The Cowgirl Gourmet in Santa Fe

Good + Good for You in Santa Fe, New Mexico

salad

Sesame-Lime Cabbage Salad

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Summertime is when we refuse to turn on the oven and instead turn our focus to cold foods that require little effort but deliver big flavors. Salads, slaws and cold soups fit the bill. After making this recipe three times over the last few weeks, now you, too, can savor the long summer days and still eat well without heating up the kitchen.

Summer Salad and Slaw

All it requires is a bit of chopping and shredding and a simple but seriously sensational and stout dressing made with lime juice, ginger, garlic, honey and a touch of apple cider vinegar and toasted sesame oil.

The first time I served this salad with fish tacos and then I plopped a piece of grilled salmon on top with some crushed cashews. The third version was served with seared tuna. Each time I made this easy-breezy recipe, I loved it more and realized this is an ideal summertime dish. When I shared it with a friend and neighbor, she raved about it as well.

Asian Flavors

Though it leans toward Asian flavors, this dish pairs well with any grilled protein. It can be a side or a substantive salad topped with protein. Though the recipe says “salad,” it feels more like a slaw to me. But the name is irrelevant when the dish is so delicious. So you can have this as a salad or a slaw. Either way, it’s a simple salad that can be made in minutes and requires zero cooking.

Grill your protein of choice and let the flavors of summer soar while you lounge leisurely with a book and sip a refreshing cocktail.

Buen provecho!

Sesame-Lime Cabbage Salad

Sesame-lime cabbage salad plated
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Sesame-Lime Cabbage Salad

This super simple but distinctive salad/slaw comes together without any heavy lifting. The dressing is what makes this dish sing. Toasted sesame oil combines with lime juice, honey, apple cider vinegar and ginger and garlic for a flavor bomb that is highly addictive. If you find yourself craving this dish, don't worry because it's good and good for you. Serve with grilled protein or as a BBQ side dish. I also added crushed cashews and crispy tortilla chips to add some crunch and I loved both versions.

Course healthy snack, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American, thai
Keyword cabbage, caesar salad, cole slaw
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Author The Cowgirl Gourmet thanks the Detoxinista for this incredible recipe

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 1/2 head cabbage thinly sliced
  • 2 carrots shredded
  • 3 green onions chopped
  • 1 large handful cilantro chopped
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons white and/or black sesame seeds for garnish

For the dressing

  • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon garlic minced, about 1 clove
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced, about 1"
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea or kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, combine the lime juice, honey, vinegar, garlic, ginger, salt and toasted sesame oil and whisk well to combine. Make sure the honey is totally incorporated.

    Sesame-lime cabbage salad dressing

  2. In a large bowl, add the shredded cabbage, carrots, green onions and cilantro.

    Sesame-lime cabbage salad ingredients

  3. Drizzle with the dressing, adding four tablespoons to start, and toss to coat.

  4. Taste and add more dressing if needed. Let the salad marinate in the fridge for 15 minutes before serving.

  5. After the salad has marinated, toss again before serving and garnish with white and/or black sesame seeds.

    Sesame-lime cabbage salad plated 2

  6. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

 

Kicked-Up Tabouli

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Now that spring is here, we can turn up the volume on our favorite salads. While a lettuce salad can be super satisfying (like this one), what I really dig is a “salad” that kicks lettuce to the curb and incorporates other ingredients.

Creating this kind of “salad” calls on what you have on hand and what you love. Choose a grain for the base and add anything you want to make it yours. Roasted veg. You bet. Chopped raw vegetables, absolutely. Herbs, of course. Toasted nuts, it goes without saying. Cheese crumbles, please. And a simple vinaigrette.

Kicked-Up Tabouli

Known as “Jennifer Aniston’s favorite salad,” this recipe caught my attention for a few reasons. No, I am not a fan girl. But I think it’s fair to say she has aged gracefully and looks as good today as she did when she was Rachel on “Friends” from 1994-2004. Legend has it this was the salad she ate every day on set.

The recipe is a contemporary spin on tabouli, which I love, and has a kicked-up feel, which I also love. And I have adapted the recipe a bit. Though tabouli uses cracked wheat, I prefer quinoa because it’s gluten-free and packed with protein. Add assorted colors, textures and flavors to make this an addictive salad worthy of eating every day.

Add parsley and mint for fresh and herbaceous undertones, red onion for a sweet bite and texture, cucumber just because we love cucumbers, garbanzo beans for protein and pistachios for crunch and color while a lemon vinaigrette brings it together.

If you are making this recipe in advance, leave out the cucumbers and nuts as they will get soggy if added to the entire batch. I add them to each plate before serving, along with a few cherry tomatoes for color.

Add Protein

Feel free to add a slab of protein. Grilled salmon, shrimp or chicken pair well with this dish. And if you feel the meal needs another side, serve a simple green salad to make this a well-rounded meal for the whole family.

While tabouli (also taboulleh) is a staple in Lebanese cooking and the national dish, changing it up with quinoa and adding mint (herb), garbanzo beans (protein), feta (cheese), tomatoes (color) and pistachios (crunch) gives this traditional dish a whole new feel. Consider this a kicked-up tabouli and another cold salad recipe to add to your repertoire.

Buen provecho!

Kicked up Tabouli

Kicked up tabouli horiz
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Kicked-Up Tabouli

If you love tabouli, you're going to flip for this more contemporary version that uses quinoa, along with mint, garbanzo beans and feta. Easy to make, this dish comes together without a lot of effort and holds in the fridge for up to three or four days. Be sure to add the cucumbers and the pistachios to each serving, as they will get soggy if added to the whole batch. And feel free to add a few tomatoes as well.

Course entree, healthy snack, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine Lebanese, Mediterranean
Keyword quinoa
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Author The Cowgirl Gourmet in Santa Fe adapted this recipe from Jennifer Aniston's favorite salad

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa this results in about 3 cups of cooked quinoa
  • kosher or sea salt to taste (I used 1/2 teaspoon)
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup parsley finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup mint finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup red onion diced
  • 1 can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • Glug of champagne or white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup feta crumbles
  • 3 mini-cucumbers or 1 large cucumber chopped
  • cherry tomatoes sliced in half or quartered
  • 1/2 cup pistachios chopped

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan, cook quinoa according to the directions and allow to cool.

    Cooked quinoa

  2. In a big bowl, add the cooked and cooled quinoa, add 1/4 teaspoon salt and stir to combine.

  3. Add the parsley, mint, chopped red onion and garbanzo beans. Toss well.

  4. In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice, olive oil and vinegar and blend together. Pour over the quinoa and toss to combine.

  5. Add the feta, stir well and taste. Add 1/4 teaspoon more salt, if desired, and more black pepper and stir again.

  6. Place in the fridge to chill.

  7. When ready to serve, taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

  8. Add the chopped cucumber, tomatoes and pistachios to the individual plates and enjoy.

    Kicked up tabouli

  9. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to three to four days, adding more cucumber, tomatoes and pistachios before serving.

The Best Tuna Salad

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Growing up, tuna salad was one of our go-to’s when we needed a quick meal. My mother loved Miracle Whip and my father preferred Hellman’s. This was why she made two different batches. Because I was not into sweet mayo, I shared my father’s batch. Honestly, I think my mother was grateful because she could snack on hers for a few days.

Though tuna salad felt plebeian back then, it came together easily and was packed with protein. And my mother loved tuna melts–but who didn’t in the 70s? A toasted English muffin with tuna salad and melted cheese? Yes, please.

Kicked Up Tuna Salad 

Fast forward to 2022 and tuna salad still feels like a humble dish, and it is. But, over the years, I have tweaked the recipe adding a bit of this and a bit of that to make it significantly more respectable and delicious. I love adding lots of celery for plenty of crunch factor. The juice of half a lemon for acid. A squirt of stoneground mustard for depth and parsley for freshness. But David recently made a new discovery that has officially taken this classic staple we all grew up on over the top.

A few weeks ago he came home with an upscale brand of canned albacore tuna, Wild Planet that was a game-changer. Sure, it’s twice the price of regular canned tuna, but it’s at least five times better. The first time we used this sustainably caught, hand-cut and hand-packed albacore tuna in water, we swore this is the only brand we will buy.

Tuna salad canned tuna

Wild Planet for the Win

The flavor is clean and bright and makes the best tuna salad. Seriously, the Wild Planet canned tuna is incredible and worth every penny. Now that we know what the best canned tuna tastes like, we continue to make this simple dish to remind ourselves of what we have been missing all these years. No longer is this a lowly dish, but a contemporary spin on an old favorite.

With these simple modifications, tuna salad can be served as a sandwich, with a lettuce wrap, over mixed greens or with crackers for a light snack. I highly recommend you add a side plate of your favorite raw vegetables–or whatever you have in the fridge, along with pickles and a spicy pickled cherry pepper for some heat.

Tuna salad sandwich

Tuna salad raw vegetables side

Considering we have once again fallen in love with tuna salad, I am confident Wild Planet will make you a convert as well.

Buen provecho!

The Best Tuna Salad

Tuna salad mixed
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The Best Tuna Salad

This is not the tuna salad we grew up on. This is something entirely better, using a high-quality tuna and a few key ingredients. The first trick is Wild Planet canned tuna. Adding a dollop of coarse ground mustard also adds depth to the mayo and lemon juice. Once it chills and melds, I think you will agree that this is the best tuna salad you have ever had.

Course entree, healthy snack, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword tuna, tuna salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 4
Author The Cowgirl Gourmet in Santa Fe

Ingredients

  • 2 5 oz. cans of Wild Planet albacore tuna drained thoroughly
  • 2/3 cup celery chopped, about 2 ribs plus some leaves
  • 1/3 cup red onion diced
  • 1/4 cup parsley minced
  • 3/4 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper as much as you desire
  • 1/3 cup mayo
  • 1/2 teaspoon stoneground mustard
  • 1/2 lemon juiced

Instructions

  1. In a small mixing bowl, add the canned tuna and use a fork to break up the big chunks.

    Tuna salad Wild Planet tuna

  2. Add the celery, red onion and parsley.

    Tuna salad chopped vegetables and parsley

  3. Add the mayo, mustard, salt and pepper.

    Tuna salad with veggies and mayo mustard

  4. Add the lemon juice.

    Tuna salad veggies with mayo mustard and lemon juice

  5. Blend well to combine.

    Tuna salad close up

  6. Refrigerate for an hour or more to chill through and allow the flavors to meld.

  7. Serve as a sandwich, over lettuce and a side of raw vegetables, such as carrots, radishes and cucumbers, along with your favorite pickles and a pickled cherry pepper.

    Tuna salad sandwich

  8. If making a sandwich, add lettuce such as butter lettuce, red leaf lettuce or spicy arugula, if desired.

Apple Walnut Salad

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For the second time in two decades, we went out for Thanksgiving this year. Considering it’s our favorite holiday with “must-have” dishes, we decided to make a reservation instead and it was lovely.

We’ve had a pretty hectic schedule lately so we took the easy road. This meant I was free from the chains of the exhausting annual tradition of Thanksgiving meal planning, shopping, chopping, cooking and cleaning up. The extent of my effort was dialing for a restaurant that still had a two-top waiting for us.

Dining out during the holidays is a big thing in Santa Fe. Yes, many tourists are here and need a place to celebrate, but there are also plenty of locals who are no longer up for cooking the big holiday meal at home. Though we ate out, I still may make a few of our favorite dishes for us to enjoy throughout the month of December.

Start with Salad

One of our holiday traditions is to start the celebration on a healthy note with a hearty and colorful salad. I call it holiday salad and it’s an ideal way to sate your hunger prior to loading up on turkey and stuffing and all the sides.

Fresh mixed greens are tossed with your choice of seasonal fruit (pomegranate seeds, pears, apples, orange or grapefruit segments), toasted nuts (walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts) and soft cheese (goat cheese, blue cheese, gorgonzola) and a tasty vinaigrette. Though we did have an arugula salad on Thanksgiving Day, it wasn’t what I traditionally love to start the gluttonous holiday with and the craving for a good salad was still sitting with me.

Changing Up the Holidays

In honor of changing things up for the holidays, I have had my eye on this apple and walnut salad from Detoxinista for quite a while. It is easy to make, supremely delicious and appeals to all palates. We were invited to a post-Thanksgiving gathering of a few friends and I made this salad. Not surprisingly, it was a hit. While I don’t usually lean on balsamic vinegar for salad dressing, that’s exactly what makes this salad pop.

The combination of crisp Romaine lettuce, mixed greens and tart Granny Smith apples partner with sweet red onion, earthy walnuts and tangy feta cheese to make a sensational salad that could easily be a meal if you add a bit of protein. The flavors and textures and colors make a bright salad that invites everyone to eat with their eyes.

Buen provecho!Apple walnut salad

Apple walnut salad
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Apple Walnut Salad

This colorful and tasty salad will brighten your holiday table and ensure everyone eats their greens for the day.

Course Appetizer, Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword salad, salad dressing
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 8 minutes
Servings 6
Author The Cowgirl Gourmet in Santa Fe credits the Detoxinista for this recipe

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 6 cups mixed greens I like to use a combo of crispy Romaine and mixed greens
  • 1 medium Granny Smith apple chopped
  • 1/4 red onion finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup toasted walnut chopped
  • 1/3 cup feta crumbled

For the salad dressing

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

To make the vinaigrette

  1. To prepare the vinaigrette, place all ingredients in a small jar and shake well to combine. Or use a whisk to blend.

To make the salad

  1. Place mixed greens in a large salad bowl. Top with the chopped apple, red onion, toasted walnuts and feta.

  2. Before serving, generously drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well so everything gets evenly coated.

  3. Reserve any remaining vinaigrette in the fridge for up to a week.

 

Crunchy Fall Salad

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As we roll into shorter days and longer, dark and cool nights, this seasonal change brings with it an appetite for warm and cozy foods. Dishes that warm you from the inside out. There’s nothing more simple or satisfying than a pot of soup. One that takes a bit of chopping and stirring and then percolates on its own for a few hours. The result a magical concoction of rich flavors that get better with time.

The consistently lower temperatures and the continuous roasting of chiles at the farmers market piqued David’s interest and requested green chile pork stew. One of the top recipes on the blog, this traditional Southwestern pork stew doesn’t take much time or effort, but tastes like it was a lengthy labor of love. Savory and piquant, the tender pork chunks mingle merrily with the roasted green chiles, chopped tomatoes, tomatillos, onions and garlic. The homemade vegetable stock shown below uses miscellaneous scraps and peelings and parts collected over time and stored in the freezer until the bag is full to make this dish even richer. A light dusting of flour when browning the pork chunks naturally thickens the gravy.

Homemade vegetable stock

Though I do love green chile pork stew, it’s hardly a well-balanced meal and calls for a simple side to lighten things up a bit.

Hearty Stews Need a Salad

The mission was a hearty and flavorful salad that plays well with the pork stew. I searched the veggie drawers and found a few odds and ends that would celebrate the New and Old Mexican influences of this dish we love. Using some leftover corn and my go-to Chardonnay Dijon vinaigrette along with a few other ingredients, I tossed a salad together that was so good, crunchy and crisp, we agreed it deserved to be reproduced and served with leftover green chile pork stew.

Considering it’s been a while since I have made something that we both stop and gawk over and both ask for a repeat, may this colorful, crispy and flavorful salad be the one you lean on the next time stew is on the menu.

Buen provecho!

Crunchy Fall Salad

Crunchy Fall Salad
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Crunchy Fall Salad

Plucking the best of fall and a few extra ingredients that give it a Mexican feel, this salad is solid and could easily stand-alone topped with a grilled chicken breast or grilled shrimp. But if you want to knock it out of the park, serve this colorful, crunchy fall salad with your favorite stew or green chile pork stew.

Course Salad
Cuisine American, Mexican
Keyword cotija cheese, cucumber, lettuce, radish
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4
Author The Cowgirl Gourmet in Santa Fe

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cucumber peeled, quartered and in chunks
  • 3 radishes thinly sliced
  • 3/4 cup corn sauteed or roasted
  • 3 thin slices of red onion
  • 2 cups mixed greens
  • 3 tablespoons Chardonnay Dijon vinaigrette plus one more tablespoon, if needed
  • 1/4 cup cotija cheese
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. In a salad bowl, add the diced cucumbers, sliced radishes, sauteed or roasted corn and thinly sliced red onion. Dust with a dash of salt and pepper and toss to combine.

  2. Add the mixed greens and Chardonnay Dijon vinaigrette to the bowl. Toss to combine. Taste and add another tablespoon, if needed.

  3. Sprinkle with the cotija cheese and pumpkin seeds.

  4. Add another dose of salt and pepper and serve.

Grilled Corn Salad

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Though it’s a quiet summer in Santa Fe, summer is peaking. The farmers’ tables overflow with an incredible array of colorful produce, which has reignited my appetite again. From juicy heirloom tomatoes to six varieties of melons to peaches and corn, now is the time to celebrate the bounty we wait all year for–before it disappears and we are forced to live on greens and root vegetables.

What I love about summer produce is that it merely requires slicing and dicing, maybe a little salt and almost zero cooking. There’s enough heat outside that we don’t want to turn on the stove or cooktop. Thankfully, my husband is a grill man and he can grill anything like a master. He has a simple trick to grilling corn that makes it even sweeter than you can imagine.

Sweet and Succulent Summer Corn Salad

David gently removes the silks of the corn and leaves the husk so a jacket remains. This steams the tender corn and then he chars it a bit to make the kernels even sweeter.

To transform this perfectly grilled and charred corn into an idyllic summer meal, all you need to do is dice a few brightly-colored heirloom tomatoes–go with yellow, orange, red and purple for a punch of color. Grab handfuls of fresh herbs from the garden–basil, parsley and mint, and thickly slice a nice block of feta so you can control the sizes of the chunks that drop onto the grilled corn. Bite-sized pieces of tomato and herbs are lightly dressed with a drizzle of olive oil, the juice of half a lemon and salt and pepper. Sweet corn and savory tomatoes pop with the herbs and the feta adds a delightfully salty note.

Add Protein for a Change

Because we served this salad as a light entree, we grilled shrimp alongside the corn which gave it another layer of summer and added a bit more heft so it felt like a meal. But you can add grilled chicken, beef or lamb would also be a good option and give it a Mediterranean spin.

Don’t feel obligated to have this salad as a meal, but know it will shine as a summery side everyone wants more of. Corn, tomatoes, herbs and feta, it’s a sensational celebration of summer in a bowl.

Buen provecho!

Grilled corn salad

Grilled corn salad plated horizontal
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Grilled Corn Salad

Everything you love about summer is in this salad and it's so easy to make, this salad will likely be made several more times while corn and tomato season are here. The herbs from your garden take this side over the top and the feta makes it a bit more hearty than a salad. Add protein and make it a meal. Serve over a few handfuls of spicy arugula and you have amped up your daily veggie consumption even more.

Course entree, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword corn, feta, herbs, tomatoes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4
Author The Cowgirl Gourmet in Santa Fe adapted this recipe from Serious Eats

Ingredients

  • 4 ears corn remove the silk, but leave the husk intact
  • 4 heirloom tomatoes (about 2 lbs.) choose multiple colors for an even more beautiful salad
  • 3/4 cup summer herbs parsley, mint and basil
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • Sea or kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 oz block of feta this allows you to control the size of the feta chunks and create big chunks and crumbles
  • Grilled protein of choice, optional shrimp, chicken, beef or lamb

Instructions

  1. Get your grill started and, once it's ready, grill the corn and, if you are adding protein, grill it now as well. When the corn is charred, remove it and let it cool for about 5-10 minutes, so you can handle it. When it's cool to the touch, remove the husks.

    Grilled corn and shrimp

  2. In a big bowl, working one at a time, cut the corn off the cob. Hold the corn vertically inside the bowl and use a sharp knife to remove the kernels. (Now save the cobs and add them to your bag of veggie scraps in the freezer which you can then use to make a fantastic vegetable broth.)

  3. Dice the heirloom tomatoes into bite-sized pieces and add them to the corn.

  4. Chop the herbs and sprinkle them over the corn and tomatoes.

  5. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil and lemon together. Add salt and pepper and stir to dissolve the salt and blend well. Pour over the corn, tomatoes and herbs and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.

  6. Place the chunks of feta over the top and add the protein, if using.

    Grilled corn salad plated

  7. Serve and enjoy.

    Grilled corn salad on a spoon

 

 

Nancy’s Chopped Salad

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As we prepare to roll out of the fourth month of cooking at home and into our fifth month, my culinary creativity is tenuous at best. A few weeks ago, when we were already exhausted from cooking and meal planning, we survived on two weeks of sandwiches tossed with a few tuna salad plates. Now, with a new wave of coronavirus surging across the country, luckily, the prolific offerings of summer are here to help us out. And just in time.

Juicy watermelon, gorgeous and plentiful lettuce, zucchini, squash, spring onions, cucumbers and ripe heirloom tomatoes are in full swing at the Santa Fe Farmers Market–and hopefully at your farmers market as well. The summer bounty inspires so many potential meal ideas and many that don’t even require cooking, per se.

Salad Season

While I do love cooking, I love eating more which is why salads are my thing in the heat of the summer. In fact, every time I turn on the oven when it’s already hot outside, I cringe and it better be for a good reason–like this or this. That’s one of the reasons why I want salad as a meal. But most salads aren’t hearty enough to stand alone.

This is not one of those. This salad is a full-on meal and one that you won’t soon forget. Think antipasto plate bumps into an Italian salad. It’s big and bold and beautiful.

Salad as a Meal

The best part is its versatility. It can be made as-is or without the salami and cheese so vegans will love it just as much as omnivores, gluten-free and paleo types. Romaine hearts or iceberg? Your choice. Nancy Silverton’s original recipe from The Mozza Cookbook calls for iceberg, as does Deb Perlman’s version on smittenkitchen.com, but I choose Romaine hearts.

Two strong lettuces–romaine heart and radicchio–are combined with a colorful variation of substantive chickpeas, paper-thin slices of red onion, sliced and pickled pepperoncini peppers and juicy cherry tomatoes. An oregano and garlic-laden vinaigrette bring it all together while ribbons of provolone and salami turn this salad into a healthy summer meal you’ll want to enjoy long into the fall.

If you are leaving off the salami and cheese, add roasted red pepper strips and olives for a few more layers of flavor and drops of color. They say we eat with our eyes and this salad will bring everyone to the table.

Buen provecho!

Nancy's Chopped Salad

Nancy's chopped salad
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Nancy's Chopped Salad

As much as I love salads, what I really want during the hot summer months is a salad that eats like a meal. And one that everyone loves--even the meat-eaters and vegans. This is the one. Trust me.

Course entree, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine Italian
Keyword mozza restaurant, nancy silverton, salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 11 minutes
Servings 4
Author The Cowgirl Gourmet in Santa Fe adapted this recipe from smittenkitchen.com

Ingredients

For the oregano-garlic vinaigrette

  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano Sicilian variety is the best, if you can find it
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice this is about 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the salad

  • 1 can chickpeas drained
  • 1 small red onion paper thin slices
  • 1/2 lb provolone get a chunk and then cut it into 1/4" ribbons
  • 1/2 lb salami get a chunk and then cut it in 1/4" ribbons
  • 6 pepperoncini peppers sliced and stems removed
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 2 heads Romaine heart or iceberg lettuce
  • 1 head radicchio halved, cored and cut into 1/4" ribbons
  • 1/4 cup roasted red pepper optional
  • 1/4 cup black and green olives optional

Instructions

  1. Roughly chop the garlic and then add the oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and up to 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. Using a pestle, grind the mixture together to make a grainy herb paste. Add the lemon juice and red wine vinegar and, using a fork, stir well to combine so the salt dissolves. Then, using the fork, whisk in the oil until it's emulsified. The dressing should be thick with garlic and oregano.

    Nancy's chopped salad vinaigrette

  2. In a large salad bowl, add the chickpeas, red onion, provolone, salami and pepperoncini (including seeds and juice). If using roasted red peppers and olives, add them also.

    Nancy's chopped salad ingredients

  3. Gently add the lettuces and tomatoes to the salad bowl and dress with half the vinaigrette. Toss to combine, taste and add more vinaigrette, if needed, and adjust seasonings, if needed.

    Nancy's chopped salad

  4. Serve immediately. Reserve any leftover vinaigrette in the refrigerator.

Top 10 Recipes of 2019

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There’s a reason everyone loves to dive deep into analytics. It shows what’s gaining traction, what is on-trend, what most people like best and also what they like least. As I was looking back on this year’s recipe analytics, my favorites are certainly different from yours. But it’s your voice that matters–because I like every recipe–and I am thrilled to share the top 10 from 2019. And analytics are also announcing that this is my 500th post in 10 years which brings even more joy!

From smoothies to salads, pasta to salad dressings and a few good + good for you desserts, this is a list that will help you succeed in the kitchen in the new year and for years to come.

#10

This Smoothie 2.0 recipe takes us all the way back to the beginning of the year when we are virtuous and committed to making excellent food decisions like drinking lots of smoothies. Adding frozen cauliflower to your smoothie instead of bananas is an easy switch that lessens your sugar consumption and ups your veggie count. And isn’t that what we all want more of?

Blueberry-Cauliflower smoothie

#9

Your number nine choice is one of my top choices–the Emergency Brownies. Because we all know the feeling of needing dessert. Not wanting, but needing something sweet. Nigella’s emergency brownie to the rescue. One bowl and 30 minutes later, you will have enough brownies to satisfy two people generously and four people conservatively. Isn’t that sweet?

Emergency Brownies

#8

If you are looking for an entree that comes together in 15-minutes, let this 15-Minute Pasta be the recipe you lean on time and again. It’s quick, easy, economical and mind-blowingly delicious. Thanks to my friend, Stephanie, for sharing this gem with me.

15-minute pasta

#7

Salads are my jam, as you can tell by the number of hearty salad recipes I share. But, please, no boring salads. I like salads with a bold personality. Salads that are hearty, memorable and desirable to all kinds of picky eaters. The Ultimate Green Salad from New York’s Via Carota is simple but stunning. Mixed greens are dressed with a flavorful sherry vinaigrette and are piled high like a sturdy mountain. When it is placed before you, even the most salad-averse will want to dive into this masterpiece of greens.

Via Carota The Ultimate Green Salad

#6

Summertime is all about outdoor cooking, frolicking, swimming and fun in the sun. It’s no surprise that the sixth favorite post is the collection of 28 Recipes to Celebrate the 4th of July. From breakfasts to beverages, soups to salads, sides to burgers and plenty of sweet treats, there’s something everyone will love in this robust compilation of great eats for our favorite summer holiday.

28 recipes to celebrate the 4th of July

#5

We traveled to Jamaica to discover this recipe which is one you need to put to memory. Big and bright flavors, but few ingredients, this Chardonnay Dijon Vinaigrette will make you crave salads. It’s that good.

Chardonnay Dijon Vinaigrette

#4

As a gazpacho expert–maker of the soup and eater of the soup, any chance to eat more tomatoes and fruits and I am on it. This watermelon-tomato gazpacho is proof. Luckily, this Peach and Tomato Salad with Basil and Fresh Mozzarella is serious enough to be an entree and stunning enough to be the talk of the dinner table. Perfect for a summer cookout with friends, the trick is to make enough of this salad because it will disappear quickly.

Peach and tomato salad

#3

I waited years to share this recipe with you and I still don’t know why it took me so long. I am not the selfish type. But now that you have this decadent recipe for a dairy-free Chocolate Pot de Creme that rivals its heavy, dairy-full cousin, you can make it whenever the desire hits. Cashews provide the heft along with the coconut oil, while the maple syrup and cacao bring in the chocolate flavor. O. M. G.

Chocolate pot de creme

#2

As a lover of Reese’s cups, but not a lover of cheap chocolate and ingredients I may not want to eat, it’s hard to get my chocolate and peanut butter fix. Until now. These No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars come together in a jiffy and are exactly what you and I both want in a peanut butter and chocolate concoction.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars

#1

Virtual balls of happiness. That’s what these Apricot, Cashew and Coconut Energy Balls are, which may be why they landed in the top spot for this year’s most popular recipe. Made in a food processor, they can save you from hanger when the moment hits. Switch out the dried fruit and nuts to come up with your own combos or stick with the apricot and cashew which is tried and true. (And, as one dear reader pointed out, be sure and seek out the unsulphured apricots, which are not pictured here. The color is more brown-orange, but they are better for us.)

Apricot cashew coconut energy balls

As we close the chapter on another year and another decade, let’s agree to be more gentle. On ourselves and with others. To love a little more and be kinder. To ourselves and others. And to celebrate with our beloveds by cooking at home with more Cowgirl Gourmet in Santa Fe recipes that are good + good for you.

Buen provecho and cheers to an incredibly bright 2020!

Celery Salad with Apples, Blue Cheese and Roasted Almonds

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It’s not often I go to bed knowing exactly what I want to eat the next morning, but the salad I made on Thanksgiving Eve was nothing normal. It was an incredibly flavorful yet oh-so-simple salad that screams “holidays.” And when there are leftovers of this salad in the fridge, that is exactly what I will be having in the morning for breakfast.

A Lighter Lunch Before Thanksgiving Brings Big Surprise

In prep for the holiday feast, I decided to dial our meal plan back a bit on Wednesday. I wanted to make something light and healthy, so I leaned on one of our favorite butternut squash soups (a 2010 recipe) and tried a new salad. David was the one who spotted this in last week’s Food section of the New York Times, where so many fabulous recipes are introduced to the world. It calls on an often disregarded but essential ingredient in the traditional Thanksgiving meal. Celery.

Hold on, because here’s where the alchemy comes into play. Couple crisp celery with thinly sliced sweet apples, blue cheese and roasted almonds. Bring it together with a stellar shallot-mustard vinaigrette and my motor is running. Clearly, this was not an ordinary salad, by any stretch of the imagination. There is zero lettuce–but that’s what I like about it–and it is hearty without being fussy.

Waldorf Salad 3.0

Think of the traditional Waldorf salad of apples, walnuts, grapes and mayonnaise dressing and think of everything you love about it and everything you don’t. This contemporary spin celebrates the good of the classic Waldorf salad–celery, apples and toasted nuts–and leaves out everything bad–grapes and that mayonnaise dressing thing that feels more like glue than a clean, light vinaigrette.

A Winning Holiday Salad

Though conceptually valid, Waldorf salad is too heavy for the Thanksgiving buffet table. Something lighter, crisper and more robust is warranted and this celery salad hits all of the notes. Crisp, watery celery, sweet apple, herby parsley, nutty roasted and salted almonds and stinky gorgonzola or blue cheese make an incredibly satisfying salad that will have everyone asking for more. Made ahead, it can stand on its own for a few hours.

The subtle but flavorful vinaigrette brings it all together so that each ingredient plays a starring role in this seasonal salad that will be a welcome addition to your upcoming holiday parties and gatherings. And, yes, breakfasts, too.

Buen provecho!

Celery salad with apples and blue cheese

Celery salad with apples, blue cheese and almonds
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Celery Salad with Apples, Blue Cheese and Roasted Almonds

Hearty but not heavy, this salad hits all of the notes and is worthy of being a star at your next gathering. Perfect for the holidays, celery is the star of the show, but the supporting ingredients can and do play starring roles. Believe me when I tell you this simple salad comes together in a few minutes and will likely disappear in the same amount of time.

Course Breakfast, Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword almonds, apples, blue cheese, celery
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 6
Author The Cowgirl Gourmet adapted this recipe from The New York Times

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 1 head celery, organic root end cut off, rinsed, brown ends chopped off, leaves set aside and celery sliced on the diagonal
  • 1 sweet big red apple such as Honeycrisp or Pink Lady
  • 1 cup crumbled blue cheese divided, half for garnish
  • 1/2 cup chopped roasted and salted almonds plus a small handful for garnish
  • 1 cup chopped parsley reserve a few tablespoons for garnish
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and for garnish

For the shallot-vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup minced shallot
  • 4 teaspoons coarse mustard
  • 1 lemon zested and juiced
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Instructions

To make the vinaigrette

  1. In a large bowl, add the shallot, mustard, lemon zest and juice and apple cider vinegar and stir to combine. Allow to meld and sit for five minutes while you make the salad.

  2. When you are ready to add the celery and apples to the vinaigrette, whisk in the olive oil and sugar until everything is emulsified.

To make the salad

  1. Slice the celery on the diagonal and reserve the leaves.

    Celery salad with apples and blue cheese

  2. Core the apples and slice them lengthwise into thin wedges using a knife or mandoline.

  3. Now you can go back and finish the vinaigrette.

  4. Add the celery and apples to the vinaigrette and toss the coat. At this point, the salad will hold up well for a few hours--and even overnight--if you want to make it ahead.

  5. Then to the dressed celery and apples, add the parsley, chopped almonds and half the cheese. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper.

    Celery salad with apple and blue cheese

  6. Transfer to a shallow bowl or platter and top with remaining blue cheese crumbles, reserved celery leaves, fresh parsley and a small handful of roasted almonds for garnish. Add a few more grinds of black pepper over it all and serve immediately.

    Celery salad with apples and blue cheese

The Ultimate Green Salad

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Cooking for four or eight people is a breeze. But cooking for one comes with less joy and a lot more pain. Whether you are single, choose to live alone, travel a lot or are flying solo while your better half is out of town (like mine is), I think cooking for one poses inherent challenges. Typically, it leaves me feeling a bit uninspired and underwhelmed by the possibilities.

The Struggles of Cooking for One

In spite of being a “glass is half-full” girl, I see far greater downsides to cooking for one and have yet to successfully maneuver this arena.

Generally, recipes are created to serve groups of people, six to eight, and what singular diner really wants to put a dish on repeat that many times? Not me. It defeats the purpose of having so many choices of eating the dishes our beloved or friends may not adore or even like or tolerate.

The second struggle is that recipes simply are never developed for a single serving, which is deeply frustrating. This forces us to dig into our resourcefulness and make one meal at a time. (Yes, I do like batch cooking, but, again, when I am alone, I yearn for diversity in meals.)

A few other struggles include that David still hasn’t taught me to grill, so grilling is out of the question. And with the tail-end of the stifling summer heat, I have zero desire to turn on the oven.

Edible New Mexico

Thankfully, the theme of the new issue of Edible New Mexico is all about cooking for one. Lucky for me, it arrived just in time to reassure me that cooking for myself is both doable and delightful.

As I look back on the last week of what I have eaten while flying solo, I see a clear theme. It all revolves around salads using farmers market ingredients. Greek salad. Kale salad. Salad with roasted vegetables and Chardonnay Dijon vinaigrette. And, yes, salad for breakfast.  But I wanted something different and new.

Via Carota

Thankfully, Samir Nosrat again delivered something seriously sensational when she scored the ultimate green salad recipe from Via Carota in New York City. Featured in the May 8 issue of the New York Times Magazine, this seems like the perfect time to test out this dish that still weighs heavily on my mind from a few years ago.

Via Carota was my only choice for a belated birthday lunch when we were in New York. Having read about this eclectic West Village trattoria, I was giddy with anticipation. One of three tables having a very late lunch in the middle of summer, it felt as if we were the only patrons.

The service was smooth and almost invisible as the staff magically appeared exactly when you wanted them. Being a vegetable lover, I was impressed with the choice of 15 vegetable starter dishes on the menu. These veg-centric appetizers activate your tastebuds for the traditional Italian dishes that focus on high-quality ingredients prepared simply. That’s my MO in the kitchen and perhaps why I adore this restaurant.

For my special lunch, we started with this colossal salad that was piled high in a bowl and lit up my world. A mixture of crisp and succulent lettuce leaves tangle together to make this stellar salad a meal for one serious vegetarian or vegan. Priced at $18, it’s enough to feed two or more people as a starter. Even weeks after my celebratory lunch, I was still contemplating this sublime Via Carota salad and its sheer simplicity that makes every other salad shrink in comparison.

The Ultimate Green Salad

Not expecting to ever be able to recreate this dish–or enjoy it without traveling to the Big Apple, making it at home seemed surreal and something I should savor while dining alone.

Though the recipe yields enough servings for six to eight people, I merely dressed enough greens for a solo salad adventure. And what an adventure it was, thanks to a few culinary hacks by Via Carota owners and chefs Jody Williams and Rita Sodi. The shallots are quieted by a quick shock of cold water. The fresh greens are magnificent on their own and are washed thoroughly several times to remove any possible grit or sand that remains.

The aged sherry vinegar is soundly muted with the addition of a tablespoon of warm water. And good extra virgin olive oil combines with Dijon, ground mustard, a dollop of honey and thyme to create a luscious and well-balanced vinaigrette that would be equally good on roasted vegetables or grilled meats.

The vinaigrette makes more than a cup and will provide you with countless opportunities to celebrate a solo meal with this ultimate green salad. WAnd whether you are dining solo or cooking for a crowd, this simple salad has enough chutzpah to steal the show.

Buen provecho!

Via Carota The Ultimate Green Salad

The Ultimate Green Salad
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The Ultimate Green Salad

This salad will ruin you for every salad that comes after. It's utter simplicity and massive flavor allow the greens to shine with the right amount of sherry vinegar and mustards to create a perfectly balanced vinaigrette. This vinaigrette would be equally stellar on roasted vegetables and grilled meats.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 6 - 8 people
Author The Cowgirl Gourmet in Santa Fe thanks Samir Nosrat for scoring this incredible recipe

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette

  • 1 large shallot minced
  • 2 tablespoons aged sherry vinegar plus 1 teaspoon
  • 1 tablespoon warm water
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
  • 2 sprigs thyme washed and stripped
  • 1 large garlic clove finely minced or grated
  • 1 big pinch kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the salad

  • 8-10 cups mixed greens 1 head of each: butter, Romaine heart, endive, watercress; 1/2 head frisée

Instructions

To make the vinaigrette

  1. Place the shallot in a fine-mesh strainer and quickly rinse with cold water. Allow to drain well and then place in a medium bowl.

    The Ultimate Green Salad shallots

  2. Add sherry vinegar and warm water and allow to sit for 2 minutes.

  3. Whisk in oil, mustards, honey, thyme, garlic and a large pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste, and adjust salt and vinegar as needed. Set vinaigrette aside.

    The Ultimate Green Salad Vinaigrette

To wash the greens

  1. If you aren't buying your greens from the farmers market or those that are already pre-washed, wash the greens.

  2. Fill a sink or large basin with tepid water. Remove any wilted or damaged leaves from the butter lettuce, romaine and endive. Trim each head at the root to release whole leaves. Leave butter lettuce leaves whole, but halve large leaves of romaine and endive on the bias, then drop into water. Trim and discard any roots and long stems off watercress, and drop remaining leaves and tender stems into water. Trim and discard dark green outer leaves and tops from frisée until only light green and white parts remain. Trim at the root to release leaves, and drop into water. Swirl greens around in the water, then drain. Wash twice more in cool, then cold water. Transfer to a salad spinner to dry thoroughly. Gently wrap in clean dish towels, and set aside.

To assemble the salad

  1. To assemble the salad, gently pile a generous handful of greens into a serving bowl, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and a generous drizzle of dressing.

  2. Continue with another handful of salad, more seasoning and dressing, repeating until you have a glorious, gravity-defying mound of salad.

  3. Top with a final drizzle of dressing and serve immediately.

    The Ultimate Green Salad

  4. Wrap remaining greens in an airtight container or plastic bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Cover and refrigerate remaining vinaigrette.

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