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Snacking in the Kitchen

~ Culinary Adventures In & Out of the Kitchen. Recipes, Reviews, Culinary Musings.

Category Archives: Lunch

Chicken Salad with Grapes & Apples

07 Wednesday Sep 2016

Posted by snackingkitchen in Chicken, Lunch, Recipe, Salad, Uncategorized, whole30

≈ Leave a comment

20160826_101329

Sweet, savory, and fruity, this chicken salad has a little bit of everything. Try the salad over mixed greens, serve it with cucumber slices, or try it stuffed into a tomato or avocado. This makes a big batch, perfect to have on hand for leftovers and packed lunches.

Chicken Salad with Grapes & Apples

Ingredients

2 roasted chicken breasts, diced
1 cup green grapes, sliced
1 red apple, diced
2 stalks of celery, minced
1/4 cup chopped basil
1/4-1/3 cup Homemade Garlic Aioli
salt to taste
Garnish: chopped toasted walnuts

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients and season with salt to taste.

2. Garnish with chopped walnuts.

20160826_101322-1

Happy Eating!

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Quinoa, Chicken, and Kale Salad Recipe

06 Saturday Aug 2016

Posted by snackingkitchen in Chicken, Gluten Free, Lunch, Quinoa, Recipe, Salad, Uncategorized

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Find out how to make one salad that will be your lunch for the entire week. No more sad desk lunches! This vibrant quinoa salad with rotisserie chicken and abundance of vegetables is going to get your through the work day keeping your stomach happy and satisfied.

I’ve been making salads like this one for the last couple of weeks. I prep the whole batch on a Sunday night and divide it up among 5 containers. Then each morning, I pop one of the containers out of the fridge, chop up some tomatoes and fresh basil from my garden, and head to work, counting down the hours until it’s lunchtime.

Quioa, Chicken, and Vegetables Salad Recipe

Quinoa, Chicken, and Kale Salad

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
8 ounces Lacinato kale, chopped
2 rotisserie chicken breast halves, diced
2 bell peppers, seeded and diced
4-6 rainbow carrots, peeled and chopped
1 English cucumber, diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt

Daily add ins: chopped tomatoes, basil, avocado

Directions

1. Add quinoa and 2 cups of water into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the saucepan and cook until quinoa is tender and all the water is fully absorbed, 15-18 minutes. I’m a fan of using red quinoa, but any variety will work here.

2. Cool quinoa lightly and mix with kale. This wilts and softens kale just the right amount without cooking it or leaving it entirely raw.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients. To be honest, I rarely make formal dressings. Instead, I drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over the salad, add salt, and gently toss it together to incorporate. Be sure to taste. Add more lemon juice (sometimes I use rice vinegar) or salt, as needed.

4. Divide the salad among lunch containers and refrigerate. In the morning, add chopped tomatoes, diced avocado, and basil to the day’s lunch portion and head out to work.

As the salad hangs out in the refrigerator, the texture changes, but the ingredients never become soggy or inedible. Instead, cucumbers turn almost slightly marinated, while the kale softens further, and quinoa plumps up as it absorbs the dressing.

So, you guys! Make this salad and don’t have another sad lunch desk ever!

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Paleo and Whole30 Tuna Confetti Recipe

01 Monday Aug 2016

Posted by snackingkitchen in Gluten Free, Lunch, quick and easy, Recipe, Seafood, Uncategorized, whole30

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On August 1st (tomorrow!), I’m starting my second round of whole30. My first one was in December, about a year and a half ago. I made it through, but didn’t experience the promised euphoria and the non-scale victories promised by the program and experienced first-hand by many of its participants.

This time around, I’m armed with more time, experience, and most importantly, support of many friends who are joining me on this journey.

To keep things quick, simple, and easy, without too much shock to your system, here’s a whole30 compliant recipe for tuna salad. Enjoy!

Paleo and Whole30 Tuna Confetti Salad Recipe

Tuna Confetti Salad

Ingredients

1 can of white tuna, packed in water, drained
1 tomato, chopped
2 pickles, minced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons sweet onion, minced
1 tablespoon capers, minced
1 tablespoon basil, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper to taste
Napa cabbage leaves for serving

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Serve in Napa cabbage leaves, if desires.

If you love your tuna salad on a creamier side, you can use whole30 compliant mayo, or stir in half of a mashed avocado.

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Faro and Vegetable Salad Recipe

17 Monday Mar 2014

Posted by snackingkitchen in Cooking, Grains, Healthy, Kale, Lunch, Meatless Monday, Salad

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faro and vegetable salad recipe5

Do you love whole grains?  Are you a fan of bringing in daily lunch but making it only once a week?  Are you tired of pb&j sandwiches?  Then this Faro and Vegetable Salad just might be what you will want to make and pack up for your daily lunch this week.  Packed with nutrients and vitamins, it’s colorful, cheerful, crunchy, and delicious.  The zesty lemon-mustard dressing is light and can be kept separate from the salad, to be added right before serving.  Don’t have faro on hand?  This will work equally well with brown rice and wheat berries.

Faro and Vegetable Salad

faro and vegetable salad recipe6

Ingredients

1 cup faro
2 cups water
1 bunch kale, torn into pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 English cucumber, diced
2 large tomatoes, diced
2 carrots, shredded
2 tablespoons dill, chopped

Dressing:
1 lime, juiced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Faro and Vegetable Salad

Directions

1.  Add faro and water to a medium saucepan over medium high heat.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer faro until tender, about 15 minutes.  Add in kale, cover, and let sit for a few minutes for kale to wilt.

2.  Combine cooled faro and kale with the remaining vegetables.

3.  Whisk together dressing and pour over faro and vegetables.  Toss gently.

Pack this lunch daily and you’ll be happily fed.  Want to mix it up?  Add grilled chicken, tofu, or shrimp along with the salad.  Love cheese?  Add crumbled feta cheese to your daily lunch.  As the salad sits in the fridge, the vegetables take on somewhat of a marinated quality and the faro soaks up the dressing nicely.

faro and vegetable salad recipe2

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Roasted Tomato Caprese Pasta Salad ~ Recipe

26 Monday Aug 2013

Posted by snackingkitchen in Cooking, Lunch, Pasta, Recipe, Salad, Vegetarian

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Summer perfect, Roasted Tomato Caprese Pasta Salad will make its appearance on your table time and time again.  On its own, this flavorful, vegetarian salad stands proudly.  Add grilled beef and zucchini, and serve it as a side.  Use up some the cherry tomatoes that are ripening on your plants at home, or pick up a pint from the local farmers market.

 
Here are a few tomatoes that came directly from our plant.  While at the garden, I picked a few sprigs of thyme and basil leaves.
 

Spread tomatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil to coat.  Sprinkle with sea salt and tuck herbs and garlic cloves between the tomatoes.  Roast in the preheated 375 F oven until the tomatoes begin to pop.  Cool slightly.

You might have a hard time saving these sweet-like-candy roasted tomatoes for the salad.  The temptation to eat them right away is quite strong.  Resist!

Gently stir the tomatoes together with cooked and cooled linguine, fresh mozzarella balls, chopped kalamata olives, a handful of basil leaves, lemon zest and lemon juice.  Don’t forget the roasted garlic cloves!  If you have time, allow the salad flavors to mingle for an hour before serving.  Enjoy!

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Charred Avocado & Jalapeno Guacamole

20 Saturday Jul 2013

Posted by snackingkitchen in Gluten Free, Lunch, Mexican, Recipe, Vegan, Vegetarian

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I am a big fan of guacamole and make it quite often.  I have made this versatile dip in the past chunky and creamy, with diced tomatoes or without, with different kinds of citrus juice and seasonings.  This time, I tried a new approach to guacamole – charred!

Charred Avocado and Jalapeno Guacamole

Ingredients

1 avocado, halved

1 jalapeno pepper

2 tablespoons minced onion

1 minced garlic clove

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1.  Char avocado and jalapeno over a gas flame.  Hold avocado, cut side down, over a medium flame.  Check often, and remove with tongs as soon as the flesh begins to char.  You are not trying to cook the avocado.  Similarly, rotate the jalapeno over the flame, getting a nice, even char over the skin.

2.  Scoop avocado into a bowl.  Seed and finely chop the jalapeno.  Use only as much jalapeno as you prefer, depending on the heat.

3.  Mash avocado and jalapeno with the remaining ingredients.  Leave it chunky if you wish, or mash until smooth.  If you prefer a smooth consistency, I would advice adding cilantro right at the end.

And there you go! Charred Avocado and Jalapeno Guacamole.   This is perfect as a dip with corn chips.  If you would like more options, use the guacamole as a sandwich spread or thin it out with olive oil for a chunky dressing or marinade.

If you are not eating the guacamole right away, cover it directly with plastic wrap to prevent browning and store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

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Composed Salad: Beets, Potatoes, Avocado, Arugula & Beef

15 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by snackingkitchen in Avocado, Beef, Beets, Dinner, Lunch, Potatoes

≈ 1 Comment

Summer nights when the air is still warm from a hot day are finally here, and standing in front of the stove or the oven is out of the question.  These are the nights, more often than not, taht we eat cold meals.  This was the latest creation: Composed Salad with Beets, Potatoes, Avocado, Arugula and Beef.

The beauty of this particular salad is that both the potatoes and beef were left over from our camping trip last weekend.  Sliced and arranged on a platter, the two gave a nice bulk to the salad.  Around the potatoes and beef, I scattered slices of avocado and cold beets that were boiled and chilled.

I piled peppery arugula in the center of the plate and drizzled the whole salad with lemon juice and olive oil and sprinkled with salt and ground black better. This is as good as it gets! 

For a perfect finish, grill a slice or two of bread to soak up the ruby beet juice that collects at the bottom of the plate.

And there you have it!  Hungry?

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Russian-Style Beef Kabobs: Shashliki with Peppers and Onions

11 Thursday Jul 2013

Posted by snackingkitchen in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Grilling, Lunch, Recipe

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Beef, that’s what’s for dinner!  If by dinner you mean fire cooking, that’s exactly what I had a few nights ago during camping.  I tried to recreate shashliki– marinated beef cubes, skewered with onions.  I remember these kabobs from childhood, marinated in vinegar, lots of onions, and salt.
With short notice for camping and last-minute packing and cooking, I tried a quicker, simpler version.

I marinated the cubed beef, onions, and red bell peppers in the brine left from marinated tomatoes.  For added flavor I added a few bay leaves and a handful of coriander seeds.  This worked… to some extent.  Next time, I will surely skip on the coriander seeds and add salt and vinegar to the brine.

To go with the beef kabobs, we baked potatoes, wrapped in foil, and buried under hot coals.  And corn, of course! Grilled directly over the open fire.

Hungry yet?  This was a lovely fire-kissed meal to enjoy in the open space, under the black sky scattered with more stars than you could count.

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Asian Cabbage Salad ~ Quick and Simple Vegetarian Recipe

27 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by snackingkitchen in Dinner, Lunch, Recipe, Salad, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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I love cabbage.  Pickled, fried, rolled around beef and rice.  I also love it thinly shredded in a salad.  Tonight, I chose a head of ruby red cabbage to make this quick and simple salad.  Just a few ingredients.  Mixed together.  Perfectly seasoned.  You will have a delicious, filling, bright cabbage salad.  Use as a side, on top of tacos or burgers, or added to spring rolls.

Quick and Simple Asian Cabbage Salad

Ingredients

1 small head red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons sesame oil

Directions

1.  Mix together cabbage, lime juice and salt.  Let stand for about 10 minutes.

2.  Stir in cilantro and sesame oil.  Serve immediately.  Optional: red pepper flakes, chopped roasted peanuts, sliced red onion.

We enjoyed this salad along with pulled pork and chunky guacamole.  


What’s your favorite way to eat cabbage?

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Mediterranean Tri-Colored Couscous Tabbouleh Salad

20 Monday May 2013

Posted by snackingkitchen in Cooking, Greek, Healthy, Lunch, Meatless Monday, Mediterranean, Recipe, Salad, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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Who is a huge fan of Mediterranean food?  Raise your hands higher!  This salad is for you.  Traditionally, tabbouleh is made with bulgur.  This version is with tri-colored couscous.  Won’t you give it a try?  It’s a perfect salad for a summer picnic, a potluck get together.  It goes equally well on its own or as a side to grilled lamb.

Mediterranean Tri-Colored Couscous Tabbouleh Salad

Ingredients

1 cup tri-colored couscous
1 English cucumber, diced
2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 sweet bell pepper, cored and diced
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
zest and juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Garnish: butter-roasted pine nuts

Directions

1.  Toast couscous in a nonstick pan over medium heat until it is heated through and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Photo courtesy of Priya Alahan Photography

2.  Pour 2 cups of boiling water over couscous.  Cover and allow to sit until the water is fully absorbed.  Fluff couscous with a fork, transfer to a salad bowl and slightly cool.

3.  Add vegetables, parsley and garlic to couscous.

4.  Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Pour over the couscous and the vegetables and stir gently to combine.  Cover and refrigerate for several hours.  Right before serving, sprinkle with butter-roasted pine nuts.

Photo Courtesy of Priya Alahan Photography

Time to eat!

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Do Good, Eat Well, Support FareStart ~ Seattle

06 Monday May 2013

Posted by snackingkitchen in Lunch, Restaurant Review, Seattle

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There are plenty of restaurants in the vicinity of downtown Seattle where you can stop by for lunch.  I want to give you a few reasons why you should pick Farestart as your next lunch destination.

Farestart provides on the job training (culinary education) for homeless and disadvantaged individuals

Farestart feeds thousands of homeless and disadvantaged children, women and men

The menu offers weekly specials based on the availability of produce and the season

You can enjoy a special dinner with food and wine pairings prepared by Seattle’s Top Chefs on selected Thursday nights.

So there you go, do good, eat well and support FareStart.


I happened to arrive at the restaurant on a particularly sunny afternoon to appreciate the open space, high ceilings, and light.

The wall of fame displays the photographs of the chefs who cooked at FareStart and plates with the names of donors.

Here are just a few of the core values: sustainability, respect, openness, collaboration and acceptance.

After browsing the menu, I selected fish tacos with corn and bean salad (pictured above) and my lovely lunch friend went for the meat…with bacon…barely cooked.  She was a fan.  However, word of advice – if you are looking for a glass of wine to go along with your lunch, you will be greatly disappointed (just like my friend) – FareStart does not serve alcohol with lunch.

FareStart is located

7th & Virginia
Seattle, WA 98101

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Quick and Easy Lunch – Buckwheat with Coleslaw Mix

08 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by snackingkitchen in Lunch, Meatless Monday, Recipe, Vegetarian

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This lunch is brought to you by necessity, short on time, high in nutrition and perfect for Meatless Monday.

To a plastic container, add 1 cup of cooked buckwheat and 1 cup of coleslaw mix.  When ready to eat, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of water and microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until heated through.  Season with 1 teaspoon of Sriracha hot sauce, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, and salt to taste.

I’m surprised by how simple, yet delicious and filling this is.  Will you give it a try?

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How to Make Matzo Ball Soup ~ Recipe

28 Thursday Mar 2013

Posted by snackingkitchen in Holidays, Kosher Food, Lunch, Soup, Vegetables

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I wonder how many families sat down to a bowl of Matzo Ball Soup this Monday as they celebrated the first night of Passover.  You could count my family as one.  The Artist and I celebrated at home with my parents. 

This Matzo Ball Soup however was prepared a few weeks earlier, as I was battling a cold and allergy attack.  I did feel better as I bit into light, airy balls of matzo and herbs and sipped on a delicate chicken broth with vegetables.

Matzo Ball Soup with Vegetables

Ingredients

1 packet of matzo ball mix

2 eggs

olive oil

2 scallions, minced

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon Szechuan pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and ground black pepper to
taste

2 carrots, diced

2 stalks of celery, diced

1/2 head of cabbage, chopped

4 cups chicken broth

water, as needed

4 cloves of garlic, halved

Garnish: lime juice, dill

 
Directions
 
1.  Prepare the matzo ball mix according to the directions, using 2 eggs, olive oil, and adding the scallions, spices, salt and pepper.
 

 
 
2.  Form matzo balls, transfer to a plate and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  I made the balls small and got 18 out of the packet.  You could make them bigger if you wish.

3.  Place the vegetables in a large soup pot.  Add chicken broth and enough water to cover the vegetables completely.  Bring the liquid to a boil over medium high heat.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook the vegetables for 15 minutes.

 
4.  Gently lower the matzo balls into the soup and cook for 15 minutes.
 

The soup is ready!  I added a healthy squeeze of lime juice and a sprig of dill.  Taste the soup and adjust as needed. 

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Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Chicken Chorizo Sausage, Spinach and Roasted Asparagus

01 Friday Mar 2013

Posted by snackingkitchen in Lunch, Recipe

≈ Leave a comment

When you have five minutes to pack lunch in the morning, the leftovers are your best friends.  Let your imagination run wild as you grab random items from your refrigerator.  If you are lucky and creative, you might just come up with a nutritional and delicious meal.  Today, I was lucky!

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Chicken Chorizo Sausage, Spinach and Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients (for 2 lunches)

1/2 of roasted spaghetti squash
1 link of chicken chorizo sausage, cooked and diced
4 cups spinach
10 spears of roasted asparagus
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Divide ingredients evenly among two microwave safe containers.

2. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water and microwave, covered, on high for 2-3 minutes.  Stir, season with salt and pepper, and enjoy!

Spaghetti squash is a terrific alternative to pasta.  It has a lovely buttery flavor and thin strands, similar to angel hair pasta.

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Pike Place Chowder in Seattle – What’s for Lunch?

04 Thursday Oct 2012

Posted by snackingkitchen in Lunch, Restaurant Review, Seattle, Soup

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The other day, lunch plans fell through, and I was left sitting at my desk without food.  Hungry. Sneezing and coughing. I was cold.  I just had pho a few days earlier and was craving a different kind of soup.  Why not chowder? 

I have heard about Pike Place Chowder many times with rave reviews – fresh, creamy, delicious and comforting.  I chose to skip the busy, original Pike Place location, and instead headed a few blocks up to the Pacific Place.


Before I saw the regular menu, I was greeted by a hand-written menu with two daily specials.  Chorizo and oysters?  How could I resist. 

I went for a medium size, sans the bread bowl, and received a complimentary slice of bread and crackers.  The chowder kept warm on my way back to work.  I added a sprinkle of black pepper and a few shots of Tabasco and lingered on the creamy, rich, health restorative chowder.

What’s your favorite lunch spot in Downtown Seattle?
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Chopped Salad with Tahini Lemon Dressing: Vegan and Gluten Free Recipe

27 Monday Aug 2012

Posted by snackingkitchen in Cooking, Gluten Free, Lunch, Recipe, Salad, Vegan, Vegetarian

≈ Leave a comment

recipe salad vegan vegetarian cooking glutenfree how to cook saladThe days of poached or scrambled eggs for breakfast are temporarily on hold, as I am entering the last five days of the Vegan and Gluten Free Detox.  Instead of eggs, I have been eating quinoa with steamed kale.  It tastes a lot better than it might sound, especially with a splash of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a dash of red pepper flakes.

This morning I wanted something other than quinoa – cold, refreshing, and colorful.  A little bit of chopping, some whisking, and stirring, and I served two plates of Chopped Salad with Tahini Lemon Dressing in just minutes.  This couldn’t be quicker or easier, yet a perfect combination of crisp Romaine, chopped vegetables, creamy dressing and a final touch of sesame seeds.

Chopped Salad with Tahini Lemon Dressing


Ingredients
Salad
1 heart of Romaine, sliced
1 tomato, diced
1/3 English cucumber, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 avocado, diced
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
Garnish: sesame seeds
Dressing
1 tablespoon tahini
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
splash of juice from pickled banana peppers
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste
Vegan Vegetarian GlutenFree Recipe Cooking Avocado Tomatoes
Directions

1. Combine together salad ingredients in a large salad bowl.
2.  Whisk together the dressing.
3.  Gentle toss the salad with the dressing and season to taste.  Garnish with sesame seeds.
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French Lentil Salad with Crispy Bacon and Vegetables Recipe

22 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by snackingkitchen in Bacon, Cooking, French, Lunch, Recipe, Salad

≈ 1 Comment

Just in time for the latest cookbook club potluck, I prepared this French Lentil Salad with Crispy Bacon and Vegetables.  I bet you could make this with regular lentils, but using the French variety elevates this dish slightly, making it more decadent and special.

We were reading An Everlasting Feast: Cooking with Economy and Grace by Tamar Adler.  She cooked a lot with lentils and beans.  She used a lot of parsley. Majority of her recipes came straight from her well-stocked pantry.  I tried to do the same, using what I already had on hand, brightening the dish with parsley and briny capers.  I think Tamar would be proud….accept for the part where by mistake I poured out the broth from the lentils, instead of saving this flavorful, deep liquid and making soup out of it the next day.  I’m sorry, Tamar.


French Lentil Salad with Crispy Bacon and Vegetables

Ingredients

Lentils

1 1/2 cup French lentils, rinsed
1 shallot, quartered
3 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf

4 bacon slices, diced
1 small red onion, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons capers, roughly chopped

Dressing
zest and juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon spicy mustard
1 clove garlic, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.  Place lentils, shallot, garlic, and bay leaf in a pot and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer lentils until al dente.

2.  Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.

3.  Drain the lentils and discard shallot, garlic, and bay leaf.  If there is too much bacon fat in the pan, skim off some of it.  Add the lentils to the bacon fat in the pan and gently stir.

4.  Stir in the vegetables into the cooked lentils.


You can make the dressing separately and drizzle it over the salad, or stir everything together directly in the skillet.  Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed, with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

5.  Garnish with bacon right before serving.

The salad keeps well in the refrigerator over night.  It also heats up very well, so feel free to enjoy it cold or warm.  I almost want to call the salad vegetarian, but the bacon gets in the way.

French Lentil Salad with Crispy Bacon and Vegetables Recipe


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Chicken Curry Salad with Bananas and Almonds

31 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by snackingkitchen in Bananas, Chicken, Cooking, Lunch, Recipe, Salad

≈ 1 Comment

There is a banana in my chicken salad! And it didn’t get there by mistake.  Say what?  I was thinking of a way to incorporate bananas into a savory dish and was inspired by the recipe from Dole.  Taking the basic ingredients: chicken, curry, and of course, bananas, I created my own version of Chicken Curry Salad with Bananas and Almonds. 

To be truthful, I didn’t know what to expect, but I was thrilled with the results and happily ate leftovers the next day.


Chicken Curry Salad with Bananas and Almonds

Ingredients

2 cooked chicken breast halves, diced
1 stalk celery, peeled and finely diced
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1 banana, diced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 – 1 teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions

1. Combine chicken, celery, onion, cranberries and jalapeno in a mixing bowl.

2.  Fold in banana, mayonnaise, lime juice and curry powder. Stir gently and season with salt and pepper.

3.  Refrigerate the salad for at least an hour before serving.

4.  Fold in almonds and cilantro and serve!

You just might be blown away!  The bananas added a nice creaminess to the salad, allowing me to use less mayonnaise.  For even a healthier version, I bet you could leave the mayonnaise altogether and not miss it a bit.

Serve the salad with crackers or on a bed of mixed greens.

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