Salad Pizza

Have you ever walked into a pizzeria and tried a slice of their delicious salad pizzas around lunchtime?? If you haven't I urge you to give one a try next time. I like these specialty slices because the crisp lettuce, fresh juicy tomatoes and sweet roasted red peppers on top of the crispy pizza crust with a garlicky homemade Italian dressing give it the perfect combination to feel like you are having both pizza and salad. I don't know about you but here in NJ this type of cold cheese free pizza is very popular even if you have to eat it with a fork and knife.  I tried to model my own version of salad pizza after my favorite slice which comes from La Casa in Westfield, NJ and I think I really nailed it!!

Ingredients for Pizza:

Pre-made Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

1 1/2 Cup Tomato Sauce

1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning

1/2 Head of Iceberg Lettuce - Sliced into strips

2-3 Large Ripe Tomatoes

12 -15  Roasted Red Pepper Strips

Small Onion sliced raw if desired

Pam Spray

Ingredients for Italian Dressing:

1/3 Cup Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar

1 Tsp Dried Oregano

2-4 Cloves of Garlic Minced or Pressed

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/4 Tsp Black Pepper

Preheat your oven to 425 F. Spray your pan with Pam and set aside. Roll your pizza dough out on a lightly floured surface. Place 1/2 in thick pizza dough in pan stretching it to fit. Cover with tomato sauce, then sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Bake 15-18 minutes till sauce is bubbling and crust is crisp and light brown. While the pizza is baking you can make the Italian dressing so it has some time for the flavors to combine.

In a mason jar or salad dressing container combine all of the ingredients for the dressing (minced or pressed garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano). Close the container and give it a few good shakes. Allow it to sit for a bit than shake it again.

When your pizza is cooling you can prepare your toppings. Wash and slice the iceberg lettuce into thin strips, slice the tomato, drain and slice the roasted red pepper into strips and thinly slice the raw onion if you are choosing to use it. When it is ready spread the lettuce all over the bottom in a decent layer covering all of the sauce, arrange your sliced tomato nicely on top then place your roasted red pepper strips around and in between all of the tomato. If you are using the raw onion you can place that on top as well.

Give your Italian dressing another few good shakes and slowly pour about half of what you made on top of the pizza. Be careful not to over dress it as it will make the pizza soggy. I suggest eating this pizza immediately as it taste the best fresh and cold. If you choose to save the left overs, separate each piece with foil so the dressing doesn't make the crust soggy.

Enjoy!!

Greek Orzo Salad

I love the Greek flavor profile and always need my fix regularly. Luckily a few weeks ago our local Greek Orthodox church had a festival which I attended to get us food two days in a row. Last week, I decided it was again time to ind luge in some classic Greek flavors so I threw together this orzo salad. I always love how the perfect bite has all different tastes and textures. The cool cucumber with the juicy tomato, the saltiness from the olives and the creaminess from the Feta cheese!! John and I had it for dinner with some grilled shrimp and chicken which made for a light and summery dinner. It also would be great as a side dish for a BBQ with your burgers and dogs.

Ingredients:
1/2 Box Orzo (About 1 1/4 cups)
1 Large Red Pepper - Diced
1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes - Halved
1 Large Cucumber - Peeled, Seeded & Diced
1 Cup Kalamata Olives - Pitted & Halved
12 oz Reduced Fat Crumbled Feta Cheese
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Minced Fresh Oregano
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Pepper

Adapted from www.food.com - Christine's Yellow Kitchen

Start by bringing a pot of salted water up to a boil for the orzo and cook it according to the package. Drain the pasta and let it cool. While the pasta is cooking and cooling you can prep your veggies. Peel, seed and dice your cucumber, dice your tomatoes and dice up your peppers. The olives I bought were already pitted and sliced, I rinsed them off a bit so they wouldn't be overly salty. Put all of the vegetables in a very large bowl. Set aside.

Now it's time to make your dressing for the salad which is just a basic red wine vinaigrette. In a small bowl combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. If you don't have fresh oregano on hand it is perfectly fine to use dried oregano instead, use 3/4 Tsp. Set aside.

Once the pasta has cooled completely add it to the big bowl of vegetables and stir to combine. Pour the vinaigrette over top and toss so that it has covered everything completely. Allow the salad to sit in the in the fridge for a few hours before serving. Since we had this for dinner with grilled shrimp and chicken we just topped our bowls with the crumbled feta cheese before we ate but if I was serving this as a salad I would mix in the feta right before serving and leave a little to sprinkle on the top.

Enjoy!!

Linked at: http://www.thecountrycook.net/

Carrot Slaw with Citrus Vinaigrette

 

I lack creativity when it comes to making side dishes, always concentrating on the main menu item and serving it with one of my usual starch or rice dishes. This carrot slaw came out of no where and I'm sure glad I stumbled upon it. I served it alongside a sandwich filled with my favorite avocado based chicken salad. This carrot slaw turned out to be light and summery just like our entree. The carrots are crisp, the craisins sweet, the pecans crunchy and the vinaigrette is bright. This slaw could also work well as a salad for a BBQ picnic you would just have to double or triple the recipe.

Ingredients for Slaw:

1/2 lb Carrots - Shredded

2/3 Cup Craisins

1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts

Ingredients for Citrus Vinaigrette:

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Honey

3 Tbsp Orange Juice

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 Tsp Lemon Zest

1/8 Tsp Pepper

1/4 Tsp Salt

Garnish with a few Tbsp of fresh chives

Adapted from: http://www.onceuponachef.com/

In a medium sized bowl whisk together the ingredients for the citrus vinaigrette (Olive oil, honey, orange juice, lemon juice, lemon zest, slat & pepper)

I had a bag of baby carrots that needed to be used so I tossed them in my food processor using the shredding tool. You can also buy carrots that are shredded.or full size carrots to peel and shred yourself. Add your carrots, craisins and pecans to the bowl with the vinaigrette.

Mix everything together well so that the vinaigrette has dressed all of the slaw. Allow to sit in the fridge for a few hours so the vinaigrette has some time to soak into the carrots and craisins. Top with some fresh chives and serve immediately as a side with your favorite summer sandwich or at your next BBQ.

Enjoy!!

Linked at: http://www.thecountrycook.net/

Autumn Panzanella with Cranberry Vinaigrette

This salad features all of the delicious autumn fruits and vegetables everyone loves this time of year. The combination of roasted butternut squash, apple, sweet potato and cranberry make the perfect blend of fall flavors with warm toasty bread and crisp peppery arugula. I've made two other versions of Panzanella both with summer vegetables - Greek Panzanella Salad & Asparagus & Pea Panzanella. This version of Panzanella in my opinion is the best one yet. John was away for the weekend in Pennsylvania on his annual paint ball trip so I made this for myself while Owen was napping and ended up having it for both lunch and dinner. 

Ingredients for Panzanella:
1/2 Loaf (3-4 Thick Slices) Multigrain Bread - Cubed
2 Apples - Cored & Cubed
2 Sweet Potatoes - Peeled and Cubed
1/2 Large or 1 Small Butternut Squash - Peeled and Cubed
3-4 Cups Arugula
1/2 Cup Craisins
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Pepper
1/4 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Chili Powder

Ingredients for Cranberry Vinaigrette:
1/3 Cup Cranberry Juice
1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tsp Honey
1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
Dash of Nutmeg
S&P

Adapted from: www.howsweeteats.com

Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a small bowl combine the spices together - salt, pepper, cinnamon & chili powder. Peel and cube your sweet potato and butternut squash, place them in a medium sized bowl. Pour most of the spice mixture over top of the veggies with a Tbsp of Olive Oil and toss to coat. Spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, giving them a shake or a flip about half way through.

While your veggies are roasting you can make the vinaigrette. Jess made a pomegranate vinaigrette and topped the salad with pomegranate seeds but I chose to go with Cranberry mostly because we keep craisins in the house and cranberry juice was cheaper and comes in a smaller container than pomegranate. In a medium sized bowl whisk together the cranberry juice, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, nutmeg salt & pepper. Set aside.

When the vegetables have finished roasting, cube the apple and toss it in the remaining spices. Add the spiced apple to the pan with the sweet potato and butternut squash, making sure it still remains to be a single layer and all spread out. Roast everything another 25 minutes until all the fruit and vegetables are soft and cooked through.

Take the pan out of the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes. If not they will wilt the arugula when you put the salad together. While the vegetables are cooling you can cube and toast the bread. I just put it in the oven for 10-12 minutes but you can also toast it in a pan if you choose. 

 

Now it's time to put the panzanella together. In a large serving bowl put down your arugula, top it with the toasted bread cubes and then put the roasted fruit and vegetables on top. If you aren't serving and eating this all at once I would wait to dress and toss it together right before you eat it. You don't want the bread to get soggy, plus I liked having the fruit and vegetables still slightly warm. This is what about half of the salad looks like.

Pour a little bit of the dressing over the top and then give it a good toss. When dressing a salad it's always good to start with less and then add more if you need it you don't want it to be swimming in the dressing. Sprinkle the craisins over the top and give is another toss. Serve immediately. Just an FYI this portions out to be either two meals or 4 side salads.

Enjoy!!

Linked at: http://www.mandysrecipebox.blogspot.com, http://insidebrucrewlife.com/, http://www.nap-timecreations.com, http://www.chef-in-training.com/, http://cathithebookishbaker.blogspot.ca/, http://thenymelrosefamily.com, http://www.ladybehindthecurtain.com, http://www.lifewiththecrustcutoff.com/, http://www.mostlyhomemademom.com/, http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/, http://www.housewivesofriverton.com/, http://www.posedperfection.com/, http://www.mandatorymooch.blogspot.com/, http://www.happyandblessedhome.com/, http://www.thejennyevolution.com/, http://www.notyourordinaryrecipes.com/, http://www.apeekintomyparadise.blogspot.com/, http://www.thecountrycook.net, http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/, http://www.cheeriosandlattes.com/, http://whoneedsacape.com, http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com/, http://www.flourmewithlove.com, http://www.sweetsav.blogspot.com/

Broccoli & Grape Pasta Salad

I brought this pasta salad over to my sister's house last week for her gender reveal party. We are so excited for Owen to have a cousin so close in age to grow up with! This pasta salad was one of our sides dishes paired with a variety of different gourmet sandwiches and it seemed to be a big hit with everyone there. I doubled the original recipe so this version makes a very large amount but it's perfect for entertaining. She and her husband then enjoyed the leftovers as lunch for a few days. It has a bunch of different flavors and textures going on which are different from traditional pasta salad. The grapes are sweet, the bacon brings a salty aspect to the creamy dressing and the fresh raw broccoli and pecans gives it a nice crunch. Although I'm not a huge fan of mayo based salads this dressing was light enough for me to enjoy. In fact I called to see if we could have some leftovers as well but was disappointed to find out they were already all gone, I guess I'll just have to make it again :)

Ingredients:
1 Box Bow-Tie Pasta
2 lbs Fresh Broccoli Florets
4 Cups Red Grapes - Halved
1 Cup Chopped Pecans
12 Slices Bacon - Crispy & Crumbled
1/3 Cup Red Onion - Finely Diced
2 Cup Light Mayo
2/3 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Pepper

Adapted from: http://www.mymommystyle.com/

Prepare the pasta accordingly to package. Cook bacon until crisp and put on a paper towel to soak up some of the grease, once it's cool enough to handle crumble it. Dice up your onion, halve your grapes and cut your broccoli florets into bite size pieces.

In your largest bowl combine the drained pasta with the grapes, broccoli, onion, bacon and pecans pieces. Every time I added an ingredient or two to the pasta I tossed it as much as possible to mix everything together. In retrospect I needed a bigger bowl to add the dressing so it wouldn't all spill out when I was mixing.

In a medium sized bowl whisk together your mayo, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt & pepper. Pour about half of the dressing over the top of the pasta salad and toss to combine. Once you feel that has worked it's way in, pour the rest of the dressing on top and toss again making sure to get all of the ingredients at the bottom of the bowl covered in the dressing. I suggest making this at least a few hours in advance of serving if not the day before so it can cool in the fridge and absorb all of the flavors.

Enjoy!!

Linked at: http://apeekintomyparadise.blogspot.com/, http://www.thecountrycook.net/, http://happyandblessedhome.com/, http://www.notyourordinaryrecipes.com/, http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/, http://whoneedsacape.com/, http://www.cheeriosandlattes.com/, http://www.whatscookingwithruthie.com/, http://www.thejennyevolution.com/, http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com/, http://iamaddictedtorecipes.blogspot.ca/, http://www.flourmewithlove.com/, http://www.nap-timecreations.com, http://www.mandysrecipebox.blogspot.com/, http://insidebrucrewlife.com, http://www.ducksnarow.com, http://www.hungrylittlegirl.com/, http://thenymelrosefamily.com/, http://www.ladybehindthecurtain.com/, http://www.momstestkitchen.com/, http://www.mostlyhomemademom.com/, http://www.housewivesofriverton.com/, http://www.mandatorymooch.blogspot.com/, http://www.posedperfection.com/,
www.mizhelenscountrycottage.blogspot.com

Pesto Pasta Salad

Pasta salad is a great dish to serve as a side dish in the summer with the usual BBQ fare of hot dogs and hamburgers or even grilled chicken. Since I'm not a big fan of mayo when my cousin Heidi made this while we were in the Pocono's I was completely intrigued. Gemeilli are the perfect pasta for this because the pesto sits in the twists giving each bite a lot of flavor. The tomatoes are bright and fresh which pairs nicely with the salty feta. This dish is quick, easy and doesn't have a lot of ingredients which are key words when a new mom is looking for recipes to try out. 

Ingredients:
1 Box Gemeilli Pasta
1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes - Diced
8oz Crumbled Feta Cheese
1-1 1/2 Cup Pesto - Homemade or Prepackaged

Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the pasta according to the package. While the pasta is cooking you can cut your tomatoes and make your pesto. We had a bunch of arugula that needed to be used from our fresh box so I made an arugula peso for this pasta salad. Although it was fine I preferred it with the regular basil based pesto my cousin used when she introduced this dish to me.

When the pasta is finished cooking, drain the water and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. When it is ready to be handled mix the pesto into the pasta, then add the tomatoes and lastly gently mix in the cheese. I added a little more than a cup of pesto because I wanted the pastas to be covered pretty well in it. Depending on your preference you can add more or less pesto. Heidi served this cold as a side dish but you can also have it room temperature or even warm as an entree.

Enjoy!!

linked at: www.thecountrycook.net, http://www.flourmewithlove.com/, http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com/, http://www.sweetsav.blogspot.com/, http://www.mandysrecipebox.blogspot.com/, http://insidebrucrewlife.com/, http://www.nap-timecreations.com/, http://www.hungrylittlegirl.com/, http://thenymelrosefamily.com/, http://www.ladybehindthecurtain.com/, http://www.ducksnarow.com/, http://www.momstestkitchen.com/, http://www.mostlyhomemademom.com/, http://www.bunsinmyoven.com, http://www.housewivesofriverton.com/, http://www.lifewiththecrustcutoff.com/, http://mizhelenscountrycottage.blogspot.com/, http://www.mandatorymooch.blogspot.com/, http://www.foodiefriendsfridaydailydish.com/

Summer Green Bean Salad

We have so many cherry tomatoes from the garden now along with regular tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and peppers. This salad is from the Neely's on the Food Network Channel.  Those Neely's are always so much fun to watch.  They seem to get along so well and enjoy cooking together.  Enjoy the weekend!    

Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh string or wax beans trimmed
1 shallot minced
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
6 oz. mixed baby greens (originally 3 oz.)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pint orange and cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup fresh basil cut into thin strips
1/4 cup shelled and chopped pistachios (I omitted)
6 oz. crumbled feta cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Put your washed and trimmed string or wax beans in a pot of boiling water and then remove them and set them in a bowl of ice water for 2 more minutes.  Drain water and dry.  Your beans have now been blanched.

In a small bowl whisk together the shallot, vinegar and olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread the baby greens onto a large platter and top with the cut tomato halves, green beans and basil. Drizzle the vinaigrette mix over the greens and sprinkle with pistachios and feta cheese.

 

Delicious.  Enjoy!!


Linked at: http://insidebrucrewlife.com/, http://www.nap-timecreations.com, http://www.mandysrecipebox.blogspot.com/, http://www.ladybehindthecurtain.com/, http://thenymelrosefamily.com/, http://www.ducksnarow.com/, http://www.hungrylittlegirl.com/, http://www.momstestkitchen.com/, http://www.mostlyhomemademom.com/, http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/, http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/, http://www.housewivesofriverton.com/, http://www.momontimeout.com, http://www.lifewiththecrustcutoff.com, http://mizhelenscountrycottage.blogspot.com/, http://www.mandatorymooch.blogspot.com/, www.4littlefergusons.wordpress.com, http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com/, http://www.sweetsav.blogspot.com/, http://www.flourmewithlove.com/, http://www.foodiefriendsfridaydailydish.com/

Summer Veggie Slaw

This Summer Veggie slaw is the perfect light side dish for any summer meal. It can also be used on top of a burger or sandwich. It's another great way to use a bunch of different summer veggies that doesn't require any form of cooking. The pine nuts also add a little bit of a crunchy texture next to the soft and tasty vegetables.

Ingredients for Slaw:
3 Medium Size Zucchini
3 Medium Size Squash
2 Large Red Peppers
6 Large Carrots
1 Cup Pine Nuts

Adapted from http://www.prouditaliancook.com/

Ingredients for Lemon Basil Vinaigrette:
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp Minced Basil
2 Tbsp Vinegar
2 Minced Garlic Cloves
2 Tsp Sugar
2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Pepper

Adapted from http://pinterest.com/

In a large bowl using a julienne peeler prepare all of the vegetables. I had never used a julienne peeler before and it took me a few minutes to get going but once I figured it out I was flying through each vegetable. So the slaw isn't long and spaghetti like cut the vegetables in half before slicing. The peeler worked better on vegetables that were hard so I ended up just cutting the pepper into match stick pieces because it was too soft. Also when peeling the zucchini and squash I discarded the middle sections that contained the seeds

In a small bowl whisk together all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette. When all of your vegetables are julienne, pour the vinaigrette on top and toss everything together using salad or regular tongs. Add the pine nuts right before you serve and toss again. Although I served this the same day I felt that the longer the vegetables soaked in the vinaigrette the more flavors they took on so I suggest preparing it the day before or at least a few hours in advance.

Enjoy!!

Linked at: http://www.chef-in-training.com/, http://www.mandysrecipebox.blogspot.com/, http://insidebrucrewlife.com/, http://www.nap-timecreations.com/, http://www.ducksnarow.com/, http://thenymelrosefamily.com/, http://www.momstestkitchen.com/, http://www.ladybehindthecurtain.com/, http://djssugarshack.com/, http://www.mostlyhomemademom.com/, http://www.housewivesofriverton.com/, http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/, http://www.momontimeout.com/, http://www.mizhelenscountrycottage.blogspot.com/, http://www.mandatorymooch.blogspot.com/, http://www.lifewiththecrustcutoff.com/, www.4littlefergusons.wordpress.com, http://www.sweetsav.blogspot.com/, http://www.flourmewithlove.com/, http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com/