dressing

Cucumber Cylinder Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Uplifting Aromas: Cucumber Cylinder Salad! How do you turn a salad from Humdrum to Aha? Keep it interesting and appealing to the eye. Or, if you’re like me…..think portion control. My husband tells me all the time I cannot keep a salad small. If I begin with a larger bowl (so he can toss the ingredients once the dressing is applied), I inevitably add more “stuff” and end up with the same results: too much salad for the size of the bowl. Now I have the solution. The cucumber cylinder becomes the bowl, so to speak. Problem solved. I guess living with an engineer has its benefits. 

CUCUMBER CYLINDER SALAD

Ingredients:

1 English cucumber

1 cup shredded lettuce

6 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 slice of red onion, chopped 

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, hand grated

Pinch Italian herbs

Instructions:

Using a sharp knife, cut along the length of the cucumber using the middle elongated slices. Chop the reserved outer sections to add as filling on the salad. Place each elongated slice upright onto a salad plate; secure with a decorative pick. Fill each cylinder with shredded lettuce. Arrange cherry tomato halves and red onion pieces. Top with roughly grated parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with Italian seasonings. Serve with your choice of salad dressings. 

Xinjiang Tiger Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Fabulous Fixings: Xinjiang Tiger Salad! As suggested by its name, this dish challenges you to imagine the stripes of a tiger when arranging it on a salad plate. Not only that, its intensity can surprise you like the whip of a tail when the heat of the chili pepper attacks the palate. I find chewing on cilantro tames that fiery beast. Now the question remains. Are you brave enough to try it?!?

XINJIANG TIGER SALAD

Ingredients:

2 Roma tomatoes, sliced

1 red onion, sliced thin

3 green chilies, sliced

1 handful cilantro, leaves

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1 pinch sugar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:

Arrange tomato slices and red onion slices on a salad plate. Too with green chilies. Place cilantro leaves onto plate. Combine balsamic vinegar, sugar, and sea salt. Mix well. Pour into a condiment cup. Drizzle over vegetables, gently toss, and serve. 

Radish Dinner Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Fabulous Fixings: Radish Dinner Salad! Baby lettuces and greens not only add color to a dinner salad, they also add crunchiness, vitamins, and variety. That’s one of the reasons I like radishes, too. I bet you thought it was the spicy, peppery taste of this root vegetable, didn’t you? Well, you’re half right. I find radishes refreshing and I’m not going to stop eating them anytime soon. In fact, it’s not uncommon to find me standing barefoot in my kitchen nibbling on sliced radishes sprinkled with sea salt. I hear the French actually slather radishes with sea salt butter for a truly gourmet experience. Now that’s an idea worth exploring, especially since I buy my butter from France. 

RADISH DINNER SALAD

Ingredients:

1 Roma tomato, chopped

1 cup organic mixed greens

3 large radishes, sliced 

1/4 cup herbed feta cheese, crumbled

4-ounce sirloin steak; cooked, warm, and sliced thin

Oil & Vinegar, to taste

Instructions:

Using a salad plate, arrange food vertically when placing. Begin with chopped tomatoes followed by the organic mixed greens, sliced radishes, crumbled feta cheese, and sirloin steak. Serve with oil and vinegar dressing on the side. 

Original Spinach Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Fabulous Fixings: Original Spinach Salad! Presenting a superfood that practically gives you super powers. Remember the comic book character, Popeye the Sailor Man? (Okay, I’m dating myself.) Flashback: Popeye would eat spinach through his pipe to tackle insurmountable situations.  It seems parents everywhere took advantage of this children’s cartoon character to encourage kids to “eat your spinach”. Did it work, you wonder? Not even close. Spinach is one of those veggies I didn’t learn to like until I became an adult. Go figure. 

ORIGINAL SPINACH SALAD

Ingredients:

1/2 pound bacon, cut into 1/2” pieces

12 ounces baby spinach leaves

2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

1 large tomato, chopped

5 tablespoons bacon fat

1/2 cup olive oil

5 tablespoons garlic wine vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons raw honey

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Instructions:

Cook the bacon over medium heat in a large nonstick pan. Remove bacon to drain on paper towels. Reserve the bacon fat portion for the dressing. Place the baby spinach, chopped eggs, chopped tomatoes, and half the bacon into a large salad bowl. Gently toss; set aside. For the dressing, use the same pan. Warm the reserve bacon fat and olive oil. Add the garlic wine vinegar, raw honey, and Dijon mustard. Whisk together. Warm through. Dress the salad with the bacon dressing. Gently toss. Sprinkle remaining bacon bits on top. Serve immediately. 

Three Bean Pasta Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Three Bean Pasta Salad! Yippee for meal prep. This tasty salad is one you can make ahead on the weekend for a delicious lunch at work. The dressing gives it gourmet flavor similar to the corner café, without the cost of an Uber. Add a few gluten-free pretzels or pita crackers to satisfy that munchtime craving. The slightly sharp buttery flavor of provolone cheese works well with the pasta. I know what you’re thinking…..would a bottle of wine be appropriate? Probably. Just not at work. 

THREE BEAN PASTA SALAD

Ingredients: 

4 ounces uncooked shell pasta

15-ounce three bean salad, drained and chilled

1 tablespoon pimento, chopped

4 ounces provolone cheese, cubed

2 scallions, white part only, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons garlic wine vinegar 

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon natural honey

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

1/4 cup olive oil 

Instructions:

Cook shell pasta according to package directions. Rinse in cool water; drain well. Combine shell pasta, three bean mixture, chopped pimento, and provolone cheese cubes. Gently toss. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine scallions and garlic wine vinegar. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Add Dijon mustard, natural honey, and cayenne pepper. Mix well. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until well combined. Pour dressing over pasta salad and serve slightly chilled. 

Homemade Bleu Cheese Dressing

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Homemade Bleu Cheese Dressing! What is it about ranch dressing that practically makes you slurp it with a straw? Ever dip raw veggies in it? Of course. Did you know if you add taco seasoning to ranch dressing, it becomes a popular “Calypso Dressing” at a Mexican cantina? Try dipping tortilla chips in that sometime. Ahhh, you wondered how they did that. One of my favorite concoctions is crumbled bleu cheese. Talk about that briny earthy zing of saltiness. Oh, yum. 

HOMEMADE BLEU CHESE DRESSING

Ingredients:

1 cup Greek yogurt 

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1 packet dry Ranch dressing mix 

1 cup bleu cheese crumbles

Instructions:

Combine Greek yogurt and mayonnaise. Stir until smooth. Add packet of Ranch dressing mix. Blend well. Fold in bleu cheese crumbles. Refrigerate for one hour. Drizzle over salads, vegetables, chips, cheese sticks, French fries, pizza, or meats. Store leftovers (if any) in refrigerator for one week. 

Crisp Asparagus Radish Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Crisp Asparagus Radish Salad! If you can justify the high cost of asparagus, savor every bite. My husband absolutely loves asparagus. When a restaurant offers it as a vegetable option over zucchini, he’ll swallow the up-charge every time and forge ahead like a mighty warrior. So, when I buy a pound of asparagus at the farmer’s market or nearby grocers, I usually have more than one meal planned for it. This time it’s in the form of a side salad. 

CRISP ASPARAGUS RADISH SALAD

Ingredients:

1/2 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

3 radishes, thinly sliced

1 green onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon garlic wine vinegar 

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions:

In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add asparagus. Cover and boil for 3 minutes. Drain; immediately place asparagus in ice water. Drain and pat dry. Transfer asparagus to a bowl. Add thinly sliced radishes and green onions. To make the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, garlic wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, and cayenne pepper. Mix well. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds. 

Watercress Spinach Salad in a Jar

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Palatable Possibilities: Watercress Spinach Salad in a Jar! My heart beats a little faster whenever I come across a bunch of watercress at the fresh marketplace. I know immediately that I will pair it with baby spinach because they work well together. Its slightly peppery taste is an amazing balance to the mild sweetness of spinach leaves. By portioning salads in a jar, they keep a couple days in the refrigerator, as long as the dressing is added later, when served. Not only is the salad appealing, it comes across as pure genius. Mmm Mmm Good.

WATERCRESS SPINACH SALAD IN A JAR

Ingredients:

3/4 cup watercress leaves

1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves

2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

1/2 red onion, sliced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

4 pint-size jars, with lids

Caesar dressing, prepared

Instructions:

Layer each jar beginning with watercress and spinach leaves. Carefully place sliced eggs along the inside. Add layers of sliced red onions, cherry tomatoes, and mushrooms. Finish with crumbled bacon on top. Twist the lid to seal each jar. Refrigerate salads until ready to serve. To serve, empty contents of jar onto a plate or bowl. Add bottled Caesar dressing, per taste.

White Chicken Flatbread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Bright Ideas: White Chicken Flatbread! Nowadays I look for any excuse to have pizza, or a close second. All I have to do is go to my freezer to decide what ingredients to use. In there is often naan flatbread, precooked grilled chicken strips, and previously oven-baked bacon. In lieu of marinara sauce, creamy ranch dressing makes a tasty sauce. People know cheese is always my friend, along with fresh veggies, herbs, and spices. Throw it all together and boom; 20 minutes later it’s ready to eat. I think I deserve a star for that.

WHITE CHICKEN FLATBREAD

Ingredients:

1 Naan flatbread

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon cornmeal

1/2 cup prepared ranch dressing

4 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced

1 cup precooked, grilled chicken chunks

1/4 cup precooked bacon, crumbled

2 tablespoons sweet onions, chopped

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Brush the bottom side of the naan flatbread with olive oil; dust with cornmeal. Transfer to a pizza stone. Bake 5 minutes. Remove from oven and assemble the ingredients. Spread the ranch dressing onto the top crust. Layer, in order, the fresh mozzarella slices, grilled chicken chunks, bacon crumbles, and sweet onions. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden. Serve immediately.