Tag: salad recipes

Grilled Chicken Wedge Salad
with Carrot Ginger Dressing

Grilled chicken salad is my dish of choice for summer. There always seems to be some leftover chicken in the fridge and I love the challenge of coming up with new ways to eat it – depending on what I have on hand. I typically go with Middle Eastern-inspired recipes when I use pargiot, or dark meat cutlets, and I go Asian or Indian with chicken breasts.

The iceberg salad with carrot ginger dressing is my favorite starter at Asian restaurants – it’s just so light and fresh and really the perfect way to start a meal of heavy Chinese food. I’m always picking out the big chunks of iceberg that are wedged into each other, so I decided to make a salad that is all about the wedge!

Traditional wedge salad is smothered in bacon and blue cheese dressing – and aside from the fact that it’s not kosher, I’m not even tempted, because, well….blue cheese. I prefer not to eat food that tastes like stinky socks, you know? But this right here? This is I can get behind. With creamy avocado, peppery radishes and crisp cucumber, you don’t even miss croutons and the dish will leave you feeling light and refreshed – just how I love my summer salads.

Grilled Chicken Wedge Salad

1 head iceberg lettuce, cut into wedges
1 cucumber, spiralized (or thinly sliced)
1 avocado, peeled into ribbons (or cut into chunks)
2 pieces grilled chicken, diced
3 radishes, thinly sliced
carrot ginger dressing (recipe follows)

Method:

Arrange all the ingredients on a platter and drizzle with dressing, to taste.

VARIATION: for a vegan salad, grill tofu using the same method as the chicken.


Carrot Ginger Dressing

1/4 c light olive oil
2 tbsp white miso paste (may substitute with tahini paste)
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp honey
1” piece ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sriracha
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

Related Recipes:

Asian lettuce wraps
grilled chicken fattoush with za’atar ranch
grilled chicken salad with jalapeno honey mustard dressing
grilled chicken shawarma salad

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Smoky Kale & Farro Salad with Balsamic Fig Dressing


I’ve been trying to eat healthy lately – less snacking, more wholesome meals with lots of greens. It hasn’t been easy!

Maybe it’s because I get bored of salads. How many times can you eat lettuce with cucumbers and tomatoes, you know? I mean of course there are a million directions you can go in with salad, but who has the time? Most days I’m lucky if I get to scarf down anything while I’m running from here to there – so I come home famished and eat whatever I can find. I haven’t been making the best choices.

With my manuscript deadline just a few weeks away, I’ve been so stressed, barely sleeping and not taking care of myself. It all came to a head when I came down with the worst case of the flu the other week, that literally had me wanting to check into a hospital. I never knew the flu could be so bad, but I also knew that my body wasn’t doing the best job at getting better because I hadn’t been taking care of myself. It was a real wake up call for me to start taking my vitamins, getting more sleep, and eating better. I lost 10 lbs. over those two grueling weeks, but I gained a fresh start. It was like a clean slate for me, a chance to start over and live with intention.

I may not have done a Whole30, but I definitely felt a mind shift and I’ve been going with the flow. Working more salad into my meals, moving more and drinking more water. I feel so much better and as crazy as it is – I’m so thankful that I had such a bad case of the flu, because it put me in a better place.

Now lets talk about this salad. Salads like these make me want to eat all the greens! I love the balance of smoky, salty, chewy, tart, and sweet! And the balsamic fig dressing is such a winner, you’ll want to start stocking your fridge with it all the time.


A salad that actually makes you want to eat salad – so much yes!!!

Smoky Kale & Farro Salad

5 cups roughly chopped kale
1 1/2 cups cooked farro
1 green apple, halved, thinly sliced on a mandolin
handful of raisins or chopped dates
handful of pistachios
a few slices of smoked duck or turkey
balsamic fig dressing (recipe follows)

Method:

Place the kale in a large bowl. Add half of the dressing and using gloves, massage the dressing into the leaves. Add the remaining ingredients and drizzle with additional dressing. 

Balsamic Fig Dressing

1/2 cup grapeseed or light olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fig jam
2 tsp spicy brown mustard
2 tsp grated shallot
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk until thick and emulsified. 

Related Recipes:

kale, pear and kabocha squash salad with maple dijon dressing
kale persimmon salad
farro grain bowl

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Fall Farmer’s Market Salad

I can’t believe how time is flying and my little munchkin is already 2 months old. And you know what that means? It means that it’s back to life, back to reality. Time to wrap up these guest blog posts with a big finish from my pal Whitney Fisch from Jewhungry. Back when I actually had time to read blogs, Jewhungry was one that I actually READ. Whit has lots to say about food, parenting, and believe it or not, her husband is a real life marine biologist (I thought that only existed in a Seinfeld episode)! Whitney’s chocolate love muffins are a staple in my home, and if you make them, they will be in yours too. Welcome Whitney!

I am so honored to be on this beautiful website! I have been a fan of Chanie and her work for years! I’m doubly excited to be on here while she’s at home, loving on her new baby girl. Hurray!

The recipe I’ve got for ya’ll today is one of those that, once assembled and enjoyed, you think to yourself, “ahhhh, the secret is most definitely in the sauce!” I have been a fan of salads since I was a kid. Truly. My grandfather used to love to take my brother and I out for lunch when we would visit our grandparents in Louisville, KY. He would take us all over town and my go-to order as a spritely 7 year-old was salad. I’m not sure what calls to me in a salad. Maybe it’s the fact that the toppings can be endless. Maybe it’s the crisp freshness of the lettuce itself or the variations one can make on the same thing. I can’t really pinpoint what the one thing is that I truly love about salad other than the dressing. Good Lord, gimme all the dressing. I remember reading Michelle Bernstein’s cookbook, Cuisine a Latina, in which she unabashedly proclaims that she LOVES drenching her salads in dressing. That’s my kinda lady! And therefore, for you today, I have a simply beautiful Fall Farmer’s Market salad in which I actually did, in fact, get all the ingredients from the Hollywood Farmer’s Market. It’s a beautiful salad regardless of dressing but the pesto vinaigrette really takes it up a notch, if you ask me. I also like to use this dressing as a dip for french fries or polenta fries. That’s the great thing about salad dressing . . . it goes with everything!

Fall Farmer’s Market Salad

4 carrots, sliced in half, length-wise
1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets
4 cloves of roasted garlic, (directions for this below)
1 1/2 cup of mixed green lettuce
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
1/8 cup plus 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
pesto vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place carrots and broccoli in a large bowl and toss with 1/8 cup olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place on roasting pan, making sure not to overlap, and roast for roughly 20 – 30 minutes. I like my veggies to be blackened so keep an eye on yours if you like yours a little less roasty and toasty.
Directions for Roasting Garlic Cloves:

To roast the garlic cloves, place garlic cloves on tin foil. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil. Wrap the tin foil tightly around the garlic and the oil so it does not drip out. Place on your veggie roasting pan and place in the over for 20 minutes or until the cloves feel soft when pressed.

To assemble the salad, artfully place your mixed greens on a large plate. Top with your roasted vegetables and garlic. Drizzles on dressing and top with pomegranate seeds. Enjoy!

Pesto Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup basil
1/4 cup curly kale, de-stemmed
1 garlic clove
(optional) 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 walnuts or 3 tbsp pine nuts
1/8 cup honey
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

Method:

Place all ingredients, up to the olive oil, into a blender. Turn blender on and gradually add the olive oil in an continuous stream until it is smooth and full incorporated into the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference. For best flavor, use immediately or store in the refrigerator in a tightly-closed container for up to 3 days.

Related Recipes:

roasted veggie quinoa salad
Israeli couscous with honey roasted root vegetables
spicy roasted carrot fries
gluten free pesto zucchini fries

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Grilled Radicchio with Black Sesame Dressing

I used to be afraid of trying new things. I’d turn my nose up on offal and cilantro and I swore off gamey meats like lamb and duck. But boy was I losing out. Trying new things allows you to expand your culinary horizons. It opens your palate to new flavors, and if you try things enough times, sometimes you realize that you don’t hate them as much as you think you did.

Case in point: radicchio. It’s bitter. Yes, bitter. And who would want to eat bitter lettuce, right?! That’s what I thought until I tried it a few times. First, I put it a handful in a big salad for a hint of bitterness and crunch. Then I shredded some into a slaw. And finally, I decided to go all out and grill it. Grilling lettuce is a must for summer and if you haven’t tried it yet – put it on your to do list! You can start with romaine for a grilled Caesar salad, and then move on to the more adventurous radicchio. Grilling the radicchio gives it a delicious smoky flavor, and topping it with sweet pomegranate seeds offsets the bitterness. Be sure to check out my tip for mellowing radicchio’s hard bite in the recipe below!

When De La Rosa sent me over some black sesame tahini, it was another lesson in trying new things. Black tahini is a lot more pungent than the traditional stuff and I’d never tried it before. The full-on sesame flavor really hits you, so you’ve got to go easy on the stuff. It’s also so incredibly black, you feel like you’re working with tar, or black paint. I bet it would make such a fun garnish painted on a plate, or better yet, made into savory ice cream (with a side of tuna tartare). I can’t wait to play around with it more, but for now, I started with a simple salad dressing that’s packed full of bright flavors like fresh ginger and lime. It’s so refreshing and unique, perfect for my grilled radicchio salad.

Aside for tahini, De La Rosa also carries a full line of oils, balsamic vinegar and wines. They believe in producing “Real Foods for Real People,” a philosophy that I strongly endorse. Their kosher, organic and GMO free products are made with the highest standards of quality and purity so be sure to check out their site for more of their products!

I’d love to hear about how you’re learning to try new foods this summer. Whether it’s radicchio, black sesame tahini, or that ingredient that you’ve always been to afraid to eat – brave it up (even if it means you have to spit it out!) and let me now how it goes!

Grilled Radicchio Salad

1 head of radicchio, cut into wedges
1/2 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds (how to deseed)
2 tbsp chopped parsley
black sesame salad dressing, to taste (recipe follows)

Method:

Heat up your grill over high heat. Cut the radicchio into wedges and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill the radicchio for a few minutes on each side, until charred and tender.

Place the charred radicchio on a platter and top with chickpeas, pomegranate seeds and parsley. Drizzle with black sesame salad dressing, as desired, and serve.

VARIATION: consider roasting the chickpeas with za’atar or spices of your choice. Recipe here. You can also mix the radicchio with other greens, such as arugula.

TIP: To remove some of the bitterness from the radicchio, soak it in ice water for 1 hour. Drain well and and pat dry before grilling.

Black Sesame Salad Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp De La Rosa black tahini (Purchase here)
2 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 heaping tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk until emulsified.

Yield: 1/3 cup dressing


This post has been sponsored by De La Rosa. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. 

Related Recipes:

Pomegranate coleslaw
Ricotta and tahini stuffed figs
Fish with green tahini

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Snap Pea, Corn & Red Currant Salad


Sometimes, you don’t have to think up a recipe, it just writes itself. When I came home from Kelder’s Farm with these delicious farm fresh ingredients, I knew I had to eat them exactly how I picked them – raw. No red currant jelly or snap pea stir fry. Just a simple recipe to bring out the freshness of the ingredients.


With no cooking involved, this salad comes together in no time. Because the produce is farm fresh and in season, it’s naturally sweet, so you don’t need much to bring out the flavors. I seasoned it simply with oil, lemon, salt and pepper and the results were light and refreshing. The tart currants are the perfect balance to the sweet corn and the raw peas add a brightness to the salad. With it’s beautiful colors and crispy sweet taste, this salad makes the perfect addition to any summer meal!

Snap Pea, Corn & Red Currant Salad

16 oz. sugar snap peas
1 cup fresh corn
1/2 cup red currants*
1 small red onion, diced
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Trim the ends of the snap peas and cut them on the diagonal. Add the snap peas, corn, currants, and onion to a bowl. Season with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Variation: If you don’t have red currants available, you may substitute with raspberries or pomegranate seeds.

1 year ago: sushi salad II

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