Spinach salad w/ chicken

Spinach Salad with Chicken, Avocado and Goat Cheese

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

SALAD:
8 cups chopped spinach (1 bag)
1 cup halved cherry or pear tomatoes
1/2 cup corn (frozen, canned, or cut off the cob)
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 large avocado, sliced
1/3 cup crumbled goat or feta cheese
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

DRESSING:
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Place spinach in a large salad bowl. add remaining salad ingredients.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over the salad and toss (a little at a time... as much dressing as you desire).

Cranberry and Avocado Salad with Candied Spiced Almonds and Sweet White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• Ingredients for the dressing:
• 1/2 cup (60g) sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 ½ tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced sweet onion
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) white balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup (70 ml) vegetable oii
• 1/3 cup (70 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• Ingredients for the salad:
• 12 ounces (340g) baby spinach, arugula, field greens
• 1 small bunch cilantro, washed and dried, leaves removed whole from stems (discard the stems or use for another recipe)
• 2 medium avocados, peeled and halved
• 1 1/2 cup (115g) dried cranberries
• 1 1/2 cup (115g) Candied Spiced Almonds (see recipe)
• Ingredients for the almonds:
• 5 cups (600g) sliced almonds, or a 1 pound package
• cup (100g) sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cumin*
• 1-1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika* – some smoked paprikas are quite hot, if you don’t like “hot”, just use 1 teaspoon and they will be mildly spiced.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• sea salt
• The cumin and the smoked paprika give just a hint of mysterious, delicious flavor – even though these are savory spices, these almonds are still wonderful served with sweets like ice cream or yogurt.

Instructions

1. For the dressing; combine all ingredients in a pint sized glass jar and shake well to dissolve sugar.
2. For the salad; place greens and cilantro leaves in a large bowl.
3. Add avocado and dried cranberries and about 1/4 cup of the dressing and toss gently.
4. Scatter candied almonds over salad and sprinkle lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pass extra dressing at the table.
5. For the almonds:place a large sheet of foil on a work surface. Spray with cooking spray or rub a teaspoon of oil over foil with a paper towel.
6. Place sugar in a large non-stick sauté pan and heat over medium heat, occasionally tipping and swirling the sugar until it’s all melted into a pale golden syrup.
7. Lower heat immediately and add butter, cinnamon, smoked paprika and vanilla. Stir until well combined and all butter is incorporated into the sugar syrup.
8. Add the nuts and stir gently to coat. Don’t worry if you have some clumps of caramelized sugar – they will melt as you continute to sauté the almonds. Cover and continue to cook on low, stirring every minute or so until almonds are a delicious golden brown. Watch very carefully as they can go from beautiful to burned very quickly! Turn out onto

Texas Caviar

1 15.5 oz can black beans
1 15.5 oz can black eyed peas
1 11oz can of white corn
1 4oz can of diced pimentos
1 med red onion diced
1 c diced celery
1 4 oz can pickled and diced jalapenos

Rinse first 3 ingredients and drain
Drain and add pimentos and jalapenos
Add Onion & Celery

Boil 1 cup olive oil, 3/4c sugar and 1/2 c Apple Cider Vinegar
Let cool 10-15 min & pour over above mixture over night. Drain off some juice and serve w/ nacho scoops.

YUM YUM YUM

Cumin Onion & Cucumber Salad

Do you like cumin?  I love it.  Guess its like cilantro...some people love it, some people hate it.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1.5 tbs coarse sea salt
• 2 1/4 lbs tomatoes, cored & cliced
• 1 lb cucmbers, peeled & sliced
• 1 large sweet onion sliced
• 3-4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 c olive oil

In a skillet, toast the cumin seeds over moderately high heat until fragrant, 30 seconds; transfer to a mortar and let cool. Add the salt and grind to a coarse powder.  In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the cumin salt over the salad and toss. Serve the salad on a platter.

Mexican Fiesta Salad

I love these salads; just throw in what you have at home. 

Ingredients:

• 2 c dried rotini
• 1/2 c frozen kernal corn
• 1/2 c sour cream
• 1/3 c salsa
• 1 tbs snipped cilantro (optional)
• 1 tbs lime juice (i usually use more)
• 1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed/drained
• 3 med. plum tomatoes chopped
• 1 med zucchini chopped
• 1/2 c shredded mexican cheese

Cook pasta; add corn last 5 min of cooking.  Drain pasta/corn.  Rinse & drain.  Make dressing by combining in small bowl sour cream, salsa, lime juice & cilantro.  Set aside.  In large bowl, combine pasta, corn, beans, tomatoes, zucchini, cheese.  Pour dressing over .  Toss lightly.

1

Broccoli Salad

You can add as many or as few things as you like to this salad. 

Ingredients:

• 1 c. mayo
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 to 1/3 c sugar
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 7 cups fresh broccoli chopped
• 1/2 c sunflower seeds
• 6-8 slices of cooked bacon, chopped up
• 1-2 apples, diced
• grapes
• nuts

In a large bowl, stir everything together and chill. 

Middle Eastern Tomato Salad

Another use of tomatoes & parsley from the garden.  The combination of parsley and mint makes this salad awesome. From Kaylns Kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup finely diced --cucumber, tomato, onion, parlsey & mint
• 2-3 T olive oil
• 1-2 T fresh lemon juice
• S/P

Salt diced cucumbers while chopping other ingredients.  Combine all ingredients.  Eat immediately or within a few hours (otherwise it turns soggy). Simple, easy & delicious.

Black Bean Salad

I love jicama but rarely use it.  It's so good.   This recipe is from Kalyn's Kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
• 2.5 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp. finely minced garlic
• 3/4 tsp cumin
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small jicama, peeled & cubed
• 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1/4-1/2 c cilantro, chopped
• S/P

Rinse and drain beans.  In small bowl, mix lime juice, garlic, cumin.  Whisk in oil. Pour about 2 tbsp over beans and let beans marinade.  Stir jicama, tomatoes, green oions and cilantro into marinating beans.  Stir in rest of dressing and season w/S&P.

Cumin Lime Chickpeas

From Budget Bytes.

I've kinda been obsessed with chickpeas lately. 

Ingredients:

• 2 (15 oz) cans garbanzo beans (rinsed)
• 1/2 medium onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 1 medium lime
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt

Rinse chickpeas.  Chop cilantro. Dice onion.  Put in bowl.  In another small bowl, squeeze lime, add olive oil, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and garlic.  Stir.  Combine with chickpeas/onions.  Fridge for at least a few hours.

Avocado Balsamic Salad

A different spin on salad...and another use of the tomatoes growing in the garden...

Ingredients:

• 3 small cucumbers, shopped
• 1 cup diced tomato or cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup sliced green onion (or sweet onion)
•  2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 avocado, chopped into small pieces
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• salt/pepper

Combine all vegetables into bowl.  Add vinegar and lemon juice slowly and toss to coat.  Season with salt/pepper. 

Kohlrabi Salad

 This root turnip came in my CSA box and I had to make something.  Found a recipe online and adapted it to what I had at home.  YUMMY! (I ate it before the kids could try it). 

Ingredients:

• 2 medium kohlrabi bulbs
• 1 large carrot, peeled
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 1 clove garlic, chopped and/or pressed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil  

Peel the outer skin from the kohlrabi and cut the stems off.  Chop the kohlrabi (julienne) and the carrot.  Put in bowl.  Add vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic.  Slowly whisk in olive and sesame oil. 

Chickpea Pesto Salad

Another good use of basil.  Kids liked helping make this, but weren't crazy about eating it.  I loved it, both alone and on top of a salad.  

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 small garlic cloves, minced
• juice of 1 lemon
• 3 Tablespoons  olive oil
• ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt or to taste
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese 
• cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  That's it.