Kale Salad

This is my new favorite: A Kale Salad.  I had one  at my church potluck late summer and fell in love.  It was perfect timing because I had a ton of kale growing in my backyard garden for its beauty, not because I wanted to eat it. Our neighborhood garden also had a few varieties planted and was being harvested. You can play with the ingredients a bit but I am listing the ones that I think are THE BEST to add.  My pastor's wife is the one who brought the salad to the dinner and she MASSAGES the kale leaves with coconut oil before tossing the salad.  It makes a difference.  Also, this salad is great on day number 2 and 3!  The kale leaves hold up to the dressing and does not become soggy.  Just lightly dress it if you are storing it. NOTE: If you store it, the coconut oil solidifies, so you must bring it  close to room temperature to liquify it.  You may also add a touch of warm water to the salad before tossing it.  

The Ingredients  

Dressing:  

1/2 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup sugar or 1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon minced dry onion
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon poppyseeds 
Optional: I add 1/4cup raw coconut oil
Salad:
Large bunch of kale (curley)
2 green onions, slivered
1/2 lb. radishes, thinly sliced
2-3 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
2-3 carrots,  thinly sliced
1/4 cup of red cabbage, chopped
1 cup of quartered raw Brussels sprouts
Options: 
Dried cherries or cranberries.  
Fresh blueberries.
Chopped crunchy toasted sweet nuts (cashews or almonds) 
Edamame 
A sprinkle of white cheese, your choice. I like swiss for this salad

Directions

1. Rip kale into bite-sized pieces.
2. Massage with 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil.(see note above)
3. Add salad ingredients and toss with desired amount of dressing.

The Sundance Salad

Crumbled bleu cheese, pine nuts, red onions,dried cherries, poppy seed dressing.  It sounds  like an odd combination, especially the blue cheese with poppy seed dressing, but the two flavors actually compliment each other quite well.  Add that to some crunchy pine nuts, sweet plump cherries and crispy greens, and it's a unique salad next to a tender steak or for lunch with some grilled chicken breast.

Salad Ingredients

• 1 head of romaine lettuce, washed, chopped and refrigerated for crispness
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1 cup of toasted pine nuts
• 1 cup of dried cherries
• 1/2 cup of crumbled bleu cheese  
• 3 grilled chicken breasts, sliced 

Dressing

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons poppy seeds 

Directions

• Mix all of the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake to combine.    
• Plate the greens and place salad ingredients on top.  Toss with dressing.   

As a side salad, omit the chicken and serve with a nice piece of fish or a grilled steak, like a porterhouse or filet.  

Sundance Salad

Crumbled bleu cheese, pine nuts, red onions,dried cherries, poppy seed dressing.  It sounds  like an odd combination, especially the blue cheese with poppy seed dressing, but the two flavors actually compliment each other quite well.  Add that to some crunchy pine nuts, sweet plump cherries and crispy greens, and it's a unique salad next to a tender steak or for lunch with some grilled chicken breast.

Salad Ingredients

• 1 head of romaine lettuce, washed, chopped and refrigerated for crispness
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1 cup of toasted pine nuts
• 1 cup of dried cherries
• 1/2 cup of crumbled bleu cheese  
• 3 grilled chicken breasts, sliced 

Dressing

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons poppy seeds 

Directions

• Mix all of the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake to combine.    
• Plate the greens and place salad ingredients on top.  Toss with dressing.   

As a side salad, omit the chicken and serve with a nice piece of fish or a grilled steak, like a porterhouse or filet.  

Spicy Agave- Lime Vinaigrette

I am working on making the most of the photos that I capture on an iphone. Picasa has been a huge help.  Thanks Abby (Manilla Spoon).   There are so many tools out there for bloggers...I would love to put together a reference list of helpful applications, websites, tutorials and editing features. As well as Facebook help with  dos & dont's.   

So many projects underway or soon to be underway.  I may get buried soon.
So the above and below pictures are my first real attempt at making my photos the best I can get them, in the time that I have to spend. This dressing is great for the salad above, as well as a marinade for chicken or seafood.   AND this recipe  has many of the components used in diet cleansing washes that people use to "flush" their system out-BONUS.  Enjoy.

1 half of a jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled 
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
pinch of cayenne 
3 Tbsp. water
3 Tbsp. agave nectar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro


Directions:

1. Combine jalapeno, garlic, vinegar, lime juice, water, agave and salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. With the motor running, slowly add the oil until emulsified. 
3. Add the cilantro, blend 5 seconds longer. 
4. Run through a sieve for added smoothness.
5. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Green Chile w/ Cilantro Vinaigrette

Looking for a nice salad to put this on?  How about some crispy mixed greens, avocados, grape tomatoes, red onion and some black beans. I can't get these Latin flavors out of my mind!

 Vinaigrette Ingredients: 

2 roasted poblano chiles, peeled, seeded and chopped
4 cloves roasted garlic, peeled
1 cup canola oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon agave nectar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro


Directions:

1. Combine poblano, garlic, vinegar, lime juice, water, agave and salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. With the motor running, slowly add the oil until emulsified
3. Add the cilantro, blend 5 seconds longer. 
4. Run through a sieve for added smoothness.

Carribbean Salad With Passion Fruit Vinaigrette

One of my favorite summer-time salads.  Fixed just about every week, we serve it with grilled chicken & steak.  the vinaigrette is used as a marinade or on top of any favorite salad.

• 4 cups packed Spring Mix greens (4 ounces)
• 1 sliced Mango 
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
• Optional: Caribbean Chicken

Dressing

• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup fresh passion fruit pulp or passion fruit puree
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 Thai red chile, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced chives
• 1 tablespoon chopped basil

1. In a small saucepan, boil the orange juice over high heat until it reduces to 2 tablespoons, about 12 minutes.
2. Pour the reduced orange juice into a small bowl and let cool. Stir in the lime juice, passion fruit pulp, shallot, chile, ginger and honey.
3. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the chives and basil.
4. Toss vinaigrette with greens and mango.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

  True balsamic vinegar is made from a reduction of pressed Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes. The resulting thick syrup, called mosto cotto in Italian, is subsequently aged for a minimum of 12 years in a battery of seven barrels of successively smaller sizes. The casks are made of different woods like chestnut, acacia, cherry, oak, mulberry, ash, and, in the past, juniper. True balsamic vinegar is rich, glossy, deep brown in color and has a complex flavor that balances the natural sweet and sour elements of the cooked grape juice with hints of wood from the casks.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/3 cup Balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup Agave nectar  
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Whisk ingredients until combined. 

Vinaigrette II

• 1 cup Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3cup balsamic vinegar2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Salad greens
• Assortment of salad ingredients (see below)

Pairings:

1. Sliced seedless cucumbers, red onion with asiago cheese and grape tomatoes
2. Walnuts with blue cheese
3. Frisee and bacon with poached egg on top

Asian Sesame & Ginger Salad

When I make my salads, I make sure that the ingredients match the flavor profile.  Like, I would never add cucumbers to a  Latin style dressing.  Nor would  I add peppers to a Caesar salad, or tomatoes to an Asian inspired salad. I just wouldn't.  I also have a hard time not putting something in if I know it belongs.  Like today...I didn't have any RED bell peppers or PURPLE cabbage.  I almost didn't want to make the salad... but I had a bunch of Asian inspired ingredients already out from prepping a Chicken Satay for dinner, and I needed lunch.  That is how I have been rolling lately.  The ingredients are all out, so I say "What can I make with these ingredients set before me, that will serve a double duty purpose?"  So, I made the salad anyway, and it was delicious! I have one extra salad in the fridge for my husbands lunch tomorrow, dinner marinating and a jar full of dressing and lunch eaten. 

Salad
Ingredients

• 1 head of Romain lettuce, cut up
• 1/2 head of small green/red cabbage, chopped small
• 2-4 green onions, slivered
• 2-4 peeled shaved carrots, sliced
• 2- stalks of celery, sliced thin
• Handful of chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 large red pepper better, chopped
• 1 handful of snap peas or snow pea pods, sliced
• Grilled chicken
• Fried ginger flavored wonton strips
• Toasted almonds and/ or sesame seeds
• Asian dressing (see below)

Dressing 
Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger root
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar (white is fine too)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar

Directions

1. In a  pint  jar or larger, combine ingredients.  
2. Cover the jar with a tight fitting lid, and shake well.  
3. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Toss with salad
Great as a marinade

Salads with Vinaigrette

 

Basic Vinaigrette

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• Mixed salad greens, about 4 cups

Options:

1. Add sweet, toasted almonds and mandarin orange slices.
2. Add Cucumber, grape tomatoes, slivered red onion, and shaved asiago or Parmesan cheese.
3. Add sliced avocado, slivered red onion, grape tomatoes (sliced in half) and feta cheese.

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, garlic, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. While whisking, slowly add the olive oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified.

Place the salad greens in a medium bowl and add enough dressing to moisten. Sprinkle with a little extra salt and pepper, if desired, and serve immediately. 

Spicy Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

Ingredients
 1 half of a jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled  1/3 cup canola oil 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 lime pinch of cayenne 
3 Tbsp. water
3 Tbsp. agave nectar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1. Combine jalapeno, garlic, vinegar, lime juice, water, agave and salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. With the motor running, slowly add the oil until emulsified.  3. Add the cilantro, blend 5 seconds longer.  4. Run through a sieve for added smoothness. 5. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Read more at http://sherryscafevita.blogspot.com/search/label/Dressings#YHF7usuSvVxpX5il.99

Passion fruit Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup fresh passion fruit pulp or passion fruit puree
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 Thai red chile, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced chives
• 1 tablespoon chopped basil

1. In a small saucepan, boil the orange juice over high heat until it reduces to 2 tablespoons, about 12 minutes.
2. Pour the reduced orange juice into a small bowl and let cool. Stir in the lime juice, passion fruit pulp, shallot, chile, ginger and honey.
3. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the chives and basil.

Read more at http://sherryscafevita.blogspot.com/search/label/Dressings#YHF7usuSvVxpX5il.99

True balsamic vinegar is made from a reduction of pressed Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes. The resulting thick syrup, called mosto cotto in Italian, is subsequently aged for a minimum of 12 years in a battery of seven barrels of successively smaller sizes. The casks are made of different woods like chestnut, acacia, cherry, oak, mulberry, ash, and, in the past, juniper. True balsamic vinegar is rich, glossy, deep brown in color and has a complex flavor that balances the natural sweet and sour elements of the cooked grape juice with hints of wood from the casks.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/3 cup Balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup Agave nectar  
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Whisk ingredients until combined. 

Vinaigrette II

• 1 cup Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Salad greens
• Assortment of salad ingredients (see below)

Pairings:

1. Sliced seedless cucumbers, red onion with asiago cheese and grape tomatoes
2. Walnuts with blue cheese
3. Frisee and bacon with poached egg on top

Read more at http://sherryscafevita.blogspot.com/search/label/Dressings#YHF7usuSvVxpX5il.99