Divine Lemon Basil Caesar Dressing

One of my favorite restaurants is Pizza Limone.  Their Pera Pizza is a life changer!  I also love their Caesar Salad.  It has this light flavorful dressing with notes of lemon and basil.  I think I have created something that comes really close to the real thing!  This dressing is also good on Salmon, street tacos, etc. Image from Here

Dressing (Makes 2 cups):

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup light olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves (or more to taste)

*In a blender, combine all ingredients.  Blend on high for 20 seconds or until smooth and creamy.  Store dressing in Refridgerator for up to 1 month.

Image from Pizza Limone Menu

Salad:

• Romaine
• Grated Parmesean
• Lemon wedges
• *Note: I also like to add shredded carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, toasted almonds, and grilled chicken 
• Basil Caesar Dressing

 

 

Trader Joes Vegetable Masala Taco

 

Here is another "Trader Joes" recipe.  This recipe is flexible.  You don't have to use these Trader Joes items.  You may find similar substitutes.  I used to make a lot of veggie bean burger tacos in my college years.  The Vegetable Masala Burger from Trader Joes is a fun twist on this due to the spice differences.

Taco Ingredients--use some combination of the following:

Vegetable Masala Burger (Trader Joes brand, cooked according to package directions), cut into strips

Lettuce Greens/cabbage

chopped cucumbers

chopped peppers

shredded carrots

Chopped cherry tomatoes

Cilantro Dressing (Trader Joes brand or other)

Tortilla (Trader Joes has several varieties.  I prefer them over normal store brands, but they go MOLDY QUICKLY, so keep them in freezer until day of use.  They will keep 2-3 days in the refrigerator).

*For your dressing you can also use a favorite ranch dressing, or tzakiki sauce.

Falafel Taco or Salad Bowl

I've become a big fan of Greek Food.  My most recent trip to Europe, I probably ate Greek Food every other day.  It is quick and fresh!

You can make this either salad or taco style!

Image from Here

Image from Here

Using Trader Joes cooked falafel (in frozen section), Mediterranean hummus, tzatkiki sauce, sweet potato fries, and bottled sliced kalamata olives makes this recipe extra simple!

 

Toppings/Fillings Options:
Falafel (Trader Joes has a super easy and simple prepared falafel balls that you just bake in the oven)
Red onion

Hummus

cucumber

kalamata olives
Mild banana pepper rings
bell peppers
tomatoes

shredded carrots

sliced avocado
feta cheese
Lettuce greens/spinach
Tzatziki sauce (Trader Joes has prepared version if you want a simple shortcut)

Microgreens (can also get these at Trader Joes)
Sweet Potato Fries

Build your taco with a tortilla of choice (prefer Trader Joes options since they don't have weird after taste---but they DO GO MOLDY quickly, so keep them frozen until you plan to use them.  They will keep in fridge 2-3 days) and a variety of toppings.  Enjoy!

Grand America Salad

I had this salad at an event at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.  I've had salads similar to this, but the roasted grapes and toasted nuts and coconut took it to an extra tasty level--do it if you have the time!

Image Credit Here

Salad Ingredients:

butter leaf lettuce
walnuts or pecans, toasted
shaved coconut, toasted
grapes, roasted (if desired)
radishes, sliced
gorgonzola cheese

Creamy Balsamic Dressing

-This dressing doesn't actually have mayonnaise, but when you blend it in a blender to emulsify the oil and vinegar it takes on a beautiful creamy look!

1/2 c. light olive oil

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

1/4 c. honey

1 clove garlic

1 TBS dijon mustard

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

-Blend all ingredients in a blender on high for 2 minutes until emulsified (keeps dressing from separating).  

Chicken Veggie Lettuce Wraps

  

DRESSING

• 1/2 cup onion chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger

WRAPS

• 2 zucchini grated or julienned
• 2 carrots grated or julienned
• 1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup wonton strips
• butter leaf lettuce

Directions:

DRESSING

1. In a medium saucepan, saute chopped onions and sugar together in butter. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onions start to caramelize. Add minced garlic and continue cooking for one more minute.
2. In a blender or mini food processor, pulse caramelized onions and garlic together with orange juice, honey, olive oil, and ginger.

WRAPS

1. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, carrots, chicken, almonds, and wontons. Toss with 1/2 of the dressing until well coated-add more if desired. 
2. Spoon the chicken veggie mixture into a lettuce leaf.

Cheesecake Factory Chopped Salad

This is a favorite salad of mine.  When my mom treats me to lunch on shopping dates...we always get one of these!  This copycat recipe is really good!

Ingredients:

Chopped Romaine

diced tomatoes

grilled chicken

chopped Granny Smith apple

crumbled bacon

sliced avocado

corn

Salad Dressing:

1/2 c. light olive oil

4 TBS balsamic vinegar

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 minced garlic clove

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 TBS chopped shallot (or red onion)

3 TBS chopped fresh parsley

BLT Salad

I know we're heading into fall...but I love salads!  My garden cherry tomatoes are amazingly sweet this year.  Here is a tasty version of one of my favorite sandwiches!  You can either use the Pesto Dressing (recipe below), blue cheese dressing, italian dressing, or ranch dressing.

Salad:
Mixed Greens
Spinach
Iceberg
Cherry Tomatoes
Avocado
Crumbled Bacon
Gorgonzola (or other preferred cheese)
Shredded Carrots
**Fresh Basil, chopped--secret ingredient!!!

Pesto Dressing:
2 oz red wine vinegar
6 oz light olive oil
1/2 c. prepared pesto (Costco's brand works great)

Grilled Chicken with Cobb Salad

I LOVE Cobb salad.  Here is another slight variation from Food Network (picture from them too).  I wish I could just pull this from my fridge without any effort!

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each)
• 1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rings
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 slices bacon
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 2 hearts romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese

Directions

Pound the chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap with a mallet or heavy skillet until 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Transfer to a large bowl and add the onion, 3/4 cup buttermilk, the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat, turning, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain; reserve the drippings for the dressing. Chop the bacon.

Fill a small bowl with ice water. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the eggs and cook 4 minutes, then transfer 1 egg to the ice water using a slotted spoon. Continue cooking the remaining 2 eggs until hard-boiled, 6 more minutes; drain and let cool.

Make the dressing: Remove the 4-minute egg from the ice water and carefully peel (it will be soft); transfer to a blender. Add the vegetable oil, reserved bacon drippings, remaining 1/4 cup buttermilk, the vinegar, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and blend until smooth and slightly thick, about 1 minute. Refrigerate while you cook the chicken, at least 15 minutes.

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high. Lightly brush with vegetable oil. Drain the chicken and onion, discarding the garlic; pat the chicken dry. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken, turning once, until just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Grill the onion, turning occasionally, until tender and lightly charred, about 10 minutes; roughly chop.

Peel and chop the hard-boiled eggs. Toss the romaine, grilled onion, tomato, avocado, blue cheese and 1/4 cup of the dressing in a large bowl. Divide the chicken among plates and top with the salad; top with the bacon and chopped hard-boiled eggs. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and season with pepper.

Avocado Tuna Salad Lettuce Wrap

This is perfect summer fresh and light meal.  Whip this up in a just a few minutes and Enjoy!

1 7 oz can tuna, drained
1 small avocado, diced
1/4 of a red bell pepper, diced
1/4-1/2 cup chopped English cucumber
2 TBS minced red onion
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
Juice from 1/2 a lime (may want to add more if lime is small)
salt/pepper
3 TBS olive oil
-Mix together in a bowl to combine.  Spoon into Romaine Lettuce leaves and serve.

Applebee's Oriental Salad

I was the 4th of 5 children growing up.  My mom was pretty worn out in the cooking department by the time I was in high school.  We had take-out about once a week.  Applebees Chicken Oriental Salads was one of those takeout meals.  A sister-in-law recently reminded me of this salad I used to love.  It tastes just as good as I remember!  This is very easy and simple, especially if you use pre-breaded chicken from Costco.  Just bake and slice the chicken, and throw a combination of all the other vegetable goodies in a bowl, whisk up some dressing in less than a minute and you have a delicious meal!

Dressing:
3 TBS honey
2 TBS seasoned rice vinegar
1 TBS sesame oil
1/4 cup mayonnaise
-Whisk until smooth and creamy

Salad (use any combination of the following)
Romaine
napa cabbage
red cabbage
red pepper
canned mandarine oranges, juice drained
carrots
cucumber
green onions
sliced almonds
dry chow mien or rice noodles (or dried ramen noodles work too)
cooked breaded chicken, sliced

The BEST Cobb Salad

I always associated Cobb salad with ranch dressing and Cheddar cheese until I read an article in the Wall Street Journal .  The article highlighted the Brown Derby Restaurant which I knew about from watching I Love Lucy growing up.  Love that show!  Anyway I made the Cobb salad recipe highlighted in the article.  It was delicious.  I actually prefer the dressing recipe slightly better that comes from Cooks Illustrated. 

So Cobb Salad with a Dijon vinaigrette and blue cheese is mighty might tasty.  Give it a try! 

Southwestern Salad

This is a recipe adapted from Cooking Light. It is delicious! Don't be overwhelmed by all the ingredients. I rarely have everything when I decide to make this, but it always tastes good regardless. I also rarely make exact measurements, so don't feel tied to the recipe. This is a PERFECT summer recipe!

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1 tablespoon fajita seasoning

2 cups fresh or canned corn kernels (about 4 ears)

5 teaspoons fresh lime juice, divided

2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro

1/2 cup chopped red onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 red pepper, diced

1/2 cup diced peeled avocado

3/4 cup ranch dressing

1 1/2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

12 cups chopped romaine lettuce

3 cups chopped skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat Mexican blend or cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups tortilla chips, crumbled (about 2 1/2 ounces)

1 cup bottled or fresh sliced peeled mango, chopped

diced cucumbers

diced tomatoes

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes

-Combine all ingredients together in a BIG salad bowl. Enjoy!

Gourment Taco Sald--Mexican Mess

Growing up this was called Mexican Mess in my family. It's really just a delicious taco salad variation. It is VERY easy to make with four simple ingredients...but the meat prep takes a little extra work.

In 9x13 pan layer:
1 15 oz can refried beans
2 cups shredded eye of round roast (see recipe below)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 small bottle Medium Pace Salsa

-Cover with foil and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes or 350 for 30 minutes
-Serve over bed of shredded lettuce. Top with salsa, diced tomatoes, guacamole, cheese, sour cream, creamy cilantro ranch dressing, corn chips, etc.

Meat Recipe:
Brown Eye of Round steaks (about 2 1/2-3 lbs) in frying pan (about 2 minutes on each side). Place steaks in crockpot with 1 cup water and 1 envelope of Lipton Dry Onion Soup. Bake on low for 8 hours. Shred meat.

Hints: I like to buy a large Roast from Sams or Costco, then cut it up into steaks. Then I have extra to freeze. This meet works well to make BBQ sandwiches or steak tacos, etc.

French Poodle Salad

This salad requires the AMAZING dressing from the French Poodle Restaurant in Carmel, CA. It's unlike any dressing you've ever had. I have no idea what is in it, but it is DELICIOUS. You can order it online here. This restaurant was a favorite of my grandfather and father. I ate there when I was in high school and was introduced to their delicious salad! I cannot recall exactly how they serve it, but this is what I do...and my mom eats this as many times a week as she can!

Butterleaf/Boston Bib Lettuce (must use this kind)
hard boiled eggs diced
shredded carrots
diced apples (optional)
craisins (optional)
pecorino romano cheese (optional)
freshly ground pepper
French Poodle Dressing

-Note: This salad tastes best if you toss the salad with the dressing before serving. This also makes the dressing go further. Enjoy!

Italian Salad

They don't really make salads like this in Italy, but this is and American-Italian salad! The combination of red onions, goat cheese, and toasted pine nuts give this salad a great taste!

Salad greens
Fresh tomatoes (cherry tomatoes work great too)
red onions
goat cheese
toasted pine nuts
craisins (optional)
shredded carrots (optional)
avocado (optional)

Dressing: Good Seasonings Balsamic Vinaigrette (click link for directions from Tuna Balsamic Salad Post)

Tuna Balsamic Salad

This is another salad favorite (with another salad to come with the same dressing), made a bit heartier with the tuna (sounds weird I know, but give it a try if you like canned tuna). You can add as many or as little additional toppings as you want depending on what's in your fridge!

Lettuce/Spinach
canned tuna, carrots, cucumber, avocado, green peas, kidney beans, bell peppers, slivered almonds, croutons, craisins (I like the hint of sweetness)

Dressing:
1 Italian Good Seasons salad dressing packet (.7 oz)
1/4 c. Balsamic Vinegar
3 TBS water
1/2 c. light olive oil

Chinese Chicken Salad

Another great salad recipe---one of the few of mine that doesn't have cheese! This recipe is from my sister-in-law Jenny, and I think of her every time I make it. You don't have to use all of the toppings, they are merely suggestions for what goes well with the dressing.

Lettuce mixture (red leaf, spinach, etc)
shredded cabbage
green onions
red, yellow, or orange bell pepper
canned mandarin oranges, drained
shredded carrots
mushrooms
slivered almonds
sesame seeds
water chestnuts
rice noodles or crushed uncooked ramen noodles
cooked chicken (I like to cook mine in pan with a bit of braggs aminos and basil)

Dressing:
1/2 c. light olive oil
6 TBS seasoned rice vinegar
2 TBS sesame oil
1 TBS braggs aminos or soy sauce
3-4 TBS sugar
1 tsp dry mustard

Cobb Salad

I always loved getting hard boiled eggs on my salad as a girl when our family went out to eat at a pizza restaurant with a delicious salad bar. I love cobb salad because of all the toppings! I think you can pretty much put anything in this salad, then serve with your favorite ranch or other desired dressing. The secret is just to have hard boiled eggs on hand so you can whip up the salad without waiting :-)

Ingredient options:
Romaine lettuce
tomatoes
hard boiled eggs, diced
bacon, chicken, or ham
cheese
kidney beans
peas
carrots
cucumbers
avocados

Falafel Pitas

My sister introduced our family to this delicious meal after returning from an extended stay in the Middle East. Falafel is made from chickpeas and makes a filling but light spring/summer meal. You can use whole grain pita bread or whole grain tortillas. I get cravings for this!

Falafel Mix
Shredded lettuce
Diced tomatoes, peppers, avocadoes, etc.
Pita bread (make sure the package specifies it is "pocket" pita bread. There is pocket-less pita bread and I've made the mistake!)
-Prepare Falafel Fritters according to box directions (you just add water then fry them in some olive oil). Instead of making falafel balls, I like to do small patties because it makes frying easier since you just have to flip them once.
-Stuff Pita bread with all your fresh veggies, falafel fritters, and top with yogurt sauce.

Yogurt Sauce (or you can use ranch)
1/2 large bolthouse cucumber, diced finely
1 cup plain yogurt
2 TBS olive oil
1 small garlic cloved, minced
2 TBS fresh dill (or 1/2-1 tsp dried)

Glorified Caesar Salad

I love Caesar Salads, and I think it is a general favorite among a lot of people. To make your salad more colorful and healthy...add lots of extra veggies. Peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, radishes, etc. It is also delicious to squeeze some fresh lime over the salad just before tossing too.