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Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad

Fresh, savory, crunchy, and crispy. Isn’t that just what you want in a salad?

I discovered this easy, no-cook brussels sprouts salad via Iowa Girl Eats and just had to try it. It took me 26 years before I took my first bite of brussels sprouts and since then I have been addicted ever since. My first time to try them was at the A&M vs. Arkansas game at Jerry World (The Dallas Cowboy’s AT&T Stadium in Arlington) last October 2014. The food at Jerry World was amazing, but so was the stadium, so I guess I shouldn’t be shocked. 🙂

Since then, I usually roast my brussels sprouts in a 400 degree F oven drizzled with garlic olive oil, salt and pepper for about 30 minutes.

So when I saw a salad where you didn’t have to cook the brussels sprouts, I was intrigued!

shredded brussels sprouts salad

I typically HATE with a capital “H” raw vegetables. Carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, you name it… I don’t like it raw. You take those same veggies and pop them in the oven and give them a little roast, or sauté them in a little olive oil, and you’d think they turned into candy. I love them!

I guess we all have our quirks, but this salad is the exception. The brussels sprouts are uncooked, washed, and shredded, and tossed together with feta, pecans, olive oil, shallots, craisins, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and a little bit of dijon mustard. The combination is just perfect.

I actually made this salad the day after Thanksgiving. Had I known it was this easy to make, I would have made it for everyone else to try. Well, there’s always Christmas dinner!

cousins — Cousin love at their great grandparent’s house for Thanksgiving.

Enjoy!

Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Serves: 4-6

Source: Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

Ingredients

FOR THE SALAD
12 oz brussels sprouts, tough outer leaves pulled away
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup feta cheese
1 pear, chopped
2 jumbo shallots, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
FOR THE MAPLE-BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper

Instructions

Using a very sharp knife, thinly shred brussels sprouts while holding onto the core end then discarded cores and add shredded sprouts to a large bowl with dried cranberries, pecans, feta, and chopped pears. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the shallots then fry until light golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Scoop onto a paper towel-lined plate to drain then repeat with remaining shallots. Sprinkle with salt and let cool slightly.
Add ingredients for Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette together in a jar then shake to combine. Pour over salad then toss to coat. Add fried shallots then toss to combine, and then serve.

California Quinoa Greek Salad

Can you believe summer is halfway through? It has gone by waaaay to fast. Lucky for me, I don’t have to worry about going back to school, but I will miss going to the pool once the weather cools off and the pool is shut down until next summer.

Here’s another recipe adapted from Taking on Magazines for a delicious California Quinoa Greek Salad. Unlike most of my recipes, not all of the ingredients in this salad are exact. Instead, just use however much of vegetables of your choice: cherry tomatoes, avocado, red onion, cucumber and feta cheese. I actually like to make this salad and top it with arugula and a side of hummus.

If you don’t know much about quinoa, it’s one of the world’s healthiest grains. It’s very low in cholesterol and sodium, and is a good source of magnesium, phosphorous, and manganese. In addition, just one cup of cooked quinoa has 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.

Even better news is that quinoa is gluten free. According to a 2013 survey, about a third of people in the U.S. are currently trying to avoid gluten!

Enjoy making this quinoa salad, and make it your own with your favorite ingredients.

California Quinoa Greek Salad

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 4

Source: Taking on Magazines One Recipe at a Time

Ingredients

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup water
cherry tomatoes, quartered
red onion, chopped
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
avocado, chopped
1 cucumber, diced
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt to taste
feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions

In a small saucepan add the 1 cup of water and the 1/2 cup of quinoa. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the liquid has been absorbed (about 15 minutes). Set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl combine the cherry tomatoes, red onion, chickpeas, and avocado. Squeeze a wedge of lemon over the top and drizzle with olive oil. Salt to taste, but salting lightly if you will be using the crumbled feta. Stir gently to combine. Add the quinoa, stirring gently again to combine.
Spoon onto serving plates and top with crumbled feta.

Chili Cheese Frito Corn Salad and Houston

We were in Houston this past weekend visiting relatives on my side, and attending a wedding on Matt’s side. We stayed with my aunt Jolene, one of the best cooks I know, and someone in which you’ve heard me talk about a lot!

Jolene didn’t disappoint when it came to food. Her breakfasts are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G with a capital A. We had flaky buttermilk biscuits, sausage gravy, bacon, grits, scrambled eggs, and fresh fruit. Yum!

For lunch she had prepared homemade roast beef drip sandwiches sandwiched between a steak bun and melted provolone cheese. For dessert we had homemade strawberry shortcake and yes, homemade whipped cream!

Dinner was one of our favorites. Matt and I both love Mexican food, and Jolene prepared tacos with homemade taco seasoning, corn tortillas, homemade pico de gallo, and this delicious Chili Cheese Frito Corn Salad.

I’ve never had a chilled corn salad before, but I loved this one. Matt too. Matt loves just about anything with corn… corn bread, corn bread stuffing, summer bounty corn casserole, etc. His favorite chip is a Frito, so all his favorite foods were pretty much combined into this one salad.

The best part of the salad are the salty, crunchy, crushed Chili Cheese Flavored Fritos that go on top. I’m not a big chip person, but I remember getting the Chili Cheese flavored chips from the vending machine in middle school. 🙂

Next time I’m sitting down to some homemade tacos or enchiladas, I’ll be sure to whip this corn salad up as well. Enjoy!

chili cheese frito corn salad

Chili Cheese Frito Corn Salad

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

2 cans (14.5 oz) corn, drained
1 can (14.5 oz) Fiesta or Mexicorn, drained
1/3 green bell pepper, chopped fine
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. mayo
1/2 bag Chili Cheese Flavored Fritos, coarsely crushed

Instructions

Combine all ingredients except for the Fritos in a bowl. Refrigerate overnight.
Before serving, add about one half bag of coarsely crushed Chili Cheese flavored Fritos. (Note: we only added as much Fritos to the corn salad as we thought people would eat. Since we figured we would have leftover corn salad, we did not want soggy Fritos. The next day, we simply added more crushed Fritos just before serving).

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert is one of my all-time favorites! If you want to trick yourself into thinking you’re eating something healthy, then you can also call this Strawberry Pretzel “Salad”.

My mom’s birthday was this Thursday, and since her birthday is in June, she usually requests a lighter, non-chocolatey dessert. For previous occasions we’ve made her strawberry layer cake, tres leches cake, a hot milk sponge cake, etc. Notice a trend? If you clicked on all of the recipes, they all had strawberries on top! She’s a big fan, as am I!

For those that like the sweet-salty combination, this dessert is for you. It’s got a slightly salty crust from the pretzels, a cool, creamy cool whip and cream cheese center, and a light and refreshing topping with strawberry Jell-O and fresh strawberries. Yum!

Matt is actually not a pretzel fan (he actually doesn’t like ANY crust to any dessert…pies, you name it), so he doesn’t eat the pretzel bottom of this dessert. One time I made it for him and substituted crushed graham crackers for the pretzels. It was still a good combination, but it of course was not as salty, and the graham cracker crust got slightly more soggy as it sat in the fridge as compared to the pretzel crust.

My mom had a great birthday and as you can guess, as not much is left of this dessert (or salad, if you wish to call it). Enjoy!

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 24

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, melted
2 1/2 cups pretzels, crushed
3 Tbsp. sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
8 oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 cups boiling water
6 oz. strawberry gelatin
20 oz. frozen strawberries, partially thawed

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
FOR THE CRUST: Mix butter, pretzels, and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake for 7-10 minutes. Cool.
FOR THE CREAM LAYER: Mix the cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, and whipped topping. Spread over the cooled pretzel layer.
FOR THE STRAWBERRY LAYER: Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add strawberries and stir until partially thickened. Pour over whipped topping layer.
Chill overnight before serving

Meatless Mondays: Chickpea and Edamame Salad

If you participate in Meatless Mondays (we don’t, but I like the concept), you’ll love this easy to make Chickpea and Edamame Salad.

Last summer my mom discovered an amazingly healthy and conveniently prepackaged Mediterranean Salad called Cedar’s Chickpea Salad at Central Market.

The great thing about this salad is not only is it healthy (it’s packed carrots that loaded with vitamin A, edamame which contains fiber, protein and vitamins, olive oil for healthy fats, and low-fat chickpeas for protein, energy-providing complex carbs and fiber), it’s also goes great with anything!

Serve it as a salad with leafy greens such as arugula, pile it in a pita with shredded chicken, lettuce and hummus, or eat it as a snack with Central Market’s all-natural hummus (Spicy Texas Hummus is my favorite), or with Baked Lentil Chips with sea salt. Yum!!!

Toast chickpeas with a little olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium-sized skillet.

Since the nearest Central Market is about 20 minutes away, in addition to have to pay a ridiculous amount of tolls, I was only able to get this chickpea salad when I visited my parent’s house on occasion. (Central Market is just 5 minutes from my parent’s house, and with no tolls).

Since I don’t have time to drive so far to a grocery store, I decided to made my own version of Cedar’s Chickpea Salad so I could have it anytime I wanted. Plus, I found out that the homemade version is waaaay cheaper and super simple to make!

Add the edamame. You can use frozen edamame beans if you wish.

Cedar’s Chickpea Salad is all natural, so it wasn’t very difficult to figure out the ingredients I needed to make this salad. “A fresh blend of chickpeas, edamame beans, red and green peppers, carrots, a sweet touch of dried cranberries, and dressed lightly with olive oil and spices”, was the description according to Cedar’s packaging. I could definitely make this!

While my recipe omits the green and red bell peppers, I have pretty much everything else that makes this salad so tasty. I went light on the dressing, only using 2 tablespoons of olive oil. If you want more oil, it’s easy to add and doesn’t involve cooking.

I also added Parmesan cheese, which gives the salad a slightly cheesy and subtle nutty taste that I love. Italian seasoning was also added, but you could substitute oregano and/or basil if you wish.

After chopping up the carrots, and combining all the ingredients, you are done. Enjoy!!!

Chickpea and Edamame Salad

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup edamame beans
1/2 cup finely diced carrots
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 tsp. Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Heat a medium-sized skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chickpeas and edamame. Season with salt and pepper and cook until slightly toasted and chickpeas are golden, about 5 minutes. (You may want to use a splatter screen because the chickpeas will start to pop).
In a large mixing bowl, add chickpea and edamame mixture, carrots, dried cranberries, remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and Parmesan cheese.
Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Field Greens with Red Pears, Feta and Glazed Pecans

As mentioned, I write the resident recipe column in our monthly 60+ page, full-colored neighborhood magazine. If you haven’t seen it, remind me to show you because for a neighborhood magazine and free publication to residents, it’s pretty impressive!

For the month of October, I wrote about a wonderful field green salad with seasonal red Anjou pears, Feta cheese, and homemade glazed pecans.

Check out the great selection of seasonal pears at Central Market! Did I mention Central Market is my favorite? 🙂

One of my favorite things about writing the resident recipe column is that I get to try all the food! Lucky for me, the resident gave me the entire salad to take home. I ate it for lunch at work and it was OUTSTANDING!

The glazed pecans and fresh pears were the best part of the salad. The pears were extremely fresh, juicy and sweet, and the glazed pecans were crispy and had plenty of sugar on them. (I love sugar!!) The combination of ingredients and flavors were perfect in this autumn salad.

Below you’ll find an excerpt from the my column:

When it comes to fall fruit, crisp-tart apples usually steal the spotlight and sweet, delicious pears are often overlooked. Fortunately, Mary V has a perfect autumn salad using seasonal red Anjou pears and homemade glazed pecans.

“This is a recipe my family and extended family have made for many years. I took this salad to a dinner party and I had many requests for my recipe,” says Mary V. “Hope you enjoy this salad as much as we have!”

Note: Depending on the season, not all grocery stores will carry red Anjou pears. Central Market and Whole Foods usually have a great selection. They can also be found at Kroger.

Enjoy!

Field Greens with Red Pears, Feta and Glazed Pecans

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

Field greens
1 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. sugar, divided
8 oz. broken pecans
Cavenders Greek seasoning
Feta cheese
1 red anjou pear, sliced
1/2 cup canola oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
squeeze of fresh lemon

Instructions

FOR THE PECANS: Mix 2 tablespoons of sugar and butter over medium heat. Toss in pecans and stir. Let bubble, stirring only occasionally and pour out on plate sprayed with Pam. Break apart when cool.
FOR THE DRESSING: Whisk together canola oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Salt and pepper to taste.
TO PREPARE THE SALAD: Sprinkle mixed greens with Cavenders Greek seasoning. Add Feta cheese to taste and the sliced a red anjou pear. Toss in dressing and top with glazed pecans.

Parmesan Skillet Croutons

Unless you count restaurants, I doubt very many of you have ever eaten homemade croutons….I sure haven’t.

I think my mom was in the “baking mood” as I like to call it, and wanted to make something different than cookies or muffins in the kitchen. Flipping through Jennifer Perillo’s cookbook, Homemade with Love, mom discovered this quick and easy recipe for croutons!

Not only are they well seasoned, these croutons are easy and quick to make, they are impressive to serve. Mom made these for dinner, served a top a caesar side salad, fresh bread and spaghetti.

Did I mention Italian food is my favorite? Enjoy!!

Serve croutons with a caesar side salad.

Parmesan Skillet Croutons

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 7 mins

Total time: 17 mins

Serves: 2 cups

Source: Homemade with Love by Jennifer Perillo

Ingredients

2 cups (80 grams) cubed day-old baguette
1 tsp. (2 grams) finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbsp. (6 grams) grated Parmesan cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. (15 mL) extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Toss all ingredients together in a bowl until the bread cubes are well coated.
Heat an 8-inch (20 cm) skillet over medium heat. Add the seasoned bread cubes to the pan and cook, turning occasionally, until golden all over, 5 to 7 minutes.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Citrus Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Summer’s not the only season for fresh produce-packed salads. There’s plenty of cold weather produce to enjoy in the winter. From tangy cranberries and citrus fruits to robust greens and hardy root vegetables, you’ll be surprised by how many foods truly are “in season” right now.

Cooking Light has a great seasonal produce guide that you can check out here:

If you love fruit, there’s not much you can complain about in this citrus salad.

Sliced pears, sectioned oranges and grapefruit, and plump seedless grapes make up all the wonderful fruits in this salad. Add a handful of walnuts or pecans for crunch, and a sweet, citrus orange vinaigrette, and you’ve got yourself the perfect salad.

I actually made this for Christmas dinner this year. Everyone loved it. Plus, it pairs well with just about any main course from juicy steaks to grilled chicken to pork chops and even ham.

Enjoy!

Citrus Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Recipe Type: Side

Cuisine: American

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tsp. orange zest
3 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. chopped walnuts or pecans
1 (5 oz.) bag mixed baby greens, thoroughly washed
2 navel oranges, peeled and sectioned
1 large grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
1 pear, peeled and sectioned
1 cup seedless red grapes

Instructions

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE: Whisk together first 6 ingredients (white wine, orange zest, orange juice, sugar, salt and pepper) in a small bowl; add oil in a slow steady stream, whisking until blended.
FOR THE SALAD: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake nuts in a single layer in a shallow pan 6-8 minutes or until toasted and fragrant.
Place greens in a large bowl. Add orange sections, grapefruit sections, sliced pear, and grapes. Drizzle with 1/4 cup Orange Vinaigrette, tossing gently to coat. Sprinkle toasted nuts over salad, and serve immediately with remaining vinaigrette.

Notes

Source: “Farmers Market Cookbook: A Fresh Look at Local Flavor” by Southern Living

Frozen Cherry Salad

As mentioned, I write a resident recipe column for our monthly neighborhood magazine. For the month of August, we wanted to featured a cool and refreshing dish for us Texans to enjoy during the hottest month of the year! Here’s the article:

About ten years ago, neighborhood resident Marie was hosting the ladies luncheon from her investment group during the hot summer month of August and wanted to share something cold and delicious. After thumbing through dozens of cookbooks, she discovered this recipe, and it has become a summer regular. Since it is frozen, it keeps for several weeks in the freezer, covered. Enjoy!

Frozen Cherry Salad
Ingredients
2 (1 pound) cans royal ann cherries, drained
1 (8 1/2 oz.) can crushed pineapple
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup chopped pecans
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
Pinch of salt

Directions
1. Mix first five ingredients with mayonnaise. Whip whipping cream and fold it and the salt into the mixture.
2. Pour into a square serving dish and place in freezer.
3. When frozen, cut into squares and serve on pretty salad plates.

Macaroni Salad Bacon, Peas, and Cream Dijon Dressing

This is officially my first pasta salad blog post and boy is it a good one! My husband and I could not keep out of it, and the best part? It’s healthy!

I love it when I find great tasting, low-fat/low-fat calorie recipes, and this macaroni salad with peas, dijon mustard and bacon from Cooking Light did not disappoint. With only 208 calories and 7 grams of fat, that’s not too shabby for a pasta salad in my opinion.

I will say though, that after a reading a few comments about this recipe, I was a little hesitant to make it. Someone complained about the dressing being too sour from the vinegar and overpowering dijon mustard. I would definitely have to DISAGREE! I thought the slightly tangy dressing contrasted well with the smoky bacon, sweet bell pepper, and red onion. This pasta salad was excellent in my opinion, and I will definitely be making it again soon as a side dish for summer BBQs and backyard grilling parties.

Enjoy!

Combine first 9 ingredients and combine in food processor until smooth.

Combine chopped red onion, green onion, bell pepper, green peas, and lemon rind.

Toss with cooked pasta.

Meanwhile, cook bacon.

Add half of the dressing and chill. When ready to serve, add the remaining dressing and top with crumbled bacon.

Macaroni Salad with Bacon, Peas, and Creamy Dijon Dressing

Serves: 8

Ingredients

DRESSING
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. fat-free sour cream
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
SALAD
8 oz. uncooked large elbow macaroni
2/3 cup fresh green peas
2/3 cup finely diced red bell pepper
2/3 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
3 lower-sodium bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Instructions

To prepare dressing, combine first 9 ingredients in a food processor, and process until smooth. Cover and chill.
To prepare salad, cook pasta according to package directions. Add peas during the last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain; rinse with cold water. Drain. Combine pasta mixture, bell pepper, and next 4 ingredients (through rind) in a large bowl.
Toss pasta mixture with half of dressing. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Toss salad with remaining dressing, and sprinkle with crumbled bacon; serve immediately.

Serving size: 1 cup Calories: 208 Fat: 7g Saturated fat: 3.2g Carbohydrates: 29.1g Sodium: 454mg Fiber: 2.3g Protein: 8.6g Cholesterol: 16mg

Notes

Source: Cooking Light