Salad Dressings

I hate purchasing salad dressing. They either have high fructose corn syrup ("which is fine if eaten in moderation" except that it's at least as bad as sugar and there's no way to eat it in moderation since it's now literally in everything that's not produce... end rant), or it tastes bad.

We usually just mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a pinch of mustard into our salad, but that's getting old now, especially in the warmer weather. So with minimal research (ask the magic Google), I found this article from Eating Well, that lists a variety of seemingly easy salads and salad dressings to make at home that look pretty healthy!

I'm trying this Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing which can be stored for a week.

• 1 small shallot, peeled (note: ensure it is small or only use a portion of one or the dressing has a very onion-y flavor)
  
• 3/4 cup nonfat cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk powder (my grocer didn't have this and it was still tasty)
  
• 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup nonfat milk
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

With the food processor running, add shallot through the feed tube and process until finely chopped. Add cottage cheese, mayonnaise, buttermilk powder and vinegar. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary, about 3 minutes. Pour in milk while the processor is running. Scrape down the sides, add dill, salt and pepper and process until combined.

Non-Mayo Potato Salad

This is the greatest potato salad ever. I love potato salad but I rarely make it because of it basically being a big bowl of starch+fat. But this recipe uses an olive oil dressing instead, which makes it the good kind of fat, plus it really just tastes amazing. I love it.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes (about 3 large), cut into uniform 1/2 to 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/3 cup chopped flavorful olives - green or Kalamata (I bought a little container of mixed and seasoned olives from the deli which worked great)
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  

Instructions:

1. Put potatoes into a saucepan, cover with an inch of cold water. Salt the water (about a teaspoon and a half for 2 quarts of water). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain well.
2. Put potatoes in a large serving bowl with the celery, red onion, olives, and parsley.
   
3. Whisk the oil and vinegar and mix with the rest while the potatoes are still warm, so they absorb the dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste. Adjust vinegar and oil to taste.
4. Serve warm. Serves 4 to 6.

Credit to Simply Recipes.

Portabella and Kasha "Burgers"

I am not usually a fan of "veggie burgers" from scratch just to do it, but this recipe from one of my favorites Epicurious just looked too great to pass up! And it uses kasha, which is new for us and delicious. I've pasted the recipe below with credits so I don't lose it.

Overall the burgers taste fabulous, but it is definitely a weekend activity to make these things. NOTE that below this is saying you prepare the patties, then chill for an hour before you do the final cook and serve.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup coarse kasha (whole roasted buckwheat groats)
• 1 pound portabella mushrooms, stems discarded
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper (I used green which is generally cheaper and it was great)
  
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (I simply left this out and it was great)
  
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 1/2 cups fine dry bread crumbs, divided
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten*
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise*
• 1 tablespoon Tabasco chipotle sauce, or to taste
• 4 buns
  

Instructions:

1. Bring water to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan, then stir in kasha. Cover and reduce heat to low, then cook until kasha is tender and water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool.
2. Break one third of mushrooms into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, then transfer to a bowl. Repeat with remaining 2 batches of mushrooms, transferring to bowl.
3. Cook onion and bell pepper in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chopped mushrooms, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until any liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
   
4. Transfer mixture to a large bowl, then stir in kasha, parsley, soy sauce, and 1/2 cup bread crumbs until combined well. Cool 10 minutes, then stir in egg until combined well.
5. Line a platter with foil. Spread remaining cup bread crumbs in a shallow baking dish.
6. Form one fourth of mushroom mixture (about 3/4 cup) into a 3/4-inch-thick patty (3 1/2 inches in diameter), then dredge in bread crumbs, knocking off excess, and transfer to platter. Form and dredge 3 more patties, transferring to platter.
   
7. Chill patties, loosely covered with plastic wrap, 1 hour.(When I did this, I just put them i the freezer for about 30-40 minutes and it worked.)
8. Heat oil in cleaned 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then fry patties, turning over once, until deep golden, about 4 minutes total. Transfer patties to paper towels to drain (patties will be soft).
9. Meanwhile, whisk together mayonnaise and chipotle sauce, and toast the buns.
10. Spread buns with chipotle mayonnaise and add patty.

* If you want to make this vegan it is extremely straight-forward and wouldn't change the taste. Just use a substitute "sticky" substance like egg substitute, and use veganaise instead of mayo.

Credit to Epicurious.

Caprese Pasta

This is so easy. I learned this general dish years ago as a great entertainment dinner because you can have it all ready except the pasta and toss at the end before your guests arrive, so that you aren't in the kitchen while your party is having fun. My host used mozerella but we used goat cheese last night and it was much tangier -- depends on your taste :)

Serves 4. Easy to double or triple.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fuselli (spiral) pasta (we prefer the whole wheat variety but regular is fine as well)
• 2 c grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 1/2 c fresh basil leaves
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tblsp olive oil (plus some for drizzling)
• 5 tblsp goat cheese or mozerella

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. In the meantime, put most of the basil leaves, the garlic cloves and the olive oil in a food processor and pulse a few times until the they are chopped finely. Add the chopped basil mixture and tomatoes to a large pasta serving dish.
3. Once the pasta is ready, drain and toss with a bit of olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Add to the bowl and toss with mixture.
4. Add cheese in small bits to the pasta and toss well so that the cheese spreads evenly and melts.

Pre-dinner prep instructions:

1. Do step 2 ahead and time, and let sit at room temperature.
2. Once guests arrive, start your pasta and then the toss and cheese steps only take less than 5 minutes to complete.

Additions:

• This would also be great served with chunks of cooked chicken breast.

Easy Gazpacho

Summertime is here! I have made this one day ahead hoping that the flavors will be even better tomorrow, but the taste test passed today :)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 vidalia onion, diced
  
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 1 large English cucumber, finely chopped (with seeds)
  
• 3/4 jicama, peeled, finely chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, finely chopped
• 2 tblsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Tobasco
• 2 1/2 c V8 Original
  
• creme fraiche for serving (optional)
• another small cucumber for serving (optional)
• mint sprigs for serving, (optional)

Instructions:

• Chop all of the vegetables into very small pieces so that eating them in the soup is pleasant, not like a vegetable side dish :). Combine them in a large mixing bowl.
• Add the Worcestershire sauce, tobasco and V8 and stir.
• Using a blender wand (my favorite kitchen tool), puree *some* of the soup, but not all, so that nice chunks of fresh vegetables remain.
• Chill for 24 hours before serving for best results.
• Serving recommendation: top each bowl with a spoonful of creme fraiche, sprinkle of cucumber cubes, and a sprig of mint. Serve with a slice of toasted, crusty bread.
  

Cinco de Mayo Chicken

I got the general idea of this recipe from Health magazine but definitely had to make it in my order and add a lot more spice. It was great for cinco de mayo! I served this over a bit of quinoa but it could be served over some spanish rice or other grain. Also, I didn't have an avacado, but I think this would be great served with avacado slices or some quacamole.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken tenders
• chili powder
• dried oregano
• cayenne pepper
• salt
• 1 tblsp olive oil
• 1 c crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 c water
• 3/4 c frozen corn
• 2 green onions, sliced
• tobasco or favorite hot sauce
• 1 lime, quartered (for topping)
• 1 c cilantro, chopped (for topping)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the chicken on a separate plate. Sprinkle both sides of all pieces with chili powder, cayenne, and a small amount of oregano. Sprinkle one side with salt.
2. Heat large skillet with olive oil and saute chicken tenders. If the pan is not large enough, cook 1/2 of the chicken until almost done, then cook the rest until almost done, and then they will reduce in size so you can add them all back to the pan together. Total cooking time should be less than 5 minutes before proceeding to next step.
3. Add tomatoes and 1/2 c water over chicken and bring to boil.
4. Mix onions and corn in bowl and add to pan. Add another 1/2 c water. Cover and let simmer on low heat for another 5 minutes or until corn is cooked through.
5. Serve chicken over grain, add sauce and then top with cilantro. Serve with a slice of lime.

Lentil and Veggie Stuffed Bell Peppers

I made this up! yay! It's actually quite tasty -- it has an earthy kind of flavor but you can still taste the freshness from the carrots.

• 3 tblsp vegetable broth
• 1 large shallot, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 large carrot, skinned, chopped into tiny pieces
• 1/2 c portabella mushrooms, diced
• 1/2 c cooked brown rice*
• 1/2 c brown lentils, drained and rinsed (canned)
• 4 tblsp cilantro, chopped
• 4 tblsp feta
• 2 green bell peppers
• olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. On medium heat, cook the shallot and garlic in the broth until they begin to release their aroma. Add the carrot and mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. If they start to stick, add water 1 tblsp at a time.
3. Transfer carrot mixture to mixing bowl. Add cooked brown rice and lentils. Stir to combine.
4. Add cilantro and 2 tablespoons of the feta. Stir to combine.
5. Cut off just the tops of the bell peppers and scoop out the inside (rinse to remove seeds). Put a small bit of olive oil in your hands and lightly coat the outside and top cut edge of the bell peppers. Fill the bell peppers with the carrot mixture almost to the top, then top with the remaining feta.
6. Place the stuffed peppers on a lined cookie sheet or thin pan and bake for about 20 - 30 minutes or until the outsides of the peppers begin to wrinkle (note that the feta will not really appear to melt).

*Variations!
We got a bag of lentils and plenty of other ingredients so I tried two slightly different variations.

1. use red quinoa instead of brown rice. richer flavor.
2. add alcohol to the cooked vegetable mixture. the first time I used rose wine and I really really liked that. the second time I used a lager and it was good but not special like the wine made it.