Salads in Five: L’s PDQ Salad

 So I apologize for this picture looking like a mug shot. Of a salad. A Blackberry camera and bad florescent lighting will do that to you. Anyways, July (and summer!) are officially here, which means hot weather and lazy days alongside any excuse to be outside. Now if we put two and two together, spending so much time outside means you’ll need to eat outside, and what better light summer meal or side dish is a fresh, crunchy salad? Maybe a Pringle, but that’s bad for you. Salads are not.

Now usually when I make salads, they are to accompany meals so I can really focus my cooking energy and skill into the entree (and dessert, of course). That being said, I am waaaaaaay too Martha Stewart to throw a bag of salad in a bowl and serve it- it feels like cheating! So in true Twenties Project form, I’ve put together a simple recipe that’s cheap, delicious and fool-proof. The PDQ Salad. If anyone’s confused: Pretty Darn Quick.

L’s PDQ Salad

serves 4

4 c. spring mix salad (this is a great mix of baby greens you can get at your supermarket that’s bite-sized and deliciously flavourful!)

3 stalks of celery, diced

1 large carrot, shredded

1 c. cucumber, diced or sliced

1/3 c. feta

Thoroughly rinse the spring mix in cold water, and gently pat dry with paper towel or a clean and dry dish cloth. Place in bowl, no shredding required. Rinse (and scrub if necessary) the stalks of celery. Dice into bite-sized pieces and add to bowl. Rinse (and scrub if necessary) the carrot and gently pat dry with paper towel or a clean and dry dish cloth. Using a handheld or classic box-shaped grater, grate the carrot completely using a medium size grate directly into the bowl. Rinse cucumber, pat dry and dice 1 c. worth (approx. 1/2 of the cucumber) into bite-sized pieces (or slice into thin slices for a fancier looking salad) and add to bowl. Add feta and toss all ingredients until they are well mixed.

This salad is so simple and colourful, and because of the flavourful greens and feta and the satisfying crunch, it’s actually quite nice without any dressing at all! However, for all those dressing lovers out there, a nice and light Italian or balsamic vinagrette goes really well, or even a simple mix of extra virgin olive oil and lemon pepper would give it a little extra kick. Planning to use this for entertaining? Put out an extra bowl of feta (or parmesan!) and a few bottles of some different dressings so your guests can personalize their greens as best suits them. You could even grill up some fish or chicken to throw in for an entree salad, or use the mix to top some beef burgers! Clearly, the possibilities are endless, and they’re all PDQ.

Try this recipe out and leave me a comment telling me how you liked my PDQ salad, or better yet- send me a picture of my PDQ salad starring at your next summer party at ltwentiesproject@gmail.com!

Festive Fruity Salad

I was asked to bring a green salad as my contribution to a Christmas potluck party hosted by a co-worker of mine and I thought to myself, “Hey self. You’ve gotten off pretty much scot-free on this potluck thing. Making a salad is going to be no problem!”

I was feeling really good about it right up until the day of when I popped into the grocery store to pick up the ingredients. Just scanning up and down the vegetable aisle kind of threw me into a wild panic. How on Earth was I supposed to come up with a crowd-pleasing salad that was relatively cheap and easy to make?

Here’s what I came up with:

It’s not exactly a salad in five, but it can definitely be done in fifteen minutes. Just save the dressing in a tupperware container to bring to the party so you can drizzle it over your salad at the last minute. (Because no likes a soggy salad!) It’s a fun and easy contribution to any of your upcoming holiday parties, and the colors and flavor just seem kind of…festive. Hence, the festive fruity salad title. Gosh, I’m so creative.

Festive Fruity Salad

1 1/2 heads of romaine lettuce

1/2 English cucumber

1/4 red onion

113 g. goat cheese crumbles (plus more to taste)

1 pkg.  (142 g) Craisins (or any other dried cranberry)

540 mL mandarin wedges packed in light syrup

Rinse and pat dry romaine lettuce and twist into smaller, bite-sized pieces. Add cucumber, sliced into thin rounds, and red onion, sliced into small matchsticks. Drain mandarins through a sieve; reserve some of the liquid. Pat dry using paper towel or a dry, clean dishtowel. Add to mixture. Add Craisins and goat cheese crumbles. Toss until all ingredients have been liberally coated with cheese.

To make dressing, combine 3 tbsp each balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and 1 tbsp mandarin orange liquid. (You can use lemon juice or orange juice in case you forgot to reserve some, or you were awesome and bought your own mandarin oranges.) Whisk together in a small bowl with a dash each salt and pepper. Dress the salad at the last minute, making sure to evenly coat.

The end result is delicious- the vegetables are crisp counterpoint to the creamy goat cheese and the tangy/sweet mandarins pair perfectly with the cranberries to make the salad seem festive and fun. Plus, it goes really well with chicken! Crisis adverted.

A whole slew of holiday parties are just around the corner. I’d love to know what you’ve been cooking up in your kitchen. Drop me a line at thetwentiesproject@gmail.com

Still need more potluck inspiration? Check out our recipe page for more ideas on entrées and entertaining.