9 Delicious Summer Salads

With summer here, I don't usually want to make something in the oven, so we end up eating a lot of hearty salads.  A lot of salads are very 'meh' in my book.  If I am going to eat a huge serving of greens and veggies it had better be a good one.

These are the salads I come back to again and again.  A few are my own, the rest are recipes that I wish I had come up with.  I hope you like them, too!

*** On an unrelated note, for some reason, my hover over Pinterest button is not working.  I am not super great with html, so it is taking me a while to fix it.  For the time being, if there is something you want to pin (Like the Raspberry Ice Cream Bars from Tuesday), check out my Pinterest boards. I pin everything I put on the blog on boards there.  If you are looking for something specific, drop me a line at measureandwhisk[at]gmail[dot]com.  Thanks!

Thai Noodle Salad (Vegetarian) - This is a nice main dish salad, because it has noodles in it.  The dressing is to die for, and it has a ton of vegetables in it.  I bet you could add a nice grilled meat to it, if you don't want a vegetarian option.

Quinoa, Bacon and Feta Salad - Every time I make this, I wonder why I don't make this weekly.  It is a fresh, incredibly delicious salad.

Carrot and Chickpea Salad (Vegetarian) - I think I ate eight bowls of this for dinner one night when I was pregnant.  It is delicious.  Also, I always use roasted peanuts instead of walnuts, and almost always leave out the cilantro.

BBQ Chicken Salad - YUM!  Great for making when guests are coming!

Arugula and Toasted Almond Salad (Vegetarian) - Light and fresh.  A great side dish.

Bacon and Pear Salad with Pink Dressing - Adam and I rave about this one.  The dressing is to die for!  Just half the recipe, or you will be eating it for weeks.

Apple, Cheese and Crouton Salad (Vegetarian) - I made this one many times in France last year.  It is worth remembering!

Carrot, White Bean and Dill Salad (Vegetarian, Vegan) - This one is a weird combo, but trust me, it is fabulous!

Beet, Kale and Carrot Salad with Cashew Dressing (Vegetarian, Vegan) - Another salad where I can eat the dressing plain.  YUM!

Now it's your turn?  Do you have any salad recipes that have changed your world? 

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A Last Minute Green Salad

Every now and again, I need a salad very quickly.  Normally, I love making salad dressing (Three of my favorites are here, here and here), and I haven't purchased a bottle from the store in three or so years, but occasionally, I am in a hurry and don't have time for that.  This has become a quick and easy favorite.  

The dressing is three ingredients that you just drizzle over the top, and voila!  Instant salad.  It has way more sparkle than a pile of greens with some oil on top, and is completely and simply delicious.  So next time you need a fast salad, look no further.  This one is for you.  

Last Minute Green Salad:
for a vegan option, leave out the feta or replace with a vegan cheese.  
4 side salads

1 large bunch red leaf lettuce (spinach, or a lettuce mix would work, too)
1/4 cup feta
1/8 cup toasted pine nuts
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp maple syrup (use the real thing.  It will make a huge difference!)

Place the lettuce at the bottom a large bowl.  Top it will feta and pine nuts.  Drizzle the vinegar, oil and maple syrup over the top and toss to lightly coat the lettuce.  Add more vinegar, olive oil or maple syrup if to taste, if needed.

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Squash and Kale Salad with Orange Tahini Dressing

Today, I walked outside to greet a thin layer of frost across the top of our car.  Now I feel justified in posting lots of warm, hearty recipes (says the girl who posts soup recipes in June... ).  This isn't a particularly warm recipe, but it is hearty, especially for a salad.  

Salads usually get categorized as a side dish, but I think that is a mistake for some salads, because they can be incredible filling.  I love this one, because I find that it is just the perfect balance of sweet and salty, with a tangy bite to the dressing.  Honestly, the dressing is incredible.  I don't think I have ever tasted anything like it before, and it is so delicious.  

I thought it might be worth posting a salad on Thanksgiving week, because you might need a post-Thanksgiving salad to justify all the pie you are going to eat.  

Salad:

1 head of curly kale, destemmed, and ripped into large bite-size pieces
a few drops of olive oil
1 acorn squash, chopped in half, seeds removed, and thinly sliced
1 Tbs oil
dash of salt and pepper
1/4 cup pepitas, roasted and salted
1/8 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Place your kale in a large bowl.  Pour the drops of olive oil over the kale and massage the kale for a minute or two between your fingers, until the kale softens and turns bright green.

In a medium sized frying pan, place the acorn squash in the pan with the oil, and cook with a lid on for about 4 minutes.  Flip when the squash has softened and begins to brown.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the squash is soft.  Lightly salt and pepper it, and remove it from the pan.  Carefully remove the peel with a knife.  Put squash pieces on the kale.

Sprinkle prepared pepitas over salad, and sprinkle feta on as well.  Serve with dressing (see recipe below).  Enjoy!

Dressing: 
slightly adapted from the edible perspective

2 Tbs orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
2 Tbs tahini
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs maple syrup
1 Tbs olive oil
dash of salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a jar and mix with a spoon until smooth.  

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Orange Crumble Muffins

Muffins are such a comforting food.  They are tiny cakes wrapped up in a healthy label.  No wonder I like them so much!  I usually make them to go with a salad for dinner, to bump up the calorie count in dinner, or just as a snack, or randomly when I am feeling blue.  

If you are feeling down today, you should make these muffins, because I think they are a little sliver of heaven.  Seriously, they are incredible. They are soft, light and fluffy, with a hint of orange flavor, and the crumble takes them to a whole new level of delicious.  Have I convinced you that you need to make them?  Hopefully, because they are worth it.  

Orange Crumb Muffins: 
Makes 12
muffins adapted from Hint of Honey 
crumb topping from 101 Cookbooks

Muffins:  
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 Tbs orange zest (from one large navel orange or 3 small oranges)
1/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
3 Tbs brown sugar

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a stand mixer or large mixing bowl. Mix until combined.  Add butter, orange zest, juice, buttermilk, eggs and brown sugar and stir until all ingredients are evenly mixed in (about 12 -15 good stirs).    Spoon about 1/3 cup of the muffin batter into each of the muffin tins.  Preheat your oven to 375°F and make your crumble while you're oven heats up.

Orange Crumble: 
2/3 white flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup melted butter
1 tsp orange zest

Combine first four ingredients in a medium, small bowl and stir.  Add butter and orange zest and combine until the mixture is clumpy and all the dry ingredients are wet.  With your fingers, pick up about 1 -2 Tbs of the mixture and break it up gently with your fingertips over the each muffin, sprinkling in an evenish layer as you go.  Sprinkle any remaining crumble over the muffins that look a little bare.  Cook in your preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the tops are starting to turn golden.

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