Category: Salads

Salads, Sandwiches

Recipe—Low-Carb Egg Salad Wraps

Diva di Cucina

I am constantly on the hunt for tasty low carb recipes. This wonderful blog I follow, Low Carb Jabberwockey, is always giving me inspiration for new ways to try classic recipes, but without the carbs. The other day she posted a recipe for an egg salad wrap, basically egg salad on a leaf of romaine with tomatoes and avocados. Genius, I thought! Well it just so happens I had an abundance of hard-boiled eggs after Easter. Imagine that! I decided to take the Jabberwockey’s idea and make it my own. These turned out phenomenal! I think this is a great recipe regardless of if you are watching your carbs. Who needs boring ol’ sliced bread anyways? Not this gal!

INGREDIENTS
6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 celery stalk, diced
1 tbsp green onions or chives, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4–1/2 c mayo
2 tsp yellow mustard
4 leaves of romaine lettuce
8 slices of bacon, cooked
1/2 avocado, sliced

STEPS

  • In a medium bowl mix together eggs, celery, green onions, salt, pepper, mayo, and mustard.
  • On each piece of lettuce place 2 strips of bacon.
  • Top the bacon with a spoonful of the egg salad and a couple of the avocado slices.
  • Grab a napkin and enjoy!
Salads

Recipe—Mango and Bok Choy Salad

Diva di Cucina

My produce box was filled with lots of fabulous goodies this week. I had almost all the makings for a delicious tropical salad, bok choy, mango, and cilantro. Yum! While many recipes that include bok choy have you cook the leafy green it is also great for salads or slaws. Bok choy is light, sweet in flavor, and has a nice crisp texture. The nutritional value is also a huge plus. It’s high in Vitamins A, C, and K as well as calcium, potassium, magnesium, and it is low in calories. The dressing for this salad is sort of a citrusy vinaigrette that keeps the salad light and refreshing. This salad was the perfect cooling component for the spicy prawns I served with it. With all these bright colors I can’t help but think that this is the perfect dish for the coming spring and summer seasons.

Note: You can use a regular head of bok choy or about 4 baby boy choy. Baby book choy has a milder flavor but both will work well with this recipe.

INGREDIENTS
4 c bok choy, mostly greens with some stalks thinly sliced
1 1/2 c red cabbage, thinly sliced
2 mangos, diced
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped
3 tbsp rice vinegar
4 tbsp limejuice
1 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt

STEPS

  • Combine the bok choy, cabbage, mango, celery, green onions, and cilantro in a large bowl.
  • In a small bowl whisk together the rice vinegar, limejuice, sugar, olive oil, soy sauce, and salt until most of the sugar and salt are dissolved.
  • Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
Salads

Recipe—Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

Diva di Cucina

A couple of weeks ago I got the first beets of the season in a my produce box and I knew right away that I had to put them to use making one of the most rich and elegant green salads I know of. This beet and goat cheese salad is so simple but is full of flavor. Each ingredient really stands out independently but they all are fabulous complements to one another. This salad is earthy, creamy, tart, and sweet, truly a salad from salad heaven, if there is such a place.

Note: This salad calls for roasted beets. You can get them in a can at your local market or you can get some fresh ones in the store and roast them yourself. I like roasting mine at home in the oven. (See here for how to roast your own beets!)

INGREDIENTS
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar
3 c arugula
3 roasted beets, sliced (See here for how to roast your own beets!)
4 oz goat cheese
1/2 c candied walnuts

STEPS

  • In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and sugar. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  • Place the arugula in a salad bowl or on individual salad plates.
  • Top the arugula with the roasted beets.
  • Drizzle the salad with the dressing and top with goat cheese and walnuts.
Brunch, Salads, Side Dishes

Recipe—Creamy Persimmon Pomegranate Salad

Diva di Cucina

During the fall and winter months it can be difficult to find quality ripe fruit for a fruit salad. And when you do find some, you pay an arm and a leg. This is a fabulously simple salad you can whip up in minutes using some seasonal fall fruits. This sweet and creamy salad is great for breakfast or even as an addition to your Thanksgiving meal. I think the walnuts and pomegranate seeds give it a nice little crunch and best of all, it is really healthy!

Note: You may or may not find seeds in your persimmons. I have found them both ways. When you chop them be sure to keep a watch for them and discard any you find.

INGREDIENTS
6 fuyu or amagaki persimmons, chopped
3/4 c pomegranate seeds
1/2 c candied walnuts, chopped
1 c plain Greek yogurt
2 tbsp honey

STEPS

  • Combine the persimmons, pomegranate seeds, and walnuts in a medium bowl.
  • In a small bowl, stir together the honey and yogurt.
  • Pour the yogurt over the fruit and gently stir to combine.
Salads

Recipe—Pomegranate Pear Salad with Goat Cheese

Diva di Cucina

When people typically think of big fresh salads they think of summer. Salads are perfect year round if you know how to incorporate fresh seasonal produce. Well here is a perfect fall salad recipe. It is bright, colorful, and bursting with flavor. The flavors all complement each other really nicely. The sweetness of the fruit, richness of the goat cheese, nuttiness from the walnuts, and the bite of the basil create a perfect flavor symphony. This may even be making one of my holiday dinner menus this year.

Note: Many grocery stores now sell containers of the pomegranate seeds all cleaned and ready to use. If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of removing the seeds yourself this can be a great time saver.

DRESSING INGREDIENTS
1/4 c pomegranate juice (I use POM)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp brown sugar
fresh ground pepper

SALAD INGREDIENTS
6 c (9 oz bag) fresh spinach
2–4 oz goat cheese
1/2 c walnuts or pecans
1–2 pears, cored and sliced
1 pomegranate, seeded
1/4 c fresh basil, chopped

STEPS

  • Whisk together all dressing ingredients.
  • Toss the spinach with the dressing.
  • Crumble the goat cheese over the salad.
  • Top with walnuts, pear slices, pomegranate seeds, and fresh basil.
  • Serve immediately.
Salads, Sandwiches

Recipe—Classic Chicken Salad

Diva di Cucina

Trying to figure out what to make for your next luncheon or picnic? Search no further! This classic chicken salad recipe is perfect for these warm summer months. During the summer I like cool refreshing sandwiches and chicken salad is always at the top of the list. This recipe is simple, delicious, and a classic. It is perfect in sandwiches or served in a tomato over a bed of lettuce. Heck, I’ve even just gone at it with a fork, I won’t lie. I will say this is better than anything you will find at the deli counter and it is so easy to make. The inclusion of lemon juice and parsley gives this chicken salad a certain freshness that others don’t have.  This is one of those recipes that just gets better over time. I ate this three days after I had made it and it was amazing how much the flavors all intensified. It’s good stuff, Maynard!

Note: This calls for boiled chicken breasts but I have also made it with leftover grilled chicken and it gave the salad a really nice flavor and texture.

INGREDIENTS
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 c mayonnaise
1 tsp mustard
2 tsp lemon juice
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp salt
pepper

STEPS

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add chicken breasts.
  • Boil chicken for 20–25 minutes.
  • Remove chicken from pot and place on a large cutting board to cool.
  • Dice chicken into small pieces.
  • In a large bowl combine chicken and celery.
  • To make your dressing mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, green onion, parsley, salt and pepper.
  • Pour the dressing over the chicken and celery and stir to coat.
  • Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Salads, Side Dishes

Recipe—Kohlrabi Dill Coleslaw

Diva di Cucina

A couple of weeks ago in my produce box I got a green turnip like item that had leafy greens coming out of the top and sides. I thought what on earth is this funny looking vegetable. Turns out it was kohlrabi and that I love it!

Kohlrabi is a member of the cabbage family and it looks like a light green turnip. It is crisp like an apple and has a bit of a bite to it like a radish but a mild sweetness to it similar to a coconut. I would like to say kohlrabi is delicious and I am hooked on it! I am forever a fan of this fabulous vegetable. It makes the greatest coleslaw ever!

My husband is not a huge fan of coleslaw or dill and when he ate this, the exact words out of his mouth were, “Oh my god babe, this is so good.” We both went back for seconds.This is not overly sweet like many typical types of coleslaw so it was the perfect low-carb complement to the sweet bbq sauce I used on my ribs. It was nice and crunchy and the bit of dill gave it a wonderful freshness. Kohlrabi dill coleslaw will be a regular summer side dish in our house from here on out!

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp very finely chopped onions
1/3 c sour cream
1/3 c mayonnaise
1/2 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
2 kohlrabi, peeled and grated
2 carrots, peeled and grated

STEPS

  • In a large bowl whisk together onions, sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, dill, parsley, salt and pepper.
  • Mix in shredded kohlrabi and carrots.
Salads, Side Dishes

Recipe—Classic Macaroni Salad

Diva di Cucina

Who doesn’t love good ol’ fashioned macaroni salad? It is a staple at summer bbqs and is the ultimate in summertime comfort food. With 4th of July right around the corner I thought that this would be a fabulous recipe to share. This macaroni salad is so basic and easy but it is still out of this world. It has just the right amount of creaminess. There is something about the way the vinegar breaks down the mayonnaise that makes it just right. The veggies give the salad the perfect amount of crunch to complement the soft noodles. I could seriously eat this stuff every day. It’s one item that I don’t think I could ever get sick of. This is a recipe that will suit everyone at your next gathering. Be sure to try this before summer ends. I have a feeling you will be happy you did.

Note: Be sure not to overcook your pasta or your salad will turn to complete mush. Once your pasta is cooked al dente, drain it in a colander and run cold water over the noodles to stop the cooking and cool it down quickly. When you add the dressing it may seem too saucy but don’t fret. The pasta will end up soaking up quite a bit of the moisture once it chills in the fridge. Another important reason you don’t want your pasta overcooked. If it seems dry the next day just stir in some additional mayonnaise. 

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 c mayonnaise
2 tbsp distilled white vinegar
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 lb macaroni, cooked and drained
1 c celery, sliced
1/2 c green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c green onion, chopped
1/2 c sliced black olives

STEPS

  • Combine mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper to make your creamy dressing.
  • Pour dressing over cooked noodles and stir in all remaining ingredients. (I like to leave out a few black olives and green onions to garnish the top of the salad with.)
  • Cover and chill until ready to eat.