side dish

Tomato & Feta Toasts

July 23, 2013 by figandpie · 2 Comments

I cannot believe how amazing this salad / toast was. In fact, I want one right now. I’m pretty much drooling. This recipe will be a go-to summer salad recipe. See, there are so many amazing ways to eat your veggies!

prep/total time: approximately 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

handful basil leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

sliced tomato or cherry tomatoes

1 English cucumber, thinly sliced

1 bell pepper, diced

1 lemon, juiced

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

freshly ground black pepper

pinch of kosher salt

feta cheese, crumbled

goat cheese, crumbled

toasted French bread, 2 slices each person

handful pine nuts, toasted

handful of arugula per person

Directions:

1. Chop, slice, and grate all needed ingredients.

2. Mix the olive oil, pepper and salt together, stir in the chopped, sliced, grated ingredients. Gently fold in the crumbled cheeses. Let stand for 10 minutes.

3. Slice and toast the bread.

4. Toast a handful of pine nuts – careful not to burn, you only want them golden brown.

5. Place a handful of washed arugula on each plate.

6. Place the toast on the sides of the plate. Arrange the cucumber on the bed of arugula, and scoop out the cheese and olive oil mixture on top of the toasts and arugula. Enjoy!

Filed Under: recipes · Tagged With: appetizer, arugula, basil, bell pepper, bread, cheese, cucumber, feat, French bread, goat cheese, olive oil, recipe, salad, side dish, summer meal, tomato, tomatoes

Corn, Chorizo, and Shrimp Salad

July 20, 2013 by figandpie · 1 Comment

This is a pretty amazing salad. One that is a total crowd please and is totally easy to prepare (I like that!!).

prep time: approximately 15-60 minutes

cooking time: approximately 20 minutes

Ingredients:

4 ears of fresh corn or 3 cans of corn, drained

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled

1 package Spanish chorizo sausage

2 bunches green onions, chopped

handful basil leaves, chopped

handful red cherry tomatoes (or regular tomatoes sliced)

handful yellow cherry tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons Sriracha

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

juice from 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. If you are using fresh ears of corn, peel and boil for 60 minutes, then slice the corn kernels off. Otherwise open the cans of corn and drain.

2. Add the peeled shrimp into a pan of boiling water and cook for 5-7 minutes, until they turn pink. Drain.

3. Cook the chorizo sausage. Drain.

4. Slice, chop, mince, grate all needed ingredients.

5. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stir well, taste and add any additional seasonings. Keep chilled and serve chilled.

Filed Under: recipes · Tagged With: appetizer, basil, chorizo, corn, corn on the cob, garlic, green onions, olive oil, salad, shrimp, side dish, summer meal, summer recipe, summer recipes, tomato, tomatoes

Vinegar Based Slaw with Cranberries

July 6, 2013 by figandpie · 1 Comment

This is a great vegetarian coleslaw salad, and is perfect for those summer BBQs. I added a little twist to a classic by throwing some dried cranberries in the salad.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cracked pepper

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 bag of shredded cabbage (mine had red cabbage, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower)

2 green onions, sliced

handful of dried cranberries

crushed top ramen (no seasoning packet)

Directions:

1. Mix all wet ingredients and seasonings.

2. Stir in the bag of shredded cabbage, sliced green onions, and dried cranberries – stir to combine.

3. Right before serving sprinkle the crushed top ramen on top of the salad. Serve chilled (but not the top ramen).

Filed Under: recipes · Tagged With: appetizer, cabbage, cole slaw, cranberries, salad, side dish, top ramen

Quinoa, Cucumber, Olive, and Feta salad

June 30, 2013 by figandpie · 1 Comment

I love fresh summer salads, and quinoa is a great base for various types of salads with lots of yummy ingredients – a simple olive oil dressing is all that it needs.

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa (2 cups water)

2 lemons, juiced

3 tablespoons olive oil

red onion

green onion

half cucumber

feta cheese

olive mix from the olive bar at the grocery store

garlic (I used marinated and roasted/marinated garlic from the olive bar at the grocery store)

tomatoes – red and yellow – sliced

salt and pepper to taste

look at this great olive and garlic mixture!

Directions:

1. Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions; let cool.

2. Juice the lemons. Slice the red onion, green onion, cucumber, the olive and garlic mix, and tomatoes.

3. Combine the lemon juice and olive oil and pour over the cooled quinoa. Add the sliced veggies and olive/garlic, salt and pepper to taste.

4. Serve cold with BBQ or any other main dish!

Filed Under: recipes · Tagged With: appetizer, cheese, cucumber, feta, feta cheese, lemon, olive, quinoa, salad, side dish, tomato, tomatoes

Tomato & Feta Toasts

Corn, Chorizo, and Shrimp Salad

Vinegar Based Slaw with Cranberries

Quinoa, Cucumber, Olive, and Feta salad

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