Category Archives: Vinaigrette/Dressing

Arugula, Apple, and Manchego Salad

July 10, 2020

If you’re not familiar with Manchego, let me introduce you to my favorite cheese! Machego is a Spanish sheep’s milk cheese that is semi-firm and buttery while slightly sweet and nutty. It melts well (think grilled cheese) and is delicious with fruit and nuts, meats (in Spain they often serve it with Serrano ham), or bread/crackers on a cheese board or in a salad. Trader Joe’s and Costco carry versions, but you should be able to find it at most local supermarkets. If you’re looking for more ways to use it I have a handful of other recipes with Manchego here.

This arugula salad was meant as a side dish, but I ended up devouring most of it before dinner made it to the table (and spoiling my appetite hah)! Arugula, crisp apple, toasted sliced almonds, and Manchego are tossed with a light cider-maple vinaigrette. It’s simple and so delicious.

Arugula, Apple, and Manchego Salad

INGREDIENTS

Salad:
5 ounces arugula/baby arugula
1 crisp apple (such as Honey-crisp)
3.5 oz. Manchego, thinly sliced or grated
1/2 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Vinaigrette:
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil (I used grape-seed oil)
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 Tbsp. finely chopped shallot
~1/8 tsp. salt
~1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

  1. Make the vinaigrette by whisking all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
  2. Place the arugula in a serving bowl. Whisk the vinaigrette again until well combined, then add to the salad, little by little, until the greens are well dressed. Right before serving, cut the apple into thin slices and toss into the salad along with the Manchego and almonds. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve immediately.

Serves 2-4 (but can be easily doubled, tripled, etc!).

Adapted from Once Upon a Chef

Spinach, Apple, and Smoked Gouda Salad

June 22, 2020

This has become my go-to salad for BBQ’s, potlucks, and guests. It’s got sweet crunchy apples and red pepper bits, creamy smoked gouda (don’t skip it! regular gouda isn’t as good here), toasted sliced almonds, red onion if you’re into it (I am when I’m not pregnant), and a tangy honey-mustard dressing. It’s just really delicious. The original recipe didn’t use oil in the dressing. I find the flavor is better with some olive oil to mellow out all that Dijon mustard. That being said, the dressing is still potent so a little goes a long way! Feel free to double/triple/etc. the dressing to serve a crowd.

Spinach Apple and Smoked Gouda Salad

INGREDIENTS

baby spinach and/or mixed greens
sweet, crisp apple (such as a honey-crisp), cored and diced
sliced shallot/red onion, to taste (optional)
red bell pepper, diced
smoked Gouda cheese, cubed or grated
sliced almonds, toasted

Honey Mustard Dressing:
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

  1. For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a blender (or you can whisk by hand) and process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  2. For the salad, toss all the salad ingredients together. Add the dressing, to taste, and toss to combine or serve individual servings with the dressing alongside.

Dressing makes enough to serve ~4.

(Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe)

Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad

June 15, 2020

I’ve shared a Cobb salad before – with a spiced chicken rub and honey mustard ranch dressing- and I still LOVE that one. Today’s Cobb Salad is a classic, simpler version. The buttermilk marinade is the secret to super juicy grilled chicken. You can add extra spices to the marinade but it’s great with just the garlic and a pinch of cayenne. I’m not big on blue cheese so I use goat cheese crumbles instead. Avocado is a must. And grilled corn off the cob is a great addition… you’re already heating up the grill so why not throw some fresh corn on with the chicken?! My husband usually complains if I serve a salad as a main dish, but not this one! It’s so protein-packed, it’ll satisfy anyone.

Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad

INGREDIENTS

Grilled Chicken:
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I slice them in half for easy grilling)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp. kosher salt 
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Salad:
3 medium hearts romaine lettuce, chopped (sometimes I use a combo of romaine and spring mix)
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped 
1 cup cherry or regular tomatoes, halved
2 avocados, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese (or blue cheese, feta, cheddar etc.)

Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar 
1/4 cup neutral-flavored oil like grape-seed or canola 
1/4 cup mayonnaise (I use half mayonnaise and half plain Greek yogurt)
1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

  1. Place the chicken in a shallow dish or gallon-size resealable bag. Whisk together the buttermilk, salt, pepper, cayenne (if using), and garlic. Pour the mixture over the chicken, coat well. Cover the dish or seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
  2. Preheat a grill to medium or medium-high and grill the chicken (discard remaining marinade) for 3-4 minutes per side, until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees.
  3. Remove the chicken from the grill and tent with foil for 5-10 minutes before serving.
  4. In a large bowl add the chopped lettuce. Top with bacon, chopped hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, avocados and cheese.
  5. For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until combined (or whisk together in a small bowl).
  6. Drizzle the salad with about 2/3 of the dressing and toss lightly. Add more dressing to taste, if desired.
  7. Serve the grilled chicken topped with the salad (or serve it alongside). You can also chop up the chicken and toss with the other salad ingredients.

Salad adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe, Marinade adapted from Fine Cooking

Roasted Beet, Pistachio, and Goat Cheese Salad

May 16, 2020

roasted beet goat cheese salad

My kids might hate zucchini (in healthy forms, anyway) but they have a thing for beets. Our love for beet salad started when we ordered it at an Italian restaurant and realized how amazing roasted beets are paired with goat cheese! Now I make my own version at home- beets tossed with a sweet honey-orange vinaigrette, goat cheese crumbles, and toasted pistachios- and we can’t get enough!

I usually buy the pre-roasted beets (Love Beets or Trader Joe’s brand) because they’re so convenient, but by all means, you can roast your own beets: Place them in some foil, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap the foil up and bake in a 400 F oven for 40-60 minutes until they are easily pierced with a knife. Let them cool before peeling off the skin. Whichever way you go just BE CAREFUL when you handle the beets- they are a mess and can stain clothing!

Roasted Beet, Pistachio, and Goat Cheese Salad

INGREDIENTS

4-6 roasted beets OR 16 oz. packaged roasted beets, diced
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1-2 tsp. honey, to taste
1/2 tsp. stone ground mustard (this is my favorite, you can sub Dijon but it’s stronger so I’d use 1/4 tsp.)
salt and dash of freshly ground black pepper, to taste
~1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
~1/4 cup toasted pistachios

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a small bowl, whisk to combine the orange juice, olive oil, honey, and mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
  2. Place the beets in a large bowl and pour the dressing over top. Toss to coat. Add the goat cheese and pistachios and gently stir to combine. 

Serves 4.

Wrightwood Grilled Chicken Salad

May 11, 2018

So much has happened since the last time I shared a recipe! Most notably, I’m halfway through the making of baby #3, A BOY!!, which just as with my past pregnancies, has left me all-day nauseous and exhausted ever since we found out. At almost 20 weeks, I’ve found just enough appetite and energy to post an update and finally share one of my favorite things to eat (ever since I had it at Crosby’s Kitchen in our old Chicago neighborhood)!

Clara just turned six this month and started kindergarten last year. Gwen turned two in March and is sweet and talkative. Both girls are incredibly big eaters which makes it fun to cook with and for them! Dustin is still fixing kids teeth and we still live in the Seattle area (which I truly love). And here are a few photos to catch you up…

Now for this salad. I call it the Wrightwood Chicken salad because the restaurant did. They roasted their own rotisserie chicken and served it warm and shredded over a pile of greens, roasted corn, tart cranberries, crunchy almonds, tangy goat cheese and cherry tomatoes, and creamy avocado, all tossed in a sweet citrus vinaigrette. What really put it over the top was the house-made cornbread croutons. I opt for serving the salad with cornbread on the side, but toasting it and crumbling it on top wouldn’t be a bad idea! Not to worry, I’ll be sharing our favorite cornbread recipe shortly.

Wrightwood Grilled Chicken Salad

INGREDIENTS

romaine lettuce, chopped
mixed greens (I like the blend of baby lettuces and spinach)
rotisserie chicken, shredded or torn into chunks
roasted corn (fresh corn, grilled and cut off the cob is best)
sweetened dried cranberries (or cherries!)
sliced almonds, toasted
goat cheese, crumbled (or grated manchego)
cherry tomatoes, halved
avocado, pitted and diced
red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
cornbread, for serving on the side or making croutons to serve on top

Citrus Vinaigrette:
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. honey
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
*Dressing serves 2-4, can easily be doubled, tripled, etc!

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl combine lettuce and salad ingredients.

2. To make the vinaigrette, combine orange juice, vinegar, honey, and Dijon in a medium bowl. While whisking, slowly stream in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Drizzle salad with vinaigrette, toss, and serve (topped with cornbread croutons or cornbread on the side).

Inspired by Crosby’s Kitchen in Chicago, IL.