Seaweed Salad

This post is for my girl Virginia! She loooooves sushi and is not afraid to admit it. I don't even ask anymore where we are meeting for lunch or dinner because she has usually set her mind to sushi. One of our staple sushi accouterments is seaweed salad. I love it and always order it prior to whatever raw-fish roll I am in the mood for. 

Seaweed is Good For You

Thinking about seaweed brought a grimace to my face, thinking back on all the times my brother used to find it on the beach and throw it at me. Talk about getting an instant scream! So how is it that seaweed salad has become such a popular side dish in America? Well, we aren't the first to pick up on the salt-water-dwelling algae. Like most foods, trends and recipes, we "borrow" ideas from other cultures. The Chinese and Japanese have included sea vegetables in their diets and medicinal remedies for centuries. And rightly so, seaweed is FULL of essential vitamins and minerals. 

Therefore, one would think this is a healthy side dish to order while at a sushi restaurant, but apparently not all healthy. Much like many wonderful things, it has a defect....too much sugar and sodium. Beware of what you are about to read....seaweed salad can have as much as 1200mg of sodium in a serving!! Esh....that is definitely most of the suggested daily intake and probably the reason for major bloat after eating it.

When I was shopping in Trader Joe's the other day, I came across one of their new items - dehydrated seaweed salad. I didn't like the dressing that was included, so I threw it away and created my own version, further controlling the amount of sugar AND sodium. Even better, my dressing is gluten free!! So here is to having your cake (or seaweed) and eating it too!! Enjoy Virginia :)

Seaweed Salad

Yields: 2 cups salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes

1 package of Trader Joe's Dehydrated Seaweed Salad (discard dressing) or 30 grams mixture of dried seaweeds (nori, wakame, etc)
1 T toasted sesame oil
1 T low-sodium Tamari (or soy sauce if gluten is not an issue)
1 T sake (optional - Trader Joe's usually has it)
1 T rice vinegar
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp red pepper powder or flakes

Suggested toppings:
sesame seeds, toasted (white or black)
cucumber, thinly sliced
scallion, finely chopped
radish, thinly sliced
avocado, diced

Follow the instructions for re-hydrating the seaweed (unless you have fresh, then just rinse and drain). For the Trader Joe's package, soak the seaweed in water for 7-10 minutes.

Dehydrated

Rehydrated

In a small bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients together and adjust the honey and red pepper powder to taste. Then pour over the seaweed, serve with desired toppings and enjoy!

Fall Spinach Salad

Fall into Spinach

Leftover night! Our attempt to clean out the fridge before Sunday Fun Day! And yes, Sunday Fun Day is my favorite day of the week, because it usually means going to the Farmer's Market and grocery store, then cooking all day! Oh and not to mention, football!

But, I digress. So, we were eating leftovers and I decided to use the remaining fresh spinach for a side salad to accompany the leftover soup (for me) and pasta (for him). I literally did not have any dressing in our fridge, so decided to make my own. A little homemade dressing, a little nuts and dried fruit and this became a "throw together" that turned into a delicious salad, especially for the Fall.

We devoured the salad so fast, that I didn't take a picture. So I woke up the next morning and remade it. 

Ryan is a Ranch-lover, we all know this. I have been on a mission to create (or buy) other dressings that he will equally love. This was one such success. The key for Ryan is to create a creamy texture that mimics the thickness and richness of ranch. However, I am not a fan of the fat content that accompanies ranch dressing. So I improvised a bit. Yes, I do add a little bit of mayonnaise to this dressing, but only in moderation to get the texture. I have to face the fact that Ryan will never stop eating Ranch, but if I can get him to use it less, then I consider that an accomplishment!

This is a very easy and quick salad, especially in the fall, when apples are crisp and abundant in most kitchens.

Fall Spinach Salad

Yields: 4 salads
Prep Time: 10 minutes 

2 cups fresh spinach

1/2 cup apple, julienne (we use Honeycrisp)

1/3 cup raisins (can use dried cranberries, cherries or currants as well)

1/2 cup raw walnuts, toasted, chopped (can use hazelnuts or pine nuts here too)

Sharp cheddar or Gruyere cheese, grated or chopped into small squares

2 tablespoon cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoon  honey

2 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

1/3 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

For the salad, place spinach on a small plate and equally distribute the apple, walnuts, raisins and cheese among the plates. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, honey and salt and pepper. Slowly add in the olive oil, while whisking. 

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.

Truffle Honey Mustard

Mustard every day

If there is one condiment that I can't live without, it is mustard. I will eat any kind, yellow, dijon, brown, honey, whole grain....love it! So when Ryan and I went out for dinner one night and ordered the soft pretzels with truffle honey mustard, my mouth about exploded with flavor-awesomeness!

I immediately took a picture with my phone and made a note to try to re-make this at home. I couldn't help myself, the next night I started playing around with the flavors to see if I could come up with my own version. After several tries (and many Hubby taste tests) the recipe came together. 

Initially I was thinking that I could use this as a salad dressing, but with a thicker texture, I decided that it would be better as a dipping sauce or condiment for a sandwich or wrap. 

I had it on a veggie burger wrap for lunch the next day and it was delicious! I added spinach, radishes and a bit of goat cheese as well. Yum!!!

Truffles

I should probably include a few comments about truffles and truffle oils since this is not an item normally found in kitchens, mostly because it is expensive. However, I've had the same little bottle of white truffle oil for about 3 years now. The flavor is very pungent, so very little is needed. 

Not to be confused with the chocolate kind, truffles are in the mushroom family and are cultivated in Europe, mostly Italy, France and Spain. There are two main types, white and black. The white has a more pungent flavor and the black is more earthy. I prefer the white truffle flavor. 

The most economical way to get the flavor of truffle at home is through an oil. Most truffle oils don't actually contain truffles in them though. They are artificially flavored to taste like it - little known fact! 

Regardless, I like the flavor of truffle oil and would highly recommend that you try it if you have never tasted it. I drizzle the oil on top of fritata's, like the Very Veggie Fritata or over salads in place of dressing. Also, it is a great finishing oil, but don't cook with it!

Truffle Honey Mustard

Prep Time: 10 minutes
4 tablespoon honey

4 tablespoon  whole grain mustard

1 tablespoon  truffle oil

3 tablespoon  olive oil

pinch of red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients together, except the salt and pepper, until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Store in an air tight container and keeps in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Serving ideas:

• dip for chips or pretzels
• salad dressing
• condiment for sandwiches or breakfast wraps
• with scrambled eggs

Spinach Salad with Warm Shallot Dressing

For the most part, Ryan is really easy going when it comes to my meal planning. Since I dedicate time and energy to thinking and planning ahead, he is very respectful with whatever ends up on the dinner table. However, there are occasional days when he has a craving for something in particular, and when that happens, my meals don't stand a chance! 

The other night he had a hankering for bacon. I know, surprise, surprise! Since we happened to have bacon in the refrigerator and an abundance of spinach in the garden, I figured a spinach salad would settle his bacon cravings, my green vegetable needs and allow me to play around with a new salad dressing. That it did!

I am not a huge meat eater, as we all know, so I decided to make this again a few days later without the bacon for my vegetarian followers. I have to say the dressing is what makes this salad so amazing - with or without bacon!

To put my healthy spin on this salad, I removed most of the bacon fat before sauteing the shallots and left out the hard-boiled egg and croutons. I then added fresh vegetables (mushrooms, radishes and chives) and reduced the oil in the salad dressing. If you are not a huge mustard fan, you can cut back on the amount of mustard. Adjust the flavors to your liking! Enjoy!

Moroccan Salad with Mango Yogurt Dressing

I love North Carolina. It is a beautiful state with both mountains and sea, but the unpredictable weather drives me nuts sometimes! We had a glimpse of spring; mid-70 degree afternoons and slightly cool nights. Landscapes started to bloom and turn green and the Farmer's Market showed the initial signs of spring produce.

Then out of nowhere, we get a cold, wet weekend to throw everything off. Determined to not ruin my spring-drive, I decided to make a fresh salad for dinner. I used a sandwich recipe that I had come across previously as inspiration for my Moroccan-style salad.

Since Ryan and I have a love for Indian cuisine, we always have mango chutney in our fridge. So if you don't have this on hand, you could easily replace apricot preserves for the dressing or replace the dressing entirely with your favorite.

Another thing worth mentioning is the caramelized onions. A few nights ago, I had some girls over for drinks and appetizers. I made caramelized onions as a tapenade to go along with a farm goat cheese and crackers. The night ended with leftover onions, which I decided to save for another use. Glad I did, because they were fantastic on this salad!

To make caramelized onions, slice 2 yellow onions (sweet onions) and saute them in a skillet with 2 T olive oil and pinch of salt for about 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. This seems like a long time, but you want to cook them over medium-low heat, so it takes a while for the natural sugars to come out and caramelize the outside. Here is what they should look like when finished:

Moroccan Salad with Mango Yogurt Dressing

Yields: 2 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

For the Chicken:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger 

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons olive oil

For the Dressing:

2 tablespoons mango chutney

2 tablespoons buttermilk

4 tablespoons whole plain yogurt

For the Salad:

Romaine lettuce

Mixed spring greens

Red bell pepper, chopped

Caramelized onions

Pine nuts

Mango yogurt dressing (recipe above)

Combine the all the spices together with the olive oil and mix well. Rub generously on both sides of the chicken and set aside for up to an hour to marinate.
To make the dressing, combine the mango chutney, buttermilk and yogurt and mix well. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400F and heat an oven-safe saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute the chicken breasts in the pan for 3 minutes per side, being careful to not burn the chicken. After sauteing, place the pan in the oven to finish cooking, about 10 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, assemble the salad with romaine, mixed greens, red bell pepper, pine nuts and caramelized onions. Slice the finished chicken and place on top of the salad and drizzle with the dressing. Serve immediately.

The feeling of spring stays with you through the random cold nights in NC!