This was the perfect side to serve with the pulled pork sandwiches. The best part? Leftovers are even better. That’s right folks, make this coleslaw, stick it in the fridge and give it a few days to rest before you start shoveling it into your mouth.
Don’t like coleslaw? That’s ok. Make a batch and send it to me. I’ll take care of it!
Tangy Coleslaw
1 medium head cabbage, shredded
1 large red onion, diced
3 large carrots, grated
1 cup chopped celery, about 2 – 3 large stalks
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dry mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
Combine vinegar, oil, mustard, salt and pepper in small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
Combine cabbage, onion, carrots and celery in a large bowl. Pour dressing over and stir well to mix.
Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours or more before serving.
I’ve tried a ton of cucumber salad recipes I’ve found online and every single time, I was disappointed. I finally gathered up the courage to just wing it. Man, am I glad I did that – this turned out so darn good and it was even better the next day!
I served this as a side to the Pad Thai I posted about earlier.
Cucumber Salad
1 large cucumber, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon of finely chopped green onion
2 tablespoons sesame oil
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon honey
1 garlic clove, crushed
Sprinkle sliced cucumbers with salt and set aside.
Combine green onion, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, vinegar, soy sauce, honey and garlic in small bowl. Stir to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Toss cucumbers with dressing. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.
Ah yes, another couscous salad. As much as I loved this recipe with grilled vegetables, I wanted to try something else. I wasn’t quite sure what to make, and I really didn’t want to go to the grocery store. I used this as an opportunity to use up some pantry and fridge items. Mostly, I wanted to get rid of the million limes I had left over from Mike’s birthday bash.
Have I mentioned that I love Trader Joe’s Israeli couscous?! Come to think of it, the chickpeas and olive oil were also from Trader Joe’s. I should just name this Trader Joe’s Israeli Couscous Salad!
See? I wasn’t kidding…
For being as random as this dish is, it turned out pretty darn tasty. I love that it requires so little cooking. I have 2 more boxes of couscous left and I really want to make more of this salad. But the thought of using up more of this couscous makes me want to cry. It’s hard to use up “valuable” food when you have to travel 2 hours to get more. Why oh why can’t we have a TJ’s in Appleton!?
Israeli Couscous Salad serves 4
1 box Trader Joe’s Israeli Couscous*
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 3/4 cup vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 tomatoes, diced
1 medium cucumber, diced
3 limes, juiced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
Heat olive oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add in couscous and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until couscous is lightly browned.
Add in vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool.
Toss cooled couscous with remaining ingredients. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or overnight, if possible. Serve cold.
This pasta salad is one of my faves. It’s quick and easy and completely from scratch. That’s right folks, no bottled salad dressing over here. I think the hardest part of this was using a Swiss Army knife to open the can of olives…
One day we will find our can openers. I refuse to buy another one because I’m pretty sure we have at least 2, maybe even 3, lurking in some unpacked boxes. Until then, we’ll have to rely on good ol’ Mr. Swiss.
Greek Pasta Salad
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound short pasta of choice, cooked and drained
8 ounces white button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
4 ounce can whole black olives, drained and rinsed
Whisk together olive oil, vinegars, garlic powder, basil, oregano, and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta and vegetables. Pour dressing over top, mixing thoroughly.
Cover and refrigerate several hours, or overnight if possible.
This dish is really similar to the penne dish I posted about last Monday here. The taste was completely different though. Funny how a switch in cheese and a couple additional ingredients can make such a big difference, huh?
Spinach and Feta Pasta
8 ounces whole wheat pasta of your choice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Heat oil in large pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until onions are translucent.
Stir in tomatoes and mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are tender. Stir in spinach until wilted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Mike and I took advantage of the nice weather we had on Friday and decided to grill out! Yes, for the first time in what feels like months we had a gorgeous day. No rain, snow, hail, or wind. This salad really hit the spot. It was light, filling, and super easy to make. The charred vegetables? To die for. I loved that we were able to cook this meal together, too. I cut, marinated, and cooked the couscous, and Mike did the grilling. The only thing I love more than cooking in my very own kitchen is cooking in my own kitchen with my husband.
Israeli Couscous and Grilled Vegetable Salad
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
2 green zucchini, quartered lengthwise
1 yellow zucchini, quartered lengthwise
6 spears asparagus, trimmed
2 green bell peppers, seeded and quartered
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and quartered
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
1/4 cup basil chiffonade
2 teaspoons olive oil (I used garlic olive oil from a local store)
1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
8 ounces uncooked Israeli couscous (also called pearl couscous)
In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, mustard, and garlic. Slowly add olive oil, whisking until incorporated.
Arrange vegetables in a 9×13 baking pan and pour vinaigrette over. Let sit for 20 minutes.
Remove vegetables from vinaigrette, and set vinaigrette aside. Grill vegetables until tender-crisp.
Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add couscous and cook, stirring frequently, until a light golden-brown color.
Add stock to pan and bring couscous to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until couscous is tender. Remove from heat and transfer to a large serving bowl.
Cut grilled vegetables into 1/2 – 1 inch pieces and place into serving bowl. Mix couscous and vegetables together with basil and vinaigrette. Serve immediately.
After we had grabbed a couple bowls, I decided to toss some feta cheese on top. It was pretty darn good. Next time, I’ll probably mix some feta in with the rest of the salad.
I love love love garlic bread. I don’t go out to eat enough to get it, and I don’t like the freezer section stuff all that much. Solution? I make my own! It’s really simple and oh-so-good. Remember though, your garlic bread will only be as good as the bread you put it on. Try to find a local bakery and give them some business!
Garlic Bread serves 12
1 loaf of French or Italian bread (not a baguette)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Cut bread into 1 inch thick slices.
In a small bowl, mix butter, olive oil, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread mixture onto bread slices.
Arrange slices on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until bread is lightly browned and crispy. Remove from oven.
Turn on broiler.
Top slices of bread with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Broil for 2 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately.
As the GRE crept closer and closer, I found myself cooking less and less. Looking back, I can’t even remember what I ate for the past week. The only thing I remember is going to Harvest with Mike for our fourth anniversary.
Now that I’m done with the GRE, I have a little time to enjoy food again… or at least until I start applying to grad school 🙂
This pasta salad is probably the easiest thing I’ve ever made. It’s food like this that keeps me sane when I’m stressed.
Easy Pasta Salad
1 pound tri-colored rotini
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup black olives
2 green peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cucumbers, sliced
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup Italian dressing
Cook pasta according to directions. Rinse with cold water and set aside to cool completely.
Mix mushrooms, olives, green peppers, onion and cucumbers together with the dressing. Stir in the pasta, chill for 2 hours or overnight and serve cold.
When it’s hot outside and you have no air conditioning at home, the last thing you want to do is have the stove or oven running for a long period of time. The beauty of this recipe? It takes just minutes to make on the stove, and you can use the microwave if you want! This couscous salad is extremely quick and easy to make and the leftovers taste great!
Couscous Salad serves 8
2 cups couscous
2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cucumber, chopped
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 cup feta, crumbled
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Boil the water with the butter and salt. Once boiling, add couscous and stir quickly. Remove from heat and cover. Let sit for 5 minutes. Stir with a fork to break up the clumps and set the couscous aside to cool.
2. Mix the cucumber, tomatoes, and onion together in a bowl. Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar, to taste. I used about 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar.
3. Pour the veggies and dressing over the couscous. Stir until evenly coated. Continue to add balsamic vinegar and olive oil as desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
I love the taste of vinegar and will add copious amounts of it to whatever I’m eating. If you don’t like the taste as much, please feel free to use less of it!!
DoughSeeDough 