traditional greek salad

traditional greek salad

meditteranean chicken salad

8 cups arugula

• 1 rotisserie chicken, bone out and shredded
• 1/2 english cucumber, chopped
• 1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
• 1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup crumbled Feta (about 3 ounces)
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
• 2 cups pita chips, broken into pieces
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• kosher salt and black pepper
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• In a large bowl, add the lettuce, chicken, cucumber, chickpeas, onion, feta, olives, and pita chips to the oil and vinegar. Add ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper, and toss.

field green salad with cider vanilla vinaigrette

8oz fresh mixed field greens

4 granny smith apples, sliced as thin as possible

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup cashews

1/3 cup vinaigrette

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup goat cheese

4 fresh apricots, pitted and sliced into eighths

place first five ingredients in a large salad bowl. toss with vinaigrette. season with salt and pepper. top with crumbled cheese and sliced apricots.

cider vanilla vinaigrette:

combine 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, 1/4 cup apple juice, 1 teaspoon ground coriander and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract. slowly whisk in 1.5 cups extra virgin olive oil. mix in 1/4 cup chopped parsley and 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil. season with salt and pepper.

meditteranean chicken and orzo salad with sun-dried tomatoes and pinenuts

8 ounces (1¼ cups) orzo
1 cup diced cooked chicken
½ cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
½ cup chopped fresh basil
1⁄3 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1½ teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups (about 3 ounces) crisp greens, such as romaine or Boston lettuce, for serving.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Cook orzo according to package directions.

Drain well.

In a large bowl, combine orzo with chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, olives and pine nuts.

To make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

give credit: jana

mexican vegetable salad with cumin vinaigrette

3/4 cup peeled and chopped jicama
1 carrot, shredded
3/4 cup shredded red cabbage
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup diced bell pepper (red and/or green)
3 large roma tomatoes, diced
1 small can mandarin oranges, drained
2 avocados, diced
1 can black beans, drained
mixed salad greens

cumin vinaigrette
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1T dijon mustard
2t minced fresh oregano
1 1/2t ground cumin
1 clove garlic, pressed
1t fresh ground black pepper
1/2t salt
1 1/2c vegetable oil
1t fresh minced cilantro
dash of tabasco sauce

combine the vinegar, mustard, cumin, oregano, cilantro, garlic, pepper, and salt in a small bowl. whisk well. slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly until smooth.

antipasto salad

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1 bunch fresh basil, stemmed and leaves chopped (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Antipasto Salad:
1 pound fusilli pasta
1/2 cup hard salami, cut into strips (about 3 ounces)
1/2 cup smoked turkey, cut into strips (about 3 ounces)
1/4 cup provolone cheese, cut into strips
1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
2 tablespoons green olives, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons roasted red peppers, cut into strips
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Vinaigrette: In a blender, add the basil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper. Blend until the herbs are finely chopped. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

In a large bowl, toss together the cooked pasta with the remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Serve.

give credit: everyday italian

Arugula Salad with Grilled Chicken, Corn, Tomatoes, and Blue Cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grates
1 pound chicken cutlets
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 ears corn, husks and silks removed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 pound arugula (about 3 bunches), thick stems removed
2 large tomatoes, sliced into wedges
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola (2 ounces)

Heat grill to high; clean and lightly oil hot grates. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Grill until opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Let rest 5 minutes; cut into strips.
Cut off tip of each cob. Stand corn in a wide shallow bowl; using a sharp knife, slice downward to release kernels. Discard cobs.

In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice and oil; season with salt and pepper. Add arugula, tomatoes, Gorgonzola, chicken, and corn and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

give credit: martha stewart everyday food

grilled thai beef salad

1 pound top-round London broil or flank steak, about 1 to 1 1/2-inches thick
3 tablespoons lime juice, divided
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 1/4 teaspoons red curry paste or chili-garlic sauce
1/2 head red-leaf lettuce, torn (about 6 cups)
3 shallots, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup), divided, for garnish
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, rinsed and dried
1 cup basil leaves, sliced into ribbons

Rinse and pat the meat dry. Place in a sealable plastic bag or small glass dish. In a medium bowl combine 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, soy sauce, canola oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and red curry paste. Pour half the mixture into the bag with the meat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice to the bag. Seal tightly, and marinate meat in refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Reserve the rest of the mixture refrigerated, to dress the salad.

Spray grill or grill pan with cooking spray and preheat. Grill steak until medium-rare, about 5 minutes per side, depending on desired doneness. Let rest until room temperature then slice thinly against the grain.

Combine lettuce, sliced shallot, cilantro, basil and beef in a salad bowl, reserving a few shallots for garnish. Add the reserved dressing and toss to coat. Divide salad among 4 plates and garnish with reserved sliced shallots.

give credit: healthy appetite with ellie krieger

Orzo with Oven Roasted Vegetables

1 med. zucchini, cut into bite sized pieces
1 med. yellow squash, cut into bite sized pieces
1 med. red bell pepper, cut up
1 med. yellow bell pepper, cut up ( don't ever use green peppers to substitute)
1 lb. fresh asparagus, cut up into bites
1 red onion (don't use a yellow one), sliced
3 Tbs. xtra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Heat oven to 450 degrees. In large bowl, toss all veggies with oil, salt and pepper.Spread in a single layer in a large roasting pan. Roast 30 min. or until lightly brown, or crispy, as I like them. While roasting, bring a pot of water to boil. Cook 8 oz. of orzo until tender. Drain and cool in large bowl.Roast 1/4 cup pine nuts, add to bowl with orzo.

Make dressing: Mix 1/3 cup lemon juice (preferable fresh) and 1/3 cup olive oil. Stir.

Toss vegetables with orzo, dressing, pine nuts. Cube some good quality feta cheese and top mixture. Serve at room temp.

give credit: mary

summer chicken pasta salad

4 chicken breasts
1 box bowtie pasta
3/4 to whole jar of marinated sundried tomatoes
croutons
1 container shredded parmesan cheese

dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
lots of fresh basil leaves

baste chicken breasts with a portion of the marinade and set aside the rest of the dressing.

grill or bake chicken breasts, cut into bite size portions.boil pasta and drain.add sundried tomatoes (along with some of the oil from the jar for flavor), chicken, croutons, parmesan cheese and toss with dressing.

summer shrimp salad

1 pound frozen, fully cooked medium shrimp, thawed
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
4 cups watermelon, roughly chopped
2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
2 avocados, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon honey
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, onion, watermelon, jalapeños, and avocado.In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, honey, oil, salt, and pepper. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad; toss. Sprinkle with the cilantro. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

give credit: real simple

cobb salad

For the Dressing:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:
Cooking spray
1/4 pound sliced Black Forest or other smoked ham
2 hard-boiled eggs
6 cups romaine lettuce (about 6 ounces) coarsely chopped
2 cups watercress, thick stems removed
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced (about 2 cups)
1/2 avocado, diced (about 3/4 cup)
1 cup cooked diced chicken breast 1 (6-ounce) breast
1/2 cup crumbled Roquefort or Blue cheese (about 2 ounces)

Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients and set aside.

Slice the ham into 1/2-inch strips. Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and preheat over a medium-high heat. Add the ham to the skillet and cook over stirring frequently, until the ham is warmed through and crisped, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Remove and discard the yolk from 1 of the hard boiled eggs. Chop the remaining egg white and whole egg and set aside.

In a large bowl toss the romaine and watercress with 2/3 of the dressing. Put the dressed greens onto a large serving dish. Place the tomatoes on top forming a row down the middle. In strips on either side of the tomatoes place the avocado, chicken, cheese, diced egg, and the crisped ham on top of the greens. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve.

give credit: healthy appetite with ellie krieger

steak and arugula salad

8 ounces top sirloin
3 cups arugula
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes – halved
¾ cup canned artichoke hearts – drained

balsamic vinaigrette (makes 16 servings)
1-1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
2 tbls fresh lemon juice
6 tbls dijon
4 tsp shallots, chopped
4 tsp fresh basil chopped
2 tsp olive oil
whisk

grill or broil steak – 7-10min per side – cool/cut into 1 inch slices.

toss together with other ingredients and drizzle 3T balsamic vinaigrette.