinaigrette:

6 T apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Cut the corn from the cob and toss it with the other veggies and feta cheese. Whisk the vinaigrette together and mix it with the salad. Serve this immediately at room temp (yum!) or chill it in the fridge for up to a few hours. Best served the same day you make it.

Kale & Quinoa Salad

There's something about summer and pregnancy that makes me crave salads like crazy! I can't get enough salad. I've made this kale & quinoa salad several times (and I've eaten Panera's Greek Kale & Quinoa salad several times…delicious…and Malone's kale & quinoa with salmon…fabulous). No one else in my family is wild about this combo of flavors/textures, but I think it's awesome. (Matthew is not a picky eater but raw kale is a bit too…chewy for him. And that's okay. More for me.)

So you just cook the quinoa (takes only about 15 minutes), throw in the minced kale and Craisins, toss it with the vinaigrette and top with the sliced onions and goat cheese. Hello delicious.

I've eaten this warm, room temp & cold. All 3 ways are my favorite.

Kale & Quinoa Salad

1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed well in a sieve
2 cups water
1 bunch kale, leaves stripped from stems and finely chopped
heaping 1/2 cup Craisins
Sliced almonds, toasted (about 3/4 cup, but do as many as you like)
Goat cheese, crumbled (about a cup, maybe more)

Lemon Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons, juiced)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Cook the quinoa in the water in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Stir in the chopped kale and Craisins. Toss with the vinaigrette. Add the almonds and goat cheese to taste - you can sprinkle on top or mix them into the salad. (I tend to sprinkle them on top because goat cheese tends to dissolve into salads if you mix it too much.)

Fruit Salad with Yogurt Poppyseed Dressing

Spring is here.  My peonies have come out of the ground.  I was so happy to see them!  I can't wait until they bloom.

I carried white peonies down the aisle.  My bridesmaids carried pink peonies down the aisle.  Our groomsmen wore the nearly-opened buds of pink peonies on their tuxes.

Do I even need to tell you that it was beautiful.

And so it's only fitting that we have an entire row of pink peonies in our front yard.  I think we have 11 right now, which is perfect because our 11th anniversary is approaching.  I may need to add more this year.

I may cover my entire yard with them.

Anyway.  On to this fruit salad.  It was very fresh and springy and I ate an entire bowl of it for dinner because I was uninterested in the actual meal I had prepared for my family.

Should I blame my strange behavior on pregnancy?  Hormones?  Maybe I was tired?  Maybe I had done laundry that day.  I could keep going with my list of excuses but it doesn't really matter.

Who knows. Who cares.  This fruit salad was delicious and a big hit.  Will make it again.  You should too.

Fruit Salad with Yogurt Poppyseed Dressing

8 cups cut-up fruit (I used a combo of oranges, bananas, strawberries, apples & grapes)
1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt (I used fat-free)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup honey
1 T sugar
1 T poppyseeds
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Toss the fruit together in a bowl.  Whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour over the fruit about 20 minutes before serving.

Roasted Vegetable & Orzo Salad with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette

I made this salad awhile ago and it was AWESOME!  I'll definitely make it again.  Probably soon.  The leftovers were as good as it was fresh.  My whole family loved it.  I can't believe I haven't blogged it until now!  No excuses.

Since I'm not going to make up an excuse for myself and my lack of blog posting, I'll tell you about the afternoon wherein I almost went postal at Target.

I just have a question: have you been to Target lately?  What has happened to this store???  It used to be a nice alternative to Wal-Mart (for about a zillion reasons...you fill in the blanks).  Now it's like Wal-Mart's red-headed step-child.

So I ran to Target because I need a cupcake carrier (yes, I know.  It was an actual need, despite how it might sound.) and I needed a heap of things for my MOPS group.

When I got to Target, there were no 3-seat carts available (you know the really huge carts where two kids can sit in the back and then the third child sits in the usual child seat in the cart.  Those carts are a total lifesaver for me and anyone else with three or more children.).  Fine.  A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.  I put my boy in the cart and let the girls run wild.

You think I'm joking.

So then I proceed to be able to find approximately nothing on my list without asking an employee, who may or may not have known where the item was located.  While shopping, I ran across someone using one of the 3-seat carts that I DESPERATELY NEEDED.  How many children did this couple have with them?  ONE.

Three seats.  One child.

I had three children.  One seat.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE???

I may or may not have given the dad the evil eye as I walked past him.  He was casually pushing his ONE CHILD in the cart made for three children while I wrangled my three children who were, as I mentioned, running wild.

My luck continued at checkout.  I somehow managed to choose the a cashier on his first day of work.

Said cashier was living proof that Target has tossed employee training to the wind.  Help us all.

I won't give you all the details, but let me just use the Southern catch-all: bless his heart.  While I waited for him to come up with my total, my sweet baby boy emptied the checkout lane of its merchandise.  On both sides.  Candy, toys, trinkets, mini-lint rollers, chapstick...  The woman behind me was giving me about the same look that I gave the one-child-three-seat-cart-couple.

Whatever.

And THEN, when I put my sweet baby boy back into the cart, he proceeded to fill his diaper with sewage.  Then he opened several of the items I was trying desperately to purchase.  Unfortunately my cashier missed the day they taught "how to check a customer out" in Target cashier training school.

AND THEN the brand-new cashier apparently thought it would be a good time to ask me if I wanted a bag for the approximately 29 items I purchased.

I'm just the wrong person to ask that question and this was most certainly the wrong afternoon to ask it.  Do I look like someone who is concerned about the environment?  I'm just trying to get to my van with all of my children and at least most of the things I paid for today.  Um, yes. A bag would be helpful, thanks.

Did I look like the kind of person that carries around those germ-infested reusable bags?

Not a chance, dude.  I don't drive a Subaru and I have too many children to keep up with a passel of dirty, scrubby-looking reusable bags.

Next time I have the urge to go to Target, I'll just make this salad and place an order on Amazon.

Roasted Vegetable & Orzo Salad

1 eggplant, peeled

1 red bell pepper

2 zucchini

1 large sweet onion

4 cloves garlic, grated

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

8 oz. orzo pasta (about 1 1/4 cups uncooked pasta)

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1 T prepared pesto 

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Chop the veggies into a small-dice.  Toss the veggies together with the salt, pepper, garlic and olive oil on a large baking sheet.  Roast at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.  Use a spatula to toss the veggies once about halfway through.

Allow the veggies to come to room temperature while you make the orzo.  Cook the orzo according to the package directions in salted boiling water.  Drain and pour pasta into a large bowl.  Add the veggies.

Whisk together the vinaigrette and pour over the veggies and pasta.  Toss to coat.  Crumble in the feta cheese and add the pine nuts.  Stir to combine and serve at room temperature (can serve chilled as well).

Pear & Pomegranate Salad

I'm sorry.  There's just no way I can do justice to this salad.

No amount or quality of pictures can even come close to the fabulous flavor and texture of this salad.

It's a shame that I can't tell you how amazing this salad is, so you'll just have to trust me and make it for yourself.

It's one of the best things I've ever eaten.  In my life.

My mom got this recipe from a friend, and my mom has been making it all winter.

I can't get enough!

The pomegranate seeds (or arils, if you're fancy) pop with juice and sweetness and tartness, the pistachios are crunchy, the pears are sweet and fresh, the feta is salty, and the dressing...

Oh, the dressing.

Wow.

Pear & Pomegranate Salad
Adapted from Food 52

4 cups baby arugula
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
Seeds from 1 pomegranate
2 pears, cubed
1/2 cup pistachios, toasted
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing:
2 shallots
2 T pomegranate molasses (can be found at Whole Foods or specialty market; can substitute pomegranate juice)
3 T apple cider vinegar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Toss the salad ingredients in a large bowl.  For the dressing, puree dressing ingredients in a food processor until thick and smooth.  About 10 minutes before serving, pour the dressing on top and toss to coat.

Pasta Salad with Asparagus, Feta and Tomatoes

The other night I needed a fast side dish to go with our leftover meatloaf.

I had a random assortment of things in the fridge/pantry, and I threw them together for this pasta salad.

It was a hit with everyone!  My girls loved it, my husband loved it, and Baby Bear scarfed it down.

I had pesto in my freezer...always a good idea.

I had pasta in the pantry...as I always do.  I wanted to use orzo, but I didn't have enough...so I used this ditalini.  I liked it.  But Israeli couscous would also be great (just don't use regular couscous; it's too small).

I thought grape tomatoes would add great freshness and color.

And this asparagus was perfect.  I cut it small, about the same size as the pasta.

And what could be wrong with feta cheese???

I mixed the pasta and asparagus with the dressing while the pasta was still warm so that it really soaked up the dressing...it was so creamy and delicious.  It was great warm and room temperature.

I had it the next day for lunch and it was delicious cold as well!

I mean, you can't go wrong.

Are you picking up what I'm putting down?

Good.  Then go make some pasta salad because it's already AUGUST and I don't want summer to be over -- EVER!

Pasta Salad with Asparagus, Feta and Tomatoes

2 cups (about 8 oz.) dry short-cut pasta (I used ditalini; orzo or Israeli (pearl) couscous would also be good)
1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed off and then chopped into small pieces
8-10 oz. grape tomatoes, sliced in half or thirds
4-6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Creamy Lemon Pesto Dressing:
3/4 cup pesto
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lemon

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water.  Add the asparagus for the last 2-3 minutes of cooking time.  Drain the pasta and asparagus in a colander.

In a large bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing.  Add the pasta and asparagus (while it's still hot) and toss to combine.  Stir in the grape tomatoes.  Add the feta cheese on top (you can stir it in, but you won't see it in the green dressing if you stir it up).  Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.

Macaroni Salad

I made this for a church picnic a couple of weeks ago.  It was so good!

Macaroni salad is a great summery side for hamburgers.  There's tons of flavor in this salad, too...I married about four different recipes and I was happy with the result.

I would tell you that Baby Bear loved it.  But he eats virtually everything, so I'm not sure his vote counts for much?

One last thing.  Don't leave out the mustard.  I tried to be clever and leave it out but it was so much better with the mustard!

Happy summer, y'all.  Eat it up.

Macaroni Salad

1 lb. elbow macaroni, cooked in salted water according to package directions and rinsed
12 oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 bunch green onions, chopped
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
3 T sweet pickle relish
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp yellow prepared mustard
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Place the rinsed pasta (make sure you drain it WELL!) in a large bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients and toss to combine.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours until chilled.  Stir again and add a little bit of mayo if it seems dry (the pasta will drink up the sauce).

Spring Green Quinoa Salad

After the Oatmeal Caramelitas I posted this weekend, I probably owe you an apology.  Oatmeal cookie bars stuffed with caramel and chocolate...

Since I've never been great at apologies, I just made you a salad instead.

Quinoa.  Asparagus.  Peas.  Feta.  Tossed with lemon vinaigrette.

So fresh.  So springy.

Am I the only one with a refrigerator drawer full of asparagus?  Don't get me wrong - I love it.  My dad and father-in-law grow copious amounts of awesome asparagus, and we eat it every day when it's in season (mid-April through May).

I love it.  And I really love receiving garden-fresh veggies from my family.  There's nothing like it.

Normally I just saute the asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper.  But sometimes I like to do something a little different with the asparagus...like this salad.

Start with quinoa...remember quinoa?  It's our friend.  It's a seed and insanely healthy (fiber, protein, among other qualities that earn it an A+ on the nutrition scale).  So I had black and red quinoa, but you could easily use white.  I think it might be more visually appealing with white quinoa?  But I used what I had.  It all cooks the same, so it really doesn't matter.

And saute some asparagus with an onion.  And toss it together with feta and lemon vinaigrette.

It's fresh, it's springy and it's healthy.

Can't beat it.  Make it fast...asparagus season is almost gone!

Spring Green Quinoa Salad
Adapted from Heather Cristo Cooks

2 cups chicken stock
1 cup quinoa, rinsed (I used a combo of black and red quinoa, but you could use white)
1 bunch (about a pound) asparagus, sliced thin
1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 cup frozen petite peas
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

dressing:
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons, juiced)
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Stir in the quinoa and cook over low heat for about 15-20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.

In a separate skillet, saute the onion and asparagus in the tablespoon of olive oil until crisp-tender (about 7-8 minutes).

In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, sauteed asparagus and onions, frozen peas (the heat from the quinoa and asparagus will thaw the peas) and the feta.  Whisk together the dressing and pour it on top.  Toss to combine and serve warm or chilled.  This is great with fish.

Southwest Chopped Salad

I showed you my new favorite dressing.

And now I'll show you the salad I ate it with.

I already confessed that I wanted to eat this entire bowl.

And now you'll know why.  Who wouldn't want to eat something this colorful.  Especially when it's served in a monogrammed bowl.

It was so fresh and flavorful.  And yes, we monogram everything in the South.  Even salad bowls.

It's almost summer, people!  I can't even wait.  Baby Bear has the cutest bathing suit.  I can't even stand it.  And I can't wait to take him and his sisters to the pool.

I hope you love this wonderful salad as much as I did.  And if you don't, have a cookie or five.  It'll make you feel better.

Tex-Mex Chopped Salad
Adapted from The Garden Grazer

15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz. can corn, drained
1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in thirds lengthwise
1 orange or red bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch green onions (about 6-8 onions), chopped
1 small romaine heart, chopped finely
1 avocado, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
Creamy Cilantro Dressing

Toss together the ingredients and combine with the dressing right before serving.

Cranberry, Cilantro, Coconut & Curry Couscous

I'm sort of obsessed with couscous.  I love the traditional kind (the really itty bitty kind) and Israeli couscous (about the size of BB pellets).  I don't discriminate.

And if you don't know what BBs are, I don't know how to help you.  All I can say is that you either were deprived as a child or you didn't have a brother.

I needed a quick side dish for dinner the other night, and I whipped this together.  Because I am also obsessed with curry.

I love it.  And did you know that curry is a mixture of spices - a blend, if you will.  It is not one particular spice.  It's typically made up of turmeric (gives it that great gold color), cumin and a bunch of other spices.

My parents went to Israel this spring and brought me this container of curry.  It's quite special and is only used for special dishes.

I deemed this dish special enough to use my Israeli curry.

And!  Don't you like my use of alliteration?  Everything in this title starts with the letter "c."  Cool.  Pun intended.

Can you tell that I have a preschooler who is obsessed with letters.  We discuss - at great length - what letter begins each word.

It's the life, I tell you.

But seriously, I loved this salad.  I may have to go make some more right now so I can shove my face in it.  It's spicy (but not too spicy - my kids ate it), a little sweet, crunchy, creamy.  Ugh.  So good.  I ate most of it while I cooked the rest of dinner.  And then I served the pitiful remaining amount to my unsuspecting family for dinner.

I love being the mom.

Cranberry, Cilantro, Coconut & Curry Couscous

1 1/2 cups stock (veggie or chicken stock)
3/4 cup whole-wheat Israeli couscous (regular or tri-color will work too)
1/2 tsp salt
1 small onion, minced fine (or 1 bunch green onions, chopped)
1 T curry powder
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/4 toasted slivered almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)
1/2 cup minced cilantro
2 T nonfat Greek yogurt

Bring the stock to a boil in a pot.  Add the couscous and salt and cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat until the stock is absorbed and the couscous is tender.  Pour into a colander and rinse well.

Add the couscous and the rest of the ingredients to a bowl and toss together.  Allow the flavors to blend for at least an hour before serving.  Serve cold or at room temperature.