Tortellini Salad

 

"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift."

 

~ Albert Einstein

 

O.K. so it's August 25th. August to me means summer. We have one whole week left of it. Everywhere around me I see pumpkins, and apple pies and Halloween. But hey, it's not really fall yet. I want to say, "take it easy, fall will come soon enough." I'm working on being present, so here now in the moment, it's summer and I want to enjoy it till I can't anymore.

 

I purchased this fresh cheese tortellini at Trader Joe's for about the same price as dried. I liked it.

So, you know, since it is summer, I bring you a great summer salad. Easy to make and full of awesome stuff most people love.

I bought my salami at Trader Joe's too, then cut it in chunks.

I used salami but you can easily leave it out if you have any vegetarians. This salad also has fresh spinach cut into slivers so it sort of disappears when it's tossed with the other ingredients and the dressing. The fresh basil and tomatoes add a burst of freshness.

It's so easy to make too! Just throw it all together. The most difficult thing to do is cook the tortellini and chop a little veg.

May you enjoy these last days of summer, whatever you do. Weather it's eating a cold salad, or enjoying a warm pumpkin pie.

Tortellini Salad


This is an original recipe by me, Melissa, The Alchemist


Ingredients

2 -  9 or 10 oz packages of fresh or dried cheese tortellini - Cooked according to package directions, rinsed and cooled slightly.

A bunch of fresh spinach - about a bag of it. I used some from Paradise Organics fresh picked from the farm, so I didn't measure it.

2/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese - or a little more to taste -sorry I didn't weigh this! About a handful.

A dry pint (2 cups) (170 g.) of cherry tomatoes - washed and halved

2 - 2 oz. (a total of 117 g.) cans sliced black olives, drained

8 oz. (227 g.) salami or pepperoni, diced in bite sized chunks

Fresh basil - washed and cut into slivers - to taste, about a small handful of leaves

Italian Salad Dressing to taste - Use something good. I used Paul Newman's Olive oil and Vinegar dressing since it's my husbands favorite - about a cup, maybe a little more, I didn't measure.

Optional -artichoke hearts would not be amiss here, but sadly, I was about to add some, from a can, I opened them and wow, they had no taste at all, so I didn't add them. Next time I might add the type that are marinated in a jar.


Directions

Wash and dry the spinach and cut it into about 1 or 2 inch slices. Add the cooked tortellini to a large bowl and all the rest of the ingredients except the salad dressing. Start with a smaller amount of spinach if you think you may have a lot. Toss it all together. Add salad dressing to coat lightly. Taste it and add salt and pepper to taste. Add more spinach if you think it needs it. If you are going to put it in the fridge for later, I'd do it now with a light coat of dressing so the flavors can marry. If you are going to eat it now, go ahead and more dressing if you think it needs it.

Cornbread Salad

"The difference in winning and losing is most often... not quitting."

-Walt Disney
 1901-1966, Animator and Film Producer

We were at the Hood River, Oregon, County Fair, when we had lunch at one of the booths, Apple Valley BBQ (also a local store and BBQ restaurant) when I first heard the words, "cornbread salad."These were one of the choices given when the girl behind the counter asked us what side we wanted with our pulled pork sandwiches. I asked her to kindly repeat herself when I heard the two words I'm not used to hearing together.

I used Jiffy cornbread mix to make it easy

"What? Cornbread salad? What the heck is that, I asked." Her reply was, "it's good." I needed no convincing.

Twinbrook Creamery milk, people, this is the best milk on the planet! If you don't live in Western Washington, I urge you to seek out a small dairy that has only Jersey cows. Jersey milk is sweeter, richer, and has a higher protein content. Go to a place like Local Harvest to find a local dairy farm that provides milk from the breed.

I tried the cornbread crumb mixture which was mixed with bacon, red bell pepper, and red onions and called salad. It was delicious, simple, homey. It was a little looser than stuffing, but not dry. Tasty stuff indeed.

I love cornbread, and I enjoyed this salad, so I wanted to make my own. One thing I couldn't figure out. What was binding it together? And was there a secret ingredient? I gathered all of my courage and proceeded back to the stand to ask for a recipe.

The man behind the booth was very kind and helpful. He told me it was his aunt's recipe. Cornbread, red bell pepper, red onions, bacon and some mayo to hold it together. That's it! Simple family recipes, My favorite.

I searched the Internet for other cornbread salad recipes, to see if I could add anything to the party. To my surprise, I found many well loved recipes. I added black beans and corn to mine, from another's suggestion. In addition to mayo, I also added some Italian salad dressing I had in the fridge for a little acid and more dimension of flavor. Some other tasty additions, green chilies and cumin. Tomatoes would also be good. Go crazy! Add what sounds good to you. I also read of a recipe where someone added pickles and pickle juice for the acid element. An interesting and tasty idea, I thought.

This is a great Summer recipe. Perfect for a picnic or potluck.

Square Vintage silver tray, Red "lobster" napkins, fleur de lis bowls, and Sheffield England Silver Spoons, available at my Etsy Shop, House of Lucien.

 

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Cornbread Salad

adapted by a recipe from Apple Valley BBQ (If you're ever in Parkdale, Oregon, stop by for some tasty BBQ!)

I used Jiffy cornbread mix, to make it as easy on myself as possible. Next time I make it I will use my favorite cornbread recipe, Double Cornbread since cornbread is the main ingredient, you want it to be tasty. Or use your favorite cornbread recipe.

This is a rough recipe. I didn't measure when I made it, this is by memory, if you're the type that needs a more solid recipe and doesn't like to wing it, I would understand if you sought out another recipe.

Ingredients

2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix and the ingredients to make it (4 eggs and some milk, check the box for proportions)

1 red bell pepper, chopped small

Red onion - about a half of an onion, or more to your taste, diced small

12 oz (340 g.). bacon, about 8-10 slices, cooked and chopped

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained well

1 can (15 oz) corn, rinsed and drained well- or use a few ears cooked corn, cut off the cob

salt and pepper to taste

Mayonnaise - about 1/2 cup (118 ml) - 1 cup (237 ml.)

Italian salad dressing or vinaigrette - a few tablespoons to 1/4 cup (59 ml.)

Directions

Make the cornbread according to the directions on the box, except use 2 boxes and double the eggs and milk. Pour it all into a 9 inch  greased square pan as advised on the package for 1 box. It will just be a little taller. Mine took me just 10 minutes more than what was called for on the box, 30 ish minutes. When it's done, let it cool.

Crumble the cornbread into a large bowl. Stir all of the ingredients except the mayo and salad dressing together with the cornbread. Start by adding the smaller amount of mayo and a few tablespoons of Italian dressing and stir. Add more mayo and salad dressing if it needs it, tasting as you go to see what's needed. You don't want it too wet, and you don't want it too loose. Enough so it just holds together. Let it sit an hour before you serve it in the fridge to let the flavors marry.

Cucumber Ribbon Salad and A Thousand Cranes Party

Every single one of us can do things that no one else can do -

Can love things that no one else can love...We are like violins,

We can be used for doorstops, or we can make music.

-Barbara Sher

This is a salad I've been making for years. I love it's simplicity. Now that it's summer, there's nothing more refreshing on a hot day than a cucumber. Today is the first day this summer that I've made the salad. It reminds me of a party I had for a few Japanese friends of mine who were getting married. This salad was one of the dishes served. We had a Thousand Cranes Party.

This dish is so easy, here are the dressing ingredients. All in all, less than 5! And takes about 5 minutes to make.

The story of a Thousand Origami Cranes is a Japanese legend that promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane, such as long life or recovery from illness or injury.

The crane in Japan is one of the mystical or holy creatures (others include the dragon and the tortoise), and is said to live for a thousand years.

It is traditional to take the thousand origami cranes and string them up, and hang them at your wedding. Or not just a wedding, one could hang them in your room, even. It's good luck. And it also signifies world peace. It's a prayer in paper form.

You need a mandoline slicer to get the cucumbers really thin.

I read stories of brides folding origami cranes months before their wedding, and mothers of brides helping fold them. Some are given to the bride as gifts.

I knew when I read about this tradition, I wanted my party for my friends to have a Thousand Cranes theme. First I needed some origami cranes to hang. I read about this about a week before the party, so first I consulted Etsy and Ebay to purchase some.

No luck. No one could get them to us fast enough. So my friend Cindy and I started folding origami cranes. How in the heck did we do that, you ask? We consulted U Tube of course! We found a great tutorial on how to make them. Still not super easy, and not the fastest thing to make for a couple of gringos who have never folded origami anything in their life.

Here's our cranes we made hanging in my dining room, with some paper lanterns and streamers.

All in all, we had hundreds of cranes, not a thousand. No matter, it's the thought that counts, right?

We made some bigger cranes to hold our place cards.

I was even able to find crane chopstick holders

The couple was so delighted. They took home our cranes to hang in their new baby's room. We were so relieved they liked them, and were proud the cranes we folded were worthy.

All in all it was such a great and fun party! I love learning traditions from other cultures. 

In the hot weather I like to make cucumber water. Just add sliced cucumbers to ice water and let sit a half hour or so for the flavors to blend. When I drink it I feel as if I'm at the spa waiting for a facial.

Personal Size Princess House Water Pitcher available at my Etsy Shop, House of Lucien.

 

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Cucumber Ribbon Salad

Make this salad right before eating, if let sit too long it will get soggy.

Recipe Adapted from  Epicurious

Ingredients

1/4 cup (59 ml) seasoned rice vinegar

1-2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 -1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

 2 English cucumbers (1 1/4 lb total)

Sesame Seeds (optional)

Directions

Add all dressing ingredients  (everything except the cucumbers and sesame seeds) in a medium bowl and whisk till blended. Set aside. Slice the cucumbers thin on a mandoline slicer (or another type of slicer, I used this one from Kuhn Rikon, it works well and I bought it at Marshals for maybe 10 bucks, I also have a fancier one, but if you don't own one I think it's work it.) into  1/8 inch thick ribbons. Toss Cucumbers with dressing and top with sesame seeds (if using) and eat immediately.

* edited to add* If you don't have a mandoline, or if you want the salad to last longer and not get soggy, I've been told that just slicing the cucumbers (so they're not so thin) into 1/2 inch slices, will prevent them from getting soggy so fast. If you do that, I'd let the salad sit 30 minutes or so to absorb the flavors.

If you let the dressing sit too long it will get soggy, (longer than about 20 minutes.)

Asian Noodle Salad

"Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning."

-Gloria Steinem
Writer and Journalist

This salad is one of my favorites. I've made it for parties, I've made it for potlucks, and it's always well loved. It's fresh and full of vegetables, and full of flavor. I think it's a perfect salad for a summer picnic!

Some of the ingredients of my salad, peppers, cilantro, cabbage, bean sprouts, spinach and cashews

One of the great things about this salad is that you can mix and match different vegetables based on your taste. You can also fill it with vegetables, of just have a little. It's all up to you and based on your taste.

Don't like bell peppers? Leave them out! Allergic to nuts? Cool! Leave the cashews out. This salad will still be tasty.

The dressing is so delicious, with fresh ginger and garlic, I love it. Sometimes I double it to use in salads later. It's just that good.

I use whole wheat linguine as the noodle element, but you can use udon noodles instead to keep it actually Asian. Or use brown rice pasta, and Tamari Sauce instead of soy sauce to make it gluten free.

Asian Noodle Salad

Remember, you can add different vegetables for this, and as many as you want. Some variations not included below are: julienned carrots, cucumbers, thinly chopped celery, or even sliced zucchini or yellow squash. Use whatever vegetables sound good to you.
Loosely based on one from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

For the Salad-

1 package (16 oz.) Whole Wheat Linguine Noodles, or Brown Rice Spaghetti, Cooked, Rinsed, And Cooled

1 head thinly sliced Purple Cabbage or Napa Cabbage- I use a Mandoline to get it nice and thin

1 bag (8 oz.) Baby Spinach, sliced

About 2 Red or Yellow Bell Peppers- I used a small bag of different colored peppers

1 bag Bean Sprouts -also Called Mung Bean Sprouts

3 Carrots, shredded
 
Chopped Cilantro, Up To 1 Bunch, To Taste

3 whole Scallions, Sliced

10 oz. (283 mg.) Unsalted Whole Cashews, Lightly Toasted In Skillet


 For the Dressing

1/3 cup (79 ml) Rice Vinegar - unseasoned, but if seasoned (means  it has sugar) then reduce the sugar below by half)

1/3 cup (54 mg) Brown Sugar

1/3 cup (79 ml.) Olive Oil

8 Tablespoons Soy Sauce or Tamari Sauce

2 Tablespoons (up To 3 Tablespoons) Sesame Oil

3 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger, Finely Chopped

2 cloves Garlic, Finely Chopped

Directions

Toss the noodles with most of the vegetables. For example sometimes I don't use the whole head of cabbage, or the whole amount of spinach. So I toss everything with about half of the cabbage and spinach then I see if I like the ratio of vegetables to noodles. If I don't I add more cabbage and spinach till I get it where I like the way it looks. You do the same.

Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour some over salad. Toss the salad with the dressing and see if you like the amount of dressing on the salad. If you need more add it till you get enough dressing on the salad for your taste. Refrigerate until serving.

Easy Creamy Coleslaw

"Plain cookery cannot be trusted to plain cooks."

-Countess Morphy

 

I love coleslaw. Many restaurants dismiss it and that makes me sad. A meal like fish and chips requires it. While most restaurants do serve it that way (as they should) the coleslaw remains an afterthought. Dry and tasteless, it hardly resembles food. On the other hand, I've eaten at places that celebrate it! Some make it Asian, some add apples or pears. I'll take it. Creativity and flair, great! Freshness, yes please! Just don't give me crappy coleslaw.

Make the dressing

Another meal that I feel longs for coleslaw is a pulled pork sandwich. This is something I make often. (It's one of my husband's favorite meals.) So making coleslaw is something I do pretty often.

add the coleslaw

For a pulled pork sandwich we prefer our coleslaw pretty traditional. Creamy and delicious, this coleslaw is just perfect. It's pretty basic, but so much better than store bought. In fact if you usually purchase coleslaw I think you will be amazed by the yumminess of this version.

Give it a toss

It's so simple too. I mean really fast to make. Add the dressing ingredients to a bowl and stir, throw in a bag of coleslaw mix from the store (of course you can shred your own cabbage and carrots) give it a toss and your done! That's it! It takes about 5 minutes tops. And the dressing ingredients you probably already have on hand.

My coleslaw is sharing a plate with my Easy Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Easy Creamy Coleslaw

This takes only a few minutes to make, but it needs about a half hour to sit in the fridge before eating, so plan accordingly. I like my coleslaw pretty plain. In fact I usually don't use the optional onion and garlic powder. Make it to your taste, if you feel it needs more flavor, go for the spices.

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) (454 g.) bag coleslaw mix

2/3 cup (158 ml.) mayonnaise

1/4 cup (44 g.) sugar

2 tablespoons milk or cream

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 tsp dried onion - optional
1/2 tsp dried garlic powder - optional

Instructions

Add everything except the coleslaw mix to a large bowl and whisk together. Add the bag of coleslaw mix and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld. As it sits it will also get creamier. At first toss you may think it's not wet enough but upon sitting it gets creamier and more moist.

Fresh Corn and Bean Salad

"Sex is good, but not as good as fresh, sweet corn."

 ~Garrison Keillor

Happy harvest season! Our corn is ready for picking, and we sure have been enjoying it. Just yesterday with dinner I served my husband an ear of corn I had picked within minutes of cooking. He pronounced it was the best corn he had ever eaten. Juicy and sweet, it is the delicious reward after months of growing.

I have made this salad multiple times this summer. The first time I made it, afterwards I thought, this salad sure makes a lot, I don't know if we'll eat it all (since it's just the two of us.) I was thinking I may have to feed it to the chickens in a few days. Boy was I wrong. The both of us ate it all, in just a few days and enjoyed every bite.

This salad is incredibly fresh tasting and full of veggies. The perfect accompaniment for a burger, or a piece of fish or whatever protein your heart desires. Or heck, just eat it alone. It's full of beans, so it's filling, healthy and vegan too!

The fresh corn flavor is so amazing in this salad. Everyone has their favorite way of cooking corn. Lately mine has been baking it in the oven. The corn flavor stays intact inside their husks and it's super easy (The details are below in the recipe). Thanks Michelle for the tip!

If you don't want to turn on the oven you can always cook it on the stove. In my Dean and Deluca cookbook, they recommend cooking corn in their husks in boiling water. Once the water boils, place unhusked corn in, start timing once it starts boiling again and cook for about 5 minutes. The advantage to cooking corn in the husks is that the silks are easier to remove after cooking. (Wait for it to cool a bit first before removing husks.)

Fresh Corn and Bean Salad

Inspired by this recipe

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 teaspoons ground cumin

4 ears of fresh corn, or about 2 1/2 cups frozen corn

1 -15 1/2-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1- 15 1/2-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 medium-size red, yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup (70 g.) chopped white onion

1/2 cup (35 g.) chopped fresh cilantro

1-2 jalapeño chilies, seeded and chopped -optional, depending on the spice level you desire

Directions

If using fresh corn, bake it (husks intact) in a preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit, 200 degrees Celsius, or Gas Mark 6, oven for about 45  minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

Meanwhile, whisk oil, vinegar, and cumin in large bowl to blend. When corn has cooled, cut it off the ears with a knife and add it along with the remaining ingredients to the bowl. Toss it all to coat and season with salt and pepper.

Let stand before eating if possible. An hour, or a few is good so the flavors can meld. Even overnight makes for a nicely flavored salad.

Serves about 8 as a side dish.

Shaved Asparagus Salad

 "One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating."

 -- Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, from Pavarotti, My Own Story

This is a recipe I can be passionate about. 1. It's easy 2. it's unique 3. It's very tasty.

I had never eaten raw asparagus before. Then I read this recipe over at Epicurious. It promised me that the raw asparagus would transform into silky strips when shaved with a peeler. They were correct. I am in love with raw asparagus when prepared this way. The flavor is a little different when raw, but delicious nonetheless.


The Parmesan cheese is a fabulous balance, of creamy and salty with the earthiness of the asparagus and salad greens.

On a side note, I am working on being a better blogger. I cook and I cook often. I wish I had the talent of actually blogging about said cooking. I've had dinners with company lately, and even though I always promise myself I am going to create enough time to actually take a good picture of such food before guests arrive, it seldom happens.

This salad is the exception. I made it, rushed it to the table snapped 2 pictures of it, and got back to working on the rest of dinner. But I am happy I was able to do that much. Sadly, I can't say as much for the rest of dinner.

 

Shaved Asparagus Salad

adapted from this recipe

makes enough for 4 first course servings

Ingredients

1/2 lb. salad greens (about equal to the amount of asparagus) after you trim the asparagus it will be less than one lb.

1 lb.(454 mg.) large asparagus spears, trimmed and peeled

1/3 cup (a small handful) (sorry I didn't weigh it.) finely grated Parmesan plus a piece for shaving on top of the salads

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup (90 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


Directions

Working with 1 asparagus spear at a time, use a vegetable peeler to shave spears into long, thin shavings. When you get to the tips they will snap off, no big deal, just add the shavings and the tips to a large bowl.

Combine grated Parmesan and lemon juice in a small bowl and slowly whisk in oil until well blended. Season vinaigrette generously with salt and pepper. Add salad greens to shaved asparagus and mix. Add  enough vinaigrette to lightly cover salad. Toss together. Arrange salad on individual serving plates. Use peeler to shave more Parmesan over salad.