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.

 

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.

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.

 

Mashed Potato Salad With Scallions and Herbs from Melissa Clark

  • 2 pound red potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
  • Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon, plus more lemon juice for serving
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt, more pen
  • 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
  • Dash or two of hot sauce
  • cup extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise, sour cream or crème fraîche
  • 1 tbsp Dijon or whole-grain mustard
  • ½ cup thinly sliced scallions (white and green parts)
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley
  • 2 tbsp chopped basil or dill
  1. Cook the potatoes in a pot of well-salted water until they are very tender but not mushy, 15 to 22 minutes. Drain well.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together lemon zest and juice, rosemary, salt, pepper and hot sauce. When the salt is dissolved, whisk in the olive oil, mayonnaise and mustard.
  3. Add potatoes to the bowl and mix them very well, until well coated with dressing. Then use the spoon to mash about a quarter of them. You want 1-inch (or so) chunks of potatoes coated in some mashed potatoes. Add scallions and parsley and toss well. Taste and add more salt, lemon juice, hot sauce and olive oil, if needed. Scatter chopped basil or dill over dressed potatoes. Serve warm or at room temperature, but not cold.

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!

Fresh and Easy Vietnamese Noodle Salad from foodiecrush.com

  • 12 ounces thin Asian vermicelli noodles such as rice stick or mung bean
  • 2 carrots, shredded
  • 2 cucumbers, seeded and shredded
  • 4 green onion, chopped
  • 1½ cups fresh bean sprouts
  • ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
  • ½ cup fish sauce
  • ½ cup seasoned rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • Lime
  1. Soften the vermicelli noodles in a large bowl by covering with boiling water and soaking for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Rinse under cold water, drain, and add to a large bowl. Add the shredded carrots, cucumbers, bean sprouts and chopped cilantro to the noodles.
  2. In a glass jar fitted with a lid or a bowl, mix together the fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, garlic and crushed red pepper. Pour ¾ of the dressing over the noodles and toss to coat. Add more dressing if desired. Sprinkle with more cilantro and green onion and a squeeze of lime if desired. Salad can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight, however if making ahead, add the cilantro just before serving.

Grilled Caesar Salad from thelittlekitchen.net

Caesar Dressing
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large egg yolk
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 heart of romaine lettuce, rinsed and cut in half lengthwise
salt & pepper
olive oil (optional)
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Add ingredients to Blendtec jar in order listed and secure lid. Select “Dressing” and serve. The dressing tastes best when you refrigerate it overnight in a sealed container – the ingredients are allowed to marry together.

How to Grill Salad

If using a gas grill, turn on the gas and turn the heat to high. Let the grill heat up for at least 10 minutes. If using a grill pan inside, heat grill pan on medium to medium high for 3 to 5 minutes.

Salt and pepper the insides of your romaine lettuce halves. Sprinkle olive oil on the halves, if you wish. Add to hot grill or grill pan and cook for about 1 to 3 minutes tops. Flip to grill the other side for 1 to 2 minutes and you’re done. Serve immediately with caesar dressing and parmesan cheese on top.

*Store the dressing in the refrigerator for about a week. If serving as a side salad, one whole heart can serve up to 4 or 5 people.

 

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.

 

Tuna, Anchovy, Semi-Dried Tomato & Cannellini Bean Salad by Molly Brown

  • 1  (9 oz) tin tuna in olive oil, drained and roughly broken up
  • 2 (14 oz) tins cannellini (lima) beans, drained and rinsed
  •  (2 3/4 oz) semi-dried (sun-blushed) tomatoes
  • 16 anchovies packed in salt or olive oil, drained and chopped
  • about 50 black olives in olive oil, pitted and halved
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • (6 fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
  • 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
  • juice of 1 lemon

Put the tuna, beans, tomatoes, anchovies, onion, olives and parsley together in a bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. In a teacup, mix the olive oil, mustard and lemon juice together. Season and check to see whether your balance of lemon to oil is good – remember you are going to add this to something very starchy so it needs a bit of tang. Pour the dressing over the bean and tuna mixture, being careful not to squash the beans. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.