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I was at a loss for what to write today, so I thought I'd choose something relatively simple, like salads. Whenever we don't have distinct plans for supper, we just open up our giant Tupperware containers of garden lettuce and see what we can throw together for a flavorful and filling salad. (Have I mentioned how much lettuce we have? It's even sprouting up in the lawn because the lettuce plants from last year seeded out. Unbelievable!) Here, I'll offer two new recipes that I've created this summer. Recording them on the blog is just as important for me, so I don't forget them next year!
Fresh Summer Salad
Ingredients
Heaping plate of lettuce
~1/2 cucumber, sliced
~1/2 apple, cubed
Peas
Dried cranberries
Pumpkin seeds
Feta cheese, crumbled (I used homemade feta that I made with Lehman's Common Cheeses Kit, a nifty little package that contains everything you need to make cheese, except the whole milk)
A few pinches of rosemary (fresh or dried is fine)
Lemon honey dressing. This "dressing" is just as easy as it sounds. Equal parts lemon juice and honey, maybe with a drop of water to reach drizzling consistency. The tartness of the lemon adds a little zing to the salad and it complements the apple and rosemary really well.
I prefer making my own salad dressings, as I've personally never liked the standard ones. Store bought dressings tend to be loaded with sugar and contain questionable additives like emulsifiers and artificial color. I'd much rather whip up my own, using just a couple ingredients. When you make it yourself, you know exactly what you're consuming.
Thanksgiving Greens
The recent Christmas in July festivities got me thinking about other holidays too. An idea struck me to put together a Thanksgiving-themed salad. Radical, I know :) We happened to have a bit of turkey meat in the fridge, and I began to think… cranberries! We eat cranberries along with turkey at Thanksgiving! So, this brainstorm resulted in a very tasty (and filling) dinner salad.
Ingredients
Heaping plate of lettuce
Shredded turkey meat or a grilled turkey breast
Dried cranberries
Pecans (thinking about pecan pie here)
Pumpkin seeds
Carrots, sliced julienne and boiled in the microwave about 2 min. to soften
"Thanksgiving Dressing" dressing. 1 Tbsp. melted butter, pinch of sage and thyme
Cracked pepper to taste
Note: go easy on the sage and thyme. They are some pretty flavorful spices and could easily overpower the other ingredients.
Hope you enjoy these new salad combinations! 'Til next time,
Eva
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