Substantial Salads?
July 7, 2016 5:48 PM Subscribe
I need your best protein based salad recipes! Details below
My spouse and I recently moved out of town and the new commute is causing hell with my ability to provide substantial and nutritious evening meals. I've settled on salads as the solution (and possible way for us to eat healthier) and have some requirements.
Right now I just have the one salad, I grill some steak, roast up peppers and caramelize onions early on in the week and from there its cake to slice up a tomato and the steak, wash some lettuce and throw on a little cheese and dressing for flavor. I'm looking for similar recipes, ones that I can do a majority(everything but the fresh veggies) of the prep ahead of time, include a protein, and whose components store well so that I can have ingredients for just the one salad for the week, ready for any late nights.
Beef or beans are preferred for protein, but not required. I would like to avoid dairy(especially in dressings) beyond a little cheese but again, not required.
I realize there are a million recipe sites I could look at, but I'm looking for tried and true workhorses that can substitute a meal for someone used to their big meal for the day being in the evening.
My spouse and I recently moved out of town and the new commute is causing hell with my ability to provide substantial and nutritious evening meals. I've settled on salads as the solution (and possible way for us to eat healthier) and have some requirements.
Right now I just have the one salad, I grill some steak, roast up peppers and caramelize onions early on in the week and from there its cake to slice up a tomato and the steak, wash some lettuce and throw on a little cheese and dressing for flavor. I'm looking for similar recipes, ones that I can do a majority(everything but the fresh veggies) of the prep ahead of time, include a protein, and whose components store well so that I can have ingredients for just the one salad for the week, ready for any late nights.
Beef or beans are preferred for protein, but not required. I would like to avoid dairy(especially in dressings) beyond a little cheese but again, not required.
I realize there are a million recipe sites I could look at, but I'm looking for tried and true workhorses that can substitute a meal for someone used to their big meal for the day being in the evening.
Here's a recipe for the Italian chopped salad like the one at California Pizza Kitchen. I always get it when I go there, and for me to order a salad instead of pizza says a lot!
posted by karbonokapi at 6:04 PM on July 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by karbonokapi at 6:04 PM on July 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
My go-to base salads are:
- Lettuceless shred salad: Bagged broccoli slaw, julienned beets (get the good prepackaged baby ones, pretty easy to cut up), spiralizer a cucumber, and add julienne or slivery slices of a fruit - mango, apple, pineapple, pear, strawberry, halved grapes, whatever's handy.
(Alternate to broc slaw is that "7 Superfoods" and "9 Superfoods" bag salad that's got a lot of kale, brussels sprouts, hearty greens. It slaws up well and also sautees well like in the next recipe.)
- Sturdy greens: kale, chard, baby spinach. Do it once early in the week raw, with strawberries or grapes. Do it again later in the week just before it wilts BUT get a big nonstick skillet pretty hot, drizzle in some oil, saute some shallot and minced garlic (jar stuff is fine) for 30 seconds then stir-fry in the greens for 2-3 minutes until wilted but not entirely limp. I like this topped with steak and a mustardy vinaigrette, but you could also pan-sear salmon fillets immediately beforehand and set aside to rest while you do the greens. Not all salad has to be raw!
- Simple greens: bag green salad, box spring mix, or just hacked up romaine hearts, scattered over with rice or a grain (and you can keep a couple of those shelf-stable microwave packs of rice or quinoa for this!), beans/lentils, and I like a hit of blue cheese or feta with this.
Top with protein of choice, dress with a vinaigrette (with which you can go mustardy or maple syrup/pom molasses/agave-sweet or sriracha-hoisin spicy) and your protein.
My favorite add-on to salad is roasted root vegetables, which you can do in a huge batch and wonderful variety - carrots, parsnips, turnips, beets, green beans, potatoes, brussels sprouts. Throw in a few halved grape tomatoes to dry up, and make sure to roast everything to nearly-burned.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:07 PM on July 7, 2016 [16 favorites]
- Lettuceless shred salad: Bagged broccoli slaw, julienned beets (get the good prepackaged baby ones, pretty easy to cut up), spiralizer a cucumber, and add julienne or slivery slices of a fruit - mango, apple, pineapple, pear, strawberry, halved grapes, whatever's handy.
(Alternate to broc slaw is that "7 Superfoods" and "9 Superfoods" bag salad that's got a lot of kale, brussels sprouts, hearty greens. It slaws up well and also sautees well like in the next recipe.)
- Sturdy greens: kale, chard, baby spinach. Do it once early in the week raw, with strawberries or grapes. Do it again later in the week just before it wilts BUT get a big nonstick skillet pretty hot, drizzle in some oil, saute some shallot and minced garlic (jar stuff is fine) for 30 seconds then stir-fry in the greens for 2-3 minutes until wilted but not entirely limp. I like this topped with steak and a mustardy vinaigrette, but you could also pan-sear salmon fillets immediately beforehand and set aside to rest while you do the greens. Not all salad has to be raw!
- Simple greens: bag green salad, box spring mix, or just hacked up romaine hearts, scattered over with rice or a grain (and you can keep a couple of those shelf-stable microwave packs of rice or quinoa for this!), beans/lentils, and I like a hit of blue cheese or feta with this.
Top with protein of choice, dress with a vinaigrette (with which you can go mustardy or maple syrup/pom molasses/agave-sweet or sriracha-hoisin spicy) and your protein.
My favorite add-on to salad is roasted root vegetables, which you can do in a huge batch and wonderful variety - carrots, parsnips, turnips, beets, green beans, potatoes, brussels sprouts. Throw in a few halved grape tomatoes to dry up, and make sure to roast everything to nearly-burned.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:07 PM on July 7, 2016 [16 favorites]
I like to do a Greek salad thing - chop up tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, olives, and feta, and toss with oil and herbs and a little vinegar. You can add white beans or chicken to this to make it more of a meal.
posted by showbiz_liz at 6:08 PM on July 7, 2016
posted by showbiz_liz at 6:08 PM on July 7, 2016
Cobb salad is an obvious high-protein choice - generally I make mine with chopped romaine, diced chicken breast (or shrimp!), sliced avocado, diced hard boiled egg, chopped bacon, diced tomato, crumbled blue cheese, and either a basic vinaigrette or blue cheese dressing if I'm feeling extra-bluecheezy.
Or, caesar salad, to which you can add any manner of protein like chicken, steak, salmon, egg, shrimp. Caesar dressing is easy to make on the spot (I actually like the recipe from Blue Apron which uses regular mayo instead of messing with raw eggs) or you can just buy some off the shelf. No need to be fancy when you splurge on the protein!
And then of course there is the taco salad. Make ground beef with taco seasoning or whatever you prefer in your tacos, and then instead of using a shell make a salad base of spinach, romaine, radishes, shredded carrot, bell pepper, pico de gallo, etc and use guacamole/salsa/sour cream in place of a dressing.
posted by joan_holloway at 6:30 PM on July 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
Or, caesar salad, to which you can add any manner of protein like chicken, steak, salmon, egg, shrimp. Caesar dressing is easy to make on the spot (I actually like the recipe from Blue Apron which uses regular mayo instead of messing with raw eggs) or you can just buy some off the shelf. No need to be fancy when you splurge on the protein!
And then of course there is the taco salad. Make ground beef with taco seasoning or whatever you prefer in your tacos, and then instead of using a shell make a salad base of spinach, romaine, radishes, shredded carrot, bell pepper, pico de gallo, etc and use guacamole/salsa/sour cream in place of a dressing.
posted by joan_holloway at 6:30 PM on July 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
Potato salad with hard cooked eggs.
posted by Bruce H. at 6:41 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Bruce H. at 6:41 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
I made Salade Nicoise today.
Green beans, tomatoes, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, olives, capers, tuna and some romaine lettuce.
posted by Jode at 6:42 PM on July 7, 2016 [6 favorites]
Green beans, tomatoes, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, olives, capers, tuna and some romaine lettuce.
posted by Jode at 6:42 PM on July 7, 2016 [6 favorites]
I do a chicken caesar variation for this. Split some chicken breasts in half down the middle and grill (takes maybe 10 minutes) and store them. Then I use lettuce, dandelion greens and scallions (maybe tomatoes as well) for the salad, and throw chopped chicken and (finely chopped) anchovies on. Dress with olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, black pepper and thyme. If you want some cheese, parmesan or goat cheese go great. Croutons optional.
You can make the dressing ahead of time, and it doesn't go bad. (And you can add the anchovies and parmesan to the dressing, instead of putting them on the salad, which saves even more time.)
Olives, eggs, cucumber, pretty much anything else you like will make a great addition.
posted by mrgoat at 7:01 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
You can make the dressing ahead of time, and it doesn't go bad. (And you can add the anchovies and parmesan to the dressing, instead of putting them on the salad, which saves even more time.)
Olives, eggs, cucumber, pretty much anything else you like will make a great addition.
posted by mrgoat at 7:01 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
This potato and green bean salad from the NYT is vey filling and keeps well.
posted by Juliet Banana at 7:07 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Juliet Banana at 7:07 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
Chicken, tomatoe, romaine, those little packs of gauc so you can open one per day, black beans, and optionally balsamic dressing.
posted by Kalmya at 7:28 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Kalmya at 7:28 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
I was a big fan of Panera's asian sesame chicken salad (which they have now sadly discontinued). This is the recipe I use for the dressing. It's very simple to make, relatively healthy, no dairy, and totally a make ahead kind of thing. I use romaine lettuce, but if you want to make it even healthier, you could go for spinach or even kale. I cook up some chicken breasts for my protein. (Again, very easy to make ahead of time.) For garnish, I usually throw on some fried wontons that I get at the grocery store. You could also add some mandarin oranges or something along those lines. If you wanted to make it even healthier/more protein packed, you could throw in some nuts on top. Sliced almonds would be good. Sunflower seeds (inspired by the comment in this thread) would probably work too.
FWIW, I really like the homemade version of this dressing, It's a nice change of pace from your typical balsamic/Italian/Caesar/etc dressings. You could substitute beef for the chicken if you prefer.
posted by litera scripta manet at 7:55 PM on July 7, 2016
FWIW, I really like the homemade version of this dressing, It's a nice change of pace from your typical balsamic/Italian/Caesar/etc dressings. You could substitute beef for the chicken if you prefer.
posted by litera scripta manet at 7:55 PM on July 7, 2016
Chickpeas and grated carrots. For the dressing, mix together olive oil, vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar) and chopped shallot; stir these three around and let sit for a few minutes before adding to the salad.
Sprinkle with some coarse salt if you like.
Good warm or at room temp.
posted by wyzewoman at 7:57 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
Sprinkle with some coarse salt if you like.
Good warm or at room temp.
posted by wyzewoman at 7:57 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
I love canned Italian tuna and cannelini or chickpeas with whatever veggies you prefer and a nice, garlicy vinaigrette. I usually add celery, water chestnuts, parsley, purple onion, and scallions. It would also be delish with olives, green peppers, and chopped up lettuce/greens. I eat this every week in the summer. Sometimes I add cooked pasta, like penne or fusilli.
posted by primate moon at 8:24 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by primate moon at 8:24 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
I've been big on (for lack of a better term) deconstructed lettuce cup salads lately.
Season and brown whatever ground meat you want (I'm partial to beef, but I've done ground pork and chicken and they work well too).
Drain the meat, add veggies. Whatever you want, really. My current mix is matchstick carrots, shelled soybeans (edamame), diced bell pepper, and canned water chestnuts (sliced, but I cut them up a bit more).
Get the veggies mostly cooked through, add sauces. Again, whatever you want. I've been using a dash of plum sauce, a few teaspoons of peanut sauce, and some sriracha. Soy sauce if needed. Maybe a dash of rice wine vinegar if you want a kick. Let it simmer for a few minutes, then cut the heat down and cover with a lid until it's the consistency you want and the veggies are al dente (or however you prefer them).
Toss on your hearty leafs of choice (my grocery has had really good red romaine lately, so that's what I've been using, not even chopped, just roughly torn). Add chopped peanuts or chow mein noodles or whatever you like for crunch.
Keep the meat/veggie mix separate for leftovers and just heat them up a bit and it's even better the next day or two or four.
It ain't fancy, but it's pretty easy and works for me.
posted by Ufez Jones at 8:42 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
Season and brown whatever ground meat you want (I'm partial to beef, but I've done ground pork and chicken and they work well too).
Drain the meat, add veggies. Whatever you want, really. My current mix is matchstick carrots, shelled soybeans (edamame), diced bell pepper, and canned water chestnuts (sliced, but I cut them up a bit more).
Get the veggies mostly cooked through, add sauces. Again, whatever you want. I've been using a dash of plum sauce, a few teaspoons of peanut sauce, and some sriracha. Soy sauce if needed. Maybe a dash of rice wine vinegar if you want a kick. Let it simmer for a few minutes, then cut the heat down and cover with a lid until it's the consistency you want and the veggies are al dente (or however you prefer them).
Toss on your hearty leafs of choice (my grocery has had really good red romaine lately, so that's what I've been using, not even chopped, just roughly torn). Add chopped peanuts or chow mein noodles or whatever you like for crunch.
Keep the meat/veggie mix separate for leftovers and just heat them up a bit and it's even better the next day or two or four.
It ain't fancy, but it's pretty easy and works for me.
posted by Ufez Jones at 8:42 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
I like to eat "cowboy caviar" as a salad instead of the dip it's intended to be. Has black beans and black eyed peas. I also like a Greek salad with cucumber, red onion, tomato and garbanzo beans. Both of these are make-ahead so as to marinate a bit, and they keep for days.
posted by wwartorff at 8:47 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by wwartorff at 8:47 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
My favorite is somewhat similar to yours:
- Grilled chicken with a marinade loosely based on this recipe, though I sometimes add yogurt to the marinade.
- Veggies: chopped romaine, sliced radishes, shredded carrots (basically, lots of crunchy things)
- Dressing: Trader Joe's Greek Feta, though would work with anything tangy and not too sweet.
posted by lunasol at 10:04 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
- Grilled chicken with a marinade loosely based on this recipe, though I sometimes add yogurt to the marinade.
- Veggies: chopped romaine, sliced radishes, shredded carrots (basically, lots of crunchy things)
- Dressing: Trader Joe's Greek Feta, though would work with anything tangy and not too sweet.
posted by lunasol at 10:04 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'm partial to what I call tuna salad salad - make tuna salad and toss it with salad greens. You can season the tuna salad however you like (thyme and sumac are nice), and add all kinds of garnish along with the the greens (tomato, cucumber, shredded carrot, sunflower seeds, lemon juice, good olive oil...) but just tuna, mayo and lettuce will do nicely in a pinch.
posted by STFUDonnie at 10:26 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by STFUDonnie at 10:26 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
My favourite lately is: roast some chopped up beetroot and sweet potatoes seasoned with cayenne pepper, fennel, and cumin (or whatever spices you prefer). In the last few minutes of cooking, add a bunch of walnuts to toast them. Keep this base in the fridge and use it for salads over the next few days. Each morning, make up a salad with the roasted veg plus goat's cheese, spring onions, and chopped apple. You can also add lots more veg - whatever you have on hand (I've had grated carrot, grated zucchini, tomatoes, cucumber, arugula...it's all good). This would also taste great with black beans and/or chorizo. Dress with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
posted by hazyjane at 11:32 PM on July 7, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by hazyjane at 11:32 PM on July 7, 2016 [3 favorites]
Trader Joe's Curried White Chicken Deli Salad Recipe
posted by yueliang at 1:08 AM on July 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by yueliang at 1:08 AM on July 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
My default summer salad is canned chickpeas, cherry or grape tomatoes (cut-up larger tomatoes are okay if the small ones aren't available), sliced cucumbers, and chopped red onion, pretossed with Newman's Own balsamic vinaigrette dressing and left to soak up each other's flavors in the fridge for at least an hour. Black olives and a little bittle crumbled feta cheese sometimes go in if I have them; same goes for other fresh vegetables if I have an odd or end of something going spare that needs to be used up. This is what I take to potlucks are picnics, or just have a container of it in the fridge for when I don't feel like making a meal.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 1:17 AM on July 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 1:17 AM on July 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
A mixed vegetable salad is awesome with the addition of Parma ham, shaved parmesan, and some pistachios.
Pistachios and poached chicken with lots of pepper also go well together.
Or you could drop a sardine or two on the plate.
posted by tel3path at 4:05 AM on July 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
Pistachios and poached chicken with lots of pepper also go well together.
Or you could drop a sardine or two on the plate.
posted by tel3path at 4:05 AM on July 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
You can pick up a rotisserie chicken and use it to add chicken easily to your salads for a few days. Caesar salads are really easy, just chop up a head of romaine lettuce and add croutons, parmesan, and dressing. But chicken goes with pretty much anything in salad.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 4:48 AM on July 8, 2016
posted by rabbitrabbit at 4:48 AM on July 8, 2016
Lately, vaguely inspired by reading descriptions of some types of Scandinavian food on the internet, I've been making these: large outer romaine lettuce leaves, spread a thin layer of sour cream on the inside, sprinkle with slivers of raw onion, then a layer of canned fish (salmon, mackerel, or tuna), and topped with little bits of anchovy or fancy sardines that have been canned in sauce. Since I started eating it frequently, I've bought small containers of sour cream and mixed in the raw onions and some fresh chives ahead of time, which improves the flavor and saves time.
I eat them with my hands like tacos. They're quite tasty and when I described them to my doctor he was enthusiastic because they sounded healthy to him.
posted by XMLicious at 5:41 AM on July 8, 2016 [2 favorites]
I eat them with my hands like tacos. They're quite tasty and when I described them to my doctor he was enthusiastic because they sounded healthy to him.
posted by XMLicious at 5:41 AM on July 8, 2016 [2 favorites]
This may stretch the boundaries of "salad" a bit, since the veggies are thoroughly cooked, but it didn't take long and I found it satisfying.
1 generous tablespoon butter (Feel free to substitute your favorite culinary fat.)
3 slices of raw onion, cut
1 wedge of cabbage (1/10 of a head?, approx. 4 ounces)
3 ounces cooked mild Italian sausage link
fish sauce
pepper
Put the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Cut the onion slices into sixths, mix with the melted butter, and cover. While the onions are cooking, chop the cabbage into approximately 1/4" strips, coarser than you would slice coleslaw, but finer than bite size. When the onions just begin to brown, add the cabbage to the pan, mix thoroughly with the butter and onions so all the cabbage is lightly anointed. Lower the heat, cover, and cook for 7 minutes. While the cabbage is cooking, quarter the sausage lengthwise and slice into roughly 1/8" dice. Sprinkle the diced sausage over the cooking cabbage. When the first 7 minutes are up, mix the sausage into the cabbage and onions, cover and cook for 8 minutes.
I added a generous sprinkle of fish sauce after mixing the sausage into the cabbage, and fresh ground black pepper before serving. If I were using salt instead, I would add it when I first put the cabbage in the pan.
You could shorten the time and get some crusty browned bits by cooking the cabbage at higher temperature, but you have to keep a closer eye on it when you do it that way.
posted by Bruce H. at 6:44 AM on July 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
1 generous tablespoon butter (Feel free to substitute your favorite culinary fat.)
3 slices of raw onion, cut
1 wedge of cabbage (1/10 of a head?, approx. 4 ounces)
3 ounces cooked mild Italian sausage link
fish sauce
pepper
Put the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Cut the onion slices into sixths, mix with the melted butter, and cover. While the onions are cooking, chop the cabbage into approximately 1/4" strips, coarser than you would slice coleslaw, but finer than bite size. When the onions just begin to brown, add the cabbage to the pan, mix thoroughly with the butter and onions so all the cabbage is lightly anointed. Lower the heat, cover, and cook for 7 minutes. While the cabbage is cooking, quarter the sausage lengthwise and slice into roughly 1/8" dice. Sprinkle the diced sausage over the cooking cabbage. When the first 7 minutes are up, mix the sausage into the cabbage and onions, cover and cook for 8 minutes.
I added a generous sprinkle of fish sauce after mixing the sausage into the cabbage, and fresh ground black pepper before serving. If I were using salt instead, I would add it when I first put the cabbage in the pan.
You could shorten the time and get some crusty browned bits by cooking the cabbage at higher temperature, but you have to keep a closer eye on it when you do it that way.
posted by Bruce H. at 6:44 AM on July 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
I've recently discovered HurryTheFoodUp which has been very inspiring for me at just the right time. The focus is on legitimately quick prep vegetarian, with some vegan, meals that make for a balanced and complete meal. It does a great job of addressing getting protein in one's diet.
I recommend perusing the site in general for quick, go-to recipes. It's not overwhelming with a billion recipes, I promise! That's part of the appeal for me.
More specifically to answer your question, this should help with salad ingredient inspiration, and this should help with high protein meals. They even list each recipe with an indication of how long each should take to prepare, (i.e. 5, 10, 20 minutes, etc.) to indicate how long each recipe should take.
bon appétit!
posted by Goblin Barbarian at 7:43 AM on July 8, 2016 [3 favorites]
I recommend perusing the site in general for quick, go-to recipes. It's not overwhelming with a billion recipes, I promise! That's part of the appeal for me.
More specifically to answer your question, this should help with salad ingredient inspiration, and this should help with high protein meals. They even list each recipe with an indication of how long each should take to prepare, (i.e. 5, 10, 20 minutes, etc.) to indicate how long each recipe should take.
bon appétit!
posted by Goblin Barbarian at 7:43 AM on July 8, 2016 [3 favorites]
Does bean protein include tofu? You could make cold tofu salad any day, very quickly.
Also marinated tofu is the bomb for salads.
In both these cases, make up a simple soy-sesame mix for both marinade and dressing. I like to use dark greens with tofu.
How are you on fish? If you have a source of decent fish pieces, a very quick salad is to sear them and throw them still warm on your greens. The pan sauce-- white wine, shoyu, whatever-- makes the salad dressing for you. Or make a miso sauce. Miso and wine or orange juice is a great salad dressing overall.
As instant additions to your salads, I suggest (shelled) edamame and lower-fat guacamole from Trader Joe's.
posted by BibiRose at 8:12 AM on July 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
Also marinated tofu is the bomb for salads.
In both these cases, make up a simple soy-sesame mix for both marinade and dressing. I like to use dark greens with tofu.
How are you on fish? If you have a source of decent fish pieces, a very quick salad is to sear them and throw them still warm on your greens. The pan sauce-- white wine, shoyu, whatever-- makes the salad dressing for you. Or make a miso sauce. Miso and wine or orange juice is a great salad dressing overall.
As instant additions to your salads, I suggest (shelled) edamame and lower-fat guacamole from Trader Joe's.
posted by BibiRose at 8:12 AM on July 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
Whenever we do a cooked slab of meat, it's inevitably all about making salads with the leftovers. Like your steak salads, but also chicken breasts in Indian spiced yogurt sauce, or chicken cooked with hot-wing sauce, or roast pork tenderloin with any kind of spice rub. Basically, don't get too hung up on "salad recipes" like how there's sort of a magazine picture in everybody's head of a steakhouse salad with beef slices, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and blue cheese. Just take whatever meat you've got, and put it on greens. Ta-da, protein salad. Now look into the fridge and admire all your vegetables, decide which ones to add, but don't get too bogged down, any combination will be tasty.
posted by aimedwander at 8:36 AM on July 8, 2016
posted by aimedwander at 8:36 AM on July 8, 2016
Mjeddra is traditionally served on a bed of lettuce with a salad dressing (I think made of lemon, oil, and spices, but I only made it once, so that may not be accurate).
With googling it, I am finding super complicated recipes. I got mine from either Diet for a Small Planet or Recipes for a Small Planet. My recollection is that it was a simple recipe with olive oil, onions, salt, water, lentils and rice. If you make a big pot of it, it keeps well and is delicious when leftover. I also liked toasting whole wheat pita bread and stuffing it with leftover mjeddra as a vegetarian sandwich. Or serving it with hearty crackers.
It is a middle eastern word, so it has several spellings in English.
posted by Michele in California at 10:00 AM on July 8, 2016
With googling it, I am finding super complicated recipes. I got mine from either Diet for a Small Planet or Recipes for a Small Planet. My recollection is that it was a simple recipe with olive oil, onions, salt, water, lentils and rice. If you make a big pot of it, it keeps well and is delicious when leftover. I also liked toasting whole wheat pita bread and stuffing it with leftover mjeddra as a vegetarian sandwich. Or serving it with hearty crackers.
It is a middle eastern word, so it has several spellings in English.
posted by Michele in California at 10:00 AM on July 8, 2016
I take the "Sunday Roast" approach to weeknight salad dinners almost every week: cook a large, neutrally seasoned slab of meat on Sunday, then flavor it differently through the week. Chicken breast cubes or thighs, for example, can be tossed in curry one night, taco seasoning the next, greek seasoning another. Chicken or a pork shoulder in the slow cooker can be shredded then tossed in bbq sauce, Buffalo sauce, or teriyaki sauce. Beef is great with bbq sauce or taco seasoning. Salad toppings are switched up to compliment the seasoning, I'll add feta, pepperoncini, and olives for greek night; corn and beans for southwest or taco salad night; napa cabbage, snow peas, broccoli for asian. You can also simplify things and do the same ingredients/flavor palate all week, but some nights it goes into a wrap or flatbread (or side salad with flatbread pizza) and the others it's a dinner salad - I rely on this to keep cost and ennui both low.
The other way I keep it interesting is that on Sunday often the roast is served with roasted veggies. On the last night of using a roast, I mince it up and fry with appropriate chopped veg: zucchini, onions, and red pepper for a taco hash; potatoes (or sweet potatoes), onion and sometime brussels sprouts or cabbage go with almost any meat; or a basic asian stir fry with broccoli, snow peas, and carrots goes with any meat too. Chopping the veg for these on Sunday is fine, it keeps until Thursday.
A thick Chili is versatile too - you can have nachos one night, stuffed peppers one night, and taco salad another.
Perhaps check out Penzey's spices and order several spice blends - many of them you can mix with oil & vinegar for the salad dressing to go with the meat you used the spice blend on.
posted by AliceBlue at 11:46 AM on July 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
The other way I keep it interesting is that on Sunday often the roast is served with roasted veggies. On the last night of using a roast, I mince it up and fry with appropriate chopped veg: zucchini, onions, and red pepper for a taco hash; potatoes (or sweet potatoes), onion and sometime brussels sprouts or cabbage go with almost any meat; or a basic asian stir fry with broccoli, snow peas, and carrots goes with any meat too. Chopping the veg for these on Sunday is fine, it keeps until Thursday.
A thick Chili is versatile too - you can have nachos one night, stuffed peppers one night, and taco salad another.
Perhaps check out Penzey's spices and order several spice blends - many of them you can mix with oil & vinegar for the salad dressing to go with the meat you used the spice blend on.
posted by AliceBlue at 11:46 AM on July 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
I am a big fan of this Epicurious recipe for fried eggs over warm lentil salad. You can make the lentils on the weekend incorporating all of the bacon. Then when you need a fast dinner, reheat lentils, pile on bed of baby spinach, top with fried eggs.
posted by dormouse at 4:00 PM on July 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by dormouse at 4:00 PM on July 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
I love chick peas in salad. For variety, here's a way to up your canned chick pea game:
Drain and toss them in some olive oil, cumin, paprika, and granulated garlic, plus salt and pepper if you want (I find that canned, when drained and rinsed, are salty enough). Spread them thinly on a baking sheet at bake at around 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, just until they're a little crispy. Let them cool, and voila - high-protein crouton subsitute. They'll keep for several days in the fridge when stored on their own.
You can experiment with other seasoning combos that are up your alley.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 7:55 PM on July 8, 2016
Drain and toss them in some olive oil, cumin, paprika, and granulated garlic, plus salt and pepper if you want (I find that canned, when drained and rinsed, are salty enough). Spread them thinly on a baking sheet at bake at around 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, just until they're a little crispy. Let them cool, and voila - high-protein crouton subsitute. They'll keep for several days in the fridge when stored on their own.
You can experiment with other seasoning combos that are up your alley.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 7:55 PM on July 8, 2016
I use this extremely simple and easy recipe for Mjedra: http://wegottaeat.com/sally.butwin/recipes/mjedra
Except I add the lentils like 10 minutes sooner, because sometimes when I only cook them for 20 minutes they're a little too toothy for me.
posted by theatro at 8:20 PM on July 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
Except I add the lentils like 10 minutes sooner, because sometimes when I only cook them for 20 minutes they're a little too toothy for me.
posted by theatro at 8:20 PM on July 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
One of my favorites is baby spinach (or mixed greens, arugula, etc) with chickpeas, chopped bacon, roasted beets, crumbled goat or feta cheese, hard or soft boiled egg, sliced red onion, and a balsamic vinaigrette. What I usually do is roast several beets and fry up a bunch of bacon ahead of time, and then keep them in the fridge so I can add them in quickly to the rest--it's pretty easy to toss it all together, and you can also make eggs ahead of time if you like them hard-boiled/cold (I like this best with them soft-boiled and still warm, so will usually boil one to order as I'm assembling the rest of the salad).
A good beef option is a cold Vietnamese beef salad--you'll find lots of recipes online, and the beef and marinade/dressing can be made ahead of time and stored, then tossed together with greens and/or pre-shredded cabbage, carrot, broccoli, etc to serve.
posted by karayel at 1:46 AM on July 9, 2016 [1 favorite]
A good beef option is a cold Vietnamese beef salad--you'll find lots of recipes online, and the beef and marinade/dressing can be made ahead of time and stored, then tossed together with greens and/or pre-shredded cabbage, carrot, broccoli, etc to serve.
posted by karayel at 1:46 AM on July 9, 2016 [1 favorite]
My favourite salad:
- Rare roast beef (loads)
- Kate and baby spinach (loads)
- Cherry tomatoes (halved)
- Diced red onion (if you like it)
- Diced jalapenos (if you like them) or slivers of habanero
- Sunflower seeds if I have them and remember that I have them
- Chilli flakes
- Pepper pepper pepper
- Olive oil and balsamic vinegar (what I believe is called a vinaigrette)
Put all of this in a big bucket and stir it around.
posted by turbid dahlia at 8:02 PM on July 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
- Rare roast beef (loads)
- Kate and baby spinach (loads)
- Cherry tomatoes (halved)
- Diced red onion (if you like it)
- Diced jalapenos (if you like them) or slivers of habanero
- Sunflower seeds if I have them and remember that I have them
- Chilli flakes
- Pepper pepper pepper
- Olive oil and balsamic vinegar (what I believe is called a vinaigrette)
Put all of this in a big bucket and stir it around.
posted by turbid dahlia at 8:02 PM on July 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
If you haven't done a Google image search for 'power bowl' yet, do so. They all look delicious, and they can be salad-like, without being, you know... boring ol' salad. My favorite is quinoa, steamed kale, roasted sweet potato cubes, and black beans, topped with a generous handful of sunflower seeds and a few dashes of Braggs vinaigrette. Enjoy!
posted by schooley at 5:10 PM on July 18, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by schooley at 5:10 PM on July 18, 2016 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
And then I add cheese and cheesy dressing which doesn't help you much, but the sunflower seeds should!
posted by aniola at 5:59 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]