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

Fruit Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, we can look forward to Christmas. That means Christmas decorations, Christmas parties, Christmas cookies, and so on. Unfortunately, statistics show that the average American gains one pound in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas largely due to the amount of food consumed at parties and cookies and treats enjoyed when at home.

To help you avoid that dreaded pound, I present to you a delicious fruit salad that would be a welcome addition to your Christmas Party spread. By cutting the fruit fresh, rather than using the canned variety, your salad will not only look fresh but you will avoid the sugary syrup that are often included in the cans. The poppy seed dressing elevates the salad to something special, more than just simply cut fruit. I hope you will enjoy this as much as I do.

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Fruit Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing


Ingredients
2 bananas, sliced
2 apples, chopped
2 oranges, cut into slices
2 cups green grapes
2 cups pineapple chunks
1 cup white distilled vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Instructions

Pour the cup of vinegar into a large measuring cup and add the sugar. 

Add the oil and stir to combine.

Pour into a food processor.

Add the mustard

and poppy seeds.

Turn on the food processor and run for about a minute to fully blend.

Set aside.

Add the bananas,

apples,

oranges,

grapes, and pineapples into a bowl.

Toss to mix.

Cover with saran wrap and set in the fridge until ready to serve. Immediately before serving pour the poppy seed dressing over the fruit, or place in mini pitchers on the table for guests to dress the fruit themselves.

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

Crunchy Vietnamese Steak Salad

I have searched high and low for a crisp, crunchy and flavorful Asian salad recipe. I have dined on many Asian salads in restaurants throughout the years, and I like aspects of most, but I would not say that I love any. I have also made quiet a few, all with the same humdrum results. Yesterday I stumbled upon this recipe on the Food and Wine  website (just flipping aimlessly through the recipes with pictures...yes...I am one of those people that will only make recipes with pictures!). I was intrigued by this Vietnamese version (pretty picture), I bought the few ingredients that I needed, I made the salad, and I have subsequently fallen in love with this light and bright creation!

Beautiful puppy Cort

I love her white stripe...it is almost like a painter painted this stripe!

We paired steak rather than chicken with this salad because we were really craving steak, but we didn't want an overly heavy dinner. I almost always associate steak with gluttonous over-indulgence (buttered potatoes, mac and cheese, bold red wine). However, with this salad, steak can be part of an everyday dinner that is tasty, comfortably filling and healthy!

Sweet Shafer

I omitted a few ingredients (serrano chile, mint, cliantro, shallots and onion) either because we do not like the flavor, or my grocery store did not have these ingredients on that particular day, and I was not motivated enough to go have a scavenger hunt for the missing ingredients. I also added shredded apples, Chow Mein Noodles (for crunch), used almonds rather than peanuts and used steak rather than chicken. I think it is so fun and important to be able to make substitutions based upon personal preferences and individual situations. I think it makes you a more confident chef and gives you ownership of your kitchen creations! What recipe can you change up to make it your own?

Getting into trouble together! Caught digging!

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Ingredients for Salad Dressing:
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of Asian fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons of distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon of water
1 small garlic clove, minced

Ingredients for Salad:
4 cups of green cabbage, finely shredded
2 carrots, finely shredded
1 apple, finely shredded
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons of sliced almonds
3 tablespoons of Chow Mein Noodles (crunchy noodles that you can find in the Asian section of your grocery store...even my tiny neighborhood grocery store had these!)
6 ounces of sliced beef tenderloin, cooked (you can use whatever type of beef you wish, or chicken)

Steps for the Dressing:
1. Gather all of your ingredients.

2. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, vinegar, water and garlic.

3. Stir to combine and then set aside for at least five minutes.

Steps for the Salad:
1. Gather all of your ingredients. I shredded my cabbage and carrots myself, but you can easily by these items shredded to make your prep work a bit easier.

2. Combine the cabbage, carrots, apple, almonds, Chow Mein Noodles.

3. Toss to combine, adding the olive oil.

4. Add your sliced steak (or chicken).

I seared our beef tenderloin in a heavy pan on our range with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. 

It turned out really perfectly!

5. Add the dressing and toss to combine.

6. Enjoy with a crisp and clean Chardonnay!