Watermelon Salad

Sweet, salty, and refreshing.  This is an incredible summer salad, when the watermelon is sweet and crisp.  Though quantities are specified, it's really just a guideline - adjust to your tastes/ needs.

Ingredients
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (optional)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves torn
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves torn
• 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata black olives
• 3 pounds seedless watermelon cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 pinch Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions
1. Cut watermelon into bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl.
2. Tear the fresh mint and basil and add to the bowl of melon and add the red onion, fresh
lime juice and olive oil.
3. Toss the salad gently and add the crumbled feta and black olives. Finish the salad with a
good turn of black pepper.

Blue Cheese Creamy Coleslaw

I'm not usually a fan of creamy coleslaw - the mayo turns me off.  BUT, the dressing in this recipe is based on sour cream and blue cheese, so I can dig it.

1/2 head Nappa Cabbage, quartered and shredded
2 Carrots, shredded
1/2 Red Onion, julienne

100 g Blue Cheese
1/4 cup Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/2 bunch Chives, chopped
Fresh Cracked Pepper
Salt

1)  Prepare the cabbage, carrots, and onion as indicated above.
2)  Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl until smooth.  (actually, I like some chunks of blue cheese).
3)  It is best to reserve the dressing and mix just prior to serving.  This ensures a crunchy outcome. 

Everything Green Salad

A simple concept with brilliant results, this refreshing salad is an instant summer favorite. (From:  'Cooking with Love; The Best Recipes from Montreal's Finest Cooks')

(Serves 12)

Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1 scallion, minced
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Salad:
6 Scallions, sliced
2 x 14-oz cans of Artichoke Hearts, drained, rinsed, and chopped
1 English Cucumber, thinly sliced
2 stalks Celery, thinly sliced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Granny Smith Apples, cored and thinly sliced

1 Lime, juice and zest
2 Avocados, peeled and cubed
1 cup Green Grapes, halved
4 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup Pine Nuts, toasted

In a small glass jar, combine all ingredients for vinaigrette.  Shake well and set aside.

In a large bowl combine scallions, artichoke hearts, cucumber, and celery.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add olive oil and toss well.  Chill for 1 hour.

In a small bowl combine apples, lime juice, and zest.  Add apple mixture to scallion artichoke mixture and combine well. Gently add in avocados and grapes.  Pour vinaigrette on top and toss well.  Sprinkle with cilantro and pine nuts.  Serve immediately. 

Avocado, Corn, and Cherry Tomato Salsa

This is a bright, fresh, and chunky salsa that can be varied in any number of ways.

From the National Post, by Bonnie Stern:

"You can use regular guacamole but this salsa has more textures, flavours, colours and adds a lot to the tacos. If you don't like cilantro use basil, mint, or parsley. If you don't like too much heat, remoe seeds and ribs for jalapeno before chopping.

• 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, quartered, drained
• 1 Jalapeno, diced
• 1 Green Onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh Cilantro
• 1 cup cooked Corn, preferably grilled
• 1 ripe Avocado, diced
• 1 tbsp Lime Juice
• Kosher Salt, to taste "

Hail to the Kale Salad

This recipe came from Lisa Green. She notes: "I use 1/2 the salad dressing. Also I massage the kale with a little salt so it won't be so bitter."

• 1 bunch Kale
• 3 cups Carrots, grated
• 1/2 head Red Cabbage
• 1/2 cup Pumpkin Seeds
• 1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds
• 1/2 cup Flax, Hemp, or Olive Oil
• 1/3 cup Soya Sauce
• 5 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 tsp Oregano, dried
• Tamari or soy sauce
  

Method:

Wash the kale and chop. Be careful to rinse the leaves to remove dirt and grit.

In a cast iron skillet over medium to high heat, stir sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Remove from heat when they're toasted golden brown. While the skillet is hot, add in a few drops of tamari, which will sear onto the seeds. Remove and let cool.

In a large bowl combine kale, carrots, cabbage and seeds. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and oregano and pour over kale mixture. Toss until evenly coated and chill 2 hours before serving. This salad keeps well refrigerated 2-3 days.

Vij's Beet Salsa

• 13 oz beets
• 4 oz daikon
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped finely
• 1 large, firm tomato
• 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and Pepper

Make sure that you use a firm tomato, otherwise the dish will be ruined. Cut the beets, daikon, and tomato up into very fine dice. Mix in the lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Let it marinade for a couple hours.

This is a great little side dish to accompany something meaty or saucy.

Beet, Rhubarb, and Orange Salad

I came across this recipe in this month's Bon Appetit and knew I had to make it. So I went down to Kensington market in search of rhubarb, but was unsuccessful; it's not quite in season yet. Luckily it comes frozen...

• 8x 2 to 2.5 inch diameter red or yellow beets or 4 of each
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• coarse kosher salt
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 pound trimmed rhubarb stalks, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices
• 3 large oranges
• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 3 cups watercress sprigs
• 1 1/4 cups coarsely crumbled feta cheese
• Fresh Chervil leaves (optional)

"Preheat oven to 400F. Place beets on large sheet of foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil; sprinkle with coarse salt. Wrap beets in foil. Roast beets until tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour. Unwrap and cool beets. Peel, then cut into 8 wedges.

Bring 3 cups water, 1/2 cup sugar, and pinch of coarse salt to simmer in large saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add rhubarb. Simmer over medium heat until just tender but still intact, 1 to 2 minutes (do not overcook, or rhubarb will be mushy). Using slotted spoon, transfer rhubarb to platter and cool completely.

Finely grate enough peel from 1 orange to measure 1/2 teaspoon; transfer to small bowl and reserve for dressing. Cut off peel and white pith from all oranges. Working over medium bowl to catch juice and using small sharp knife, cut between membranes to release orange segments into bowl; squeeze membranes to release juice into bowl. Transfer 2 tablespoons orange juice to bowl with orange peel. Whisk vinegar, lemon juic, shallot, honey, and remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil into bowl with orange peel and orange juice mixture. Season dressing with coarse salt and pepper.

Arrange watercress, beets, rhubarb, and orange segments on 6 plates. Sprinkle with feta and drizzle with dressing. Garnish with chevril leaves, if desired, and serve."

I only had 3 beets, which turned out to be more than enough... didn't have any watercress, unfortunately, but used some chiffonaded iceberg lettuce in its place... also didn't have any chervil.

It's an excellent combination of flavors: sweet, sour, earthy, acidic. Refreshing, too. That little touch of minced challot is brilliant.

Quinoa Salad with Hearts of Palm

Quinoa, being a berry and not a grain, is a legitimate passover food. I came across this recipe on the epicurious website, and we went from there:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 pound fresh hearts of palm (see cooks’ note, below)
• 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves

Our recipe looked more like this:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup dried cherries, soaked in warm water
• 1/2 can of hearts of palm, diced,
• 1/2 cup of parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup cucumber, diced
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 1/2 blood orange, zested and juiced
  

The quinoa was cooked by mixing it with the broth, bringing it to a boil, letting it sit covered until all the moisture was absorbed, then fluffed with a fork. Then all the other ingredients were mixed in, and it was served cold.

The end result was great... the citrus juice worked really well. Cucumber and cherries were also nice additions.

Brocolli and Mango Salad

Mom found a simple recipe for a broccoli salad in the newspaper... this is a variation:

• 1 crown of broccoli, broken into florets and blanched
• 2 ripe mangoes, diced into 1 cm cubes
• 1 navel orange
• 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
• balsamic vinegar
• olive oil
• salt

I zested the orange into the salad, segmented it, and juiced the cutoffs. Used just a dash each of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt, then tossed lightly.

It was bright, delicious, and healthy.

Green Bean Salad

This one sells quite well, is simple, healthy, and tasty.

• 20 lb green beans, blanched
• 1 L slivered almonds, toasted
• 2 cups garlic, minced
• 1 x 100 oz can of roasted red peppers, julienne
• Chinese chili sauce (just a little bit)
• oil (not absolutely necessary)
• salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients together and serve chilled.

Malaysian Tofu Salad

This is a salad that sells fairly well at work, though I'm not a huge fan of it.

• 12 packs of tofu, cubed and deep fried
• 20 lb broccoli florets, blanched
• 10 yellow peppers, julienne
• 10 red peppers, julienne
• 4 bunches cilantro, chopped
• 6 bunches green onions, 1-inch pieces cut on angle

sauce:

• 300 mL oil
• 1 cup garlic, minced
• 1 cup ginger, minced
• 1 cup Chinese chili sauce

Prepare the sauce by frying it in a wok, then cooling in the blast chiller. Mix it with the vegetables and adjust the seasoning.

Potato Salad

I made potato salad at work this week. Though I'm not a big fan of potato salad, this one's pretty good.

• 15 lb Yukon potatoes
• 375 mL olive oil
• 1 cup pickles, minced
• 1 bunch parsley
• 1/4 cup smooth Dijon
• 1/4 cup grainy Dijon
• 30 mL red wine vinegar
• Salt and Pepper to taste

I cut the smaller potatoes into quarters and the larger ones into sixths. Put them into the steamer for 15 minutes until slightly soft, then stuck them into the cooler.

I mixed all the ingredients together in a large bowl, and adjusted the seasoning.

Bulgur With Swiss Chard, Chickpeas, and Feta

I got this off the New York Times website...

• 1 cup bulgur (medium or coarse grade)
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound Swiss chard, heavy stems removed, washed well
• 4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill or parsley
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbed or cut in small squares

"1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the bulgur and salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and uncover. Place a clean dish towel over the pan, then replace the lid. Allow to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish. Toss the cooked bulgur with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and spread in the baking dish in an even layer.

3. Add water to a steamer pot, and bring to a boil. Place the Swiss chard in the steamer (you can use a pasta pot with an insert for this), and steam until it wilts, about four to five minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and squeeze out the excess water with your hands. Chop coarsely and transfer to a bowl.

4. Heat another tablespoon of the olive oil in a small frying pan. Add the garlic. Cook, stirring, just until fragrant and translucent, 30 seconds to a minute, and scrape into the bowl with the chard. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the chickpeas and dill. Season with salt and pepper, and toss together.

5. Lay the chard mixture over the bulgur. Top with the feta, and gently push the feta cheese down into this mixture. Bake 30 minutes or until sizzling. Serve hot.

Yield: Serves four to six."

I followed the instructions, using parsley instead of dill. It's full of nutrition, and has some nice ingredients, but I think it should really be made as a cold salad. It desperately cries for a flavorful dressing. I tried it with soy sauce, which worked well.

Bulgur Lentil Salad

I got this recipe off the New York Times' 'Recipes For Health' website. Every week they focus on an ingredient, talk a little about it, and give a few recipes for it. This week's was bulgur, which I hadn't cooked with before.

"The best lentils for this hearty salad are French green lentils or black beluga lentils. They’re more likely to stay intact while cooking than brown lentils."

• 1 cup green or beluga lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 1 small onion, cut in half
• 2 garlic cloves, slightly crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup fine or medium bulgur
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced (more to taste)
• 4 to 6 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 cup finely chopped parsley
• 2 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Combine the lentils, onion, garlic and bay leaf in a saucepan, and add 2 to 3 cups water, enough to cover by an inch or two. Bring to a gentle boil, add salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes until tender but intact. Remove from the heat. Remove and discard the onion, garlic cloves and bay leaf. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, place the bulgur in a medium bowl, and add salt to taste. Cover with 2 cups hot or boiling water, and allow to sit for 20 to 25 minutes until most of the water is absorbed. Drain through a strainer and squeeze out the water.

3. Combine the lentils, bulgur, scallions, radishes, parsley and mint in a large bowl or salad bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper to taste, and the olive oil. Toss with the salad, and serve.

Yield: Serves six."

I used French Lentils, grapeseed oil instead of olive oil, cut the amount of shallots in half, and forgot about the parsley. It's a nice, bright, hearty yet light salad. I especially like the use of shallots, as they're much milder than red onions. I would definitely make this one again.