Restaurant Knockoff - Stonefire Grill BBQ Chopped Salad

Have you guys heard of Stonefire Grill? They've got locations throughout Southern California. I've never been to one but the day we flew to the West coast for Thanksgiving my stepmom got one of their salads for us for dinner. She tossed it all in a big bowl and, to look at it, it looked like a regular old salad. In fact, I didn't even try any of it at first because there was other stuff to eat. But my sister-in-law kept raving about how good it was so I made myself a small bowl. And then another and another, unable to comprehend how such ordinary ingredients could come together into something so amazing.

I went online to see if anyone had tried to recreate the Stonefire Grill BBQ Chopped Salad at home. Lo and behold, someone did. I finally got around to putting it on the menu and all I can say is wow.

This recipe is pretty much spot-on. Which is great because we live in PA and don't get out to CA very often. Now I can enjoy this salad whenever I want.

Stonefire Grill BBQ Chopped Salad
As seen on Come Fly with Me

1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup black beans
3 ears fresh corn, cooked and corn kernels removed (or 1 cup frozen)
3/4 cup chopped red cabbage (I left this out)
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 large tomato, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken, tossed with BBQ sauce
3 tablespoons green onions, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup crumbled tortilla chips/strips
1 cup bottled ranch dressing
2-3 tablespoons bottled BBQ sauce, to taste

Fill a salad bowl with a mixture of chopped lettuces. Place the beans, corn, cabbage, carrots, cheese, and tomato in sections on top of the lettuce. Pile the chicken in the center. Sprinkle with green onions, cilantro and tortilla chips.

Combine the ranch dressing and BBQ sauce. Toss with the salad and serve.

Chopped Chicken Taco Salads with Cheese Quesadilla Strips

It's been awhile since we had a big, hearty salad for dinner. I had this Chopped Chicken Taco Salads with Cheese Quesadilla Strips recipe on my to-make list and I wanted something easy and quick for Halloween night, something that could sit if we had trick-or-treaters at the door.

We all loved this. I was especially in love with the cheese quesadillas, which is funny because they weren't anything extraordinary - just tortillas and cheese - but with the salad they were absolutely perfect. I'll definitely be making this one again and again.

Chopped Chicken Taco Salads with Cheese Quesadilla Strips
As seen on How Sweet It Is

2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 limes, juiced
2 garlic cloves, minced

Cooking spray
2 tortillas
4 ounces monterey jack cheese, freshly grated

2 romaine hearts, chopped
2 avocados, chopped
1 cup sweet corn
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
1/4 red onion, diced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive olive
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 lime, juiced

Combine the cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the olive oil, lime juice and garlic. Mix thoroughly. Place the chicken in a large plastic food storage bag. Add the seasonings and coat the chicken evenly, then marinate in the fridge for 2-24 hours.

Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-heat heat. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes on one side, then flip and cook for another 4 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and then cut into chunks.

While the chicken is cooling, add a tortilla to a large skillet coated with cooking spray. Brown on one side, then flip and add the grated cheese and the second tortilla on top. Cook until both sides are golden and cheese is melted, then remove from the skillet and slice into strips or triangles.

Combine the lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, corn and onion in a large bowl, then toss with the salt and pepper. Add olive oil, red wine vinegar and lime juice, tossing well to coat. Add in chicken and toss well, then separate into bowls. Add the quesadilla slices and serve.

Beet Salad with Tomatoes and Blue Cheese

I love beets. Love them. If there is a beet salad on a menu I'll order it. And when my favorite thin crust pizza place took their beet, arugula, red onion, mandarin orange and blue cheese pizza off the menu for the season I was close to tears. When Joelen posted this Summer Beet Salad recipe I knew I had to make it.

This was a delicious salad. I did make a few small modifications, mainly to the dressing since we aren't big fans of balsamic vinegar. I also changed the name to remove summer because I don't want anyone to see this in the fall, winter or spring and think they can't make it. It's a great year-round recipe, especially because cherry or grape tomatoes tend to be good any time.

Beet Salad with Tomatoes and Blue Cheese
Adapted from What's Cookin' Chicago, originally from Cooking Light

4 beets
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
salt and pepper
1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
baby arugula or mixed greens
1-2 ounces blue cheese

Preheat oven to 400°.

Wash the beets, then trim off the roots and stems. Wrap each beet in foil and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until tender. Allow to cool, then peel off the skin. Cut the beets into bite size pieces.

Mix olive oil, vinegar, mustard and thyme in a bowl or salad dressing container. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine the beets and chopped tomatoes in a bowl. Add a few splashes of the dressing and toss to coat.

Arrange the arugula or mixed greens on a serving platter. Top with the beets and tomatoes, then crumble the blue cheese on top. Drizzle with more dressing and sprinkle with more salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken BLT Salad

I'm always on the lookout for new dinner salads, but they have to be hearty enough to satisfy us at the end of the day. As soon as Nicole posted this Chicken BLT Salad I knew it would be a winner in my house. How could it not when it contains two things SP loves - crispy chicken and BLT ingredients?

You know what the surprise star was of this meal? The dressing. Holy moly was it good. SP, not being a fan of dill, opted to use something else but Baby Girl and I practically licked our plates clean trying to get all the dressing into our bellies. So deliciously easy with a huge flavor punch. I opted to pan-fry the chicken rather than bake it in the oven to ensure a nice, crispy coating. It's not the healthier option, but everything in moderation, right?

And here's one more picture because I wanted to experiment with the new filters on iOS 7. Pretty neat.

Chicken BLT Salad
As seen on Prevention RD

1 cup lowfat buttermilk, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
salt and pepper
1 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
canola or another light-colored oil
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh chives or parsley, minced
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, grated
1 medium head iceberg lettuce, cored and cut into 4 slices
2-3 plum tomatoes, chopped
crumbled blue cheese (about 1/2 cup)
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Combine 1/2 cup buttermilk and egg in a shallow dish. Place panko in a second shallow dish. Season the egg mixture with salt and pepper. Dip the chicken pieces in the egg mixture to coat, then dredge in the panko.

Heat about 1/2-inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, then flip and continue cooking until the other side is golden brown. This should take about 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Let chicken stand 5 minutes before slicing into strips.

Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk, salt and pepper to taste, mayonnaise, dill, chives/parsley, vinegar and garlic in a bowl or dressing container. Stir or shake to combine.

Place cut lettuce on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with 1/4 of the chicken, tomato, and dressing. Sprinkle with cheese and crumbled bacon.

California Pizza Kitchen's Original BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad

You all know how much I love a good chopped salad. I've been trying to do one salad a week in the summer, so as soon as I saw this California Pizza Kitchen's Original BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad on Lauren's Latest Facebook page I knew I had to make it ASAP.

This is one awesome salad. Awesome. I loved everything about it - the tang of the red onion and BBQ sauce mixed with the cool creaminess of the ranch dressing and avocado. The basil (and I'm sure the cilantro, too, if I had remembered to ask SP to buy it) added complexity to the romaine. I love the pop of corn kernels in salad and the black beans were a great way to add protein and a slight creaminess. And you can never go wrong with fresh tomatoes this time of year. Everything came together beautifully and I wished the bowl had been twice as big.

I love that Baby Girl eats salad now. She snacked on all the ingredients as I was chopping them up and then chowed down on her portion. This was a great weeknight meal. I was able to grill the chicken during the day so I didn't even have to turn on the stove or dirty a pot/pan at dinnertime.

California Pizza Kitchen's Original BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad
Slightly modified from Lauren’s Latest

2-3 Romaine hearts, chopped
1/4 cup basil leaves, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup rinsed and drained black beans
1 cup drained sweet corn
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 cup grated Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
1/4-1/2 cup prepared ranch dressing, such as Hidden Valley
1 large tomato, diced
1 ripe avocado, sliced
2 leftover grilled chicken breasts, chilled and diced
1/4-1/2 cup prepared BBQ sauce*

In a large bowl, combine lettuce with the basil, cilantro, black beans, corn, red onion and cheese. Toss with ranch dressing (just enough to coat) and divide between serving bowls. Place diced tomatoes around the edges of each bowl, top with avocado slices and diced grilled chicken. Drizzle BBQ sauce over top the whole thing and serve.

*If you didn't grill your chicken with BBQ sauce, dice cooled chicken breast, toss in a little BBQ sauce, place on salad and drizzle with more sauce.

Grilled Chicken Caesar Flatbreads

You all know how much I love my friend Cassie's blog. She and I have a very similar cooking style and I know I can always rely on her for easy weeknight meals. I was making my meal plan recently and struggling to find a sandwich so I went to her blog and clicked on the sandwich tag. Voila! Up popped these Grilled Chicken Caesar Flatbreads. Chicken + Caesar dressing + flatbreads = deliciousness.

These really could not be simpler and the flavors are great. You're basically topping a flatbread with chicken Caesar salad. I got to use my new grill pan, although I need to remember that it's easier to slice chicken in half lengthwise when grilling so you aren't standing there waiting (im)patiently for the chicken to cook.

Baby Girl continues to amaze me with what she eats - she cleaned her plate (she had one quarter of a flatbread topped with the chicken and salad). I can't wait to make this one again.

Grilled Chicken Caesar Flatbreads
As seen on Cassie Craves

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup Caesar dressing, plus more for the salad
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Chopped romaine lettuce
Parmesan cheese
Butter
6 flatbreads

Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise. Combine dressing, lemon juice, and Worcestershire in a plastic food storage bag. Add chicken and toss to coat. Marinate at least 2 hours, up to overnight.

Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat and grill chicken until cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate and allow to rest, then slice. Butter both sides of the flatbreads and add to the grill/grill pan, turning occasionally until each side until marked and slightly crispy.

Combine romaine lettuce, Caesar dressing, and Parmesan cheese. Add some of the salad mixture to each flatbread. Top with sliced chicken and more grated cheese. Serve immediately.

California Club Blue Cheese Chopped Salad

Lately I've been craving salad, not a simple side salad with a few veggies but a hearty dinner salad. I've been wanting to make a chopped salad where all the ingredients are cut to uniform size and this California Club Blue Cheese Chopped Salad sounded perfect.

What a great salad. The dressing is so simple but deliciously tangy and I loved the combination of ingredients. I knew SP wouldn't be satisfied with just the veggies and beans so I bulked it up with a roasted chicken breast and frozen corn, my new favorite salad addition. I love the pop of the kernels when I bite into them.

Baby Girl helped me cut up all the ingredients and ended up snacking on everything. I was worried about her spoiling her dinner but how do you say no when your child wants to eat veggies (answer - you don't). I was anxious to see if she would eat the salad once it was assembled and dressed and get this, she did! I gave her a big girl bowl (read: a ceramic bowl rather than her plastic ones) and she chowed down. I was so proud.

California Club Blue Cheese Chop Salad
Modified from Lauren's Latest

Salad:
2 large romaine hearts, washed and thinly sliced
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 chicken breast, roasted* and cubed
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
1 ripe avocado, diced
1/2 cup rinsed and drained black beans
1 cup frozen corn

Dressing:
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 large lemon, about 3 tablespoons
2/3 cup mayonnaise
Salt & pepper, to taste

Toss all ingredients for salad together and set aside.

For dressing, whisk all ingredients together and toss with salad. Serve immediately.

*Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread a piece of aluminum foil across a baking sheet, and arrange chicken breasts in a single layer in the center. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold the aluminum foil over the chicken breasts, and enclose them to form a "packet." Bake the chicken (on the baking sheet) 35-45 minutes, or until it is cooked through.

Chickpea Salad with Tomatoes, Lemon, and Herbs

I don't know about you but side dishes frustrate me. I find myself making the same boring things over and over again because they're either easy or because I'm too lazy to think of something better. I had seen this recipe for Chickpea Salad with Tomatoes, Lemon, and Herbs on Kelsey's blog awhile back and thought it sounded like a great, light side dish (she serves it as a main course).

Then I completely forgot about it until I was trying to come up with something to serve with black bean burgers from the freezer. It needed to be something I could make in advance since I was planning to serve it for dinner on a Tuesday after my exercise class. Baby Girl and I threw together a half order after I picked her up from daycare and it sat in the fridge until SP and I enjoyed it about 4 hours later. I think it got better the next day once the flavors had married a little more and I finished it off for lunch.

I'm excited to have a new quick and easy side dish in my repertoire. This went well with the black bean burgers (I had mine with mashed avocado and it was divine). It would also go great with grilled chicken, steak, pork chops, seafood, portabello mushrooms, alongside a traditional burger or chicken sandwich, or as a salad tossed with chopped lettuce.

Chickpea Salad with Tomatoes, Lemon, and Herbs
As seen on Apple a Day, adapted from Bon Appetit, April 2011

2 (15-oz.) cans low-sodium chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Zest of one lemon
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 small garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon each coarse sea salt and black pepper, plus more to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Taste salad and adjust seasonings as desired. The salad can (and should) be made ahead of time and chilled to allow the flavors to marry.

Antipasto Salad

This is one of my favorite salads at an Italian restaurant but there's only one place I've had it where they didn't skimp on the extras like fresh mozzarella, meat and olives. As soon as Elly posted this Antipasto Salad on her blog I knew I'd found a great recipe to make at home. Why it never occurred to me to make it at home is beyond me. It's not like there's anything difficult about chopping some veggies and whisking together a vinaigrette. Now I can make my favorite salad at home whenever I want. Thanks Elly!

PS. You may notice the banana peppers are missing from my photo. DO NOT SKIP the peppers. They bring the whole salad together. I didn't realize they were missing until I looked at the recipe again the next morning, after I'd served it to SP (who's bowl is photographed above) and eaten a bowl myself, the whole time wondering what was missing. I added them to my lunch the next day and it was bliss. Don't make my mistake.

Antipasto Salad
As seen on Elly Says Opa!

Salad:
3 hearts of romaine
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced cucumbers
1/3 lb. genoa salami, thick dice
1/3 lb. ham, thick dice
1/2 lb. mozzarella
1/3 lb. provolone brick cheese, diced
1/4 cup olives
1 large banana pepper or 2-3 pepperoncini, sliced

Dressing:
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon oregano or Tuscan/Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Lightly toss together the salad ingredients.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, oregano, and Dijon. Slowly stream in the oil, while continuing to whisk, until it emulsifies and is well-combined. Pour the dressing over the salad, tossing to combine.

Cantaloupe and Mozzarella with Prosciutto and Basil

I love proscuitto and cantaloupe. Such a great flavor combination with the sweetness from the melon and the saltiness of the ham. While looking through my recipes for another side dish for July 4 I found this one for Cantaloupe and Mozzarella with Prosciutto and Basil.


It's a gorgeous platter of food and another side dish that requires minimal effort to put together. No cooking required, which was great since the temps were topping out in the high 90s that day. I cut up the melon the night before (Baby Girl loved watching me and helped by holding the container I was using to store the pieces until the next morning), so the day of all I had to do was assemble the platter. Easy peasy.

Cantaloupe and Mozzarella with Prosciutto and Basil
As seen in Everyday Food

1 cantaloupe, halved and seeded
3/4 pound bocconcini (bite-size fresh mozzarella balls)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (l omitted because we had kids eating this)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/3 pound thinly sliced prosciutto
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

With a large melon baller, scoop melon flesh into a large bowl (or cut into bite-size pieces). Add bocconcini, oil, and red-pepper flakes (optional); season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Arrange prosciutto along edges of a large serving platter. Stir basil into melon mixture, transfer to center of platter, and serve.

Easy Mixed Greens Salad

I get bored with salads. I know I need to eat more salad and it's a great side dish, but it needs to be interesting in order to keep my attention. Enter this Easy Mixed Greens Salad, originally made with arugula (which I'm sure would also be delicious). Pine nuts are my new favorite salad ingredient after they made an appearance in my all-time favorite salad, the Bacon, Egg and Asparagus Salad, so as soon as I saw these on the ingredient list I knew I'd love this salad. Add two more of my favorite things - tomato and avocado - and I'm sold.


SP wasn't a fan of this salad, although he did eat the bowl I served him. He likes plainer salads, so I need to find a happy medium. I loved this, as I knew I would, and can't wait to make it again. It went very well with the Chicken and Basil Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes.

Easy Mixed Greens Salad
Slightly Modified from The Keenan Cookbook

4 cups mixed greens
1 cup cherry or grapes tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 large avocado - peeled, pitted and diced

In a large bowl combine greens, tomatoes, pine nuts, oil, vinegar, and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to mix. Divide salad onto plates, and top with diced avocado.

Recipe Swap - Chopped Apple Salad with Toasted Walnuts, Blue Cheese and Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Want to see what other Celebrity recipes were made during the swap? Here is the link to the Celebrity Recipe Swap Roundup


Awhile ago I asked the ladies who participate in the recipe swaps for help coming up with themes. One of the suggestions was your favorite celebrity recipe, with celebrity being defined as someone who has published a cookbook, been on TV, or is basically a known name. I was lucky enough to receive Nicole's submission, Chopped Apple Salad with Toasted Walnuts, Blue Cheese and Pomegranate Vinaigrette, which is a Bobby Flay recipe.


I rarely have trouble finding things in my supermarket, but I asked one of the produce managers if they had pomegranates and she said they aren't in season right now. Boo! She said they sometimes carry packages of the arils, but not at the moment. I've never bought a pomegranate before so I was disappointed that I wasn't able to try it for this recipe. When I Googled I discovered that pomegranates are in season from September - February in the Northern hemisphere. This fact, along with the growing season for apples, makes this a perfect fall salad.


I really enjoyed the flavors in this salad, especially the sweetness of the vinaigrette against the salty stinkiness of the blue cheese. The walnuts added crunch, as did the apple chunks. Even though I've never eaten the arils from a pomegranate, I missed them as I imagine they're like dried cranberries in a way. That just means I need to make this salad again in the fall.

Thanks for a great recipe, Nicole!

Chopped Apple Salad with Toasted Walnuts, Blue Cheese and Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Bobby Flay, via Prevention RD

Pomegranate Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup POM Wonderful
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 - 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad:
3 apples (Gala, Fuji, or Honeycrisp), cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups spinach, arugula or mixed greens
1 large head Romaine lettuce, torn into pieces
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
6 oz blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 pomegranate, arils removed (in season September-February)
Salt and pepper to taste

To make the vinaigrette, simmer the POM Wonderful over medium heat until it simmers, thickening to about 1/4 cup (about 10-12 minutes). Whisk together the pomegranate juice, vinegar, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Set aside.

For the salad, combine the apples, spinach/arugula/mixed greens, Romaine, walnuts, blue cheese and arils in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then add the vinaigrette and toss to coat.

Secret Recipe Club - Bacon, Egg and Asparagus Salad

It's Secret Recipe Club time again. Man, that month goes by fast!


As soon as I got my blog assignment (Kudos Kitchen by Renee) for March I started to look through all her recipes. Renee does crafts in addition to cooking and has some beautiful handmade items. After a quick spin through her blog I knew I wanted to make this Bacon, Egg and Asparagus Salad. Just the name made my mouth water. Unfortunately the post didn't include a recipe. One of my biggest pet peeves about the whole Dorie Greenspan blogging community is that those who participate aren't allowed to post the recipe on their blog. I love food porn (aka photos) as much as the next person but if a meal looks good I'd like to be able to make it at home, especially if the blogger made some changes to the original recipe. Thankfully Renee saw my comment on her post asking for the recipe and responded quickly so I was able to get this made before the SRC deadline. Renee, I'm sorry I wasn't able to explain why I was so anxious to get this recipe but now you know. :)


Like I said, I was in love with this salad just from Renee's photos. It combines some of my favorite things - asparagus, runny eggs, pine nuts and bacon - into a gorgeous salad with a tangy dressing. I ended up subbing white wine vinegar for the sherry vinegar because I already had some on hand. Besides the asparagus and mixed greens I didn't have to buy anything else - all the ingredients are things I keep on hand. A tip - if you belong to a wholesale club look for pine nuts in their baking aisle. They're so much cheaper than the grocery store and you can keep them in the freezer so they don't go rancid. This recipe used up the last of my pine nuts so it's a good thing we're headed to the wholesale club this weekend.


This would make a great first course at a dinner party because you can assemble the plates while the asparagus is roasting and then fry or poach some eggs and serve. I fried my eggs in bacon fat to stay true to the original recipe, but I don't think it added anything extra to the taste. Next time I'll poach the eggs to save some calories. Regardless of how you cook your eggs a runny yolk is key. It mixes with the dressing to create something luxurious. If you don't like runny eggs this isn't the salad for you.

The final bite:


I knew SP wouldn't be into this salad so I made it for lunch one day (one of the perks of working from home). I was very happy that it made enough for two salads so I could enjoy it again for lunch the next day.

I can't say enough good things about this salad. I may or may not have licked the plate clean to get up all that delicious dressing and egg yolk. What a winner. Thank you SO much, Renee. This was a great treat and surprisingly simple to make. It was the perfect light lunch and I can't wait to make it again soon.

Bacon and Eggs and Asparagus Salad
Slightly Modified from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
Makes 2 main course salads or 4 first course salads

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons sherry or white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and coarsely-ground black pepper
4 large eggs
1 bunch asparagus spears, preferably thick, trimmed
6 strips bacon
3 handfuls mesclun or other mixed salad greens, rinsed and dried
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

To make the vinaigrette: Put all the ingredients in a small jar, cover, and shake to blend; or use a small bowl and a whisk. Set aside, and shake (or whisk) again before using. (You can make the vinaigrette up to a week in advance and keep it in the fridge.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast until just cooked through, about 5 mintues.

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-low heat, turning as needed, until the bacon is golden and crisp on both sides. Remove the strips and put them between a double thickness of paper towels; when the bacon is cool, cut it into narrow strips or chop it into bits. Leave 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the skillet. Rewarm the bacon fat over medium heat. Cook eggs over-easy, making sure the yolks are still runny.

Season the mesclun with salt and pepper, then toss it with about three quarters of the vinaigrette, and arrange in the center of the platter or your plates. Toss the asparagus with the remaining vinaigrette and lay the spears over the greens. Lift the eggs out of the skillet and place them on top of the asparagus. Scatter the bacon bits and toasted pine nuts over the salad and serve immediately.

Foodbuzz Tastemaker - Newman's Own

I received quite a nice package of goodies from Newman's Own as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program - 2 jars of pasta sauce (Tomato & Basil and Roasted Garlic), 3 bottles of salad dressing (2 Family Recipe Italian and 1 Lighten Up Raspberry and Walnut), and my favorite item, a Flip Video Camera. SP has been bugging me to do some video how-to posts and now I have no excuse not to. Look for those, probably in the spring when I've got daylight on my side again.

I needed an easy weeknight meal recently so I went into the pantry for a jar of sauce and bottle of salad dressing. I had made garlic and parsley butter over the weekend so all I had to do was cook the pasta, heat up the sauce, toast the bread and cut up some veggies for a quick salad.


First, the salad since we ate those as an appetizer while we waited for the garlic bread to toast. In addition to the spring mix greens I grated some carrot, chopped mushrooms, cucumber and tomatoes and finished with croutons.


I absolutely LOVED this dressing. It was tangy and I could actually taste the oil, vinegar and seasonings. But my favorite part was the cheese. The ingredient list says Romano cheese is included, which was very exciting for me since I love grating cheese over my salads dressed with oil and vinegar.

Next up, the pasta. I topped my bowl with a dollop of ricotta cheese leftover from a lasagna SP and Baby Girl made as a welcome home dinner after my latest work conference.


Notice the basil leaf on the left side of the picture? The sauce was full of real pieces of basil, which was great to see but unfortunately made the sauce overly sweet. I don't put basil in my tomato sauce for this reason. Lots of extra grated pecorino helped tame the sweetness a bit, but this sauce wasn't our thing. Baby Girl, however, loved it. She slurped this one up, literally, and said "yummy" after each bite. I'm hoping the roasted garlic one has a more tangy flavor.

BBQ Chicken Ranch Salad

Another fantastic and easy meal from my friend who brought you Bow Ties with Sausage, Tomato and Cream and Ranch Pork Chops; this one is a hearty BBQ Chicken Ranch Salad that packs great flavor with minimal ingredients.


I really loved the combination of flavors in this salad. The tangy BBQ sauce, the cool Ranch dressing, the freshness of the cucumber, the spice from the red onion. Everything works so well together. I opted to top my salad with tortilla chips since we had some on hand, but I've seen other recipes that call for French's fried onions or even French fries. I picked up a rotisserie chicken at the supermarket before getting Baby Girl from daycare and the convenience can't be beat. My chicken wasn't BBQ because they didn't have any, so feel free to use whatever kind of roast chicken you like (or poach, grill, roast your own if you have the time).

BBQ Chicken Ranch Salad
As seen throughout the blogosphere

Spring Mix salad greens
1 BBQ roast chicken, shredded
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (I left these out because SP doesn't like beans)
1 can Mexicorn
1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, Monteray Jack, pepper Jack)
1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 cup diced red onion
Crushed tortilla chips
BBQ sauce
Ranch dressing

Divide salad greens and toppings on 4 plates. Drizzle with BBQ sauce and Ranch dressing.

Click here to check out some more delicious salads.

Greek Taco Salad with Crispy Pita Wedges

A woman on my cooking board recently posted a recipe for Greek Tacos that sounded delicious. We are trying to eat healthier these days so I decided to make the recipe into a taco salad instead of using the crispy shells.


I really enjoyed the salad and used the crispy pita wedges as dippers for the tzatziki but SP wasn't a fan. I think he would have preferred these in the crispy taco shells. I actually put some of the leftover meat mixture, tzatziki, feta, and romaine into a pita for lunch the next day and it was fantastic, so that's another alternative to the traditional taco shells.

Greek Taco Salad with Crispy Pita Wedges
Inspired by A Seasoned Greeting

1 pound lean ground beef
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 teaspoons Greek seasoning (see note below)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bag baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cucumber, diced
2 hearts of romaine, torn into bite-size pieces

Crispy Pita Wedges
2 pitas, cut into 4 wedges
Olive oil for brushing
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Tzatziki
12 ozs. plain Greek yogurt
1 cucumbers, seeded
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Salt and a little pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes, Greek seasoning, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add spinach and olives; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until spinach is wilted.

Crispy Pita Wedges: Place pita pieces on a baking sheet lined with foil. Brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, oregano and thyme. Bake at 300° for 3-5 minutes or until heated through and crispy.

Tzatziki: Peel and seed the cucumber. Shred on the large holes of a box grater and then squeeze in a towel to get rid of as much excess moisture as possible. Mix together the yogurt, shredded cucumbers, garlic, vinegar and lemon juice. Salt to taste. Refrigerate overnight, if possible, or at least 30 minutes for the flavors to meld.

To serve, fill shallow bowls with romaine. Top with beef mixture, feta, red onion and cucumber. Dollop tzatziki on top and arrange crispy pita wedges around the perimeter.

Note: For a substitute for 1 tablespoon Greek seasoning use 1/2 teaspoon each dried oregano, dried marjoram, garlic powder, lemon-pepper seasoning, ground mustard and salt.

Red Wine Vinaigrette

As the weather gets colder and I find myself gravitating toward rich, creamy (read: fatty) meals, I'm rediscovering salad. A nice side salad with lots of veggies and a light vinaigrette dressing not only adds a healthy component to a fattening meal, it helps cut through the richness.


I love making homemade salad dressing because it takes next to no time to throw together and I can control the ingredients. This is my standby for simple green salads. Lately I've been using spring mix, romaine hearts, shaved carrot, chopped mushrooms and tomatoes in my salads and thyme from my garden in the vinaigrette.

Red Wine Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 shallot, finely minced
4-6 sprigs of thyme, leaves stripped off the stems
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine mustard through pepper in a bowl, cup, salad dressing container, etc. Stir/whisk to combine. Slowly add oil in a steady stream, continuously whisking to emulsify. I like a tangy vinaigrette so I use less oil, an even amount to the vinegar. Adjust to your personal preference and season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed.

Broccoli Salad

I've had this recipe for Broccoli Salad printed out for years but have never gotten around to making it. Fourth of July weekend seemed like the perfect time since we were doing a lot of grilling.


I ended up cutting the recipe down substantially after SP took a look at the ingredients and said, "No way will I be eating any of that." I used one small broccoli crown and pretty much eyeballed the rest to make two portions just for me. It was delicious. I loved the crunchy broccoli, the sweetness of the grapes and dried cranberries mixed with the tanginess of the vinegar and the salty bacon.

Broccoli Salad
Very Culinary

1 large head of broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
2 cups of red grapes, sliced in half length wise
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup dried cherries, raisins, or dried cranberries
6 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup cooked bacon pieces
1 cup mayo
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix mayo, vinegar, and sugar together in a small bowl. Pour mayo mixture over broccoli mixture and combine well. Serve right away or chill for a few hours.