I am sure I am late on the bandwagon even though fall only started this weekend. I have to say I have loved trying out different fall foods. Also none of these recipes are originals from me, but they are all tried and true. I do not want to recommend recipes without having tested them and enjoying them. Fall to me speaks of pumpkin and squash. Fall may not speak of salads to you, but these are quite delicious. Also I feel like being healthy in the colder months is not always appealing, but these salads for me are a treat. I have made this Sweet Potato & Cranberry Salad from Love and Lemons for years. Also I find that all the toppings and dressing make this salad really work together. This one does take some time to assemble, so either make the sweet potatoes and wheat berries on the weekend as part of meal prep or make the whole meal a weekend meal. I also love this Autumn Maple Salad from Delish Knowledge. This one I have made with both butternut squash and delicata. If you are using butternut squash be sure to peel it first. This is also one if you want to make the squash ahead of time the salad comes together quickly. I plan on sharing some of my favorite fall desserts soon as well. What do you like to eat in the fall?
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Salad season has arrived. Spring is happening and we are surrounded with an abundance of fresh produce. The perfect conditions for salads. I eat salads, not to be healthy, but because they are refreshing and delicious. I am telling you right now, the following salad dressing recipe is the epitome of delicious, NOT the epitome of health. My husband and I ate this particular dressing in a chicken Caesar salad. If you want an idea of how to serve it here is what I did. I butterflied a chicken breast, seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder. I cooked the chicken in a sauté pan over medium heat with nonstick spray. The chicken breast cooked through in a few minutes, but I needed to cover it to get the inside to cook through without burning the edges. I then proceeded to make some homemade croutons. I had previously chopped and washed some romaine lettuce. I added some sliced cherry tomatoes and a shaved parmesan mix. This salad was yummy and delicious, my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The dressing makes more than enough for a few salads. This recipe was adapted from Chrissy Teigen's Cravings cookbook. Caesar Salad DressingI considered calling this post "How To Kick Your Salad Up a Notch", but I figured honest titling would help people find my post. I have spent a lot of time recently reflecting on food and my relationship with food. When I think of food I think of community, love and family. I realize that sometimes in practice I mix up the message with the messenger. I think that sometimes I overeat food because I want the feelings that go along with it. I have started to recognize that food may bring people together but eating more food does not give you those emotions, those feelings. I am slowly finding my way to eat mindfully and enjoy my food more. The reason I have been considering this is because these croutons remind me of home. When I was little, my mom would often make us salads. She would prepare them before dinner so when we were really hungry we would eat our salads because they were ready and there. One lesson I learned from my mom, that was passed down from my dad's mom is that the small things matter. Love can be shown in small acts, chopping up a carrot, kind hugs, encouragement, recognition, space, time, freedom, and homemade croutons. My mom said when you cut up the vegetables or make homemade croutons it is a way to communicate to others that they matter, taking the time to do it well matters. Croutons encapsulate all these things. Also they are easy, but beware once you make homemade croutons you may not be able to go back to boxed croutons. I know for me I do not care for store bought ones anymore. I find them to be too crunchy and dry. I also have baked croutons on a baking sheet numerous times, but I find the skillet ones get more evenly browned and just crispy enough. Homemade Italian CroutonsI also refer to this recipe as The Recipe That Time Forgot. This recipe is one I grew up with, as I was eating leftovers yesterday I told my husband it tastes like home. The funny thing about this is that although I distinctly remember eating it, other than my mother, who made it, NO ONE REMEMBERS EATING THIS! I have been talking about it a lot, and my sister, brother and father have no idea what I am talking about. I do not think of this recipe as forgettable, because it has stuck with me for years, I had not eaten this since I was around age 10, so quite a while ago. One thing I love about this recipe is that because I always grew up eating it with whole wheat pasta, I do not even mind. To start you will need to cook 2 chicken breasts, I sprinkled them with salt and pepper and baked them in the oven at 350 degrees until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, for me this took quite a while, but my oven is chronically cold so I imagine in a properly heated oven it would take much less time. When your chicken is cooked, chop it into about 1 inch cubes. When my husband ate this he thought we were eating tofu because my cubes were chopped in a nice looking way, and was pleasantly surprised to find we were eating chicken instead. While the chicken is cooking bring water to a boil and cook 16 ounces of whole wheat pasta, preferably penne or ziti, according to package directions, be careful not to overcook your pasta because you do not want it to fall apart as you mix it together. In the meantime, peel the end of a stalk of broccoli and chop the stem and the florets. Then bring a sauté pan with an inch of water to a boil, add the broccoli and cook for 5-7 minutes until bright green and the stems are tender. Then drain and rinse the broccoli in cold water to preserve the color. While all your other ingredients are cooking you can chop and seed 3 red bell peppers, peel and chop 5 carrots, chop 3 stalks of celery and chop 4 scallions. The bell peppers, carrots and celery should be in bite size pieces. In a small bowl mix together 3 tablespoons of grape-seed oil, 3 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil, 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar and 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons of white sugar. In a large bowl mix together the vegetables, reserving some scallions for garnishing, pasta, chicken, 2/3 of a cup of raw cashews, reserving a few for a garnish, and the dressing. Be sure to mix thoroughly, you want all your ingredients to be coated. Top with your remaining scallions, cashews and a tablespoon of sesame seeds and enjoy. This meal makes delicious lunches and keeps quite well in the fridge. Asian Pasta SaladOne thing I love about food is the way it can anchor us in moments of time in our lives. I remember the first time I ate this or smelled that and be instantly transported back to another time and place. This salad is that way for me. I can tell you the first time I ate a salad like this, and honestly the only time I ate a salad like this. Many years ago I worked as a recess monitor. What does that mean you are wondering? Well being a recess monitor meant I watched kids on the playground in an elementary school and helped enforce rules. I worked with students to resolve conflicts and helped keep the playground safe. This job may sound odd, but I was taking a job in a school to see if I wanted to be a teacher, which at the time I decided yes I did. I was not alone in this endeavor, there were three other women who worked with me as recess monitors. All of these women were moms and two of them had kids who were currently attending the school we worked at. This job was ideal for them because they worked while their children were in school and were free when their children were done. I remember one woman always brought food to share, homemade chicken soup and Irish soda bread I remember quite vividly. I worked at this job for most of the year, and loved the people I worked with and the students, but in the spring I was offered a full time position at another school and so I left my job. My final day working at this school the women made me a delicious lunch and one of them made a salad something like this. I remember the crunch of the crispy ramen and the sweet sesame dressing. As I was combing my mind for Asian recipes I wanted to recreate this instantly came to mind. This salad is by no means a meal in and of itself although if you added a protein it probably would qualify. To get started you will need to thinly slice 2 cups of Napa cabbage, and 1 cup of purple cabbage. Next add the sliced cabbage to the bowl along with a coleslaw mix, meaning the pre-shredded lettuces you buy at the grocery store, this should NOT have any dressing on it. Add to your bowl 1/3 of a cup of toasted almond slices. I typically buy mine at Trader Joe's because the toasted slices are the same price as regular and they have a richer taste. Meanwhile in a small bowl mix together 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 1/2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 2 tablespoons of reduced sodium soy sauce and 4 teaspoons of rice vinegar. Mix until thoroughly combined. Also take one 3 oz package of ramen noodles and crush them. I usually do not open the plastic package and crush them inside so they do not end up flying all over my kitchen and create a larger mess for me to clean up. When ready to serve, add the dressing to your salad and mix to combine. Then top with the crispy noodles and almonds for garnish. If you are taking this for a lunch I would bring the dressing and ramen on the side, so as to not allow the noodles and salad to get soggy. Ramen SaladI was inspired to make this salad by looking at a similar one in Chrissy Teigen's cookbook Cravings. I made her salad, shown below, and although I liked the idea, my tastes differ from hers. I also wanted this salad to be easy, something I could throw together and have lunch ready for a week. I love the way when you make a salad with cabbage you do not have to worry about the dressing ruining it the next day. As you will see below I did not use the crispy wontons in my salad, they are just not realistic for me on a day to day, but they are delicious. I just prefer them on their own rather than in a salad. I am planning on sharing more about recipes from that book that are wonderful as is, so if you own the cookbook or take it out from your local library you can give them a try. This salad also reminds me of a salad I used to eat back east at a restaurant called Wild Rice. The salad is labeled as a Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Salad and it inspired me to alter Chrissy Teigen's to be more like this. It may sound silly to say, but I have wonderful memories associated with Wild Rice's salad. I used to split it with my mom when we went out to eat, just the two of us, so even making this salad at home makes me think of my mom and all the time she spent to hang out with me alone. I have to say sometimes being away from family is challenging, but I love the ability for food to transport you back to times and places you were previously and remind you of things you loved. So on to the food. To start, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Start by chopping all your vegetables and placing them in a large bowl. This salad makes quite a lot, you may need two bowls, I know I did. For the veggies, finely shred a Napa cabbage and a red or purple cabbage and add to your bowl. Next take four carrots, peel them and slice off the ends, then thinly slice them into strips, cut those strips lengthwise until you have smaller than chopstick looking long strips of carrot, then chop them again until they are about 4 inches in length. Chop 1 cup of cilantro, chop 4 scallions and chop 1 cup of peanuts. Once chopped reserve a small amount of each for a garnish, add the rest to your salad bowl. Heat an oven safe pan over medium heat and season 2 chicken breasts (mine totaled 1 pound 3 ounces, but you can add more or less depending on preference) with salt, fresh ground pepper and garlic powder. Add the chicken breasts to the hot pan and sear on both sides 3-7 minutes. Once both sides are seared, place the entire pan in the preheated oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, until you have an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Allow your chicken to cool while you make the dressing. To make your dressing you will need a blender or food processor, if yours is not high-powered you may want to mince the garlic before adding it to the blender or food processor so you do not end up with large chunks of garlic in your dressing. To your blender add 3 peeled cloves of garlic, 1/3 of a cup of peanut oil, 1/3 of a cup of rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon of Chinese hot mustard , 3 tablespoons of reduced sodium soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon Sriracha, and 3 tablespoons of honey. If you know based on these ingredients this will not work for you here are some suggestions. If you do not want to use peanut oil, you can use another oil of your choice, I would chose something without much flavor vegetable or olive oil would be fine. Chinese hot mustard was not challenging for me to find at my local HyVee in the Asian section, but if you cannot find it at your regular grocery store, you should be able to find it at your local Asian market. If you dislike you could replace the Sriracha with Chinese hot mustard. Blend your dressing until smooth and creamy. Now that your chicken has cooled, it is time to shred it. What I have found based on experience, is that if you cut your chicken breast into smaller pieces about 2-3 pieces and then attempt to shred it, you will have smaller shreds of chicken and it will be easier to shred with two forks. I would suggest that you chop it and then shred your chicken with two forks, if you have not done this before you hold the forks with the backs facing each other each digging into the chicken and then pull it apart. You can do this with your hands, it is just messier for your hands. Add the chicken to your salad and the dressing and toss to combine. Then garnish with leftover cilantro, peanuts, scallions and 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds. Eat and enjoy for today and probably the next few. Asian Chicken SaladI did not grow up eating lots of Asian food, our family tended towards Italian food and typical "American" classics, although I later learned that there is no such thing as American classics. The food we ate was unique to our family, as is all food, really. We had Chinese takeout, went to hibachi restaurants, occasionally ate at a Korean restaurant, and my mom made an Asian pasta salad, that I will be sharing shortly. I have loved cooking for quite a while. I distinctly remember getting a kid's cookbook when I was young and teaching myself how to make scrambled eggs and grilled cheese. I felt so accomplished and impressed that now I could provide for myself. I am not sure at the time I thought of it in that way, I was more like "I can eat what I want, when I want it, without having to talk an adult into making it for me". Along the way, I have had some serious flops. I remember toasting a bagel with American cheese on top in the microwave. We had run out of tin foil and so I used wax paper instead, I figured what was the difference. As I sat waiting for my bagel, I saw flames erupt from below and just waited, hoping for the best. In this case, nothing disastrous occurred, and when I took out the bagel a ring of wax paper was underneath still. Looking back I wonder how I could be so unaware; wax paper is literally paper covered in wax and when the wax melts all you have left is paper (which is highly flammable). I also remember trying to make homemade lollipops and burning the sugar in a pot and not knowing what to do. I took the pot outside and dumped it on the ground, hoping it would just go away. In college, my roommate and I were cooking and the bottom of our oven erupted in flames. She was concerned. I told her to wait it out, and as always, everything was fine. So it is not to say that cooking is easy or does not have its ups and downs but as Gretchen Rubin says, "The things that go wrong often make the best memories." Since I have moved in with my then fiancé, now husband, I have been cooking everything. I started by cooking through the entire Giada at Home. I have learned a few things as I have gone. One of the things that surprised me the most was the fact that when in doubt, I cook Asian food. The recipe I am sharing with you today was something I originally ate with my dad and grandma as a side dish. So you may read about celery salad and think, meh, celery what do I care, but what I love about this salad is that it turns celery into something else, fresh and delicious, and in fact I could eat an entire bowl of this salad by myself. Also, I love this for the summer because it is refreshing and does not require any heat. To start this salad, peel and chop a pound of celery and add them to a medium bowl. Yes, I did indeed write peel and if you do not know what that means, I will explain. You take your vegetable peeler and peel away the outer shiny layer and all of the strings that go along with it. I am not going to lie, this is a PAIN, but it is worth it and from here it is all downhill. Next in a separate bowl mix up your dressing (the reason you need an extra bowl is so you can taste it and adjust as you see fit). In the bowl add 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, (I used reduced salt), 4 teaspoons of rice wine vinegar (if you do not have rice wine, any wine vinegar will do), 4 teaspoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Mix this up and taste, adjust your ingredients as needed. Then add the dressing to the celery. Finally chop 2 scallions and sprinkle on top of your celery with your 1 teaspoon sesame seeds. You can devour it now or let it sit. I would suggest mixing it right before you serve because if you do not the dressing stays at the bottom and the top loses its oomph. Asian Celery Salad |
About MeI'm Sarah; a wife, traveler, foodie, and adventurer. Archives
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