Zucchini Cranberry Walnut Salad

I have this love fest for Aldi's Grocery Little Salad Bar brand Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad shown below. When my sisters, Bebeng and Menchie (shown below with Maddie my granddaughter) came for a visit this month, they also found this salad irresistible.  So much so they made sandwiches out of this salad to take with them on their airplane ride to Los Angeles.  Luckily they left me with one full container of this awesome salad which I ate with gusto.

I had been off my plant based diet when my dear sisters were here and I have decided to go back to this approach to eating.  For one thing I have not had a cold or flu since I adapted this way of eating and I want to stick to it.  I am a believer.  Anyway I could not get this chicken salad off my mind especially during lunch. What is key to this salad is the combination of the ingredients and I thought that as long as I could mimic the delicious dressing, substituting some kind of veggie with a crunch for the chicken might work.

I resorted to using good old zucchini.  It has a neutral taste and good crunchy texture.  I added nuts, walnut, in this recipe and dried cranberries that give the salad its distinct personality and deliciousness. I used light Miracle Whip but one can use plant based mayo.  I just have this love fest with Miracle Whip. I added rice vinegar which gave the dressing an added tang.

Did I miss the chicken?  Of course there is nothing like having chicken pieces but you know what with the delicious dressing, the nuts, cranberries and crunch of the zucchini, you will fall in love with this vegetarian version like I did. Try it.

Zucchini Cranberry Walnut Salad

• 1 large zucchini, cubed 
• 1/2 cup walnut
• 1/2 cup sweet dried cranberries
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup light Miracle Whip
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp nutritional yeast
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.  Serve over lettuce or over lettuce lined bread or as it is as a salad.

Spinach Nectarine Salad with Naked Veggie Wontons

I had a salad recently that had two ingredients that you would ordinarily savor separately as its own dish, ramen noodles and potstickers.  They were combined with spinach and orange slices to comprise an oriental themed dish that surprisingly worked.   I had this delicious salad shown below during the July meeting of the Book Club at the McGinnis Sisters Specialty Store in Monroeville PA. It was prepared by the creative Karen Novak, the specialty store Events Coordinator. 

In my version of this Asian salad, the potstickers have been replaced by Naked Veggie Wontons , shown below. I did not feel like waiting for the wonton wrappers to thaw that I had frozen in the freezer so I decided that they go naked.  I also wanted to do away with the meat and opted for veggie filled ones that I would bake.  I was pretty lazy the day I made this.

I also substituted nectarines for the orange slices and made my own sesame dressing instead of a store bought one.

I had a very satisfying lunch savoring this oriental themed salad which recreated what I enjoyed during our Book Club July meeting featuring Yvonne Phillips who spoke about Feng Shui.

Naked Veggie Wontons

• 1/4 cabbage
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 2 stalks celery
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger
• 1/2 pack soft tofu (or any type will do)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the cabbage, carrots, celery, garlic and ginger in the order given in the Vita Mix blender or any blender or food processor.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the tofu and mix with the other ingredients with a large spoon. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix with a large spoon. 

Line a pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.  Using a small ice cream scoop make small balls and place in the pan. Bake the naked wontons in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Flip the wontons half way through the baking.

Spinach Nectarine Salad with Naked Veggie Wontons

• 8 oz Fresh Spinach leaves
• 2 nectarines, sliced
• 2 packages ramen noodles cooked without seasoning
• 16 pieces naked veggie wontons (recipe above)
• Orange sesame dressing (recipe below)

Distribute the ingredients in four bowls and pour dressing before serving.

Orange Sesame Dressing 

• 2 cups orange juice
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 8 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a jar and cover with lid.  Shake till well blended.

Watermelon Spinach Tofu Rice Bowl with Gochujang Dressing

What to do with your watermelon?  Try this watermelon spinach tofu rice bowl with a unique gochujang dressing.  A salad to spice up your summer picnics.

Watermelon Spinach Tofu Rice Bowl with Gochujang Dressing

Around 4 servings

Gochujang Dressing

• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp gochujang (available in any Asian store)
• 2 tsp sesame oil

Tofu and Salad

• 4 oz firm Tofu, cut into 4-1/3 inch rectangles
• 2 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp Garlic Powder
• 2 cups Spinach Leaves
• 2 cups watermelon Pieces cut into cubes
• 2 cups Brown Rice
• Black Sesame Seeds (Optional)
• Gochujang (optional)

Gochujang Dressing

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and thoroughly blend using a fork or use a blender.

Tofu and Salad

Spray a saute pan with cooking spray.  Heat to medium high heat and place the tofu slices, soy sauce and garlic powder and heat the tofu till browned but not burnt.  Flip and repeat with the other side.  

Distribute the brown rice, tofu, spinach leaves and watermelon pieces into 4 bowls.  Pour the Gochujang dressing over the rice salad bowl.  Sprinkle with black sesame seeds.   You can place a dot of Gochujang on top of the tofu slice if you like.

Indian Baingan Bharta Rice Salad Bowl

I want flavor in my rice bowl.  Sometimes I am in the mood for Italian and I reach for pesto. Sometimes I crave something Asian and I go for Hoisin sauce.  Lately I have been satisfying my yearning for spicy Indian flavors. Luckily. I found some packaged microwaveable vegetarian food at Patel Brothers Grocery Store.

One is Baingan Bharta, a spicy eggplant dish. I place a tablespoon of it in my rice salad bowl like you would pesto and that gives that punch into an ordinary bowl of same oh same rice veggie bowl.

Below are photos of the package giving this dish' ingredients and nutritional breakdown.

I resort to this packaged food to give my plant based eating some variety and excuse the pun, spice. Give it a try. It cost about two dollars but a package lasts for several servings and meals.

Indian Baingan Bharta 

• Brown rice, cooked
• Spinach leaves, fresh
• Grape tomatoes, sliced
• Cucumber, sliced
• Radishes, sliced
• Baingan Bharta, microwaved

Arrange the ingredients in a large serving bowl. The amounts and types of vegetable is flexible.  You need only a tablespoon of the Baingan Bharta so start with that amount. It is spicy and so good no need for a dressing in your salad.

Tinapa't Tops Salad

                


This recipe was taken from the glossy Filipino food magazine Breakfast Magazine and was prepared by Chef Kalel Chan. This was recreated for me by my talented and beautiful sister-in-law Pinky during my visit to the Philippines last year.

Pinky is on the right with her daughters, Roxanne and Bea and granddaughter, Gelay,  during their recent tour of Japan.  

One can substitute spinach or kale for all three unfamiliar sounding vegetables mentioned in the recipe, kangkong, kamote tops and alugbati. As for the salted eggs one can just use hard boiled eggs and add salt to the dressing. Tinapa is an example of salted fish you can use and is available in Asian stores.



Tinapa't Tops Salad

(Kalel Chan from Breakfast Magazine)

20 grams kangkong, blanched
20 grams kamote tops, blanched
20 grams alugbati, blanched
20 grams tomato, julienned
10 grams red onion, sliced
5 grams smoked fish meat (example tinapa available from Asian stores)

For the dressing
1 piece small salted egg
3/4 cup olive oil
White sugar to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Blend all the ingredients till smooth

Assembly

Pour a small amount of dressing on a plate.
Arrange blanched leaves in the middle.
Add tomatoes and onions randomly.
Garnish with roasted bits of small fish.

Grilled Salmon over Spinach and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Citrus Dressing

Are you running of ideas for a meatless meal to serve this Lenten Friday? Here is an easy, delicious and healthy alternative to the boxed frozen fish options you have been resorting to.

The grilled salmon has been flavored with the Turkish spice rub I have published previously transforming it to a tasty and a not so overwhelmingly spicy dish. In the picture above, it is served over spinach and roasted butternut salad with citrus dressing, the recipe of which I posted recently.  You can however use any salad you like.

This beautiful meal will surely kick your Lenten Friday meatless meal a notch.

Grilled Salmon over Spinach and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Citrus Dressing

(Inspired by this recipe) 

4 pieces of salmon
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp turkey spice rub (recipe here)
1 tbsp oil

Place salt and pepper on each salmon.  Coat each salmon with the turkey spice rub.  Heat the oil in a saute pan at medium heat.  Pan fry the salmon in the heated pan.  Serve over the Spinach and Roasted Squash Salad with Citrus Dressing or your favorite salad.

Asian Pineapple Cashew Salad with Oven Fried Quinoa

I always wondered how I could crisp quinoa for a salad without using oil to adhere to my plant based approach to eating.  As I was browsing Oh My Veggies, I spotted a recipe for Baked Fried Brown Rice.  I decided to try their approach to "frying" using the oven in crisping the quinoa of my dreams.  I used a shorter baking time, 25 minutes versus almost an hour in their case.  I really love the resulting Asian flavored quinoa. It was crispy and oh so tasty.  I almost devoured the whole batch I made before I could use it for a salad.

I used 1/4 of the prepared oven fried quinoa per serving.  I am using it more like a topping rather than a stand alone side dish in this recipe but you can.  I also added crushed pineapple to the salad to enhance the Asian twist to the salad.  The cashews and sliced radishes add crunchiness enhancing the taste and texture of the salad as you eat it.  For the dressing, I used the pineapple juice from the drained crushed pineapple in combination with rice wine vinegar and a little sugar, salt and pepper.  This dressing is a keeper and can be used for your other salads.  The salad itself you will devour like I did and you might just have to prepare more.

Asian Pineapple Cashew Salad with Oven Fried Quinoa

4 servings

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 stalk green onions, sliced and the white and green parts separated
• 2 tbsp cashew
• 1/4 cup sliced radishes
• 1 bag salad greens
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained but save juice for dressing
• 1/4 cup crushed pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar or to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a pan with aluminum foil and spray with non cooking spray.

Preparing the oven fried quinoa.  Add the white part of the green onions to the quinoa.  Add the soy sauce to the mixture and mix with a fork.  Add to the prepared pan and bake at the preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Preparing the dressing.  Mix the pineapple juice, rice wine vinegar and sugar in a small dish.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Preparing the salad.  Place the salad greens in a bowl and top with the oven fried quinoa, cashew, radishes, the green part of the green onions and crushed pineapple.  Douse with the prepared dressing before eating.  Enjoy.  

Spinach and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Citrus Dressing

I like butternut squash for two reasons, oh make it three.  It is delicious, nutritious and I do not have to store it in the refrigerator.  It keeps for weeks on my kitchen table without me worrying if it will rot.  I can microwave, boil or roast them in the oven.  Not a prima donna of a vegetable this butternut squash.  

Not only are they convenient to have and prepare, butternut squash has many poly-phenolic antioxidants and vitamins.  It has more vitamin A than that found in a pumpkin.  It is rich in B-complex of vitamins like folates, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-2, thiamine and pantothenic acid.  Knowing this makes me buy this squash every time I go to Aldis Grocery store where they cost less than 2 dollars each.  

 For this salad, I decided to roast the neck of the squash and used the main body for another dish.  This part of the squash is easy to peel and has no seeds at all.  I actually used the Turkish spice rub I posted previously in a past post to flavor the squash and roasted it in the oven even without any oil to adhere to my plant based approach to eating.  I used the roasted butternut squash for my spinach salad which I doused with a plant based citrus dressing.  With walnuts, cranberries and red onions, the resulting salad was very satisfying in itself.  It is equally good in complementing the grilled salmon we had that night as a side salad.

Spinach and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Citrus Dressing

4 servings

Roasted Butternut Squash  

• the neck part of the butternut squash, peeled, cut in half and then to pieces
• salt and pepper
• 2 tsp Turkish Spice Rub (optional)

Citrus Dressing

• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp chopped dry thyme leaves
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

Salad

• 1 small bag of spinach, prewashed
• 1/2 small red onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• Roasted Butternut Squash

To roast the butternut squash.  Place salt and pepper on both sides of the butternut slices.  Then sprinkle on both sides of the butternut slices the Turkish Spice Rub if using.  Roast in a preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 minutes.

To prepare the citrus dressing.  Place all the ingredients for the dressing in a small jar with a lid.  Shake with the lid on till the mixture is thoroughly mixed.

To assemble the salad.  Place a bed of spinach on the plate top with the red onion slices, walnuts, dried cranberries and roasted butternut squash.  Douse the citrus dressing over the salad when ready to eat it.  Enjoy!

                      

Kale Salad with Thai Sweet Chili Peanut Dressing

Simple. Easy. Refreshing. Delicious.  Sweet.  Tangy. Nutty. Crunchy. Healthy.

I can go on and on enumerating more adjectives.  I really like this salad because it is easy to prepare. Just four ingredients are needed for the dressing plus water.  It is a flexible recipe also. You can use any combination of vegetables you might have on hand for the salad part. You can use any nut butter for the dressing like almond butter instead of the peanut butter.  For the topping you can use any nuts and even seeds instead of the peanuts. Almond, cashew, sesame seeds, pepita seeds.

I would like to point out that this is also plant based.  I skipped using any oil to thin out the consistency of the dressing and opted for water.  I used sweet kale which I bought at Aldis Grocery Store.  The Thai Sweet Chili Sauce is readily available in any grocery chain and I even saw it sold in the Dollar Store.  I have posted a similar dressing in a past blog if you do not want to buy the Thai Sweet Chili Sauce.

Here is the recipe.  Have it for your super bowl party.  Have a nice weekend.

Kale Salad with Thai Sweet Chili Peanut Dressing 

2 servings (Note 1)

Ingredients

Dressing

• 1 tbsp Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• water

Salad

• 2 cups kale, stem removed and cut into bite pieces (Note 2)
• 1 cup napa cabbage, cut into one inch thin strips
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup crushed peanuts

Instructions

1.  To prepare the dressing.  Place all ingredients except the water in a bowl and mix with a fork or whisk.  Add the water gradually until the consistency that you desire is reached.

2. To prepare the salad.  Layer the kale, cabbage and carrots in a bowl.  Top with crushed peanuts.  You can serve the dressing on the side or drizzled on top of the salad.

Note

1.  You can double, triple etc this recipe.

2. You can massage the kale with your hands to tenderize it.  To massage the kale, you knead it like you would bread dough till it wilts.  

Tofu Steak Salad with Easy Vegan Caesar Dressing

A wonderful Easy Vegan Caesar Dressing enhances the taste of this beautiful and healthy salad.  This was inspired by the salad I found in Bloglovin which used beef steak and a lemon yogurt dressing.  I wanted a vegan version so instead of beef steak, I used an equally flavorful Tofu steak prepared easily in a pan with only three ingredients, soy sauce, garlic and black pepper. The resulting tofu is so delicious you would not miss the beef.  Instead of putting everything in my pantry and fridge in the salad, which they did in the one featured in Bloglovin, I observed restraint and stuck to cucumber, tomatoes, avocado and croutons.  

The dressing uses no cheese and anchovies and yet it can compete with the very best Caesar dressing.  The secret is the Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard added plus the lemon and garlic to give the saltiness and tang one obtains from the traditional Parmesan cheese and anchovies.  This is irresistible.  .  

Tofu Steak Salad with Easy Vegan Caesar Dressing

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Tofu Steak

• 1 block firm tofu (previously pressed off its liquid and cut into 2 inch x 1/4 inch strips)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp black pepper

The Easy Vegan Caesar Dressing

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 tbsp vegan mayo, low fat
• 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Salad

• 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce or the greens of your choice
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 1 avocado, pitted and diced
• 1/2 cup bread croutons

1.  To prepare the Tofu Steak:  Mix the soy sauce, garlic powder and black pepper in the saute pan.  Place the tofu strips in the mixture. Allow the liquid to gradually evaporate using medium heat while stirring the tofu until the strips are browned but not burnt. You can adjust the seasoning by adding more garlic powder or soy sauce if you like.

2.  To prepare the dressing: Mix all the ingredients in a small food processor or blender and blend till mixture is homogeneous.

3.  To assemble the salad:  Place a bed of greens on the bottom of a large shallow bowl.  Place the Tofu steak in the middle of the greens.  Arrange the tomatoes, cucumber, avocado and bread croutons around the tofu steak. Serve the salad with the dressing on the side.

Macaroni Pineapple Chicken Salad

Macaroni Pineapple Chicken Salad

This macaroni salad which features pineapple as one of its ingredients is very popular in the Philippines and is a favorite of anyone for that matter who has tasted it.  In fact I find it heartwarming how one of my American friends described what one of her Filipino friends gave her as a thank you gift as "macaroni salad with pineapple".  It is an unforgettable dish not only because it is unique but also because it is delicious.  Filipinos love to serve this for parties and fiestas since it goes well with any main dish like ham or fried chicken for example.

The version I am sharing with you came from one of several cookbooks that have been published by the Filipino American Association of Pittsburgh through the years. Nenette Angeles was the editor of the 4 editions of this cookbook titled "Cooking with the Filipinos of Pittsburgh, PA". 

Nenette Angeles has devoted much of her life in Pittsburgh to two things, namely,  her family especially when her children were very young and promoting Filipino culture.  They moved to Monroeville, PA when Olie, Nenette's husband, got a position at US Steel. 



Olie and Nenette at their kitchen where they both love to cook sumptuous, authentic and mouth-watering Filipino dishes.





She and Olie both graduated from the University of the Philippines (UP). She was chosen one of the Lakambinis at UP, an honor given to those women at UP who have achieved outstanding academic performance.  Her husband was a National Science Development Board (NSDB) scholar all through out his college years at UP. They both finished their PhD degrees at the University Wisconsin. Madison, Nenette in Food Science while Olie in Chemical Engineering.  They are brainy indeed but they are also very humble and down to earth.

I have never seen a couple so devoted to promoting the Filipino culture the way Nenette and Olie have been and continue to be so with the Philippine American Performing Arts of Greater Pittsburgh (PAPAGP). Do visit the PAPAGP website and marvel at the incredible fruits of the love and labor that they put into the organization along with the other hardworking members of the PAPAGP.  The website features the outstanding dances choreographed by the creative team consisting of the prolific president of the PAPAGP, Deedee Portugal, and Co-Artistic Director Beth Hoey, and performed by the talented dance troupe.  (see picture below showing Deedee at the rehearsal for the 2014 dance recital).

Deedee with the young members of the dance troupe during the rehearsal.

  

One of many dances performed during this 2014 recital is the intricate singkil shown below.



Singkil, one of the dances performed during the November 22, 2014 PAPAGP Recital.

When you get to visit Nenette and Olie's impeccably decorated and clean house, you will notice the various photographs that grace the walls of their family room. Here are some of the ones I took pictures of.  If you are lucky like I have been you might also get to eat some of the delicious dishes that they cook.

Nenette all dressed up as one of the Reyna Elenas during the Santacruzan, a yearly summer procession observed in the Philippines.

Their graduation pictures at UP.

Nenette and Olie at their wedding which was held in the United States.



Nenette and Olie in traditional Filipino garbs,  "saya" and "barong tagalog" respectively.

Here is the easy and simple recipe of the Macaroni Pineapple Chicken Salad taken straight from the recipe file of Nenette's mother, Victoria. (See picture below).

Victoria, Nenette's late beloved mother, is in the middle of this picture representing three generations of Nenette's family.  Maureen representing the third generation is on the right.

Macaroni Pineapple Chicken Salad

(Courtesy of Nenette Angeles .  This recipe appeared in one of the cookbooks by the Filipino American Association of Pittsburgh  It is currently no longer available)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• 1 (20 oz) can pineapple tidbits, undrained
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, boiled in salted water and diced
• 1 cup sweet pickle relish
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cup Hellman's light mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt or adjust to taste
• Pepper, adjust to taste

Cook macaroni according to package directions and drain.  Toss all ingredients together including juice from canned pineapple.  Mixture will appear watery at first, but the pasta on standing will absorb juices.  This salad must be chilled and refrigerated overnight.  It cannot be frozen. 


Enjoy!  Every member of my family loves this and so would yours.