Quinoa Salad

If you've never heard of quinoa it's probably because it doesn't sound like it's spelled. It is pronounced Keen Wa. A whole grain packed full of nutrients and tons of protein, quinoa is perfect for anyone trying to eat a little healthier. It can be substituted in place of pasta or rice in many salad recipes with ease. Quinoa is actually a seed not a pasta, and when it is cooked the outer ring separates from the rest of the grain. It is very bland on it's own, so if eating it plain, you could cook it in low-sodium chicken/vegetable broth for more flavor. One thing to note is that uncooked quinoa has a bitter coating and should be rinsed thoroughly under cold water before cooking.

Quinoa & Vegetable Salad
by Mixed Salad Annie

1 cup uncooked quinoa
½ cup lightly steamed broccoli florets
½ cup lightly steamed green beans
½ jar pickled red beets, quartered
1 medium shallot, minced
1 celery stalk, sliced thin
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
Fresh black pepper and salt, or to taste
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar, or to taste
1 Tablespoon olive oil to taste
Note: You could also use a bottled salad dressing in place of the oil and vinegar, such as Olde Cape Fat-Free Sesame Soy Ginger

Directions

Rinse quinoa under cold water for about 2 minutes. Place in 2 quart saucepan with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until water is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy. Allow to cool.

Mix together all the ingredients and your salad is ready!

Grilled Corn and Edamame Salad

A Great Summer Salad!

Grilled Fresh Sweet Corn Is The Star Here...
Straight From Confreda Greenhouses and Farm in Cranston... Picked That Same Day!

Accompanied By Some Other Colorful and Healthy Ingredients
Perfect for a light and satisfying lunch.
Packed with nutrition and most importantly, flavor!

Topped Off With Some Tri-Color Torellini~ Makes A Great Hearty Dinner!

This recipe was inspired by my local Stop & Shop market. I often see an Edamame Salad in the prepared food case in the deli section. It caught my eye because it is so colorful. It was pretty easy to deconstruct and make my own with some special touches.

I love making salads like this in the summer. And this one is refreshing and light, yet really is packed with nutritious ingredients. Plus, who can resist fresh sweet corn in the summer? Well there's no need to resist, since it is a good choice in any healthy diet. According to the World's Healthiest Foods Website, corn is a good source of vitamin B1, vitamin B5, folate, dietary fiber, vitamin C, phosphorus and manganese. It is especially good for cardiovascular health due to the great source of folate it supplies. The edamame (soy beans) are also super healthy to eat. They are a great source of protein and contain loads of healthy fats. The red bell pepper contains a huge amount of vitamin C and the black beans add more protein and of course, fiber.
This salad can be served as a light lunch, a side dish with grilled chicken or fish, or served with pasta as a main course entree.

Grilled Corn and Edamame Salad

by Mixed Salad Annie~ Serves 4-6

2 corn ears, silks and outer husks removed (leave a thin layer of husks on)
8 ounces (1/2 of one pound bag) frozen shelled edamame, cooked according to instructions on bag and cooled
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small shallot, minced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup green olives, pitted and chopped (optional)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
Dash freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (parsley or basil can be substituted)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Heat a gas grill to medium-high, light a charcoal fire or place indoor stovetop grill over medium high heat.

Place corn directly on grill and cook for around 15 minutes, rolling corn occasionally so all sides get grill marks. Set aside until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.

Pull off charred husks and discard. Stand each ear on its wide end, and using a serrated knife, remove grilled corn kernels from cobs. Add kernels to a large bowl.

Add all remaining ingredients to bowl and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let flavors meld together. Serve at room temperature.

Bachelor or not, this is a great salad...

Caramelized Fennel Salad ~
Giada DeLaurentiis thinks this is the perfect salad for single guys!

Personally, I don't think most Bachelors could be bothered caramelizing anything to put on top of a salad. I understand her point being that it is an easy, yet elegant dish that anyone could prepare with minimal effort. And by the way it was easy and quite elegant, but most importantly delicious!

I made a few changes to her Caramelized Pancetta and Fennel Salad recipe. Firstly, I used Canadian bacon in place of the pancetta. I don't buy a lot of pancetta, or bacon for that matter, but I do try to have Canadian bacon on hand for dishes that call for some kind of pork fat product. I like to use the Canadian bacon because it is a lot lower in fat and I feel better about eating it. For this recipe, I cut mine in small pieces before roasting them, but I wouldn't do that the next time I make it. The smaller pieces got a little too hard and chewy, although the flavor was great.

Secondly, I cut down the sugar because I didn't want it to be sweet. And it wasn't, it was just enough to help caramelize everything. And we all know that caramelizing is a good thing. It's where all the flavor comes from. YUM!

Caramelized Fennel Salad
Adapted from Giada DiLaurentiis

1 bulb fennel, halved and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
5 slices Canadian bacon, cut in thirds
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 ounces (about 6 to 7 cups) Romaine lettuce, or mixed salad greens
Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, toss together fennel, Canadian bacon, garlic, brown sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place the ingredients on the baking sheet in a single layer. Cook until the Canadian bacon is crisp and the fennel is caramelized, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, place the salad greens, Canadian bacon, and caramelized fennel. Toss the salad with the Red Wine Vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Turkey Waldorf Salad

A Healthy and Light Summer Salad...So Yummy!

I love light dishes like this in the summer. They are not too filling on a warm day, but satisfying and healthy. It's a great way to incorporate more fruits into your diet. And we all know how important it is too eat our fruits and vegetables, especially organic. The vitamins are at their peak when the fruit is raw and the fiber is highest when eaten with the peel. This salad has both.

The lightness of the salad comes from the fat-free yogurt dressing. Not only does it give a delicious creamy texture, but it also provides calcium, protein and most importantly: pro-biotics which are so important for digestion and health in general.

The classic waldorf salad does not include turkey, but I like the added protein it provides. Plus it gives the salad more substance and can be eaten as your main course. Of course, you could substitute chicken for the turkey, both work well.

Waldorf Turkey/Chicken Salad
adapted from Cooks.com

6 0z. container of plain low fat yogurt (I used stonyfield organic)

1 tbsp. mayonaise
2 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar (I used organic raw unfiltered)
1/8 tsp. salt
dash of pepper

SALAD:

2 c. cubed cooked turkey or chicken (I used naturally raised turkey which I roasted the day before)
1 c. chopped apple (I used one organic fuji apple and squeezed fresh lemon juice on top to prevent browning before adding to salad)
1 c. halved red grapes (I used organic)
1/2 c. thinly sliced celery (I used organic)
1/2 c. raisins (I plumped them in water, then squeezed out water in paper towels)
lettuce leaves (I used organic romaine)
Handful of walnuts, whole or pieces

In small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients; blend well. In large bowl, combine all salad ingredients except lettuce and walnuts. Pour dressing over salad; toss gently. Cover. Refrigerate 1-2 hours to blend flavors. Stir salad before serving. Serve on 4 lettuce lined plates. Sprinkle with walnuts.