Cucumber Salad

Those of you who know me are probably shocked to see that I made something with cucumbers. Yes, I'm not a fan BUT the lady loves herself some cucumbers and has been requesting a cucumber salad. I had one on hand and thought it would be a nice side to the barbecue pulled chicken I made the other night. 

This is super simple, people. I'm talking it takes about 10 minutes (maybe even less) to throw together and you most likely have all ingredients on hand if your pantry is stocked. 

Cucumber Salad

Slightly adapted from Paula Deen

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced

1/4 cup thinly sliced onion

1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon dried parsley

salt & pepper to taste

 Combine all ingredients. Let sit at least 15 minutes prior to serving.

Arugula Salad with Almonds and Parmesan

I don't know if I mentioned this before or not BUT arugula is one of my favorite greens. I came across this recipe while reading a recent edition of  Everyday Food. This simple salad is perfect for a light meal or a great start to a larger meal. Although there's not much in this salad, it still has so much flavor and is actually quite filling! Grilled Chicken would be a great addition.

 YUM!!

Ingredients

1/3 cup toasted natural almonds
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 bunch arugula (1/2 pound), trimmed
1/3 cup shaved Parmesan (1 ounce), plus more for serving

In a large bowl, combine almonds, oil, lemon juice, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Add arugula and Parmesan and toss to coat. Serve topped with more Parmesan.

Chicken Tostada Salad

This recipe comes from the May 2010 issue of Everyday Food.  I made this meal around Cinco de Mayo ( I know, I know! I'm sorry I'm just posting it now). Tostada is exactly what it sounds like, a toasted tortilla. The tostada serves as the crunchy shell to this very simple salad. This was a very tasty and simple meal to prepare. Next time I'll make a lime vinaigrette to go with the salad. I didn't think there was enough flavor from the lime juice alone. It was a bit too dry.

Ingredients: 

4 corn tortillas

3 tablespoons of olive oil

3/4 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 small red onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 garlic clove, minced

breast meat from 1 rotisserie chicken, torn into bite-sized pieces

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1/2 head romaine lettuce

1 tomato, seeded and chopped

1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced

fresh cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 400. Brush each side of the tortillas with olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes. Divide cheese among tortillas and return to oven until cheese is bubbling, about 3 minutes. 

2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high. Add half the red onion and cook until softened. Add chili powder and garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add chicken and 1/4 cup of water and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2  minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon lime juice and remove from heat. 

3. In a large bowl combine lettuce and 1 tablespoon lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat and divide among tortillas. Top each with chicken mixture, tomato, avocado, remaining onion, and cilantro.

Pear Salad

This is a popular salad that's popping up on menus at just about every restaurant I go to. I add grilled chicken to this pear salad for some protein and to make it a more filling meal but most any meat will work with this salad. It's also tasty without meat. The combination of the pear, nuts, dried cranberries, and blue cheese makes this salad so deliciously perfect!

Ingredients:

Mixed greens

Dried cranberries

Pecans (walnuts work well too)

Red grapes, halved

1 pear, thinly sliced

Blue-Cheese

Grilled Chicken

Dressing of your choice (I recommend this one)

Use the amount of each ingredient depending on your liking. Toss all ingredients together and enjoy!

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Making your own salad dressing is really easy and saves a lot of money too. I very rarely buy salad dressing unless I'm in a pinch. Balsamic vinaigrette is one of my favorite dressings. It works well on mostly all salads and works as a great marinade too. This is a really simple recipe especially since you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry.  This recipe makes 1 cup. If you're making a big salad or marinading meat or vegetables you might want to double the recipe. You can store the vinaigrette in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 1 week.

This recipe below comes from Sara Foster's Fresh Every Day Cookbook

Ingredients:

4 garlic cloves

Sea salt

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1.Using a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a chef's knife on a cutting board, mash together garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt to form a paste.

2.In a medium bowl, stir together garlic paste, mustard, balsamic and red wine vinegars. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.