dine + create
simple salad dinner planner

Strawberry Almond Salad

Rating: Easy

Time: 10 minutes

Yields 6 servings

Notes: Can make dressing and toast almonds the day before

 

¼ cup almonds, toasted

⅛ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

⅛ cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 heads Boston lettuce, washed, torn, core removed

6 fresh strawberries, sliced thin

¼ cup fresh goat cheese, crumbled

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake almonds for five minutes or until toasted. Pulse oil, sugar, vinegar, and lime juice in a food processor until thoroughly blended.  Add together lettuce, berries, cheese, and almonds, drizzle salad dressing, and toss.  Serve immediately.

 

Napa Cabbage Salad

Rating: Easy

Time: 30 minutes

Yields 6 servings

Notes: Can make a few hours ahead, but do not add noodles and almonds until prior to serving.

 

⅓ cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 (3-ounce) package chicken-flavored ramen noodles, crushed, reserve packet

6 ounces slivered almonds

1 medium-sized head of Napa cabbage, chopped fine

1 bunch green onions, diced

 

Add the first seven ingredients to a saucepan. Gently boil, stirring continuously, for three minutes.  Set aside and let cool. Heat the oil in a large skillet with the noodles, sauce packet, and almonds until golden brown (approximately 5 minutes).  Let cool.  Add noodles and almonds to the cabbage. Drizzle dressing over salad and mix well.

 

Crunchy Carolina Slaw

Rating: Easy

Time: 20 minutes

Yields 6 servings

Notes: Best made the day before

 

1 tablespoon celery seed

1 tablespoon caraway seed

1 tablespoon fennel seed

½ cup slivered almonds

¼ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup olive oil

⅓ cup cider vinegar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Salt and pepper

6 cups cabbage, shredded

2 cups jicama, shredded

1 small bunch green onions, minced

½ small bunch cilantro, chopped

 

Mix three seeds and almonds together, then toast in a small, dry frying pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.  In a food processor, mix dressing ingredients together.  Add the remaining four ingredients to a large bowl, toss with the dressing, and toss in the seeds.  Refrigerate overnight.

 

Summer Sweet Baby Greens

Rating: Easy

Time: 45 minutes

Yields 4 servings

Notes: Can be made a few hours before serving

 

½ cup pineapple juice

¼ cup white wine vinegar

¼ cup canola oil

1 tablespoon honey (add more honey for a sweeter taste)

5 cups baby greens, washed

1 bunch cilantro, stems removed and lightly chopped

 

Mix dressing ingredients together in a food processor for 1 minute.  Add greens and cilantro to a large serving bowl, pour dressing over greens, toss, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Salad will serve as the bed for your chops.

 

Greek Salad 

Rating: Easy

Time: 30 minutes

Yields 4 servings

Notes: Best if made just before serving

 

Croutons:

2 regular-sized pita breads, cut into 1-inch squares

3 garlic cloves, minced

Extra virgin olive oil

 

Salad:

1 small head of iceberg lettuce, torn into small pieces

1 medium cucumber, diced

½ small red onion, diced

1 (8-ounce) jar Greek olives, drained

2 medium tomatoes, diced

¼ cup salad peppers, drained and diced 

12 ounces crumbled feta cheese 

1 tablespoon dill 

2 tablespoons oregano

 

Dressing:

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (more to taste)

1 fresh lemon, squeezed with seeds removed

3 garlic cloves, minced 

Salt and pepper

 

Cook pita in garlic and oil until crisp. Place on a paper towel and blot excess oil. In a large salad bowl, combine lettuce, cucumber, onion, olives, tomatoes, peppers, cheese, and herbs.  Toss. Mix dressing ingredients in a food processor until blended. Pour dressing over salad, mix. Add croutons and toss again. 

 

Simple Spinach Salad

Rating: Easy

Time: 15 minutes

Yields 8 servings

Notes: Can make the dressing several hours in advance. Toss just before serving.

 

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons sugar

¼ cup white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

10 ounces fresh baby spinach and mixed spring greens, washed with stems removed

10 ounces fresh baby spring greens

1 cup glazed pecans

6 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

½ cup dried cherries 

 

Blend the first four ingredients together in a food processor. Mix spinach and greens, pecans, cheese, and cherries.  Pour dressing over salad and coat well.  

 

Berry Delight

Rating: Easy

Time: 3 minutes

Yields 10 servings

Notes: Can make the base mixture the day before.  Add soda just prior to serving.

 

1 medium grapefruit, sliced

Granulated sugar

2 cups ruby red grapefruit juice

2 cups of cranberry juice

1-liter sparkling water

Whole cranberries, frozen (optional garnish) or Ice

 

Run a grapefruit slice around the rim of a martini or wine glass. Dip the rim in sugar, coating the entire surface. Mix the juices and sparkling water together, then serve with a few frozen cranberries or ice.

 

Sparkling Cranberry Rose Delight

Rating: Easy

Time: 5 minutes

Yields 8 servings

Notes: Make just before serving

 

1 ½ cups white cranberry juice

1 (16 ounce) bottle chilled sparkling white grape juice or champagne

Fresh frozen cranberries 

 

Chill champagne glasses. Pour three ounces of cranberry juice into a glass.  Pour the remainder of the glass with champagne or sparkling juice. Garnish with a few frozen cranberries. 

 

Key Lime Cheesecake

Rating: Average

Time: 3 hours total time

Yields 12 servings

Notes: Can be made a couple of days before

 

1 (10-ounce) box hard sugar or shortbread cookies (need 2 cups crumbed)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 fresh lime, zested

5 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

½ cup key lime juice

1 fresh lime, zested

Lime slices (optional garnish)

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Crumb cookies in a food processor. Add butter and lime zest to 2 cups crumbs.  Blend until well combined.  Press crumbs in the bottom and up halfway of the greased spring-form pan and bake for five minutes.  Remove the crust from the oven and increase the heat to 400 degrees.

 

Mix the next four ingredients until light and creamy (approximately four to five minutes with a heavy-duty mixer on medium speed).  Very slowly drizzle the juice into the cream cheese mixture, mixing until blended. Pour into the crust.  Add a 9 x 13 pan filled halfway with water.  Place on the lower rack.  Place the cheesecake on the middle rack and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 225 degrees and bake for 2 hours, or until the top is golden brown and the center is set.  With the cake remaining in the oven, turn the oven off so it can gradually cool down (approximately one hour).  Remove the cake and let it continue to cool at room temperature.  Allow the cheesecake to cool completely in the spring-form pan, then refrigerate overnight.  Before serving, remove cheesecake from the pan onto a serving plate.