Salad Bowls for a Crowd

 Dressing

3/4 cups Apple juice concentrate

 3 Tab olive oil

1/3 cups Balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 Tab. garlic

minced

4 oz. Baby spinach

fresh, leaves

Salad

8 oz. Tomatoes

fresh, diced

4 oz. Cucumbers

fresh, diced

4 oz. Carrots

fresh, shredded

1/3 cup Red onions

fresh, thinly sliced

1/2 lb Cranberries

dried

23 Eggs

boiled, diced

4 oz. Apples

diced, fresh

1/2 lb Baby spinach

fresh, leaves

3/4 lb Romaine lettuce

fresh, shredded

Dressing: Pour apple juice concentrate, olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, and spinach into a blender. Blend on high speed until dressing is liquefied and smooth. Mix for 3–5 minutes. DO NOT OVERMIX.

Assembly per bowl:

First layer: 2 Tbsp spinach dressing on the bottom of each container.

Second layer: 1⁄4 cup tomatoes on top of spinach.

Third layer: 1⁄8 cup cucumbers on top of tomatoes.

Fourth layer: 1⁄4 cup carrots on top of cucumbers.

Fifth layer: 1⁄4 cup onions on top of carrots.

Sixth layer: 2 Tbsp cranberries on top of onions.

Seventh layer: 1⁄2 cup eggs on top of cranberries.

Eighth layer: 1⁄4 cup apples on top of eggs.

Ninth layer: 1⁄2 cup lettuce on top of apples.

Fresh Salsa/ Pico de Gallo

3 Tab. Onion, finely chopped

2 cloves Garlic, minced

3 Tomatoes, chopped

1 Jalapeno, finely chopped

2 Tab. Cilantro, finely chopped

1 1/2 Tab. Lime juice

salt and pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy.

Punjabi Eggplant and Potatoes in the Slow Cooker

2 medium eggplants, stem end removed, cut into 1/2-inch dice (approx. 10-12 cups)

1 large Idaho or Yukon Gold potato, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 medium yellow or red onion, peeled and chopped

1 tsp ginger paste (or grated fresh ginger root)

6 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 jalapeño chiles, seeded and minced, optional

1 tea. ground cumin

1 tea. ground red chile pepper

1 tea garam masala

1 tsp turmeric

1/4 cup canola oil

1 Tbsp kosher salt, or to taste

1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, to taste

Combine eggplant, potato, onion, ginger, garlic, jalapeño peppers, cumin, ground chile pepper, garam masala, turmeric and oil in a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker. Stir as best you can to distribute the spices and oil. (The smaller cooker will be frighteningly full, but don't worry; the eggplant will cook down.) Cook on HIGH for 2 hours, stirring after 1 hour.

After the first two hours of cooking, stir well. There should be a nice amount of moisture in the cooker, and the eggplant should have collapsed a bit. If there is plenty of liquid in the pot, continue cooking on LOW for 30 minutes, uncovered. If there's not much liquid, cook on LOW for 30 minutes with the cover on.

Add the salt and cilantro, to taste. (Salt added during the cooking will draw more moisture out of the eggplant, so it's best added at the end.)

Serve over rice.

source: The Perfect Pantry

Grilled Chicken Southwest Salad (McDonald's Copycat)

Source: The Food Xp

Per Person:

½ pound Boneless Chicken
1 teaspoon Lime Juice
1 teaspoon Honey
½ Fresh Cilantro
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Lime Zest
½ cup Romaine Lettuce
½ cup Black beans
½ cup Diced Tomatoes
½ cup Bell Peppers
½ cup Onions
½ cup Avocado
½ cup Tortilla Strips
½ cup Corn
½ cup Cucumbers
teaspoon Salt

 Southwest Salad Dressing, Or, make your own:

1 tablespoon Sour Cream
1 tablespoon Lime Juice
1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
1 tablespoon Chili Flakes
1 tablespoon Onion Powder
1 tablespoon Black Pepper

Take a bowl to add olive oil, lime juice, honey, fresh cilantro, garlic powder, and lime zest. Mix it well.
Preserve half a cup of marinade and pour the rest on the boneless chicken. Cover the chicken with cling film and set it aside for 40 minutes in the fridge.
Grill the marinated chicken and cook on both sides until golden brown. Keep basting the marinade on top of the grilled chicken while cooking.
Place the grilled chicken in the oven to bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.
Prepare the salad dressing by mixing all the components in a bowl.
Mix sour cream, lime juice, smoked paprika, chili flakes, onion powder, and salt to your taste.
Whisk it evenly to form a smooth and creamy salad dressing.
Finally, begin to assemble. In a salad bowl, add chopped Romaine lettuce, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, avocado, onions, tortilla strips, and cooked chicken slices
Pour the Southwest salad dressing on the top and serve!

Mediterranean Bento Box Lunch

Source: Gathering Dreams

• Wholegrain couscous
• Chickpeas
• Black olives
• Bell peppers
• Red onion
• Cherry tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Creamy homemade hummus
• A simple dressing made with extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, the juice of one lemon, salt and pepper

Before adding the chickpeas to the lunch box, toss them in a bowl with some sweet smoked paprika, and a tablespoon of the dressing.

Everything Bagel Seasoning Mix

Source: Kitchen

1/8 cup sesame seeds
1/8 cup poppy seeds
1 1/2 Tablespoons dried onion flakes
1 1/2 Tablespoons dried garlic flakes
1 Tablespoons coarse sea salt

Toss the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried onion flakes, dried garlic flakes and salt together in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Makes 1/2 cup
Source: Kitchen

Black Bean and Espresso Chili with Three Cheese Cornmeal Mush (soft polenta)

1/4 cup olive oil
2-3 large onions, chopped
1/8 cup instant espresso powder
1/8 cup chili powder
1/8 cup ground cumin
1/8 cup dried oregano leaves
1-28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
3 Tab. honey
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 pound of black beans, cooked
2 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
Large pinch of ground cinnamon

Optional Toppings:
sour cream
chopped fresh cilantro
chopped green onions
shredded cheese
sliced jalapenos
shaved bittersweet chocolate

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Mix in espresso powder, 1/4 cup chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook 1 minute. Mix in tomatoes, honey, and garlic. Bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Add beans, 2 cups water, salt, liquid smoke, and cinnamon. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until mixture thickens slightly, stirring often, about 30 minutes. Season with salt.
(Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before serving.)
Place toppings in individual condiment bowls. Ladle chili into bowl and serve toppings alongside.

Source: modified slightly from the recipe at Epicurious

Serve with:

Three Cheese Cornmeal Mush (soft polenta)

1 cup cornmeal
1 tea. garlic salt
3 Tab butter or margarine
1 cup sharp cheddar
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
8 ounces mascarpone cheese

Put 3 cups water in a pot and heat to boiling. Meanwhile, mix cornmeal with 1 cup cold water in a bowl with a whisk. This is to prevent the cornmeal from clumping. Once the water boils, add the cornmeal-water mixture to the boiling water. Add garlic salt and butter or margarine. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently with a whisk, for 8-10 minutes. Stir in cheddar, Parmesan and mascarpone cheeses and stir until melted.
Serve with chili by putting a portion of the mush in the bowl and then top with the chili. Add toppings and then serve.

Glenn's Cucumbers

This is one of those dishes I had at a party and just had to get the recipe, I loved them so much. So, here it is...

7 cups thinly sliced cucumbers
1 cup thinly sliced onions
2 cups sugar
1 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon celery salt

Mix ingredients and cover. Store in refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving.

Keeps at least 3 months in the refrigerator when covered.

Middle Eastern Balela Salad

source: The Mediterranean Dish

Salad
3 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed)
1/2 green bell pepper, cored and chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes), slice in halves
3-5 green onions, both white and green parts, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (preserved in jars with olive oil)

1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1/4 cup pitted green olives
1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves
1/2 cup freshly chopped mint or basil leaves

One recipe of dressing, see below

In a large bowl, mix together the salad ingredients: chickpeas, vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and fresh herbs. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and mix gentle to coat. Leave aside for 30 minutes before serving, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
When ready to serve, give the salad a quick mix and taste to adjust seasoning if at all needed.

Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and black pepper, a generous pinch to your taste
1 tsp ground sumac, optional
1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

In a separate smaller bowl or jar, mix together olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt and pepper, and spices.


Serves 7, Per Serving: Calories 267, Fat 7.6 g, Carbohydrate 39.5 g, Protein 12.4 g

Turn your babela into a meal! This wholesome, nutrition-packed salad can easily be turned into a meal. Serve it in warm pita pockets with a drizzle of tahini. Or add it to an impressive vegetarian mezze platter with baba ganoush and hummus.

source: The Mediterranean Dish

Spicy Tomato Soup

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1-2 Tab. tomato paste
28-32 oz. canned tomatoes (I used diced)
1/2 cup red lentils
2 cups stock, vegetable or chicken
Optional: yogurt or sour cream, chopped parsley or basil

Heat oil in a pot and add onion and garlic and cook until onions are soft. Add red pepper flakes, cumin, coriander and tomato paste. Stir well. Add canned tomatoes, lentils and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool enough to safely blend. Puree the soup until smooth. Season to taste and reheat, if necessary. Serve with a spoon of yogurt or sour cream, chopped parsley or basil and additional red pepper flakes, if desired.

Simple.Chicken and Asparagus Soup

12 cups chicken broth or water
4 chicken breasts
2 leeks, chopped
2 Tab. Parsley, minced
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 bunches asparagus, chopped into bite-sized pieces

In a large pot, put broth or water on to boil. Add breasts and cook until done (@10-15 minutes). Shred breasts.
Add leeks and cook 5 minutes. Add parsley, salt, black pepper and asparagus and cook 2 minutes. Serve with crusty bread. Serves 6-8.

Chickpea Pesto Salad

source

15.5 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
¼ cup Basil Pesto
3 tablespoons crumbled feta
3 tablespoons diced red onion
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds

Mix chickpeas with basil pesto in a small mixing bowl.
Stir in feta cheese,red onion and pine nuts.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

Source : Mother Thyme

Lamb Curry

This dish takes all day to make. It is a curry recipe given to my husband from a friend who lived in India when he was younger, so it is spicy. When we first made this dish, we didn't see "Curry" listed as one of the spices and we could not figure out how curry could be made without curry powder, so we added some curry powder, and boy, was it hot! It wasn't until later we found out that curry powder is a combination of spices -the combination that is in this recipe!

8 Tab. olive or canola oil

3 lbs. lamb (you can use beef instead), cut into 1 inch cubes
4 cups finely chopped onions
4 tea. finely chopped garlic
3 Tab. finely chopped ginger root
1 Tab. ground cumin
2 1/2 tea. turmeric
3/4 tea. red pepper
1 1/2 cups chopped canned tomatoes (or 2 cups fresh)
1 Tab. salt
2 Tab. ground coriander
4 med. potatoes, peeled and cubed

Brown rice, for serving

Heat 4 Tab. oil over high heat in a large heavy-bottomed pan. When oil is hot, brown meat in the pan. Remove meat when it is brown and add the remaining oil to the pan. Reduce heat and fry onions until they turn dark brown -about 2o minutes, stirring constantly. Add garlic, cumin, turmeric and red pepper and continue frying for about 10-15 minutes. Return meat to the pan, along with the tomatoes with their juice and salt. (You may need to add additional water -check ever so often to make sure there is enough liquid for it not to stick.) Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours. Add potatoes and continue simmering covered until potatoes are tender (about 30 minutes.) Turn off heat and let it sit for at least 30 minutes -preferably 2 hours. When ready to serve, simmer until heated through. Serve over rice.

Mushroom-Tomato Bisque

• 
• 1/2 cup sliced leeks or chopped onion (1 medium)
• 1/2 cup sliced celery (1 stalk)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1-14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1-14 ounce vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Sauteed mushrooms, a few fresh basil leaves (optional)

• In a 3-quart saucepan cook and stir leek, celery, and garlic in hot butter until tender. Add mushrooms; cook and stir about 5 minutes more or until mushrooms are tender. Stir in undrained tomatoes, broth, whipping cream, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
• Let soup cool slightly. Transfer soup mixture, half at a time, to blender or food processor. Cover and blend or process until smooth. Return all of the soup mixture to saucepan; heat through. To serve, ladle soup into bowls. If desired, top each serving with additional mushrooms. Makes 4 servings.

source: bhg

Peanut Wraps

This recipe, from Little Birdie Secrets is SO good! You just have to try it to believe it!

1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 tbs canola, olive or sesame oil.
1 bag broccoli slaw
1 medium red onion, sliced
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
Tortillas

Peanut Sauce:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
3 tbs soy sauce
5 tbs water
3 tbs cooking oil ( I used 1 tab. sesame, 2 tab. canola)
1 tsp. garlic powder

Season chicken strips with garlic salt and pepper. In a large skillet cook chicken in hot oil on medium-high until no pink left. Put aside and keep warm.
In same skillet add broccoli mix, onion, and ginger. Cook until crisp but tender.
Make peanut sauce while veggies cook. In a small saucepan combine sauce ingredients, heat and stir until dissolved.
Serve by layering the veggies, chicken, and sauce in a tortilla. Wrap it up. Enjoy.

Mild Kenyan Curry: Dry Potato Sak

4 boiled potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
1 cup boiled peas
2 tsp cumin
6 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 onion, chopped
1 hot pepper, chopped (optional)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 piece ginger, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Heat oil. Add cumin and turmeric. Add onions, garlic, and ginger. Cook for a few minutes. Add the tomato and cook for a few more minutes.

Sprinkle salt and cayenne on the potatoes. Add the potatoes and peas to the oil, spice, and onion mixture. Stir until the potatoes are coated with oil and are yellow. Heat everything well.

Makes 4 servings
source: Mermaid's Creations

Pumpkin-Black Bean Soup

2 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cups canned vegetable stock
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained
2 cans (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
1 cup milk or milk substitute
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Coarse salt

Saute onions in the olive oil about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, black beans and pumpkin puree. Stir to combine ingredients and puree in a food processor. Return to pot and add broth, milk, curry, cumin, cayenne and salt, to taste. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 5 minutes, adjust seasonings and serve.

Adapted from: Plant Based Diet Recipes

Sesame Chicken Salad

4 cups water
4 slices of ginger, about 1⁄4 in  thick

1 medium onion, sliced
3 boneless chicken breasts(1 lb)
1 cucumber, cut into chunks
2 large tomatoes, cut into eighths
6 green onions ( or scallions), finely chopped
1⁄4 cup sesame oil
Vinegrette dressing (see below)
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Mixed Salad Greens

(Ahead of Time) Bring the water, ginger, and onion to a boil in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Lower the heat to a simmer and add the chicken breasts. Cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let chicken sit in the hot liquid 
for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the stock, and when it is cool enough to handle, shred the chicken with your hands. Place the chicken back into the stock in a bowl and refrigerate until you are ready to use.


Layer a bed of mixed salad greens on the serving plate. Arrange a layer of cucumbers around a large serving platter. Remove the cold chicken from the stock and place it down the center of the platter. Surround the chicken with the tomato wedges and top it with green onions.
In a small pat, heat the sesame oil over a low flame until bubbles appear (approximately one minute.) Turn off the heat and pour the oil evenly over the green onions and chicken. Drizzle vinaigrette over the chicken and vegetables.

Vinaigrette
1⁄4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
salt & pepper to taste

To make the Vinaigrette, mix the soy sauce, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for one minute and set aside.


Adapted from this recipe at Steamy Kitchen Recipes

Red Beans and Rice in the Slow Cooker

1 pound dried red beans
7 cups water
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 pound andouille sausage, sliced
1-3 tablespoons Creole seasoning
1 1/2 cups rice

3 cups water
Garnish: sliced green onions

Place first 8 ingredients in a 4-quart slow cooker. After 3-4 hours add rice and additional water. Cook, covered, at HIGH 7 hours or until beans are tender. Garnish, if desired.

source: Southern Living

Havana Black Beans II

recipe and photo from the parsley thief

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 an onion, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, diced {any color}
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt {or, to taste}
1 teaspoon chopped chipotle chile in adobo {or, to taste}
2 {15 ounce} cans black beans, rinsed & drained
1 {15 ounce} can coconut milk {regular, or light}

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onions & saute for about 3 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Add the bell pepper & garlic; saute for another 2 minutes. Stir in the spices & chipotle chile; cook for another minute. Add the beans & coconut milk; stir to combine & bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer & cook for 30 minutes, or until thickened. Taste for seasoning; adjust if necessary & serve.