Orzo Salad with Asparagus and Tomatoes

Tags

artichokes, asparagus, feta, orzo, salad, side dish, tomato

This snowy, coldness is getting on my nerves. I don’t want to be stuck inside any more. I am craving some “trail therapy” and the smell of the woods. Fresh produce and the bright flavors of spring. Until then, I will just do my best to create the illusion of such things. This salad reminds me of summer picnics and my gardening. How many more days until spring??

Orzo Salad with Asparagus and Tomatoes

• 12 oz. orzo
• 1 bunch fresh asparagus with woody ends removed
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• Marinated artichoke hearts, halved
• 2 Tbs. fresh parsley, minced
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• Feta
• Vinaigrette of preference (bottled or homemade)

Bring a pot of water with salt added to a boil. Cook the orzo per package directions. Drain and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a cookie sheet, add the asparagus. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast until just turning bright green. Remove from the oven and cut into 1 inch pieces.

In a bowl, combine the orzo, asparagus, tomato halves, feta, parsley, and vinaigrette. Toss until evenly mixed. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Can serve room temperature or cold. Serves 6.

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Arugula Salad with Prosciutto, Pomegranate, and Feta

Tags

arils, arugula, feta, gluten free, pomegranate, prosciutto, salad, walnuts

I listen to the America’s Test Kitchen podcast every week. I love that show! Practical advice, interesting interviews, and excellent audience interaction. I always learn something I didn’t know. A couple of weeks ago, the Test Kitchen reviewed prosciutto, an Italian ham that is dry cured in salt for at least 9 months. Apparently not all prosciutto is the same. Some American commercially sold prosciutto has ingredients similar to salami, which of course alters the pure umami flavor. The Test Kitchen tried several different brands and found that the prosciutto with the least number of ingredients (two – pork and salt) were the best. Luckily, Boar’s Head, the only brand available to me, is made of just those ingredients. The saltiness of the meat and feta is offset nicely by the sweetness of the pomegranate, the spiciness of the arugula, and the buttery walnuts.

Arugula Salad with Prosciutto, Pomegranate, and Feta

• 2 cups of arugula
• 2 slices of prosciutto, torn into bite size pieces
• 1/4 cup pomegranate arils
• 1/8 cup feta crumbles
• 1/8 cup toasted English walnuts
• Pomegranate Vinaigrette

On a plate, lay out the arugula. Top with the prosciutto pieces, pomegranate arils, feta crumbles and the walnuts. Dress with pomegranate vinaigrette. Serves 1 but could easily be multiplied.

Pomegranate, Kale, and Wild Rice Salad with Walnuts and Feta

Tags

appetizer, feta, gluten free, kale, pomegranate, salad, vegetarian, walnut, wild rice

It is so cold here!! A record low of 24 today! All I can do is shake my head and seek solace in food. But as I mentioned earlier, I don’t want to gain extra weight before the holiday eats. This salad is delicious, low calorie, and easy to assemble. If I was hosting Thanksgiving this year, I might consider serving a small version of this as first course.

Pomegranate Kale, and Wild Rice Salad with Walnuts and Feta (from Pinch of Yum)

• 1 cup pomegranate seeds
• 2 cups chopped baby kale
• 2 cups cooked wild rice
• ¼ cup toasted walnuts
• ¼ cup feta cheese
• Pomegranate Vinagrette or this onion dressing

Prepare your salad ingredients and separate into 4 bowls. Top with desired amount of dressing.

Look how beautiful the salad is up close!

Quinoa and Black Beans with Pomegranate Salsa

Tags

black beans, feta, food, main dish, Mexican, pomegranate, quinoa, salsa, vegetarian

I am totally in love with this dish! I have had it about 10 times since it was originally posted by So Hungry I Could Blog. Sarah says it was created from things in the kitchen because it was too cold and miserable to go to the grocery. It sounds much like our Kentucky winter.

This dish combines all the things I love- healthy foods, fresh flavors, and ease of preparation. When I eat it, I don’t feel like I am stuck eating sticks and twigs to get my daily dose of nutrients. I feel like I am eating a huge bowl of deliciousness. And I want to eat it every week. Try it and you will too!

Quinoa and Black Beans with Pomegranate Salsa

For the salsa:

• 2/3 cup pomegranate arils (You could use mangoes or add tomatoes)
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and membranes removed then minced
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 1 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 2 tsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.

For the quinoa and black beans:

• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 can or 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup feta, crumbled

In a small saute pan, add the olive oil, onion, and garlic. When the onions are translucent, add the black beans, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Heat through for another 2 to 5 minutes.

Distribute the quinoa and black bean mixture between two bowls. Top with the pomegranate salsa and feta. Serves 2.

Tapas Week Part 4: Five Layer Greek Dip

Tags

dip, feta, greek, healthy, hummus, layered, olives, vegetarian

Things here in Kentucky have been a mess. It’s been bitter cold. Miserably snowy and windy. We had a funeral to attend earlier this week. Because of the 5 inches of snow that made the roads an absolute mess, we were about 30 minutes late. When we went to the graveside, we had to climb a big hill, through the snow and wind, holding on to the old people to keep them from sliding off the hill.

Today is the first day I have had time to sit down and blog. It’s cold and snowy again. I am thankful to be inside in the warm and safe. It has given me time to catch up on reading the blogs I follow and to write posts for the next couple of days. I hope your Saturday is a good one. And thank you for being understanding about my absence. I have missed you!

Other posts in Tapas Week:

Tapas Week Part 1: Wild Mushroom Pierogies

Tapas Week Part 2: Crispy Spicy Black Eyed Peas

Tapas Week Part 3: Apple Bites With Bacon and Jalapeno Cream Cheese

Five Layer Greek Dip

• Servings: 4-6
• Time: 15 minutes max
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

• 1 (7-ounce) package of hummus
• 4 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped cucumbers
• 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives (you could use another variety if you prefer)
• Pita chips or veggies for dipping

Spread hummus onto bottom of 9-inch pie plate. Layer the ingredients evenly over the hummus in the following order: feta, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives. Refrigerate until serving but don’t make too far in advance because the tomatoes and cucumbers give off moisture the longer they sit.

Fattoush Salad

Tags

cucumbers, fattoush, feta, Mediterranean, olives, onions, salad, vegetarian

This salad is my new favorite!! LOVE IT! It is like a flavor explosions in your mouth. I am obsessed with it now. I could eat a huge bowl of this every day. Now I know that it is not totally traditional. I don’t have purslane and sumac. Maybe one day I’ll have it the “real” way but until then I will be perfectly content to eat my own version.

Fattoush Salad

• Parm and garlic pita chips (omit for gluten free)
• Romaine lettuce
• A couple of slices of Vidalia onion
• 5 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 5 English cucumber slices
• Kalamata olives
• 2 tbsp coarsely chopped mint leaves
• 2 tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 tbsp coarsely chopped parsley leaves
• 1/8 cup feta cheese
• Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette

Wash and tear up the romaine leaves. Top with your sliced onion, tomatoes, cucumber, mint, cilantro, parsley, olives and feta. Crumble up your desired amount of pita chips. Drizzle the desired amount of lemon garlic vinaigrette over the salad. Serves 1.

Spinach, Feta & Potato Latkes

Tags

feta, food, latkes, potato, side dish, spinach, vegetarian

I love potato latkes. I usually use this recipe but I wanted to mix it up a bit. Honestly, they were pretty good but not better. The spinach and feta flavor was not as prominent as I had hoped. Maybe I will do a little tweaking of the recipe and try it again. What do you think? Any suggestions? On the plus side, they are very pretty!

Spinach, Feta, and Potato Latkes (recipe from here)

• 1 pound russet potatoes
• 1/3 cup onion, minced
• 4 green onions, just the green parts, diced
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
• 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 cup baby spinach, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Peel and grate the potatoes. In a brown or other dark kitchen towel (potato juice stains), add the grated potatoes. Wring the potatoes out, removing as much liquid as possible. In a bowl, combine the potatoes with the onion, green onions, eggs, dill, feta, spinach, salt, pepper and flour.

Preheat oil in an iron skillet until hot. Form the potato mixture into a patty shape and add to the hot oil. Fry until golden brown on each side. Drain on paper towels to remove extra oil. Keep warm in a preheated oven. Serve with tzatziki or katsup. 

Roasted Vegetable, Feta and Olive Couscous Salad

Tags

couscous, feta, olives, roasted vegetables, salad, vegetarian

This salad is another great way to get those veggies into your diet. If you left out the cheese, it would be vegan. I love the sweet goodness of the veggies when pared with the saltiness of the cheese and olives.

Roasted Vegetable, Feta, and Olive Couscous Salad (inspired by Frugal Feeding)

• 3/4 cup couscous
• 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 small zucchini, cut in large dice
• 2 small white onions, roughly chopped
• Olive oil
• Salt
• A handful of kalamata olives
• A handful of feta cubes
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• Juice of ½ a lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees  Toss peppers, zucchini, and onion in a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring at the 15 minute mark. Prepare couscous according to package directions. Allow the orzo to cool a bit before adding in the roasted vegetables, olives, feta, parsley, and lemon juice. Mix well. Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Chickpea, Feta, and Parsley Salad

Tags

chickpeas, feta, gluten free, parsley, salads, side, vegetarian

I have always loved herbs. Even before I cooked or gardened, I grew herbs. Every year I add more to the collection. This year I have lavender, sage, oregano, rosemary, basil, cilantro, thyme, parsley, dill, scallions, garlic, and tarragon. Herbs add such a fresh pop of flavor that you can’t get from anything else. If I grow nothing else, I will always grow herbs.

This salad is perfect in it’s simplicity and healthfulness. The chickpeas are high in protein, fiber, and iron. The feta has calcium and more protein. Parsley is super low cal and full of vitamins A and C. A much better accompaniment than potato chips or fries to your meal. I served this salad with Balsamic Bruschetta Chicken.

One Year Ago: Enchilada Verde with Mexican Rice

Chickpea, Feta, and Parsley Salad (from Simple Provisions)

• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3/4 tbsp olive oil
• Pinch red chili flakes
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 scallions, green part only, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 3 oz of feta
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil and cook the onion till lightly golden. Add garlic and chili. Cook till the garlic is fragrant. Set aside to cool so it doesn’t melt the feta when you mix it in.

Drain the chickpeas, rinse and place in the salad bowl. Add crumbled feta, scallions, parsley and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Add the cooled onion, garlic mixture, and remaining oil; mix well. Refrigerate then serve. Serves 3 to 4.

Bulgur Salad with Grapefruit and Feta

Tags

bulgur, feta, Mediterranean, salad, side, vegetarian

Another quick lunch thrown together with ingredients I had on hand. This was my first time using bulgur. I am a fan! Love the texture, love it’s versatility. I can’t wait to try it in other ways. What is your favorite bulgur recipe?

Bulgur Salad with Grapefruit and Feta

• 1/2 cup dry bulgur, cooked according to package directions
• 1/2 grapefruit, segmented
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 8 kalamata olives, halved
• 1/8 cup feta cheese crumbles
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• Juice and zest of one lemon
• 1 tsp cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste

Allow the bulgur to cool as you prep the other ingredients. Combine the ingredients and serve. Makes 2 servings for a side salad or 1 large serving for a main dish.