Tag: healthy salads
Brussels Sprouts and Pomegranate Seeds with Orange Tahini Dressing
I like to experiment different dishes before Thanksgiving- this one is a winner. Delicious roasted Brussels sprouts in an orange tahini dressing.
3 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
Roast the Brussels sprouts with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of salt and pepper in a 400 degrees oven for 15 minutes, till golden brown. Set aside and let cool.
1 cup pomegranate seeds
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup fresh parsley, leaves picked and cleaned
Salt
Dressing
2 tablespoons tahini, room temperature
Juice of one large navel orange
Juice of one lime
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, grated
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, check for seasonings and adjust if necessary.
Transfer the sprouts, pomegranate seeds, walnuts and parsley to a serving bowl. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of dressing, mix well and add more dressing if necessary or fix seasonings by adding salt and pepper. Serve room temperature.
Golden Beets and Asparagus Salad with Kalamata Olives and Feta Cheese
- 4 to 5 golden beets, ends cut off and wrapped in aluminum foil
- 2 bunches asparagus, ends cut off and washed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Roast the beets for an hour in the oven. Take the foil off and peel the beets and cut into one-inch pieces. Keep aside.
Place the asparagus tips onto a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle the oil, salt and pepper. Mix well and roast in the same oven for 30 minutes or till the asparagus is soft and golden brown. Keep aside.
- ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup kalamata olives, sliced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- Pepper
Add the mustard to a small bowl. Add the white wine vinegar and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil while whisking well.
Place the beets and asparagus in a serving bowl. Pour the mustard sauce and mix well. Add the cheese and olives. Serve room temperature.
Apple & Kale Salad with Pancetta Dressing
I was watching the Cooking Channel and came across this recipe. Well, not exactly the same one but something similar. The original was made with pears and was served over lettuce greens. I decided to change it up a bit and use up some end of the summer nectarines instead. Since summer fruit is now gone, feel free to use apples or pears. Either way this salad is delicious!!
- 4 cups baby kale
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup pancetta, chopped
- 2 medium apples , sliced thin
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 1-2 teaspoons honey
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
- Salt
- Pepper
Heat a medium frying pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Take the pancetta out with a slotted spoon. Add one tablespoon olive oil, apple slices, honey and balsamic vinegar. Cook on medium heat while stirring gently for 4 to 5 minutes. Take the apple slices out with a slotted spoon. Add the mustard, vinegar, remaining olive oil, honey and almonds. Using a whisk, stir vigorously to emulsify the dressing. Add salt and pepper. Taste for seasonings.
Add the greens to a salad bowl. Add the nectarines, rendered pancetta and the warm dressing. Toss and serve.
Fennel Apple & Endive Salad
This is a delicious, crunchy salad- a departure from your regular, green variety. It has a combination of fresh fennel and endives. I added a crunchy apple to add some tartness and amazing flavor. I then complemented the salad with an orange dressing. The whole combination is delicious!!
- 1 fennel bulb, core taken out, cleaned and sliced thin
- 1 medium Pink Lady apple, core taken out, sliced thin
- 1 green endive, cut in half and sliced thin
- 1 red endive, cut in half and sliced thin
Transfer all the ingredients to a salad bowl.
Orange Dressing
- Juice of 4 clementines
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Add all the ingredients to an airtight container and mix really well until all the dressing is emulsified. Pour on to the vegetables and toss well. Add salt and pepper if necessary.
Pomegranate and Feta Salad
Pomegranates are festive. They are my favorite fruit- a bit labor intensive to take the seeds out but so worth all the work. For some reason, I can’ get myself to buy the shelled ones in the stores- so I choose to put in the work.
I love the tangy taste but most of all I love the way the seeds look- like tiny jewels.
I decided to incorporate a salad made with pomegranate seeds dressed with a pomegranate vinaigrette. I had a huge bowl filled with pomegranate seeds and a chunk of feta in my fridge. I thought of feta cheese to cut the tang of the pomegranate seeds. For the vinaigrette, I took out my bottle of pomegranate glaze. I mixed in some white wine vinegar a bit of honey and of course some extra virgin olive oil. The flavors were incredible- tangy, sweet and savory.
Definitely a great salad for the big feast..
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Israeli Couscous with Cranberries and Pecans
This is yet another great side dish to serve with any kind of protein. It will go really well with burgers, hot dogs, steaks and fish.
I made it with some grilled chicken. I used the harvest grain blend from Trader Joes which includes a few different grains including Israeli couscous.
I kept it simple with dried cranberries and pecans.
I made a quick orange dressing with fresh orange juice, orange zest, white wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. I mixed the yummy dressing into the cooked couscous blend and I had a delicious and healthy side dish.
My daughter didn’t care for the cranberries and nuts- so I took them out for her and she ate the grains. I made a simple green salad on the side and we had a light and delicious meal.
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Black Bean and Mango Salad
This salad is perfect for summer time- no cooking involved. Just put some ingredients together and make your vinaigrette and you have a great side dish to complement anything at all. It is even great as a light meal at the end of the day or for lunch with a fried egg on top.
I made it with the fish tacos (recipe to follow tomorrow). I was going to make a simple green salad but then thought of doing a bean salad instead. I had mangoes and sweet peppers in my fridge and paired them with green onions and cilantro. I always have different kinds of canned beans in my pantry. Beans are super healthy and add great texture to any dish.
The dressing was simply, lime juice, honey, roasted cumin and olive oil. You can’t get this delicious vinaigrette out of a bottle and yet it is so simple to make. I added the dressing to the salad and let it sit for a few hours before serving it with the delicious tacos.
It was a big hit- super healthy and delicious- and best of all, very easy to make.
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