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.

 

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.

Indian Coconut Tomato Soup from twosleevers.com

  • 1 can unsweetened coconut milk full fat
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 6 roma tomatoes, chopped in quarters or  canned tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  1. Put all ingredients into the Instant Pot and cook on High for 5 minutes. Allow the pot to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. After that, release pressure. If you start to see sputtering and spewing from the valve, close the valve and try again in 5 minutes.

  2. Remove from the pot and use an immersion blender to mix all the ingredients together and get a smooth soup.

notes: I used 1 quart frozen tomatoes, 2 tsp garlic ginger past and less cayenne

For Stove Top
  1. Cook all ingredients together until the tomatoes are soft and bursting.

  2. Remove from the pot and use an immersion blender to mix all the ingredients together and get a smooth soup.

SUBSTITUTIONS:

  • You can use a 14-oz can of tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes if you prefer.

Beet and Avocado Salad with Feta Cheese and Basil from motherrimmy.com

  • 4 small roasted beets, sliced
  • ½ medium avocado, sliced
  • 5 leaves basil, thinly sliced (Chiffonade)
  • ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 tablespoons low fat feta cheese, crumbled
  • ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 sqeeze lemon juice
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place whole and unpeeled beets in a foil packet in a single layer. Roast in the oven for 1 – 1 /12 hours until just tender. You don’t want mushy beets. When beets are cooled, peel off skin with your hands and slice.
  2. Layer beets, onion, basil and avocado on a plate. Sprinkle with feta cheese. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Cauliflower Salad from ketoconnect.net

1 medium cauliflower head, chopped
3 large hard boiled eggs
4 strips cooked bacon (opt.)
2 stalks celery
1/4 medium Red Onion
3 tbsp chives
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 tbsp yellow mustard
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Break the head of cauliflower up into chunks and cut into desired sized pieces.
  1. Add all the cauliflower to a microwave safe bowl and cover bowl with damp paper towels. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Re-dampen the paper towels and microwave for another 3 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender.
  2. Dice the bacon, hard boiled eggs, celery, red onion and chives and add it to the bowl of cauliflower.
  3. In a separate bowl combine the mayo, mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt and black pepper and then pour it over the cauliflower mixture.
  4. Combine the entire mixture thoroughly with a spoon and add any additional salt and pepper as you see necessary.
  5. Store in a sealed container in the fridge up to one week. Serve cold and enjoy!

Greek Grain Salad from lideystable.com

 

IMG_9223

  • 1½ cups farro
  • 2 red bell peppers, cut into ½-inch wide strips
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1½ teaspoons minced fresh garlic (1 large clove)
  • 1 large English cucumber, seeded and cut into ½-inch dice
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
  • ¾ cup minced red onion
  • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives
  • 8 ounces feta cheese, ½-inch diced
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preaheat the oven to 425 degrees.Combine the farro with 4 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until the farro is just cooked. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Pour over the hot farro and stir well.

Meanwhile, place the red pepper slices on a half sheet pan and toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Roast for 20 minutes, turning once halfway through. Set the peppers aside to cool slightly.

Add the cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, roasted peppers, parsley and olives to the bowl with the farro. Stir until combined, then gently fold in the feta. Serve at room temperature.

 

italian tortellini salad from delightfulemade.com/

10 oz. small or medium cheese tortellini pasta (tri-color or regular)
1 c. cherry tomatoes (red and/or yellow), quartered
1 (3.8 oz.) can, black olives, drained
1/2 c. red onion, diced
1/2 c. jarred mild yellow banana peppers, chopped or peppers
1 c fresh mozz pearls
1 c. Italian salad dressing
1 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Let set to cool.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, add the tomatoes, olives, red onion, and banana peppers. Toss with the cooled tortellini pasta. Add the dressing and cheese and toss all ingredients to coat. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve chilled.
  3. Store in an air-tight container for up to 1 week.

 

Easy Italian Spaghetti Pasta Salad from foodiecrush.com

  • 1 pound thin spaghetti
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 cucumbers, quartered and sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • ½ red onion, thinly sliced
  • 10 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 4-ounce can sliced black olives, drained
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese or pecorino romano
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 garlic clove, pressed or finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  1. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions in boiling water seasoned with 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Drain, rinse and cool. Add the spaghetti to a large bowl with the cucumbers, red bell pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, black olives and parmesan cheese. In a pint jar with a lid, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, sugar, garlic clove, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Shake well and pour over the spaghetti mixture and toss to coat. Add more parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Chill for 30 minutes up to overnight.

Creamy Greek Pasta Salad from twopeasandtheirpod.com

  • 1 lb pasta such as fusilli, penne, or farfalle
  • 1 1/4 cups plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 cups halved grape tomatoes
  • 1 seedless cucumber, chopped
  • 3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
  • 1/2 cup diced red onion
  • 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
  1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, stir together the Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, dill, and oregano in a large bowl.
  3. When the pasta is done cooking, drain and run cold water over the pasta. Drain completely and pour the pasta into the large bowl with the Greek yogurt mixture. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, olives, red onion, and feta cheese. Stir gently until ingredients are well coated. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. You can add a little extra dill and lemon juice, if desired. Serve.

Poached Cod in Tomato Broth from martha

  • 3 cups veggie or fish broth
  • 1/2 medium red onion, very thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise, divided
  • 8 ounces fingerling potatoes, sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch rounds
  • 3 sprigs basil, plus fresh basil leaves for garnish
  • 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 4 skinless cod fillets (4 ounces each)
  • 4 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed and thinly sliced on the bias
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus 4 lemon wedges, for serving
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  1. Bring broth, onion, 1 1/2 cups tomatoes, potatoes, basil sprigs, red-pepper flakes, and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a large, deep, straight-sided skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Season cod with salt and pepper, add to broth mixture, and cover. Simmer until fish is opaque throughout and just cooked through, about 7 minutes.

  2. Remove and discard basil sprigs. Add sugar snaps, remaining 1/2 cup tomatoes, and lemon juice to skillet, gently stirring to combine; cook just until warmed through. Divide fish, vegetables, and broth among 4 bowls. Garnish with basil leaves, drizzle with oil, and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.