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Spicy Kale Salad w/Toasted Pecans

12 Oct

kale salad - purple kale chopped

We’re loving kale salads these days, so I’m always on trying to come up with new ways to “dress” the healthy greens.  I recently came up with a simple dressing that worked very well.  I added some toasted pecans in the salad, since they were so nice in the “Red (Purple) Salad” I’ve made before.  I think the pecans add a nice earthy flavor as well as texture, and complements the heat from the serrano chili.  The salad pairs well with meat, such as a pork chop, but it’s also great on its own.  It keeps well and tasted great the next day, too!

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Red (Purple) Salad

10 Aug

Red salad - ingredients

Having been inspired by Jo Robinson’s book, in which we learned that purple vegetables are great for you, I have been compulsively buying purple/red vegetables when they look good at the super market or, even better, at the local farmers’ market on the weekends.  Last night, I made a refreshing and summery salad from red cabbage, red kale, red onions, basil and toasted pecans dressed in a lemon tahini dressing.  The recipe yields quite a lot of salad, but trust me, you will eat it, it is so light and delicious!  The salad will keep for a day or two in an airtight container.

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Simple Dishes: 7-min Chicken Salad

23 Sep

We had half of a store-bought rotisserie chicken leftover in the fridge.  Although delicious while hot, store-bought rotisserie chickens are usually not so great cold.  Yesterday, I used the leftover chicken to make a simple chicken salad — the salad took about 7 minutes to make, and turned out to be a very tasty way to eat the leftover chicken!

Here’s how:

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Post-Workout Eats: Mediterranean-style Albacore Tuna Salad

20 May

For my post-workout lunch, I like to make a Mediterranean-style tuna salad.  I use a 5 oz. can of wild albacore tuna packed in water.  The salad is very much the same as the sockeye salmon salad I make for David, but instead of mayonnaise I use a drizzle of olive oil.

To make the salad: drain the can, and put the tuna in a glass bowl.  Add: about a half handful of capers, a stalk of scallion, finely chopped, juice of half lemon, and a drizzle of good quality, organic olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Mix well, and serve over salad greens… or eat with some sliced avocados and cucumbers, as I did for lunch today.

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Post-Workout Eats: Lemon/Caper Sockeye Salmon Salad

20 May

Sunday is our big workout day.  And for our post-workout lunch we’ve recently taken to eating canned fish.  David likes red sockeye salmon with bone and skin included, while I opt for wild albacore tuna, which is lighter.

For David’s sockeye salmon salad, I use a 7.5 oz can of wild caught Alaskan red sockeye salmon (Whole Foods brand).

To make the salad: Drain the can, and put salmon in a glass bowl.  With a fork, mix the salmon well, making sure that the bones and skin are blended into the meat (basically, mush well).

Add: a half handful of capers, one scallion stalk, finely chopped, a tablespoon of mayonnaise, and the juice of 1/2 lemon.

Mix well, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with salad greens, or for extra protein — as in David’s case — some sliced avocado and cucumbers.

The salad is simple, delicious, and a great way to get a boost of protein as well as calcium and good fats!

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Seared Jalapeño/Garlic Swordfish Steak w/Fennel/Olive Salad

18 May

Last night for dinner,  I seared local swordfish filets and made a simple, fennel/olive salad as an accompaniment.  Easy, breezy, tasty!

The swordfish was on sale at Whole Foods, labeled “local” and also “green” (as in, environmentally-friendly).   Both good labels, and a bargain at $14.99/lb (as swordfish goes)!  I bought 1.5 lbs worth of swordfish (my husband requires a lot of protein), and marinated it in a mixture of:

  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 jalapeño, finely minced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
  • 1/4 cup organic olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

I let the swordfish marinate for about 20 minutes.

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Wild Rock Shrimp Salad

7 Mar

Fresh Direct recently had fresh, wild rock shrimps on sale, so, naturally, I bought a pound of it.  Inspired by Maine lobster rolls, I used the rock shrimps to make a simple salad last weekend — the result was a delicious, lovely salad lunch!

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Arugula Salad w/Figs+Toasted Pine Nuts

2 Feb

This salad is very simple, and looks fabulous.  The sweetness and texture of the figs, the crunch and earthiness of the pine nuts, the crisp and slightly bitter arugula leaves… all make for a beautiful, delicious salad.

To make: toast pine nuts in a non-stick pan at low heat.  No need to add oil.  Keep moving around and toast until the nuts turn a light golden brown color.  Take about 6 figs, peel, and chop up into bite size pieces.  In a bowl, toss together arugula leaves, figs, and pine nuts with a drizzle of olive oil, good balsamic dressing, and a sprinkle of salt.  Enjoy!

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Festive Coleslaw with Mango

30 Jan

I made this coleslaw to go with the spiced ribs.  I wanted to infuse some sweetness to the salad to complement the spicy ribs — and had the idea to add mango into the mix.  The mango adds a faintly sweet, slightly tart quality to the coleslaw, and brightens the salad.  It’s colorful and flavorful, and pairs very nicely with the spicy ribs.  This coleslaw was a big hit at the birthday party — what a great way to get a solid vitamin C boost from the cabbage!  The coleslaw is excellent the next day.

INGREDIENTS

  • Half a head of cabbage, finely shredded (**I use a knife to thinly cut the cabbage.  Make sure to take out the core, and cut the half cabbage in yet another half — quartered — and thinly cut the sections.)
  • 1 large carrot, finely shredded (**I cut the carrot into thirds, then slice thinly length-wise/vertically; then I finely chop them into thin “match sticks.”)
  • 1 small red onion, finely sliced
  • 1 mango, finely chopped into “matchsticks”
  • 1 stalk of scallion, finely chopped

DRESSING

  • 2 tbsp organic mayonnaise (made of free-range eggs)
  • 3 tbsp good quality white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup organic olive oil

Chop all the vegetables and place in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and white vinegar.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil, mix until smooth and silky.  Season with salt.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

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