Elle's Kitchen: Egg Salad

 

Today we needed a quick and easy lunch.

 

 

We were up to our elbows in gardening

chores and didn't want to resort to a

drive-thru lunch.

 

 

Ingredients:

 

6 hard boiled eggs

1/2 cup mayo

1 1/2 teas. Dijon mustard

1/4 cup chopped scallions

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teas. paprika

 

Note: I use mayo with lime that I

discovered in Mexico and found it

is available in the International Food

aisle of my local grocery.  It gives an

extra kick.

 

 

Chop hard boiled eggs.

 

 

In a separate bowl, combine

the other ingredients.

 

 

Add eggs and stir to combine.

 

 

Serve on bread or lettuce.

 

Enjoy!

Elle's Kitchen: My Favorite Lunch Salad

I call this my favorite lunch salad though

I often will have it at dinner as well.  The

reason I like it for lunch is I feel so good

after eating it.  If I have bread or pasta at

lunch, I feel like I need a nap but this mix

of healthy ingredients makes me feel great!

Ingredients:

romaine lettuce

avocado, diced

smoked gouda, grated

dried cranberries

sunflower seeds

It is so tasty I don't need a salad dressing.

Enjoy!

Elle's Kitchen: Caprese Salad

It's the week after Thanksgiving.  We had our kids

home from college and our Thanksgiving houseguests

here for a week and we feasted, and feasted, and feasted...

At one point I asked Mr. Wonderful if we could eat

salad for dinner every night next week.  I was sort

of kidding but he thought it was a great idea.

 

 

Traditionally Caprese salad is slices of tomato,

mozzarella and basil leaves that are layered

and dressed with olive oil and salt.  Usually it

is served as an antipasto but since we are having

it as our meal I have diced the ingredients and

served it on a bed of lettuce.

 

Ingredients:

8 oz of mozzarella diced into 1/2'' pieces

Campari tomatoes, diced

1/3 cup basil leaves, torn

2 tablespoons of olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 head romaine lettuce

 

 

Roughly chop the head of lettuce and

arrange on a platter.

Combine mozzarella, tomatoes and basil

in a bowl and add the olive oil and salt and

pepper to taste, toss.

 

 

In a small saucepan, heat the balsamic

vinegar and simmer to reduce, about

5 minutes.

 

 

Arrange tomato, mozzarella and basil mixture

on top of lettuce and drizzle with vinegar.

 

Enjoy!

Elle's Kitchen: Greek Salad

 

This is day 2 of A Week of Salads.

Tonight is Greek Salad, a favorite

around our house.

 

 

The best Greek Salad I ever had was,

fittingly, in Athens.

 

 

We had spent the morning at the

Acropolis and were hungry and

exhausted by lunchtime.

 

 

Ingredients:

 

For the dressing:

2 tabl. white balsamic vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

a few pinches of oregano

1/8 cup olive oil

a pinch or two of sugar

 

Combine ingredients in a small

jar and shake well.

 

For the salad:

romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 cucumber, quartered and sliced

tomatoes, diced

1/2 red onion, sliced

feta, crumbled

kalamata olives

thinly sliced feta, drizzle with dressing

 

 

Drizzle some of the dressing on the

lettuce and toss, arrange on plates.

 

In a bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumbers,

onions, crumbled feta and olives.  Drizzle

with the remaining dressing, toss.

 

Arrange tomato/cucumber mixture

on top of the lettuce and place the sliced

feta in the center.

 

 

When I eat this salad, it takes me

right back to Greece.  Don't you

love this man with his flowers?

 

 

As I would walk the streets of Athens,

I kept seeing these heads on the edges

of the rooflines.

 

 

On my way from Santorini to Istanbul

I had a long layover in Athens and hopped

on the subway and went back into town.

In the flea market in Monastiraki I spied

a few of the terra cotta heads and grabbed

one.  It now is in my living room, my own

little antique treasure from Greece.  I

always imagine all the life that little head

witnessed overlooking the streets of Athens.

Elle's Kitchen: Spinach, Pear and Pomegranate Salad

It is Day 3 of A Week of Salads.

Tonight we will have a delicious

Spinach, Pear & Pom Salad.

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1/3 cup pecan pieces

3 tabl. cider vinegar

2 tabl. extra virgin olive oil

1 tabl. honey

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

8 oz. baby spinach

2 ripe pears, peeled & sliced

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

 

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Spread pecans on

a baking sheet and toast for 7 to 10 minutes

or until lightly browned. Cool.

 

 

Make the dressing:

Whisk together the vinegar, olive oil,

honey, mustard, salt & pepper in a large

bowl.

 

In a large bowl, add the dressing to the spinach

and toss well.  Add the pears, pomegranate seeds

and pecans and toss well.  Sprinkle blue cheese on

top and serve.

Elle's Kitchen: Orzo Salad

 

It is day 4 of A Week of Salads.

The selection tonight was Orzo Salad.

It is a cold salad that we think would

be better as a side, in the summer,

rather than the entrée on a snowy night.

 

We think we'll have a week of soups

next week...

 

 

Ingredients:

 

sea salt

1 1/2 cups orzo

a head of broccoli, cut into florets

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup crème fraeche

grated zest of 1 lemon

1 small avocado, peeled and sliced

 

Cook orzo according to package directions,

rinse with cold water, drain.

 

Steam broccoli until bright green, set aside.

 

 

To make the pesto, combine half the broccoli,

the garlic, 3/4 of the pine nuts, the Parmesan,

1/4 teas. salt and 2 tabl. of the lemon juice and

pulse to combine.  Then drizzle in the olive oil

and crème fraeche, pulse until smooth.

 

 

In a large bowl, combine the orzo,

broccoli, the pesto and the lemon zest.

Fold in the avocado, top with remaining

pine nuts.