Archive for Salads
Wild Rice Salad
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My mom made this salad this summer while I was visiting. It was so unique and delicious I knew I had to share it with you. When I got home, I made a few changes to the recipe, and made it myself. My husband liked it, but the kids weren’t too crazy about it. Actually, they wouldn’t even try it. But let’s face it, this wasn’t meant to be a kid-friendly recipe. Too many strong and wonderful flavors. 
It makes a large bowl, so it’s great to take to potlucks, parties, or family gatherings. Or, you can do what I did and just keep it in the refrigerator for quick, but filling lunches.
Wild Rice Salad with Parmesan Dressing
Ingredients:
Salad:
1 Cup dry wild rice (plus 3 Cups water and 1 Tbsp instant chicken base, or follow directions on the package)
12 oz. jar of marinated artichoke hearts (Reserve marinade to use in dressing.)
10 oz. bag of frozen peas
1 green pepper, diced
9 green onions, sliced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 Cup toasted pine nuts
Parmesan Dressing:
1-1/3 Cup olive oil (Use artichoke marinade to make up the total amount.)
1/2 Cup cider vinegar
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1 clove garlic, minced
Directions:
- Cook rice according to package directions. Darker and longer grain wild rice requires longer cooking. Here’s what I did with a very dark, long grain rice: Rinse and drain the rice, then place in a medium pot with 3 Cups water and 1 Tbsp instant chicken base. Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 50-60 minutes. Then remove from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain any excess water.
- While the rice is cooling, prepare the dressing by mixing all the dressing ingredients together. I start with the marinade/oil from the artichokes, which is usually about a cup, and then add an additional 1/3 cup olive oil. Then I whisk in the remaining ingredients.
- Now prepare the other salad ingredients. Chop the artichoke hearts into large chunks, or bite-sized pieces. Slice the green onions, and dice the green pepper.
- In a large bowl, combine the rice, artichoke hearts, peas, green onions, and green pepper. Pour in about 1/2 of the dressing and stir gently.
- Cover the salad and place in the refrigerator to chill for a couple hours, or even overnight.
- When ready to serve, stir in the halved grape tomatoes and toasted pine nuts. At this point, you can add more dressing to the salad, or let each person add some to their own serving.
Additional Notes:
- I didn’t actually measure it out, but I would guess that it makes about 12 servings, depending on serving size.
- For toasting pine nuts: I like to toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-heat heat. Keep the pine nuts in a single layer and stir frequently. When the nuts start to turn golden brown, stir constantly. Watch carefully, because they can burn quickly. Remove from heat when all are toasted.
- Do pine nuts leave a bitter taste in your mouth? Leave them out, or try toasted almond slivers or sunflower seeds instead.
Notable Links:
- Don’t have any wild rice? Try The Gluten-Free Homemaker’s Brown Rice Salad recipe. You’ll also find it listed along with other gluten-free recipes at this week’s Gluten-Free Wednesdays.
- For more healthy recipes, visit Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, where Amy is celebrating the one year anniversary of this wonderful weekly event.
Greek Pasta Salad with Chicken
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Here’s another dish I created to use up some leftover chicken. This time it was roasted or rotisserie chicken. No leftovers at your house? You can always cook a couple chicken breasts to add to the salad. Or, make it without the chicken at all.
Greek Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
Salad:
12 oz. Gluten-Free Fusilli Pasta
1-1/2 Cups (about 9 oz.) Cooked Chicken, cut up in bite-size pieces
1-1/2 Cups (about 9 oz.) Greek Olives, pitted and cut in half
2 small Cucumbers, cut into chunks
2 medium Tomatoes, cut into wedges
6 to 8 oz. Feta cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper, added to taste
Dressing:
3/4 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
Juice of one Lemon (about 3 Tbsp)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp dried Oregano
Instructions:
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions. (Schar Pasta
directs to put the pasta into 4 quarts boiling water and boil for 8-10 minutes. When the pasta is al dente, drain the pasta and rinse with cold water.)
- Prepare the salad ingredients by cutting into bite-size pieces.
- Place the dressing ingredients in a cruet or jar with a lid, and shake it up thoroughly.
- Place the pasta and salad ingredients in a large bowl. Pour about half the dressing over it, and toss to cover evenly. Chill in the refrigerator for a couple hours, or serve at room temperature.
- Serve up the pasta salad and season to taste with extra dressing, salt and pepper.
Additional Notes:
- Quartered, marinated artichoke hearts also make a nice addition to the salad.
- For the olives, I usually buy a mix of Greek olives which includes Kalamata.
Notable Links:
- I’ve linked this post to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.
- You’ll also find it linked at Gluten-Free Wednesdays at The Gluten-Free Homemaker.
Menu Plan July 12 – Salads!
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I missed last week’s menu plan because of summertime travels. I’m glad to be back to it this week, and the family has been eager to help by giving me their requests. The hot weather has us all thinking of eating cool salads. So, I decided to host the Gluten Free Menu Swap this week with a theme of salads. Here are some of our favorites that didn’t make it into our menu this week:
.
Potato Salad for a Crowd
Diane's Spicy Slaw
Not My Mom's Chicken Salad
Southwestern Chicken Salad
Heather's Favorite Egg Salad
Corn and Black Bean Salad
Celiac Family’s menu this week:
Monday – Grilled Chicken
My son’s request for the week is grilled chicken breasts. I’ll serve them with a Red Potato and Green Bean Salad.
Tuesday – Cheeseburgers
My daughter’s usual request is cheeseburgers without the bun and French fries. I’ll make Broccoli Winter Slaw to serve with it.
Wednesday – Seven Layer Salad
My husband requested a Seven Layer Salad, which I usually make with diced ham, shredded cheese, peas, chopped lettuce, spinach, chopped celery, and a creamy dill dressing.
Thursday – Indian Chicken
My husband also requested an Indian dish. So, I’ll try a Jalfrezi Curry cooking sauce my husband found. I usually prefer to cook with the curry pastes over the sauces, but the sauces make dinner very quick and easy. I’ll serve it over jasmine rice.
Friday – Leftovers
Cleaning out the refrigerator to make room for a birthday cake I’ll be making.
Saturday – Pizza
We’ll make a cheese and pepperoni pizza using the cheese bread recipe for the crust. I’ll have the kids help me make a Berry Fruit Salad to serve with it.
Sunday – Baby Back Ribs
We’ll be making Alton Brown’s recipe for Baby Back Ribs and serving with Nancy’s Tropical Black Bean Salad.
Here’s what some other gluten-free friends are planning this week:
Is it the timing or the salad theme? Not sure. But we’ve got some great gluten-free menus linked up this week!
- Welcome Susan from I Love Nectarines! She has a corn and asparagus salad on her menu this week, as well as some granola bars that look good. The Sichuan-style egglplant and gujerati green beans sound good, too!
- Wendy at Celiacs in the House is on a mission to get fit and healthy this summer. With the help of some great friends online, she is changing her diet and physical activity to lose some weight, feel better, and improve her health. This week she’ll be filling up on Chickpea Zucchini Quinoa Salad for lunches. She also plans to make Quinoa Tabbouleh and Jaden Hair’s Summertime Lasagna. Wendy also has a great recipe for Herb and Rice Salad and a beautiful Summer Turkey Salad you should check out.
- There are lots of salads on the menu at In My Box this week! They include Green Beans Nicoise, salad rolls with a lentil quinoa mixture, and Vinegret (a Russian beet salad). She’ll also be making Karina’s recipe for Basil Citrus Vinaigrette this week. Yum.
- Cheryl at Gluten Free Goodness says she’s been big into salads this summer, too. She has plenty of fresh goodies from her garden and the organic produce she picks up at Wegmans to make them. This week she’ll be making Quinoa Broccoli Salad and a Mache salad with tomatoes, avocado and pine nuts.
- Lisa at Extraordinary Life is also joining us this week. She’s serving salad with lasagna this week, and making a slaw to serve with BBQ Chicken Thighs. I see that she is also a fan of Alton Brown’s recipes. She is making his recipes for BBQ Chicken, Pork Loin and Beef Tacos.
- You’ll find lots of salad ideas at Beyond Rice and Tofu this week. Renee has Italian Rice Salad and Mediterranean Salad on her menu this week. She also gives links to some others that sound great: Quinoa and Black Bean Salad, Wild Rice Tabouli, and Taco Salad. Renee is hosting the GF Menu Swap next week with cucumbers as the theme ingredient. So be sure to follow us to Beyond Rice and Tofu next week and link up or just read up for more great gluten-free meal ideas.
Need more menu ideas?
- Laura at OrgJunkie.com hosts Menu Plan Monday every week. You’ll find links to hundreds of meal plans (not necessarily gluten-free) there.
- Or, check out some of my past menu plans.
Want to join Gluten-Free Menu Swap?
Cheryl at Gluten Free Goodness manages the headquarters of Gluten-Free Menu Swap. There you will find the rules, the current and upcoming schedule, and links to past roundups. For this week, email the link of your gluten-free menu to me at celiacfamily[at]gmail[dot]com.
My New Favorite Summertime Salad
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I know it isn’t technically summer, yet. But with the 90°F+ temperatures we’ve had this week, it definitely feels like summer. So, I’ve been scanning the gluten-free food blogs looking for cool and refreshing recipes. And I found some good ones to share with you.
Good thing it’s time for Adopt A Gluten Free Blogger again. If you are unfamiliar with this event, it is a roundup of gluten-free recipes tried by other gluten-free bloggers. I’m always trying new recipes, and I’m happy to share my good results with you. I missed last month’s roundup, but just made it in time for this month’s edition being hosted by Iris at The Daily Dietribe.
This month, I adopted Nancy from The Sensitive Pantry. I first found Nancy’s site several months ago while chatting with her on Twitter. (Follow Nancy on Twitter and Me on Twitter.) Nancy has a beautiful site full of exciting and tempting gluten-free recipes that are well organized and easy to find. As you might guess from her blog title, her recipes are suitable for food sensitivities other than gluten. And each of her recipes is labeled for a variety of sensitivities: Gluten, Egg, Dairy/Casein, and/or Vegan.
When I saw her post a recipe for Tropical Black Bean Salad, I knew I had to give it a try. And I have to tell you that it is my new favorite summertime salad! I’ve made a good mango-pineapple salsa before, but this salad is so much better. The addition of the black beans and crisp apples give it such a nice variety of textures and colors. And, I could really eat this as a meal. It does require a bit of time for peeling and chopping. (I’m still not very fast at that.) But, it is definitely worth the time, and of course no additional cooking time is required. The first time I made the salad, I couldn’t get enough of it. I had two servings of it with dinner. The next morning I ate it for breakfast with a piece of GF toast. I then had more of it for snacks later that day. I think I may be addicted to it. My husband thought it was great, too. He even passed it on to a co-worker who raved about it.
So what about the kids? Well, you wouldn’t think I would have trouble getting them to eat this would you? A fruit salad? My kids love fruit! Perhaps it was the black beans that turned them off, but I had no luck with them. My daughter did finally take a taste, but must have gotten some jalapeño, because she immediately complained about it being too spicy and wouldn’t take another bite. Crazy kids don’t know what they’re missing. It’s sweet, crunchy, juicy, and a little spicy, too. Very refreshing on a hot summer day (which is what it feels like here right now). What more could you ask for?
Well…maybe Nancy’s Strawberry Mint Limeade. Another deliciously refreshing recipe.
Want more summertime recipes? Try some of these:
At The Sensitive Pantry:
At Celiac Family:
Potato Salad for a Crowd
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Yay! I’m finally getting a recipe posted. I have really had trouble keeping up with the online gluten-free community this spring. Too many activities in my offline world have been keeping me busy. The most I’ve been able to do is post our weekly menu plans. But, I have finally found some time to write a quick post and get back online.
I’m linking this post to The Gluten-Free Homemaker’s weekly carnival Gluten-Free Wednesdays. Every week, a variety of gluten-free recipes, tips, or reviews are linked to this online carnival. The Gluten-Free Homemaker has also started a monthly recipe challenge in conjunction with Gluten-Free Wednesdays. Check out this month’s submissions of gluten-free quiche recipes. Next month’s gluten-free recipe challenge is for gluten-free cakes. I can’t wait to see the recipes submitted for that one!
For this week’s Gluten-Free Wednesdays, I’m offering the following recipe for a traditional potato salad. It uses 5 pounds of potatoes and a dozen eggs, so it makes plenty to serve at a large gathering, party, picnic, barbecue, etc. I started this with my grandmother’s recipe, but then added a few extras. My grandmother worked many years in the bakery for a corporate cafeteria, so her recipes were often written for large amounts. You can, of course, halve the recipe for a smaller gathering. I like to make the full recipe, so I can have leftovers!
Potato Salad for 25
Ingredients:
5 lbs. Russet potatoes — peeled, cooked, and mashed
12 eggs — hard-boiled, chopped
3 celery ribs, finely chopped (about 1/2 Cup)
1/2 large, white onion chopped (about 1/2 Cup)
1-1/4 Cups mayonnaise
1 Tbsp vinegar
1/2 Cup sweet pickle relish
1/4 Cup prepared mustard (I usually use 2 Tbsp yellow mustard and 2 Tbsp Dijon.)
1-1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp celery seed
Directions:
- Cook and prepare the potatoes and eggs.
- In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together.
- Cover and chill for a couple hours, or overnight.
Notable Links:
- For more gluten-free recipes, visit Gluten-Free Wednesdays at The Gluten-Free Homemaker.
- For a potato salad that doesn’t need to be chilled, try this recipe for Red Potato and Green Bean salad.
