Salad :: 2/4 :: Leslie Durso

Archive for Salad – Page 2

Springtime Salad

By Leslie · Comments (0) · March 21st, 2012

After a long Winter of eating tons of heavy food (way too much pasta for me!), the light delights of Spring are super appealing! This was one of those “this is in my refrigerator right now” salads and I have to say I kinda love it! Packed with vitamins and minerals and perfect for helping get this bod in shape for Summer

Springtime Salad

Makes 4 big salads

6 oz. of fresh spinach

1 cup garbanzo beans (if canned then 1 can rinsed, if dried then 1 cup after hydrated)

1 red bell pepper, halved lengthwise and sliced

1 green bell pepper, halved lengthwise and sliced

1/2 purple onion, thinly sliced

1 pint of small cherry or sugarplum tomatoes

a few basil leaves, sliced thin

Dressing:

1/3 cup red or white wine vinegar

2/3 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

What you’ll do:

Whisk the dressing together in a large salad bowl. Place all the ingredients in the bowl and toss well.

Serve immediately

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Comments (0)

Categories : featured, gluten free, recipes, Salad, Vegan

Panzanella Salad

By Leslie · Comments (5) · March 20th, 2012

You may or many not know what panzanella salad is… but bottom line is you should! It’s a traditional Italian bread salad. And let’s face it, the best way to make salad better is to make one out of bread right?!

Panzanella Salad

Serves 8

What you’ll need:

1 loaf of Italian bread, sliced

1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced

8-10 roma tomatoes, de-seeded and diced

a large handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped

2/3 cup plus olive oil

1/4 cup plus white balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

What you’ll do:

In a large bowl, toss the onions with a big pinch of salt and add about a 1/4 cup of white balsamic vinegar and 2/3 cup olive oil. Set aside.

Brush the slices of bread with olive oil and grill lightly on both sides. Let cool and cut into 1-inch cubes.

Add the bread in with the onions and toss to coat. Add in the diced tomatoes and basil and toss gently.

Season with salt and pepper.

Serve shortly. (do not make too far ahead of time or the bread will get soggy)

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Comments (5)

Categories : Ethnic: Mediterranean, featured, recipes, Salad, Vegan

Pan Roasted Acorn Squash and Raw Kale Salad

By Leslie · Comments (6) · November 18th, 2011

I adore raw kale salads! Here is the salad I made for the Napa Film Fest Dinner Party It's hearty and very fitting for Thanksgiving and all of the Fall season for that matter.

Acorn Squash and Kale Salad

Serves 6

What you'll need:

10-12 leaves of kale, washed well

1 acorn squash

36 marcona almonds

balsamic vinegar glaze

olive oil

What you'll do:

Wash, de-vein, and chop the kale into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over them and drizzle with about 2 tbsp. olive oil. Get your hands in the bowl and massage the kale. Do this for about a minute and it should reduce in size by about 1/3. Set aside.

Thinly slice the acorn squash into rings and clean out the seeds in the center. Heat up a frying pan and melt some butter in it. Pan fry the squash rings on both sides until they are soft.

To plate, place a squash ring on the plate, top with a pile of kale, add some marcona almonds to the plate and drizzle with some balsamic vinegar glaze.

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Comments (6)

Categories : gluten free, recipes, Salad, Vegan, Vegetables: Kale

Cancer-Fighting Kale Salad + Giveaway!

By Leslie · Comments (18) · October 7th, 2011

As some of you may know, October is breast cancer awareness month. Veggie Dreamgirl has paired up with the fabulous organization Save the Ta-Tas to bring you information about cancer fighting foods. In exchange they sent this fabulous t-shirt to giveaway to one of you!! Cute huh?!

To enter just leave a comment below.
Bonus points for following me on facebook and twitter and super bonus points for tweeting and mentioning on facebook!

Save the Ta-Tas donates a percentage of all sales to cancer research.

Oh, the retail value of the shirt is $45

Must be a US resident (sorry!) and contest ends this Sunday (9th) at midnight so make sure to tell your friends quickly.

Most people know that kale is super good for you, but I’ve found that they’ve been turned off after eating a cooked kale dish. Let me tell you something… kale tastes way better raw than cooked! Seriously… give it a try, I’m not lying. This kale salad contains loads of cancer fighting foods and the fabulous thing is by not cooking the ingredients they retain all of their nutrients! Here is some information about these ingredients that I got from Stanford University’s website:

Kale: Kale is “rich in a variety of compounds that have been shown to slow cancer growth and development in a number of laboratory studies. Other larger human studies have shown that cruciferous vegetables can help to reduce the risk of lung, stomach, colorectal, prostate, and bladder cancers.”

Tomatoes: “The anti-cancer compound in tomatoes, lycopene, has been shown to be especially potent in combating prostate cancer. This compound appears to be more easily absorbed if the tomatoes are eaten in processed form-either as tomato sauce, paste, or juice. In addition to preventing prostate cancer, lycopene may also protect against breast, lung, stomach, and pancreatic cancer.”

Avocados: “Avocados are rich in a multiplicity of nutrients, including many potent anti-oxidants and phytochemicals as well as vitamins, minerals, fiber and monounsaturated healthy fats.”

Almonds: “Nuts contain the antioxidants quercetin and campferol that may suppress the growth of cancers.”

So not only does this salad taste awesome, but now you have a few new reasons to make it!

Cancer Fighting Kale Salad:

Serves 6

What you’ll need:

1 bunch of kale (usually 8 or 9 stalks), washed well, stalks broken off and chopped

3 roma tomatoes, diced

2 avocados, diced

a couple handfuls of slivered almonds, toasted

dressing:

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 tbsp. kosher salt

1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp. agave nectar or honey

3/4 cup olive oil

What you’ll do:

After you wash your kale well, pat it dry and cut the stalk off and discard. Chop the leaves leaving them salad lettuce size pieces and place in a big salad bowl. (the leaves will reduce to about 1/3 of the size when you dress it) Make the dressing. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Taste and vary as needed. Pour the dressing over the kale leaves and massage with your hands. Yup, you heard me correctly! Get your hands in the kale and massage it like you would dough. Do this for about a minute; you’ll start to feel the kale soften. Let the salad sit for anywhere from 7-20 minutes. Toss in the tomatoes, almonds, and avocado and serve.

CONGRATULATIONS TO LINDSAY @THE LEAN GREEN BEAN YOU ARE THE WINNER! PLEASE EMAIL ME YOUR ADDRESS!

Comments (18)

Categories : Salad, Vegetables: Kale, wellness

How to Make Homemade Salad Dressing

By Leslie · Comments (6) · August 16th, 2011

So listen, I haven’t bought a bottle of salad dressing in years. Have you ever read the ingredient list on the back of a bottle of salad dressing? It can get a little scary… Lots of words that you may or may not be able to pronounce. So why not make it yourself? You’ve probably already got the ingredients in your cabinet and it’s super duper easy! Now today we’re talking vinaigrettes.

Vinaigrettes are made of four simple components that you can easily interchange.

1. Oil. This can be olive, vegetable, infused, just about anything.

2. Vinegar. Again, the options are endless. Balsamic, red wine, white, apple cider, etc.

3. Sweetener. Just a pinch goes a long way to cut the acid in the vinegar. I prefer to use agave nectar, but you can use honey, brown sugar, white sugar, splenda etc.

4. Spice. Salt and pepper will work just fine, but you can also add fresh herbs if you have them on hand. Parsley, basil, oregano, ginger, and cilantro work great!

So now that you have your ingredients all you need is a bowl and a whisk or just a fork. Salad dressing is all about proportions. You want about 1/3 vinegar to 2/3 oil and a pinch of sweetener and spice. Whisk the ingredients together and voila a super tasty vinaigrette made is seconds!

Have fun experimenting!

Comments (6)

Categories : Salad

Carrot and Beet Salad

By Leslie · Comments (1) · July 7th, 2011

I hope you all enjoyed the Fourth of July weekend as much as I did! I spent it just how I like: out on the beach with my family enjoying the sun, water and food of South Hampton. Coming from a large Italian family, there is never a shortage of food and this trip was no exception. Some of the culinary highlights included my (incredibly talented!) cousin Joe making homemade beer and just about the best bread I've ever tasted in my life! It's also tradition for all the men in the family to go out clamming in the clam beds. It's always a competition to see who comes back with the most. Again, my cousin Joe dominated. I think he has officially de-throned my Grandfather of being the best clammer in the family (don't tell him I told you though!) Of course I don't eat clams, but I can appreciate the excitement over them. They are always enjoyed three ways: raw on the half-shell, baked or linguini and clams.

So what can I contribute to a meal of clams? Well, I brought a whole box of vegetables from my garden and with the help of my Grandma, this is what we came up with:

These are heirloom carrots and red and golden beets. We gently steamed them, sliced them while still warm and tossed them with olive oil, salt and some fresh parsley. Delish! So easy, it seems silly to write out the recipe, but here goes:

Carrot and Beet Salad

What you'll need:

a couple beets, doesn't matter which color

a few carrots, cut into sticks

olive oil

salt

a handful of fresh parsley

What you'll do:

Steam the carrots and the beets separately. When still firm, but fork tender, remove from the heat and drain. While still warm, remove the skin from the beets and slice. In a medium bowl, toss together all the ingredients and serve warm.

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Comments (1)

Categories : Salad, Side Dishes, Vegetables: Beets, Vegetables: Carrots

Beet, Orange and Arugula Salad

By Leslie · Comments (4) · June 22nd, 2011

The beets in the garden are all getting so big! I couldn't resist picking one of these beauties and making a fabulous salad. Now the combination of beet, orange and arugula has been around for a long time. In a "California Cuisine" restaurant it's practically a staple, but everyone seems to have their own spin on it. Some include bufala mozzarella, goat cheese, walnuts etc. My spin on this salad is to add pomegranate seeds!

Beet, Orange and Arugula Salad with Pomegranate Seeds

Serves 2

What you'll need:

a handful or two of arugula (or rocket as they call it over the pond)

1 large red beet, steamed till fork tender (a how to here), chilled and slivered

1 orange, peeled and slivered

1 slice of purple onion

a handful of pomegranate seeds

balsamic dressing:

1/4 cup (good) olive oil

3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp. agave nectar (or a pinch of sugar)

a pinch of salt

What you'll do:

Pile the arugula up on a plate and arrange the beets and orange slices on top in a pretty manor. Tuck the purple onions in on the plate and then sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds. Drizzle with balsamic dressing and serve!

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Comments (4)

Categories : Salad, Vegetables: Beets

Raw Kale Salad with Balsamic Glaze

By Leslie · Comments (6) · April 19th, 2011

Yay kale! Kale is one of my favorite vegetables. That being said, I never ate it up to about 4 years ago. The problem was the only way I had ever tried it was over cooked in soups or over steamed. Kale can be very bitter when overcooked. blah! Then I tried raw kale. What a revelation! It's delicious! In fact, I have a whole bunch of it that just sprouted in the garden. In addition to tasting delish, it's super high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, and has a bunch of calcium too.

So if you have kale issues, give this raw salad a try and then we'll talk ; ) It's perfect to accompany just about any meal.

Raw Kale Salad with Balsamic Glaze

Serves 6

What you'll need:

1 bunch of kale (usually 8 or 9 stalks), washed well and chopped

3 roma tomatoes, diced

2 avocados, diced

dressing:

1/8 cup purple onion, finely diced

1 tbsp. kosher salt

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp. agave nectar or honey

3/4 cup olive oil

What you'll do:

After you wash your kale well, pat it dry and cut the stalk off and discard. Chop the leaves leaving them salad lettuce size pieces and place in a big salad bowl. (the leaves with reduce to about 1/3 of the size when you dress it) Make the dressing. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Taste and vary as needed. Pour the dressing over the kale leaves and massage with your hands. Er! Yup, get your hands in the kale and massage it like you would dough. Do this for about a minute; you'll start to feel the kale soften. Let the salad sit for anywhere from 7-20 minutes. Toss in the tomatoes and avocado and serve.

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Comments (6)

Categories : Salad, Vegetables: Kale

Rainbow Salad

By Leslie · Comments (1) · December 14th, 2010

This salad is always a huge hit anytime I serve it! It's just plain yummy! It has everything in it, so what's not to love? This is great for a party or large crowd too.

I now call this salad the "Rainbow Salad" but it's prior name was "the everything salad". Basically because it was everything in my refrigerator one day so I decided to throw it all in a bowl and voila! A super tasty fresh salad!

Rainbow Salad

What you'll need:

Mixed greens

1 yellow bell pepper

a few handfuls of strawberries, quartered

a few handfuls of blueberries

1 can or a few fresh mandarin oranges, segmented

1 avocado, diced

fresh mozzarella, torn

a few handfuls of pignoli {pine} nuts

raspberry dressing {you could use store bought, but of course I like making it homemade best}

What you'll do:

I use a large shallow bowl for this simply for presentation purposes, but if you want to use a deeper bowl and toss it you can. Toss or layer all the ingredients and top with the raspberry dressing. Easy Peasy!

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Comments (1)

Categories : Salad

Beet and Avocado Salad

By Leslie · Comments (2) · October 29th, 2010

What better thing to have for a light dinner than a fabulous, hearty salad. This salad basically happened by throwing all my favorite things on a platter and that's it : ) Sometimes you just need those nights.

Beet and Avocado Salad

What you'll need:

Arugula

1 beet, check out this post if you've never cooked one

a handful of cherry tomatoes

an avocado

pomegranate seeds, check here to learn to de-seed a pomegranate

shallot vinaigrette:

Dressing:

½ cup olive oil

6 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp minced shallots

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

pinch of sugar, or some agave nectar

What you'll do:

mix all the ingredients up and serve : )

Comments (2)

Categories : Salad, Vegetables: Beets, Vegetables: Tomato

Archive for Salad – Page 2

Springtime Salad

Panzanella Salad

Pan Roasted Acorn Squash and Raw Kale Salad

Cancer-Fighting Kale Salad + Giveaway!

How to Make Homemade Salad Dressing

Carrot and Beet Salad

Beet, Orange and Arugula Salad

Raw Kale Salad with Balsamic Glaze

Rainbow Salad

Beet and Avocado Salad

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