Tag Archives: salad

Corn Salad

corn saladThis, my friends, is a summer staple! It goes great with Mexican food as well as good ole’ American BBQ food. With bright colors and fresh flavors, it’s the perfect side dish to serve at your next gathering.

Corn Salad

  • 2, 15 ounce, cans of corn, drained
  • 2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped (or 4 romas)
  • 2 tbsp. red onion, chopped (I used white because I didn’t have any red)
  • 2 avocados, chopped
  • 1/4 c. chopped cilantro
  • half a lemon
  • 2 tbsp. prepared teriyaki sauce
  • 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • fresh cracked black pepper
  • pinch of salt

Add the first five ingredients into a bowl and squeeze some lemon over the top. In a separate bowl, add the remaining ingredients and whisk until blended. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix together. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

corn salad 4corn salad 3corn salad 2Now, I know it’s not summer just yet. But where I live, it’s already starting to feel that way. Hope you’re enjoying the weather, wherever you may be!

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Grilled Romaine Hearts w/ Balsamic Dressing

grilled romaine 4It’s getting hot out! Well, at least here in my neck of the woods. Should hit the triple digits today. Know what that means? It means I DO NOT, and I repeat, I DO NOT, want to turn my oven on. Time to head outside to grill.

This recipe is great for a hot day, but I could eat it pretty much any time of year. If you’ve never had grilled salad before, try it out. It may sound strange but it’s oh so good! Really!

I like this salad best with balsamic dressing. If you don’t have time to make it yourself, there’s some really great store bought options out there. But I’ve included below a creamy balsamic dressing recipe that I found from Pinterest. It’s simply delightful. This salad is also great with just some extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar drizzled over the top. Your choice!

Grilled Romaine Hearts

3 romaine hearts, washed and cut in half lengthwise with the base slightly trimmed (you want the heart intact still)
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

grilled romaine

Washed and drizzled with olive oil

grilled romaine 2

Cooking the salad? Weird, but delicious

grilled romaine 3

Get some good grill marks

Preheat your BBQ to a medium heat. An indoor grill pan will work too. Drizzle your romaine hearts with olive oil and salt and pepper. Place romaine hearts on the grill and let cook for a few minutes, until they start to brown and wilt slightly. Flip over and do the same to the other side. Once cooked, place on a plate, drizzle with dressing and freshly grated parmesan.

grilled romaine 5

Dig in!

Balsamic Dressing (original recipe at My Life as a Mrs.)

(makes 1 2/3 cups of dressing)

4 cloves garlic, grated
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons Morton’s Nature’s Seasoning (I didn’t have this so I omitted this ingredient)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup extra light olive oil

Whisk together garlic, mayo, lemon juice, dijon mustard, sugar, Nature’s Seasoning, and salt until well combined. Add the balsamic vinegar and whisk well. Slowly add in the olive oil (while whisking). Refrigerate until ready to use.

 

Cabbage Salad with Peanut & Sesame Dressing

dressing and cabbage salad 2

This is so good that I could eat it everyday. Actually last week, I did eat it everyday with my lunch. I’m not ashamed to admit it. It’s delicious, and it’s that good! This would make a great accompaniment to any Asian type of dish (i.e. me love you long time house special chicken!) or teriyaki chicken, katsu, chow mein…. you get my drift.

The star of this dish is the dressing. It is incredibly flavorful. It’s pretty much the perfect dressing. Remember how I mentioned in a previous post that dressing tastes better when it’s homemade? Example, RIGHT HERE!!!! This is so delectable and the possibilities for this dressing are endless. It would be great on grilled chicken, or as the dressing for a Chinese chicken salad, or you can just grab the bottle and squirt it straight in your mouth. Whatever floats your boat. And it’s so simple to make.

Peanut & Sesame Dressing (adapted from Jamie Cooks It Up)

Roll out the red carpet, the star has arrived!

Roll out the red carpet, the star has arrived!

  • 3/4 c. mayo
  • 1/3 c. apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 c. soy sauce
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 2 tbsp. minced garlic (or 2 garlic cloves)
  • 1/2 c. dry roasted peanuts
  • 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
  • pinch of red pepper flakes

Add all ingredients except the peanuts to a blender and blend on high. Then add the peanuts and blend until smooth. Makes approximately 2 cups.

*If you do not have peanuts, peanut butter would be a great alternative. Out of sesame oil and sesame seeds? Use tahini! I’m all about making adjustments and substitutions. Use what you’ve got. Who likes running to the grocery store for one or two items anyways?!?!

Like that bottle up there? Only $.98 at Walmart and they are absolutely perfect for dressings and sauces.

Now onto the cabbage salad. It’s super simple and very affordable. This is a perfect dish to serve to a crowd. I usually only do cabbage and carrots but this time added julienned red bell peppers. cabbage salad

Cabbage Salad

  • 1 head of green cabbage, shredded
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, julienned

Great additions to this salad would also be sliced green onions and cilantro, which also adds great color. Wonton strips would also add additional crunch. Customize it to your tastes!

Now who likes a soggy salad? Not me! So I scoop out individual portions and then squirt the dressing over the top and mix on my plate/bowl. It’s a salad, not a coleslaw, so no dressing it beforehand.

Eat up, and I hope you love it as much as I do!