Seared Ahi Tuna and Salad of Mixed Greens with Wasabi Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1 ahi tuna steak, 6 ounces
• 2 teaspoons five-spice powder, available on spice aisle
• 1 teaspoon grill seasoning, such as Montreal Steak Seasoning, or salt and coarse pepper
• Cooking spray or vegetable oil, for brushing the grill pan
• 5 ounces, half a sack, mixed prewashed baby salad greens
• 2 radishes, sliced
• 1/4 European cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon wasabi paste
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons -virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Coat your steak with a combination of five-spice powder and grill seasoning or salt and pepper. Heat a grill pan or griddle over high heat. Spray grill surface or wipe with a thin layer of oil. Add tuna steak to the hot cooking surface and sear tuna 2 minutes on each side. Remove tuna from heat. 

Combine greens, radishes and cucumber in a bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk wasabi, vinegar and soy sauce. Whisk in oil to combine dressing. Drizzle dressing over your salad and toss to coat evenly. Slice tuna on an angle and arrange on the salad.

Greek Style Vegetable Pasta

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and very thinly sliced
2 tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
12 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
6 scallions, very thinly sliced
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill
1 cup finely diced feta cheese
Salt and pepper
1 lb. penne or rotini pasta

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients except the pasta and the salt in a large bowl. Toss and let sit for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Carefully scoop the pasta out and add to the bowl with the veggies. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve warm or at room temperature.
Adapted from Main Course Vegetarian Pleasures
Total Servings: 8

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Calories: 317
Carbohydrates: 35.9g
Cholesterol: 58mg
Fat: 15.1g
Saturated Fat: 4.3g
Sodium: 289mg
Protein: 10.1g

Zucchini and Olive Salad

Thanks, WebMD Daily Bite!

Zucchini and Olive Salad

By Dana Treat
WebMD Recipe from Foodily.com

How can something that tastes so amazing be so very simple? Guests show up unannounced and you with nothing to put on the table? No problem. You can whip this dish together in under 15 minutes.

Ingredients

3 medium zucchini, ends trimmed, and sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
1 tbsp. lemon zest
½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and very finely chopped
Olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup basil, julienned
Sea salt

Instructions

Arrange the zucchini in an overlapping pattern either on a rectangular or circular platter.  Scatter the lemon zest and olives evenly over top.  Carefully drizzle with olive oil (use a light hand here, otherwise it will get soggy), and then squeeze lemon juice over the zucchini.  Sprinkle with sea salt and scatter the basil over top.
Inspired by "Bon Appétit"
Total Servings: 4

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Calories: 48
Carbohydrates: 7.7 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Fat: 2.1 g
Fiber: 2.4 g
Sodium: 278 mg
Protein: 2.1g
Sugar: 3.0 g

Chicago Dog Salad

This one looks interesting.  I'd have to substitute some neon-green relish for the sour pickles, though!  And of course sprinkle on some celery salt.  :)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons vinegar, eyeball it
• 1 rounded teaspoon sugar
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 of a 16-ounce sack shredded cabbage blend for slaw salads
• 1 romaine heart, shredded
• 2 vine ripe tomatoes, diced
• 3 large half sour or garlic pickles, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 8 pork or beef hot dogs, cut into 1-inch-thick slices on an angle

Directions

In the bottom of a large bowl, combine mustard, vinegar, sugar, and about 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the onions, cabbage, romaine, tomatoes, and pickles and toss the salad. Season with salt and pepper, adjust seasonings, and reserve.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add in remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (1 turn of the pan) then arrange the sliced dogs in a single layer. Sear them a couple of minutes on each side. Remove to paper towels to drain.

Mound up the salad on plates, top with seared dogs, and serve.

Lebanese Potato Salad

Here's another one I want to try!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds russet potatoes, (about 3 medium)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Preparation

1. Place potatoes in a large saucepan or Dutch oven and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Transfer to a cutting board. Let cool for 20 minutes. Cut the cooled potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces.
2. Whisk lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the potatoes and toss to coat.
3. Just before serving, add scallions and mint to the salad and toss gently.

Tips & Notes

* Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 2; cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Add additional lemon juice and/or salt to taste.

Nutrition

Per serving: 143 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 22 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 3 g protein; 2 g fiber; 153 mg sodium; 516 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (20% daily value), Potassium (15% dv).

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 fat

Lemony Chicken Salad in Tomato Shells

These small, stuffed Roma tomatoes make a colorful and flavorful appetizer. The chicken salad contains celery and toasted almonds, which provides a little crunchiness to the stuffed tomatoes. You can share this recipe with others that are looking for good appetizers to serve.

ingredients

• 3/4 cup finely chopped smoked chicken or turkey
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onion
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise or salad dressing
• 1/4 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 10 to 12 small Roma tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped arugula, watercress, or fresh spinach
• 2 tablespoons chopped toasted almonds

directions

1. For salad, combine smoked chicken or turkey, celery, and green onion in a small mixing bowl. Stir in mayonnaise or salad dressing, lemon peel, lemon juice, and pepper. Cover and chill up to 4 hours. Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the tomato pulp, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells. Place tomato shells, cut sides down, on paper towels to drain. Let stand for 30 minutes.
2. Just before serving, stir watercress, arugula, or spinach and almonds into the chicken mixture. Spoon some salad into each tomato shell. Arrange on a platter. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator up to 1 hour. Makes 20 to 24.

recipe source

BHG.com

Refried Bean Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 Can Refried Beans Tradional
• 1/2 Onion
• 2 Tbl Spoons fat free sour cream
• 1 Tomato
• 1/4 head of lettuce
• 1 oz baked corn chips
• some cilantro
• pam cooking spray

How to Prepare:
shred lettuce, cilantro and dice tomato. Put on plate.crunch up chips put them beside salad.stirfry onion till they look good n ready.Add in can of beans and smash it all up till its hot and smooshable.put beans and onion ontopof chips.top salad and beans with fat free sour cream.  enjoy!

Quick Curry Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 Can of White meat chicken
• Curry powder
• Raisins
• Dried tomatoes
• Mayo
• Jalapeno pepper

How to Prepare:
Smash up a large can of white meat chicken breast in a bowl.add 2 tbls spoons of mild cury powder. some raisins or some other dried fruit diced up. add 2 table spoons of mayoand one diced up chili pepper.and mix all up and spread on toast. if you have some dried tomatoes dice those up and add them in.

Cucumber Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

• One cucumber
• One tomato
• Two green onions
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano or basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill

How to Prepare:
Peel, quarter, and thinly slice cucumber. Coarsely chop tomato. Slice green onions, including green tops. Place in small glass dish.

Pour in vinegar and water. Add salt and pepper to taste, and oregano and dill. Mix thoroughly.

Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Curried Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• 4 cups diced poached chicken breast
• 1/2 cup minced red onion, soaked in cold water for 10 minutes, drained
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh coriander (cilantro)
• 1 heaping tablespoon golden raisins
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, like soy, peanut, or corn
• 1 tablespoon Madras-style curry powder
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon Major Grey's mango chutney, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped cashew nuts or slivered almonds, toasted (optional)

How to Prepare:
In a medium bowl, toss together the chicken, onion, coriander, and raisins.

In a small saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat, add the curry powder, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove pan from the heat and set oil aside to cool.

In a small bowl mix together the curry oil, mayonnaise, lime juice and chutney. Gently fold the chicken mixture into the flavored mayonnaise. Add the nuts, if desired. Serve on a bed of lettuce or in a pita sandwich.

Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon English dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• 2 large vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into 1/4" thick slices
• 1/2lb Mozzarella cheese (preferrably fresh), cut into 1/4" thick slices
• 10 large fresh basil leaves, sliced thin

How to Prepare:
In a small bowl whisk together oil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. On a platter, arrange tomato slices alternately with mozzarella, and top with basil. Drizzle salad with vinaigrette.

Grilled Portobellos with Arugula

Ingredients:

• 2 portobellos, stems removed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• 1 bunch arugula, rinsed and drained
• Parmesan shavings

How to Prepare:
Heat outdoor grill or cast iron grill pan. Gently brush off any dirt from caps. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil and vinegar and season with the salt and pepper. Brush caps with vinegar & oil mixture and place on grill. Cook for 2 minutes per side, or until mushroom is tender. Brush occasionally with vinegar and oil. Drizzle remaining vinegar and oil over arugula. Shave parmesan into greens and toss. Slice grilled portobellos and arrange on top of arugula.

Asian Pear Slaw

Ingredients:

• 2 celery ribs
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
• 2 firm Asian pears, cut into 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced diagonally
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh hot red chile, or to taste

How to Prepare:
Peel strings from celery with a Y-shaped vegetable peeler and cut celery into 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks.

Whisk together juice, vinegar, and ginger and stir in celery and remaining ingredients with salt and pepper, to taste. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

Mesclun Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup olive oil (preferably French) or safflower oil
• 1 lb mesclun (mixed baby salad greens)

How to Prepare:
Whisk together shallot, mustard, and vinegar. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified, and season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, toss salad greens with just enough dressing to coat.

Feel free to create your own mesclun mix. We suggest baby red oakleaf, baby arugula, mâche, and bite-size pieces of Belgian endive, frisée, and radicchio.

Tangy Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp. salt, "divided"
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1/2 tsp. celery salt
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. ground mustard
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
• Dash cayenne pepper

How to Prepare:
Place cucumbers in a strainer; sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. of salt and toss. Let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse and drain well. Place in a large bowl; add tomatoes and onion. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients; pour over cucumber mixture and toss. Cover and refrigerate for several hours. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Larb Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/3 cup fish sauce (nam pla*)
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. Thai roasted chili paste* in oil, or chili-garlic sauce*
• 3/4 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
• 1 1/2 lbs. ground chicken
• 1 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 3 Tbsp. minced fresh lemongrass*
• 1 Tbsp. thinly sliced Thai Chilies* or serrano chilies
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
• 2 small heads Boston lettuce, separated into leaves

How to Prepare:
*Available at Asian markets and some supermarkets nationwide.

Whisk first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl to blend; reserve sauce.

Bring broth to a simmer in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken. Simmer until cooked through, breaking up meat with a spoon, about 8 minutes. Add green onions and next 3 ingredients. Stir until vegetables are tender and most of liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in sauce, cilantro, and mint. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon into lettuce leaves; serve.

Potluck Pasta Turkey Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rotini macaroni
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 3/4 cup light Caesar salad dressing, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper, divided
• 1/2 pound smoked turkey breast, cubed
• 2 medium zucchini cut in strips
• 1 cup cherry tomato halves

How to Prepare:
COOK macaroni in boiling water 10 minutes. Add broccoli and carrots and cook until macaroni is tender, 2 minutes longer. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool.

PLACE macaroni mixture in a bowl or casserole dish. Toss with half of salad dressing and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

LAYER turkey, zucchini and tomatoes on top of macaroni mixture. Drizzle with remaining salad dressing and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

COVER with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Number of Servings: 8

Nutrition Information:
(Per Serving) calories 191
grams fat 6
milligrams cholesterol 15
milligrams sodium 574
grams carbohydrates 17
grams protein 10

Somen Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 package somen noodles, cooked & drained according to package directions
• 2-3 Tbsp sesame oil
• 2 cups shredded/thinly sliced char siu or ham (ie Louis Rich, etc.)
• 1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 4 sheets kim or nori cut into thin slices (use scissors, it's easier)
• 2 eggs for omelette (see below)

Dressing ingredients

• 1/3 cup peanut oil
• 3 Tbsp sesame oil
• 4 Tbsp tamari or shoyu
• 3 Tbsp vinegar (rice or apple cider)
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 3 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds
• 1 small clove garlic, smashed
• 1 slice/piece ginger, smashed

How to Prepare:
1. In a large bowl, toss cooked/rinsed somen with the 3 Tbsp sesame oil and set aside.

2. With the 2 eggs, make an omelette (flat). Remove omelette from pan and slice into long thin strips when cool.

3. Combine dressing ingredients in a bowl or jar, mix well.

4. Top noodles with char siu or ham, green onions, lettuce, shredded kim/nori.

5. Pour dressing over (take out garlic and ginger pieces first) and toss well until all ingredients are mixed thoroughly.

Serve right away.

** This salad keeps well in fridge, just make sure that the noodles are well tossed and coated with oil or else they will stick together. If you make this ahead, don't put kim/nori on the salad. Add kim/nori and dressing right before serving.

Salsa Fresca

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 8 cilantro springs, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

How to Prepare:
In a mixing bowl,combine all ingredients together. Toss thoroughly. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Tiny Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 pints assorted heirloom cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup basil leaves
• Olive oil, to taste
• Balsamic vinegar, to taste
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon oregano leaves

How to Prepare:
1. Cut 3/4 of the tomatoes in half, and place in a bowl. Set whole tomatoes aside for garnish.

2. Arrange basil leaves on each of four plates. Top each with 1/4 of the cut tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Garnish with reserved whole tomatoes, feta cheese, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper.