Salad Recipes

Serves 8-12
INGREDIENTS

• ¾ C. Dried Cranberries
• ¾ C. Baby Spinach Leaves
• 1 T. Honey
• 2 T. Lemon Olive Oil
• Large Pinch of Salt
• 1 Butternut Squash, peeled and cut into a medium dice
• 1 T. Italian Herbs Olive Oil
• 1 medium sweet onion thinly sliced
• ½ t. Coarse Salt
• ½ T. Olive Oil
• 4 C. Red Quinoa, cooked and kept warm
• 1½ C. Wheat Berries, cooked kept warm

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the spinach and dried cranberries in a large bowl. Cover and set aside.
2. Place the honey and 2 T. Lemon Olive Oil, and pinch of salt in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking pan with tin foil.
4. Toss the diced butternut squash with 1 T. Italian Herbs Olive Oil and ½ t. Salt. Spread the squash out evenly on the tin foil lined baking sheet.
5. Roast the squash on the top rack of the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until squash is tender and turning golden brown on top. Remove from oven.
6. While the squash is roasting, place the ½ T. Olive Oil in a small sauté pan and heat to medium/high. Add the sweet onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to sauté for another 5-6 minutes, until the onion is lightly caramelized.
7. Add the hot butternut squash, hot onions, warm quinoa and wheat berries to the bowl of spinach and cranberries. Toss together to slightly wilt the spinach. Add the dressing and toss until well coated.
8. Serve warm.

Ingredients

• 4-5 similar sized tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 2 (16 oz.) logs of fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced 1/2-inch thick
• generous bunch of fresh basil leaves
• extra-virgin olive oil
• coarse sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup good quality balsamic vinegar (if you are not using Moxie Mom Balsamic Vinegar – you will need to reduce enough to reduce it to 1 cup)

Instructions

1. In a small casserole dish (I used 8X11X3) arrange slices of tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil vertically, in an alternating pattern until you have created two rows.
2. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the salad, followed by balsamic vinegar.
3. Sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Serve immediately.

Ingredients

• Balsamic Dressing / Marinade:
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup pesto olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water (or more oil if you wish)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to your tastes)
• 4 skinless and boneless chicken thigh fillets (or breast fillets)

Salad:

• 5 ounces |150g bacon , diced and trimmed of all fat
• 8 cups mixed salad lettuce leaves (or Romaine / Arugula)
• 2 tomatoes , chopped
• 1 red onion , thinly sliced
• 1 avocado , sliced
• 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
• salt and pepper , to taste

Instructions

1. Whisk balsamic dressing / marinade ingredients together until well combined. Pour 2-3 tablespoons into a shallow bowl. Add the chicken thighs and coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper; set aside for 10 minutes while frying bacon.
2. Fry bacon until crisp in a skillet over medium-high heat. Wipe pan clean with paper towel.
3. Cook chicken fillets until crisp and cooked through (about 7 minutes each side).
4. Arrange all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Top with the bacon, chicken, avocado and sprinkle with goat cheese and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the remaining dressing, and serve.

Ingredients

• 1 pound tricolor rotini pasta
• 1 orange bell pepper diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper diced
• 1/4 pound genoa salami diced
• 1/4 pound pepperoni sausage diced
• 6 ounce can sliced black olives drained
• 1/2 pound mozzarella, diced

For the dressing:

• 3/4 cup Italian Herbs or Pesto olive oil
• 1/2 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Optional, for serving:

• 2 cups grape tomatoes halved
• ¼ cup of fresh basil leaves, sliced

Instructions

1. Using a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse with cold water.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine and mix all ingredients except for the dressing ingredients.
3. Mix all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, and pour into the large mixing bowl with the pasta salad. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Optional: add halved grape tomatoes and fresh basil just prior to serving.

This recipe is easy, adaptable, and very forgiving. Assume each person will eat one cup of this salad, but don’t be surprised if they want seconds. You can modify the ingredients as you wish. I like to use the Italian Herb Olive Oil in this – it makes a huge difference than using plain olive oil.

Ingredients

• Mozzarella Balls
• 
Grape Tomatoes
• Corn on the Cob
• Mini Cucumbers
• Flavored Olive Oil (I love the Italian Herbs in this salad)
• Good Quality Balsamic Vinegar
• Pinch of Salt and Pepper

Instructions

1. If mozzarella balls are large cut them in half.
2. Cut tomatoes in half
3. Slice and cut cucumbers in ¼ inch length and cut in half or quarters depending on size.
4. Add corn (I have used frozen in a pinch, just cook it slightly in the microwave and then cool.)
5. Start out with two tablespoons of flavored olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Taste and add more as needed.
6. This is better if you can make it the day before because it is better after it sits for a day.