SALMON, AVOCADO, WATERCRESS AND PUMPKIN SEED SALAD By Nigella

Serves: 2, generously

FOR THE SALMON

  • 2 Alaskan, organic or ASC-certified Scottish salmon fillets
  • 2 spring onions (trimmed)
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 2½ teaspoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons Maldon sea salt flakes

FOR THE SALAD

  • 3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
  • 100 grams watercress
  • 1 teaspoon organic cloudy apple cider vinegar
  • 1 small ripe avocado
  • 1 tablespoon cold-pressed rapeseed oil or extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes or to taste
  1. Put the salmon fillets in a small frying pan (I use one with a 20cm / 8in diameter) and cover with cold water from the tap. Add the whole spring onions and peppercorns, squeeze in the lime juice and sprinkle in the salt, then bring to the boil, uncovered. When the pan is bubbling, turn the fillets over, then remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand for 7 minutes. Then take the fillets out of the liquid and leave to cool completely, which could take up to 1 hour. Once cool, the salmon will be cooked through, with its flesh desirably tender and coral inside.
  2. While the salmon’s cooling, make a start on the salad. Toast the pumpkin seeds by tossing them in a dry, heavy-based frying pan on the hob. They will start jumping a little, and will darken and get a smokier taste. It doesn’t take long to toast them, so don’t leave the pan and, indeed, keep giving it a quick swirl. Then transfer to a cold plate.
  3. When you’re ready to unite salmon with salad, put the watercress into a large shallow bowl (or split between 2 bowls), sprinkle with the vinegar, and toss. Now add the salmon, removing the skin and tearing the fish into bite-sized pieces or shreddy bits, as you wish.
  4. Halve the avocado and remove the stone, then spoon the flesh out onto the salmon and watercress, or cut it into slices if you prefer. Drizzle the oil over the salad, sprinkle with the salt and half of the toasted pumpkin seeds, and toss gently to mix. Scatter the remaining pumpkin seeds on top, and eat.

farmhouse apple slaw from taste of home

  • 4 cups shredded cabbage
  • 1 large apple, chopped
  • 3/4 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • In a serving bowl, combine the cabbage, apple, raisins, celery and onion. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Test Kitchen tipsIf you’re in a rush, use prepared coleslaw mix.The apple and raisins add a natural sweetness, so there’s only a small amount of added sugar.

Cauliflower Broccoli Salad Recipe, terry

Easy and quick recipe for a cauliflower broccoli salad recipe with dried cranberries, cheddar cheese, red onion and a homemade dressing. 

3 c raw cauliflower small florets
3 c raw broccoli, small florets
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 cup mild cheddar, grated
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup dried cranberries
dressing:
1 c mayo
1/3 sugar
1/4 c white vinegar

cut broccoli and cauliflower into small florets finely chop onion
prepare dressing, combine may, sugar and vinegar
in a bowl add the broccoli, cauliflower, cheese, sunflower seeds, cranberries and red onion. Add dressing and combine well


Smashed Chickpea Salad

  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons pitted, halved and very thinly sliced black olives
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • Zest and juice from half a lemon (if you’ve got one of those sad, juiceless lemons, use both sides for juice)
  • Couple good pinches of salt
  • A few grinds of black pepper, and/or pinches of red pepper flakes
  • A few glugs of olive oil

Mix everything but the olive oil in a small-to-midsize bowl. Very lightly smash the chickpea mixture with the back of a fork or a potato masher. You’re not looking for a hummus-like puree but something closer to a coarse chop with a few smaller bits to hold it together. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, a glug or two of olive oil, mix it lightly and enjoy.

This is also awesome as a sandwich on toasted bread. Technically, it needs nothing else on it. But, if you want to doll it up, here are some ideas: A slice of roasted red pepper (‘wichcraft’s way), a slice of pickled garlicky red pepper (our way), and a few leaves of sharp greens, such as watercress or arugula. Or, as shown right above this recipe, on an open-faced slice of toast first schmeared with a tahini dressing. Make tahini dressing with a big spoonful of tahini, one minced garlic clove, a squeeze of lemon juice, and thinned with water to a loose but spreadable consistency. Season well with salt and pepper.

Three more delicious ingredients to add, if you have them: Harissa, mixed in, or dolloped on top. A small spoonful of minced, preserved lemon. A larger spoonful or two of olive tapenade, in place of the chopped olives.

broccoli slaw from smittenkitchen.com

2 heads of broccoli
1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds, toasted
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

Buttermilk Dressing
1/2 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
1/3 cup mayonnaise (this is more than is in the original, to thicken the dressing further)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot (or, you could just use a little extra red onion to simplify it)

Trim broccoli and cut it into large chunks. From here, you can either feed it through your food processor’s slicing blade, use a mandoline to cut it into thin slices, or simply had chop it into smaller pieces. I used the stem and the flowerets, but if you have a broccoli stem aversion you can just use the tops. (P.S. My favorite way to prep the stems is to peel them — the tough skin is why most people think they don’t like broccoli stems; the broccoli underneath is juicy and crisp — then use the mandoline or a knife to cut them into thin slices.)

Toss the sliced broccoli with the almonds, cranberries and red onion in a large bowl. Meanwhile, whisk the dressing ingredients in a smaller one, with a good pinch of salt and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the broccoli (if you’ve skipped the stems, you might not want it all; I otherwise found this to be the perfect amount) and toss it well. Season well with salt and pepper to taste.

Should keep up to a week in the fridge, if you don’t have any pregnant women nearby.

Variation: I bet this slaw would be equally good with cauliflower. I might use dried currants instead of cranberries, walnuts instead of almonds and maybe even some celery slices thrown in. Have fun with it.

 

Strawberry avocado pasta salad from walmart

12 oz. Rotini
2 cups packed baby spinach
1 lb. strawberries sliced or chopped
4 mandarin oranges peeled, segmented
2 Avocados chopped
1 pear chopped
1 4 oz. pkg. macadamia nuts

Poppy Seed Dressing
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
2 teaspoon dry minced onion
1 teaspoon dried mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

  1. Add all of the Poppy Seed Dressing Ingredients to a medium bowl or measuring cup and whisk together with a fork. Chill at least 30 minutes up to 24 hours.
  2. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente – don’t overcook! Rinse and drain pasta in cool water. Add pasta to a large serving bowl and toss with a little of the dressing to keep it from sticking together.
Serving immediately/within one hour
  1. Add all of the salad ingredients to the pasta. Add desired amount of chilled dressing and gently toss to combine. Serve immediately or chill one hour.
Serving later
  1. Add strawberries and Mandarin oranges to pasta and toss with half of the dressing, cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, add pears, avocados, spinach, macadamia nuts, and remaining dressing. Toss to combine. Serve immediately.

 

Mexican Street Corn Pasta salad from chelseasmessyapron.com

 

  • 2 cups miniature farfelle pasta uncooked
  • 3 cups either 2 (15-ounce) cans, or 3-4 corns on the cob)
  • 1 large avocado
  • 3 green onions
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro
    1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno
    1/2
    cup Cotija cheese (or queso fresco or feta — add cheese to preference (we like 1/2 cup)
    1/2 canned cup black beans
Dressing
  • 1/2 cup full fat regular mayo no substitutes
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice and 1/4 teaspoon lime zest
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha or hot sauce
  • Pinch of salt and ground black pepperGet

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Make sure the pasta is completely dry.

  • Corn: if using corn on the cob: Heat the grill to medium. Pull back the husks to the base and take off all the silk from each ear of corn. Fold back the husks into place.
  • Place the ears of corn in a large bowl of water with 1 tablespoon of salt for 10 minutes and then remove from water and shake to dry. Place the corn on the grill, cover the grill, and cook for 15-20 minutes turning the corn every 5 minutes.
  • You’ll know the corn is done when the kernels are tender and easily pierced with a fork.
  • Alternative #1: use pre-roasted canned corn — drain and allow to dry. Alternative #2: use regular canned corn: heat a large cast iron skillet on medium high heat for 3-4 minutes or until very hot. Drain corn and place in a single layer and cook for about 5 minutes stirring once in between or until browned. Avoid stirring too often as this will keep the corn from getting a good roast.
  • Meanwhile prep the veggies: chop the avocado into small pieces, chop the green onions, coarsely chop the cilantro, very finely chop the jalapeno, and cook then crumble the bacon. Crumble the cheese. Add black beans if desired.
  • In a large bowl combine the completely dry and cooled pasta, cooled corn, avocado, onions, cilantro, jalapeno, bacon, and cheese. **If you don’t plan on eating this in one sitting and immediately after making, don’t add the bacon, cheese, or avocado. Add those in separately right before enjoying.**

    Toss together.
    In a small bowl combine all of the dressing ingredients and whisk together until completely combined.add to the the salad and enjoy!

butternut squash salad with farro and pepitas from smitten kitchen.com

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds)
5 to 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup semi-pearled farro (see Note up top)
1/3 cup toasted pepitas (I used, and love, the salted ones)
3 ounces ricotta salata or another salty cheese, crumbled or coarsely grated (about 3/4 cup)(omit to make vegan)
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Peel squash, then halve lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Cut squash into approximately 3/4-inch chunks. Coat one large or two small baking sheets with 2 tablespoons oil total. Spread squash out in single layer on sheet. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast until pieces are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes, turning them over halfway through the cooking time. Set aside to cool slightly.

While squash is roasting, cook farro in a large pot of simmering salted water until the grains are tender but chewy, about 30 minutes. (Since there are so many varieties of farro, however, if your package suggests otherwise, it’s best to defer to its cooking suggestion.) Drain and cool slightly.

While squash is roasting and farro is simmering, in a small bowl, whisk together sherry vinegar, water, 1/2 teaspoon table salt and granulated sugar until sugar and salt dissolve. Stir in onion; it will barely be covered by vinegar mixture but don’t worry. Cover and set in fridge until needed; 30 minutes is ideal but less time will still make a lovely, lightly pickled onion.

In a large bowl, mix together butternut squash, farro, red onion and its vinegar brine, the crumbled cheese and pepitas. Toss with 3 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil, use the 4th one only if needed. Taste and adjust seasonings. Eat now or later. Salad keeps in the fridge for up to a week.

Russian salad from Ellie Krieger

2 med red/waxy potatoes, well scrubbed (about 12 ounces total)
2 med carrots, peeled and cut crosswise in half (about 7 ounces total)
2 med beets, scrubbed well (about 10 ½ ounces; see headnote)
1 cup canned white beans, such as navy or cannellini, drained and rinsed
½ cup sauerkraut, drained
⅓ cup diced dill pickles
½ cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 ½ tablespoons distilled white vinegar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons fresh dill sprigs, for garnish

Place the potatoes and carrots in a deep saucepan and the beets in a separate deep saucepan. Add cold water to cover each by about an inch and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the vegetables can be pierced with a skewer or paring knife. (They are best cooked until slightly underdone since they will continue to cook as they cool.) Remove the carrots with a slotted spoon after about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and beets once they are done, about 25 minutes for the potatoes and 45 minutes for the beets. Refrigerate until cool.

Use your fingers and/or a paring knife to remove the peel from the beets, then cut the vegetable into ½ -inch dice. Peel and dice the potatoes the same way. Dice the carrots. Combine the potatoes and carrots, plus the beans, sauerkraut, pickles, onion, oil, vinegar and salt in a large bowl and toss to incorporate. Gently fold in the beets.

To serve, garnish each portion with dill sprigs.

Autumn Crunch Pasta Salad

5 ounces fresh spinach half a 10 ounce bag1 and 1/2 cups dry small pasta
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 can (15 ounces) can mandarin oranges
1 large Granny Smith Apple
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/3 cup pecans, coarsely chopped*
Optional: Feta cheese

Dressing
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 2-4 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon each: paprika & onion powder
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
  • 1/2 tablespoon poppyseeds
  1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the dressing. In a food processor or blender (I used my small Twister jar on the Blendtec) combine the apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, sugar, (adjust — more or less to personal preference, we like a less sweet dressing and use about 2 tablespoons) paprika, and onion powder. Pulse or blend for about 10 seconds. Slowly add in the oil and pulse until just combined. Stir in the poppyseeds. IF you don’t have a blender or food processor you can combine the ingredients in a bowl or mason jar and whisk (or shake jar) vigorously.

  3. Drain the pasta once it’s cooked through and immediately toss a few tablespoons of the dressing with the pasta. This helps the pasta soak in the dressing and the flavor.
  4. Chill the dressed pasta in the fridge.
  5. Meanwhile, combine the (washed and de-stemmed) spinach with the chopped celery in a large bowl. Add in the cranberries and a can of drained mandarine oranges.
  6. If desired peel the apple (We like to leave on the peel!) and then slice into thin slices. Toss with lemon juice and then add to the salad.
  7. Pour dressing over the salad and toss. Add in the completely cooled pasta and toss with the rest of the salad.
  8. If you want to toast the pecans, place them in a single layer in a dry saucepan (don’t add anything) over medium heat. Stir constantly until the nuts are barely fragrant — just a couple of minutes. Watch carefully as the nuts are VERY easily scorched/burned.
  9. Alternatively, you can candy the pecans if desired. Check the link in the last paragraph of the blog text for how to candy pecans. *UPDATE: we’ve found we like this salad even more with the pecans coarsely chopped- you’ll get more in each bite! 🙂

  10. Top the salad with the pecans and (if desired) feta cheese.

  11. Enjoy immediately.