Strawberry Salad and a Fantastic Cookbook Giveaway!

One thing I love most about strawberries, besides their sweet, juicy deliciousness, is their versatility. I love the fact that they can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. This strawberry salad is fantastic! I am all over the balsamic dijon dressing, the goat cheese, the pine nuts, the greens...and of course, the luscious strawberries.



I found this recipe in a terrific new cookbook titled, Strawberry Recipes for Everyday. It features California Strawberries. Don't get me wrong...I'm all over my local Oregon strawberries but... California, with all of it's beautiful sunny days, pumps out some mighty yummy berries as well.

I received two of these lovely cookbooks in my mailbox...One for review and one to share with one of you! Isn't that fun?!! You will love this cookbook. It's full of gorgeous photos and yummy strawberry recipes. There are breakfast recipes, appetizers and snacks, sweets, main courses, salads and beverages.

This cookbook is available in both print and E-book formats.

Chinois Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad
slightly adapted from Strawberry Recipes for Everyday

Ingredients

Balsamic Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbs. garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup soybean oil
salt and pepper as needed

Fried Wonton Strips:
3 oz wonton skins
vegetable oil as needed
salt as needed

3 pounds spring mix or mesclun salad (I subbed baby arugula and baby spinach)
1 1/2 quarts fresh California strawberries, stemmed and sliced
3/4 cup toasted pine nuts
4.5 lbs fresh goat cheese, crumbled

To make Balsamic Vinaigrette:
In blender jar, purée vinegar, mustard, garlic and sugar. With motor running, slowly drizzle in oil until vinaigrette is thick and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.

To make Fried Wonton Skins:
Cut wonton skins into 1/4-inch strips. Deep-fry in 350°F oil until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels; sprinkle lightly with salt.

To assemble each salad:
Toss 4 cups spring mix, 1/2 cup strawberries, 1 tablespoon pine nuts and 3 ounces goat cheese with 1 1/2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinaigrette. Mound on salad plate; top with 1/4 cup Fried Wonton Strips.

Yield: 24 servings
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To enter my giveaway:

Please visit the California Strawberries website. Come on back over here and let me know if anything caught your eye.

Like California Strawberries in FB.

Let me know you'd like to win.

Oh yes, please, please, please, leave me a way to reach you if you should win. :)

Giveaway open to everyone far and wide until Saturday night at midnight PST.

Hugs to you all and have a super week!






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Spring Millet Salad...and a fabulous giveaway!

I truly live in the land that spring forgot! Today we reached a high of 45 degrees. I don't believe March or April have seen a single day without rain. It's so miserable I've resorted to a few fake and bake sessions just to keep my spirits up.

Since I haven't figured out how to change the weather to suit my fancy, I decided to bring a little "Spring" to the dinner table. The veggies in this salad add a nice pop of color and the goat cheese and prosciutto are fabulously salty and bold and add a great dimension of flavor. The millet was easy to work with and was a nice break from rice or couscous. I love that it's gluten free as well!

Spring Millet Salad
by theUngourmet

Serves six or more

Print recipe

1 cup uncooked millet
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
4-5 slices of prosciutto, cut into thin strips
1 tbsp canola oil
4 oz crumbled goat cheese
1 1/2 cups 365 Everyday Value frozen peas and carrots, thawed
thinly sliced chives for garnish
salt and cracked pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan bring stock to a boil. Add millet and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Place in a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. While millet is cooking, heat oil in a small skillet and cook prosciutto until crisp.

Add the prosciutto to the millet and toss. Add the goat cheese and veggies and give it another toss. Salt and pepper to taste and garnish with chives. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

This is such a lovely salad. I'm thinking it will be a perfect Easter dinner side dish. :) Mmm. Bring on the ham and deviled eggs!

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Now on to an exciting giveaway!



Lisa at the Nourishing Homemaker has generously supplied me with a sample of her wonderful lotion bar and has allowed me to give another bar away to one lucky reader as well. Lisa created her lotion bars in an attempt to help her son with his severe eczema. The results were greater than they could have imagined.

My husband suffers from skin rashes on his torso that worsens in the wintertime. The doctors have prescribed many creams and ointments but nothing seems to do the trick. My son also has cracked itchy skin behind his ears and we've tried everything under the sun to get it to heal. Today I applied Nourished Skin to my son's ears twice and I was pleased to find that it didn't sting like most other treatments have. My son says it feels really soothing and he loves the scent the beeswax brings. I've also been applying it to my dry heels and then putting on nice thick socks before bed. It's making my feet quite happy! I have a great feeling about Lisa's lotion bar. The price of the bars is so reasonable and a little goes a long way.

Hop on over and visit Lisa's Etsy shop and her wonderful blog. Then leave me a comment and let me know you'd like to win a bar of Nourished Skin. I'll pick one winner randomly on Sunday night.

Happy Spring!






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Breakfast Salad

So just what is a girl...or boy to do with leftover arugula, feta, diced tomato and turkey bacon you ask. Why toss it all together, throw a scrambled egg on top and call it a breakfast salad! ;D


I'm officially in love! This salad is light and nutritious and most of all, it's darn delicious! Change is in the air my friends. The birds are singing. The trees are blooming. Spring is on the way! All of this springy-ness puts me in the mood for lighter meals. This salad would be terrific anytime of day. I'm thinking next time I'll toss a poached egg on top. Yum!

When you think breakfast, think salad! :)
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I also wanted to take a minute to share something. I hope you won't mind. For as long as I can remember I have had stomach issues. Pain, bloating, cramping, indigestion... I have suspected for years now that I may have issues with gluten. It really bums me out to think of cutting out wheat. I love eating a nice thick slice of warm homemade bread. I love muffins, biscuits, scones, biscotti, cupcakes, pie... I've been doing quite a bit of research and it seems that gluten free baking has come a long way. It looks like I won't have to completely give up eating the things I love after all. I'm really hoping going gluten free will make a difference for me.

Here are a couple of great gluten free blogs to check out.

Gluten Free Goddess
Gluten Free Girl

Are any of you sensitive to gluten? Do you have any favorite gluten free recipes? I'd love to hear about your experiences and share any recipes and/or tips. Thanks!

Have a wonderful week!






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arugula apple goat cheese and toasted pecan salad...and a winner!

I thought I'd better hurry up and post this wonderful salad before it completely slipped my mind. I'm sure I have mentioned it before here, but if not...I am crazy mad for arugula! I love the spicy, slightly bitter taste. I love the shape of the leaves and the texture. I think it's just terrific for food photos too.


I still had a bottle of Apple Poppyseed dressing left over from my Girard's giveaway and I had an apple sitting on my counter...my mind's wheels started to turn. I thought if I picked up some goat cheese and toasted pecans I'd have myself one sweet little salad.


I found some sweet and spicy toasted pecans at Trader Joe's. Boy, are they ever tasty! I love the way this salad turned out. -Fresh and crisp with just a touch of sweetness and spice. Perfect!

Arugula Apple Goat Cheese and Toasted Pecan Salad
by theUngourmet

7 oz bag of arugula
1 large apple, cored and diced
4-6 oz crumbled goat cheese
1 cup toasted pecans
Girard's Apple Poppy Seed dressing
poppy seeds for garnish

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Garnish with poppy seeds. Serve immediately.

Print recipe

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I also wanted to announce that the handy dandy Random Generator chose Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy as the lucky winner of the Picture Me Cooking cookbook. Congrats Kelsey!





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Apple Chicken Salad

No, this is not a recipe from Picture Me Cooking. I hoping to get to that tomorrow. I actually made this chicken salad a couple of days ago for my lunch. It was easy and delicious. I love adding apple to my chicken salad. It adds such a nice sweetness and crunch.


I used leftover chicken breast from the night before so that made the whole lunch making process quick and easy. I decided not to put my chicken salad on bread or a bun but instead I placed a nice scoop of it on top of a bed of romaine. It was light and tasty. A perfect summer meal!

Apple Chicken Salad
by theUngourmet

Serves 2

Print recipe

2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 small apple, cored and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup mayo (more or less depending on your taste)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp celery seed
salt and pepper

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients.

Serve on a bed of your favorite greens.

Pour yourself a glass of white wine.

Put on a little Bananarama.



Enjoy!

Don't forget to get in on my giveaway!!





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grilled hawaiian chicken with a tropical salad

Tonight we enjoyed another fantastic Eat at Home recipe. This time it was Hawaiian Chicken and a little Tropical Salad. I'm just loving these pre-planned meals, they are making my days so much easier. I don't have to worry about finding a recipe and running to the store for ingredients. Ahhhh. Life is good!

I made just a couple of minor changes to these recipes. I added ginger to my chicken marinade and switched out romaine for arugula and used slivered toasted almonds instead of macadamia nuts. Oh yes, and I used turkey bacon instead of the real stuff.



My husband and I LOVED this one! This salad is crazy good and the chicken is so tender and has a nice tangy flavor to it.

Grilled Hawaiian Chicken
from Eat at Home

6 boneless chicken breasts
2 cups pineapple juice
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp fresh minced ginger (my addition)

Combine all the ingredients except the chicken. Pour marinade over chicken, cover and refrigerate at least overnight. Grill until done.

Tropical Salad
adapted from Eat at Home

1 bag of arugula
3 green onions, thinly sliced
6 sliced of turkey bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 can pineapple tidbits, drain and reserve juice for dressing
1/2 cup slivered toasted almonds
1/4 cup toasted coconut

Dressing

1/4 cup pineapple juice
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, Combine the salad ingredients. Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and toss well.

Print recipe

My daughter comes home from camp tomorrow. Boy, have we missed her. The house is way too quiet! I'm planning on serving a fabulous Eat at Home chili recipe for dinner. :)




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peach mimosa grilled chicken with arugula salad and a sweet giveaway

Have you ever tried Girard's Vinaigrettes and Dressings? My husband and I tried their signature Champagne Dressing several years ago and we really enjoyed it. Recently, I received a wonderful sample pack of Girard's. It contained their signature Champagne Dressing as well as three lovely new flavors: Peach Mimosa Vinaigrette, Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette and Apple Poppyseed Dressing. Girard's actually has over 16 delicious flavors to choose from.



I was really excited to try the Peach Mimosa Vinaigrette!



I picked up some peaches from farmers market on Saturday and thought they would be perfect for this dish. It was so simple to prepare and such a lovely and light meal for a warm summer evening.



I marinated a few boneless skinless chicken breasts in a mix of Girard's Peach Mimosa Vinaigrette, chopped jalapeno pepper, sliced scallions and fresh cracked pepper. I recommend marinating your chicken for a few hours or even overnight.

The salad was simple. In a large bowl, toss together some fresh arugula, toasted almond slivers, blue cheese, Girard's Peach Mimosa Vinaigrette and fresh cracked pepper. Garnish with thinly sliced fresh peaches.

This was such a wonderful, far from ordinary, nearly extraordinary meal. We loved every bite!

Now, on to the giveaway. I figured since I've already tried the Champagne Dressing I should pass it on to one of you.

To enter, leave me a comment and tell me about your most favorite salad. Open to U.S. and Canadian readers only. I'll keep this giveaway open until Sunday night. Then I'll draw a random number using the number generator. Be sure and leave me an email address!!

Disclosure: I received only a sample pack of these products. I received no compensation for this post.

Have a wonderful week!


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tomato love

I picked up some lovely heirloom tomatoes at farmers market today. Aren't they just so pretty?! Once you've tried a fresh, ripe heirloom tomato you'll never look at those blah, tasteless store bought tomatoes the same way ever again.



I put together a nice tomato salad when I got home from the market.

I sliced them up thick



stacked 'em up



tossed on a bit of crumbled blue cheese, fresh basil, cracked pepper and creamy balsamic dressing



grabbed a fork...and a knife



and got busy!

Ode To Tomatoes
by Pablo Neruda

The street
filled with tomatoes,
midday,
summer,
light is
halved
like
a
tomato,
its juice
runs
through the streets.
In December,
unabated,
the tomato
invades
the kitchen,
it enters at lunchtime,
takes
its ease
on countertops,
among glasses,
butter dishes,
blue saltcellars.
It sheds
its own light,
benign majesty.
Unfortunately, we must
murder it:
the knife
sinks
into living flesh,
red
viscera
a cool
sun,
profound,
inexhaustible,
populates the salads
of Chile,
happily, it is wed
to the clear onion,
and to celebrate the union
we
pour
oil,
essential
child of the olive,
onto its halved hemispheres,
pepper
adds
its fragrance,
salt, its magnetism;
it is the wedding
of the day,
parsley
hoists
its flag,
potatoes
bubble vigorously,
the aroma
of the roast
knocks
at the door,
it's time!
come on!
and, on
the table, at the midpoint
of summer,
the tomato,
star of earth, recurrent
and fertile
star,
displays
its convolutions,
its canals,
its remarkable amplitude
and abundance,
no pit,
no husk,
no leaves or thorns,
the tomato offers
its gift
of fiery color
and cool completeness.

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grilled eggplant with warm greek-style quinoa salad

Geez! Talk about waiting until the last minute! Joanne has had her Regional Recipes-Greece challenge up for a whole month and tonight at midnight (an hour and fifteen minutes from right now!) is the deadline to get a recipe in! Ugh! I did the same darn thing last month with the Vietnam challenge. Oh well, better late than never! ;)



I have been trying for some time now to fall in love with eggplant. I've tried it every which way, except this way, and haven't really been too thrilled. Well, after this recipe I can honestly say, I'm in LIKE with eggplant now.



Grilling the eggplant really brings a nice smoky flavor and the quinoa salad with the lemon, feta, kalamata olives, tomato, garlic, onion and oregano is full of zip. Together this recipe is a winning combination of texture and flavor.



Grilled Eggplant with Warm Greek-Style Quinoa Salad
by theUngourmet -salad inspired by Shape magazine

serves 4

4 1 inch slices of eggplant
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 tbsp olive oil
juice from 1 lemon
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 cup kalamata olives
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/2 sweet onion, sliced
3 oz crumbled feta
salt and pepper

Rinse the quinoa. Place water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Cook for 15 minutes until almost translucent. Allow to cool slightly. In a small bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice, oregano and garlic. In a medium bowl toss the quinoa and dressing with the remaining ingredients.

Grill the eggplant about 4-5 minutes turning once. Grill the onion slices until nicely browned but still firm and add to the salad.

Serve warm salad over grilled eggplant.

Print recipe

I actually really enjoyed this recipe and will most definitely make it again. I am submitting this to Joanne for Regional Recipes-Greece.


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chick food for father's day

I realize this looks like a whole lot of chick food for father's day but let me assure you, there was some grilling of steak going on, too!



I spied these fun skewers in Better Homes and Garden July issue. Don't you just love 'em?! The only thing I wasn't pleased with was how difficult it was to skewer the crumbly feta. I thought it would be great to add some pepperoni to the skewers with the mozzarella and basil. I used black olives but, of course, kalamata would be better. I also found these wonderful Persian cucumbers at Trader Joe's. They were delicious!



I had some wild greens that needed to be used so I whipped up this salad as well. No recipe really. Just greens, raspberries, pistachios, what should have been goat cheese but I didn't have any and a nice balsamic vinaigrette. Yum!



Just look at all of that amazing goodness! I love the pop of color in this salad.



My husband's parents brought some steaks for grilling and for dessert my daughter grilled up some pineapple to pair with vanilla ice cream. The grilled pineapple dessert was a perfect finish to a lovely meal.

Hope you all enjoyed your Father's Day as well.



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warm potato salad with lemon and fresh herbs

I'm one of those strange birds that prefers their potato salad warm. I love to dig in just after I'm done mixing it up instead of waiting and eating it cold from the fridge. My dad makes the greatest potato salad on the planet and I always eat it warm too. My dad's salad is jam packed with bacon, olives, eggs...it's incredible!



I made this lemon and herb potato salad for Easter brunch. I thought the lemon and fresh herbs made it a nice choice. It also has a touch of balsamic. It may not look like much in these photos but it actually was quite scrumptious!



warm potato salad with lemon and fresh herbs
recipe adapted from Dragon's Kitchen

serves 6-8

Print recipe

10 medium red potatoes, cut into cubes
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup chives, finely chopped
1 1/4 cup mayo
juice from 1 lemon
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and cracked pepper

Cook potatoes in a large pot of salted water until tender. Drain and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl combine the herbs, mayo, lemon juice, zest and balsamic. Salt and pepper to taste.

Fold potatoes into the herb mayo mixture. I like to break my potatoes up a bit as I stir.

You can serve this immediately or refrigerate and then serve. It's up to you.


Hope you are having a lovely day! ;)




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Warm lentil salad with lemon dijon vinaigrette

I don't know about you, but after all of the Christmas goodies I'm about ready for a nice salad.

I've been wanting to try French lentils in a recipe for some time now. They are so beautiful. As I did some hopping around on the computer for fun recipe ideas, I found that there are true French lentils and then there are impostor French lentils. I'm probably the last one to know this fact. Oh well, whatcha gonna do?!

Anyway, the real French lentils are called lentilles du Puy and are grown in volcanic soil in France. Hop over here for some great info on the different types of lentils.

I found a lot of variations of this salad and in the end did a bit of mixing and matching to come up with what I feel is a pretty darn tasty salad.



Warm Lentil Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette
by theUngourmet

approximately four servings

1/2 cup French lentils
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove chopped garlic
1/3 cup chopped red bell peppers
2 sprigs fresh thyme
cracked pepper
1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
1 cup vegetable broth

1 package of Mache or baby salad greens

Vinaigrette

juice from 1 lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard

Garnish

cooked crumbled bacon
feta cheese

Sort and rinse lentils. In a 4 qt saucepan saute garlic in olive oil. Add the lentils, red peppers, thyme sprigs, pepper, Marsala, and veggie broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer until just tender (not mushy), about 40 minutes or so.

Drain and allow to cool a bit. Remove thyme sprigs. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and Dijon. Toss with lentils.

Place a good sized handful of Mache on a plate, add about a 1/2 cup of lentils over greens. Top with crumbled bacon and feta.

Print recipe

This is so delightful! Not too heavy! It could be used as a side dish or light main dish with some crusty bread.

Give this a try, I know you'll love it!




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