Melon Medley Salad with Local Honey Lime Dressing

Nothing says summer like a melon salad! I feel like every time we go to the store I'm buying melons and I find myself snacking on them to no end! Normally I consider myself somewhat of a melon purist - their natural sweet and floral flavors does not need to be tampered with (don't get me started on the feta and watermelon pairing) but with my new herb garden I was tempted to try something new.

Needless to say, this recipe turned me into a melon salad believer. I like it because it really just enhances the taste of the fruit without masking it. I also picked up some honey from our local farmers market, it was my first time every buying honey in the comb and it was an interesting experience.

Melon Medley Salad with Local Honey and Lime Dressing

Assorted balled or diced fruit, here I used 1 honeydew melon, 1 cantaloupe, and about half a small seedless watermelon.

For the dressing...

I just put everything in a liquid measuring cup.

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 the juice of a small lime
1 TBS honey (I used local honey)
2-3 TBS plain yogurt (depending on how thick you want your dressing)
2-3 minced mint leaves

Method:

Mix all dressing ingredients and pour over prepared melon/fruit. You might want to use a blander or immersion blender because sometimes the honey is difficult to mix in.

Balsamic Roasted Strawberry Vinaigrette Baby Kale Salad

You know those classic food combinations we've come to love? Like pb + jelly, chocolate + pb, pork + apples, mac + cheese? I have discovered a new combo to add to that list and while it might sound out of the ordinary, once you've had a taste of this magical combo life as you know it will never be the same!

*Drum roll*

Balsamic roasted strawberries! BAM!

I first discovered this in culinary school when I made balsamic roasted strawberry ice cream, the first step in this process was roasting the berries in a vinegar sugar mix which I thought was odd at the time. When they were done I tasted one just to make sure it wasn't a total fail and I was shocked at how tasty it was! It took everything in my power not to eat said strawberries before adding them to the ice cream, I was seriously blown away, especially with me not being a vinegar fan.

This dressing amplifies that fresh strawberry taste, it not only makes a good salad dressing but I have also used it for an ice cream topping, an accompaniment to Greek yogurt, and I've even added it to smoothies. Because this dressing is on the sweet side I decided to pair it with salty feta cheese and kale which tends to have a slightly bitter flavor, the pecans also add nice texture.

Balsamic Roasted Strawberry Vinaigrette Baby Kale Salad

for the vinaigrette...

1/2 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
1 TBS sugar
1 TBS balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 TBS olive oil
a bit of water (maybe)

for the salad...

baby kale, spinach, or greens
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup pecans, toasted

Method:

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. To make the dressing toss strawberries in sugar, vinegar, and vanilla (I might of added a bit more sugar) and bake for about 15 min. or until the juice runs a dark red color. Set aside and cool slightly.

2.Add strawberries in a mixing bowl and add oil, puree until incorporated. Depending on the consistency you might need to add water in order to get a more "dressing" like texture. Taste and adjust accordingly, I added a bit more balsamic.

3. Toss greens with toasted pecans, cheese, and strawberries, drizzle dressing, toss, and serve!

p.s. I picked up these strawberries from the local farmers market in Dublin, GA they were delicious!

Asian Broccoli Slaw Salad with Ramen Noodles

I dunno why but I am kind of embarrassed to admit this...I, Annie Patz, have never (until now) cooked Ramen noodles. I have been in college for over two years and I feel like I've missed out on some all-American nostalgic experience. Some of you might be familiar with Paula Deen's recipe which cooks the noodles in butter but I think it tastes just as good cooked in water AND it saves a heck of a lot of calories. This slaw is soooo delicious warm or cold, ever since I discovered broccoli slaw I have NEVER purchased a cabbages based slaw since. For those of you who think I'ma crazy lady, broccoli slaw is typically made of shredded broccoli stalks, carrots, and red cabbage. If you think it resembles eating raw broccoli you're wrong! This is not bitter AT ALL, it's crunchy and refreshing, plus I love the combo of the sweet craisins and the saltiness of the sunflower seeds. This is definitely not your average college dorm Ramen...not that I would know..but still, this salad has class!

Asian Broccoli Salad

1 package of broccoli slaw
1/4 cup sugar
1 package of oriental flavored Ramen noodles (reserve flavor packet)
2 TBS apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 craisins
2 TBS olive oil
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1.Cook Ramen according to package directions; RESERVE SEASONING PACKET and add it to the oil mix.

2.While Ramen is cooking, add olive oil, vinegar, sugar, seasoning packet, and salt and whisk thoroughly.

3.Drain Ramen and toss in oil dressing. Add broccoli slaw, craisins, and sunflower seeds and toss until fully incorporated (you might need to add a little more olive oil or vinegar according to personal tastes).

4.Eat then or chill in fridge overnight.

Israeli Couscous Citrus Salad

So today I went into the kitchen with the intention of making vegetable lentil stew and when I left I had this refreshing Israeli couscous salad in my hands. What the heck happened? How did this happy accident come to be? It all started when I looked in the pantry and we didn't have any lentils...okay scratch that off the list, I can use quinoa. No quinoa. Okay, okay, no biggie, I'll just use this semi-mysterious Israeli couscous that's been sitting in the pantry for years because I am not completely sure what to do with it. So I proceed to my other staple ingredients and I had maybe 2 of the 5 needed. Guess today isn't a stew kinda day. Now what. Well...I have this couscous, some limes and oranges and brussel sprouts. Why not put them all together? BAM! This delicious salad was born!

Israeli couscous salad

1 package (8.8 oz) Israeli couscous, I used this brand:
3 cups broth (of your choice, I used vegetable)
1 tsp lime zest
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 chopped pecans
1/2 craisins
2 TBS light brown sugar
1 thinly sliced shallot
2 TBS olive oil
1/4 orange juice (or squeeze one half of a fresh orange)
about 10 finely sliced raw brussel sprouts
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.Boil broth and dump couscous in, cover and simmer for about 15 min.

2.After couscous has absorbed most of the water and is fully cooked (will resemble cooked pasta) toss with remaining ingredients and chill.

For those of you who are like, what the heck is this stuff? This couscous has a pasta-like texture ...in fact it's pretty much (for lack of a better term) pasta balls. This salad is refreshing and light with sweet undertones. Some people (a.k.a. my boyfriend) thought that the raw sprouts were a tad overwhelming so you might want to add those bad boys to taste, I personally loved them.