Citrus Kale Salad

Always on a quest to use kale in everything. I made this sweet salad to compliment a savory soup.

Ingredients
Serves Two

2 cups finely chopped kale, no stems
1 segment of a red pepper, diced
1 half carrot cut into matchsticks
1/2 cups mandarin orange segment's (I used canned ones)
garlic powder
sea salt
black pepper
rice vinegar
olive oil
juice from 1/2 ruby red grapefruit

After making sure your kale is washed thoroughly shake of excess water and/or pat dry. Remove the tough stems leaving just the leafy green. Roll several leaves into a log and chiffonade until they are in thin strips. Place into a mixing bowl and sprinkle with sea salt. Using your hand wilt the kale until it is soft and fluffy. Once the kale is soft enough you can add your carrots and red pepper.

Sprinkle the mixture with olive oil and rice vinegar. I used probably about 1 tsp each, you do not need much. Then sprinkle with black pepper and garlic powder. Finish by squeezing 1/2 of a grapefruit's juice over everything. Mix to combine flavors. Add the mandarin orange segments last so they remain whole.

Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Warm Chickpea and Spinach Salad

This is the most delicious thing I have made in ages. I could eat it everyday! Thanks to the many people who had various versions of this on the web. I made it my own, and I made it delicious!


Ingredients
Serves 4

1 can chickpeas, drained
3 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 bunch spinach, washed, stems chopped off
3 baby lemons, juiced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
sea salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
oregano, to taste
red pepper flakes, to taste
paprika, to taste
olive oil

Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until the onions are soft. Add the chickpeas and tomatoes along with red pepper flakes, paprika, and oregano. Cook covered for about 18 minutes, stir on occasion. Then add one bunch of fresh spinach and cook for another 7 minutes. Finish with salt and pepper and the juice of fresh lemons.

Garnish with chilled and segmented roma tomatoes. 

Vinegar Salad

This is a salad that lots of people in my family make. It has it roots in Eastern Europe and is a great cool treat on a hot summer day! If you have a Mandolin slicer this will be your best friend when making this salad.

Ingredients
Serves 4

1/2 cucumber, sliced very thin
3 Roma tomatoes, sliced very thin
1/3 red onion, sliced very thin
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
white sugar, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon

Mix vinegar and water and add sugar to taste. Start with 1 tablespoon and taste to see if the taste works for you. You essentially want to use 1 part water to 1 part vinegar. However if the taste is too strong you can add a little more water and sugar to balance the taste. I personally like mine to have a string vinegar taste. I then add a dash of fresh ground pepper and about a tablespoon of chopped garlic.

Once the vinegar/ water meets your tastes add the veggies and chill. Serve as a side dish with you favorite summer meal!

Picnic Pasta Salad

This version of pasta salad was a staple of family get BBQ's when I was growing up. Ingredients can vary but the back bone of rainbow pasta, salad seasoning, and your favorite Italian salad dressing always tied it together. Use my version as a base to create your own Picnic Pasta Salad.

Ingredients
Serves 4

1/2 box rainbow Rotini, cooked and chilled
1/3 red bell pepper, diced
1/3 green bell pepper, diced
1/3 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/3 orange bell pepper, diced
1/3 cucumber, peeled and diced
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 small head of broccoli, segmented into tiny florets
Kraft Italian Red Pepper Vinnegrette, or your favorite Italian style dressing, to taste
Johnny's Salad Elegance Seasoning, to taste

Combine all ingredients in to a large bowl and combine. I always start modestly with both the dressing and the salad seasoning, you can always add more. Once combined chill until serving. The dressing normally settles at the bottom of the bowl, so be sure to stir the salad before serving.