Paleo Caprese Salad

In the past, when basil and tomatoes were in season, we enjoyed traditional caprese salad with layers of basil, tomatoes, mozzarella, and red onion, all topped with a drizzle of good olive oil and balsamic vinegar. In this paleo version, I replaced the mozzarella with avocado. Instead of the oil and vinegar, I used paleo ranch dressing I made earlier in the week. For a more authentic caprese flavor, you can go with the oil and vinegar.

Serves 3, but easily scaleable.

Ingredients
3 tomatoes, cut into 1/3-inch slices
9-12 large basil leaves
1/4 red onion, sliced thin
1/2-3/4 avocado, peeled, pit removed, and thinly sliced
olive oil
good quality balsamic vinegar
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Dividing evenly among small plates, layer tomato slices, basil leaves, avocado slices, and red onion slices.  Season with salt and pepper.
2. Drizzle with vinegar and oil, or use your favorite paleo dressing.

Late Summer Salad (with Chicken, Squash, Pears, and Pecans)

When on our recent family vacation in South Carolina, I had a very simple but delicious salad. What made it so good was the addition of cinnamon pecans. Although the pecans didn't look like they had anything on them, they had a very subtle but distinct cinnamon flavor. Here is my take on that salad, with a healthy boost of extra ingredients to make it a complete meal. The butternut squash preparation is the most time consuming; you can do it 1-2 days in advance to speed up your dinner prep.

Serves 2-3, with some leftover squash.

Ingredients
1/2 cup pecans, whole
1 Tbsp unsalted, grass-fed butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 2-lb butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 pear
1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp coconut oil (can substitute olive oil)
1/4 cup shallots, sliced thin
3 Tbsp good-quality balsamic vinegar
5 oz mixed salad greens

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. If using coconut oil, add 1 Tbsp to a rimmed baking sheet and place it in the oven for 1-2 minutes or until melted. Carefully remove from oven.
3. Place cubed squash on the baking sheet and toss well to coat with oil. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Roast on center rack for about 20 minutes or until browned on one side. Turn the squash and continue roasting for 5-10 minutes or until soft and toasty. Remove from oven and set aside.
5. While squash roasts, cut pear in half and remove stem and core. A melon-baller works great to remove the core (or use a small spoon). Cut halves in half lengthwise and then slice the quarters into 1/4-inch slices. 
6. Heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add shallot and let it cook, without moving for 3-4 minutes or until one side begins to brown, turn and cook an additional 2 minutes until well browned but not burnt. Remove from pan and set aside.
7. Add pears to the same pan and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until one side starts to lightly brown. Turn, add pecans, 1 Tbsp butter (optional) and 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/8 tsp sea salt. Toss to combine. Continue to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
8. In a medium bowl, add salad greens and drizzle with about 1 tsp olive oil. Toss to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
9. To serve, divide greens evenly between plates. Arrange chicken, squash, pears, pecans, and shallots on top. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar (and additional olive oil, if desired).

Cucumber-Tomato Salad

My children uncovered 10 huge cucumbers and several tomatoes in our garden yesterday. Time to put them to good use! This salad is simple to prepare and very adaptable. I actually made it three times this week! I used what I had on hand, so feel free to switch up the herbs and vegetables you include in your salad. You can also adjust the quantities to your liking. The apple cider vinegar adds a gentle tang to the salad. The whole combination is light and refreshing. I've served this with burgers and with shrimp, but it would also go well with grilled chicken or steak. Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 medium-to-large cucumbers, peeled, seeded, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/3-inch slices
3 medium tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice, or about 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
8-10 large basil leaves, cut in thin ribbons or "chiffonade"
2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
1 tsp snipped fresh chives
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring gently to combine.
2. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let flavors combine.

Salad with Warm Pecan Vinaigrette

While vacationing recently in Kiawah, South Carolina, I had a chef's seasonal salad that was delicious. Here's my version with a tasty pecan vinaigrette. I tried to cut back on the honey but 1 Tbsp is actually needed in order to cut the tang of the vinegar and mustard. The cinnamon and rosemary add a nice and unexpected flavor to this yummy salad. I used the vegetables in my CSA basket and a crisp and slightly tangy apple from the Farmer's Market. This salad is versatile enough to serve alongside just about anything! Note that I julienned a lot of the ingredients when I had a free moment during the day. You can try shredding your veggies in a food processor or cutting them in larger pieces to save time.

Vinaigrette adapted from myrecipes.com.


Serves 4.

Ingredients
Salad
10 ounces mixed salad greens
1/2 cup julienned radish
1/2 cup julienned carrot
1/2 cup julienned apple (use a tart one like Granny Smith)
1/4 cup toasted pecan halves
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
Vinaigrette
2 shallots, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans (I used my Zyliss food chopper.)
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp raw honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4-1/2 cup water

Preparation
Vinaigrette

1. Warm olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute shallots for 3 minutes.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients, starting with 1/4-1/2 cup of water and increasing, if needed to reach your desired consistency. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Salad

1. Toss salad ingredients in a large bowl. Divide evenly among smaller bowls (or serve family style).
2. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to coat.

Salad Nicoise with Seared Tuna

It's a hot one here in Chicagoland! I didn't want to make my poor husband sweat by the grill tonight so I went with a pan-seared tuna to top of this Nicoise salad. As you can see in the photo, I overcooked it a little for my liking; I prefer it more red in the center. Modify the cooking time to your liking. A traditional Nicoise salad uses red new potatoes and haricot verts (French green beans)--paleo no-no's. I substituted thin asparagus and a variety of other vegetables in this version.

Adapted from foodnetwork.com.

Serves 4.

Ingredients
Salad
1 - 1 1/2 lb fresh sushi-quality ahi tuna

1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 head Romaine lettuce, washed and torn
1 can quartered artichokes, drained
1 lb thin asparagus spears, ends trimmed
1 cup Nicoise or oil-cured olives
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (I used a combination of tomatoes I had on hand.)
1 small bunch radishes, ends trimmed, halved, and sliced thin
1/2 sweet red pepper, peeled, cored, thinly sliced and cut into 1-2 inch lengths
8 anchovy  fillets
8 caper berries
small bunch fresh chives, snipped in half
4 large eggs, hard boiled, peeled, and halved lengthwise
Vinaigrette

2 Tbsp Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 Tbsp fresh tarragon leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 lemon, juiced
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preparation
To Blanch Asparagus

1. Cut asparagus spears into 1- to 2-inch pieces. Keep tips separate from stalks.
2. Fill a medium saucepan about 1/2 full of water. Bring water to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Add asparagus stem pieces and boil for 1 minute, add asparagus tips and boil for an additional 1 minute or until crisp-tender and bright green.
3. Pour asparagus into a colander and rinse under very cold water to stop them from cooking. 
4. Refrigerate or set aside.

To Make Vinaigrette

1. Combine parsley, tarragon, and garlic in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. 
2. Add mustard, vinegar, and lemon juice and pulse to combine. 
3. With processor running, slowly add olive oil until dressing emulsifies. 
4. Turn off processor and season with salt and pepper.

To Sear Tuna

1. Warm a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. 
2. Season the tuna with salt and pepper. Spoon the vinaigrette on the tuna and rub a little bit into each side. (Be sure not to contaminate the vinaigrette with the tuna.)
3. Place 1 Tbsp olive oil in hot pan. Working in batches, if necessary, lay the tuna steaks in the pan and sear for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until they reach your desired degree of doneness.
4. Transfer tuna to a cutting board and slice.

To Assemble Salad

1. Divide Romaine evenly among 4 large, shallow bowls or plates.
2. Place artichokes, asparagus, olives, radishes, red peppers, tomatoes, anchovies, capers, and chives in a large mixing bowl. Gently toss to coat.
3. Briefly whisk the vinaigrette to recombine. Add just enough of the vinaigrette to moisten, but not drench, the vegetables. Gently toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Place 1/4 of the tossed salad on top of the Romaine leaves. Carefully fan tuna slices out on top. Arrange 2 halves of egg on the side. (A Nicoise salad is all about presentation.) Drizzle lightly with remaining vinaigrette and serve. Repeat for remaining salads and serve.

Chicken Chopped Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette

What to make on a hot summer night? Chicken chopped salad. You can use up whatever is in your refrigerator for this recipe. I like to include chicken, but if you have leftover steak or salmon, that would work well, too. Just be sure to include an animal protein. Chop up whatever you have on hand and top it all with the delicious white balsamic vinaigrette. Don't let the word "salad" fool you--this is a hearty meal!

Serves 4.

Ingredients
1/2 head iceburg lettuce
1 large bunch Romaine lettuce, or mixed greens
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
meat from 1 rotisserie chicken, diced
1 English cucumber, diced
3 large carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
8 slices of bacon, cooked crispy and diced
1/2 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
4 mini or 1 medium bell pepper (red, yellow, orange, or green)
4 green onions, white and green parts, sliced thin
4 oz mushrooms, cleaned and diced
white balsamic vinaigrette

Preparation

1. Chop or tear lettuces into bite-sized pieces. Mix together and evenly distribute among 4 large salad bowls.
2. Add remaining ingredients (except dressing), as pictured, forming a wheel pattern.
3. Just before serving, drizzle with white balsamic vinaigrette. Each person can toss salad ingredients together just before eating.

Antipasto Chopped Chicken Salad

This awesome recipe originated with my ultra-talented friend, Nicole, who has her own amazing (although non-paleo) cooking blog. With a couple of substitutions, I morphed her recipe into this delicious paleo salad. To quote my husband, "This is the best chopped salad I've ever had!" He's requested that I keep the yummy salad dressing on hand for lunch salads. This meal is definitely hearty enough for dinner. I made the dressing using a food processor, but you can also make it using a whisk. Let me know if you enjoyed this recipe as much as we did!

Adapted from The Galley Gourmet.


Serves 6 (main).

Vinaigrette
Ingredients
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp shallots
2 tsp garlic
2 tsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp paleo mayonnaise
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. In a blender or food processor, combine the vinegar, shallots, garlic, mustard, and mayonnaise. Process to combine.
2. With the processor running, slowly add the oil in a steady stream to emulsify.
3. The vinaigrette can be made and kept refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-5 days.

Salad

Ingredients

3 cups cooked chicken, shredded

1 bunch basil, thinly sliced

2 heads Romaine lettuce, julienned

5 oz dry Italian salame, julienned

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup cucumber, halved, seeded, and diced

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut in 1/2 inch dice

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced

1 - 2 Tbsp coconut or olive oil

Preparation

1. Roast butternut squash, tossed with melted coconut oil or olive oil, in a 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from oven and let cool.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the shredded chicken and basil with 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette.
3. Arrange the lettuce on each serving plate, or on a large platter if serving family style.
4. On top of the lettuce, arrange the chicken and basil mixture, salame, tomatoes, cucumber, squash, and avocado.
5. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
6. Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve, passing the remaining vinaigrette on the side.

Kale Chopped Salad with Red Hot Dressing

I had some kale on hand, just had my knives sharpened, and was in the mood for something Mexican. I played around with a dressing we frequently use on our salads to come up with this recipe. The key ingredient? You guessed it: Frank's Red Hot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce. The salad comes together quickly if you've got the right tools. The professional multi-chopper from Williams Sonoma is indispensable when you've got lots of chopping to do. The ingredients are simple but feel free to use up what's in your fridge. You really can't go wrong. I usually like my kale cooked but by chopping it really small, it works great raw in this salad. Note that the kale cannot be chopped in the multi-chopper. To make it a complete meal, just add in some rotisserie chicken or leftover steak.

I served this with blackened cod. You can serve it with the fish of your choice, seasoned with salt and pepper or your favorite spices.

Serves 6 - 8 for a side dish.

Ingredients
Salad
1 bunch kale, cleaned and patted dry with tough ends removed
1 mango, peeled and pitted
1 cucumber, ends removed
1 sweet red pepper, cored
1 yellow pepper, cored
1 red onion, peeled and ends removed
1 avocado, peeled and pitted

Dressing
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp hot sauce
juice of 1 lemon
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. For salad, finely chop each ingredient, separately. Combine, stirring gently, in a large bowl.
2. For dressing, combine all ingredients, stirring with a whisk to combine.
3. Toss salad dressing with salad about 5 minutes before serving.
4. If you will not be using all of the salad, just remove and dress the portion you will serve immediately. Save the undressed salad and add dressing just before eating. It will keep the salad ingredients fresh and crisp.

CABOW Salad

This dish was inspired by a lunch I had recently at a local cafe. My version is called the CABOW for Chicken Apple Bacon Onion Walnut. Anything with bacon and onions works for me. The honey mustard is an excellent complement. If you are not doing honey, the mustard works on its own.

Serves 3-4.

Ingredients
3 cups rotisserie chicken or 3 cooked chicken breasts, chopped
2 medium onions, ends trimmed, halved lengthwise, and sliced with the grain
1/2 large or one small apple, cored and chopped into large pieces
9 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 Tbsp grass-fed butter
1 tsp coconut oil
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup raw honey (optional)
1/4 cup Dijon mustard

Preparation

1. Fry chopped bacon in large skillet. Remove bacon, reserving 1 - 2 Tbsp bacon fat in the pan.
2. While bacon is frying, add 1 Tbsp butter and 1 tsp coconut oil to another pan over medium-low heat. Add onions and saute for about 30 minutes, until very soft and light brown. Do not set heat too high or onions will burn. If you want to make the onions ahead and keep them on hand, check out this great recipe for caramelized onions. For the CABOW, you do not need to completely caramelize the onions; sauteing them for even half of the time gives a great flavor.
3. Whisk honey and mustard together in a small bowl,
4. Add chicken, walnuts, grilled onions, and bacon back to skillet. Toss to combine and heat for 2 - 3 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and add apples. Stir to combine.
6. Scoop about 1/3 of the mixture onto a plate.
7. Serve with honey mustard.