French Lentil and Roasted Beet Salad

I was really nervous for this meal as I had never had beets or lentils, but it was great! :)

Ingredients for Salad:

1 pound beets

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup lentils

1 sprig fresh rosemary, plus 2 teaspoons chopped leaves

1 bay leaf

2 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1/2 onion

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning

Dressing (directions below)

1/4 cup minced fresh flat leaf parsley

Freshly ground black pepper

6 cups mixed greens

6 ounces aged goat cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Trim all but 1 inch of the beet stems. Put the beets on a large piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil, and seal the foil to make a tight package. Put the package in the oven and roast for about 1 hour. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel them (skins should slide right off with a bit of pressure). Dice the beets and set aside.

While you roast the beets, put the lentils in a saucepan with cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Put sprig of rosemary and bay leaf (tie it together if possible) along with smashed garlic, onion half, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat and simmer, about 25 minutes. Strain the lentils and discard herbs and onion.

Put the warm lentils in a bowl and stir in half of dressing. Cool the lentils completely, then add the beets, parsley, and chopped rosemary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Lightly dress the greens with a bit of the dressing and divide among plates. Spoon some of the lentil salad onto the greens, crumble goat cheese over each serving, and drizzle with some of the remaining vinaigrette.

Ingredients for the Dressing:

3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar

2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots, minced

Whisk the vinegar with the mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream to make smooth, slightly thick. Stir in the shallots.

Enjoy!

Summer Chopped Salad with Ranch Dressing

This was a great salad! :) Christine and James came over for dinner and we had this with some yummy chicken from the grill! It was a great meal! A little bit more ingredients than I was expecting, but well worth it in the end!

This has a homemade ranch dressing and I will include the recipe at the end.

Ingredients for Salad:

8 ounces small red-skinned potatoes, halved

Kosher Salt

1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears of corn)

1 cup chopped fresh green or wax beans

1 cup small broccoli florets

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 kirby cucumber with peel, chopped

Ranch Dressing

Freshly ground black pepper

4 cups torn mixed greens (we used the Spring Mix bag)

1 cup sprouts (optional)

Put the potatoes in a small saucepan with enough cold water to cover and season with salt. Bring to a boil and then simmer, uncovered, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and put in a large bowl.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Fill a medium bowl with ice water and salt it as well. Add the corn, beans and broccoli to the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or strainer to scoop out the vegetable and plunge them immediately into the ice water. Drain the vegetables, pat them dry, and add to the bowl of potatoes along with the tomatoes and cucumber. Toss the salad with 1/2 cup of the dressing.

When ready to serve, toss salad with the greens and sprouts. Pass the remaining dressing at the table!

Ingredients for Ranch Dressing:

1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup

2 buttermilk

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat leaf parsley

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper

Smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with the salt and with the side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Scrape the paste into a small bowl, add the remaining ingredients, and whisk well to make a creamy dressing. (This can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days)

Enjoy!

Hearts of Romaine with Blue Cheese and Bacon

This was a great side salad to our meal the night that I made this! I also LOVED the blue cheese dressing that I made! A must try! :)

Ingredients:

8 strips of bacon

1 large egg

2 hearts romaine lettuce

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Blue Cheese Dressing

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lay the bacon strips on a roasting rack and bake in the oven until crisp, about 20 minutes. Pat dry with a paper towel. When cool enough to handle, break into pieces or in half.

Put the egg in a small saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from heat. Set aside for 10 minutes. Drain the egg and roll in between your palm and the counter to crack the shell, then peel under cool running water. Rub the egg through a fine-mesh strainer and set aside.

Remove the outer leaves from the romaine heats and rinse. Chop these leaves into bite size pieces and spin dry. Halve the hearts through the cores to make 4 wedges. Rinse under cold water and shake to air dry.

Divide the wedges among 4 plates. Mound some of the chopped romaine on top and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon about 1/4 cup of Blue Cheese Dressing over each salad and top with some of the sieved egg and bacon. Pass the remaining dressing the the table.

Enjoy!

Blue Cheese Dressing

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 shallot, peeled

1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon celery seeds

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat leaf parsley

Freshly ground black pepper

Pulse everything in a food processor besides the parsley and black pepper. Once it is all together, stir in parsley and black pepper.

Grilled Asparagus with Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

This was an AMAZING meal! I absolutely loved it! Jay is gone for the week so I thought it was a great light meal to make when it was just me eating it! It would be a great appetizer to a meal or side salad to a yummy summer meal! :)

*I apologize ahead of time that my batteries died in my camera..so there is no final picture of the meal...but trust me...it was AMAZING!

I also halved the recipe just because it was only me eating it!

Ingredients:

2 bunches of asparagus

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

Arrange the asparagus in a microwave-safe dish, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Brush asparagus with 1 tablespoon or the olive oil and set aside.

Toss tomatoes and mozzarella cheese in a large bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the parsley, lemon zest, and juice, red pepper flakes, and black pepper to taste.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Grill asparagus, turning occasionally, until tender and lightly charred, about 5 minutes. Cut asparagus in half crosswise and arrange the upper portions, spoke like, tips out, on a serving dish. Cut the lower portions into a 1/2 inch pieces and toss with the tomato and cheese mixture. Mound the salad in the center of the tips and serve.

Enjoy!

Leslie's Ham Salad

I made this tonight so that Jay and I can bring it in for our lunches and have a little snack around the house. It was super easy to make! A nice alternative to a sandwich with deli meat or leftovers!

Ingredients:

1 small red onion, minced

1 pound cooked ham, cut into large pieces

2 ribs celery, quartered

6 cornichon or gherkin pickles (we could only find the mini's so I doubled this)

1 pickled jalapeno, seeded and stemmed

2 scallions, minced

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 bunch watercress, washed, dried and stems trimmed

1 bunch arugula, washed, dried and stems trimmed

4 to 8 slices rustic sourdough bread, toasted or grilled

To mellow the minced onion, soak it in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain it well, pat dry and put it in a serving bowl. Pulse the ham in a food processor until chunky and add it to the red onion. Pulse the celery, pickles, and jalapeno in the processor until chopped and add to the ham.

Add the scallions to the ham mixture along with the mayonnaise, mustard, and pepper. Refrigerate the salad, covered, until thoroughly chilled, about 1 hour.

Toss the watercress and arugula together and divide among 4 plates. Divide the ham salad evenly on the greens and serve with the toasts.

Enjoy!

*Sorry that I do not have a finished product picture up! I made this the night before so I can have it for lunch tomorrow, so I can't take the picture!*

Greek Rice and Herb Salad

This week has been so crazy with the move and we have ordered out every night! Last night Jay and I were just sick of ordering out so I tried this recipe which was so simple and easy to make. The rice took a little while to cook which gave me time to unpack some more things in the house and then go back to it! A nice flavorful meal to make when you want something easy as well!

*sorry for the lack of pictures...I was busy unpacking while it was cooking!*

Ingredients for the Rice:

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups long grain rice, not converted (we used our regular long grain brown rice)

2 1/4 cups water

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until slightly toasted and golden. Stir in the water and salt, bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 18 minutes. Then let the rice rest off the heat for 5 minutes - don't lift the lid to give a peek or stir or the rice will not cook evenly. Put the rice in a large serving bowl, fluff and separate the grains with a fork, and cool to room temperature. (don't refrigerate the rice or it will get grainy) *this is the way that we cooked the rice last night and I almost suggest to cook the rice your normal way first and then follow the directions for the salad. Our rice was really oily and I didn't feel like it was cooked through completely, but that is why we try and learn from it! :)*

Ingredients for Salad:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

2 ripe medium tomatoes

1 Kirby cucumber with peel, seeded and finely diced (we didn't have Kirby cucumbers and Jay likes the cucumber peeled!)

2 scallions (white and green parts) thinly sliced

1/4 cup minced fresh flat leaf parsley

1/4 cup minced fresh dill (I halved this and used dried)

1/4 cup minced fresh mint (we didn't use this)

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Freshly ground black pepper

Hot Pepper Sauce

1/2 cups coarse crumbled feta cheese (about 6 ounces)

Lemon wedges

Whisk the oil, lemon juice, salt and allspice in a small bowl. Toss the dressing with the cooled rice. Halve the tomatoes crosswise to expose the seeds out of the flesh and discard. Cut the scallions, parsley, dill, mint, and lemon zest to the mixture and toss again. Season with pepper and hot pepper sauce to taste. Scatter the feta cheese across the top and serve, passing the lemon wedges.

Enjoy!

Grilled Plum Salad with Aged Gouda and Pecans

This was a great smelling meal! I could not wait to eat it! Hope you feel the same! :)

Dressing Ingredients:

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)

1 teaspoon honey (I added a little more!)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Mix together the vinegar, honey, salt and black pepper in a large bowl. Slowly add in olive oil until all mixed together and then set to the side.

Salad Ingredients:

4 ripe plums (quartered, and de-pitted)

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

3 cups torn escarole leaves

1 bunch watercress (about 3 cups)

4 ounces aged Gouda, thinly sliced

1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted

*I could not find escarole or watercress at my grocery store - so I used a Spring Mix

Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Brush the plums with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the plums until slightly soft, about 1 minute. Cut the plums in half and mix with dressing - let sit for 15 minutes.

Before serving, toss greens with dressing and top with pecans and cheese.

Enjoy!