Recipe for Green Bean, Tomato, and Feta Salad Oreganato

I loved everything about this easy salad with green beans, tomatoes, and Feta!

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and this amazing Green Bean, Tomato, and Feta Salad Oreganato is something I would happily eat over and over all summer long.  If you have green beans in your garden, please make this salad right away before the beans are gone!)

Yes, I know there have been a lot of salads and garden vegetables around here lately, but when I made this salad with green beans, tomatoes, feta cheese, and a vinegary-lemony-oregano dressing, I loved it so much that I thought I should share the recipe while people still had garden green beans. I actually found this recipe in a Woman's World Magazine when I sat waiting for an appointment, and I got the receptionist to photocopy the page for me! I added the the Feta, which I thought was a perfect flavor with this salad, but what really makes this is the tangy dressing that has both red wine vinegar and fresh lemon juice. If you have garden beans or good fresh beans from the store, please make this salad!

Click to continue reading

Kalyn's Kitchen Picks: Bel Gioioso Sliced Fresh Mozzarella

Make Caprese Salad prep a little easier with this mozzarella that comes already sliced!

I love fresh mozzarella, especially in the summer when it pairs so perfectly with fresh tomatoes and fresh basil in different takes on Caprese Salad.  For years the only thing I didn't like about this creamy summer cheese was how hard it was to slice.  Then sometime in the last couple of years I bought a two pack of Bel Gioioso Fresh Mozzarella (from Costco) and when I got it home I noticed the word "Sliced" on the package.   I guess it doesn't take too much to get me excited, because I was thrilled about discovering the pre-sliced mozzarella!  This year I've bought this sliced fresh mozzarella over and over and I decided it's time to officially give it the nod as one of my Kalyn's Kitchen Picks, the series of posts where I spotlight my favorite products.

Click to continue reading

Sliced Tomato, Olive and Goat Cheese Salad with Onion-Caper Vinaigrette

I love this salad with sliced tomatoes, kalamata olives, goat cheese, and onion-caper vinaigrette!

(Updated with new photos and step-by-step directions, August 2013.)  At this time of year some people are thinking about fall foods, but I always start remembering how that fresh-from-the-garden produce will only be around for about another month, and I want to eat tomato salads and zucchini dishes as often as I can!  This year I don't have as much garden produce, which is making me savor it all the more when friends or family member share tomatoes, zucchini, and cucumbers with me.  This Sliced Tomato, Olive and Goat Cheese Salad with Onion-Caper Vinaigrette from 2006 is adapted from a recipe in The Low Carb Gourmet by Karen Barnaby, a fabulous cookbook whether or not you're into lower-carb eating. I think this combination of capers, chopped red onion, Kalamata olives, goat cheese, and balsamic vinegar goes perfectly with fresh tomatoes, but if one of those doesn't appeal to you, substitute ingredients to fit your own taste and this will still be delicious.  (And if you'd like to join me in stretching out summer, check after the main recipe for a lot more tomato salad ideas!)

Click to continue reading

Baby Kale Caprese-Style Salad with Fresh Mozzarella, Tomatoes, and Basil

I loved this baby kale salad with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil.

School starts tomorrow in the district where I used to teach, so I'm definitely having that feeling of wanting to hang on to summer.  Besides the hot weather, I also love the fresh flavors of summer and every year I miss them when they're gone.  This Baby Kale Caprese Salad with Fresh Mozzarella, Tomatoes, and Basil is a spin-off on everyone's favorite summer Caprese salad that combines tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella.  I marinated the mozzarella cubes in a balsamic and herb dressing and used a generous amount of fresh basil leaves mixed with the baby kale, and this was a salad that helped me capture those summer flavors for just a bit longer.

Click to continue reading

Recipe for Spicy Cannellini Bean Salad with Tuna, Peperoncini, and Parsley

This slightly-spicy take on white bean and tuna salad is perfect to take to work for a tasty lunch!

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and this Spicy Cannellini Bean Salad with Tuna, Peperoncini, and Parsley is something I would enjoy for lunch any time of year.  If you have fresh parsley in your garden, give this a try!)

I made this Spicy Cannellini Bean Salad with Tuna over and over this summer, after I got infatuated with peperoncini, those slightly hot and spicy peppers that come in a jar with brine. It's definitely a variation of my White Bean Salad with Tuna and Parsley, and the first few times I made this, it was just for lunch, with no thought of blogging the recipe. Then when I realized I'd made it for the third time, I decided the the addition of peperoncini added such a kick to this salad that maybe some other peperoncini-lovers out there would like to try it. If you're a South Beach dieter who's looking for things you can make ahead and take to work for your lunch, this salad would be a perfect option for that too.

Click to continue reading

Lemony Shrimp Salad with Avocado, Heart of Palm, and Feta

This Lemony Shrimp Salad with Avocado, Heart of Palm, and Feta was a definite winner!

Shrimp Salad is a family tradition with the Dennys, and my Shrimp and Macaroni Salad is something I used to make regularly for my dad, as well as making it for family parties for many years.  There are also other good shrimp salads on the blog, but I wouldn't dare substitute any of them for Shrimp and Macaroni Salad at a family gathering.  Until now.  This Lemony Shrimp Salad with Avocado, Heart of Palm, and Feta was so satisfying that I think most of my family would happily devour it.  (There are a couple of people in the family who hate avocados, go figure.)  The day I tested this recipe with Jake, we tried it out on a friend who stopped by, and she gave it two very enthusiastic thumbs up.  I'm sure I'll never stop making Shrimp and Macaroni Salad for my family, but when I want a phase one treat with shrimp, this is the salad I'll be making.

Click to continue reading

Recipe for Julienned Zucchini Vegan Bowl with Peanut-Sriracha Sauce

Julienned Zucchini Vegan Bowl with Peanut-Sriracha Sauce is a perfect Meatless Monday dinner.

Even though I recently posted my collection of 50 Amazing Zucchini Recipes, a wonderful friend keeps bringing me zucchini, so I keep experimenting with it.  Ever since I got a Julienne Cutter a couple of summers ago, I've been having fun with easy-to-make zucchini "noodles" and this was another recipe where I used thin little strips of zucchini as a stand-in for pasta, topped with peanut-Sriracha sauce this time.  I added some diagonally sliced sugar snap peas, thin strips of red bell pepper, cilantro, and a few chopped peanuts, but you could add most any type of raw vegetable that would taste good with a spicy peanut sauce.

Click to continue reading