Tag Archives: salads

Purslane Pita Pockets

by in Food, healthy, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink

Purslane is sometimes looked at as a curse or a blessing. A curse if it is taking over areas you don’t want covered in it and a blessing if you enjoy eating it. I prefer the blessing since I love its peppery, lemony taste. I thought a Greek style recipe would perfectly suit this wonderful plant.This recipe is very healthful and nutritious and a snap to prepare. A perfect light lunch or dinner on those hot sweltering summer days when you don’t want to go near a stove. This recipe is lacto-vegetarian, high fiber, diabetic friendly and can be gluten-free if you omit the pitas and serve it as a salad.

PS: This is super easy and very quick to prepare.

PRINT Purslane Pita Pockets Recipe from MS Word

Purslane Pita Pockets

Yield 4 servings

4 cups organic spinach
½ English cucumber diced
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup purslane
1 cup grape tomatoes
¼ large red onion sliced
¼ cup Newman’s Own™ Lite Balsamic dressing
8 pita pockets
Optional:
¼ cup chopped fresh oregano

Combine the veggies, cheese, olives, and tomatoes in a bowl. Toss with dressing. Stuff into pita pockets and serve. 2 pockets per serving.
NOTE: Omit the pita pockets and serve as a salad for a gluten-free option.

© 2012 Aron David Bradley
http://www.boomercuisine.com

C.S.A. Salad

by in Food, healthy, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , | Permalink

This is the first of 2 recipes from our latest CSA box  (Community Supported Agriculture). For more info about CSA’s  please see my previous post featuring oyster mushrooms and eggplant. Fresh Butter and red leaf lettuce, broccoli, scallion,  some divine sweet strawberries and breakfast radishes beckoned to be made into a salad. I added some goat cheese and dressed it with sweet Thai fish sauce with chilies. Raspberry vinaigrette would also work nicely. Any dressing that doesn’t mask the delicate fresh flavors would work. This recipe is gluten-free.

PRINT CSA Salad Recipe from MS Word

C. S. A. Salad

Yield: 4 generous servings

1 head butter lettuce
1 bunch red leaf lettuce
6 oz. young broccoli
3 radishes sliced thin
6 strawberries sliced
1 scallion sliced
3 oz. goat cheese

Dressing suggestions: Thai sweet chili fish sauce or raspberry vinaigrette

Wash and spin dry lettuce, onions and radishes. Lightly steam baby broccoli. Assemble and serve as pictured.

© 2012 Aron David Bradley
http://www.boomercuisine.com

Lemon Beef Salad

by in Food, healthy, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink

In this recipe the lemon juice actually ‘cooks’ the beef. This is my variation of a Vietnamese dish. To slice the beef very thin you can freeze it for half an hour before slicing. Remove any silver skin or fat before slicing. This recipe is gluten-free, paleo, low-fat, diabetic friendly and yummy!
PRINT Lemon Beef Salad Recipe from MS Word

Lemon Beef Salad

Yield: 2 servings

MARINADE:
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons honey
½ teaspoon salt

6 oz. thinly sliced natural beef round or sirloin
½ white onion julienne
1 Fresno or Serrano chili thinly sliced
½ lemon thinly sliced
Optional: 4 basil leaves

Marinate the raw beef, onions and chilies, lemon slices in the marinade for 30 minutes, plate and serve.

© 2012 Aron David Bradley
http://www.boomercuisine.com

Chicken & Baby Kale Salad w/ Artichoke Heart Dressing

by in Food, healthy, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , , | Permalink

This is a very tasty lunch or dinner salad with baby kale and romaine lettuce and a myriad of  tastes and textures from the whole sugar snap peas, sliced almonds, crunchy carrots, savory succulent chicken a bit of heat from the Fresno chilies and one of my favorite and easiest to prepare creations: Creamy Artichoke Heart Salad Dressing. This dressing works well with any salad but is especially nice with this combination. This dish is high in fiber, heart-healthy and diabetic friendly and very nutritious.

PRINT Chicken and Baby Kale Salad Recipe from MS Word

Chicken & Baby Kale Salad
w/ Artichoke Heart Dressing

Yield: 4 generous servings

2 baked free range chicken breasts cut in half and sliced
2 hearts of romaine chopped
5 oz. whole sugar snap peas
4 oz. julienne carrots
2 oz. mixed baby kale
4 tablespoons sliced raw almonds
2 Fresno chilies de-seed and julienne
 
ARTICHOKE HEART DRESSING:
1- 13.75 oz. can of artichoke hearts in water
1 cup of olive oil mayonnaise
1 tablespoon stevia
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoon dill weed
½ teaspoon salt

Mix romaine, baby kale and carrots in a salad bowl and portion onto 4 dinner plates. Top each with sugar snap peas, sliced almonds, chicken and Fresno chilies. Add all dressing ingredients into a blender and puree. Top salads with dressing and serve.

© 2012 Aron David Bradley
http://www.boomercuisine.com

Fresh Corn & Sweet Peas Summer Salad

by in Food, healthy, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink

Summer is in full swing here and fresh produce abounds in our local markets.Today’s recipe is a raw food salad with tastes of summer and has a wonderful crunch and sweet and tangy notes. It is super healthy and gluten-free, vegan, diabetic friendly, heart healthy, fat-free and really delicious.

PRINT Fresh Corn & Sweet Peas Summer Salad Recipe from MS Word

Fresh Corn & Sweet Peas Summer Salad

Yield: 4 servings


SALAD:
2 ears of fresh corn (white or yellow)
2 ripe tomatoes
½ English cucumber
5 oz. baby carrots
5 oz. sweet peas
½ teaspoon kosher salt

DRESSING:
Juice of 1 large lime
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon sea salt

Cut corn off the husk, dice tomatoes and cucumbers and add carrots and sweet peas sprinkle with kosher salt. Prepare dressing and add to salad. Serve chilled.

© 2011 Aron David Bradley
http://www.boomercuisine.com

Japanese Instant Pickle

by in Food, healthy, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , | Permalink

In Japan almost every meal is accompanied by some sort of pickled vegetable usually either a salt pickle or this  instant pickle (ichiya-zuke). These are awesome because they don’t require days or weeks to make and can be enjoyed in as little as an hour. My variation has some heat but you may omit the sambal chili paste for a milder version. The types of vegetables you can pickle are limited only by your imagination but in my opinion the fresh garden veggies or kombu (sea kelp) work best.This is a great way to incorporate more veggies into you diet.

PRINT Japaese Instant Pickle Recipe from MS Word

Japanese Instant Pickle

Yield: 4 servings

1/2 daikon radish shaved
2 carrots shaved
1/2 English cucumber shaved
1 teaspoon sambal chili paste
1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sucralose or sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Using a potato peeler, shave the vegetables into thin strips. Add marinade ingredients and refrigerate 1-2 hour turning occasionally to submerse veggies. Serve.
Other veggie options: Napa cabbage, ginger, Japanese eggplant, green onions, mung bean sprouts.

© 2011 Aron David Bradley
http://www.boomercuisine.com

Niçoise Salad

by in Food, healthy, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , | Permalink

This classic salad hails from the Provence region of France where fresh vegetables and seafood from the French Riviera abound. My variation omits the baby potatoes and features herb salad instead of butter lettuce and an anchovy emulsified dressing instead of  the classic vinaigrette.  Savory and very flavorful this salad is more of a meal than a starter. Low fat, high protein, omega 3, high fiber, gluten-free and diabetic friendly. If you desire a lower sodium content, omit the olives and use a vinaigrette.

PRINT Niçoise Salad Recipe from MS Word

Niçoise Salad

Yield: 3 servings

5 oz Earthbound Farm™ Organic Fresh Herb Salad
6 oz baby carrots
6 oz fresh green beans blanched
6 oz niçoise olives
6 hard-cooked eggs
3 small tomatoes quartered
2 – 3.75 oz cans sardines in water
6 oz albacore tuna in oil
6 oz shallots small dice

Dressing:
1 egg yolk
1 – 2 oz can anchovies in olive oil
2.5 fl. oz grape seed oil or extra virgin olive oil
1 fl. oz water
.5 fl. oz lemon juice

Arrange salad ingredients as pictured onto 3 plates. Using an immersion mixer or blender
make dressing by adding egg, lemon juice, anchovies and water then slowly add
a stream of oil to create an emulsion. Drizzle dressing over salads, and serve.

©2010 Aron David Bradley
http://www.boomercuisine.com

Thai Papaya Salad

by in Food, healthy, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , | Permalink

The first time I had papaya salad (som tam) at my favorite Thai restaurant I was dazzled by the tangy sweet and piquant crunchy flavors that graced my taste buds and I became an overnight fan. I love this salad and I trust you will too. You can get the sambal, fish paste, fish sauce and green papayas at most Asian markets. This is low fat, diabetic friendly,  gluten free and high in fiber and nutrition.

PRINT Thai Papaya Salad from MS Word

Thai Papaya Salad

Yield: 1-2 servings

4 cups shredded green papaya
2 cups shredded carrots
1/3 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/8 small head of iceberg lettuce cut into a wedge
1/2 small tomato cut into wedges
1 tablespoon chopped roasted salted peanuts
5 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
1 teaspoon sambal chile paste

Wash and peel carrot, green papaya and shred. I use a mandoline.
Mix shredded carrots and papaya in a bowl. Make dressing with lime juice, honey, garlic, fish sauce, shrimp and chili paste. Cut lettuce and tomato as described and arrange on plate as pictured. Pour dressing over salad, lettuce and tomato wedges. Sprinkle chopped peanuts over the top and serve.

© 2010 Aron David Bradley
http://www.boomercuisine.com

Thai Shrimp Salad with fat-free Yum Talay dressing

by in Food, healthy, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , | Permalink

The first time I had a yum talay salad, the complexity of flavors created such a symphony of  sensation in my mouth  that I became hooked on Thai and Laotian food from there on.  You can add a variety of seafood like poached squid, scallops, fish as well making this a sumptuous main dish.
PRINT Thai Shrimp Salad Recipe from MS Word

Thai Shrimp Salad

w/ Fat-Free Yum Talay Dressing

yield: 4-6 servings

4 cups classic iceberg salad mix
4 cups mixed baby green salad mix
25 mint leaves
1 cup cilantro
1 medium red onion sliced thin into rings
1 sweet red pepper slice thin into rings
1 medium cucumber sliced
2 Roma tomatoes sliced into wedge
1 fresh lime sliced razor thin and quartered
1 pound cooked wild American shrimp (peeled and deveined)
4 kafir lime leaves sliced very thin

Yum Talay Dressing

 
4 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice (fresh or reconstituted)
3 tablespoons sugar or Splenda or Stevia
2 tablespoons grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek chili paste
optional: 2 teaspoons Gourmet Garden lemon grass paste

Combine all the salad ingredients except shrimp. Make dressing by placing ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake vigorously.
Add shrimp to the tops of portioned salads. Pour on dressing and serve.

c. 2010 Aron David Bradley
http://www.boomercuisine.com