Chopped Israeli Salad
Hands-on: 16 min. Total: 16 min.
A fine dice allows the salt and lemon to penetrate the vegetables and draw out their juices. The longer it sits, the better it gets.
Ingredients:
2 cups diced cucumber
2 cups diced tomato
1 cup diced orange bell pepper
½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
5/8 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a large bowl, stirring to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Spinach and Raspberry Salad
Ingredients:
4 cups fresh spinach
½ cup raspberries
½ cup sliced red onions
½ cup sliced cucumbers
Catalina fat-free dressing
Directions:
Mix the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing.
Grilled Onion, Peach, and Arugula Salad
Ingredients:
1 large sweet onion (about a pound)
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
8 cups gently packed arugula
2 ripe peaches
4 ounces goat cheese
Vinaigrette:
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
Directions:
To prepare onion:
Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large)
1 tablespoon mild curry powder
5 lbs butternut squash (2 large)
1 ½ lbs McIntosh apples (4 large apples)
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
3-4 cups chicken stock
Directions:
Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad
Serves 6
Roasting beets takes some time in the oven but it’s so little trouble and they’re so much better than beets from a can. This salad has a really great flavor and color with sweet beets, spicy arugula, salty almonds, and creamy goat cheese.
Ingredients:
8 medium-size beets, tops removed and scrubbed
½ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces baby arugula 1/3 cup roasted, salted Marcona almonds, toasted*
4 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
*To toast the almonds, place them on a sheet pan and roast at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, turning once, until they are lightly browned. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.
Directions:
Grilled Vegetable Salad
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon raspberry-flavored vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
2 ears fresh corn, husked
1 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise (about 1/4 pound)
1 small yellow squash, cut in half lengthwise (about 1/4 pound)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into quarters
1 medium eggplant, cut in half lengthwise (about 1 pound)
2 (1/2-inch) slices purple onion
1 large, unpeeled tomato, cored and cut in half crosswise
Vegetable cooking spray
Directions:
Hands-on: 16 min. Total: 16 min.
A fine dice allows the salt and lemon to penetrate the vegetables and draw out their juices. The longer it sits, the better it gets.
Ingredients:
2 cups diced cucumber
2 cups diced tomato
1 cup diced orange bell pepper
½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
5/8 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a large bowl, stirring to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Spinach and Raspberry Salad
Ingredients:
4 cups fresh spinach
½ cup raspberries
½ cup sliced red onions
½ cup sliced cucumbers
Catalina fat-free dressing
Directions:
Mix the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing.
Grilled Onion, Peach, and Arugula Salad
Ingredients:
1 large sweet onion (about a pound)
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
8 cups gently packed arugula
2 ripe peaches
4 ounces goat cheese
Vinaigrette:
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
Directions:
To prepare onion:
- Preheat grill to high.
- Peel onion, leaving root intact, cut into eights through the root end make uniform wedges that are still held together at the base.
- Toss onion wedges in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of oil and 1/4 teaspoon on salt and pepper.
- Grill until lightly charred, turing often, it will take around 8-10 minutes. Place the wedges on a plate and let them cool, then trim root ends.
- Combine all ingredients together and mix well until fully combined.
- Place arugula in a large bowl and toss with about 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette (the best can be stored in the refrigerator up to five days). Then top with peaches, goat cheese, and onions.
Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large)
1 tablespoon mild curry powder
5 lbs butternut squash (2 large)
1 ½ lbs McIntosh apples (4 large apples)
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
3-4 cups chicken stock
Directions:
- Warm the olive oil in a large stockpot over low heat. Add the onions and curry powder and cook, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are tender. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot.
- Peel the squash, cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into chunks. Peel and chop the apples.
- Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper, and chicken stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, then cover. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash and apples are very soft. Puree with an immersion blender.
Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad
Serves 6
Roasting beets takes some time in the oven but it’s so little trouble and they’re so much better than beets from a can. This salad has a really great flavor and color with sweet beets, spicy arugula, salty almonds, and creamy goat cheese.
Ingredients:
8 medium-size beets, tops removed and scrubbed
½ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces baby arugula 1/3 cup roasted, salted Marcona almonds, toasted*
4 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
*To toast the almonds, place them on a sheet pan and roast at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, turning once, until they are lightly browned. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Wrap the beets individually in aluminum foil and place them on a sheet pan. Roast them for 50 minutes to 1 hour, depending on their size, until a small sharp knife inserted in the middle indicates that they are tender. Unwrap each beet and set aside for 10 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Peel the beets with a small, sharp knife over a piece of parchment paper to prevent staining your cutting board.
- Whisk together vinegar, olive oil, mustard, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and set aside. While the beets are still warm, cut each one in half and then each half into 4 to 6 wedges and place them in a large mixing bowl. As you’re cutting the beets, toss them with half of the vinaigrette (warm beets absorb more vinaigrette), 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Taste for seasonings.
- Place the arugula in a separate bowl and toss it with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Put the arugula on a serving platter and then arrange the beets, almonds, and goat cheese on top. Drizzle with additional vinaigrette, if desired, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve warm or at room temperature.
Grilled Vegetable Salad
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon raspberry-flavored vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
2 ears fresh corn, husked
1 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise (about 1/4 pound)
1 small yellow squash, cut in half lengthwise (about 1/4 pound)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into quarters
1 medium eggplant, cut in half lengthwise (about 1 pound)
2 (1/2-inch) slices purple onion
1 large, unpeeled tomato, cored and cut in half crosswise
Vegetable cooking spray
Directions:
- Combine rosemary and next 4 ingredients in a bowl
- Stir with a whisk until blended. Brush ears of corn and the cut surfaces of the remaining vegetables with half of olive oil mixture, and set aside.
- Coat grill rack with cooking spray; place on grill over medium-hot coals.
- Place vegetables, cut sides down, on rack. Cook 5 minutes; brush with remaining olive oil mixture. Turn vegetables over, and cook an additional 5 minutes or until tender.
- Remove from grill; cut each ear of corn into 6 pieces. Cut each onion slice into quarters. Cut remaining vegetable pieces in half.