Waldorf Salad with Dill Vinaigrette

Robert and I just returned from a New Years Eve trip to Colorado. After a busy end of 2011, it was nice to take some time to get away from the city and regroup. Between Robert's exams, Christmas shopping, and spending the holidays with both families, our end of the year was exhausting. During our trip we took  a minute to reflect on 2011 and plan for 2012. As we spoke, we realized that we were both most thankful for my new job and career change. And as we look ahead, 2012 will bring Robert's graduation from law school and starting his career as an attorney. It's an exciting year.

Robert and I in Colorado

After the indulgences of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, I thought I'd start the year off with a nice healthy salad. The combination of lettuce, celery heart, and Belgium endive combined with the fresh dill in the dressing, make this salad the freshest tasting salad I have ever had. If using the salad as a meal replacement, feel free to add some grilled or rotisserie chicken breast for some protein. Happy New Year!

New Years Eve Pajama Party!

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Waldorf Salad with Dill Vinaigrette

Ingredients

Head of Butter lettuce

1 Belgium endive, chopped

1 celery heart, leaves torn

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 gala apples, chopped

1 cup red grapes, cut in half (optional)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced

Juice of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons cream

Instructions

To assemble the salad, combine in a large bowl the lettuce,

 celery heart leaves,

 chopped endive,

 chopped apples,

 chopped onion,

 and chopped walnuts. Toss and set aside.

 In a small bowl (but bigger than the one pictured below) combine the lemon juice,

 apple cider vinegar,

 honey,

 dijon mustard,

 cardamom and dill.

 Whisk to combine.

 While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.

 Finally, whisk in the cream.

 Serve on top of the salad and enjoy.

Source: Rachel Ray

Enlightened Ranch Dressing

I'm currently on a quest to incorporate healthier snacks into my life. I tend to be hungry every 2-3 hours, especially when I eat light for breakfast and lunch. Unfortunately, I don't naturally think about snacks when I'm making my grocery list so I'm forced to rely on the available snacks in the vending machine or break room in the office, which typically results in my eating a bag of chips.

Growing up I used to love dipping carrots and celery into ranch dressing as part of my lunch, but bottled ranch isn't exactly on the fast track to health. And the light or fat free ranch offerings in the store tend to fall flat in the flavor department. All this motivated me to try and make a healthier ranch option that I could pack up with celery and carrots and take with me to work.

In order to achieve this, I used light mayo and low-fat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream along with fresh herbs. The result is a full, herby flavor that pairs really well with the fresh veggies. I will admit, however, that I enjoyed the flavor much more the second day than right out of the blender. I think that's because time allowed the herbs to mellow into the base and coexist more harmoniously than at first. So, if you want to serve this with a salad for dinner or take to work for a snack, make this dressing a day ahead for maximum enjoyment.

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Enlightened Ranch Dressing

Ingredients
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
3/4 cup light mayonnaise
3/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
Handful of chives
Small handful of fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried dill weed (or 1 tablespoon fresh dill if available)
1 clove garlic, pressed
Juice of 1/2 lime or lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch of kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Instructions
Start by pouring the buttermilk into the bottom of the blender.

Next add the Greek yogurt,

mayonnaise,

chives,

parsley,

garlic,

lime juice,

olive oil,

dill, salt and pepper.

Blend in blender until smooth.

Enjoy on a salad or with your favorite raw veggies.

Source: Adapted from Annie's Eats

Kitchen Essentials: Vinaigrette Emulsifier

Back in May I found myself walking through the Williams-Sonoma store at Northpark Mall just browsing with no intention of buying anything. (Isn't that how it always begins?!) As I made my way past the beautiful display of Le Creuset cookware (swoon!) and numerous kitchen gadgets that I don't need, (but sometimes think that I do!) I came across a display devoted to salads. That's where I saw the vinaigrette emulsifier pictured above. 

I have quickly come to prefer homemade salad dressing over the store bought variety. The problem I had, at least up until that day in May, was that I did not have a way to effectively store and serve the dressings I had made. The Chef'n Salad Dressing Emulsifier has quickly solved that problem. Not only does it come with several recipes listed on the side of the bottle, the measurements listed on the side for recipes like balsamic vinaigrette can easily be used to help you craft and create your own salad dressing creations.

After I bought this exciting new toy, I quickly got to work creating the recipe for a homemade raspberry vinaigrette, shown above. By far my favorite aspect of the emulsifier is that when the vinaigrette separates, as it is bound to do, the trigger makes it easy to stir the blend again without a mess and pour just as easily. If you enjoy making your own salad dressings at home, you should get one as well. You'll be glad you did