RECIPE: End-of-Summer Corn and Tomato Salad

Yes, the kids are back in school - but technically summer doesn't end for another week and a half. And because fresh, local summer produce is only here for such a brief season, I want to make the most of it before I begin the long fall and winter sojourn of endless root vegetable dishes. I don't have anything again root vegetables (in fact I'm fond of many of them), their season is just a much longer one here in Southern Ontario!

So, always looking for more ways to incorporate the sacred, short-seasoned corn and tomatoes into our lives, I came up with this salad. It was a hit with my family and also when I prepared it for a Cooking at the Market demo a week and a half ago.

I admit that cooking and cooling, then stripping the kernels off, several cobs of corn is a bit time consuming, but the taste of fresh corn in this salad is so worth it! The corn can be cooked and chilled ahead of time; and the whole salad can be made in advance if you have company coming or just want to have less work to do at mealtime.

This salad lends itself well to improvisation, so feel free to add whatever other embellishments you feel inspired to include. Diced avocado or sweet peppers play nicely with these flavours, and cubed or crumbled cheese is another nice addition (mozzarella or feta work well). If you want to make this into a heartier main dish salad, toss in about 1 1/2 cups of cooked black beans, or some leftover shredded chicken or pork. You could also add some cooked quinoa or barley to the mix! See, the options are nearly endless :)

Ingredients:
6 cobs corn, cooked and cooled
2 cups of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (I used a combination of red cherry and yellow pear tomatoes)
6-8 green onions, sliced

Lime & Cumin Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
zest and juice of 1 lime
1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions:
-In a medium serving dish, combine the corn, tomatoes and green onions.

-In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients until well-blended. Pour over corn mixture and stir gently to coat evenly. 

Serves 6 as a side dish. 

For more simple, tasty and family-friendly recipes like this one, check out my book: Cheap Appétit: The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Family for Less Than $400 a Month (While Eating Better Than You Ever Thought Possible)

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RECIPE: Black Bean and Roasted Vegetable Salad

We've had some record-breaking temperatures in the last few weeks, making it feel like we've already hit the dog days of summer, when normally we're just kicking off the start of the growing season. This bizarrely hot weather has got me into full-on "summer cooking mode"; when the temperatures start to soar we trade our piping hot soups and stews for lighter, cooler fare which includes lots of hearty dinner-worthy salads made with a variety of grains and beans.

Lately black beans and sweet potatoes seem to be an "in" combination, judging by the number of recipes pairing them together that I've seen in magazines and on the internet. Since everyone in my family loves roasted vegetables, I was inspired to create this salad which features the aforementioned beans and sweet potatoes with a variety of other roasted vegetables, then dresses them up with the Lime and Cumin Vinaigrette from my Southwestern-Spiced Barley and Vegetable Salad.

This turned out to be a winning (and very filling!) combination. It also makes a lot, as we miraculously had leftovers (that doesn't happen too much around here these days). I served the leftovers a few days later by tossing some steamed broccoli into the mix, then smothering it all in my Zesty Cheese Sauce, topping with breadcrumbs, and baking for about half an hour. It was delicious served that way, too - and might be a good option for those of you who have kids who are a bit apprehensive about beans and/or vegetables. For some reason cheese sauce seems to make most things have a lot more kid appeal :)

Ingredients:

3 cups of cooked black beans (or 2 cans of beans, rinsed and drained)
4-6 spring onions (scallions), sliced
3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
2-3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2" chunks
3 small onions, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 large red pepper, seeded and cut into 1" pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

Dressing:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
zest and juice of 1 lime
1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions:
Arrange the vegetables in a single layer in a 9 x 13" baking dish. Combine the olive oil, salt and pepper and drizzle over top, turning to coat the vegetables evenly. Roast at 425F for about 45 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Let cool for 15-20 minutes, so they are warm but not piping hot.

Combine dressing ingredients and pour over vegetables. Add black beans and green onions and stir gently until everything is evenly combined. Serve warm or room temperature.

Serves 6-8 as a main dish.

I shared this recipe at Full Plate Thursday, the GCC Recipe Swap and Friday Favorites. 


Want more salad ideas? Check out my roundup of Spring and Summer Salads.

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RECIPE ROUNDUP: Spring & Summer Salads

I've gained a lot of new readers in the past year, so I thought I'd start hilighting some of the posts you may have missed if you've just joined me recently. Since spring has finally made it to Southern Ontario (thank goodness!) I'm going to kick things off with a roundup of some of our favourite warm-weather salads. 

Build a Cucumber & Bean Salad

It's easy to vary the type of beans and vegetables in this salad to use what you have on hand and what's in season.

Creamy Cucumber Salad

There is rarely any of this salad left at the end of a meal; I often toss in a handful of freshly chopped herbs from the garden.

Broccoli, Bacon & Cheddar Salad with Old-Fashioned Boiled Dressing

Quite possibly my favourite way to eat broccoli!

Southwestern Spiced Barley & Vegetable Salad

Barley makes a great base for a salad with its satisfying, chewy texture. I particularly like it with the southwestern flavours featured in this recipe.

Colourful Cabbage Salad

This makes a big batch and keeps well for a few days in the refrigerator. There is usually a bowl of this salad in our fridge throughout most of the summer - I can't believe I don't have a picture of it!!

Layered Salad

This is my go-to salad when I want something a bit fancier looking for company. It's always a big hit whenever I serve it!

Do you have a tried-and-true salad that you serve often in warmer weather? Please share!

RECIPE: Layered Salad

If you're looking for a simple-to-prepare yet elegant side dish to tote along to an Easter gathering this weekend, I highly recommend this layered salad. Everyone always "oohs" and "aahs" over it whenever I take it anywhere, and once they dig in, there's usually not much left over. Use the fanciest glass bowl you've got to assemble this, and you'll be assured "showstopper" status :) If you don't have any fresh herbs on hand, they can be omitted, but they definitely add that little something special to this salad.

Ingredients:

1 head leaf lettuce, shredded
1 cup shredded carrots
1 medium red pepper, chopped
2 cups frozen peas
6 green onions, sliced
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup fresh chopped herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, chives)
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Instructions:

In a large glass serving bowl, layer the lettuce, carrots, red pepper, peas and green onion (in that order). Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, white wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and herbs (if using). Spread evenly over top of salad. Cover and chill overnight. Sprinkle with bacon just before serving.

Serves 8.

I shared this recipe at Recipe Swap Thursday and Full Plate Thursday.

RECIPE: Curried Turkey & Rice Salad

 This is a great main course salad to throw together on a hot summer day - you can make it using leftover rice and turkey (chicken or ham would also work here) and it goes together lickety-split! If you don't have leftover rice on hand, cook 1 1/2 cups of raw rice in 3 cups of water and you'll have the right amount to use for this recipe..

Ingredients:
3-4 cups leftover cooked rice
2-3 cups leftover cooked turkey, diced
1/2 a medium red pepper, diced
1 cup green peas (fresh or frozen and thawed)
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped

1/2 of a 13 oz can coconut milk
1 tbsp curry powder
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp EACH salt and pepper

In a large bowl, combine the rice, turkey, pepper, peas, peanuts, and green onions. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients and stir until well combined. Pour dressing over rice mixture and stir until evenly coated.

I shared this recipe at Foodie Friday, Friday Feasts, Friday Favorites and the GCC Recipe Swap

RECIPE: Southwestern Spiced Barley & Vegetable Salad

I'm not sure why barley isn't a more popular grain. It's one of my favourites - I love its unique and satisfying chewiness. When most people think of barley they think of soups and stews; I love to use it in cold summer salads like this one! It's usually cheaper to buy barley at the bulk food store rather than prepackaged at the supermarket. Variations of this salad, using whatever fresh vegetables are on sale, appear regularly on our summer table. It's a great accompaniment to just about anything you might have grilled on the barbecue (shown here with Lime and Garlic Chicken).

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup uncooked pearl barley
about 3/4 lb or so fresh green beans
1 small red pepper, chopped

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
zest & juice of one lime
1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

In a large, heavy bottomed saucepan, bring the chicken or vegetable stock to a boil. Add the barley and simmer until barley is tender and liquid is almost all absorbed, about 45-60 minutes. While barley is cooking, chop the green beans into 1" pieces and steam or boil them until tender-crisp. In a small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients and mix until well-blended. In serving dish, combine the cooked barley with the green beans, peppers, and dressing, and stir gently until well combined. Refrigerate until serving. This will keep well for a couple of days in the fridge.

I shared this recipe at Tasty Tuesday,  Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table and Friday Favorites.

RECIPE: Broccoli, Bacon & Cheddar Salad with Old-Fashioned Boiled Dressing

 I'm one of those people who enjoys raw broccoli much more than cooked (although I'll eat it that way, too). The combo of broccoli, bacon and cheddar is one of my favourites. I've made this salad for years with a mayonnaise and sour cream based dressing. Last week we were out of sour cream and running low on mayo, and there was a broccoli in the fridge that needed using up. I really wanted to make this salad, and it occurred to me that I could give it a try with a boiled dressing.

The results were more than satisfactory - this dressing has more of a mustardy kick to it than the one I was previously using, which is a perfect match for the flavours in this salad. We all loved it!

If possible, it's better to make the dressing the day before you're going to make the salad, as the flavour improves if it has a chance to sit for a while. It will still taste fine if you need to use it the same day, just not *quite* as yummy!

Ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli, chopped into medium-sized pieces
6 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 recipe Old-Fashioned Boiled Dressing (recipe follows)

Combine all ingredients and mix gently until well blended.

Old-Fashioned Boiled Dressing:
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 tsp dry mustard powder
1 tbsp sugar
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1 1/2 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vinegar

In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the flour, mustard and sugar. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and blend well. Slowly add the wet mixture to the flour mixture, whisking constantly. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Transfer to storage container and chill until serving (ideally overnight). If the dressing thickens up too much after chilling, thin it out with a little milk or water to desired consistency.

This post is linked to Tempt my Tummy Tuesday,  Tasty Tuesday, and the GCC Recipe Swap.

RECIPE: Build a Cucumber and Bean Salad

I've seen a lot of cucumber salad recipes flying around the internet lately - must be a sign of spring! Everyone in my family adores cucumbers, and we finally have local, reasonably-priced ones available again (after a loooong winter!), so I figured I'd whip up a cucumber salad of my own. One of the recipes I saw used chickpeas, and since I still have a lot of chickpeas in the freezer from the last time I cooked up a batch from dried, I decided to start with a cucumber and one can's worth of chickpeas and see where I went from there. Since we also had sweet peppers (also for the first time since fall!) I couldn't resist throwing some in for colour and crunch. Before I knew it, I had a gorgeous-looking salad that ended up being a huge hit with my family. This is definitely going to be a spring & summer staple around our house from now on!

To make the salad as pictured:

1 seedless cucumber, sliced and quartered
1/2 a red pepper, chopped
1/2 a yellow pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 can, drained and rinsed)
2 green onions, chopped

Dressing:
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

In a medium sized casserole or serving dish, combine the cucumber, peppers, chickpeas and green onions.

In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and stir until well blended. Pour over cucumber mixture, and stir gently until well blended.

That's it! Super easy, but super delicious (and really, isn't that the best kind of recipe?)

You could easily vary the ingredients, using what you have on hand, and come up with a winner every time! I've made this salad twice already, and the second time I tossed in some chives from my garden and some diced-up mozzarella. YUM! Feta would also be fantastic in this salad. When I had it for lunch the next day, I threw in some chopped avocado (no-one else in my family likes avocado, lol!) You could use white beans in place of the chickpeas, and tomatoes in place of (or in addition to) the peppers. For a Southwestern variation, use black beans instead of chickpeas, corn instead of yellow peppers, and lime juice instead of white wine vinegar. And throw in some avocado, too, unless you, too, have a family of avocado haters! You could sprinkle a bit of cumin and chili powder into the dressing as well, to give it a bit of a spicy kick.

There are enough possibilities for this salad to keep me experimenting all summer long. I'd love to hear what variation of this recipe becomes your "family favourite"!

RECIPE: Colourful Cabbage Salad

This recipe is a family favourite and one that I prepare on a regular basis year-round. One thing I love about it is that I can make a large batch and it will keep in the fridge well for 3-4 days (although it's rare that it lasts that long around here). You could easily substitute whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand for the peppers and carrots. Moat of the prep time for this salad is chopping the vegetables. Use a food processor to shred the cabbage - this will speed your prep time considerably!

Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 6-8 as a side dish

1 *small* cabbage, shredded (or approx. 1/2 a large cabbage)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
1/2 a medium red pepper, finely chopped
6 strips regular or turkey bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled (optional but tasty!)
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, cut into small (1/2" or less) cubes
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey mustard
1 tsp celery seed
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped fine

1. In a large bowl, combine cabbage, onion, carrots, red pepper, bacon and cheese.

2. In small bowl, combine remaining ingredients and mix until well combined.

3. Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and stir until vegetables are well coated with dressing.

4. Transfer to serving dish. Can be served immediately or prepared up to 24 hrs in advance.

A Quick Picnic

Summer is picnic season and we had our first family picnic last night (at It's Your Festival, a weekend-long Canada Day celebration).

Many of our picnics are spur-of-the-moment affairs, so I like to be able to pull some inexpensive yet tasty treats on short notice.

Here's what was in our cooler yesterday:

Lime and Garlic Chicken

Potato Salad with Bacon and Garlic Scapes (recipe below)

Tossed Green Salad (veggies from our CSA share)

We didn't pack any dessert, since we planned to enjoy our traditional festival chocolate-soft-serve cones. Otherwise, I would have packed some quick homemade bars or cookies. I'm planning to try these Lemon-Cornmeal Cookies from Cooking Light magazine soon; Gingersnaps are another picnic-perfect family favourite (no chocolate chips to melt all over the place on a hot day!)

We usually bring a family-sized thermos jug of lemonade along, but yesterday we just had ice water as the kids had already polished off our lemonade (which reminds me, I need to stock up on lemonade again when it's on sale).

Potato Salad with Bacon and Garlic Scapes
I decided to toss the garlic scapes from this week's CSA share into my potato salad, with delicious results. You could substitute fresh green beans for a similar texture and flavour.
[Sorry no photo - still no digital camera!]

Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6 as a side dish

Ingredients:
6-8 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" chunks
1 medium onion, chopped
4 strips regular or turkey bacon
1 bunch garlic scapes, chopped into 1" pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, sliced
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp honey mustard
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Cook potatoes and onion together in boiling water until potatoes are tender. Drain potatoes; refill pot with cold water and set aside to let potatoes cool.

2. While potatoes are cooking, cook bacon until crisp; cool and crumble.

3. In same pan used to cook bacon, saute garlic scapes in olive oil until tender-crisp (if you used regular bacon, you may have enough bacon drippings to skip the olive oil).

4. In large mixing bowl, combine bacon, garlic scapes, garlic, green onions, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper.

5. Drain potatoes thoroughly and add to dressing mixture; stir well to combine. Serve warm or chilled.

Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

An Early Summer Feast

This week's share of the harvest included asparagus, zucchini, mushrooms, spinach, lettuce, salad mix, radishes and potatoes.

We had quite the early summer feast for dinner last night:

Turkey Burgers
Baked Potatoes
Sauteed *mushrooms and onions
Moroccan-Inspired *Carrot and *Parsnip Salad (recipe below)

*from our CSA share

Local strawberries with vanilla ice cream
(I was dismayed to see that the local strawberries were priced $1.00 higher than the U.S. imports!! Please buy them anyway!)

I will use the spinach to making more Lemony Chicken and Spinach Pasta - for which my husband will thank me profusely! I think the zucchini may become zucchini bread - or possibly chocolate zucchini cake, depending on how ambitious I feel on the weekend.

Moroccan-Inspired Carrot and Parsnip Salad
This is mildly spiced - if you like it hot, add more paprika and cumin. I used green onions in this dish because I still had plenty on hand from last week's CSA share, but you could use 1/4 of chopped fresh parsley instead.

Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4-6 as a side dish

5 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
2 parsnips, peeled and sliced into coins
3 green onions (scallions), chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp orange juice
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tsp honey mustard
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Cook carrots and parsnips in boiling water until carrots are tender-crisp (don't overcook the carrots - they should still have a bit of "crunch" to them; the parsnips will be a bit softer). Drain.

2. While carrots and parsnips are cooking, combine remaining ingredients. Pour dressing over cooked vegetables and mix well.

3. Chill before serving (tastes best if refrigerated overnight to allow flavours to blend).

RECIPE: Freeform Supper Salad

We had this for dinner last night. This is the perfect summer meal for times when you want to pull together a quick dish that's cool and refreshing (yet still satisfying). There are endless variations on this - use whatever you have on hand!

Time: 20 minutes (quicker if you're using leftover meat)
Serves: variable

Lime and garlic chicken, sliced (or use any cubed/sliced leftover meat)
Salad greens (lettuce, spinach, salad mix)
chopped/sliced vegetables (cucumbers, sweet peppers, carrots, broccoli, etc)
crumbled bacon (about 1 slice per person)
cubed cheese
parmesan cheese
salad dressing of choice

For each serving, arrange salad greens on plate. Sprinkle chopped vegetables, bacon, and cheese cubes over greens. Arrange chicken slices on top. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Drizzle with dressing of choice.

RECIPE: Creamy Cucumber Salad

Quick to prepare, and a family favourite!

Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

1 1/2 to 2 English cucumbers
1-2 tbsp salt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
herb of choice - parsley, mint, or chives

Slice cucumbers in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/4" chunks. Place cucumber pieces in a bowl and sprinkle with 1-2 tbsp salt, stirring to mix well. Let stand 15-20 minutes while you prepare dressing. Dressing: Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Add herb of choice (about 1 tbsp dried or 3 tbsp fresh chopped). Once cucumbers have stood 15-20 minutes, turn into a collander and rinse well to wash off salt. Drain well, then add to dressing and mix until well combined.