Endless Summer Salad with Homemade Maple Vinaigrette

You just can't beat an entree salad as a weeknight meal.  This one is particularly special, with its crispy bacon pieces, feta cheese, and homemade maple dressing.  I've omitted measurements for the veg as people have their own preferences for salad proportions.

Oh, and my recent discovery that partially frozen chicken is WAY easier to slice than thawed has changed my world.  

Endless Summer Salad
An Ommy Noms original, shout-out to Oishii for helping me name it!
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
Spring mix
Cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Sweet onion, several thin slices
2 granny smith apples, thinly sliced
1 cup walnuts (or you can go for almonds or sugared pecans if you'd like!)
2 oz feta cheese crumbles
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
6 slices bacon, thinly sliced
Maple vinaigrette, recipe below

DIRECTIONS
1.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add bacon and cook until fat begins to render out.  Add chicken pieces and cook in rendered bacon fat until browned and cooked through, flipping occasionally.

2.  Remove cooked chicken with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.  Continue cooking bacon pieces until they reach desired level of crispness.  Remove to plate.

3.  Layer all ingredients in individual salad bowls and drizzle with maple vinaigrette.

Maple Vinaigrette
Adapted from Southern Living

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil

DIRECTIONS
1.  Whisk together first five ingredients.  Gradually whisk in oil until fully incorporated.  Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.

*  I tend to taste and adjust my dressings to suit my preferences.  I wound up adding more maple syrup in the end.

28 by 28: Panzanella

It's no secret that I'm a tomato fiend. I'll eat tomatoes plain with salt and pepper or stacked high on sandwiches, hamburgers, wraps, you name it. My husband, on the other hand, is not a fan. This usually serves me well, as I get his castaways to add to my own grub. (Score!) The game changed this week, though, with the gift of farm-fresh tomatoes from my dear in-laws. He's been snacking on them like nobody's business! I decided this afternoon that, if I was going to knock out the panzanella on my 28 by 28 list, I'd better act fast. It was delicious! Light and refreshing, the addition of the balsamic vinegar and basil transformed a standard tomato salad into something special.

Adapted from Simple Recipes

INGREDIENTS

4 cups tomatoes, cut into large chunks

4 cups day old crusty bread*, cut into large chunks

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 bunch fresh basil, stems removed

1/4 cup good olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Chiffonade the basil. (Stack the basil leaves on cutting board. Roll tightly and slice into thin strips.)

2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Allow to marinate, covered, at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.

3. Serve at room temperature.

* If you don't have hard old bread sitting around, you can take fresh crusty bread, cut it into big cubes, lay the cubes out on a baking sheet, and place in a 300°F oven for 5-10 minutes, until the outer edges have dried out a bit (not toasted, just dried). If you use fresh bread without doing this, the bread will turn to mush in the salad.

Spinach Strawberry Salad with Homemade Raspberry Vinaigrette

I'm sorry I left y'all hanging with my other post!  This salad just screams summer.  From the fresh strawberries to the tangy vinaigrette, you won't be able to get enough!  I didn't include measurements for the salad- we just eyeballed it.

Summery Spinach Salad

INGREDIENTS
Baby spinach
Sliced fresh strawberries
Cooked, cubed chicken
Crispy bacon pieces
Sugared pecans
Homemade raspberry vinaigrette, recipe to follow

Raspberry Vinaigrette
Adapted from The Taste of Home Cookbook

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
1 tbsp white sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp dijon

1 tbsp minced shallot
1 clove garlic, minced
 Dash pepper

DIRECTIONS
 1.  Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.  Whisk well to combine.  Refrigerate until serving.

Corn-Fettuccine Salad

Souper Salad is definitely my favorite lunch spot.  I always enjoy nomming down on their crunchy chow mein noodles, gingerbread cake, blueberry bread, and complimentary soft-serve ice cream - uh... lettuce.  But my absolute MOST favorite thing to pile on my plate at Souper Salad is definitely the fettuccine pasta salad.  It's got sweet corn and parmesan, all wrapped up in tasty pasta goodness.

I came across a copycat recipe for that glorious salad awhile back and had to try it out.  Copycat recipes often miss the mark, but this one is a definite keeper.  It went well with leftover blackened chicken.

Adapted from Copykat.com

8 oz. Fettuccine
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 cup corn kernels
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
1.  Prepare fettuccine according to package directions.  Drain.
2.  In a large bowl, combine the pasta, mayonnaise, corn, parmesan, and garlic powder.  Stir well, and add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve chilled.

Tomato, Cucumber, and Onion Salad with Homemade Vinaigrette

My husband is Mr. Fix-it.  Computers, lawn mowers, ancient video game systems- you name it, he can fix it.  (Case in point:  He bought an Ipod from Goodwill this week for four bucks and had it working in less than an hour!)

Anyway, he's become the go-to man in the neighborhood for computer and small-engine repair.  In return, our neighbors often bless us with goodies from their gardens.  It's not uncommon for us to come home to a bag of grapefruit or cucumbers on our front stoop.  One time, we even came home to find our ugly, overgrown aloe vera plant cleaned up and looking spiffy.  (Yessss!)

For lunch today, I made a salad with a cucumber and heirloom tomato from the neighbors, along with one of my deliciously sweet Noonday onions.  I topped it with a quick homemade vinaigrette.  It was light and refreshing.

An Ommy Noms Original
Serves 1-2

INGREDIENTS
1 medium tomato, diced
1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
1/4 cup sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp vinegar of your choice (I used white wine)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 fresh parsley leaf, finely chopped (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
1.  Layer cucumber, tomato, and onion pieces in a medium bowl.  Combine oil, vinegar, garlic, and parsley in a small prep dish.  Mix with a fork and add salt and pepper to taste.  Pour dressing over vegetables and enjoy!

Shrimp Pasta Salad

It's funny how the simplest dishes are often the most enjoyable.  As a child, I was always so excited to come home and find a big bowl of this shrimp pasta salad chilling in the refrigerator.  A couple decades later, it's my husband's number one most requested meal.

I'm not complaining.  :-)

From Mom
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
2 cups small pasta of your choice
3/4 pound shrimp, boiled
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and diced
1 medium tomato, chopped
3 green onions, finely sliced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Mayonnaise to coat, about 3/4 cup

DIRECTIONS
1.  Prepare pasta according to package directions, and drain well.  Place in a large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and toss to coat.  Chill for at least one hour prior to serving.

Corn, Avocado, and Tomato Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

This dish tastes like summer to me- delicious, light, and refreshing.  It pairs very well with barbecue.

The original recipe calls to grill two ears of corn.  I am grill-phobic, so I used thawed, frozen corn instead.

Serves 4
Adapted from Jehan Can Cook

INGREDIENTS

Dressing:
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp honey
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Salad:
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in halves
1 ripe avocado, chopped
1 1/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

Spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray.  Add corn.  Cook until softened and heated through, about 6 minutes, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, place dressing ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.  Add remaining ingredients.  Mix well so that everything is coated with dressing.  May be served at room temperature or chilled.

Tortellini and Proscuitto Salad

Don't you love tortellini drenched in a rich, buttery alfredo sauce?  Yeah, me too.  But tonight, I wanted to enjoy tortellini in a way that was a little less, well... rich and buttery.

This salad lets the beloved tortellini share the spotlight with fresh veggies.  It can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight or served at room temperature.  Yum!

An Ommy Noms original
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1 9 oz pkg refrigerated cheese tortellini
6 button mushrooms, sliced thinly
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 roasted red pepper, cut into small pieces
3 bunches green onions, sliced thinly
2 slices prosciutto, cut into small pieces
Handful of baby spinach or spring mix (optional)
Parmesan Cheese
Dried basil
Vinaigrette to coat

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool.

2. Mix tortellini, vegetables, and prosciutto in a large bowl. Top with parmesan and dried basil. Add Italian dressing until lightly coated.

3. Refrigerate.

Creamy Vinaigrette

I made a simple salad with spring mix, tomatoes, purple onions, mushrooms, avocado, and seared shrimp.  With a quick homemade dressing, it made for a great, filling weeknight meal.

I'd usually say that posting a salad recipe is a bit of a cop-out, but I had to share this Creamy Dijon Vinaigrette.  It is everything a good vinaigrette should be- tangy and unique.

Dressing adapted from Mark Bittman

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons or more good white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small shallot, minced
Dash garlic powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl.  Whisk until a creamy emulsion forms.  Taste and adjust for seasonings.