Getting Brave in the Kitchen

Pear & Blue Cheese Salad with Candied Pecans

From ourbestbites.com

Pear & Blue Cheese Salad with Candied Pecans
Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites from Allrecipes.com

Dressing:
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. white sugar
1 1/2 tsp. coarse-grain mustard (like Creole mustard)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 c. roughly chopped onion
1/3 c. olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except for the olive oil in the jar of your blender and blend until smooth. Add the olive oil in a a steady stream until completely blended. Add black pepper to taste and refrigerate until you’re ready to drizzle onto the salad.

Salad:

1 head Romaine lettuce (2 two heads of Romaine hearts)
3 pears, seeded and diced
1 avocado, pitted and diced
1/4 c. white sugar
1/2 c. chopped pecans
4-5 ounces crumbled Roquefort or Gorgonzola cheese

Spray a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. In a small non-stick skillet (if possible), stir the nuts and sugar constantly over medium heat until the sugar melts and the nuts are evenly coated in the sugar syrup. Spread the nuts over the prepared sheet of foil or parchment and let them cool completely.

While the nuts are cooling, toss together the chopped lettuce and diced pears and avocado. Add the crumbled cheese and candied nuts, then drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. If serving as a meal, you can add grilled chicken. Makes 4-6 main dish servings or 8-10 side dish servings.

Grilled Chicken & Berry Salad

From ourbestbites.com

Grilled Chicken & Berry Salad
Recipe by Our Best Bites, Inspired by the Pigtailed Red-Head of Hamburger Fame

1/2 head Romaine lettuce, washed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
6-8 oz. baby spinach
12-16 oz. chicken, marinated, grilled, and sliced*
8 oz. strawberries, sliced
8 oz. blueberries
4 oz. crumbled Feta or shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
1 c. sliced almonds, toasted
Berry Poppy Seed Dressing to taste

For serving a large crowd, toss all the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl and add dressing to taste. For individual servings, arrange ingredients on plates and serve the dressing on the side. Makes about 8 side dish servings and 4 main dish servings.

*For a vegetarian dish, omit the chicken.

Citrus-Pomegranate Quinoa Salad

From ourbestbites.com

Citrus-Pomegranate Quinoa Salad
Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1/2 medium red onion, minced
1/4 cup fresh minced cilantro or parsley
1 cup pomegranate arils
1 can garbanzo beans or great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water or chicken (or vegetable) broth
1-2 avocados, cut into small cubes (depending on how much you love avocado and how big the avocados are)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dressing:
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1 medium orange)
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 medium juicy lemon)
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1/2 medium juicy lime)
2-3 teaspoons sugar, honey, agave, or Splenda (just add it to taste)
2 tablespoons pure olive oil
1/2 heaping teaspoon kosher salt
A few cracks of freshly ground black pepper
1 clove minced garlic

Instructions:

Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside.

Combine diced cucumber, minced onion, chopped cilantro, pomegranate seeds, and drained and rinsed beans in a large salad bowl. Toss with quinoa. Drizzle the dressing over the mixture and toss to combine, then chill until ready to serve. Before serving, add diced avocado and eat immediately. Makes 6-8 main dish servings and 10-12 side dish servings.

Black Beans and Rice with Chicken and Apple Salsa

From ourbestbites.com.

Black Beans and Rice with Chicken and Apple Salsa
Adapted from Bon Appetit, January 2012

Feel free to play around with the quantities in this recipe, like I did. You can add more onion to the salsa, or increase seasonings in the beans. Taste as you go and make it your own!

1 cup chopped peeled Granny Smith apple
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, divided
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion, divided
2 limes
1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoons coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 13.5 ounce can chicken broth
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups cooked brown or white rice
1 rotisserie chicken, or 4 grilled chicken breasts
4-6 lime wedges

Combine apple, cilantro, 2 tablespoons onion, and the juice from half a lime. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt and black pepper. Set aside.

Combine remaining onion, bell pepper, and oil in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until completely softened, 6-7 minutes. Add garlic and next 3 ingredients; stir constantly for 2 minutes. Stir in broth and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer briskly, mashing some of hte beans with the back of a spoon and stirring often, until sauce is thickened, 8-10 minutes (or longer if needed). Season with salt and pepper to taste and a big squeeze of lime juice. Divide rice and beans among plates. Top with some chicken and apple salsa. Garnish with additional cilantro and lime wedges. Serves 4-6.

Baked Red Beans & Rice

From: lessmeat.blogspot.com

Baked Red Beans & Rice

1 cup long grain rice
1 1/4 cup vegetable broth
2 cups tomato salsa
1 16 oz. can kidney beans, drained & rinsed (I used pinto beans instead because I like pinto beans with rice better)
1/2 tsp. chili powder
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the rice and broth in a lightly oiled 2-quart casserole dish. Stir in the salsa, beans, chili powder and salt & pepper to taste. Cover tightly and bake until the rice is tender, about 1 hour.