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Mozzarella, Tomato, Avocado Salad

June 4, 2013 in salad

As I told you last week, my husband is gone for awhile and as I’ve also told you guys, I’m not one of those wives who mind him being gone a couple weeks at a time. I’m okay being alone. There are, however, a few things that I do need him around for. Like, putting gas in my car. I’m 100% sure my gas light will be on until the day he comes back and then I will fill it up on the way to the airport. Until then I will put 3 dollars in every time I leave the house because omg, there’s nothing more boring than standing at a gas pump. I also now have to buy my own ice. Ugh, I hate buying ice. They keep the little ice freezers locked on post and it makes me feel so guilty to make soldiers wait while the poor cashier has to walk outside to get me ice. I mean, do people really steal ice? Is there a huge need to lock it? Normally I pretend I don’t notice we’re out (and we always are because I’m anemic and annoying and go through 10 pounds every 2 days) and then I’ll send him a text when he’s out and about asking him to stop. He also buys wine when he stops for ice – so duh, it’s just better if he’s in charge of ice. And finally, I miss not having to fill the Keurig every time I want coffee or tea. He gets up before me for PT and instead of analyzing how many thousandths of an inch the strawberries in the window grew overnight while the Keurig starts up, he actually fills it. All the way, not just enough for one cup.

But I don’t really miss having to cook. We’re been having lots of eggs, waffles, sandwiches, anything that doesn’t require a whole lot of cooking. Good thing I stocked up on some good recipes before he left, huh?

He’s never really been a big avocado fan (except for this avocado feta salsa that I make all the time) but a few months ago we went out for lunch and he ordered avocado on his burger. I took that to mean I could start making things that include avocados. He totally loved this salad! It’s so simple and so fresh – how could you not love it?

One year ago: Chocolate Cream-Filled Cake
Five years ago: Savory Corn and Pepper Muffins

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Mozzarella, Tomato, Avocado Salad

Ingredients

1 container cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 (8 ounce) carton fresh mozzarella cheese pearls, drained
1/3 cup basil, julienned
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
1 avocado, peeled and diced

Instructions

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, drained mozzarella,basil, and parsley.
  2. In a separate small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour over tomato mixture and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate.
  3. About 30 minutes before serving, add avocado and toss everything together.
  4. Use a slotted spoon to serve.
http://fakeginger.com/2013/06/04/mozzarella-tomato-avocado-salad/

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Southwestern Cornbread Salad

May 27, 2013 in salad

I’m hoping you’re visiting today because you’re in desperate need for something to wow your family/friends/boss at your Memorial Day barbecue. If that’s the case, I have just the thing!

Also, I won’t tell anyone that you waited until the last minute.

Cornbread salad is perfection. I mean what is better than a salad with crumbled cornbread? Especially if it’s Jiffy cornbread. I was lucky any cornbread actually made it into this salad – I’m pretty sure I ate half of it when I was supposed to be crumbling it. Whoops. But anyway, this recipe is a southwestern twist on the classic cornbread salad. It’s got corn and black beans, along with your typical salad ingredients. The dressing is loaded with chili powder and cilantro. It’s just good.

I know you’re going to look at the ingredients and think “Eww, 2 cups of mayo for the dressing?!” And I was so with you. I tasted the dressing right after I mixed it up and was irrationally angry that I had wasted (half of the) Jiffy cornbread on this salad that was going to be disgusting because of all the mayo. But after it sat in the fridge for awhile, the mayo-ness of it faded to the background and the chili powder really came through. It ended up being perfect! If you’re opposed to the mayo, sour cream may be a good substitution though.

One year ago: Memorial Day Ideas
Two years ago: Cosmic Brownies
Four years ago: Avocado Feta Salsa
Five years ago: Pecan Honey Sticky Buns

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Southwestern Cornbread Salad

Ingredients

1 (6-8 ounce) package cornbread mix, cooked according to package instructions and cooled
2 cups mayonnaise
3 teaspoons Mexican chili powder or mild chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro, optional
1/2 head torn iceberg lettuce or 2 heads Romaine lettuce chopped
1 (14-ounce) can yellow corn, drained
1 (14-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
6 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2-3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Crumble cornbread into fine crumbs; set aside.
  2. Whisk the mayonnaise, chili powder, salt, and chopped cilantro together.
  3. In a 4-quart glass bowl or trifle dish, place half of the lettuce, then sprinkle with half of the cornbread crumbs. Spread half of the mayonnaise mixture on the cornbread layer. Layer half each of the corn, black beans, tomatoes, onions, and cheese. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
http://fakeginger.com/2013/05/27/southwestern-cornbread-salad/

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Grape Salad

May 21, 2013 in salad

Don’t let the name of this fool you, it’s definitely not healthy! But man, is it good!

I made this strawberry pretzel salad last week and my 3 year old kept asking me why it was red. After telling him over and over again that it was because it had strawberries in it, he told me that he wanted a purple one. With grapes. And grape jello.

And while I couldn’t stomach anymore jello (I hate the stuff!) I did find this recipe and I knew everyone would love it. It’s basically just grapes tossed in a “dressing” of cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar.  Then it’s topped with brown sugar and pecans. How can it be anything but delicious?

It would be perfect for all those outdoor get-togethers that we’ll all be heading to in the coming months!

One year ago: Fluffy Pancakes
Two years ago: Caramel Pecan Monkey Bread
Three years ago: Baked Hushpuppies
Five years ago: Chicken Piccata

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Grape Salad

Ingredients

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 pounds seedless red grapes
2 pounds seedless green grapes
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons chopped pecans

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla until well combined.
  2. Add grapes and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  3. Before serving, sprinkle with brown sugar and chopped pecans.
http://fakeginger.com/2013/05/21/grape-salad/

 

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Marinated Cauliflower Salad

July 18, 2012 in veggie

I’m sure I’ve told you guys many times that I prefer veggies to fruit. I eat a lot of veggies but the problem is that I don’t eat a huge variety of them. I buy huge bags of spinach, carrots, and frozen broccoli each week because I know those will never go to waste but I very rarely buy anything else. I just never know what to do with most veggies so I’ll buy squash, for example, and then it will sit in my fridge for 2 weeks before I finally toss it.

Well I’m trying to change my ways. I bought some cauliflower and made this Marinated Cauliflower Salad thinking that it would be nice to have a cold salad ready to go in the fridge. That way I could throw it on top of some spinach or make it a side dish for dinner without having to fuss with it. And it was perfect for that! I even tossed a couple spoonfuls of it into an omelet one day when I was too lazy to defrost broccoli – it was delicious!

This would be perfect to take to a cookout as a healthier alternative to potato or pasta salad!

One year ago: Baked French Toast with Pralines

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Marinated Cauliflower Salad

about 4 servings

from Vegetarian Times

Ingredients

3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups bite-sized cauliflower florets
1 small red bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup Parmesan, grated
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, dijon mustard, garlic, and olive oil. Add cauliflower and toss to make sure all the cauliflower is coated. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, stirring once or twice.
  2. Toss in bell pepper, parsley, and Parmesan; stir together. Taste and add salt & pepper to taste.
http://fakeginger.com/2012/07/18/marinated-cauliflower-salad/

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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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