Here is another lovely salad that I made. I found this recipe in my America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook on page 74. I love most of the recipes that I have tried from America’s Test Kitchen. They are on TV on PBS as well.
Mediterranean Chopped Salad
adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook pg 74
Serves 6 Calories: 180/serving
Ingredients:
Salad:
10 oz cherry tomatoes, cut in half (I love Cherub brand cherry tomatoes)
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into pieces
1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup minced red onion
1 head red leaf lettuce, washed, dried, and chopped into bite size pieces
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Dressing:
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic minced
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Combine the salad ingredients in a large salad bowl.
Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Pour over the salad and gently toss the salad.
I am sorry, it is a green leafy vegetable and I want nothing of it… right? That is what you are thinking! That is what I thought, but I had so many of my foodie friends making them and raving about them so I had to see what it was all about! Guess what? They are good! No, I should say addictive! I have to play keep-away from my 10 year old son! He may love them even more than I do! I baked them in batches, and before the next batch was done, the previous ones were gone! I may need a 12 step program for these. I over salted the very first batch, but they were still good, less salt on the second batch I made and they were better. The third and fourth batches I added a quality balsamic vinegar before baking them. They were not bad, but I think the pure salt method is the way to go. The ingredient list is overwhelming – oh wait 3 ingredients. I think even my husband can handle that!
I did find this recipe from Pinterest which led me to a site that had a wonderful step by step description (link).
Serves 1 if you are home alone.. otherwise share with up to 3 other people.
Ingredients
1 bunch kale
1 Tbsp olive oil
ground sea salt
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Wash the bunch of kale and then take scissors or a knife and cut the stem going up into the leaf out (almost the full length of the leaf). Tear the kale leaves into 2 inch pieces. Dry completely between paper towels, toss and dry again.. you want them as dry as possible.
Place the kale leaf pieces in a large salad bowl and pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top and toss them with your hands to get as many of the leaves as possible coated with some of the olive oil. Place about 1/4 of the leaves (as many as will fit comfortably on a silicone lined cookie sheet as possible, without overcrowding them) Grind sea salt over the leaves.
Place in the oven and bake for 8 to 12 minutes. Depending on the type of kale you used it may take more or less time. Mine was the curly kale and took a little over 12 minutes to crisp up and wilt some. Remove from the baking sheet and place on a pretty plate.. they will look pretty there for about 30 seconds before the vultures descend upon the kale chips and make them vanish.
Notes: Kale will end up on my grocery list a lot more in the future because of this preparation. What a great alternative to eating salty potato chips. It satisfies the salty craving and is better for you too! Will I be making these treasures again? Yes I think so, but now I am going to floss and brush my teeth because I have an appliance repair guy coming to fix my dryer!
Tomatoes, especially heirloom tomatoes are one of my favorite things to eat. Since April, I have been on a journey of weight loss, so my blog has been somewhat neglected. It is hard to shift gears from the “eat anything” mentality to eating mostly gluten free and mostly dairy free foods and juicing fresh fruits and vegetables. So far, I have lost a little over 20 pounds since April. After a week long vacation and a week of over indulgence, I am getting back on track again. Here is an heirloom tomato salad I made for lunch for my husband and myself. I will make this again. It is both simple to make and delicious to eat.
Heirloom Tomato Salad
Serves 2
Ingredients:
3 different color large heirloom tomatoes
fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp drizzle of good quality aged balsamic vinegar
6 small marinated fresh mozzarella balls
Instructions:
Thinly slice the heirloom tomatoes into large disks. I used three different color tomatoes and alternated the colors on a plate, overlapping the tomatoes a little bit. I placed basil leaves between the slices of tomatoes. Sprinkled with salt and pepper, and then drizzled the balsamic vinegar over the top of the tomato slices. I placed the mozzarella balls next to the tomatoes. My husband and I both enjoyed the heirloom tomatoes.
Here is another lovely salad that I made. I found this recipe in my America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook on page 74. I love most of the recipes that I have tried from America’s Test Kitchen. They are on TV on PBS as well.
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