This is a great salad…delicious, beautiful, and perfect for summer! I used leftover regrigerated cooked rice (about 3 cups), substituted 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano for the 1 teaspoon of fresh, used both red onion and green onion, added a splash of red wine vinegar and some sliced sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil.  I used jasmine rice but basmati rice would also be really good. Be sure to scoop the seeds out of the cuke or you’ll end up with a watery salad. Also, go easy on the salt because both the feta cheese and kalamata olives are salty; mix it all together than season to taste. For a mexi version, add corn, black beans, sliced pimento-stuffed green olives, a little cumin and cilantro; omit the cuke, spinach, kalamata olives and feta. Enjoy!

Mediterranean Rice Salad
-recipe from Sunset Magazine
 
The bright flavors of this dish make it the perfect side dish for anything grilled.

Yield:  Makes 6 to 8 servings

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 cups chopped spinach leaves
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add 1/2 tsp. salt and the rice. Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork.

In a large bowl, whisk lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, pepper, pepper flakes, and remaining teaspoon of salt.

Add rice to dressing and toss to combine. Add spinach, toss, and let sit until no longer steaming, about 20 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Tags: cucumber, kalamata olives, Mediterranean, red pepper, rice, rice salad, Side Dish

Wow…this salad is good! The dressing is smoky, slightly sweet and slightly spicy with a nice tang from the balsamic vinegar. I love the combination of southwestern flavors: cilantro, chipotle, avocado, red onion, corn.

I used a mixture of baby romaine and regular romaine lettuces. Other good additions to the salad would be chopped red pepper, diced tomato or sliced green olives. Handy Hint: Since the recipe only calls for 1 chipotle chile, you can freeze the remaining chiles and sauce. I put a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet, then I place 1 or 2 chiles in a mound and spoon a little adobo sauce over them. Continue this with the remaining chiles then put the cookie sheet in the freezer. Once frozen, remove the little chipotle mounds from the wax paper and seal in a freezer baggy or plastic container. Keep frozen and thaw out what you need when a recipe calls for chipotle chiles.

Baby Romaine Salad with Spicy Chicken & Warm Chipotle Vinaigrette
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine

Serves four.

6 oz. baby romaine, washed and spun dry (about 8 loosely packed cups)
1/4 lb. iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced, washed and spun dry (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 chipotle chile (from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce), chopped, plus 2 Tbs. adobo sauce
3 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. light brown sugar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup plus 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
2 Tbs. fine cornmeal (preferably white)
1 Tbs. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1-1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 small), cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick strips
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced into half moons
1 ripe avocado, cut into 3/4-inch dice
1-1/2 cups cooked fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels (from about 2 ears)
1 lime, cut into quarters

Toss the romaine, iceberg, and half of the cilantro in a large bowl. In a blender or food processor, purée the chipotle chile and adobo sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar, and mustard. With the machine running, slowly pour in 1/2 cup of the oil. Transfer to a measuring cup; season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a shallow dish, mix the flour, cornmeal, chili powder, and cumin with 1-1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Season the chicken with 1 tsp. salt and then dredge in the flour mixture.

Heat 2 Tbs. of the remaining oil in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it’s shimmering, about 1 minute. Add half of the chicken strips, evenly spaced, and cook without touching for 2 min. Flip and cook until the strips are just cooked through and firm to the touch, 1 to 2 min. Transfer to a large plate lined with ­paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and cook the remaining strips in the same manner.

Discard the fat from the pan and wipe it clean with paper ­towels. Set the pan over low heat, add the vinaigrette, and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula, until warmed through, about 1 min. Return the vinaigrette to a liquid measuring cup and whisk to recombine.

Gently toss the greens with about 14 cup of the vinaigrette or enough to lightly coat. Portion among four plates and top with the chicken, onion, avocado, corn, and the remaining 1/4 cup cilantro. Drizzle with some of the remaining vinaigrette (you may not need it all) and serve with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over the salads.

Tags: chicken salad, chipotle, romaine, Salad, spicy

Curried chicken salad is simple to make and packs a ton of flavor in every bite. This recipe calls for “commercial chutney” which is pretty vague. I always use a Major Grey’s chutney, a  type of mango chutney (not a brand) that is slightly sweet and spicy. You should be able to find it at most major grocery stores.  Trader Joe’s  has a Mango Ginger Chutney that works great, too.

For the chicken mixture, I always add a few tablespoons of finely chopped red onion (or scallions) and substitute roasted cashews for the walnuts. If the chutney already has raisens in it then I usually don’t add any more because I don’t want it to be too sweet. Serving the curried chicken salad on halved croissants makes the sandwich a bit fancier, but your favorite bread or pita bread works great, too. If using pita bread, soften it in the microwave for about 15 seconds to lessen the chance of it breaking apart when you fill it with the salad. Or, skip the bread all together and serve it with mixed greens.

Curried Chicken Salad Sandwich
- Recipe from  foodnetwork.com

Makes 4 servings 

Dressing:
2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup commercial chutney
3 tablespoons mild curry powder

Sandwich:
6 bone-in chicken breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dark raisins
3/4 cups finely chopped celery
4 croissants

To make the dressing: Combine the mayonnaise with the chutney and the curry powder in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.

To prepare the sandwiches: Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper then put them in a large skillet. Add water to cover. Put a lid on the skillet and simmer the chicken until it is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the poaching liquid and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. When the chicken is chilled remove the skin and cut the meat from the bones. Dice the meat and place it in a large bowl. Add the walnuts, raisins, and celery and mix well. Moisten the salad with the curry dressing. Cut the croissants in half. Fill each with chicken salad and serve.

Tags: Chicken, chicken salad, curry, sandwich

Husband will eat salad but it’s never something he gets too jazzed about. He likes veggies, he knows they’re good for him, but I’ve never known him to crave a salad (or at least he’s never admitted to it). He was quite intrigued, however, when I told him one night that we’re were having Steak Salad for dinner using a leftover piece of steak from the previous night’s meal. Steak two nights in a row…you should’ve seen the look of delight on his face!! This recipe was a cinch to throw together and it tasted great. The dressing is a basic vinaigrette, which is fine on its own but could easily be jazzed up with a teaspoon or so of Dijon mustard and some fresh herbs. I really liked the mixture of salad ingredients: tender steak, tangy blue cheese, red onions, vine-ripened tomatoes, mixed baby greens…how could you possible go wrong with that combo? For the greens, I just used what I had in the fridge (baby greens and a romaine/iceberg salad mix). The substituted greens were fine and it saved me a trip to the store. Add a loaf of crusty bread and you’ve got a delicious light meal!

Steak Salad
-Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis - foodnetwork.com
4 servings 

1/2 head romaine lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
1 large head Belgian endive, thinly sliced crosswise (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced into rings
3 cups fresh baby arugula
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 ounces Gorgonzola, coarsely crumbled
Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound steak (such as New York, rib-eye or filet mignon), pan-fried or grilled and chilled
 
In a large bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, Belgian endive, red onion, baby arugula and cherry tomatoes, and half of the cheese. Toss the salad with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the salad on a platter.

Cut the steaks crosswise into thin slices. Arrange the steak slices atop the salad and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Drizzle more vinaigrette over the steak slices and serve.

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup olive oil

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Yield: 1 2/3 cups

Tags: gorgonzola, Salad, steak, vinaigrette