Tomato, Avocado, and Arugula Salad with Queso Fresco

This summer, my husband and I are trying to grow as much as we can on our kitchen windowsill and tiny back pouch. The herbs, especially the basil and mint, are thriving. We've managed to grow a few strawberries. Our arugula plant has produced enough leaves for some very small salads. This salad features tomatoes and avocado prominently and uses arugula more as a garnish. Even though there wasn't a lot of leaves, it was a great feeling to eat arugula we'd grown from seed!

Tomato, Avocado, and Arugula Salad with Queso Fresco
Serves 2

1 large tomato
1 avocado
Handful of arugula
1 ounces queso fresco
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Fresh chives, chopped
Salt and pepper

1. Slice tomato and avocado.
2. Layer tomato and avocado on a platter.
3. Top with arugula and crumbled queso fresco.
4. Mix together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pour over salad.
5. Garnish with chives and more cracked black pepper. 

Southwest Salad with Creamy Chipotle Lime Dressing

The highlight of this salad is the tangy dressing made with chipotles. I was inspired by a similar salad on the Nutmeg Notebook. I served this salad for Father's Day, along with this recipe from Chocolate Therapy for Crockpot Chicken Tacos.

Southwest Salad with Creamy Chipotle Lime Dressing
Serves 6-8

Romaine lettuce chopped
1/2 can black beans
1/2 can corn
1 avocado, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1/4 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup light Kraft Mayo with Olive Oil
1 canned chipotle chili, finely minced
Juice from 1 lime
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste

1. To make dressing, combine sour cream, mayo, chipotle chili, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
2. Toss lettuce, black beans, corn, avocado, cherry tomatoes, and red onions with dressing.

Three Pea and Apple Salad

This recipe was inspired by a recipe in the most recent issue of Martha Stewart Living. I love that this recipe uses three different kinds of peas, fresh mint, and crisp apples. It's perfect for these early days of spring.

Three Pea and Apple Salad
Serves 4


1 cup fresh English peas
1 cup sugar snap peas
1 cup snow peas
1 gala apple, or other crisp red variety
1 ounce goat cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts
Fresh mint leaves
Juice from 1 lemon
Salt and pepper

1. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Add three types of peas to boiling water for 3 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add ice to large bowl of water. After peas have been cooking for 3 minutes, immediately drain and shock peas in ice water bath. Leave peas in ice water as you prepare the rest of the salad.
4. Thinly slice apples. To achieve the rounded apple look in my picture, slice the apple on its side on a mandolin.
5. When peas are cool, drain from ice water.
6. Toss together peas, apples, goat cheese, walnuts, fresh mint leaves, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Yellow Tomato Salad

Thick slices of tomato on top of a bed of mixed greens make a beautiful presentation. Make sure to generously salt the tomatoes for the best flavor.

Yellow Tomato Salad
Serves 2

1 yellow tomato
1 cup mixed greens
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Generous salt and pepper
Fresh chives

1. Slice yellow tomato into four thick slices.
2. On plate, spread mixed greens. Top with tomatoes.
3. Whisk balsamic vinegar and olive oil together.
4. Top salad with vinegar and olive oil.
5. Top with generous salt, pepper, and fresh chives.

Parsley Egg Salad and Parsley Lentil Salad

Between holiday parties and a trip to Miami, I haven't done much cooking in a while. After returning from Miami, I was in the mood for healthy, but also filling food. These two recipes are both high in protein and make use of an entire bag of parsley. Parsley is often overlooked as a vegetable in its own right. Fresh parsley is full of vitamin A and C and actually packs a lot of flavor. To make the lentil salad easier, I used precooked lentils from Trader Joe's.

Parsley Egg Salad
Serves 4-6

8 eggs
1 cup parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons Kraft Mayo with Olive Oil
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
2 stalks green onion, diced
Generous salt and pepper

1. Place eggs in pot, cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook, uncovered for 12 minutes.
2. Immediately remove eggs from water and immerse in cold water.
3. When eggs are cool enough to handle, peal off eggshell. Dice hard boiled eggs.
4. Whisk together mayo, mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir in eggs, parsley, and green onion.

Parsley Lentil Salad
Serves 4-6

2 cups cooked French lentils
1 cup parsley, chopped
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 stalks green onion, diced
Generous salt and pepper

1. Stir together all ingredients. Can be served warm or cold.

Harvest Salad with Maple Syrup Vinaigrette

This salad was inspired by a recipe on Closet Cooking, one of the most impressive cooking blogs out there. The interplay of flavors in this salad makes it really interesting--sweet squash and maple syrup vinaigrette contrasted with savory blue cheese and toasted pepitas. I'll be making this salad again tomorrow, on Thanksgiving.

Harvest Salad  
Serves 4

1 acorn squash or pumpkin, pealed and diced
Mixed salad greens
2 ounces blue cheese crumbles
2 tablespoons pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon sugar 
Salt and pepper
Maple syrup vinaigrette

1. Toss squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add one teaspoon sugar. Let cool.
2. While squash is cooking, roast pepitas at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Let cool.
3. Toss salad greens, blue cheese, roasted pepitas, roasted squash, cranberries, and maple syrup vinaigrette.


Maple Syrup Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon walnut oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper

Whisk all ingredients together and serve with salad.

Pear and Watercress Salad

This salad pairs well with Butternut Squash Pot Stickers.

Pear and Watercress Salad
Serves 2

1 bunch watercress
1 pear, sliced
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1. Whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, honey, and olive oil.
2. Toss watercress and pear with dressing.
3. Top with sesame seeds.

Tomato, Basil, and Parmesan Salad

This salad is similar to Caprese, but with Parmesan instead of mozzarella.

Tomato, Basil, and Parmesan Salad
Serves 2

2 medium tomatoes
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved
Fresh basil
Salt and cracked black pepper

1. Lay out tomatoes on a plate.
2. Top with Parmesan, basil, salt, and generous cracked black pepper.

Three Bean Salad

I served this three bean salad with a ham, provolone, and red onion panini. With my husband's help, this meal was ready in under 10 minutes.

Three Bean Salad
Serves 4 to 6
1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup green beans, trimmed and cut in half.
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Fresh basil
2 tablespoons red onion, diced
2 tablespoons red pepper, diced
Salt and pepper

1. Combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper.
2. Combine all other ingredients and stir in red wine vinaigrette.

Honey Mustard Salad

I don't keep bottled salad dressing in the house. I don't think it ever tastes as good as homemade. This simple salad dressing tastes like a better version of classic bottled honey mustard dressing. I was tempted to dress this up with a higher quality mustard, but regular classic yellow mustard is the way to go here.

Honey Mustard Salad
Serves 2

Mixed salad greens
1/4 a cucumber, cut into rounds
1 green onion, sliced
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon Kraft mayo with olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper

1. Whisk together mustard, mayo, honey, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
2. In two bowls, add salad greens, cucumbers, and green onions. Top with honey mustard dressing.

Roasted Red Pepper Salad

Here's an easy way to make a dinner salad more interesting. Make this homemade roasted red pepper dressing in 2 minutes. I served this salad with Sweet Potato Latkas topped with sour cream, queso fresco, and red pepper.

Roasted Red Pepper Salad
Serves 2

Mixed salad greens
2 roasted red peppers
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Dash of red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ounce queso fresco
2 green onions, diced

1. In a food processor, puree roasted red peppers, lime juice, olive oil, and spices.
2. Toss dressing with mixed salad greens, queso fresco, and green onions.

Corn Salad with Jalapeno Dressing

This dressing gets its kick from jalapeno hot sauce. I used a jalapeno hotsauce from Co-Op Sauce. I recently featured a salad with a jalapeno dressing made with fresh jalapenos. That dressing could also be substituted.

Corn Salad with Jalapeno Dressing
Serves 4

Mixed salad greens
1 cooked corn on the cob
1/4 of a red onion, diced
1 orange pepper, diced
1 tablespoon jalapeno hot sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lime

1. Remove corn from the cob with a knife, but don't separate all kernels.
2. Mix jalapeno hot sauce, olive oil, and juice of 1 lime together.
3. Toss mixed salad greens with corn, red onion, orange pepper, and jalapeno dressing.

Raspberry Apple Salad

In college, one of my favorite restaurants was Pizza Capri. I would always order the Gnocchi alla Vodka and the Mixed Baby Greens Salad. Get my recipe for Perfect Vodka Sauce here to recreate the meal.

Raspberry Apple Salad
Serves 4

Mixed baby greens
1 granny smith apple, sliced
1 4 ounce package of raspberries
4 ounces of goat cheese or blue cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons of sugar, divided
1/4 cup pecans
1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
Salt and pepper

1. Heat a small non-stick pan over low heat. Add pecans and one tablespoon sugar to the dry pan.
2. While preparing other ingredients, let pecans and sugar heat together, stirring occasionally. In about 10 minutes, sugar will dissolve and stick to the pecans. Immediately remove from pan and let cool on a plate.
3. Meanwhile, whisk remaining tablespoon of sugar, raspberry vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt, and pepper.
4. When pecans have cooled, toss salad greens, goat cheese, apples, raspberries, and candied pecans together with the raspberry vinaigrette.

Watermelon and Cucumber Salad with Jalapeño Dressing

I served this with Mini Peppers Stuffed with Herbed Goat Cheese for a light lunch.

Watermelon and Cucumber Salad with Jalapeño Dressing

Serves 4

1/4 of a watermelon, cut into cubes

1 cucumber, cut into cubes

Mixed salad greens

1 lime

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

Salt and pepper

1. Using a blender or food processor (I have a great mini food processor for this sort of thing) blend juice of lime, jalapeno, salt, and pepper. 

**Note: This dressing is mild. For extra kick, add some of the jalapeno seeds.

2. Combine dressing with watermelon, cucumber, and salad greens. Serve immediately.

Watermelon and Orange Salad with Feta and Basil

This unlikely combination tastes wonderful. The sweetness of the fruit contrasts well with salty feta and basil.

Watermelon and Orange Salad with Feta and Basil
Serves 2

4 slices of watermelon, cubed
1 orange, pealed and halved
2 ounces feta
Some red onion, diced
Fresh basil, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients and serve immediately.

Mixed Greens with Herb Vinaigrette

Summer is here and with it an abundance of cheap fresh herbs. We grow what we can at home (currently we have thriving chives and rosemary) and purchase the rest. If you have plenty of basil, toss some into the mixed greens for an extra burst of flavor.

Mixed Greens with Herb Vinaigrette

Serves 4 - 6

Mixed salad greens

1/4 of a red onion, sliced

1 large tomato, diced

4 ounces of fresh mozzarella pearls, cut in half

1 red or yellow pepper, sliced

About 10 Kalamata olives, cut in half

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon grainy mustard

Fresh herbs such as basil, parsley, and chives

1. Finely chop herbs.
2. Whisk herbs with olive oil, vinegar, and grainy mustard.
3. Toss all other ingredients with herb vinaigrette.

Arugula and Grape Tomato Salad

A simple, light salad for any occasion. Add goat cheese, if desired. I served this with Classic French Onion Soup.

Arugula and Grape Tomato Salad

Serves 2

1 bunch of arugula
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon grainy mustard
1 pinch sage
1 pinch rosemary
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine olive oil, vinegar, mustard, sage, rosemary, sugar, salt, and pepper. 
2. Toss dressing with arugula and tomatoes.

Watermelon and Jicama Salad

This refreshing summer salad is topped with cotija cheese. Cotija is a strong Mexican cheese that reminds me a bit of Asiago. It is a nice contrast to the sweet watermelon and crunchy jicama.

Watermelon and Jicama Salad
Serves 4

1/2 of a watermelon
1 jicama
1 lime
2 tablespoons cotija cheese, crumbled
Cilantro
Salt

1. Dice watermelon.
2. Cut off peal of jicama and dice.
3. Combine watermelon and jicama with other ingredients.

Honey Sweet Potatoes and Watercress Salad

Sweet potatoes make a great, unexpected salad addition. They pair best with dark green leaves, such as spinach, arugula, or watercress.

Honey Sweet Potatoes and Watercress Salad
Serves 2

1 sweet potato
1 bunch of watercress
1 ounce goat cheese
2 tablespoons walnuts
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon red pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
Juice of one lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut sweet potato into strips, leaving skin on. Toss with olive oil, red pepper, honey, salt, and pepper.
2. Roast sweet potatoes at 450 degrees for about 30 minutes. In last ten minutes of cooking, check frequently to make sure potatoes don't burn.
3. Combine sweet potatoes with watercress, goat cheese, and walnuts. Toss with lemon juice.

Antipasto Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

Zucchini, yellow squash, and tomatoes are all now in season. This salad makes the most of these vegetables. I found the olives, roasted red pepper, and sun-dried tomatoes at the salad bar at the grocery store, so that I only needed to buy as much as I needed.

Antipasto Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
Serves 6

1 zucchini, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
3 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 fresh mozzarella ball, diced
1/4 cup kalamata and green olives, sliced
1 roasted red pepper, diced
4 sun-dried tomatoes, finely diced
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper

1. Combine zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, olives, and red pepper.
2. Combine sun-dried tomatoes with garlic, olive oil, vinegar, red pepper, salt, and pepper.
3. Toss vegetables with sun-dried tomato vinaigrette.