Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad

I feel like I've been a little late to the kale bandwagon, party, bruhaha, whatever you want to call it. The benefits of this powerhouse veggie are hard to ignore, no matter if you're a veggie lover or not.

• Source of ALA (alpha-linoleic acid) which is actually a FAT...in a LEAF. But it's a GOOD fat.


• More iron per calorie than beef.


• More vitamin A than any other leafy green (206% recommended daily vitamin)


• More calcium per calorie than milk


• And according to Shape.com, "many of its top health-promoting compounds are rendered more effective when you eat the stuff in combination with another food. Pair kale with fats like avocado, olive oil, or even parmesan to make fat-soluble carotenoids more available to the body. And acid from lemon juice helps make kale's iron more bioavailable as well."

After reading that last part, I've decided that this recipe from Bon Appétit is pretty tough to beat in the good-for-you department. Add some protein by the way of some grilled chicken and it may just be the most healthy thing you can eat on the planet.

Oh, and it's actually really delicious too!

~Leah

Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad

Recipe Type: Salad

Author: Leah (from Bon Apetit)

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 2 mins

Total time: 17 mins

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice


• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard


• 1 Tbsp minced shallot


• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated


• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning


• Freshly ground black pepper


• 2 large bunches of Tuscan kale (about 1 1/2 pounds total), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced


• 12 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely grated or shredded in food processor or with a knife OR bag of shredded brussels sprouts (usually around 10 oz)


• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided


• 1/3 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped


• 1 cup finely grated Pecorino

Instructions

1. Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl. Stir to blend; set aside to let flavors meld. Mix thinly sliced kale and shredded brussels sprouts in a large bowl.


2. Measure 1/2 cup oil into a cup. Spoon 1 tablespoon oil from cup into a small skillet; heat oil over medium-high heat. Add almonds to skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts to a paper towel–lined plate. Sprinkle almonds lightly with salt.


3. Slowly whisk remaining olive oil in cup into lemon-juice mixture. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.


4. Add dressing and cheese to kale mixture; toss to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Garnish with almonds.

Notes

Dressing, kale mixture, and toasted almonds can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover dressing and kale mixture separately and chill. Cover almonds and let stand at room temperature.[br][br]FYI, Kale is so hearty that this is one of the very few salads that the leftovers can be saved and aren't a gross mushfest the next day...or two! Bonus![br][br]Shape.com also mentions that "According to the Environmental Working Group, kale is one of the most likely crops to have residual pesticides. The organization recommends choosing organic kale (or growing it yourself!)."

3.2.1275

 

 

Guacamole Salad

I did not like avocado until I was in my 20s. Which, if you know me today, seems insane since I eat at least 3-4 a week. I think I had had some once or twice when I was little and didn't like it and proceeded to never try it again -- well, not NEVER obviously, but not for a very very long time. Even when I'd be at some great Mexican joint with girlfriends sipping (mutiple-ish) margaritas and there was what was purported to be unbelievable guacamole, I would say, "I don't like avocado" and I'd be met with that wide-eyed, open-mouthed gape every. single. time.

It wasn't until my boyfriend of five years and I went on our first vacation together to Mexico in 2000 (where he became my fiancé and the rest is history) that I even gave avocado/guacamole a shot. It was out of sheer desperation. We had gone on one of those ATV tours through the jungle and on the ocean and there was a rest stop with refreshments and snacks. I was really hungry (hanging on to the waist of your man trying to hold on and not get flung into the jungle to live with the monkeys while he's zipping around and he's 6' and you're 5'1" is hard work!). The only "snacks" that were there were actually "snack"...some chips that were topped with some fresh guacamole. I was so annoyed! But hunger gave in and I thought, I'll just try one. ..... Not three seconds later I was debating which would be worse: Shoving my face onto the platter a la Randy in "A Christmas Story" or dumping them all down my shirt and taking off on the ATV.

And so the love affair began.
With my husband too. ;)

I watched Rachel Ray make this on "30 Minute Meals" years ago and thought "I've gotta try that!" (being a new avocado worshipper and all) and I've never stopped making it. It is so delicious and I love that I can have "guacamole" without the chips sometimes!

~Leah

Guacamole Salad

Recipe Type: Salad

Author: Leah (from Rachel Ray)

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 medium avocados, pitted and sliced


• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped


• 1/2 English (seedless) cucumber, chopped


• 1/2 red onion, sliced


• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped


• 3 Tbsp lemon juice


• 1 small clove garlic, chopped


• A few drops hot sauce


• 1 teaspoon salt


• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Arrange vegetables on platter. Mix lemon and garlic, hot sauce and salt. Stream in extra-virgin olive oil while whisking dressing. Pour lemon dressing over the salad and serve.

3.2.1255

 

Strawberry Spinach Salad

I love salads. LOVE them. In fact, one of my favorite things to order at Portillo's (if you do not live in Illinois, Arizona, Indiana, or California, I am so, SO sorry that you may not have any idea what Portillo's is -- and if you plan to visit Chicago, plan on stopping there) is their chopped salad (minus the pasta). This is saying something as it's on the menu alongside one of the best burgers that exists, cheese fries, Chicago-style hot dogs and the like. But being someone who pretty much always watches carbs, (I even watch them as they go into my mouth when I just MUST have that one cookie...or the peanut butter m&m's at the movies...or the cold, dried out, half of the soft pretzel that my daughter didn't finish at the pool) I like that I can have a really really tasty, filling, not-feeling-deprived-at-all salad while the rest of my family gorges on their beef and cheddar croissants, burgers, and onion rings (bastards).

This salad has been tops on my list for YEARS. Bear with me as you read through the ingredients as it's one of those recipes that has evolved with me over the past decade. I started out making it exactly as I had found it on allrecipes in all of it's obnoxiously sweet glory and have modified it a little bit every time I've made it. I now replace the sugar with splenda or stevia and added feta cheese somewhere along the way. I've always meant to try grilling some chicken to put on top but haven't gotten there yet -- let me know if you do!

~Leah

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Recipe Type: Salad

Author: Leah (adapted from allrecipes)

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp sesame seeds


• 1 Tbsp poppy seeds


• 1/4 cup splenda or stevia (or white sugar)


• 1/2 cup olive oil


• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (or distilled white vinegar)


• 1/4 tsp paprika


• 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce


• 1 Tbsp minced onion


• 10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces


• 1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced


• 1/4 cup candied pecans, walnuts, almonds (you may toast them if you'd like), or any favorite nut toasted or candied


• 1/4 cup feta cheese

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, splenda or stevia (or sugar), olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for one hour.


2. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, almonds, and cheese. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

3.2.1251

 

 

Garden Pasta Salad

HOT this week. Icky, humid hotness. The kind of hot that makes me want to bar the doors and pretend "outside" doesn't exist for awhile. Try telling that to a 20 month old.

If you know me, you know I don't do hot well. Even making our way to the pool is challenging this week. Is it bad that I'm crabby 5 minutes into the mission?

Picture me laden like a pack mule and herding three arguing children across steaming, black asphalt. Oh, and we're hurrying too. For some unknown reason, there are exactly 6 chairs in the shade for the 8,000 people who will show up on hot summer days. If you aren't first in line when the pool opens, you're frying all afternoon. After everyone is slathered with sun screen and goggles are adjusted, I have about 9 (sweaty) minutes of peace until they wander back wondering what I brought to eat.

And the cycle continues for about 5 hours...until we have to go home cause we ran out of snacks.

Needless to say, I don't feel like cooking when we get home. So ideally I have something like this already prepped in the fridge. It's light and refreshing, not to mention delicious. AND has enough vegetables to cancel out the "fruit snack frenzy" of 3:00 that afternoon. Don't be afraid of the mayo...the yogurt totally cuts the heaviness of it. Black olives will work in a pinch, but the kalamata ones are so worth the extra cost. The veggies in the recipe are a place to start. I often use whatever I have on hand.

Enjoy. And stay cool.

~Erin

Garden Pasta Salad

Author: Erin (adapted from eatingwell.com)

Prep time: 15 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Dressing


• 1/3 c. mayonnaise


• 1/3 c. plain yogurt


• 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil


• 1 T. red-wine vinegar, or lemon juice


• 1 clove garlic, minced


• 1/8 tsp. salt


• Ground pepper, to taste


• Salad


• 2 c. cooked rotini noodles


• 1 c. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved


• 1 c. diced (any color) bell pepper


• 1 c. grated carrots


• 1/2 c. chopped scallions


• 1/2 c. chopped kalamata olives


• 1/3 c. slivered fresh basil

Instructions

1. Whisk together dressing ingredients.


2. Toss cooked pasta, vegetables, and dressing together.


3. Serve, or cover and refrigerate.

3.2.1251

 

Thai Quinoa Chicken

I'm fairly new to the quinoa world and when I came across this recipe on Pinterest from How Sweet It Is, I knew I would have to try it. The list of ingredients just sounded so flavorful and delicious that I figured it would be really tasty for a "healthy dish." Don't get me wrong, I know there are plenty of good-for-you dishes that are super yummy, but I've also experienced my share of bland misses. This one was far from a miss! It was sooooo good! My hubby and I couldn't get enough! He kept saying, "This is so good. Man, this is good. You need to make this again!" And I have! It's a little heavy on the cilantro which is a major plus in my book, but if you only somewhat like cilantro or just tolerate it (like my guy), you may want to cut it back a little bit.

~Leah

 

Thai Quinoa Chicken

Recipe Type: Dinner or side

Author: Leah (from How Sweet It Is)

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed


• 1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded


• 1/3 cup chopped carrots


• 1/3 cup shelled edamame


• 1/3 cup chopped green onions


• 1/4 cup chopped peanuts


• 1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro


• 1 cup chicken broth (optional)


• Sauce


• 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce


• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar


• 1 tablespoon canned coconut milk


• 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar


• 1 teaspoon creamy peanut butter (it mixes in easier if it's melted)


• 1 garlic clove


• 1/2 lime, juice


• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions

1. Prepare quinoa according to directions. This is where the optional chicken broth comes in. You can use water but I prefer to use the broth.


2. While quinoa is cooking, combine all of the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and whisk well to combine.


3. Once quinoa has absorbed all of the liquid, stir in the sauce and toss well to coat.


4. Add in chicken, carrots, edamame and green onions, stirring to combine. Taste and season with a little salt and pepper if needed. Toss in half of the peanuts and cilantro, then serve in a large bowl, topped with remaining peanuts and cilantro.

3.2.1230

 

Spinach Gratin

In my mind, some dishes are definitely "special occasion" dishes. All sorts of factors can make a dish qualify under such category, but I would say the two main ones in my mind are that it's either A. difficult or time-consuming to prepare or B. is so:

• rich


• decadent


• sweet


• buttery


• fatty


• bad for you


• all of the above

 

that I can only allow myself to make it on a special occasion or I'd weigh  5,000 pounds and need to get an angioplasty bi-weekly.

This definitely falls under "special occasion" cooking...not for the difficulty (it's actually quite easy) but for the pure, decadent, moan-inducing richness it embodies.

Did I just say moan-inducing? About spinach?

I did. And I mean it.

You will seriously get asked for this recipe and/or to bring it to special dinners. And DO NOT shy away from it if you don't like creamed spinach. I am one of those odd people that prefer spinach WITHOUT the cream and such and like it very simply dressed with just a bit of butter and salt (maybe a little garlic). But this dish...I could eat the whole pan (and then have to go for that angioplasty).
~Leah

(Note: this calls for buying frozen spinach, but then using it THAWED so give yourself time)

Spinach Gratin

Recipe Type: Side

Author: Leah (adapted from Barefoot Contessa)

Prep time: 35 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 55 mins

Serves: 8

Creamy on the inside, browned cheesy and melty on the outside, decadent spinach dish.

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter (1/2 stick)


• 2 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions


• 1/4 cup flour


• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg


• 1 cup heavy cream


• 2 cups milk


• About 3 pounds frozen, chopped spinach, defrosted (5 10-oz packages)


• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese


• 1 Tbsp. kosher salt


• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper


• 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese (you can usually find it already grated at larger grocery stores)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.


2. Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed saute pan (needs to be large enough to eventually fit all of your ingredients in) over medium heat.


3. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the flour and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add the cream and milk and cook until thickened.


4. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach and add the spinach to the sauce. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.


5. Spray a baking dish with some nonstick spray. Transfer the mixture to the dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and the Gruyere on top. Bake for 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Notes

You can make this dish a few days ahead of time and then just bake it when you're ready to serve. Adjust the baking time if it's cold, though or get it to room temperature before baking.

3.2.1230

 

Garlic Sesame Spinach

So I have a feeling "Garlic Sesame Spinach" won't necessarily be THE most exciting or reader-drawing blog post we have this year. However, even though its not made of chocolate or made in a crock pot- it just might sneak up on you and become a regular visitor to your weekly menu. If you're like me, most weeks you focus your time planning your main course for dinner and then fill in sides around it. Some are obvious... garlic bread with spaghetti (which by the way I just found a FANTASTIC garlic bread recipe- stay tuned!) or potatoes & carrots with a roast, but not always. Many times at my house sides are just an afterthought, something I figure out that day. So I thought I'd throw a reliable, easy one out there. I usually find spinach to be another one of those polarizing foods, people either seem to love or hate. The "spinach flavor" in this recipe though is mild and out-shined by the garlic and sesame oil. So even if you don't normally like it, give it a try. Maybe you'll change your mind!?!?

I found a version of this recipe in the Food Network Magazine a few years ago. Most of the ingredients you may already have on hand. If by chance you don't keep sesame seeds in your pantry, definitely go buy some. After they're toasted they make great additions to any salad, Asian-inspired meal, or bread. Another fun tip- sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds around the edge of any homemade (or Pillsbury made if you're me) pizza crust, so good! And I'm sorry but I have to make a 10 second plug for sesame oil. I LOVE it...LOVE it...LOVE it. Love the smell, love the flavor, use it in coleslaw, salad, stir fry, to cook chicken breasts in... and it has a strong flavor, so one bottle will last a looooong time. It adds a great flavor to this spinach.

So if you have an open slot for a side on next week's menu, give this one a try!

~Wendy

Garlic Sesame Spinach

Author: Wendy

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 8 mins

Total time: 13 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 10 c. fresh spinach leaves


• 5-6 garlic cloves, chopped


• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil


• 1/4 tsp salt


• 1 Tbsp sesame oil


• 1-2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.


2. Add the vegetable oil and garlic. Cook until the garlic is golden- watch carefully as garlic can burn quickly.


3. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the spinach leaves, cook until wilted. Be sure to stir the spinach to insure it all wilts evenly, this should only take a minute or two.


4. Remove from heat and add the salt.


5. Transfer the spinach to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds and drizzle with the sesame oil.

3.2.1226

 

 

Chipotle Chicken Chopped Salad

It was a drizzly 50 degrees here in Chicago today. For February this is heaven sent....even more so if you have children positively climbing the walls by this time of year. Before I knew it this afternoon, our garage appeared to have hurled every child oriented object out onto the driveway. Of course reuniting with these items entertains them for approximately 5 minutes. Then it's time to take the show on the road...or around the cul de sac in our case.



Today's stroll was special. My little guy just recently flipped the switch in terms of transportation. In otherwords, crawling is out. A stiff-legged, dead-armed stagger is definitely in. And I'll mark this day down as his first "walk." He's mastered the smooth terrain of the wood floors in our house, so the sidewalk was a new adventure all together. He actually stopped at the first few cracks, put his hands down, and lifted his legs over them one at a time. It was about as cute as cute gets, with him all zipped up in his little Hanna Andersson Teletubbie outerwear. Oh it's the little things!

So now onto salad! When you are SO ready for spring, is it possible to be "over" that cold weather need for comfort food? I made this salad (a family favorite) pretty recently on freezing cold January day. Maybe I was just longing for warmth and dinners by daylight on the patio, but it just sounded so good. I was not disappointed. I hope you'll find it a little something to tide you over too.

~Erin

 

 

Chipotle Chicken Chopped Salad

Author: Erin (adapted from Cooking Light)

Prep time: 15 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Dressing


• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro


• 2/3 cup light sour cream


• 1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce


• 1 teaspoon ground cumin


• 1 teaspoon chili powder


• 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice


• 1/4 teaspoon salt


• Salad


• 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce


• 2 cups cooked chicken breasts (about 2 breasts), chopped


• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved


• 1/2 cup diced avocado


• 1/3 cup sliced red onion


• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained


• 1 can whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained


• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (my addition...I prefer cheddar)

Instructions

1. Mix together dressing ingredients well.


2. Toss dressing with salad ingredients in a large bowl.


3. Serve immediately.

Notes

You'll most likely find chipotle chile in adobo sauce in the International aisle at the grocery store. The only brand I have found comes in a (relatively) small can. Thank goodness, because you never need a lot for most recipes I've used them in. For a spicier salad dressing, add a teaspoon of the adobo sauce in addition to the minced chile.

3.2.1226

 

Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

I know there is a love/hate thing goin' on with Brussels sprouts. I even admit that they don't look hugely appetizing in our picture (I have since figured out that the The Food Network's photographers are big, fat cheaters when it comes to taking pictures. My Brussels sprouts were the pretty green like in their pic just after the blanching part. After I looked at the photos of my greyish looking, peeling a little bit sprouts, I even debated blanching new ones and just taking photos of those so MY Brussels sprouts could be a pretty bright green too. But  truth in advertising won out.) Anyway. I happen to be someone who loves them. So when I was watching an episode of Giada years ago and saw Brussels sprouts prepared with pancetta, I was all over it.

I'm assuming most of you know that pancetta is a form of bacon, but if you didn't...it is.  Another form of glorious bacon.  It's just not smoked. You can usually find it near your deli by all the fancy cheeses and meats or even at the deli itself. I love to make this dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas because I tell myself, "I'm providing a vegetable...a nice, healthy vegetable........[with 3 oz. of pancetta per lb. of nice, healthy vegetable...but all that healthy stuff cancels out the pork fat, right?]."

If you care enough about the Brussels sprout to try to turn your kids (or your spouse) onto it or are willing to give it another chance yourself, I highly recommend giving this a shot.
~Leah 

Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

Recipe Type: Side dish, vegetable

Author: Leah (adapted from Giada De Laurentiis)

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed


• 2 Tbsp. olive oil


• 3 oz. paper-thin slices pancetta, coarsely chopped


• 2 garlic cloves, minced


• freshly ground black pepper


• 3/4 cup low-salt chicken broth (LOW-SALT– I made the mistake once of just using regular because it was what I had. BIG mistake. The pancetta is salty!)

Instructions

1. Partially cook the Brussels sprouts in a large pot of boiling salted water, about 4 minutes and drain.


2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until it is starting to crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts to the same skillet and saute until heated through and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Season with pepper, to taste. Add the broth and simmer until the broth reduces just enough to coat the Brussels sprouts, about 5-10 minutes. Serve.

Notes

My times (except for the 4 mins for blanching) are a little longer than Giada's original recipe. I like to get the pancetta as crispy as I can get it and I prefer my brussels sprouts to be REALLY browned. So, you can go longer or shorter than the times I gave to get them to your own preference.

3.1.09