Summer lovin' salads
It's been a while since I've checked in. Sorry about that. Lately, I've had a lot of things run through my mind that I thought would be worthy to share. Summer is here and in full swing. Soon my garden will be providing much bounty. This made me realize that I have a lot of fun and easy recipes to share. Summer cooking should be easy breezy. Who doesn't love the fresh-from-the-garden caprese salad? Well, in case you've had enough of the same old caprese, here are some twists to try on an old classic:
Tomato, Onion, Cucumber Salad
3-4 Roma tomatoes - diced in large chunks
1/2 red onion - diced or sliced, however you like it
1/2 european cucumber - diced into 1/2 inch cubes (I like the euro ones because the skins are tender)
1 Tb each - Fresh Parsley, Basil, Oregano (if you don't have fresh, use 1/4 of the amount of fresh)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Tb olive oil
1 Tb red wine vinegar
Toss ingredients and let sit for 20 - 30 minutes preferably. If you are eating it that night, no need to refrigerate beforehand. To add a new twist to this you can add 1 cup of prepared couscous or quinoa. Or, you can add fresh mozzarella pearls or even shredded mozz for a little smooth texture to go with the chunky salad.
Tomato Avocado Salad
3-4 Roma tomatoes - diced in large chunks
1-2 scallion - sliced
1 ripe avocado (but not too ripe) - diced to 1/2 inch cubes
1 Tb chopped cilantro
1/4 - 1/2 cup crumbled feta or queso fresco
2 Tb olive oil
1/2 lime fresh squeezed juice
1 clove garlic - minced
1/2 cup black kalamata olives sliced or halved
Toss all the ingredients and let it sit 20 minutes. This is great as an alternative to guacamole. You can serve it with chips or as a topping for tacos, burritos, or enchiladas. Toss it in pasta or with black beans and corn...the options are endless!
This is one of my favorites. It's a little twist on the traditional creamy cuke salad. Adding the tomatoes adds a little acidity and mixes wonderfully with the creamy dressing.
Creamy Tomato Cucumber Dill Salad
3-4 grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 european cucumber - sliced 1/4 inch thick and in half
1/2 red onion - sliced thin
1/2 cup sour cream (or you could substitute with full fat plain yogurt)
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 Tb fresh dill chopped coarsely
1 tsp kosher salt
Mix the sour cream, olive oil, and vinegar in the bowl you will keep the salad in. Once all the veggies are cut, toss them in the bowl with the dressing mix. Sprinkle with kosher salt and toss. If you wanted to make a pasta salad out of this one, I would sub out half of the sour cream for mayonaise. A bowtie pasta would be very tasty with this combo!
I like to use kosher salt for most of my recipes. If you have sea salt on hand, you can surely substitute it with that. Both add a nice flavor. I prefer kosher because it mixes better with liquids and you don't need as much a lot of times.
Also, you don't have to use the european cukes. Regular ones will do, but I would suggest peeling them. My kids don't like the tough skins on them and when mixed with everything else they don't release as much water if they aren't skinned. When the cucumbers release their water, their essence pulls through the food much nicer.
Needless to say, tomato lovers still love the traditional caprese...
How could you not? It's so pretty! Sometimes I'll drizzle it with a little balsamic to add a new twist. But this one is tried and true and always yummy. But, if you are feeling you want to branch out to something new, try one of the above recipes or dice up the caprese and toss in pasta or top a grilled chicken breast with it. There are endless ways to serve these beautiful salads and they compliment so many things. I hope you have a great summer and a fruitful garden if you have one. Feel free to post comments if you have new ideas to share!
Tomato, Onion, Cucumber Salad
1/2 red onion - diced or sliced, however you like it
1/2 european cucumber - diced into 1/2 inch cubes (I like the euro ones because the skins are tender)
1 Tb each - Fresh Parsley, Basil, Oregano (if you don't have fresh, use 1/4 of the amount of fresh)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Tb olive oil
1 Tb red wine vinegar
Toss ingredients and let sit for 20 - 30 minutes preferably. If you are eating it that night, no need to refrigerate beforehand. To add a new twist to this you can add 1 cup of prepared couscous or quinoa. Or, you can add fresh mozzarella pearls or even shredded mozz for a little smooth texture to go with the chunky salad.
Tomato Avocado Salad3-4 Roma tomatoes - diced in large chunks
1-2 scallion - sliced
1 ripe avocado (but not too ripe) - diced to 1/2 inch cubes
1 Tb chopped cilantro
1/4 - 1/2 cup crumbled feta or queso fresco
2 Tb olive oil
1/2 lime fresh squeezed juice
1 clove garlic - minced
1/2 cup black kalamata olives sliced or halved
Toss all the ingredients and let it sit 20 minutes. This is great as an alternative to guacamole. You can serve it with chips or as a topping for tacos, burritos, or enchiladas. Toss it in pasta or with black beans and corn...the options are endless!
This is one of my favorites. It's a little twist on the traditional creamy cuke salad. Adding the tomatoes adds a little acidity and mixes wonderfully with the creamy dressing.
Creamy Tomato Cucumber Dill Salad
3-4 grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 european cucumber - sliced 1/4 inch thick and in half
1/2 red onion - sliced thin
1/2 cup sour cream (or you could substitute with full fat plain yogurt)
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 Tb fresh dill chopped coarsely
1 tsp kosher salt
Mix the sour cream, olive oil, and vinegar in the bowl you will keep the salad in. Once all the veggies are cut, toss them in the bowl with the dressing mix. Sprinkle with kosher salt and toss. If you wanted to make a pasta salad out of this one, I would sub out half of the sour cream for mayonaise. A bowtie pasta would be very tasty with this combo!
I like to use kosher salt for most of my recipes. If you have sea salt on hand, you can surely substitute it with that. Both add a nice flavor. I prefer kosher because it mixes better with liquids and you don't need as much a lot of times.
Also, you don't have to use the european cukes. Regular ones will do, but I would suggest peeling them. My kids don't like the tough skins on them and when mixed with everything else they don't release as much water if they aren't skinned. When the cucumbers release their water, their essence pulls through the food much nicer.
Needless to say, tomato lovers still love the traditional caprese...
How could you not? It's so pretty! Sometimes I'll drizzle it with a little balsamic to add a new twist. But this one is tried and true and always yummy. But, if you are feeling you want to branch out to something new, try one of the above recipes or dice up the caprese and toss in pasta or top a grilled chicken breast with it. There are endless ways to serve these beautiful salads and they compliment so many things. I hope you have a great summer and a fruitful garden if you have one. Feel free to post comments if you have new ideas to share!
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