Category: Salads

Smoked Salmon & Kale Salad with Orange-Dijon Vinaigrette

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Smoked Salmon and Kale Salad with Orange-Dijon Vinaigrette

I think I am addicted to spiralizing. Or should I say, Spiralizing. I’m pretty sure I have been having dreams about spiralizing since Christmas. What do we have in our house that I can put through that baby? Carrot noodles? Zucchini noodles? Broccoli noodles? Meatball noodles? Yogurt noodles? Peanut butter noodles? Ok maybe not everything can be spiralized (if only…). But there is something magical about feeding a large cylindrical object (at which most 5 year-olds would turn their nose up) into a sharp blade (which YOU get to choose!) and watch long, slinky-like strips of carrots come out the other side.

(They’re not very good at ending up in the bowl you want them to, but they are TOTALLY worth a few carrot stains on the counter).

Consider your lives changed.

Tonight, when Ben told me he was craving salmon for dinner, I thought to myself, Self! Why not make some spiralized veggies and a smoked salmon salad!? Because I never make salads, so this would be so unusual for me!

I whipped up a quick Dijon vinaigrette using the quick and dirty technique outlined in the book I’m currently reading, Bread and Wine (which by the way is amazing- I highly recommend!), and massaged a few kale greens with the freshly-spiralized veggie noodles. [side-note: why does spellcheck not yet know the word “spiralize”!?] Top it with some smoked salmon and savory capers and feta, and by golly, we have a delicious, power-packed salad fit for both you AND your salmon-craving, 150-pushups-a-day-performing man! (I actually turned these into tacos for him… he’s not as keen on the kale and zucchini mix, but don’t worry- I still snuck a few in there :P).

Hope you enjoy it!

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Smoked Salmon and Kale Salad with Orange-Dijon Vinaigrette
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Smoked Salmon Tacos
Smoked Salmon and Kale Salad with Orange-Dijon Vinaigrette
Recipe Type: Salad, Healthy, Seafood
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
A perfect way to practice your spiralizing skills while whipping up a quick and power-packed salad! Experiment with your own veggies, vinaigrette ingredients, and toppings to your heart’s desire.
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tbsp orange juice
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • pinch of salt
  • 3 cups shredded kale
  • 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, sliced
  • 2 small zucchinis, spiralized (using smallest blade for extra-thin “zoodles”)
  • 2 carrots, spiralized
  • 1 cup cooked grains (I used a medley of brown rice, quinoa, and lentils)
  • 4 oz smoked salmon, shredded or sliced into thin strips
  • 1 tsp capers
  • 1/4 tsp dried dill weed
  • feta cheese, for topping
Instructions
  1. In a small jar or bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients (oil through salt). I like using a jar so I can put the lid on and shake it up, then reuse it later in the week!
  2. Combine kale, tomatoes, spiralized veggies, and grains in a large bowl.
  3. Drizzle vinaigrette over top, little by little, tasting as you go to avoid drenching the salad!
  4. Massage veggies with your hands until kale is wilted and dressing is distributed evenly.
  5. Top salad with salmon (I threw mine under the broiler for 2 min but smoked salmon is meant to be served raw!), a few capers, and a pinch of dried dill weed.
  6. Serve with feta crumbles or a dollop of plain Greek yogurt (or both!) and some good crackers or crusty bread.
  7. *You can also make salmon tacos! Simply combine about 1/4 cup yogurt or sour cream with some ranch dressing seasoning and stir, stir, stir. Spread it on the bottom of a tortilla and top with salad from above (making sure not too much dressing is on it to avoid making them too soggy). Bake at 350 for 6-7 min or until tortillas are just “set.” Top tortillas with rice, salmon, capers/dill, and feta.

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Claire2 Comments

Skillet Kale Carbonara over “Broodles and Coodles”

Have you ever Spiralized? (Yes, I just used “spiralize” as a verb). It will literally change your life forever. I got a Spiralizer for Christmas from my mother-in-law and I could not be happier! For those of you who don’t know, a Spiralizer is this really cool contraption that you can use to make “noodles” out of regular vegetables and fruits. Zucchini is the classic “beginner’s” veggie to use (have you seen meatballs over zucchini spaghetti?) but you can also use carrots, broccoli, beets, radishes, sweet potatoes, apples, etc. The options are limitless! And all those colors? I can’t even. They don’t lie when they saw we eat with our eyes!

I decided to try out my new gadget tonight for a healthy, veggie-packed carbonara (read: fried egg on top) and a spicy mustard sauce. It was a hit!

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Broodles and Coodles of Noodles (Oh, My!)
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Skillet Carbonara over Broodles and Coodles
Skillet Kale Carbonara over “Broodles and Coodles”
Recipe Type: Vegetarian, Healthy
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
A great way to try out your new Spiralizer! The options are endless! I used carrots and broccoli, but you could also experiment with any other veggies (go by color- beets, radishes, zucchini, etc.)
Ingredients
  • 4 carrots
  • 2-3 stalks broccoli (from one head)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 tbsp garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 tbsp whole grain dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 3 cups packed kale, torn into pieces (I leave the stems in!)
  • 2 eggs (1 per serving)
  • Parmesan cheese, optional (for topping)
Instructions
  1. Spiralize carrots and broccoli stalks using blade C (the shredder), tearing apart the spirals every few turns (otherwise you’ll get a never-ending broodle/coodle!). Set aside.
  2. In a large cast iron skillet, heat 1 tbsp oil on medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, red pepper flakes. Cook 3 minutes or until soft. Add mushrooms and stir continuously for 1 more minute, making sure to scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the skillet.
  3. Remove the onion mixture from the skillet and set aside.
  4. Whisk together mustard, pepper, broth, vinegar, and water.
  5. Add remaining oil to skillet.
  6. Pour the sauce in the skillet and wait until it bubbles. Reduce heat to low and add the carrots and broccoli spirals.
  7. Cook 3-4 minutes or until veggies are soft.
  8. Reduce heat to low and add kale. Cook until wilted.
  9. Meanwhile, cook eggs on low heat until set (I like my yolks a bit runny, but feel free to cook as you like!)
  10. Serve kale and veggie spirals with fried egg and parmesan cheese on top, if desired. Drizzle a bit of the extra sauce in the bottom of the skillet, too!

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Massaged Kale & Edamame Salad with Honey Ginger-Lime Vinaigrette

MASSAGED KALE SALAD W/ HONEY GINGER-LIME VINAIGRETTE
MASSAGED KALE SALAD W/ HONEY GINGER-LIME VINAIGRETTE
Massaged Kale & Edamame Salad with Honey Ginger-Lime Vinaigrette
Recipe Type: Salad
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
A slightly sweet and tangy vinaigrette complements the chewiness of the kale in this simple, throw-together salad that will be perfect as a side for your next pizza party!
Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp honey (more or less to taste)
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp minced ginger
  • 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 bag chopped kale, rinsed
  • 1/2 cup frozen edamame
  • 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup brussels sprouts, sliced or shredded
  • 2 large carrots, peeled into long strips
  • 2 clementines, peeled and wedged
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients for dressing (up to kale) in the bottom of a large bowl.
  2. Add kale and massage with both hands, working the dressing into the kale until it gets soft and slightly wilted.
  3. Add remaining ingredients and toss.
  4. Serve with extra vinegar or dressing if desired.

 

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Last of Summer’s Best: Turkish Tabbouleh w/ Lemon-Dill Couscous

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It’s always a sad day when you realize that that peach you were saving in the fridge (you know that peach? the one you were waiting for just the right moment to sink your teeth into, anticipating the sight of that bright orange interior and feeling the juice running down the side of your cheek) has gone bad. That’s right, badddddd. Now it’s mealy and browned in spots when you cut it open. Bummer! Luckily, theres about one square inch of it that you can salvage, but it’s really just a tease until next summer when peaches are in season again.

If you know the feeling, you know just as well as I do that it may just be time for fall. Here in NC, early fall doesn’t mean the same thing it does “up North.” We don’t start our apple picking for at least a month, and apple cider doesn’t start appearing on supermarket shelves until October. (For some strange reason, Pumpkin Spice EVERYTHING and candy corn make their debuts in late August… thank you, commercialism, Starbucks, and Cadbury.)

I don’t mind the end of summer, but I sure do miss the produce that I’ve been able to get a bounty of at the farmers’ market every week. Tomatoes, peppers, corn on the cob, and PEACHES galore! I took this gorgeous picture this week at the market, just for the colors! I can’t stop looking at it!

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Anyway, this salad makes the most of the very “best of” the last of the summer produce (including that salvaged pear!). Roasted veggies, mushrooms, and garbanzo beans blend with the salty kalamatas and a crisp lemon-dill sauce to make a perfect side dish or main. I mixed mine with whole wheat couscous (mostly because I’m lazy and couscous is as easy as stirring boiling water into the grains and letting it sit) for a Meatless Monday salad. Topped with a fried egg, a few peach wedges, avocado, crumbled feta, and a few chopped dates, this salad is a perfect combination of everything I love about summer salads. Fresh, hearty, and stick-to-the-bones-not-the-hips delicious!

Last of Summer’s Best: Turkish Tabbouleh with Lemon-Dill Couscous
Recipe Type: Salad
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 12-20
Here’s a quick make-ahead salad that I promise will just keep growing, and growing, and growing. Roasted veggies, mushrooms, and garbanzo beans meld perfectly with slightly savory kalamata olives and lemon-dill sauce to make a salad that’s perfect as a side dish or hearty enough to serve for Meatless Monday!
Ingredients
  • 2 cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 container mushrooms
  • 1 container broccoli and cauliflower florets
  • 1/2 red onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp greek seasoning
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 bunch fresh dill, roughly chopped
  • juice of one lemon
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp EVOO
  • 1/2 cucumber, seeded and roughly chopped
  • 1 container grape tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
  • 1/2 cup marinated artichokes, roughly chopped
  • 4 large carrots, peeled into strips with vegetable peeler
  • Baby spinach
  • 1 cup whole wheat couscous
  • feta cheese, avocado, and pita for serving
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 375. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients up to cucumber. Bake for 20 minutes, toss, and bake 10 minutes more. Set aside.
  2. Add cucumber, tomatoes, olives, and artichokes to food processor and pulse 2-3 seconds or until roughly chopped. Remove from processor and set aside.
  3. Add half of the chickpea mixture and pulse until roughly chopped (we’re not going for hummus here!). Add to remaining half of the chickpeas. Toss it all with the other veggies and carrots.
  4. Boil 1 1/2 cups water. In a large bowl, stir boiling water into 1 cup couscous and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and add to the rest of the salad.
  5. Top with feta cheese and more lemon to taste.
  6. Serve on pita bread or over quinoa, couscous or other grain of your choice!

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Thai Peanut Quinoa Fried “Rice”

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Thai Peanut Quinoa Fried “Rice”
Recipe Type: Salad
Cuisine: Asian, Quinoa, Healthy
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Here’s a lightened up version of your traditional fried rice, this time using quinoa instead of white rice. I used a bag of Asian coleslaw mix and tossed in some frozen edamame before stir frying it all with a bunch of Asian spices. Serve with chopped peanuts over the top to give it a nice crunch! Can be eaten warm or chilled, and you can even drizzle a bit of the extra juice from my Sesame Teriyaki Chicken (previous recipe) to give it a bit more flavor. I served mine over a bed of spinach greens with some chicken and stir fry vegetables on the side!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed
  • 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tsp + 1/2 tsp peanut oil
  • 1 14 oz bag Asian coleslaw mix (without the creepy mix-ins they include)
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, divided
  • For Peanut Sauce:
  • 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp peanut butter
  • 2 tsp chili garlic sauce (I found this next to the hot sauce at the store!)
Instructions
  1. Add quinoa and broth to rice cooker and set to cook.
  2. Combine ingredients for sauce in a small bowl and microwave in 20 second increments, stirring until smooth. Set aside.
  3. Whisk egg and 1/2 tsp peanut oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
  4. Heat remaining oil in a large wok or skillet on high heat. Add coleslaw mix, edamame, and green onions. Stir until tender, about 3 minutes. Make a space in the middle by pushing the slaw out to the sides of the pan. Pour beaten egg/oil into center and stir immediately until you see nice little chunks of scrambled egg in the mixture.
  5. Add cooked quinoa and sauce to the skillet and combine. Stir in half the peanuts and top with the other half right before serving!

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Grilled Peach Salad with Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette

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Grilled Peach Salad with Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette
Recipe Type: Salad
Cuisine: Salad, Vegetarian, Fruit
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
While the grill is hot, here’s an easy grilled peach salad with a lovely honey-dijon dressing that will complement those burgers perfectly at your next backyard BBQ!
Ingredients
  • 3 peaches, slightly soft
  • 4 cups baby spinach
  • 1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped roughly
  • 1 tbsp whole grain dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tbsp regular dijon (I actually had an apricot brandy flavored dijon that I used!)
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • pinch of garlic powder
  • crumbled gorgonzola
  • walnut pieces
Instructions
  1. Slice peaches into thin slices and line up, evenly spaced, on a wooden skewer.
  2. Combine all dressing ingredients (mustard through garlic powder) in a small bowl and whisk until well incorporated.
  3. Combine spinach and chives in a large bowl.
  4. Preheat grill to medium heat. Grill peach skewers about 2 minutes per side, until slightly charred. Remove from heat and toss into bowl with spinach.
  5. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss.
  6. Top with crumbled gorgonzola and walnut pieces.

 

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