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Mediterranean Vegetable Salad

June 14, 2012 in salad

Last week I realized that our air conditioner wasn’t working. It took me almost a month to realize this. And then another week to accept the fact that I had to call our housing office and whine. I had many conversations with myself that went “Well, 88 degrees isn’t that hot” and “I guess I can go without turning the oven on and drying clothes…”

Well I finally broke this past weekend. I completely flipped out because I WAS SWEATING WHILE WEARING A DRESS AND SITTING ON MY BUTT. And, of course, since it was the weekend the housing office was closed.

Monday I got ahold of them and the guy came out to look at it. He called me out to the backyard where this super clear exchange took place:

Him: “Look at this.” *points to block of ice in the a/c*
Me: “Mmmkay.”
Him: “You need to change the filter every 30 days.”
Me: “But you keep it locked.”
Him: “We change it for you.”
Me: “But… you didn’t…?”
Him: “Yeah, you need to change it every 30 days.”
Me: “?!?!?!?!”
Him: “I’ll be back later.”

And then he never came back.

The good news is that the a/c is now working. The bad news is it’s looking like we’ll be going through this exact scenario next summer since I’m still not clear who the heck is supposed to change the filter.

I made this salad that day because the air had to be completely turned off and I didn’t want to heat up the kitchen. This fit the bill and was super refreshing. I don’t love fresh tomatoes, cucumbers make me gag, and mint makes me want to brush my teeth but if you cover everything in lemon juice and throw in some feta, I apparently love all of it! I just finished up the leftovers yesterday and I’m pretty sad about it. I see myself making this again and again through the summer.

(My anxiety over calling housing is not limited to a/c issues – earlier this year I went 3 months without light in my kitchen.)

One year ago: Slow Cooked Oatmeal
Two years ago: Pasta & Thyme Frittata

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Mediterranean Vegetable Salad

Ingredients

1½ cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
½ teaspoon salt
10 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1 hothouse cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and ½-inch diced
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
⅓ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
⅓ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbs minced garlic
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup olive oil
5 ounces feta cheese (broken into chunks if necessary)

Instructions

  1. Place the quartered tomatoes in a mesh strainer and gently toss with ½ teaspoon of salt. Allow to drain 20-30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic 1½ teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in the oil.
  3. Spin the tomatoes in a salad spinner several times to remove seeds and moisture. (or rinse and drain well). Toss the tomatoes with the scallions, cucumber, chickpeas, parsley, mint, and basil in a large bowl. Give the dressing one more whisk before pouring over salad. Toss gently to coat. Add the feta and toss gently. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve cold or at room temperature.
http://fakeginger.com/2012/06/14/mediterranean-vegetable-salad/

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Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad

July 4, 2011 in salad

If yesterday’s post was last minute 4th of July ideas, here’s a last last minute idea.

My boys bought their daddy a grill for Father’s Day and he’s been obsessed with it ever since. He’s so serious about it that he’s been going to the grocery store by himself to pick out what he wants to grill. It’s been the usual for the most part (burgers, sausage, chicken) but one day he shocked me with some corn. It was so delicious right off the grill and I knew immediately that I wanted to make this salad with it.

The sweet corn with the tart lime dressing is such a weird combination but so good! And anything with avocado is good in my book! Husband doesn’t like avocado or cilantro but even he liked this. I’m definitely making this again the next time we have some extra grilled corn.

I do recommend using cherry tomatoes. I used the larger grape tomatoes and I felt like they were too big compared to the rest of the ingredients. If you love tomatoes (I don’t) you might not have an issue with it though.

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Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad

Ingredients

2 ears of fresh sweet corn
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 ripe avocado, diced
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Remove husks from corn and grill over medium heat for 10 minutes. The corn should have some brown spots and be tender and not mushy. Let cool slightly before cutting the corn off the cob. Add tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro.
  2. To make the dressing, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, honey, garlic, and salt and pepper. Pour over the corn mixture and gently toss to combine. Refrigerate for at least 10 - 15 minutes before
http://fakeginger.com/2011/07/04/grilled-corn-and-avocado-salad/

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Pina Colada Fruit Salad

July 2, 2011 in salad

So I mentioned we were moving and then disappeared for a month. Totally not my intention but if there’s one thing I’ve learned with the Army, it’s to never expect anything to happen when they say it will happen. Anyway, we’re finally settled, finally have internet set up, and finally replaced the laptop cord that a certain rodent made a midnight snack.

We moved from a very hot, wet area on the Gulf of Mexico to the dry, it’s-101-degrees-outside-but-feels-like-80 Colorado. Seriously, we’ve been here a month and I’ve yet to break a sweat. It’s the weirdest thing ever. However, the sun is ridiculous. It’s, like, right there. You walk outside for 5 minutes and your skin smells like you just spent 20 minutes in a tanning bed. You pretty much have to wake up with a bottle of water in your hand and then fall asleep with one in your hand or else you’re dehydrated beyond belief. I’m hoping it’s just something we have to adjust to but in an effort to hydrate in more exciting ways, I made this fruit salad.

It turned out fantastic and everyone in my house loved it! I think next time I make it, I’ll throw in some banana slices, shredded coconut, and maybe some mandarin oranges. It was delicious as is but if you can get away with more fruit, why not!

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Pina Colada Fruit Salad

adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients

1½ cups grapes (red, green, or a mix)
1½ cups fresh blueberries
1½ cups fresh strawberries, sliced
1 can (8 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained
1 can (10 ounces) frozen non-alcoholic pina colada mix, thawed
⅓ cup sugar
⅓ cup pineapple-orange-banana juice (Dole makes one.)
⅛ teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

  1. In a serving bowl, combine all of the fruit. In a small bowl, whisk the pina colada mix, sugar, juice and extract until sugar is dissolved. Pour over fruit; toss to coat. Chill until serving.
http://fakeginger.com/2011/07/02/pina-colada-fruit-salad/

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Tofu Taco Salad

November 5, 2010 in Meatless, salad

How obvious is it that I’m not feeling the sweet stuff lately? I haven’t been in the mood to bake or taste sweets which is why you guys have been seeing lots of “real” food. Boo! Today I’m making a bunch of cupcakes so I promise we’ll get back to our regular scheduled programming very soon. PLUS I’ve got something really fun coming up next week. Trust me, you’ll want to be here for that.

Anyway.

I’ve been trying to make more salads lately which is hard because my 3 year old won’t eat them. In an effort to make them more fun for him, I made this guy which has tofu, black beans, tortilla chips, and cheese – all things he loves. Did he eat it? Nope. The rest of us loved it though!

My word of advice? Don’t try the vinaigrette before you dress the salad. It’s way too spicy on it’s own but it’s so delicious once you actually toss it in the salad. Also, add avocado. I forgot to buy one but it would be so perfect in this!

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Tofu Taco Salad

adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup chopped seeded tomato
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove, peeled
Salad:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 pound tofu, pressed and cubed
8 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
1 cup chopped tomato
1 small red onion, diced
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
tortilla chips, for serving

Instructions

  1. To make vinaigrette, combine all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth. Set aside.
  2. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat; add tofu and stir-fry until brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and allow to cool.
  3. Once tofu is cool, combine all salad ingredients except the tortilla chips. Right before serving, toss in vinaigrette. Serve with tortilla chips (they were great crumbled over the top like croutons!).
http://fakeginger.com/2010/11/05/tofu-taco-salad/

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Broccoli Salad

April 6, 2010 in salad, sides

My apologies if the words “broccoli salad” bring back bad memories of the school cafeteria. I know all the cold veggie salads do that to me but I’ve been thinking about this salad for a few weeks now. I finally had a good reason to make it on Easter when I realized we were seriously lacking in the veggie department (yes, veggies coated in mayo are still veggies). I really thought I would be the only one eating this with, you know, people taking a little too be polite. No such thing. The men especially tore. it. up. There wasn’t a sunflower seed left when dinner was over. Talk about being shocked!

This recipe is apparently one that everyone has. I asked my mom if she had it and she managed to find it in 3 different places within about 2 minutes so you’ve probably got it in a cookbook somewhere, but I’m posting it anyway. Don’t be scared to try it, it’s pretty much a coleslaw with broccoli. The raisins add just the right amount of sweetness and this is coming from someone who thinks raisins taste like a tire. I truly love everything about this salad.

Broccoli Salad

10 slices bacon
1 head fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sunflower seeds

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the broccoli, onion and raisins. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar and mayonnaise. Pour over broccoli mixture, and toss until well mixed. Refrigerate for at least two hours.

Before serving, toss salad with crumbled bacon and sunflower seeds.

One year ago: Chocolate- Chocolate Chunk Muffins

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