Kale Salad

I had a kale salad at a restaurant once and it was amazing.  I never thought something called kale could taste so good.  When I went back to the same restaurant, specifically to eat this salad again, they did't have it on the menu anymore.  Instead, they had something that closely resembled cat food.  It even came in the shape of a can, flipped strait from the can onto my plate.  I didn't know any other restaurants that served kale salad, and it was obvious that if I wanted to get my kale salad fix, I was gonna have to make it myself.

There are different kinds of kale.  You can pick any kind, just try to get younger leaves (thinner and softer) because kale tends to be tough.  After trying different kinds of kale for this salad, I concluded that Russian kale works the best.  Any supermarket sells kale.  Natural food stores will have more kale verities than regular supermarkets.  I would avoid buying already cut kale in a bag, because it tends to be really tough, even for cooking.

Kale is from the cabbage family, and everything from the cabbage family is extremely healthy.  Not only that kale salad provides many nutritional benefits, it is also low in cholesterol, fresh, natural, easy and quick to prepare.  

INGREDIENTS:

4  kale leaves

1 ripe tomato, sliced

1 green onion, chopped

1/2 cut chopped cucumber

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp honey

salt and pepper to taste

Step 1- MASSAGING THE KALE

Wash kale leaves and shake them dry.  Pull the stems out.  Pull or cut the leaves into smaller pieces.  In a salad bowl, mix vinegar, salt, pepper and honey.  Mix in the chopped kale leaves and makes sure they all get coated with this dressing.  use your hands to massage the dressing into the leaves.  This will help tenderize them.  Leave them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to rest.  

Step 2- PUTTING IT TOGETHER

While the massaged kale is resting, chop up the rest of the ingredients.  You can put anything you normally eat in a salad.  The other day I made a kale salad with avocado and tomatoes.  Add the rest of the ingredients together with olive oil to the salad bowl and mix it all together.  Serve cold with dinner.  

 

  

Quinoa Salad

I was trying to get a quick lunch at a supermarket the other day and I decided to get some quinoa salad in addition to my bread and brie.  I haven't had it in a while, and what I really liked about it is that it was minty.  I don't usually use mint in food, but suddenly this seemed like a great idea.  So, I decided to add mint in my next quinoa salad.  Quinoa has some great nutritional benefits, but in all honesty it is plain and tasteless.  I made a different kind of quinoa salad a couple of years ago, and described some of the nutritional features.  You won't lure hungry customers into your restaurant with quinoa salad for sure, but it makes a great healthy side to a good meal.  

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1.5 cups water
• 1 medium size tomato
• 1 cup chopped cucumber
• 2 green onions, chopped
• radish, chopped
• 4-6 stalks of parsley, chopped
• 10 mint leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• optional ingredients: bell or banana peppers, dried cranberries

In a small to medium cooking put combine quinoa and water.  Bring to boil, then turn the hear down and continue to cook covered for 15 minutes.  Check on it occasionally.  The water should be completely absorbed when finished.  

While quinoa is cooking, chop up the veggies.  I like to cut them into small pieces so that it would mix well and I can get many different flavors in one bite, but you can cut them however you like.  

When chopping parsley, I use the leaves only and discard the stems.  Stems are OK to use as well, just a little more crunchy.  

Combines all the chopped veggies and herbs in a dish large enough to accommodate your quinoa in addition to veggies and herbs.  Add olive oil, salt and pepper and mix.  

When quinoa is done cooking, let it cook for a while.  You can mix it with a spoon to allow it to cool faster. When quinoa has cooled down to room temperature, add it to the bowl and mix well.  

Serve cold as a side dis, appetizer or a salad.  

 

Couscous Salad

Couscous salad takes 15 minutes to make, and its easy. All you need to know is how to boil water and use a knife.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup couscous
• 1 cup water
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• salt to taste
• 1/2 bell pepper
• 1 cup cut tomatoes
• 1/8 cup onions, chopped
• 1 avocado
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Cook couscous according to the instruction on the package.

Let it cool while you chop up the veggies. Mix well. Add salt to taste. Serve cold as a side dish or salad.

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Fresh Salad

Eat fresh! There is more nutritions in fresh food than cooked, especially processed. Alfalfa is especially nutritions. It is rich in calcium, folic acid, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, potassium, silicon, sodium, zinc vitamins A to K.

Ingredients:

• 2 Persian cucumbers
• 2-3 tomatoes (or more if they are small like mine)
• green onions
• 1 avocado
• alfalfa sprouts
• 1 lime
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil

Slice the tomatoes and cucumbers and cut up the onion and avocado. Squeeze the lime and add oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Quinoa Salad

It's summer, eat fresh!

Here is a light healthy meal or at least a side dish you've been waiting for. Quinoa is a grainy looking seed of a plant that is related to spinach or chard, but it is not actually a grain. Quinoa is highly nutritious. It is rich in protein content- it contains all 9 essential amino acids, including lysine, which is required by the body to grow and repair tissues. Quinoa also has high Manganese content, which acts as antioxidant in the body and it is low in saturated fats and cholesterol. The presence of potassium and magnesium in quinoa prevents clogging of arteries and hence, relieves stress on the heart. Quinoa is a great source of calcium, fiber, carbohydrates and copper.

If you suffer from migraine headaches, it is a good idea to add Quinoa to your diet. Magnesium helps relax blood vessels and muscils in general. It contains Riboflavin (aka vatamin B2) which is necessary to produce energy in brain and muscle cells. Riboflavin is shown to decrease the frequency of migraine attacks.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups quinoa

4 cups baby spinach

3 persian cucumbers

1/2 lbs chary tomatoes

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

juice of 1 orange

2 tbsp mint leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Start by cooking quinoa according to the directions the package. This should take about 15 minutes. While quinoa is cooking, chop up the tomatoes, cucumbers and mint, squeeze an orange, and prepare salad dressing.

Wash the spinach and dry it.

Mix all the veggies in a large salad bowl.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add chilled quinoa, feta cheese and spinach leaves and mix all together.

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Grilled Eggplant Salad

This refreshing side dish is perfect for grilled meat. Its easy to make and its delicious.

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, cut in slices
4 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Dressing:
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced


Slice the eggplant and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper on both sides of the slices.

Grill the eggplant over medium heat until the slices get grilled marks. Then flip and grill other other side as well.

Prepare the dressing- mix olive oil, chopped parsley and garlic. No need to cut the eggplant. It will fall apart on its own. Mix and serve.

Grilled Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

chicken breasts
mixed salad greens
seasoning
Worcestershire sauce
oil

Dressing:
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
thyme
salt
pepper
a drop of mustard

Preferably, a couple of hours before grilling, apply seasoning generously on both sides of the chicken breasts. I use chunky seasoning, add some salt and pepper, and paprika and garlic powder if the seasoning doesn't contain it already. Press with your fingers to make sure the spices get absorbed. Then sprinkle some Worcestershire sauce and oil over it. Cover and leave in the refrigerator until you are ready to grill it.


Grill the chicken, and while it is grilling, wash and cut salad greens .


Make salad dressing. I make mine by mixing some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I also add thyme, salt, pepper and just a little bit of mustard.


When the chicken is done grilling, cut it up while its still hot.

When you are ready to eat, poor the dressing over the salad greens. Then place hot grilled chicken pieces over it.

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I use OXO salad spinner to dry my salad after washing. You don't want your salad to be too wet, it will dilute the dressing and the flavors. Also, a nice wooden bowl is good for serving salads and both formal and casual dinners.

Tomato and Avocado Salad

Fresh healthy salad prepared in just minutes!

Ingredients:

1 large heirloom tomato
1 ripe avocado
1 green onion
1/2 lemon
Olive oil
Salt

Dice tomato and avocado into bite size pieces and chop the onions finely. In a large salad bowl, toss together tomatoes, avocado and onion and salt to taste. Squeeze 1/2 lemon onto the salad, and sprinkle with olive oil.

Waldorf Salad

Waldorf salad originates from the 1800s. It was created by Oscar Tschirky, aka "Oscar of the Waldorf", in Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New Your City. Today, there are many variations of this salad. You can also add your own touch to it.

Ingredients:

Juice from 1 lemon
2 celery stalks
2 apples
1 orange
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup crushed walnuts
lettuce
salt and pepper to taste

Peel apples and celery and chop into small pieces (you can also shred them, or cut into thin strips, depending on how you want your arrangement to look like), and immediately place them in lemon juice to prevent them form turning dark. Then add the other ingredients and mix.

Serve over lettuce. Whole walnuts and lettuce pieces can be used for decoration.

Tomato salad with olives and feta

There are very few vegetables that can top the flavor of a ripe fresh tomato. Did I say vegetable? Tomato is actually classified as a fruit, but lacks the sweet flavor that other fruits have, so it is used in savory dishes and not in deserts.

Tomatoes are available all year round at the supermarkets, however, those can hardly compere to the locally grown vine ripped tomatoes. There are many reasons for this, one being that ripe tomatoes are soft and many varieties have thin skin, and don't transport well. So, take advantage of these tasty fruits while they are in season!

Do not refrigerate tomatoes, they will lose flavor. If you have tomatoes that are not completely ripe, store them in a brown paper bag. This will help them ripen to their full flavor. If you've already cut a tomato, the remaining slices should be stored in the refrigerator.

Tomatoes have multiple nutritional benefits. They are great source of vitamins A, C and K, and minerals including potassium and iron. Tomatoes are particularly rich in powerful antioxidant lycopene which can help prevent the spread of cancerous cells.

A ripe tomato will be usually dark red, however there are other varieties- orange, yellow, dark purple, etc. Heirloom tomatoes do not fall off the vine when they are ready, and their color may not be uniform. Still, it's easy to check if they are ripe- if you feel it with your hand, it should be uniformly soft.

Fresh salads are very easy to make in general. They are refreshing, healthy, and go well with any meal. The secret is to get fresh and tasty ingredients. Not every tomato is born equal! Get a ripe heirloom variety for this salad. There are many kinds of heirloom tomatoes. The one I used is called Brandywine.

Cut tomatoes in slices. Heirloom tomatoes tend to be big, so the slices will be huge too. You may cut them small if you like, but then the tomato harts will fell out, and the salad won't look as pretty. Salt the tomato slices and sprinkle with olive oil.

Add desired amount of feta cheese and olives. Crumble feta into small pieces. Do not overdo on the feta, especially it its too aged and salty, because it will overwhelm the flavor of the tomatoes. You can use any olives you like.

Tomatoes are easy to grow in your home garden, and even in pots. They do however require quite a bit of work, as they grow very fast and need to be tied at least once a week. The pictures I used here are tomatoes grown in my garden.