Kale, Quinoa and Roasted Mini Pepper Salad

Inspired by @kalememaybe’s quinoa and roasted mini pepper salad with crispy chickpeas, roasted red onion, feta, dill, and honey lemon vinaigrette

Make the dressing in the serving bowl: 3 tablespoons of olive oil; 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon of honey; juice of 1 lemon; 1 teaspoon of garlic powder (or 2 cloves of garlic, grated, or finely chopped); 1/2 teaspoon of cured sumac; and 1/2 a teaspoon of dried oregano

Cook 1 cup of quinoa according to it’s instructions

Remove large stems and chop 1 lb of Tuscan kale

Toss both quinoa and kale with the dressing and set aside for a few hours (or overnight)

Arrange 1 red onion, 1 rinsed can of chick peas, and 1 lb of mini bell peppers on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and sumac and roast at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes; allow to cool

When ready to serve, add the roasted onions, chick peas, and peppers to the kale and quinoa, and also add 1/8 to 1/4 of a lb of crumbled feta and 1 lb of sugar snap peas, strings trimmed, and cut length-wise

An I’m-Not-Cooking-Tonight Summer Salad with Roasted Peanuts and Peanut Dressing

Another salad inspired by Sue Li’s Cucumber Salad With Roasted Peanuts and Chile, a salad I’ve made so many times over the years, and made so many variations on that I’ve had to make a “cucumber salad” tag.

Approximate quantities: About 6 Kirby or Persian cucumbers, cut lengthwise into thin spears, then into 1-inch segments; about 6 radishes, sliced into thin disks; 2 large carrots, sliced into thin disks; a pint of sugar snap peas, strings trimmed, and cut lengthwise; 1 large tomato, diced; and 1 avocado, cut into thin slices, and about 1/3-1/2 cup of roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

For the dressing: For the dressing: 2 tablespoons unsalted peanut butter, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of sambal oelek — I actually didn’t use sambal this time, my son doesn’t really like spice so I left it out, and added some Blank Slate chili oil separately

Serves 4 as a side, or 2

Serves 4 as a side, or 2 as a main, over rice.

An End-of-the-Week Odds and Ends Salad

Approximate quantites: 1 head of Green leaf lettuce, roughly chopped; 6–8 ounces, sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut lengthwise; 1/2 pint of heirloom cherry tomatoes, quartered; 4 small Kirby cucumbers, cut lengthwise cut lengthwise into thin spears, then into 1-inch segments; grilled green and wax beans; grilled red onions, roughly chopped; about 1/4 of a loaf of slightly stale fig-fennel bread, cubed, tossed with olive oil and salt, and crisped in a sauté pan, or grilled

Serves two as a main, four as a starter or side.

Cucumber Salad with Peanut-Soy-Sambal Dressing

Approximate quantities: 6 Kirby cucumbers, cut lengthwise into thin spears, then into 1-inch segments; 6 radishes, cut into thin disks; the greens of 1 scallion, finely chopped; 1/2 teaspoon Black Urfa Chili (or any other dried chili flakes); 1/2 teaspoon Dried Icelandic Kelp; salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing: 2 tablespoons unsalted peanut butter, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of sambal oelek

Serves four as a side.

A Early July Sunday Lunch Salad

Appropriate quantities: 1 head of red romaine lettuce, roughly chopped; 3 medium carrots, sliced into thin discs; 2 Kirby cucumbers, cut lengthwise into thin spears, then into 1-inch segments; about 25 leftover grilled Romano beans, roughly chopped; about a cup of sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut lengthwise; 1 grilled red bell pepper, roughly chopped; and kernels of 1 ear of grilled corn

Serves two as a main, four as a starter or side.

Grilled Red Pepper, Snap Pea, and Avocado Salad

Approximate quantities: 1 head of red romaine lettuce, roughly chopped; 3 Kirby cucumbers, cut into thin discs; about a pound of sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut lengthwise; 2 grilled red peppers, roughly chopped; 1 avocado, cubed; and 1 can of chickpeas drizzled with basil-lemon-and-garlic-infused-mustard vinaigrette

Serves two as a main, four as a starter or side.

A Wintery Mix Salad

I’ve made a few different versions of this finely chopped savoy cabbage-based salad over the last few weeks both are a marriage of a vinegar-based coleslaw and a slightly heartier winter salad.

Savoy Cabbage with Butter Lettuce, Radishes, and Cucumber

Approximate quantities: 1/4 head Savoy cabbage, sliced very finely; 4-6 ounces of butter lettuce, roughly chopped; 1 red bell pepper, sliced finely; 2 carrots, sliced into thin discs or julienned; 1/2 of a medium purple diakon radish; 1/2 of a seedless cucumber, sliced into thin crescents

Savoy Cabbage with Carrots, Radishes, and Sugar Snap Peas

Approximate quantities: 1/2 head Savoy cabbage, sliced very finely; 1 red bell pepper, sliced finely; 4 carrots, sliced into thin discs or julienned; 10 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut lengthwise; 1 medium watermelon radish, or 6 or so red radishes, sliced into thin discs

Both are dressed with my current favorite vinaigrette blend: 30 ml of olive oil; 30 ml of red wine vinegar; 15 g of Dijon mustard, or if you like a little extra kick, a horseradish mustard; and the juice of 1/2 of 1 lemon 

If you have the time, about two hours before serving, chop the cabbage finely and the toss with about 1 teaspoon of salt and allow it to drain in a colander

Then, about an hour before serving, shake the excess water out of the cabbage, or pat with a paper towel, and toss the cabbage with 1/2 of the vinaigrette and allow it to marinate

Before serving, toss cabbage with remaining vegetables

A Boxing Day Detox Salad

Approximate quantities: 10 ounces of butter lettuce, roughly chopped; 2 ounces of radicchio, roughly chopped; 1 medium watermelon radish, sliced into thin crescents; 2 carrots, sliced into thin discs; 10 ounces of sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut lengthwise; 1 avocado, sliced lengthwise

Dressed with my new favorite homemade vinaigrette blend: 30 ml of olive oil; 30 ml of red wine vinegar; 15 g of Dijon mustard, or if you like a little extra kick, a horseradish mustard; and the juice of 1/2 of 1 lemon

Radiatore Al Limone with Sugar Snap Peas, Butter Lettuce, and Radiccio

This is probably what Food52 would call an off-road of Deb Perelman’s Simplest Spaghetti Al Limone or what Julia Turshen would call a small victory — last night, rather than make spaghetti al limone, sugar snap peas, and salad, I make a very satisfying one-pot dinner.

8 ounces dried radiatore or penne
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
100 grams Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, or Grana Padano cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
8-10 ounces of sugar snap peas
2 cups butter lettuce and radicchio, roughly chopped

Boil the radiatore in well-salted water according to package directions

While it boils, finely grate (with a rasp-style grater; here’s the most common one) the lemon zest into the large bowl you’ll use to serve your dish

Use the same rasp-style grater to grate the Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, or Grana Padano cheese into the large serving bowl

Add olive oil and butter and about 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper and combine them with a whisk until very well mixed and as smooth as possible

Trim the sugar snap peas and cut them lengthwise and add them to the colander that you’ll use to drain the radiatore

When the pasta reaches the ideal texture, scoop out 1 cup of cooking water, set it aside, and then drain the pasta and the water over the snap peas to just barely blanch them

Quickly turn piping hot radiatore and peas to lemon-cheese mixture in bowl and use tongs or spoons to toss it until all of the strands are coated

Add the lemon juice and I don’t find it necessary to add any reserved pasta water, but if the sauce seems think or sticky add pasta water — 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time

Finally add the roughly chopped lettuce and toss one final time

Summer Rainbow Salad

Approximate quantities: 1 head of red romaine lettuce, roughly chopped; 1 red heirloom tomato, cut into 16ths; 1 orange carrot, sliced into thin discs; 1 yellow carrot, sliced into thin discs; 1 avocado, sliced lengthwise; 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced; 6 ounces of sugar snap peas, strings removed, ends trimmed, and cut lengthwise; 6 purple radishes, sliced into thin discs; 1 purple carrot sliced into thin discs

Drizzled with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of Cholula’s Chili Lime; two tablespoons of queso fresco or Parmesan, salt and pepper

Serves two as a main or four as a side.