Greek Salad

This Greek salad is a healthy vegetable packed salad, drizzled with a homemade red wine vinegar dressing.

1/2 cup red onion, 1/8 inch thick slices

7 tablespoons red wine vinegar, divided

8 cups romaine lettuce, 3/4 inch thick pieces

3/4 cup green bell pepper, 3/4 inch dice

1 cup English cucumber, 1/4 inch dice

1 cup tomatoes, 1/2 inch thick wedges

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, 

4 ounces feta cheese, 1/4-inch cubes

1 tablespoon lemon juice, 

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 

1 teaspoon honey

2 teaspoons minced garlic, 

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 

Add sliced red onions and 1/4 cup red wine vinegar to a small bowl. Allow to sit for about 15 minutes, then drain. Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the salad.

In a large bowl add lettuce. Evenly arrange green bell pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, drained red onions, Kalamata olives and feta cheese on top of the salad.

In a medium-sized bowl combine 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.

Slowly drizzle in the olive oil into the dressing mixture, vigorously whisking until a thickened dressing is achieved. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Kittencal's Famous Greek Salad

Be prepared for the best Greek salad on the planet. But plan ahead because the dressing needs at least 2 or more hours to blend the flavors, I sometimes add in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese to the dressing for a more cheesy dressing, all amounts may be adjusted to taste ---- to marinade the salad allow to sit at room temperature before serving, see bottom of page. 

1 large romaine lettuce, chopped (or use 2 small)
2 -3 plum tomatoes, cut in wedges (use Roma tomatoes)
1 English cucumber (peeled, seeded and chopped)
1 red onion, cut in slices
1 green bell pepper (seeded and cut into rings or sliced) (optional)
1/2 lb feta cheese, crumbled (or to taste)
1 cup Kalamata olive

Place the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Pour dressing over; toss to combine.
If desired allow the salad to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving, or you can refrigerate for 1 hour (tossing a few time during sitting time).

Greek Feta Salad Dressing
Plan ahead this dressing has a 24 hour chilling time to blend the flavors, don't even think about serving this right away. This must be made on a food processor for the feta to combine properly --- the success of this dressing will highly depend on the quality of olive oil, oregano and feta cheese that you use I recommend purchasing those ingredients in a Greek grocery store.

1 cup olive oil 
Juice of 1 extra large, or 2 smaller lemons
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dried oregano (rubbed between fingers to release the flavors)
2 teaspoons dried basil (rubbed between fingers to release the flavors)
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon white salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (can use more)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4-1/3 cup coarsely crumbled feta cheese
Optional addition, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese

In a food processor combine the first 10 ingredients; process for about 10 seconds.
Add in the feta cheese and continue to process until the cheese has combined (this may take about 12-15 seconds). Place in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for 24 hours. Shake well before using.

Kittencal's Famous Caesar Salad

Kittencal was a very popular poster on the late Taste of Home Community Blog. I was ecstatic when I stumbled across all of her recipes . . . all 3,323 of them . . . on another recipe blog.

I usually don't care for mayo based Caesar Salad Dressings, but this one is totally over the top, and has now become my favorite Caesar dressing. The comments following are from Kittencal.

"I developed this dressing years ago, and I can honestly say that you won't be able to keep your spoon out of the fridge for a taste, it is *that* good! --- Although I do think the dressing is better with the anchovy it can certainly be made without them. In a pinch I have even substituted buttermilk for the half and half cream, just use about the same amount --- this dressing gets stronger with refrigeration time so a small amount of fresh garlic goes a long way! ---- Usually one recipe without doubling is perfect for one large romaine lettuce, if you are serving a large crowd of people you might want to double -- salad dressing will not work for this use *only* mayonnaise, The perfect companion to this salad are Kittencal's Garlic Croutons (recipe follows).

1 large head romaine lettuce (washed over and thoroughly dried)

1 1/2 cups garlic-flavored croutons

Parmesan cheese

Freshly grated black pepper ( to taste)

DRESSING

2 anchovy fillets

2 fresh garlic cloves

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup half-and-half cream or 1/4 cup milk

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (optional)

Buttermilk or half-and-half, for thinning if necessary (I do not)

In a small 2-cup mini food processor, process/mince the anchovy fillets and garlic together until finely minced (do this together and firstly, otherwise it will not get minced properly with the other ingredients). Add in the remaining ingredients, and process for 30 seconds, or more until well mixed. Adjust seasonings to taste. Thin with buttermilk (or milk) for a thinner consistency if desired.

Store in fridge, covered in a glass container for 3 or more hours before using (the flavors become stronger when left in the fridge for a longer time).

Toss desired amount of dressing with Romaine lettuce and croutons.

Sprinkle with more grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Kittencal's Garlic Croutons

"You will never purchase store bought croutons again after making these! make a double batch and store in the fridge or freeze them, use in salads or soups, for easier slicing make certain to use stale bread, or place your bread in the fridge overnight, for extreme garlic flavor use fresh finely minced garlic and increase to 2 tablespoons, to infuse the flavor into the butter allow the melted butter/garlic mixture to sit for 30 minutes or more at room temperature before brushing on the bread"

12 -15 slices bread (crusts removed, use slightly stale bread)

1/2 cup butter (can use more butter)

1 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste, or use 1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic)

1/4 teaspoon salt (or use 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt)

3 teaspoons dried parsley (optional or to taste)

Set oven to 325°. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

Place the butter, garlic powder or fresh minced garlic and salt or seasoned salt in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted. Mix in the dried parsley (if using).

If you are using fresh garlic allow the melted butter mixture to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to infuse the garlic flavor into the butter.

Brush both sides of the bread slices liberally with the melted butter mixture using a pastry brush. Using a serrated knife slice into small cubes or desired sizes.

Place the bread cubes onto the baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, or until desired crispness (watch closely these brown quickly!).

Let cool and store in a covered container in the fridge or freeze.

Greek Salad

3/4 lb tomatoes, seeded, diced (about 2 cups)

2 c diced seeded peeled cucumber (about 1 large)

1 c diced red bell pepper (about 1 large)

1/4 c pitted Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives, halved

1/4 c diced red onion

3 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 c crumbled feta cheese (about 2 ounces)

Toss first 9 ingredients in medium bowl to blend.

Gently mix in cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Optional: Serve over a bed of Romaine lettuce.

Chopped Mexican Salad with Roasted Peppers, Corn, Tomatoes, and Avocado

Chopped salads can mostly be made a few hours ahead, with components stored separately; then arranged and dressed at the last moment before serving. Goes very nicely with Tortilla Soup.

It's no secret that chopped salads require a good bit of - you guessed it- chopping. But the nuances of flavor and texture you'll get with each bite will more than reward you for the time spent at the cutting board. It's a good idea to use a sharp knife, one that's comfortable for you. Chop the ingredients into small dice, keeping the size roughly uniform for all, which makes the salad both visually appealing and easy to eat (big cubes or chunks can be awkward). Serves twelve.

1 large orange, red, and yellow bell peppers

2 ears fresh corn

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sweet cherry tomatoes, cut into fourths (about 1-3/4 cups)

1 small jicama, cut into ¼” dice (about 2 cups)

2 large firm avocados, cut into ¼” dice (about 2-1/2 cups)

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained, rinsed

¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

2-3 heads hearts of romaine, chopped small

Honey Lime Cumin Vinaigrette

1 small clove garlic

Kosher salt

3 Tbsp fresh lime juice

3 Tbsp fresh orange juice

2 tsp finely chopped shallot

2½-3 Tbsp honey, to your taste (I used about 3 Tbs)

3/4 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and finely ground*

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Roast the peppers and corn:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat oven to 425°. Line a heavy duty rimmed baking sheet with foil. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the stem, seed core, and ribs. Put the pepper halves on the baking sheet, cut side down. Husk the corn and put the ears on the baking sheet. Drizzle the oil over the peppers and corn and rub it around to coat the pepper skins and corn kernels evenly. Sprinkle the corn with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until the peppers are soft, slightly shriveled and browned and the corn kernels are lightly browned in a few spots, about 20 minutes (rotate the corn occasionally as it roasts).

When the vegetables are done, let them rest until cool enough to handle. Scrape away the pepper skin and cut the flesh into 1/2-inch dice. Cut the corn kernels from the cob. You should have about 1-1/2 cups kernels.

Make the vinaigrette:

Mince and mash the garlic to a paste with 1/4 tsp salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the garlic paste with the lime and orange juices, shallot, honey and toasted ground cumin. Slowly add the oil in a thin stream, whisking until well blended. Season to taste with black pepper and more salt and honey, if you like.

Assemble the salad:*

Artfully arrange the peppers, corn, tomatoes, jicama, avocadoes and black beans in stripes or piles on a small platter or other wide shallow serving dish. Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro. Serve the vinaigrette in a pitcher. Invite guests to spoon elements of the salad onto their plates and drizzle on some of the vinaigrette. Or drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad platter just before serving.

*I tossed it all together in a large bowl, with the dressing, and served it that way. I think salads taste better when tossed with the dressing, rather than drizzling the dressing over the individual salads.

Make ahead:

You may chop all the salad ingredients up to 4 hours ahead and store them separately covered in the fridge. Put the avocado pits in the bowl with the cut up avocado, to prevent browning.

*You need a Mexican lava rock type of mortar and pestle to grind the roasted cumin seeds. If you don’t have one, just used ground cumin.

Perfect Caesar Salad

Here is another great Caesar salad recipe. As you can see, I prefer Caesar's made with oil and vinegar, rather than a mayonnaise based dressing. Just tastes better.


1  lg  head romaine lettuce
1  lg  clove garlic, cut in half
1  anchovy
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2  tsp  Worcestershire sauce
1/2  tsp  Tabasco sauce
 2  Tbs  wine vinegar
1  egg
1/2  cup  olive oil
1  tsp (heaping)  Dijon mustard
1  cup  coarsely grated Romano or parmesan
2  cup  croutons

Rub a large (prefer wooden) salad bowl with the garlic clove's cut side. Wash lettuce, dry well and tear into pieces into the bowl.

In a separate, small bowl, mash or chop anchovy. Add lemon juice, Worcestershire, Tabasco, wine vinegar, egg, olive oil, and mustard. Whisk well, pour on lettuce and toss. Add cheese and croutons and toss again.

Caesar Salad with Bacon

1 - 2  heads  Romaine lettuce
1/2  cup  grated Parmesan cheese
1  cup  croutons
1/2  cup  crumbled, fried bacon
Freshly ground pepper
1  can  anchovies, optional


DRESSING:
1/2  tsp  lemon juice
1  egg, coddled*
1  tsp  dry mustard powder
1  tsp  Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
2 - 3  Tbs  cider vinegar
2 - 3  cloves  garlic
1  cup  canola or vegetable oil

Cut the Romaine into 1” slices while it is still intact. Put into a sink of cold water. Wash and spin dry. Lettuce must be DRY, so put it on paper towels if you don’t have a spinner.  Add all dressing ingredients into the blender. Blend until nice and creamy and thick. Will take up to two minutes or more. Do not toss with salad until ready to serve.

Rub the salad bowl (wooden, if possible) with a clove of garlic. Add lettuce to bowl and add dressing; toss. Add cheese to taste. Top with croutons and bacon bits. Layer on a couple of anchovies, if using. Extra dressing can be stored in your refrigerator for up to 4 days.

*Coddled egg:  Simmer a room temperature egg for two minutes.

Caesar Salad

The anchovies are ground into a paste, and added to the dressing in this recipe. So even those who say they do not like anchovies, like this salad. Just don't tell them they're in there. After all, it's not Caesar Salad without anchovies in there somewhere. I serve the remaining anchovies as a side that folks can add to their salad, if they wish.


2  cloves  garlic
4  anchovy fillets
3/4  tsp  salt
1  tsp  freshly ground black pepper
1  Tbs  freshly squeezed lemon juice
1  tsp  Worcestershire sauce
1/2  tsp  Dijon mustard
1  egg yolk
1/3  cup  extra-virgin olive oil
1  bunches  romaine lettuce, washed and dried
1  cup  freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Croutons


Place garlic, anchovy fillets, and salt in a large wooden salad bowl. Using two dinner forks, mash garlic and anchovies into a paste. Using one fork, whisk in pepper, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and egg yolk. Using the fork, whisk in the olive oil.

Chop romaine leaves into 1-1½-inch pieces. Add croutons, romaine, and cheese to the bowl, and toss well. Serve immediately.

Apple Gorgonzola Salad with Spiced Walnuts

These spiced walnuts are really yummy. Hard to keep your hands out of them before using them in the salad. Recipe is from my cyber friend, Corinna.


1  Granny Smith apple, chopped or sliced
8  oz  Romaine lettuce, chopped
2  Tbs  Gorgonzola cheese crumbles
2  oz  Spiced walnuts (recipe follows)
1/4  cup  dried cranberries
1/2  cup  Italian vinaigrette

Mix vinaigrette into lettuce. Add chopped apples, 3/4 of the walnuts and 3/4 gorgonzola. Toss well. Plate and garnish with remaining walnuts, cranberries and more gorgonzola cheese. Garnish rim of salad along plate with the sliced apples.

Red Wine Vinaigrette
This is best made shortly before using.

1/3  cup  white wine vinegar
3/4  tsp  dried oregano
1/2  tsp  dry mustard
1  tsp salt
1  pinch  black pepper
1/8  cup  red onion, chopped fine
1-1/2  tsp  garlic, chopped
3/4  cup  olive oil

Combine the red wine vinegar, oregano, dry mustard, salt and pepper in a blender. Add the onion and garlic. Blend together while slowly adding the olive oil. By adding the olive oil slowly it will emulsify with the other ingredients creating thicker vinaigrette.

Let vinaigrette sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Spiced California Walnuts
Create simply delicious spiced walnut snack and appetizers. Adjust the ingredients to create savory, hot or sweet delights.

1  egg white
1  Tbs  water
2  cups  California walnut halves and pieces
1/2  cup  sugar
1  tsp  cinnamon
1/2  tsp  allspice

Preheat oven to 225° and line a large shallow baking pan with foil. Combine egg white and water; beat until foamy. Add walnut halves and pieces and toss to coat. Pour the mixture into a strainer and let drain 2-3 minutes. Combine sugar, cinnamon and allspice in a plastic or paper bag; shake to mix. Add the walnuts; hold the bag shut and shake vigorously to coat the nuts. 


Spread the nuts in one layer on the prepared baking sheet.Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely, stirring occasionally and breaking nuts apart if stuck together. Don't worry if they stick to the foil, it is easy to peel them off. Store in a tightly capped jar. 
Makes 2 cups.