salads

Corn And Pancetta Salad

We still have corn at the farmer’s market!! What a year. What a salad. Smokey charred scallions, roasted corn, crispy pancetta, earthy mushrooms, nutty Gruyere, refreshing greens and a bright dressing all combine for the perfect autumnal salad. Thanks Maureen for the inspiration!! Corn And Pancetta Salad Serves 6 6 large […]

Bloody Mary Salad

Hold the Vodka! That’s all that’s missing in this tasty twist of a Bloody Mary. Sweet, farm fresh tomatoes combined with all those yummy components of the cocktail make a delicious side for your summer BBQ. I paired this salad with a grilled flank steak and roasted potatoes for a […]

Tortellini Salad with Lemon and Asparagus

A refreshing summer pasta salad was the hit of the last shower I attended. It had colorful highlights of asparagus and yellow peppers, but the real star was that dressing……sweet and tangy. (I added an alternative dressing with less sugar, however the first dressing is my fave!) The finishing touches included […]

Tarragon Chicken Salad

  This salad…..amazing and amazingly simple, is a must for your busy summer schedule. Picnics, concerts, ballgames….and “I just don’t feel like cooking dinner tonight” dinners. A light and refreshing salad that has sweetness from the grapes, crunch from the celery, and a slight hint of anise from the tarragon. Cooking the […]

Celery Salad With Dates, Almonds, And Parmesan

    A refreshing, simple salad that has huge flavor and big nutrition! Cool and crisp from the celery, sweet from dates, sour from the lemon, salty from Parmesan, crunch from the almonds…pretty much says it all! We love this satisfying side paired with salmon and a crisp white wine.   […]

Watermelon Radish And Burrata Salad

    The Watermelon radish is an edible globular root that has the most vivid color you will find in this category.  As with many roots, watermelon radishes should feel heavy for their size, and their skin should feel firm. Avoid watermelon radishes that feel spongy when gently squeezed. The […]

Scallops With Brussels Sprouts And Pancetta

 It’s Valentines Day and you are NOT paying 2x for dinner  ” It’s Valentines Day and you are NOT paying 2x for dinner “out.” This entree, along with a nice bottle of champagne and strawberries, will make for a very special evening at home. With only a handful of ingredients, […]

Salad Nicoise with Seared Tuna

January. A fresh start. This healthy, protein packed salad from Provence, a staple in bistros all over France, may just be the entree to add to your weekday repertoire. In the traditional recipe according to Jacques Medecin, an authority on Provencal cuisine, “Never include boiled potato or any other boiled […]

Pear And Fennel Salad

  Fennel and pear are wonderful partners and combine beautifully to create this winter-time salad. The paper-thin fennel with a subtle, slightly sweet anise flavor, the bright peppery arugula and the crisp pear make this a perfect side for your comfy entree (braised beef shank?). The immune boosting fennel is a […]

“ShreddedSprout” and Kale Salad

  This salad may become your go-to during the winter months. It is mine. Hearty, healthy greens in their natural state are the base for this delicious simple meal or side dish. The raw, thinly sliced Brussels sprouts add a nice crunch and stand up well to the bright, citrusy dressing. […]

Steak Salad with Creamy Horseradish Dressing

  Dinner in 15 minutes! I think you will find the combination of fresh greens and a hearty flavorful steak spiced with an earthy dressing, the perfect weeknight meal. While the steak is cooking, assemble your salad and whip up this easy topping. Make it your own by adding additional […]

Roasted Carrot and Avocado Salad

One of my most popular posts to date is the Marinated Mozzarella appetizer, inspired by my favorite blog Lottie and Doof. I returned to this award-winning site in an anticipation of a bumper crop of carrots, (fingers crossed Sil and Courtney). For this recipe I par boiled carrots earlier in the day […]

Melon Mozzarella Prosciutto Appetizer

  This is a fresh interpretation on a classic Italian antipasto using melon and prosciutto. Simple yet elegant…..refreshing with sweet and savory flavors. Don’t skimp on the cured ham….buy good quality. And as for the mozzarella, I found these tiny mozzarella balls which really were the inspiration for this appetizer. Use […]

Tuscan Kale Caesar Salad

By now we all know the incredible health benefits of kale. Why not change up your classic Caesar salad with this super food and partner with a creamy bold dressing that holds up to this hearty green? I pre-tenderize the greens by massaging with a little olive oil, salt, pepper […]

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

  What are you serving for Thanksgiving this year? I know you can’t divert too much from the same ‘ol same ‘ol. Traditions… (when it comes to food) are imperative and everyone’s favorite needs to show up. But what about the salad???? That poor… poor salad. We (a crew of 30 plus) […]

Warm Mushroom Salad

Iconic Fall Flavors: apples, squash, pears, pumpkin, and MUSHROOMS! The cool air combined with rain means we are in mushroom season. No, I’m not going foraging in my woods for these tasty morsels…..or am I?? Look what’s growing on our back forty!! Puffer mushrooms. The giant pufferball is a whitish, […]

Tomato, Stone Fruit And Mozzarella Salad

  It was Monday morning and I needed to jump-start the week. I love our weekends and I love my weekend Wall Street Journal; my favorite section is Off Duty. I usually find interesting ideas from chefs around the country. Saturday highlighted Chicago chef, Stephanie Izard and her take on a […]

Poppyseed Coleslaw

   Coleslaw…. most people can take it or leave it. Memories of soggy, over-mayonnaised salad may come to mind. Being the ultimate traditional side to a summer BBQ, coleslaw needs a shot in the arm. Give this recipe a try. …. it’s a crowd pleaser that I promise you will […]

Strawberry Spinach Salad

  Celebrate the season with strawberries and spinach. This salad may have had its hay-day in the 80’s…but really, it’s timeless. We all need this recipe for our go-to pot luck dinners. Perfect accompaniment with grilled chicken or pork. I’m  pairing this with quinoa for a vegetarian/gluten-free option. Strawberry Spinach Salad […]

Spinach Salad With Dates And Almonds

  The cookbook “Jerusalem” is touted as one of the best or the best cookbook of 2012…. vibrant cuisines and compelling stories of the authors homeland. This spinach salad has a fantastic combination of flavors, and textural components. Toasting the pecans and pitas results in a crunchy salad that’s sweet […]

Beet And Goat Cheese Napoleons

Were you born with the beet gene? I was. I love beets!! This time of year with their rich crimson color and heart healthy benefits, they make me think of Valentines Day. For years, Randy and I would make dinner reservations to celebrate this romantic evening. Now……we prefer to make […]

Blood Orange And Fennel Salad

I have always associated oranges with winter. Specifically, my childhood Christmas stocking. Now, when all my sisters and I get together over the holidays the conversation about our stockings typically comes up. And yes, we talk about how half of our stockings were taken up by the ORANGE! Rippage. So […]

Winter Salad With Kale, Acorn Squash And Quinoa

Cold winter salads should be filling and comforting. Bonus:  in the height of flu season, this heart healthy salad is fortified with immune boosting ingredients and is sure to keep that doctor away. Kale  (a superfood) and quinoa (gluten-free) are the stars of this entree, rich in nutrients, antioxidants and […]

Quinoa and Acorn Squash

Think quinoa (gluten-free superfood) for a healthy, high protein week night meal. Incorporate seasonal ingredients for texture, great flavor, and potent nutrition. I feel fortunate that I have a husband that’s game for a dinner of grains and vegetables. However, I’ll add a nice glass of red wine and a […]

Shredded Brussels Sprout Salad With Burrata Cheese

  Birth of the blog! Let’s start at the very beginning……. Randy and I were having a quiet Friday night in front of the fire last Fall and out comes The Shredded Sprouts Salad with a nice (glass) of wine. This started a conversation about journaling my recipes which then evolved…light […]

Autumn Apple Salad

IT’S APPLE SEASON. We had an apple orchard within 2 miles of our home when the kids were young, so we spent many autumn days apple picking, cider drinking and donut eating (never got that connection). We love apples! This time of year any apple recipe stops me in my tracks. […]

Plum Crazy Salad

This is an elegant summer salad with a blend of sweet and savory.  The winning flavor combination for me is tarragon in the dressing and thin slices of fennel in the salad. The tarragon is a retro flavor that brings me back to the late 80’s when the culinary world […]

Grilled Peaches

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said …..I never get a good peach!!  So last week I spent some time at the farmers market with a peach farmer from Michigan. I now know more than I’ve ever wanted to know about peaches!!! (Sadly, 80% of his stone fruit […]

Watermelon, Feta and Mint Salad

I know, I know…..it’s been done.  I’m not trying to re-invent the wheel here, only to document a GREAT salad.  The combination of sweet watermelon, salty feta and refreshing mint make this the perfect summer salad. Be creative!! I decided to show two ways to serve this seasonal dish. First, as […]