Dinner Salads with Roasted Beets and Mandarin Oranges

This side salad is a wonder: a great combination of fruits and vegetables, TONS of vitamin C, potassium, and fiber, GREAT taste, and beautiful on the plate. 

If you need a last minute addition to your Thanksgiving line up, or any dinner, this is a fantastic salad. Tangy vinaigrette, sweet berries and oranges, tart goat cheese, savory beets... this is making me want to quit describing it and go get one. (And I haven't even had breakfast yet! ha!)  This recipe makes 6 salads - just adjust the measurements up or down depending on how many you're making. (Note that the dressing makes quite a bit, so you won't need to make extra of that.)

I include a recipe here for a creamy balsamic vinaigrette, but honestly, most of the time, I use the organic balsamic from Aldi. It's so good. I should aspire in the New Year to make my own dressing more often; it's certainly not difficult! So, do whatever is easiest for you. Since we're roasting beets here, this salad needs a little more prep time than most, but you can also roast the beets earlier in the day, or the day before, and just bring them to room temperature before you assemble the salad. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dinner Salads with Roasted Beets and Mandarin Oranges

Balsamic Vinaigrette: (this will make a lot more than you need for this salad)

3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. Honey
1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Salad:

6-8 cups spring mix (depending on how large you want the salads)
2 small beets, peeled and chopped
1 tsp. olive oil
3 mandarin oranges, "cuties"
1 6 oz. package blackberries
2 oz. goat cheese or honey goat cheese, crumbled

Toss the chopped beets with the olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Spread the beets on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely. (You can do this earlier in the day or the day prior. Refrigerate the roasted beets and then bring them to room temperature before assembling the salads.)

Make the dressing by combining the oil, vinegar, mayo, honey and mustard in a measuring cup. Whisk well to combine the oil and vinegar. Taste, and adjust ingredients as necessary. (Some vinegars are more potent than others; you may need a bit more honey, or you may prefer a bit more mayo if you like it extra creamy.)

Place the salad greens in a large bowl and drizzle vinaigrette over, a few tablespoons at a time. (You will only use part of the dressing). Toss to coat all the leaves. 

Divide the spring mix among six plates, then top with beets in the center. Peel and section the mandarins, and arrange those and the blackberries around each salad. Top each salad with crumbled goat cheese.  Serves 6.

 

Glazed Baby Bok Choy

At our house, we eat a lot of broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, and even peas -- all the "usual suspects" in the vegetable genre. But sometimes it's nice to change it up a little and that's where baby bok choy comes in! I bought this at a local Asian grocery, but I've seen it at my regular supermarket, too. If you have an Asian grocery, you can probably get a big bag of this for about $2! Score!

Baby bok choy is more tender and less bitter than its "adult" counterpart, and it cooks up beautifully in stir fries or sauteed with a light sauce, which is what we're doing here. This dish is a great side to any Asian main dish, or any grilled meat. 

First, wash and dry the bok choy. Kind of like celery, dirt can hide in the stalks and the leaves so give it a good once over. I usually spray it down and then double check for the dirties when I dry it with a paper towel. 

Heat your oil in a large pan until it's nice and hot, then add the bok choy, cut side down. I had to do this in two batches as to not crowd it. You want the vegetables to have plenty of room so that they brown nicely. 

After a couple minutes, flip them over and let them brown on the other side.

Repeat with your second batch, if necessary, and then cook the sauce slightly till it begins to thicken. Add all the bok choy back into the pan, and stir it around till it's all coated with the sauce.

Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with sesame seeds (oops, I forgot those! but they add a nice touch, so try to remember, ha!) 

DEE-LICIOUS! 

Glazed Bok Choy

1 pound baby bok choy
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. Thai sweet chili sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil 
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1-2 Tbsp. olive or avocado oil

Place the bok choy in a colander and rinse with cold water. Be sure to scrub off any dirt on the stalks or in between the leaves, then pat dry. 

Cut each bok choy in half lengthwise.

Combine the soy sauce, water, vinegar, sweet chili sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl or measuring cup. 

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bok choy in a single layer, cut side down, and cook without stirring until the bottoms start to brown, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, flip the bok choy over and cook an additional minutes. Transfer to a plate. (I had to do this in two batches. You don't want to crowd them in the skillet, because you want them to brown nicely.)

Reduce heat to medium-low and add the sauce to the skillet. Simmer for 30 seconds or until slightly thickened whisking constantly.

Add bok choy back to the skillet and turn with tongs until the sauce glazes each bok choy halve. Transfer to a platter and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Roasted Potato "Salad" with Dijon Vinaigrette

Here's another great summer salad recipe for your next al fresco dining adventure. This time, potatoes get the royal treatment -- roasted to perfection, then tossed with a light dressing, bacon, chives and cheese. It's a great change of pace from heavy mayo-based potato salads. 

 

This side dish goes well with any kind of meat: we loved it with both pork tenderloin and chicken, and it would be especially good with steak. You'll get the best results for this using Yukon Gold potatoes - they have a delicious creamy interior that roasts up beautifully and quickly in the oven. (Using the oven in summer is the only downside of this recipe. I suppose you could try air frying the potatoes but my air fryer wouldn't be big enough to do them all in one batch. So I used the oven and then we ate outside! ha!)

Toss the potatoes with olive oil and salt, then roast them in an even layer. I also broiled them for a couple minutes to get a nice blistery effect. 

Transfer the potatoes to a bowl, then top with the cheese so it can get a little melty on the hot potatoes! Yum.

Drizzle with the dressing. Mix it all up together so all the pieces are coated with the dressing, then add the bacon and chives. 

Voila! That's all there is to it. So simply, and such good flavor. 

You'll for sure want to taste test one of these beauties before you transfer it to a serving dish! 

Here's to many more nights eating outside yet this summer - and many more roasted potato salads!

Roasted Potato "Salad" with Dijon Viniagrette

Potatoes:

2-3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled and cut into wedges 

2 tablespoons olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dressing:
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. apple cider or balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
¼ tsp. salt
Pinch of black pepper

Accompaniments:

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese, feta, or Queso Fresca (you can also leave cheese out!)

2-3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh chives

4-6 slices cooked, crumbled bacon

Preheat the oven to 400 and place a large, rimmed baking sheet in the oven.

In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Put the potatoes on the hot baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 20 minutes. Flip the potatoes and bake for and additional 10 minutes, until the potatoes are golden and tender.

Set the broiler to high. Place the potatoes near the heat source and broil for several minutes until the potato skins are blistered and toasty. (This is an optional step.)

While the potatoes are baking, make the dressing by whisking together the Dijon, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper together in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. Chop the chives and cook and chop the bacon.

When the potatoes are finished cooking, scrape them into a shallow bowl or serving platter. If using cheese, sprinkle it immediately over the warm potatoes so it melts slightly. Drizzle the dressing over the potatoes and toss gently to combine. Garnish with bacon crumbles and chives. 

Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 8 side dish servings. 

Recipe Source: Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Blue Cheese

Do you need a last minute Thanksgiving side dish? Look no further. 

This one is SO delicious and so easy, and can be finished while someone else is carving the turkey. Or even after the potatoes are mashed. It's a super last minute green vegetable creation. And it only has three ingredients! THREE!

It's the perfect mixture of salty and tangy, and cabbage-y. And it's quite beautiful, too with those specks of blue cheese. 

This is no green bean casserole. (There's a place for that, too - I'm just saying some people might enjoy a fresh take on a green vegetable, ahem.)

And if your Thanksgiving menu is already full, just try this another time! It's great with pork tenderloin (my fave!), steak, baked chicken, or just by itself. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Blue Cheese
1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed
4 slices bacon, center cut preferred
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

Fit a food processor with the slicing blade, and run all the brussels through it to create super thin slices. If you don't have a food processor, slice the brussels as thinly as you can. You can do this step ahead of time, and refrigerate until you're ready to cook.

Cut the bacon into thin strips with a kitchen shears, then saute in a large skillet over medium heat until nearly crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel lined plate.

Drain off all the bacon fat, except about 1 Tbsp. Heat the bacon grease until it's hot, then add the sliced brussels, and saute, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly wilted. Remove from the heat and stir in the bacon. 

Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the blue cheese.  

Serves 6.

 

Apple, Pecan and Craisin Coleslaw

It's almost summer! This coming weekend marks the delineation between spring and summer, even though the equinox is not until June 21... and along with summer comes picnics, potlucks, food on boats, eating outdoors, grilling, and lots of memory making involving food.

This salad is sure to create some of those good memories. Although our family's favorite summer salad of all time is Oriental Coleslaw, this new version of cabbage salad got high reviews. It's a nice change of pace from the vinaigrette based salad. 

An easy homemade dressing added to bagged coleslaw (or shred your own like I did here) is fancied up with apples, pecans and craisins. I even toasted the pecans! Get ready for the rave reviews when you bring this salad to the next summer get together. 

Apple, Pecan and Craisin Coleslaw

1 large apple, chopped (Honeycrisp or Gala work well)

1 cup craisins

1 cup chopped pecans

2 - 11 oz. bags prepared coleslaw (or shredded cabbage and carrot equivalent)

4 green onions, sliced

3/4 cup mayo

3/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp. honey

1/2 tsp. salt

In a large bowl, toss together the coleslaw, craisins, pecans, green onion and apple. 

In a large measuring cup, whisk together the mayo, sour cream, vinegar, honey and salt. Pour just over half the dressing over the combined veggies and toss to coat. Add more dressing as needed. 

Refrigerate if not serving immediately. You may need to add more dressing before serving if the coleslaw has been sitting awhile.  Serves 10-12.

Teriyaki Shrimp and Asparagus

I love making stir fries! I love the variety, the fresh vegetables, the speed in which you can get dinner on the table, the satisfying combination of meat and veggies, the different rice(s) and noodles you can eat them with, the all around deliciousness. Some of my other favorites are Cashew Chicken, Chicken with Zucchini and Mushrooms, Beef with Asparagus, Beef with Broccoli, Kung Pao Steak and Vegetables, and Pork and Green Beans (making this tonight!). This doesn't even mention all the noodley "stir fries" - just poke around here a little and you'll find lots of good options.

Once you learn how to make a few different sauces, you can basically use stir fries to make a delicious dinner out of whatever veggies and meat you have on hand. This is a recipe for a fantastic homemade teriyaki sauce, which goes beautifully with this shrimp and asparagus, but would work equally well with beef, chicken or pork.

It comes together so quickly - get the sauce cooking in a small saucepan, then saute the shrimp, then the asparagus. Add the sauce and whoop, there it is. I hope you started the rice cooking, cause you're ready to eat!

Since first trying this recipe several weeks ago, I've made it three times. It is just that good. And that easy. And that quick. Now that spring sports and other activities are in full swing, it's nice to have a few super fast recipes that the whole family will devour. 

Find more great ideas at Inspire Me, Inspire Me 2, Fabulous, Hearth and Soul.

Teriyaki Shrimp and Asparagus

4 Tbsp. soy sauce

7 Tbsp. water, divided

2 1/2 Tbsp. honey

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. peeled and minced ginger

1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1 Tbsp. rice vinegar

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

2 Tbsp. sesame oil

1 pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed, chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

black and white sesame seeds, optional

In a small saucepan, whisk together the soy sauce, 6 Tbsp. of water, honey, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and rice vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then whisk together the cornstarch and remaining water. Add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce, and boil for another minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and set aside,

In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 Tbsp. of the sesame oil over medium high heat. Add the shrimp and cook 1 minute, then flip them over and cook another minute, or until opaque. (This will happen quickly! By the time you have them all flipped, it will be time to remove the first ones...)

Remove the cooked shrimp to a plate or bowl and heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. sesame oil over medium high heat. Add the asparagus, and stir fry 2-3 minutes or until it's bright green. Return the shrimp to the skillet and add the sauce. Reduce heat to low and stir until all the shrimp and asparagus is coated.

Serve over rice or noodles and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Serves 4. 

Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

Asparagus, Bacon and Egg Salad with Maple-Dijon Vinaigrette

It's going to be nearly 80 degrees here in the north today, which is quite unusual, but very welcome. So a cool, fresh salad is the perfect way to celebrate the warm weather. 

This salad is as beautiful as it is delicious, which is always a bonus in my book. 

And this salad is perfect for you if you have lots of colored eggs at your house! Use a few here, and that's one less egg salad sandwich you have to eat.  HA! In all seriousness, this salad is really delicious and a wonderful side dish to any meat. 

Start with a layer of spinach tossed in a mapley-mustardy dressing, then toss it with blanched asparagus, bacon and those eggs. 

Texture and taste, this salad has it all. I loved how the saltiness of the bacon contrasts with the dressing, and the soft eggs contrast with the crunchy asparagus. 

There are so many reasons to love this salad! Happy Spring!

Get more inspiration at Inspire Me, Inspire Me 2, Fabulous, Hearth and Soul, Tasty Tuesdays, Food on Fridays.

Asparagus, Bacon and Egg Salad with Maple-Dijon Vinaigrette

5 oz. baby spinach

2-3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced

1/2 pound asparagus, rough ends removed, chopped 

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard 

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp. maple syrup

1 1/2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

salt and pepper, to taste

In a glass (liquid) measuring cup, combine the oil, mustard, syrup and vinegar. Whisk well until the oil is incorporated. Taste, and add salt and pepper as necessary, or adjust ratio of syrup to mustard according to your preferences.

In a large skillet, bring 1/2 inch of water to a boil. Add chopped asparagus and cook for 1 minute. Immediately drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.

In a large bowl, toss the spinach with about 1/2 the dressing. Add more dressing if you prefer, or save the rest for another use. Plate the spinach, then top with the asparagus and bacon.

Add the sliced eggs on top, and serve. Makes 6-8 side dish servings. 

Recipe Source: Inspired by SkinnyTaste

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Apples

If you are in need of a new recipe to liven up your Thanksgiving, look no further. Of course, I would also recommend the pumpkin pie ice cream, but a thoughtful host does throw in a vegetable or two.

We eat a lot of brussels sprouts so I'm always looking for new ways to prepare them. I combined a few of my favorite preparations in this dish: sautéed with bacon, and roasted with apples!  Bacon adds just the right amount of saltiness and the apples bring a little sweetness. It's a winning combo.

You can shave the brussels sprouts in a food processor, using the slicing blade, or on a mandolin, or you can carefully cut them by hand into very thin slices. 

This recipe comes together very quickly, especially if you cook the bacon ahead of time and save out a little of the grease. Then just saute as you put the other finishing touches together for your meal.  Or even easier, put someone else in charge of making this while you do something else!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Get more great ideas at Hearth and Soul, Inspire Me, Inspire Me 2, Fabulous.

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Apples

1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced thinly
4-5 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
1 crisp, sweet apple, chopped (like Honeycrisp, sweet tango, or your favorite)

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon to a plate, and drain off all but 1 Tbsp. of the grease.  Heat the skillet to medium high heat and add the brussels sprouts. Cook and stir so that they are all coated. Continue to cook and stir for about 2 minutes, then add the apple pieces. Saute for another 2 minutes, then add in the bacon, stir to combine all ingredients, and serve immediately.  Serves 6.