Over the holidays, my good friend Ally hosted a huge Thanksgiving dinner for friends, including a bunch of foodies).  But amongst all of the amazing dishes, the one I returned to for seconds (ok, then maybe thirds…) was this lovely salad.

I have to admit, I’m typically a must-include-at-least-five-different-food-groups-in-my-salad kind of girl.  But this beautiful, simple salad was perfect. Just baby arugula, fresh blackberries, and gorgonzola (or any soft cheese) topped with a fresh, light, citrusy vinaigrette that Ally made with blood orange juice.  It was heavenly.

I of course immediately went to the store to track down some blood oranges and made my own version at home, and have loved this salad ever since.  You can of course sub in any other berries, cheeses, or even different citrus juices in the vinaigrette, but I will tell you right now that this combination is a guaranteed success.  Cheers to recipes from good friends, and delicious, simple salads!

Blackberry Arugula Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

Salad Ingredients:

• baby arugula leaves
• fresh blackberries
• crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese
• citrus vinaigrette (recipe below)

Citrus Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup good-quality olive oil
• 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed orange, lemon, or lime juice (I used blood orange juice)
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Whisk together all vinagrette ingredients until well-blended.  Toss with arugula and blackberries, and then serve topped with crumbled cheese.

Ali’s Tip:

This would also be great with different berries or fruits.

Source:

My friend, Ally.

Happy New Year, everyone!!!

After a month of tons of amazing giveaways, I’m so excited to get back to sharing some great favorite with you!  And this first recipe definitely falls in that category.

For lack of a better name, this is pretty much my family’s favorite salad.  (And coming from a family of cooks who are far more talented than me, that means a lot!)  I absolutely love it.

What’s more, it’s one of those family recipes that immediately brings back fun memories — from my aunt serving it to our extended family every Christmas Eve, to my mom making it upon special request for my band in college whenever we’d swing through town, to now, great times shared whenever I make the salad for my friends.  It is definitely my version of comfort food.  And since it seems like everyone is currently in healthy-eating-resolution-season, there’s an added bonus that this comfort food happens to be a fresh salad!!

So read on to find out all of the “secret” family ingredients.  And cheers to a delicious new year ahead!

Our Family’s Favorite Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 head red-leaf lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 (4 oz.) jar pimientos, drained
• 2 (14 oz.) jars artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• optional: extra grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1 package Kraft Good Seasons “Zesty Italian” dressing mix (**family tradition, but you can see see a homemade alternative below**)
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup red-wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method:

Toss together first five ingredients with the dressing just before serving.  Garnish with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.

Ali’s Tip:

If you would like to make a similar seasoning mix “homemade”, here is a great mix:

• 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp. cajun seasoning
• 2 tsp. garlic salt
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• pinch of celery salt

Source:

My mom!

Remember what a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad accusation it was when we were young to be a (gasp!)….copycat???

Well, in the world of home cooking and trying to live on a budget, I learned years ago that it pays — with budgeting and health — to figure out how to copycat my favorite restaurant recipes at home.  And it’s often not that hard!

Case in point.  Panera Bread’s® delicious and oh-so-popular “Fuji Apple Chicken Salad”.

My office happens to be just down the street from a Panera.  And probably more often than I should, I find myself standing at their pickup line waiting for my soup and salad.  And of course, everyone is “ooohing” and “ahhhhing” as they watch everyone else’s meals be prepared.  (Brilliant business model, yes?)  Sure enough, it always seems like every third person is ordering this salad.  And with good reason!  The combination of apple chips, grilled chicken, glazed pecans, red onions, tomatoes, gorgonzola, and a white balsamic vinaigrette on a bed of mixed greens is pretty much a guaranteed success.  I have always thought so!  (Well, minus the tomatoes.  I’m picky with my salads.)

Of course, once I realized I could make these at home with fresh ingredients year-round for a fraction of the price, this salad began gracing my table even more often!  So thought I’d share it with you.  Super simple.  Quite healthy.  Tastes wonderfully like the original.  Give it a go!

Favorite Apple Chicken Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 (10 oz.) bag mixed greens
• quarter of a red onion, sliced thinly
• 2 cups apple chips
• 1 cup glazed pecans
• 1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• 1 cup freshly-diced tomatoes (optional)

White Balsamic Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar (or regular balsamic vinegar)
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup olive oil

Method:

To Make The Salad:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil, then mist it with cooking spray or oil.

Brush chicken breasts with olive oil, then season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.  (Or you can add your favorite seasonings.)  Place on prepared baking sheet, and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until internal temperature is 160 degrees and the juices run clear.  Remove and let chicken cool for at least 10 minutes, then slice or shred.

Toss the remaining five ingredients together, then add your desired amount of vinaigrette.  Toss and serve immediately.

***All ingredient amounts are approximate.  I usually just toss in a little of this, a little of that.***

To Make The Vinaigrette:

Whisk all ingredients together until blended.

Ali’s Tip:

You can take the time to prepare each of these ingredients “homemade”…..or take a few shortcuts.  When pressed for time, I’ll often substitute in rotisserie chicken meat, storebought glazed pecans and apple chips.

Source:

Inspired by the “Fuji Apple Salad” from Panera Bread®.

When grocery shopping for a salad to accompany a spicy pasta dish I made last week (recipe for that soon to come!), the blackberries were calling my name.  So I decided to the “sweet” salad route, and make a fruity spinach salad with some herbed chevre, toasted walnuts, baby spinach, and of course, blackberries.  :)

Since multiple cartons of blackberries somehow made it into my cart, I decided to also puree some of them and make a homemade blackberry-balsamic vinaigrette to drizzle on top.  Quite possibly my best idea of the week — it was delicious!

Feel free to sub in other favorite cheeses, berries, or nuts, but I thought this flavor combination was a definite winner.  Will be making it again soon!

Blackberry Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

Ingredients:

Salad Ingredients:

• 8 cups baby spinach or mixed greens
• 4 oz. chevre, crumbled
• 1 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted
• 1 pint fresh blackberries
• blackberry balsamic vinaigrette (see below)

Blackberry Balsamic Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup strained blackberry juice (see tip below)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• pinch of salt and pepper

Method:

To Make Salad:

Toss together spinach, chevre, walnuts, and blackberries.  Then drizzle with the blackberry balsamic vinaigrette.  Serve.

To Make Blackberry Balsamic Vinaigrette:

Whisk together all ingredients until well-blended.  Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Ali’s Tip:

To make the strained blackberry juice, just puree blackberries in a food processor or mash with a spoon.  Then strain through a fine-mesh sieve.

If you’d like, save the blackberry pulp and pop it in a smoothie!

I love Caesar salads.

But…I have to admit I do not love Caesar salad dressings made with raw eggs (even at restaurants).  I also do not love salad dressings that have the calorie count of an entire meal.  Which of course, traditional Caesar salad dressings are usually made with practically an entire jar of mayo (yikes).  I also do not like dealing with whole anchovies.  But thankfully for us in the twenty-first century, there is a brilliant cheap alternative at grocery stores — anchovie paste.  Brilliant!

So for anyone out there like me who is looking for an egg-free, lighter, yet still oh-sooooooo-delicious Caesar salad recipe, here is my favorite one!  The dressing is still wonderfully creamy and full of the classic lemony, well-seasoned flavors.  And when topped with grilled chicken, homemade croutons, and freshly-shaved Parmesan, I think it actually knocks the socks off any Caesar salad I’ve had in a restaurant.

So if you’ve never made a homemade Caesar salad before, or if you’re just looking for a lighter new recipe, I’d definitely encourage you to give this one a try!  Bon appetit!

Chicken Caesar Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. anchovy paste
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1-2 Tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice (adjust to taste)
• 1/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
• generous pinch of salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Salad Ingredients:

• 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
• 1 head of romaine lettuce
• 2 cups croutons, homemade or storebought
• freshly-shaved Parmesan cheese
• caesar dressing

Method:

To Make The Dressing:

Whisk first eight ingredients together in a small bowl until well-combined.  Then, while still whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.  Continue whisking together until well blended.  Season with extra salt and/or pepper if needed.

To Make The Salad:

First, prepare the chicken.  Place chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound breasts with a meat mallet until they have reached a uniform thickness (about 3/8″), then sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, heat canola oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Carefully add two chicken breasts to pan.  (Feel free to add more if you’re pan is big enough — just don’t crowd them.)  Cook until both sides are lightly golden and chicken is cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board and slice into thin strips.  Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.

While chicken is cooking, prepare the lettuce (and croutons, if making homemade).  Wash and dry the lettuce, and then tear or chop into bite-sized pieces.  Toss with dressing, then serve topped with chicken, croutons and Parmesan.

Ali’s Tip:

Also great with grilled salmon, shrimp, steak, tofu, or even scallops!

As evidenced by the years of food photography on my blog, I think it’s safe to say that I’m a pretty big fan of color! Actually, I love color in all aspects of life — in my decorating, in gardening, in my cubicle (yes, I’m the only one at work who covered my gray cubicle walls in bright green fabric!), and of course, in my cooking.  :)

But of course in cooking, color also usually translates to extra nutrients!  So when I saw this recipe for “Purple Cabbage Salad with Edamame, Golden Raisins, & Smoked Almonds” in a recent issue of Vegetarian Times, I knew it was calling my name.  Sure enough, all of those delicious fresh veggies, plus the sweet fresh pineapple and crunchy smoked almonds (my favorite!) balanced each other perfectly.  And I loved the simple, fresh honey-lime sauce on top.  Definitely a wonderfully delicious and light (no cooking oils needed!) salad recipe that tastes as good as it looks!  :)

So if you need an extra dose of color in your life, I totally recommend giving this one a try!

Colorful Cabbage Salad Recipe
(Adapted from Vegetarian Times)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame
• 2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced and roughly chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cored and diced
• 1/2 orange bell pepper, cored and diced
• 1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup smoked almonds, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh mint, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about one juicy lime)
• 2 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar
• 1/4 tsp. chile-garlic sauce (optional)

Method:

Boil or steam edamame for about 10 minutes until cooked through. Drain and run under cold water to cool.

In the meantime, whisk together the honey, lime, and chili-garlic sauce until well-blended.

Prepare vegetables, and then mix together in a large bowl (adding in the edamame), and toss with the lime sauce.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ali’s Tip:

Feel free to experiment with other dressings and/or herbs in this one.  I loved the burst of fresh mint, but imagine a cilantro twist would be excellent with this too!

My craving for fresh and light dishes in the midst of our bleak Kansas City midwinter (three days in a row of single-digit temperatures!) continues.  So for a fun and healthy recipe this week, I decided to make a batch of delicious tabbouleh!

Pretty much everything about this dish screams “fresh”!  It’s packed with fresh herbs, scallions, tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil, and some oh-so-healthy bulgur.  From what I’ve read (although I’m sure some will beg to differ), “authentic” tabbouleh has a much higher herbs to bulgur ratio — which I happen to love.  But if you’d like more, feel free to double the bulgur in this recipe.

Definitely a delicious, flavorful, and (yes) fresh recipe!  It works perfectly as a side or main dish — or feel free to experiment and even use it on crostinis, to top some hummus, or in a soup (recipe coming soon).  Enjoy!

Tabbouleh Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup bulgur (a.k.a. cracked wheat)
• 2 cups of water or chicken stock
• 2-3 cups of curly parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup of mint, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup of scallions, finely chopped
• 3-4 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 2 Tbsp of olive oil
• juice of half of one lemon (or more to taste)
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method:

In a large bowl, pour 2 cups of boiling water (or chicken stock) over the bulgur.  Let it sit for 30-60 minutes until softened, and then strain the bulgur through a fine-mesh strainer.

Then combine the prepared bulgur, parsley, mint, scallions, and tomatoes in a large bowl.  Add oil and lemon juice, and stir until well mixed.  Add salt to taste.

Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to one day.

Ali’s Tip:

Feel free to also add in some diced cucumbers or extra diced onion if you’d like!

Many of the recipes I post on here are creative and new to me.  And many of them are tried and true favorites I’ve made for years.  This one happens to be in the latter.  :)

Indeed.  A simple apple and spinach salad.  With bacon (yes, please)  And toasted pecans (or candied…mmmm).  And some tart cheese (or cheddar).  And a few red onions (keep a mint nearby). And….whatever else I may feel like throwing in (I’ve made a long list of other favorite ingredients below).

You pretty much can’t go wrong with this one.  So grab your apple for the day and enjoy!

Apple Bacon Spinach Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 cups baby spinach, well-washed and dried
• 4 strips of bacon, cooked and diced
• 2 apples, chopped
• quarter of a red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans (or walnuts)
• 1/4 cup feta cheese (or gorgonzola, or cheddar)
• apple cider vinaigrette, or balsamic vinaigrette

Method:

Toss together first seven ingredients (or lay out as you wish), and then drizzle with apple cider vinaigrette.

Ali’s Tip:

Whenever I make this, I often add (or substitute) in some of the following ingredients too.  Feel free to give them a try!

• Shredded rotisserie chicken (or grilled chicken strips)
• Roasted or dried apples (instead of fresh)
• Dried cranberries or cherries
• Other favorite greens (Romaine or arugula)
• Turkey bacon (instead of regular)
• Sliced cucumbers
• Sliced or cubed roasted sweet potatoes

For any of you who missed last week’s post, I tried making homemade apple cider (really homemade — starting with apples galore!) for the first time this fall.  And cannot tell you how much we’ve been enjoying it!!

Of course, it has made its way into a few other recipes as well, including this yummy apple cider vinaigrette I wanted to share with you.  The recipe is super-simple, and just takes a few minutes to make.  Definitely one to bookmark and pull out whenever you have good-quality apple cider on hand!  I’ve already tried it with a few different salad combinations (some more sweet, some more savory), and loved it on each one.

Versatile.  Easy.  Quick.  Delicious.  Go make some!  :)

Apple Cider Vinaigrette Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup apple cider, homemade or storebought
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
• pinch cinnamon (1/8tsp or less)

Method:

Whisk all ingredients together.  (Or pour in a tight-fitting jar and shake until combined.)  Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Ali’s Tip:

Feel free to also throw in some minced garlic or a pinch of mustard powder if you’d like!

Last weekend I spent the most beautiful Friday night celebrating the birthday of my good friend, Sarah.  Instead of going out, though, we opted to enjoy a cozy fall night at home, and my friend Ally and I offered to cook.  She happens to be a big fan of the Barefoot Contessa, so amongst our menu of soup, bread, apps, and an improvised homemade apple pie…I loved that a salad from Ina also showed up on the menu.

Indeed…it was this roasted pear, blue cheese, cranberry, walnut and arugula salad.  (Only a few of those fit in the title!)  When I arrived, Ally already had the pears prepped and ready to go.  So while we finished cooking the rest of the food, these yummy creations roasted in the oven.  And minute by minute, the house began to filled with the most delicious smell.  Mmmm.  :)

Sure enough, Ina gave us another winner.  In addition to having such a classy (but oh-so-simple to create) presentation, this warm salad was completely yummy.  The combination of these sweet pears and cranberries, with the tang of the cheese, the rich walnuts, and peppery arugula — then drizzled with the port (or you could use red wine) and cider sauce — was perfectly balanced.  You could of course substitute in your favorite cheese, or greens, but I like this just as it is.

So cheers to great friends, great meals, and of course, the great Ina Garten.  Look forward to making this again soon!

Roasted Pear, Blue Cheese & Arugula Salad Recipe
(Adapted from Ina Garten)

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe but firm Anjou pears (or I used Bartlett)
• freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
• 3 ounces coarsely crumbled sharp blue cheese
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup walnut halves, toasted and chopped
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 3 Tbsp. port (or red wine)
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 6 ounces baby arugula
• salt

Method:

Ali’s Tip:

Be sure to toss your pears with lemon immediately, or they will brown up before you know it!