Salads and Dressings Archives | Page 6 of 6

Ginger Soy Pak Choi

January 5, 2012

Everything is green around here. Not with envy, or with money; but with vegetables. After a week of vacation, followed by the holidays, and all the food that is associated with those things, I’ve never been happier to fill my plate with green, leafy vegetables.

Lettuces, arugula, spinach and kale have been all over the menu lately, and I expect it to continue well into February.

I made this green dish before the holidays. Now that I’m back in the swing of things in the kitchen – and now that I’ve discovered our local Asian market carries Pak Choi – I will be making this one again.

I like to steam my Pak Choi just slightly – maybe a two to three minutes – before I toss it in the skillet. This isn’t necessarily required. However you choose to cook it, make eating more Pak Choi a New Year’s resolution.

Ginger Soy Pak Choi

1 bunch pak choi, 4-5 stalks
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 inch piece lemongrass, sliced
1 tsp raw sugar
¼ tsp dark sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
Sesame seeds for garnish

Steam pak choi 2-3 minutes in a vegetable steamer.

Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a wok and heat to medium. Add the garlic, ginger and lemongrass to the pan. Stir in the sugar, sesame oil and soy sauce. Cook 1-2 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium-high, drain the pak choi and add to the wok. Turn to coat in the sauce. Continue to cook until pak choi reaches your desired tenderness. For me that’s about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serves 2 – 3.

Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free and Lori Rice unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.

The Vegetarian Option: Cookbooks for Christmas

November 10, 2011

This is the second in my series of Cookbooks for Christmas with the purpose of sharing a few gift ideas for the foodie in your life. Be sure to check out the review and recipe for my first post The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Bread Baking.

I’d estimate that about 75% of our meals each week are vegetarian which means I often find myself in a rut. Just the other night I was standing in the kitchen idea-less with a few winter vegetables in front of me and a couple options for grains to bulk them up.

Then just as I thought I would be swallowed in a boring, repetitive sea of vegetable stir-fry and rice, along comes this cookbook – The Vegetarian Option by Simon Hopkins accompanied by gorgeous photography by Jason Lowe.

This cookbook is perfect for the person who almost has the basics mastered and is ready to incorporate some more challenging and internationally-inspired combinations. The chapters are divided by vegetables such as Cauliflower & Broccoli, Cabbage & Chard, Spinach & Sorrel and Beets & Turnips.

The reader is greeted in each chapter with a bit about how to handle the vegetable in the kitchen and then turns the page to be awed by the final results. Most of recipes are filling enough for main courses or they can be used as side dishes. Fair warning if using them as a side dish, though. They might steal the show all together.

Just to give you a few examples of what you’ll find between the covers, for the adventurous there is New-crop Garlic Saffron & Tomato Quiche, Asian Fried Turnip Paste or Spinach Mousse with Parmesan Cream. If you are looking for some basics you will also find it full of simple, yet creative salads, stock recipes and condiments.

Personally, my eyes lit up when I saw the recipe for Asian Scallion, Radish & Cucumber Salad with Cashews & Vermicelli . You will rarely hear me use the word dazzled, but my goodness, I was dazzled by this recipe.

As I mixed together the ingredients for the nutty, spicy dressing and poured it over my bowl of mixed vegetables I wondered how it was going to come together. One bite and I was sold – crunchy, nutty, refreshing with just a touch of spiciness from the radishes and ginger.

Just a note before you get started. The ginger syrup used in the dressing needs to be made the night before. Also, I found that while it won’t have the same full flavor, if you are short on time and ingredients tahini can work as a substitute for the homemade sesame paste.

Asian Scallion, Radish & Cucumber Salad with Cashews & Vermicelli

Serves 4
Before you start, you will need on hand both ginger syrup and sesame paste. Also, feel free to add more of one ingredient or another, and to adjust the sweet-sharp balance of the dressing.

1/4 pound dried thread vermicelli (or glass noodles)
2 heaping tablespoons unsalted cashew nuts
salt
a little sunflower oil
6 radishes, trimmed
6 scallions, trimmed
1 cucumber, 7 inches long
generous handful each of cilantro and mint leaves
1 or 2 large red chilis, sliced

for the dressing

1 tablespoon ginger syrup (see below)
1 tablespoon sesame paste (see below)
juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce or light soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil

to garnish

2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Snap the vermicelli into shorter lengths, one-third of the original, folded skein.

Soak in cold water for about 30 minutes, or until well softened. Drain and return to the bowl. Now cover with boiling water, and fork and lift the noodles around for a few minutes until they have become silky, soft, and tender (eat one). Drain, rinse in cold water, and set aside.

In a small skillet, gently toast the cashews with a little salt in a little oil until golden all over. Cool, and then crush each cashew lightly with the back of a knife. Reserve.

Cut the radishes into quarters or rounds, the scallions into diagonal shreds, and the cucumber into thick matchsticks. Tip the prepared vegetables into a large bowl and add the vermicelli. Tear the cilantro and mint leaves into smaller pieces and add to the salad with the chili. Mix together with your hands to distribute everything evenly.

Now whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Add to the salad and mix together once more with two forks, lifting and dropping the salad so that all is evenly dressed. Pile onto a shallow serving dish and sprinkle the crushed cashews and sesame seeds over. Best eaten pleasantly chilled, with warm sake or ice-cold beer.

Ginger Syrup

2 cups (scant) granulated sugar
11/2 cups water
finely pared zest of 1 lemon (use a potato peeler)
11/2 cups peeled and coarsely grated fresh ginger

Dissolve the sugar in the water in a pan over medium heat, then bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Immediately add the lemon zest and ginger and stir together. Bring back to a boil for a few seconds and then pour into a bowl. Cover and leave to infuse overnight.

The following day, add 2 tablespoons water and warm through until liquid and pourable. Strain through a sieve and press on the solids with the back of a ladle to extract all the ginger and lemon flavors. Pour the syrup into a screw-top jar and store in the refrigerator until needed, where it will keep for several weeks.

Sesame Paste

Makes about 1 ¾ cups
You need a powerful, small food processor to make this paste. For the best flavor, I feel it is important to use Asian brands of chili and sesame oils.

2/3 cup sesame seeds
3 tablespoons finely grated ginger (juice saved!)
1 large garlic clove, peeled
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
4 tablespoons mirin (Japanese cooking wine)
1 to 2 tablespoons chili oil
1/3 to 1/2 cup sesame oil, plus a little extra to serve
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup warm water
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar, to taste

Lightly toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant, and
cool slightly. Tip into a small food processor and add all the other ingredients.

Grind and pulse until you have a paste that is fully emulsified and super-smooth.

Disclosure & Credit: This cookbook was sent to me free of charge. I was not required to write about it and received no compensation for doing so. All recipe reprinted with permission from Abrams Books.

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Roasted Corn and Pepper Wheat Berry Salad

August 8, 2011

Fresh corn is finally here and lots of it! I’ve mentioned before that I feel a bit sorry for fresh corn. It often gets a bad rap for being turned into corn syrup and invading our food supply, and it’s almost always categorized as a dreaded starchy veggie. I think all of this causes us to overlook how truly wonderful a fresh ear in the middle of summer can be.

My quest this summer has been to avoid taking any seasonal fruit or veggie for granted and corn has been no exception. I bought 2 dozen ears a couple weeks back and froze half of it. The rest was roasted and skillet-fried for salads and fresh salsas.

Growing up my mom always made fried corn. It really wasn’t fried, just cooked in a skillet with butter and green peppers. I loved corn prepared like this as much as eating a crisp, sweet ear on the cob.

Knowing how good it is from the skillet and knowing how much I like roasted vegetables, I just had to turn on the oven in the heat of summer to roast some up.

I used a mix of peppers from our garden, both hot and sweet, but any variety would work. I added onion and some herbs as well.

This was one of those eat-the-entire-bowl kind of salads. So sweet from the fresh corn and just enough savory flavor from the roasting.

I wanted to make it into more of a meal so I added some cooked wheat berries which worked out really well. I actually enjoyed the salad both warm and cold. Both versions tasted equally as good.

Roasted Corn and Pepper Wheat Berry Salad

Makes: 4 to 6 servings

What you’ll need:
Kernels from 2 ears fresh sweet corn
2 Poblano peppers, cored and chopped
2 Anaheim peppers, cored and chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, cored and chopped
2 Pinata peppers, cored and chopped (these are similar to jalapenos)
2 sweet banana peppers, cored and chopped
½ medium sweet onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon each finely chopped fresh herbs – basil, thyme, rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cooked wheat berries

How to make it:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place all veggies on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with the herbs and olive oil. Turn the veggies to coat them with the oil.

Roast for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Veggies should begin to brown slightly and soften.

Remove from the oven and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the wheat berries. Serve warm or cold.

Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Lori Rice unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.

Heirloom Tomatoes and Cantaloupe

July 30, 2011

After consuming unspeakable amounts of pork, chips, scones and stout in Ireland, this past week was full of cold grain salads, fruits and vegetables. I was back to my kitchen and garden, and not only was I craving some lighter foods, but what was left of the garden needed to be used up.

Things are dry and hot and we’ve lost several plants, but there are still some things hanging on. Mainly peppers and cherry tomatoes, and the other tomatoes are very slowly beginning to ripen.

Alma Paprika Peppers

The last of the Patty Pan, Merlot Peppers, Bell Peppers, Poblano Peppers and San Marzano Tomatoes

I’ve also been taking advantage of the great deals being offered by producers around here. This week I picked up white and golden peaches, an outstanding cantaloupe and lots of sweet corn.

So before I continue with more from Ireland (I still have 2 more posts) I thought some recipe posts were in order. Or at least, foods I’m making in my kitchen. I say that because this fresh salad really has no recipe.

We finally got two Mr. Stripey tomatoes from the garden this week. I’m so excited because they are by far my favorite. Since I’ve seen plenty of recipes that use watermelon with tomatoes, I thought maybe my Mr. Stripey would go well with the cantaloupe. If nothing else, I knew the color would be gorgeous.

Turns out that the flavor combination is pretty awesome as well. Just slice up an heirloom, thinly slice some super sweet cantaloupe, add a little sea salt and pepper and then top it with a little basil if desired (I used Thai basil).

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Cucumber Watermelon Salad with Honey and Mint

July 9, 2011

Have you ever come up with a new idea only to realize, well, it’s really not a new idea? That happens to me a lot when I’m making food in my kitchen. This is kind of how it goes down in my head.

This ingredient would work so well with that. This one I’m not sure about, but let’s throw it in anyway. Oh wow, it does taste pretty good. Let’s get a photo and put it on the blog.

Then, feeling pretty proud of myself, I sit down to write the post. Most of the time I Google my recipe combinations (after I’ve made them) because I want to know what is already out there and never want it to look like I am claiming another person’s work as my own.

So I Google, and there it is. Lots of other people have thrown this combination together before, some within the last few weeks. Sigh, slowly the balloon begins to deflate.

Take this watermelon salad for example.

We bought a watermelon for our BBQ last weekend and barely any of it was eaten so it has been taking up valuable space in my fridge all week. My husband and I aren’t huge watermelon fans so I’ve been trying to find creative ways to use it.

Then these massive Asian cucumbers we planted began to ripen in the garden. Look at these things! They are as long as my forearm. They just happen to taste amazing as well with a unique sweetness.

I’ve seen the watermelon salads with things like tomatoes, feta cheese and onions around the web, so I thought why not throw in some cucumber.

Rest assured many people thought of this great idea before I did.

But with every recipe comes a little different twist. With this one I love the way the sweet honey and savory green onion work together along with the sea salt. The mint adds a little burst of unexpected flavor making it even more refreshing.

Cucumber Watermelon Salad with Honey and Mint

2 cups watermelon, cubed

1 ½ cups cucumber, peeled and cubed
2 green onions, greens and partial whites sliced
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp honey
1/8 tsp sea salt
Pinch of black pepper

In a bowl, combine the watermelon, cucumber, green onions and mint. Add the olive oil and honey. Stir to combine. Sprinkle on the salt and pepper. You can eat it right away or refrigerate it for up to a couple days. As it sits more juice will form from the melon and cucumber. Serves 3 to 4.

Citrus Jicama Salad

June 17, 2011

Raise your hand if you’ve never had jicama.

No one? That’s what I thought.

I’m a little embarrassed to say that until this week, I had never had jicama. Embarrassed because while I’d read about it, recommended it as a new food to others, even saw it in the store, for some reason I never picked one up.

On a whim, about a week ago, I decided to buy one. Then, of course, it sat for several days while I was trying to figure out what to do with. I knew from every description I’d read that I would love it, but what to do, what to do.

If, like me, you’ve never had jicama which comes from the legume family, I’ll explain a bit about it. First of all, it is much more like a root vegetable than any legume or bean I’ve had. My research tells me it is native to Mexico and it has spread to Central America, China and Southeast Asia. It has a very high water content and I would equate the texture to a firm, crisp apple. The flavor is only slightly sweet, nothing like an apple to me and although it has a texture also like radishes, there is no spicy radish flavor either.

It seems to be best served as a slaw or salad, but I also read some recommendations to slice it and dip it in salsa. Apparently it can also be used as a substitute for water chestnuts. I did a little searching and combined some different components of several recipes I found, my favorite being from Simply Recipes.

I was right on to expect I would like jicama. I could have eaten an entire bowl of this stuff! I especially liked the sweet jicama with the juices combined with the savory garlic and spicy pepper. My husband thought it was a little too sweet so next time I’ll likely try a version with chili powder as was suggested by some readers via Facebook.

Citrus Jicama Salad
Adapted from Jicama Salad by Simply Recipes

Serves: 2 to 3

Ingredients

1 medium jicama, peeled and julienned or chopped
1 spring onion, sliced (white and greens)
1 sweet pepper sliced (I used banana)
2 tsp hot pepper, finely diced (I used mariachi)
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 orange, peeled, sliced
Juice of one orange
Juice of ½ lime
1 clove garlic, grated
Salt to taste

Prep

Place the jicama, onion, peppers and cilantro in a medium bowl and stir to mix ingredients.

In a small bowl, mix together the orange juice, lime juice and garlic. Pour the dressing over the vegetables. Toss to coat. Add salt to taste if desired. Refrigerate 15 to 30 minutes before serving.

This recipe has been submitted to Souper Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen.

Apple Broccoli Salad

June 11, 2011

I have this favorite broccoli salad. It contains broccoli, bacon, red onion and cranberries with a mayonnaise-based sauce. It may sound strange at first, but once you have those savory and sweet flavors together you’ll be a fan.

Last week I had a craving for said broccoli salad, but didn’t have all the ingredients on hand to make it, mainly bacon and red onion. When this situation presented itself I couldn’t just give up on it. No, I had to take the challenge so I revised this favorite and ended up with something that I might even like a little bit more.

The changes? I added apple and green onion. I used just a bit of mayo with Greek yogurt to mix up the sauce just a bit.

The best part about this recipe is that you can substitute all kinds of ingredients. Pecans would be great for the nuts and dried cherries would work well in place of the cranberries. I know it’s hard to believe, but what it was missing in savory bacon was made up for in sweet apple. Although, if you have some crispy, pastured bacon go ahead and throw some of that in too!

Apple Broccoli Salad

2 cups broccoli florets, chopped

2 green onions (whites and greens), sliced

½ cup apple, chopped

2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt

1 tbsp mayo

1 tsp red wine vinegar

1 – 2 tsp raw sugar

¼ cup dried cranberries, chopped

¼ cup walnuts, chopped

In a medium bowl, combine the broccoli, green onions and apple. In a small dish whisk together the yogurt, mayo, red wine vinegar and sugar.

Pour the dressing over the broccoli, onion and apple. Stir to coat. Stir in the cranberries and walnuts. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serves 2-3.

Spring Garden Cobb Salad

May 22, 2011

I’ve been inspired by cobb salads lately. It could be because of all the beautiful colors, but I really think it’s all those fresh ingredients arranged in tidy rows. Things around here have felt very hectic lately and I must be craving organization. This has to be the most organized way to eat a salad, don’t you think?

As I was thinking of making one, I soon realized I could make my own version of the cobb salad completely from our garden with a little help from local farms.

Kind of fun, right? I love the challenge of creating meals entirely from the garden.

First, we have the very last of our asparagus quickly blanched and seasoned with salt and pepper. Next is a hardboiled egg from Wonder of Life Farm nearby. This is followed by lettuce, strawberries and finely chopped kale. This version is without meat and cheese, but a delicious combination, nonetheless.

I debated on what type of dressing to use and I finally ended up topping it with homemade honey mustard dressing which included Kentucky honey. I was unsure of the combination of flavors, but the dressing pulled it all together. This proved to be a wonderful way to kick off what I’m officially marking as salad season!

Spring Garden Cobb Salad

Makes: 1 serving

Ingredients

½ cup chopped asparagus (one-inch pieces)
1 hardboiled egg, sliced
½ cup chopped bibb lettuce
2/3 cup strawberries, sliced
½ cup finely chopped kale
2 tablespoons of your favorite honey mustard dressing (or a dressing of your choice)

Prep

Heat a small pan of water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the stove, drain and immediately rinse or cover in cold water. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange the asparagus on the plate followed by the sliced egg, bibb lettuce, strawberries and kale. Top with your favorite dressing and enjoy! Makes one large salad.

Spring Cobb Salad with strawberries and asparagus | Fake Food Free

Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.

Newer Posts

Salads and Dressings

Ginger Soy Pak Choi

The Vegetarian Option: Cookbooks for Christmas

Roasted Corn and Pepper Wheat Berry Salad

Roasted Corn and Pepper Wheat Berry Salad

Heirloom Tomatoes and Cantaloupe

Cucumber Watermelon Salad with Honey and Mint

Citrus Jicama Salad

Apple Broccoli Salad

Spring Garden Cobb Salad

Thanks so much for reading!

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