From the category archives:

Salad Recipes

Perfectly Peachy Fresh Fruit Salad Recipe

by Joi on August 2, 2010

I’m a total fruit fanatic and can never have enough fruit on hand. It’s healthy, delicious, fragrant, and a bowl of fruit (nature’s dessert) just makes a whole room look more attractive.

Below is one of my favorite recipes for fruit salad. Feel free to experiment with different fruits, but don’t even think about leaving out the peaches.

Fresh Fruit Salad Recipe

2 Peaches
2 Apples
2 Nectarines
2 cups Strawberries
1 cup Red Seedless Grapes
1 cup White Seedless Grapes
2 Bananas
1 pkg. Peach Glaze
3 Tbs. Honey
3 Tbs. Lemon Juice

Use fresh fruit – very important! Slice and place the fruit combination into a large bowl. Combine the peach glaze, honey, and lemon juice. Pour over fruit and mix gently but well.

Keep refrigerated and just TRY not to eat it all at once! I kid you now when I say this can easily pass for dessert.

Amco Tomato Mozzarella Slicer: One Sharp Kitchen Gadget

by Joi on July 19, 2010

I was recently sent a new kitchen gadget to review – which means I’ve been walking a little straighter, smiling a little more, and continually humming, “What a Wonderful World.”

Yeah, this gal loves kitchen gadgets.

The source of the humming this time around is the Amco Tomato Slicer. Ingenious!

We eat a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot of tomatoes – year round, really, but never more so than during the summer. We eat the ones from our own garden and we buy regularly from local farmers’ trucks. Our farmers and their families feed our country and tend our land – the least we can do is buy from them on a regular basis.

We also love cheese in our home – so a Tomato Mozzarella Slicer was a perfect fit for our kitchen.

It’s fantastic! I’ve used it for red tomatoes, green tomatoes, and mozzarella. It keeps my hands clean and gives my knives a day off. Giving knives a vacation day is just a good managerial strategy – keeps them sharp, you know.

My oldest daughter (Emily) has a fierce allergy to touching tomatoes – her hands break out when she comes into contact with the juices. This kitchen gadget would be ideal for anyone with such an allergy. They could slice tomatoes for their family and give hydro-cortisone the day off as well.

The Tomato Mozzarella Slicer creates uniform, attractive tomato slices for sandwiches, burgers, and salads. It also allows you to slice green tomatoes perfectly for fried green tomatoes – a staple in my kitchen.

Here’s a fresh, quick, delicious, and easy recipe to try for a change of pace from traditional salads:

Quick & Easy Tomato Mozzarella Salad

Slice a couple of tomatoes and a ball of mozzarella. Lie them on a platter in an attractive manner – fanning them out mozzarella, tomato, mozzarella, tomato, etc. Then drizzle (or mist) lightly with extra virgin olive oil. Now, sprinkle fresh basil over the mozzarella and tomatoes. Outstanding!

This type of quick salad is as healthy as it is good – it adheres to the basics of the Mediterranean Diet, which is always a great way to eat. It’s perfect served alongside soup, spaghetti, lasagna, manicotti, or any Italian recipe you can think of. It also makes a healthy snack for watching television or playing games.

Product Description for this Kitchen Gadget

Slice tomatoes into uniform 1/4-inch thick slices with one easy motion. Create perfect slices every time for hamburgers, sandwiches, salads and more. Simply position tomato in holder, center slicing blades above tomato and press down. Slicer can even cut mozzarella for perfect caprese salad. ABS with stainless steel blades. By Amco. With unique, patented kitchen products Amco’s devotion to innovation has driven new industry standards and redefined categories. They continue to revolutionize the market with ingenious gadgets that simplify and enhance the culinary experience. With a team of in-house designers whose sole purpose is to conceptualize and design new kitchen tools, Amco continues to be at the forefront of innovative, efficient and timeless kitchenware products.

Head over to Amazon for a closer look and to order your’s today: Tomato Mozzarella Slicer

Vegetarian Recipe: Baby Spinach, Grape, and Walnut Salad

by Joi on June 26, 2010

The following recipe is from an excellent cookbook and guide to eating a Vegetarian diet: The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Being Vegetarian – Second Edition. Try the recipe (outstanding), then grab a copy of the book. It’s filled with wonderful recipes you’ll use again and again, whether you’re vegetarian or not.

Baby Spinach, Grape, and Walnut Salad: A Vegetarian Recipe

2 TBS balsamic vinegar
3 TBS virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
Pinch dried oregano
2 cups baby spinach leaves, washed
2/3 cup red grapes, seedless and sliced in half
1/4 cup raw walnut pieces

In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, olive oil, pepper, and oregano with a blender, mixer, or fork until thoroughly mixed.

Add spinach, sliced grapes, and walnuts to the bowl, and toss with vinaigrette. Serve on a chilled plate.

And a great tip from The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Being Vegetarian – Second Edition: To maintain your frozen vegetables’ nutrients, do not cook or zap them in a microwave. Instead, to thaw frozen vegetables for a salad, simply put the vegetables in a strainer and run hot water over them for about 30 seconds until they’re thawed.

I use the technique above each time I make Spinach Artichoke dip – works brilliantly!

Bobby Flay and Hellman’s Make a Killer Potato Salad Recipe

by Joi on April 23, 2010

Our food blog has nothing but big love for Bobby Flay, nothing but mad love for Hellman’s, and nothing but wicked love for Potato Salad – so, yeah, this recipe falls under can’t miss as far as we’re concerned.

Be sure to click the link following the recipe for a video of Bobby Flay making the potato salad, himself.

Bobby Flay’s Green Onion Potato Salad

2 lbs. red potatoes
1 Tbsp. PLUS 2 tsp. Kosher salt, divided
1-1/4 cups Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
6 green onions (green and pale green part), thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or flat leaf parsley

Instructions:

Cover potatoes with water in 4-quart saucepot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender; drain and cool slightly. Slice into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
Combine Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise, vinegar, jalapeno peppers, salt and black pepper in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients and toss gently. Season, if desired, with additional salt and pepper. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Check out the Bobby Flay Video for this Green Onion Potato Salad!

While in Hellman’s neighborhood, be sure to check out their special Sweepstakes – with instant prizes! You can play daily for a chance to win great stuff. There is also a printable coupon to save $1.00 on two jars of mayo.

Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens? Why Not?!

by Joi on March 21, 2010

The recipe below is one of the many wonderful and fun recipes in Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens by Chef Jennifer Schaertl. It’s just one of the many fun, delicious, and creative recipes in the chef’s first book.

My Big Fat Greek Salad Recipe

The colorful fresh veggies in this recipe make the presentation beautiful on its own, and its mixture of flavors and textures makes it impressive for the most discerning guests.

Serves 8

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced anchovy (1 or 2)
1/4 cup fresh oregano
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup diced English cucumber
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese, plus extra for garnish
1 cup thinly sliced romaine lettuce (use your bread knife to make thin slices from a head of romaine)
4 slices sourdough bread, toasted

1. In your blender, pulse the mustard, anchovy, and oregano until mixed. Add the sherry vinegar and pulse until well combined. While blending at medium speed, drizzle in the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. In a large bowl, toss the cucumber, tomato, onion, olives, feta cheese, and romaine with 1/2 cup of the dressing. Taste the salad to see if it needs more dressing, salt, or pepper.
3. Mound the salad in a large serving bowl. Cut the toasted bread into wedges, tuck the wedges around, and garnish it with more crumbled feta. For individual portions, hold the toasted bread wedge in the center of each small plate, and pile the salad high around it. This makes each plate look like a sailboat. You could also serve individual salad portions in margarita or martini glasses with the toast jutting out like a sail.
4. Store the leftover dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can toss the leftover salad as well as the dressing with some pasta for a great Greek pasta salad.

This is Chef Jennifer Schaertl’s cookbook debut but I’m certain it won’t be her last. Everything about the cookbook has a super cool vibe – from the title and the cover to the recipe names to the recipes.

As for the cookbook’s title, it’s because the concept behind the book is that you don’t have to have a huge, tech-licious, gadget-filled dream kitchen to turn out great food. Chef Jennifer Schaertl believes that “…..cooking in a crappy little kitchen builds character and personality – two attributes of downright delicious gourmet meals.” Learning from her own experiences cooking in a crappy little kitchen in her first tiny apartment in Brooklyn, Jennifer created Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens

Jennifer begins the book with The Art of Cooking in Your Crappy Little Kitchen, covering topics such as:

CLK Basics
It’s Not What You Have, It’s How You Use It
The CLK Pantry
Preventing Crappy Little Casualties
Nine Gourmet Rules

Recipes cover everything needed to create a delicious meal, including “A”-Game Appetizers, Toss Everything but These Salads, Dignified One-Pot Creations, Artful Accompaniments, Saucy Sauces, and Desserts to Die For. The fun Jennifer had creating recipes in her own crappy little kitchen shows through in every page. She makes home-cooking an adventure with recipes such as:

When the Saints Come Marchin’ in Gumbo
Smokin’ Leftover Turkey Soup
Scallops Ceviche
Hot-and-Bothered Dragonfly Prawns
Wassup! Wasabi Chicken Salad
Caramelized Fennel and Goat Cheese with Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette
Hunka Hunka Monkfish
The Perfect Pot Roast
Snake-Charmin’ Moroccan Lamb Chops
Barbequeless Barbequed Salmon
Rum-Infused, Caramelized Pork Chops
Leaning Tower of Tofu Lasagna Stacks
The-Morning-After Pasta Frittata
The Best Paella You’ll Ever Eat
Rock-‘n’-Roasted Vegetables
Butternutty Squash Bread Pudding
Under-the-Sea Timables
Fig and Lavender Honey Yogurt Pie
Coconut Poached Pears with Burgundy Sauce

Packed with color photos, line drawings, interactive sidebars, and chef tips and information, readers of GOURMET MEALS IN CRAPPY LITTLE KITCHENS will learn:

Why a Crappy Little Kitchen can actually be an asset, not a liability
The must-haves for every Crappy Little Kitchen pantry
Crappy Kitchen Saboteurs: Pointless items that eat up small spaces
How to enhance the functionality of your Crappy Little Kitchen space—emphasizing the surprising attributes of working in a small kitchen, plus space-saving ideas that help expand space and utility, allowing for the creation of the most complex dishes
How to double or triple the function of utensils to eliminate clutter
Swap It Skills: Replacing hard-to-find, gourmet ingredients with everyday items without sacrificing taste
How to cohabitate in Crappy Little Kitchens—Jennifer tells readers how to share the tight space and avoid Crappy Little Casualties with chef-proven techniques she learned working in busy and cramped restaurant kitchens
Ways to create beautiful plating presentations with secretly guarded tricks of the trade

“Don’t fall prey to the misconception that having a crappy little kitchen limits your possibilities or confines your pallet,” Jennifer explains. “In fact, the opposite is true. My own experiences shows fine food and cramped kitchen quarters are not mutually exclusive. Remember, what sets your Crappy Little Kitchen apart from all the others, is the gourmet chef – - you.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jennifer Schaertl met her first crappy little kitchen when she moved to New York and found the perfect brownstone apartment in Brooklyn. After all her worldly possessions arrived, she found out just how small 300 square feet truly was. Armed with determination, Jennifer learned a million little tricks in her crappy little kitchen. And so “Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens” was born. Deciding to become a chef, she moved back to Texas to study culinary arts at El Centro in Dallas, where she received a technical education about cooking, food style, and preparation, as well as Old World knowledge about recipes and techniques. Jennifer’s first job inside a professional crappy little kitchen was actually that of a dishwasher, where she eventually worked her way up to sous chef. Since that humble beginning Jennifer has worked as a chef in some of Dallas’ top restaurants, including Savory, Taste, and The Grape, and even as a pastry chef at Suze, all the while creating and documenting her own recipes both for her restaurant menus and her family gatherings. A native of Texas, Jennifer Schaertl now lives in Dallas working as an Executive Chef at the North Central Surgical Center. She has already completed the pilot episode of the television series Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens. To view this episode and join her monthly mailing list “The Crappy Little Newsletter,” visit www.crappylittlekitchens.com. From here you can also see her latest press, and get recipes and CLK tips.

Grab a copy of Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens on Amazon today!

Jamie Oliver Leads an American Revolution

by Joi on January 22, 2010

It’s certainly no secret that American eating habits have gotten out of hand. What’s worse, these habits are becoming increasingly unhealthy as more and more Americans rely too much on processed and fast food.

People are losing touch with the concept of integrating a balanced diet into their everyday routine, and this has become more evident as obesity, heart disease and diabetes threaten to create the first generation of children with shorter life expectancies than their parents. If you want to get a real sick feeling in the pit of your stomach, re-read that last sentence.

I was reading a few articles on one of my favorite websites this morning (Health.com). One article in particular stuck in my mind. Keep reading, but don’t expect that sick feeling to get any better.

From Health.com:

One in five teens in the U.S.—and more than 40% of obese teens—have abnormal cholesterol, whether it’s low HDL (good cholesterol); high LDL (bad cholesterol); or high levels of triglycerides, another type of blood fat, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Read the entire article….

None of us want our young people to have serious health problems that could have been prevented. What’s more, we want to make their life expectancies greater than ours, not less! We HAVE to start setting better examples, cooking healthier meals, and do everything within our power to heal and mend the wounds that have been inflicted by poor choices.

Someone else feels this way and I believe you’ve heard of him. This fall, one of the most entertaining Food Network stars ever, British chef Jaime Oliver, began a campaign for an American Food Revolution in which he aims to change how Americans eat — by helping them learn to cook healthier meals and make better choices. Over the years, Jamie says that he’s “consistently observed the most radical, inspiring and completely emotional changes, simply through showing people how to cook a handful of meals.”

To spread the word and gain momentum, Jamie has created a petition, promoting healthy food for children, that he will present to the White House. I know you’ll want to lend your support, as I certainly will mine. You can find the petition here: http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/petition.

I love the fact that Jamie Oliver cares enough about the health and fitness of young people enough to take action. And what action – to the White House no less! You have to appreciate the irony as well – this time around, the American Revolution is being led by a British chef to help save young American lives. God willing, the British will win this time.

Jamie Oliver’s initiative is all about creating easy, fresh meals at home. In that vein, below are a few basic “Jam Jar” salad dressings which help make eating more salad and veggies a pleasure (for people of all ages).

French Dressing

Peel and finely chop ¼ of a clove of garlic • Put the garlic, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons of white or red wine vinegar, and 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a jam jar with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • Put the lid on the jar and shake well

Yogurt Dressing

Put 1/3 cup of natural yogurt, 2 tablespoons of white or red wine vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into a jam jar with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • Put the lid on the jar and shake well

Balsamic Dressing

Put 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar into a jam jar with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • Put the lid on the jar and shake well

Credit: Recipes from Jamie’s Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals (Hyperion; October 2009)

Now, go sign that petition!

Recipe for Hawaiian Chicken Salad That’ll Leave You Speechless

by Joi on January 13, 2010

I’ve been trying out different recipes from an outstanding cookbook, Dining in Historic Kentucky: A Restaurant Guide With Recipes. So far, everything I’ve tried has been a rip roaring, plate-cleaning, lip-licking success.

I was blown away by a recipe for chicken salad… not just any chicken salad, mind you. This recipe was for deSHA’S Hawaiian Chicken Salad and you need to speed to your favorite grocery store for the ingredients right now. It is unbelievable.

deSha’s Hawaiian Chicken Salad Recipe

1 pound cooked white meat of chicken, cut bite-sized
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 green onion, chopped
1 cup canned chunky pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped pecans

In a mixing bowl, combine chicken, mayonnaise, and green onion and mix well. Stir in pineapple and nuts.

How I colored outside of the lines: I cooked more chicken and added chopped celery along with the pineapple and pecans, so I also added a little more green onions and mayo. This chicken salad looked gorgeous with the pineapples and pecans all big and chunky, but I wanted to serve the chicken salad in pita pockets, so I cut the chunks into much smaller pieces and even chopped the pecans a little more.

If I had had some grapes on hand, I would have chopped some on top of each pita-wich. But, alas, I am who I am and had given our grapes to a possum who was passing by. (She was most grateful and couldn’t have been cuter.)

If you made this chicken salad with chunky pineapples, large chunks of chicken, coarsely chopped pecans, green onions, and maybe even grapes, it would be delicious with or without bread. I could see eating this remarkable dish with crackers. Please do give it a try – you’ll be thrilled that you did.

About deSha’s:
deSha’s Restaurant is located on the northwest corner of Main and Broadway in historic Lexington, Kentucky. These two streets were vital to Lexington when it was laid out in 1780… and no, I wasn’t there.

On this northwest corner of the intersection stood the first Fayette County Courthouse, with a hut for a jail alongside. A hut!

Although the interior has been altered, a great effort was made to preserve the Victorian feeling. deSha’s has been described as a “Fun or casual place, with a lively atmosphere and upbeat music in the background.” Somehow they forgot to mention the best chicken salad in the universe.

Alaska Salmon Recipes: Salmon, Artichoke and Bean Salad, Thai Salmon Cakes, and More!

by Joi on December 9, 2009

Alaska Salmon Artichoke and Bean Salad

ALASKA SALMON, ARTICHOKE AND BEAN SALAD (a 15 minute meal!)

1 jar (14 oz.) marinated, quartered artichoke hearts
1 jar or can (16 oz.) marinated bean salad
1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can (14.75 oz.) or 2 cans (7.5 oz. each) traditional pack Alaska salmon OR 2 cans or pouches (6 to 7.1 oz. each) skinless, boneless salmon, drained and chunked
1 package (10 oz.) ready-to-eat salad greens or spinach leaves

Dressing: Drain liquid from artichokes and beans into a small bowl or pitcher. Blend in mustard and cumin.

Salad: In separate bowl, combine beans, artichokes, salmon and dressing. Portion 2 cups greens onto each of four plates. Top each plate of greens with 1-1/4 cup salmon mixture.

Makes 4 servings. Nutrients per serving: 330 calories, 15g total fat, 3g saturated fat, 37% of calories from fat, 58mg cholesterol, 28g protein, 28g carbohydrate, 9g fiber, 1768mg sodium, 325mg calcium and 2.4g omega-3 fatty acids.

THAI SALMON CAKES WITH HOT AND SOUR SAUCE

2 cans (14.75 oz. each) or 4 cans (7.5 oz. each) traditional pack Alaska Salmon OR 4 cans or pouches (6 to 7.1 oz. each) skinless, boneless salmon
1 Tablespoon peanut or canola oil
¾ cup diced yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons seeded and minced jalapeño pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons minced lemon grass
Juice and zest of ½ lime
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1-1/2 cups finely sliced green onions
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 eggs
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
Salt and pepper to taste

Drain and chunk Alaska Salmon. Heat oil in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add yellow onion and cook until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic, jalapeño pepper and lemon grass; cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Cool. In large bowl, combine lime juice and zest, soy sauce, sugar, green onions and cilantro. Mix well and reserve. In small bowl, whisk eggs. Add cornstarch, salt and pepper; mix. Add egg and cooled onion mixtures to large bowl; fold gently to mix. Add salmon and carefully fold until just combined. Form salmon mixture into 8 cakes (3 oz. each) and chill for at least 30 minutes. Pan fry salmon cakes in oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side, or until heated through. Serve hot with Hot and Sour Sauce.
Makes 4 Servings.

HOT AND SOUR SAUCE

2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons chili sauce (sambal or roasted)
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro

Dissolve sugar in vinegar. Add chili and cilantro; mix together. Makes ½ cup.

Nutrients per serving (with ½ dipping sauce): 444 calories, 19g total fat, 5g saturated fat, 39% calories from fat, 238mg cholesterol, 47g protein, 20g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 1919mg sodium, 498mg calcium and 3.6g omega-3 fatty acids.

ALASKA SALMON WITH HORSERADISH, WALNUTS AND HERBS

2 Alaska Salmon fillets (4 to 6 oz. each)
Olive oil
3 Tablespoons horseradish sauce
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 Tablespoon each chopped fresh chives, parsley and tarragon
1 Tablespoon softened butter
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450.

Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Rinse any ice glaze from frozen Alaska Salmon under cold water; pat dry with paper towel. Brush both sides of fish with olive oil and place in the pan. Roast, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine horseradish sauce, walnuts, herbs and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Remove fish from oven and spread mixture evenly over salmon fillets.

Return fish to oven and roast an additional 8 to 10 minutes for frozen fillets or 5 to 6 minutes for fresh/thawed fish. Cook just until fish is opaque throughout.

Serves 2.

Recipe and Photo Credit: http://www.alaskaseafood.org/

***** To read why we all need to eat more salmon, check out the recent post on my Self Help Blog! One of the benefits may surprise (and delight) you.

Grilled Shrimp Salad Courtesy of a George Foreman Grill

by Joi on November 3, 2009

Baby Spinach is Love.

A few of my daughters and I often have lunch at Applebee’s in Owensboro, Kentucky. There is a particular salad that my oldest daughter (Emily) and I are addicted to. I’m kind of surprised that the servers don’t just bring it to us automatically. It’s a grilled shrimp and spinach salad with a vinaigrette dressing.

Few things tickle my fancy more than trying to play copy cat with restaurant recipes, so I tried to knock this one out a few days ago.

I bought a bag of frozen Salad Shrimp, some baby spinach, a jar of roasted red pepper, a purple onion (I refuse to call it red, it’s purple), sliced roasted almonds, and a few vinaigrettes – one was a Red Pepper Parmesan vinaigrette and the other was my personal favorite (Ken’s Steakhouse Raspberry Vinaigrette with Walnuts – What?! Why so good?).

I thawed the shrimp, then tossed it lightly with olive oil. I threw on a little seafood seasoning and grilled it on my beloved George Foreman Grill. Then I tossed it into a gorgeous bed of baby spinach and added coarsely chopped purple onion, red pepper slices, and almond slices. I didn’t add any fresh bacon crumbles because, frankly, I was out of bacon! However, it would have been a great addition.

If it had just been my daughters and I, I would have marinated the salad with the Raspberry Vinaigrette, but my husband (the silly man) doesn’t like it, so I kept the salad bare and allowed people to add the vinaigrette of their choice. He opted for the Red Pepper and Parmesan Vinaigrette. It would have been better if it had just been a red pepper vinaigrette (sans the Parmesan) – the Parmesan was unnecessary and just got in the way, in this particular salad anyway. The Raspberry was the better call, in my opinion.

If you’re looking for healthier lunch alternatives, this is a great one. It’s also quick and easy which is usually a popular scenario for lunches.

Another great alternative would be to go the way of the Orient, and replace the red peppers with mandarin oranges – then use a ginger-based vinaigrette and maybe crispy Asian noodles in addition to the almonds. I’d also throw in some edamame.. I basically just look for ways to add edamame to my day – love it.

Mezzetta Roasted Red Peppers and Peperoncini: Add Pizazz to your Paninis

by Joi on September 4, 2009

Mezzetta peppers and olives

Yum! This week I’ve been trying delicious different sandwich and salad combinations with Mezzetta Roasted Red Peppers and Peperoncini rings. They’re ideal for paninis as well as hero-style sandwiches, of course, but we’ve also found them to be scrumptious on Boca burgers. Combined with a little minced, sauteed garlic, red pepper strips make a Boca Burger irresistible.

A few nights back, I made a killer, killer, killer salad. It was based on a recipe from one of the best cookbooks you’ll ever find – Nigella Express. Her recipe called for jalapeno peppers but I substituted them with Mezzetta’s Roasted Red Peppers. (I’ll post the recipe later today – You’re going to flip for it.)

On Mezzetta’s web site, you’ll find endless great recipes, like the one for Moroccan Melts. You’ll also find information for a great Sandwich Contest – but you’ll have to shake a let, the deadline’s almost here. I dropped the ball… or the sandwich, as it were. I could have sworn the deadline was months away. I was going to post about the contest and even put up a little graphic – but BAM, I go to get the info and realize that the deadline? It’s practically hours away!

Geez. Enjoy the recipes, though. And grab a jar of Mezzetta’s Roasted Red Peppers and Mezzetta’s Peperoncini. They’re fantastic alongside anything and were made to grace salads, pizzas, pasta, and sandwiches. The Red Peppers are also unbelievable in omelets, scrambled eggs, and hummus.

← Previous Entries