Summer Corn and Avocado Salad

First of all, I hate salads. So it really says something that I've made this three times in the last month. 

Summer in a bowl

I lump this into the "salad" category along with others like chicken salad, potato salad, pasta salad and other delicious but not traditional salads (no mayo in this, I promise!). I think the bed of leafy greens most salads rest on is what I find so unappealing so this summer corn salad is the perfect compromise. Plenty of veggies but just enough junk to make me happy.

Feast

Because this dish is so cheap, easy, and delicious, it's perfect to make for large groups. So far, I've made it for two casual dinner parties and one potluck. Each had a very different theme, demonstrating the versatility of the dish. Summer goes with everything. It works equally well for grilling out as it does for a Mexican meal (above) or a hot dog bar potluck.

And it has all the right buzzwords: avocado, fresh mozz, summer veggies. Done. 

This is a throw everything together and eye ball it type of recipe so work with me if the proportions are a little vague. Feel free to adjust it based on your likes and add/subtract to your heart's desire. Some thoughts: pancetta, feta, zucchini, beans, red onion, jalapeno. Go crazy!

Express Yourself

Summer Corn and Avocado Salad

Serves 10-15 as a side

Ingredients:

8 ears of fresh corn (or one bag of frozen corn)

2 bell peppers (mix up the colors to make it pretty), diced

Half a pack of cherry tomatoes, halved

2 avocados, cubed

One and a half balls of fresh mozz, broken into bite-sized pieces

5 tbsp of Garlic Expressions dressing (Found at Fresh Market and Lowe's and potentially others. If you can't find this, then a roasted garlic vinaigrette would work.)

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add husked corn. Remove the corn once the water comes back to a boil (about 4 minutes). Let corn cool for a few minutes then sliced the kernels off the cob into a large mixing bowl. 

Dice the bell peppers and halve the cherry tomatoes while waiting for the water to boil. I usually drain the tomatoes in a colender to get rid of excess liquid. I just add more with the dressing later so I don't want it to get soupy. Add to corn.

Right before serving add the cheese, avocado, dressing and s&p to taste. Mix well and serve chilled.

Chicken Salad Lettuce Cups

Guess where I got this recipe? My sometimes favorite Real Housewife of Beverly Hills Lisa Vanderpump's cookbook "Simply Divine" (don't judge). You know this chicken salad is going to be a fancy and healthy lunch or light dinner option fit for Villa Blanca. 

I feel like a lady who lunches. Maybe even British? Maybe Lady Mary Crawley? A girl can dream.

At first I was hesitant of a mayo-less chicken salad. My love of mayo is no secret. It's one of the most versatile condiments around. However, this salad dressing is opening up new worlds to me, and I'm never not blending a dressing again. It might seem like a lot of work to bring down the blender, make a mess, and have to clean it up when all you could do is pour the ingredients into a jar and shake. Trust me on this one - it's worth it. The way the EVOO emulsifies with the lemon juice and thickens from the broken down mustard seeds is magic. I may actually enjoy salads now! Actual healthy salads, not like this one. Thank you, Lisa! 

This recipe claims it feeds eight, and I'm not sure if I'm a hungry girl or these women were really small, but I found it makes 2-3 portions or about six lettuce cups. Regardless, this meal will leave you satisfied while still feeling more on the Giselle side of things than not. I also tried my hand at sweet potato fries again as a side, and I'm really on my way to perfecting them. (recipe to come). 

Lisa suggests serving with an edible orchid garnish, duh.

Chicken Salad Lettuce Cups a la Vanderpump
Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 
1 tsp salt 
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup frozen sweet corn, thawed 
1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion 
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (see below)
1 head butter or Bibb lettuce separated into individual large leaves 
1 ripe avocado, sliced

Lemon Dijon Dressing: 
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 
1 tbsp sugar 
1 tbsp Dijon mustard 
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the chicken with the oil and season with the salt and pepper. Bake the chicken, turning once, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool for 10 minutes. 

To make the dressing, process the lemon juice, sugar, and mustard in a food processor or blender. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil and process until smooth and thickened. Season with salt and pepper. 

Shred chicken using two forks, or your fingers. Place in large mixing bowl and add corn, beans, red onion, and pine nuts. Mix with 1/2 cup of the dressing. 

Place 6-8 lettuce leaves on a plate and fill the leaves with equal amounts of the chicken salad and top with the avocado slices. Serve the remaining dressing on the side. 

Toasted Pine Nuts: 

To toast pine nuts, cook them in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring almost constantly until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool completely. 

[Recipe adapted from Skinnyluscious]

Crispy Avocado BLT Salad with Honey-Lime Vinaigrette and Spicy Ranch Drizzle

I officially love salads.

So what if this salad has crispy fried avocado, ranch, bacon and cheese? Don't care. It's all served in moderation so I still consider this a healthy meal option. Avocados are good fats, remember?

I've seen recipes for fried avocados before, and I'm not exactly sure why it's taken me so long to hop on the bandwagon. These were delicious as a salad topping but could also be great as an appetizer served with mayo a dipping sauce of some kind. The trick here is that your avocado can't be too ripe otherwise it will fall apart. Another secret of the pros is to use paper plates/bowls for your frying goods to make for much easier clean up.

If frying scares you, don't let it! It just requires a few simple steps:

Flour, egg, Parmesan and panko

Salt-N-Pepa

Dredge in flour, egg and then Parmesan panko mixture

Fry in hot olive oil

Let drain on a paper towel

Your food should be a vehicle for condiments, and this salad has two. Since the honey-lime vinaigrette is the main star here, I don't feel too bad that this salad has a little ranch drizzle on it. Moderation, people. I'm refusing to eat a salad with only one dressing from here on out.

Crispy Avocado BLT Salad with Honey-Lime Vinaigrette and Spicy Ranch Drizzle 

Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the crispy avocado:

1 whole avocado, semi-firm, not mushy

Pinch of salt and pepper

⅓ cup flour

1 whole egg beaten

½ cup panko

2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

olive oil, for frying

For the honey-lime dressing:

2-½ tbsp honey

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tbsps fresh squeezed lime juice

Pinch of salt and pepper

For the spicy ranch drizzle:

⅓ cup ranch dressing

½ tsp or more of chili with garlic sauce (or you can use Sriracha)

For the salad:

Arugula or your fave lettuce

Tomato

2 tbsp shaved Parmesan cheese

2 slices cooked bacon, Crumbled

Directions: 

For the crispy avocado:

Halve your avocado and run a sharp knife gently around the perimeter of each half to loosen the meat from the skin. Gently remove the skin and the seed. Slice each half into wedges. You should be able to get 8-10 wedges from the avocado, depending on its size. Don’t slice them too thin; you want them to hold up to the breading and frying. Sprinkle the wedges with a bit of kosher salt and pepper.

Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Place the egg (beaten) in another bowl and the panko and Parmesan cheese in another bowl. Dredge each piece in the flour, gently shake off any excess flour. Dip into the egg mixture, then finally into the panko mixture, coating all sides well. Set aside.

Heat your oil in a frying pan. Place just enough olive oil in your pan to just cover the bottom of the pan. Heat over medium high heat until oil becomes hot enough to fry. You can test with a little piece of excess batter. Gently set your avocado pieces in the oil. Fry on all sides until browned, a total of about 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. Gently remove from the pan, set on a paper towel-lined plate.

For the honey-lime dressing:

Combine honey, vinegar, garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper in a bowl; whisk until fully combined. Drizzle over salad.

For the drizzle:

Combine the ranch dressing and chili with garlic sauce in a small bowl and mix until fully incorporated. Adjust to your taste. Drizzle over salad.

For the salad:

Assemble your salad(s) with the greens, tomatoes, shaved Parmesan cheese, and crumbled bacon. Top with crispy avocado and dressings.

[Recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen] 

Simple Brussel Sprout Salad

I'm not huge on salads. I'll make them every once in a while at home when I'm in need of some greens but would rarely order them out. Why would I when there are so many treatier options on every menu? 

Wednesday was a salad kind of night. Post-Mardi Gras feast and pre-Valentine's, I knew I needed to get familiar with some veggies. In order for me to eat and actually enjoy a salad, I need to incorporate some treats so I don't feel hungry in two hours. I love brussel sprouts so this is where it all started. 

BIG brussels

Cheese is also crucial, but don't overdo it! That will ruin the whole point of the salad. I made this as a side salad for some veggie and tortellini soup that Annie made, but add a protein like some bacon, and this salad could become a meal. Bacon and bussels are the new PB&J.

Simple Brussel Sprout Salad

Serves 1 

Ingredients:

1/4 lb brussel sprouts (about 4 large), shredded

Handful of pine nuts

1 tbsp pecorino romano

3 tsbp good EVOO (I used a Tuscan herb blend.)

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1 tsp dijon mustard

crumbled bacon (optional)

Directions:

Remove outer leaves from the brussel sprouts and rinse. Using a mandolin or sharp knife, shred the brussel sprouts and set aside. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a pan over low heat for a couple minutes. These will burn very quickly so keep an eye on them!

Mix together your dressing ingredients until fully incorporated. I like to make dressing in a small jar or tupperware. Just put the lid on and shake.

Toss brussels with dressing, and top with pine nuts and cheese. Add some bacon if you're feeling crazy, and dig in!

BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad

As you can imagine, I did not feel like Heidi Klum on Monday after this and this and this. Veggies were on the menu for some much needed detox. I credit Kate for introducing me to quinoa. I fix some variation of this dish whenever I need a healthy kick subbing in whatever veggies, protein and dressing I can whip up. I used barbeque sauce inspired by this recipe, but a little olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime and chipotle peppers works great too.

The dish comes together so easily, and the veggies and quinoa pack it with nutrition. There's really no reason not to make it. Just make sure you wash the quinoa or else it will taste bitter. I suggest putting a paper towel in a collender to rinse. 

BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed

1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained

2 chicken breast tenders

4 Tbsp barbeque sauce of your choice (I used Trader Joe's Kansas City BBQ Sauce, but Stubb's is the best.)

1/2 avocado, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

1/4 small red onion, diced

3 small sweet bell peppers (or 1 normal bell pepper)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Juice of half a lime

Cilantro, as garnish

Directions:

Marinate chicken with 2 tbsp of barbeque sauce for 30 minutes. In the meantime, chop your veggies. Heat a medium skillet on medium heat with oil. Add chicken and cook for three minutes on each side or until cooked through. Set aside on a plate to cool then shred. Cook quinoa according to package directions.   

In a large bowl, mix together quinoa, corn, black beans, red onion, peppers, chicken and the rest of the barbeque sauce.  Fold in avocado, green onions and season with salt and pepper and lime juice.  Top with chopped cilantro.

[Recipe adapted from Eat Yourself Skinny]

I had the leftovers for lunch today inside some romaine to make lettuce wraps. Do it.

Corn and Zucchini Fritters with Goat Cheese & Bacon Salad

I'm all about simple on weeknights - simple but treaty. These corn and zucchini fritters do the trick. They, no joke, took about 20 minutes. I adapted my recipe slightly from Cook Like a Champion's Corn Cakes with Goat Cheese, which I stumbled across on Pinterest. This is basically where I find the inspiration for all of my kitchen concoctions. 

I felt healthy because it's technically a salad with veggies on top but full and not deprived since there was bacon and cheese. Compromise.

Bacon is good for me!

Corn and Zucchini Fritters with Goat Cheese & Bacon Salad
Serves 2

Ingredients:

Veggie Fritter:
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups corn kernels (I used frozen since corn is not in season. Worked like a charm!)
1/2 cup diced zucchini (about half of a small zucchini)
Sprinkle of cumin
Sprinkle of paprika
Coarse salt and white pepper
1 green onion, very thinly sliced
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons Panko (The original called for cornmeal, but I'd never use that again so I didn't want to buy it. I had Panko on hand.)

Salad:
1 slice of bacon cumbled (plus reserved grease - don't judge)
Goat cheese, crumbled, for serving
Leafy green of your choice
1 tablespoon sundried tomatoes
A few very thin slices of raw red onion
Good EVOO and Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Add the corn and zucchini and season with cumin, paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and allow to cool for 5 minutes before mixing in the green onion, egg and panko.

Cook bacon in same pan used to heat veggies. Once it is crispy, set aside on paper towel. Don't throw away the grease! Add 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil to bacon grease in the pan and heat oil over medium heat. Using a 1/4 cup measure, scoop mixture into skillet. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the bottom is nicely browned. Flip and continue cooking an additional 2-3 minutes until cakes are completely cooked through. 

While these are frying cooking, make your salad. Whisk together good EVOO and Balsamic (my dad gave me Tuscan Herb oil and Balsamic aged 18 years from Taste the Olive). Transfer fritters to a plate and sprinkle with goat cheese and dress the salad. Serve immediately.

[Recipe adapted from Cook Like a Champion]