Posts filed under 'salads'
Hi everybody - it’s been ages since I wrote a post, but I’m tossing a quick one out there tonight since there was actually a bit of creativity going on in my kitchen today.
The hubs recommended we try this salad since he gets something similar at work from time to time. It turned out to be one of those fresh-tasting summer meals that fills you up without making you feel like you over-ate. Here’s the formula:
Penne Pasta, New Potatoes, and Spinach Salad
1/2 lb. penne pasta
9 tiny baby red potatoes
1/2 package of fresh spinach
4 slices of bacon, crumbled
dressing ingredients:
1/2 c. olive oil
2 Tablespoons natural rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon honey
1/4 (or less) teaspoon sesame seed oil
salt and pepper
First, cook the pasta according to the package directions. At the same time, boil the potatoes (whole) for about 10-20 minutes, or until cooked but not too soft. You can tell by poking them with a paring knife. While that stuff boils, chop the spinach and crumble the bacon. Along with the garlic, put the spinach and bacon in a large bowl. When the pasta and potatoes are done, they need to be chilled thoroughly in icy water. Drain the pasta well and add to the spinach. Next, dice the potatoes into quarters or eighths and place back into cold water. (Red potatoes are pretty starchy and I like to rinse some of that off.) Finally, add the potatoes to the spinach and pasta.
Next, simply whisk all the dressing ingredients together and then pour it over your salad. Toss to coat.
We found this to be quite likable and delicious. I’m not a big potato fan and certainly not a potato salad fan, but loved this anyway.
ENJOY!
August 1st, 2010
I whipped up this fresh salad for myself yesterday at noon. Not normally a tomato eater, I was hungry for a salad but was without greens for it. I was surprised to really enjoy this dish!
Fresh Tomato Salad
serves 1
1/4 c. red onion, diced
1/4 c. red pepper, diced
1 T. olive oil
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, cut into chunks
6 green olives, sliced
Italian dressing
salt
I’ve been buying mozzarella in chunk form at Wal-Mart. This is softer and milder-tasting than shredded mozzarella, more like fresh. It’s not ideal for pizza, but it’s great for salads.
Saute the onion and pepper in olive oil until soft. If you like, you can leave them fresh and skip this step. Personally, I don’t like fresh onion very well - it’s often too hot for my tastes.
Next, toss together the cooked onion and pepper with the tomato, mozzarella, olives, dressing, and a sprinkle of salt. That’s it, folks. After that, it is ready-to-eat.
I ate this with a few crackers to kick-start a weight-loss diet. I think it would be great on Melba Toast. However, this would be really good on bruschetta, too, if you want to go to the extra effort.
September 18th, 2007
This is my husband’s favorite way to have a hamburger. It may not be much of a recipe, but I feel the need to share it with you…
First, you must start with a Fire-Grilled Hamburger. The last time we have fried-in-the-skillet burgers it was because I ran out of propane in the middle of the grilling process. We didn’t eat many of the fried hamburgers. When compared to grilled burgers, they suck.
When your Grilled Burgers are done or nearly so, place a slice of cheese on top. For us, this can be one of several kinds of cheese - Colby Jack, Mozzarella, Provolone, Cheddar, even Velveeta. Leave the burgers on the fire until the cheese melts.
The next important part is the bun - my husband believes it must be toasted for maximum pleasure. He simply puts it in the toaster.
Now for the toppings… Bacon, if available, is a must. A slice of sweet onion is also of great value. But his very favorite burger topping is Cole Slaw. I have always considered Cole Slaw to be a very good side dish for Grilled Burgers and other grilled food, but Pat likes to put it directly onto the burger. When this is all assembled, I always question his ability to get it into his mouth, but he manages without fail. 
Never be afraid to create something new in your kitchen or on your plate. And, as always, Enjoy!
September 10th, 2007
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