Archive for the ‘Salad’ Category

A tasty pasta salad is the perfect complement to summer dishes, such as grilled foods. These salads can be made in so many different ways, allowing you to try various combinations and flavors. Of course, there are a few different things that go into making a great pasta dish. Here are a few great tips you can use to make sure you make a pasta salad that is perfectly delicious.

First, it is all about the pasta. After all, this dish will only be as good as the pasta that is the base of it. Try different shapes of pasta to give the dish a new look. Colored pastas that get their colors from veggies make a great option, since it gives the salad you are making plenty of color. Of course, while color is great, it is even more important that you avoid over cooking it when you make it.

When pasta gets overcooked, it is prone to falling apart when you are trying to mix it. Also, keep in mind that the dressing you put in the salad will be soaked up by the pasta. If the pasta is already over cooked, it is going to turn to a mushy salad. It is best to cook until the pasta is barely tender, rinsing in cool water to make it stop cooking right away. This way it stays firm and nice when you mix it up and add the dressing.

Now, you need to think about what you are going to add in with the pasta. Since pasta is mild, you can add many different ingredients. Try adding in various veggies. Cook them until they are tender and then rinse with ice water right away to stop them from cooking more. Some veggies are great added in raw to the mix. Even cheese, meats, fruits, nuts, and herbs can be added in to provide even more flavor.

Of course, you cannot forget about the dressing for the pasta salad you are making. One simply way to dress it is with a bit of oil and vinegar. To get more zing in the dressing, add some red wine vinegar, lemon juice, cider vinegar, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, or even some raspberry wine vinegar. Salt, pepper, and other spices can add in some more flavor to the dressing. Try a bit pepper flakes, some mustard, or even some crushed garlic.

Tasty BLT Pasta Salad Recipe

For a flavor filled pasta salad that is easy to make, this BLT pasta salad is a great one to make. The flavor is amazing and is sure to please everyone who tries it. Just make sure you are able to refrigerate it before serving.

What You Need:

• 1 pound of sliced bacon
• 1 pack of medium shell pasta, 16 ounces
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1.5 cups of light ranch dressing
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 3-5 green onions, chopped

How to Make It:

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and then rinse in cool water to stop the pasta from cooking.

In a skillet, cook all the bacon until it is crisp. Drain bacon on a plate covered with paper towels to eliminate most of the grease.

Stir together the onion, tomatoes, and the ranch dressing in a large bowl. Fold in the pasta and toss to coat thoroughly. Refrigerate for at least four hours – overnight is best. Although it may look like you have too much dressing, the pasta is going to absorb some of it, and so it is fine.

Right before serving, crumble the bacon on top and sprinkle with the chopped green onions. Serve right away. Makes 10 servings.

A tasty pasta salad is a wonderful dish to serve with other summer favorites, like a grilled steak. Use a nice flank steak marinade or spend time searching for the best steak marinade so you create a wonderful steak to go with that pasta salad.

Easy Steak Marinades Help Make a Truly Mouthwatering Meal – EasySteakMarinades.net

Salads are well known for being a healthy dish. However, many people do not realize that when they load up a salad with the wrong ingredients, they turn a healthy dish into a nutritional disaster. Keep in mind that your salad is only as healthy as the ingredients you put in it, including the salad dressing. If you really want to ensure your salad is a healthy dish, it is time to learn how to make one the right way. Here are a few dos and don’ts that can help you ensure you avoid all the ingredients that turn a salad into a calorie and fat trap and information on healthy ingredients to use.

DO NOT add in high fat, processed meats. Although cold cuts, salami, Bacon, and pepperoni may all taste wonderful in your salad, they will add a huge amount of fat and calories to your dish. If you want to have meats in the salad, go with fish or grilled chicken for a healthier option.

DO NOT go with high fat and high calorie dressings. Before you pour on the ranch dressing, take a look at the fat and calories in it. You will quickly realize that it may not be the healthiest choice. It is easy to make your own healthy dressings at home. Vinaigrettes are wonderful choices or just put a bit of oil and vinegar on the salad for great taste.

DO NOT ruin the salad with the wrong toppings. Crunchy toppings like croutons are tasty, but they often are full of fat and unneeded calories. Instead of toppings that have no value, consider topping your salad with nuts, which contain healthy fats in them.

DO add plenty of leafy greens. Look for darker green options, which will have more nutrients in them. Iceberg lettuce really has little nutritional value and taste so go with options that are more flavorful and full of great nutrients. Spinach is a great green to add to salads, as are other salad greens.

DO add in plenty of veggies. Load up on low calories veggies. They will help you feel full without adding a lot of fat and calories to the dish. Try adding vegetables like cucumbers, peppers, onions, carrots, beets, and more.

DO use olive oil in your salads. Olive oil can be used alone or it can be used with other ingredients to create a healthy dressing. Olive oil packs healthy fats that your body needs, so add it to the salad. Just avoid adding too much olive oil, since it is high calorie.

Healthy Spinach and Veggie Salad Recipe

If you are looking for a healthy salad that is easy to make, try this spinach and veggie salad on a hot day.

What You Need:

• 6 cups of baby spinach
• 4 large eggs, hardboiled
• 1 can of beets (8oz), rinsed, and sliced
• 2 tablespoons of chopped pecans or almonds, toasted
• 1 cup of carrots, shredded
• 4 tablespoons of your favorite low fat dressing

How to Make It:

In a bowl, toss the baby spinach with two tablespoons of the dressing. Divide the spinach between two large salad plates. Top each dish of spinach with beets, nuts, eggs, and the carrots. Drizzle the top with the remaining dressing, one tablespoon for each plate. Eat immediately. Makes two servings.

A healthy salad is a great addition to a nice steak dinner. You can infuse flavor in your steak with a healthy flank steak marinade. If you do not have a great marinade you enjoy using, look for a great steak marinade to use on your next steak dinner.

Easy Steak Marinades Help Make a Truly Mouthwatering Meal – EasySteakMarinades.net

Salads are a great addition to any meal. In fact, some salads can be made to become the main dish for a meal as well. If you enjoy eating salads, you have probably enjoyed having some cheese on your salad from time to time. Cheeses can definitely add a lot of great flavor to a salad and they also offer excellent textures too. Of course, different cheeses offer different flavors to a salad. Here is a look at some of the cheeses that make great salad additions and a bit of information on the flavors that they offer to the salad as well.

Feta Cheese

One type of cheese that you can use in a salad is Feta cheese. This is a crumbly cheese that is a bit salty, which means you do not have to add any extra salt to your salad if you use this option. The creaminess of Feta means that it can eliminate the need for a dressing for the salad as well, since it has a bold flavor and the creaminess is sure to go throughout the entire dish.

Ricotta Cheese

Another type of cheese that you may want to give a try in salads is ricotta cheese. Look for roasted ricotta if you are going to use it in the salad. This option has a mild flavor and since it is roasted, it is not as soft as regular ricotta. In fact, it is actually a bit crumbly and definitely drier than the traditional ricotta. This is a great option to add to salads when you do not want to overpower the other ingredients with the cheese.

Blue Cheese

Of course, blue cheese is a popular choice for many types of salads. It is even used in dressings for salads. Of course, you do not have to use it as a dressing, you can simply crumble a bit of blue cheese into your salad for some extra taste. The taste of this cheese is sharp and salty. This makes it a wonderful addition to sweeter salads. Pears, beets, and even apples are complimented by this cheese option in salads.

Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese

More than likely you have heard of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, but you have probably had it in Italian dishes. However, it also makes a great addition to your salad. It is made in Italy and comes with a sweet, nutty, spicy taste that makes it a great option for a salad. Since it has a floral and herbal flavor to it, it goes well with many types of salads. However, since it is very rich, you only need to use a small amount of it.

Mozzarella Cheese

Last, mozzarella cheese can make a tasty addition to any salad. This is a lower fat cheese that is a healthier option than some of the others. It brings along a nice flavor and makes a great salad topping without adding too many calories. Look for the low fat and low moisture options for the best results on your salad.

Cheeses are excellent on a nice salad and a salad is definitely a nice side if you are making a steak dinner. For excellent flavor for your steak, search for a steak marinade full of flavor. It is easy to find a quality flank steak marinade that will enhance the flavor of the steak.

Easy Steak Marinades Help Make a Truly Mouthwatering Meal – EasySteakMarinades.net

One of the things that really denotes spring’s arrival is a big farmer’s market full of wonderful produce. After going through several months when fresh produce is tough to come by, it’s wonderful to be able to start finding great produce when spring rolls around. Spring and summer are both great times to start working on eating better, creating healthy salads and other healthy dishes that are healthy and tasty. Here is a look at a few great salad ideas that are sure to bring the taste of spring to you.

If you are looking for great spring salad ideas, one idea is to add some radishes and pea shoots to your salads. Pea shoots are easy to find during the spring and add flavor and nutrition to your salad. Raw radishes are also easy to find. If you want a peppery and crispy taste, use the radishes raw. However, to get a sweeter taste, sautéing the radishes bring out some sweetness, which makes them a great addition to a tart, citrusy salad.

Peas and pine nuts are also great additions to your spring salad. Peas are always bountiful during the spring and they have a lot of nutritional value as well. Pine nuts also offer a nice creamy flavor to a salad. Consider using these two ingredients together in a salad and adding some grated Parmigiano-Reggiano to top off the salad.

During the spring, many different types of herbs begin to grow and these herbs can be added to salads to offer even more flavor. Mint is a great addition to any salad, since it offers a light, minty flavor that is sure to please your taste buds. Basil is another popular herb to add to salads, especially one that includes tomatoes in it. Have fun experimenting with the fresh herbs you have and find new ways to combine them into your salads for plenty of great flavor.

Various greens can be found in the spring months as well. Instead of just using iceberg, try out different greens in your spring salads. Have fun pairing up various greens for new flavors. Some salads can even be made without greens for a new salad twist that you can enjoy as well.

Tomato Basil Salad

This salad recipe does not use greens but it is full of the flavors of spring. Ensure that you pick out fragrant and plump tomatoes for this salad. While it is simple to make, it is full of great flavor.

What You Need:

• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1 pound of ripe red tomatoes, sliced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste

How to Make It:

Slice the tomatoes and arrange them on a platter. Combine the lemon juice and olive oil and then drizzle the mix over the tomatoes. Generously pepper the tomatoes to taste. Sprinkle the chopped basil on top. Serve immediately. Makes 4-6 servings.

NOTE: If you do not have a lemon, you can use Italian dressing on the tomatoes instead of the lemon and olive oil mix.

When spring and summer come along, it is nice to enjoy all the great flavors that these seasons provide in a great salad. Pair up a salad with a nice steak, using a great flank steak marinade. If you have never made marinades before, it is easy to find easy steak marinades for great flavor without a lot of work.

Easy Steak Marinades Help Make a Truly Mouthwatering Meal – EasySteakMarinades.net