Category Archives: Sauce/Dressing

Fresh Summer Chopped Salad with Homemade Seedy Crackers

Posted on by

3

Sometimes I hate flying.

Here are some of my thoughts from my flight yesterday.

1) Why yes, I was hoping to pay $3.50 for greek yogurt since I can’t bring in my own.

2) I have to go to the bathroom, but I didn’t want to disrupt everyone in my row. Twice. So I will sit here.

3) Dude sitting beside me, don’t worry about covering your cough. I was hoping to get sick anyway.

4) Wow, what a cute 5-year old you have! They would be even cuter if they would stop screaming. It’s just, I only slept about 4 hours last night and I was really hoping to get a bit of a nap. But it’s okay, I prefer to feel like I am in a horror movie.

5) No thank you, I don’t want a $7 snack pack. I already spent my rent on the breakfast I bought in the terminal.

But it’s not all bad. When I finally landed, I was in gorgeous San Diego. The breeze softly blowing my hair; the temperature comfortably 20 degrees lower than in Arizona; the ocean a deep blue in the distance.

Soon I had forgotten about my flight and was floating through a massive Trader Joes (like, the biggest I’ve ever visited) and then Whole Foods collecting the ingredients to make dinner.

Being in San Diego brings me back to this salad. It is overflowing with ripe avocado, grilled corn and chicken, sweet berries, tangy feta cheese, and a sweet, slightly tart vinaigrette.

Oh, and I made some homemade crackers. They were the bomb-diggidy.

Make this. Eat this. Enjoy the last days of summer.

Fresh Summer Chopped Salad

This salad pays homage to the last days of summer. It is full of everything wonderful and delicious. Oh yeah, and it’s gorgeous (just look at all those colors).

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 2 1/1 cups romaine, chopped
  • 2 ears fresh corn, shucked
  • 2/3 cup blueberries
  • 2/3 cup strawberries, hulled and chopped
  • 1 grilled chicken breast, chopped
  • 1 avocado, chopped
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
  • 1/3 cup cilantro, stems removed and chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

For the dressing

  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil

Method

1. Lightly coat corn cobs with olive oil. Grill corn cobs over an open flame (I used the burner on the stove) or on a grill. Once the kernels appear lightly charred, remove from heat. Place the corn cob flat on a cutting board. With downward motion toward cutting board, cut of the entire length of one side. Continue this, rotating the cob around. Once most of the corn has been removed, take the back of your knife and run it down the length of the corn to remove the remaining bits of corn. **Alternatively, the corn can be served fresh cut off the cob**

2. In a large bowl, mix together lettuce, corn, chicken, avocado, blueberries, strawberries, and feta. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then toss thoroughly.

3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together lime juice, honey, olive oil and vinegar. Pour over salad, then toss once more. Serve with Homemade Seedy Crackers (or other chip/cracker), recipe below.

Recipe lightly adapted from How Sweet Eats

Homemade Seedy Crackers

These Crackers come from the Daring Bakers July Challenge. They are wonderfully crunchy, overflowing with seeds and flavor. Before baking, I sprinkled them with a bit of dried minced garlic and pressed it down with the rolling pin. Next time I will experiment with more topping flavors: caraway, minced onion, rosemary. 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (240 ml) (140 gm/5 oz) whole wheat four
  • 1 cup (240 ml) 140 gm/5 oz) all-purpose (plain) flour
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) (50 gm) (1¾ oz)poppy seeds
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) (40 gm) (1¼ oz) sesame seeds
  • 1½ teaspoons (7½ ml) (9 gm) table salt
  • 1½ teaspoons (7½ ml) (8 gm) baking powder
  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
  • ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon (195 ml) (6½ fl oz) water

Method

1. Mix the flours, seeds, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the oil and stir until combined. Add the water until the dough comes together.

2. Kneed the dough 5 or 6 times and allow to rest, covered, on the counter for 15 minutes. You can also chill the dough at this point and come back later.

3. Preheat the oven to hot 450°F/230°C/gas mark 8.4. Working with a quarter of the dough at a time, either use a rolling pin to reach a desired thickness (thick or thin) or roll out in your pasta rollers. If you use pasta rollers, ensure the dough is well-floured so as not to stick. Place strips of dough on a sheet pan lined with parchment.

5. If the crackers are thick, bake for 7 minutes, flip them over and bake for 7 minutes more. Then cut or break into crackers shapes while still warm. Return to the oven for a further 5 minutes until crispy (although for some of my crackers needed less than 5 minutes). If not crispy enough when cooled, crackers can be returned to the oven. Store in an airtight container and eat within 2 weeks.

Recipe from Dana McFarlane on Daring Bakers

Related Recipes

Cabbage Salad with Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette, Roasted Almonds and Cara-Cara Oranges

Caesar Salad

Summer Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

Looking for more Cooking College Chick? Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest! You can also subscribe on the upper right hand bar to receive email updates! Happy Cooking!!!

Farfalle Pasta Salad with Cannellini Beans

Posted on by

5

I had a fondue party a few days ago. It was a delightful evening filled with youtube videos, My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding, and lots of cheese. Sounds like a hot and crazy night, right? ;)

Have you ever eaten fondue? It’s one of those foods (or meals, I guess) that makes me feel like I’m back in the 1970s. I don’t really know why, but I want to put on my disco shoes and paint the town red.

As usual, I went a little crazy and thought of every possible dipping food we could use. I had bread cubes and apples, veggies and pretzels, melty cheese and those cute little fondue sticks, The Village People and Earth, Wind, and Fire. It was a cheesy evening (che-vening?) that will live on in infamy.

I could totally just hear Morgan Freeman narrating that…

Anyway, after that deliciously heavy dining extravaganza, I was craving something a bit more fresh. One of my favorite summer foods (even though I probably have a million “favorite summer foods”) would have to be pasta salad. It’s cold, quick, and full of summer’s bountiful and delicious vegetables.

I made this salad by basically just rooting through the kitchen (as I usually do). It all started with a gorgeous bag of stipey red and green farfalle.

My “inner designer” wanted to bring out the vibrant red in the pasta, so I added cherry tomatoes. I also added white beans because my “inner old lady” thought the added fiber and protein would take it from a side dish to a meal. My “inner Ina Garten” threw in a tasty homemade vinaigrette, and this pasta salad was born!

I might need to see a doctor about all of these inner selves.

I was so impressed by how easy and flavorful this dish was. It would pair excellently with grilled chicken or fish, but it’s also substantial enough to eat alone.

Last Year: Shish Kabobs

Farfalle Pasta Salad with Cannellini Beans

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 9 oz. farfalle pasta
  • 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans (also called white beans), rinsed and drained
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup Italian Pesto dressing (recipe below, or you can use your own Italian dressing)
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Place cooled pasta in a large bowl.

2. To the pasta add sliced tomatoes, cannellini beans, dressing (I went light on the dressing, but you can always add more if you like), salt and pepper. Mix well. Pasta salad may be served immediately, but it tastes better if it has at least an hour to marinate in the fridge. Store leftovers in fridge for up to 5 days.

Italian Pesto Dressing

Makes 3/4 cup

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 2 to 2-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon pesto (I used jarred, but homemade works too!)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  • 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon pepper (I like more pepper)
  • red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
Method
1. In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients. Whisk vigorously. Chill throughly. Shake before serving.

Italian Dressing adapted from The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook

Sesame Ginger Salmon

Posted on by

2

I wish I could give you more pictures of this salmon.

But to be honest, it was just so delicious that I inhaled it in a matter of minutes. I guess I could take a picture of my stomach, but that might be weird.

The marinade for the salmon came from leftover dressing from this amazing salad. You should make it!

The salmon is first pan seared for a few minutes on both sides to give it a tasty crust. Then, it’s popped in the oven to continue cooking. Brilliant!

Yeah, I’ll just leave you with the two pictures I have and encourage you to make this with it. Or this. Or this. Okay, I think you get the point now.

Sesame Ginger Salmon adapted from this dressing

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 4 6-8 oz. salmon fillets
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup honey (or more, to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • zest from 1 orange
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • sesame seeds, to sprinkle
  • olive oil for skillet

Method

1. In a bowl, mix together olive oil, honey, sesame oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, ground ginger, orange zest, and salt and pepper. Add more honey to sweeten, if necessary. Set aside

2. Rinse salmon fillets in cool water and place them into a large marinating dish. Pour marinade over fillets. Marinate in the fridge for 2-3 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Remove fillets from dish (but reserve marinating liquid) and place them in skillet and cook for about four minutes or until the side is lightly browned. Flip and cook the other side (The salmon will not be cooked through). Place the seared salmon back in the marinating dish, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and put into the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until fish is cooked through (the thickness of your fish will determine your cooking time).Remove fish from oven. Serve immediately with rice or a tasty veggie, or both. The marinade/dressing becomes a delicious glaze for the fish.

Cabbage Salad with Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette, Roasted Almonds, and Cara Cara Oranges

Posted on by

11

I’ve done a lot of very important eating over the last few weeks of spring.

I ate authentic Neapolitan pizza with the ‘rents

Mom and Dad, that’s you two, just in case you didn’t understand my twenty-something lingo.

I ate Ethiopian food with lovely friends all the way from England.

The Ethiopian food wasn’t from England.

The friend was.

I think I made that more confusing than it was. Or maybe I made it less confusing than it already wasn’t. Now I’m just making a mess. Let’s get back to the tasty food.

I ate an amazing veggie sandwich with incredible macaroni and cheese.

I jealously watched my mom eat this fantastic dessert.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream + Banana + Caramel + Chocolate = My dream dessert

I ate things, that to be honest, I didn’t even know what I was eating.

Oh, and I ran a little half marathon. No big deal…

I find that while I do enjoy all of this crazy delicious eating, I most often enjoy preparing healthier foods. The temperature has been steadily increasing here in the west, causing me to crave quick and light meals filled with delicious veggies and fresh fruits.

This salad is an incredible combination of fresh and tasty ingredients. Crunchy purple! and napa cabbage is topped with sweet and slightly tart cara cara oranges (they are like a pink navel orange).

Roasted almonds and toasted sesame oil add a delightful nuttiness to the salad and a tangy ginger vinaigrette tops it all off.

This is the perfect summer dish. It’s filled with bright colors and loads of tasty flavors.

Cabbage Salad with Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette, Roasted Almonds, and Cara Cara Oranges lightly adapted from Roost Blog

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

  • 4 cups napa cabbage, sliced thin
  • 4 cups purple cabbage, sliced thin
  • 2 cara cara oranges (or blood oranges), peel and pith removed and cut into wedges
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
  • Ginger Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Ginger Vinaigrette

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 TBS toasted sesame oil
  • 1 TBS red wine vinegar
  • 1 TBS honey (or agave nectar to make it vegan)
  • 1/2 TBS dijon mustard
  • 3/4 tsp ground ginger
  • zest from 1 cara cara orange
  • salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine both cabbages, orange slices, and almonds, set aside.

2. In a smaller bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing. Drizzle desired amount of dressing over salad (I didn’t use all of it) and toss until combined. Serve immediately with good company and a tasty summer dessert.

Related Recipes:

Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Caesar Salad

Follow me on Twitter and Pinterest!