Kale Caesar Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing

6 Comments | Written on March 20, 2013 at 12:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

Kale is a super food…

Greek Yogurt is super trendy…

Why not combine them both into one super trendy, super food salad?

If you love the tangy zing of a classic Caesar Salad, but not the added fat and calories from the heavy dressing, then this recipe is for you!

Keep reading for the recipe…

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Best Salad Ever! Santa Fe Salsa Salad

4 Comments | Written on January 17, 2013 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

We started the 2013 “Best Recipe Ever” contest with a bang!   The first theme was “Best Salad Ever” and the contenders did not disappoint.  We received so many great entries and this beautiful and delicious recipe came out on top.  Congratulations to “Mshivers60” for her “Santa Fe Salsa Salad!”

Keep reading for the winning recipe…

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Top 10 Salad Recipes

2 Comments | Written on January 8, 2013 at 12:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

We have assembled our best salad recipes!  There’s a little bit of everything:  cold salads, warm salads, fruit salads, healthy salads, and Caesar salads.  They are healthy, colorful and flavorful.  Give one a try this week!

Keep reading for all the recipes!  

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Sriracha Spiked Sesame Slaw – Salad Recipe Contest Winner

1 Comment | Written on August 7, 2012 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

There’s no need to settle for the same old side dishes this summer…why not spice things up a bit?  Once you try this recipe for “Sriracha Spiked Sesame Slaw” you will never look back!  Take a peek at the winner from our recent salad recipe contest.

Keep reading to see the winning recipe!

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Cracker Barrel Easy Peas-y Side Dish

4 Comments | Written on November 21, 2011 at 6:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

This retro-inspired side dish recipe is not only a great way to encourage kids to eat their veggies, it can also be a great addition to your Thanksgiving table!

Cubes of Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar Cheese is tossed with some of your favorite veggies along with some crispy bacon and roasted peanuts for crunch.

Speaking if side dishes, don’t forget the weekly recipe contest theme this week is “Side Dishes!”

For more entertaining ideas and festive tips, be sure to visit our “Host the Holidays” group.  There you will find even more great recipes from Cracker Barrel Cheese!

Easy “Peas-y” Cheddar Chunk and Peanut Salad   (click here to view and print recipe)

Seared Caesar Salad

14 Comments | Written on November 9, 2011 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

Last week it was all about Halloween candy, Thanksgiving pies are right around the corner and Christmas cookies aren’t too far behind.  With all the sweet treats this time of year, I figured it was time to post a good old fashioned salad.

Well, a salad with a twist…

If you are a fan of the classic Caesar Salad, you will love this version.  It is a “seared” Caesar Salad!  The technique creates what I would describe as a built in crouton.  Simply slice a head of romaine lettuce in half and brush on a layer of Ranch of Creamy Caesar dressing.  Then press in a combination of panko bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.  Sear, cut side down in a pan until a crispy crust is formed.  Serve warm as a light lunch during this “indulgent” time of year!

 

SEARED CAESAR SALAD  (click here to view and print recipe)

Panko bread crumbs (regular or Italian flavor)

Grated Parmesan cheese

Olive oil

Lengthwise halved pieces of Romaine lettuce

Freshly grated black pepper

On a large plate, toss together desired amount of panko crumbs and parmesan, depending on how many romaine leaves you are making.  Brush each long piece of romaine (cut side) with some ranch dressing.  Firmly press on the crumb mixture the length of the lettuce piece.  Heat some olive oil in a large skillet and place romaine leaf, coated side down, into skillet.  Cook over medium-high heat until panko crumbs are crispy and leaves just start to soften.  To serve, place lettuce coated side up on serving dish; drizzle with extra ranch dressing, if desired.  Serve warm.

Watermelon and Feta Salad, plus a new blog giveaway!

10 Comments | Written on August 29, 2011 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

Crisp and juicy watermelon is a summertime favorite!  This weekly blog giveaway has everything you need to enjoy this refreshing and flavorful fruit this summer.

-Watermelon knife – extra long and sharp to cut through the large melon!

-Red cutting board

-Melon baller

-Watermelon tray

-Set of 4 watermelon bowls

-Watermelon dish towel

-Watermelon pot holder

-Watermelon measuring spoons

To be entered to win this wonderful watermelon prize package, simply leave a comment here on the blog telling us your favorite way to enjoy watermelon!  Good luck everyone!

Blog Giveaway Official Rules

One of the many reasons I love watermelons is because this beautiful, pink fruit is so versatile.  It tastes great on its own as a sweet and refreshing snack, but also pairs well with savory flavors to create unique salads.  In this recipe the sweet fruit is balanced with tangy feta cheese and black olives.  Toss in a few crunchy pumpkin seeds and you have a fantastic summer side dish!

Here is what you will need:

-Watermelon

-Feta cheese

-Black olives (I also like Kalamata’s from Lindsay Olives!)

-Pumpkin seeds  (Sunflower seeds also taste great!)

Watermelon and Feta Salad (click here to view and print recipe)

2 cups cubed watermelon, chilled

4 ounces crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup sliced black olives

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

Cut watermelon into cubes and remove any seeds.  Mix the watermelon, feta, black olives and pumpkin seeds.  Cover and chill the salad for 30 minutes before serving.   Serves 4.

Whole Foods Flagship Store

11 Comments | Written on June 9, 2011 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

Last week, while I was in Austin for the IACP conference, there was one side trip I simply had to make.  A quick visit to the original Whole Foods Market!  The chain began in Austin and I wanted to scope out the flagship store.

The first store was started by an idealistic bunch of 19 people dedicated to providing their customers with organic and sustainable products.  Today, with stores all across the country and over 50,000 team members their commitment to these core values are as strong as ever.

Here in Austin there is also a Culinary Center in addition to the grocery store.  There you can take cooking classes ranging from basic techniques to exotic culinary adventures.  They even provide full-service catering and event planning from this location.

Take a look at that sparkling kitchen as well as the fantastic variety of cookbooks for sale inside the Culinary Center!

One of my favorite parts of this store was the enormous bulk foods section.  Just about every herb, spice, grain or bean was available in these bins.  I love being able to buy bulk items.  It is more environmentally friendly as it cuts down on packaging and shipping.  Buying bulk can also save you money.  Think about all those times you have to buy an entire, expensive jar of a spice you only end up using once.  In this scenario you can simply purchase the one or two teaspoons you might need for a recipe and a fraction of the cost!

Of course, I am also a fan of any market that has a bar inside the store!  Shoppers could participate in wine and beer tastings, or just relax at the bar to enjoy a glass of their favorite beverage.  I was there on a Friday afternoon and they even had a local musician there to entertain the group.  Love it!

As I was leaving the store, this caught my eye by the front door.  So many grocery stores will have a basket of candy for children to snack on while their parents do the shopping.  Here at Whole Foods there are baskets of fresh fruit!  While I waited for my taxi to take me back to the conference I saw dozens of kids choose their favorite from these baskets.  Such a wonderful way to teach good habits from an early age.

Whole Foods also provides an array of healthy recipe cards scattered throughout the store.  I love anything with grapefruit, so this recipe for a simple and colorful salad instantly caught my eye.  Enjoy!

AVOCADO AND GRAPEFRUIT SALAD

2 grapefruits

2 avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped

1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 head Bibb or butter lettuce

Carefully peel grapefruits, making sure to remove all of the white pith.  Working over a large bowl to catch any juice, cut the membrane from the outside edge of each segment to release the fruit and let it drop into the bowl.  Add avocados and onion, and toss well.  Arrange lettuce leaves on a platter, spoon salad over the top and serve.  Serves 4.

Nutrition per serving: 230 calories, 15 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 10 mg sodium, 25 g total carbohydrate, 9 g dietary fiber, 12 g sugar, 4 g protein

Dairy free, Gluten free, High fiber, Low sodium, Vegan, Vegetarian

Check out other bloggers who covered IACP or Whole Foods!

Average Betty – http://www.averagebetty.com/blog/when-social-media-becomes-antisocial/ and http://www.averagebetty.com/blog/iacp-2011-diy-video-blogging-workshop/

Food Nouveau – http://foodnouveau.com/2011/06/06/conferences/a-fulfilling-week-at-the-2011-iacp-annual-conference-austin/

Gluten Free Girl – http://glutenfreegirl.com/gluten-free-in-austin/

Espresso and Cream – http://www.espressoandcream.com/2011/06/greetings-from-austin.html and http://www.espressoandcream.com/2011/06/iacp-day-2.html

Worth the Whisk – http://worththewhisk.com/2011/06/06/a-dorie-greenspan-lovefest-and-one-of-her-secret-ingredients/

What’s Gaby Cooking – http://whatsgabycooking.com/iacp-2011-austin/

Holiday Entertaining Across the USA!

1 Comment | Written on December 13, 2010 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

If you follow Better Recipes on Facebook or Twitter, you might know that I am currently on a media tour right now all across the US!  I am hopping from city to city talking about holiday entertaining and sharing a few recipes.  Even if I can’t make it to your city, I still wanted to share a couple of these recipes with everyone!

This first is a quick and easy, three ingredient appetizer using Athens Mini Fillo Shells.  Any regular readers of “The Daily Dish” know these are one of my favorite products!  (Remember those Mini Pumpkin Pies from Thanksgiving?!)  The second dish is a holiday coleslaw from Aunt Nellie’s Pickled Beets.  In fact, the recipe was originally developed by a friend of mine (Hi Roxanne!) and was a winning recipe in a recent contest sponsored by Aunt Nellie’s.  Pretty neat!

If you want to check out a clip from one of the TV shows, click here for the segment from Tampa!

MINI BRIE APPETIZER BITES WITH RASPBERRIES

5 oz. Brie cheese

15 Athens Mini Fillo Shells (1 box)

15 fresh raspberries

In a food processor, pulse Brie cheese (including rind) until smooth. Spoon 1 rounded teaspoon of Brie into each Fillo Shell. Top with one raspberry. Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 5 minutes or just until cheese is melted. Serve warm.

HOLIDAY COLESLAW WITH BEETS AND CRANBERRIES

1 jar (16 ounces) Aunt Nellie’s Sliced Pickled Beets

4 cups finely shredded red cabbage

4 cups torn watercress

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup prepared light raspberry vinaigrette

1/4 cup snipped fresh mint

Crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

Drain beets; save liquid for another use. Cut beets into thin strips.

Combine beet strips with cabbage, watercress, cranberries, red onion and mint. Toss to combine. Add vinaigrette and toss gently. Sprinkle with cheese.  Makes 6 servings.

California Pistachio Salad

2 Comments | Written on September 21, 2010 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni