Ingredients:
3-4 whole beets, (I used candycane beets),
1 iceberg lettuce,
1 cup grape tomatoes,
1 seedless cucumber,
greeen onion, sliced,
purple onion, chopped,
fresh parsley, chopped,
your favorite dressing
Recipe:
Ingredients:
4 large ripe beefstake tomatoes,
2-3 balls of fresh buffalo mozzarella, (formaggio di bufala)
4 tablespoons pasto sauce,
sea salt to taste,
some leaf lettuce for decoration,
freshly ground black pepper to taste,
fresh parsley sprig or basil for decoration.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 can mixed beans,
1/4 cup chopped purple onion,
1 roasted red pepper,
1 cup diced cucumber,
3 diced tomatoes,
1/4 cup sliced celery,
4 oz. cheese curds,
extra virgin olive oil to taste,
lemon juice to taste,
salt and pepper to taste,
chopped fresh parsley (optional).
Recipe:
1. Open the can of mixed beans, pour the beans in a colander, rinse off the original liquid and let it drain properly.
2. Put all the vegetables in a mixing bowl and season to taste with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
3. Cover the bowl and leave it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes in order to cool and blend flavors.
4. Serve the mixed beans salad in salad bowls with the cheese on top.
Cooking tip: It’s much better if you roast a fresh red pepper for this salad as opposed to using one from a jar. Simply bake the pepper in the oven until the skin gets color and starts falling off, then put the pepper in a plastic bag for 10 minutes so you can peel it easily, then cut and use in the salad. Cheers.
Ingredients:
1 lb. orzo pasta,
1 romaine lettuce heart,
1/4 cup chopped purple onion,
3 ripe tomatoes, diced,
10 green olives, pitted and sliced,
1/4 cup sunflower oil or light olive oil,
1/2 cucumber, diced,
1/2 lemon, juiced,
2 tablespoons light mayo,
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled,
salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe:
1. Boil the orzo pasta according to package instructions, strain it, spread it thinly in a hotel pan or a tray and mix it with the oil. Let it cool down and then refridgerate for at least 30 minutes for the orzo to get cold. The oil serves two purposes – it’s part of the dressing, and it prevents the orzo from sticking together.
2. Cut the other ingredients and mix everything together with the cold orzo.
I love the texture of the orzo pasta salad compared to say penne, macaroni or fusilli pasta salad. It’s also more compact and presentable.
Cooking tip: You can give the orzo pasta some extra flavor by putting a few cubes of vegetable stock in the boiling water.
Ingredients:
2 cups quinoa,
2 1/4 cups of water,
2 tbsp. EV olive oil,
2 garlic cloves, chopped,
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped,
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper,
1/4 cup chopped celery,
1 cup chopped broccoli,
2 cups diced tomato,
1/4 cup chopped red onion,
1/2 lemon, juiced,
4 tablespoons sunflower oil,
salt and pepper to taste,
200 grams feta cheese.
Recipe:
1. Pour the EV olive oil in a heavy saucepan and saute the garlic, yellow onion and bell pepper for 5 minutes.
2. Add the quinoa, stir it in and immediately add the water. Cover the saucepan with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. It is even better if you cover the saucepan with aluminum foil first and then put the lid. Cook the quinoa for about 15 minutes or until ready. You can open the lid and check, but don’t do it often.
3. When the quinoa is ready spread it on a baking tray and let it cool down. When all the steam is gone stir it gently and put the tray in the fridge until the quinoa cools down completely.
4. In the meantime, cut the rest of the vegetables if you haven’t already done so.
5. Mix all the quinoa salad ingredients in a bowl and serve in 6 bowls. Crumble the feta cheese on top of the quinoa salads.
I cook my quinoa the same way I cook rice pilaf. If you would like to use the quinoa as a side dish you can replace the water in the recipe with chicken stock or vegetable stock. Even a spoon of butter wouldn’t be a bad idea if the quinoa is to be used as a side dish.
Ingredients:
Steamed, shelled edamame beans,
diced tomatoes,
chopped romaine lettuce,
diced red bell peppers,
baked chicken breast,
salad noodles
For the dressing:
fresh chopped cilantro,
fresh chopped scallions,
ketchup,
ginger powder,
sugar,
salt,
chili flakes,
white vinegar,
freshly toasted sesame seeds
Recipe: For this Thai Chicken Salad recipe, I am intentionally not giving any measurements, just the ingredients, because everything can be used to taste. Just season the chicken breasts lightly and bake them in the oven until the enternal temperature reaches 170 F. In the meantime, steam the edamame beans, and then cool them down under cold running water.
1. Mix all the dressing ingredients together to taste. Dip a peace of lettuce and taste the dressing before leaving it to the side for at least 10 minutes in order to properly blend flavors.
2. Let the chicken breasts cool down and then dice them.
3. Put all the salad ingredients in a bowl and add the dressing.
4. Mix well and serve with the salad noodles on top.
Enjoy.