I am a huge fan of salads, what a great way to get your veggies in for the day! While I enjoy a good, basic lettuce salad, mixed with some cucumber, tomato and green pepper, there are many other possibilities to explore! Veggie salads, fruit salads, pasta salads, bread salads, even bean salads! With the warm weather finally arriving here in Michigan, I am always looking for cool summer recipes that don't require a lot of cooking time.
I saw this one on food network the other day, tried it the next day, and it was fantastic! If you have bread in your house that is getting a bit stale, it's perfect for this salad. You can use grape, cherry, or any other kind of tomato that you have on hand. I recommend using fresh basil instead of the dried kind, the flavor is just so much better. This one is great cold on the second day, if you're lucky enough to have leftovers!
Scalloped Tomatoes - Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa
Ingredients
- Good olive oil - Extra Virgin Olive oil for the best flavor
- 2 cups (1/2-inch diced) good bread, this is no place for wonder bread!
- 16 plum tomatoes, cut 1/2-inch dice (about 2 1/2 pounds) - or a bunch of grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup julienned basil leaves, lightly packed
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12 inch) saute pan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and stir to coat with the oil. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the cubes are evenly browned.
Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. When the bread cubes are done, add the tomato mixture and continue to cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the basil.
Pour the tomato mixture into a shallow (6 to 8 cup) baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly. Serve hot or warm.
One of my favorite summer salads is Tabbouleh. I love it because it allows me to use the herbs and tomatoes from my garden when they are going absolutely wild and need to be used up. I have made the traditional recipe hundreds of times, and loved it. I was intrigued but skeptical when I saw a recipe for Cauliflower Tabbouleh, where you replace the cracked wheat with finely ground cauliflower. I like all kinds of raw vegetables, but wondered if my family would eat it. I found that my concern was completely unfounded. Not only did they like it, but there were no leftovers! Next time I will double the recipe to make sure that I have some for lunch the next day! At 114 calories per 1 cup serving, how can you go wrong?
Cauliflower Tabbouleh
| 2 | bags (12 ounces each) cauliflower florets |
| 3 | tablespoons olive oil |
| 1 | teaspoon curry powder - if you don't like curry, skip this ingredient, it's still really good! |
| 1 | small bunch of flat leaf parsley |
| 1 | medium onion, finely chopped (3/4 cup) |
| 1/2 | seedless cucumber, chopped (1-1/2 cups) |
| 1 | cup chopped ripe tomato |
| 1/3 | cup fresh lemon juice |
| 1/4 | teaspoon salt |
| 1/2 | teaspoon black pepper |
| Romaine lettuce - optional | |
| 1. Cut large cauliflower florets into uniform pieces. Place cauliflower in food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse to grate into uniform granules, about 1 minute. |
| 2. Meanwhile, rinse parsley and trim and discard large stems. Place parsley springs in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse to chop, 10 to 20 seconds. |
| 3. Combine reserved cooked cauliflower, parsley, onion, cucumber and tomato in a large bowl. |
| 4. In a small bowl mix remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1/3 cup lemon juice, curry powder salt and pepper. Pour over cauliflower mixture and toss with rubber spatula to mix well. Serve at room temperature or chilled on Romaine lettuce leaves. |
I made this salad for the first time last night to have with grilled chicken. I love the combination of sweet and salty, and wasn't disappointed. Next time I might add some pecans on top for crunch. If you don't have arugula, leaf lettuce works great in this recipe. If all you have is romaine or iceberg, just chop it fairly fine. I also reduced the amount of olive oil from 1/2 cup to 1/8 cup. It really cut down on the calories without adversely affecting the consistency of the dressing.
Arugula, Watermelon and Feta Salad - Ina Garten - Food Network
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice - the made from concentrate one is just fine too!
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
- 1/4 cup minced shallots (1 large)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 cup good olive oil - I cut this down to 1/8 cup, and it was fine.
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cups baby arugula, washed and spun dry - or whatever lettuce you have
- 1/8th seedless watermelon, rind removed, and cut in 1-inch cubes
- 12 ounces good feta cheese, 1/2-inch diced - the crumbled kind is fine too!
- 1 cup (4 ounces) whole fresh mint leaves, julienned
Directions
Whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, shallots, honey, salt, and pepper. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly, to form an emulsion. If not using within an hour, store the vinaigrette covered in the refrigerator.
Place the arugula, watermelon, feta, and mint in a large bowl. Drizzle with enough vinaigrette to coat the greens lightly and toss well. Taste for seasonings and serve immediately.
And lastly, this one is a meal in itself! I doubled the amount of canned tuna to give it more protein.
Tuna Bread Salad - Melissa D'Arabian - Food Network
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup cooked great Northern white beans
- 1 (5 to 6-ounce) can light tuna, packed in oil, drained - I used 2 cans
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup sliced pitted kalamata olives
- 1/2 long baguette, cut into cubes (slightly stale works great)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh basil leaves (or oregano)
Directions
In medium serving bowl, add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Let sit for 10 minutes before adding the beans, tuna, shallots and olives. Just before serving, mix in the bread cubes and combine gently.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar and salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle in the oil, whisking to blend. Pour over the salad just before serving. Add the basil and toss. Taste for seasoning before serving.
And here's just one more. I haven't tried it yet, but it has a lot of my favorite things in it. Edamames are green soybeans, and can be found in the frozen food section of your grocery store.
Pecorino and Bean Salad - Giada De Laurentiis - Food Network
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 cups (9 ounces) shelled edamame beans
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 5 ounces pecorino, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
Directions
In a small, nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, but not brown, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rosemary. Set aside.
Combine the edamame beans, cannellini beans, cheese, parsley, and salt and pepper in a serving bowl. Add the garlic mixture and toss well until all the ingredients are coated.
I hope you enjoy these! If you have a favorite salad recipe, I'd love to hear about it!
Happy eating everyone!
Combine the edamame beans, cannellini beans, cheese, parsley, and salt and pepper in a serving bowl. Add the garlic mixture and toss well until all the ingredients are coated.
I hope you enjoy these! If you have a favorite salad recipe, I'd love to hear about it!
Happy eating everyone!
