Crunchy Asian Slaw with a Peanut-Lime Dressing

Colorful and crunchy veggies with cilantro and peanuts, all tossed with a Thai-inspired peanut-lime dressing. Light, fresh, and perfect for entertaining! 

It's hard to believe we have been in this home for 4 years already. Prior to that we lived in our first home together for 9 years, and spent the second half of those years house-hunting looking for a home we could stay in forever.

When we first looked at our current home we liked the layout, the size, and the possibilities, but knew it would take some work. Ok, a lot of work. Then we stepped out onto the patio and were sold - a large, private, tree-lined back yard (gives us so much shade!!!) with an enormous flagstone patio (that needed a lot of work and we eventually replaced). But the best part of the entire yard is the garden wall that curves around the entire patio with a large garden behind it. We spent an hour sitting on that wall, looking at the trees, and talking about the house - and it was March in the Northeast so it was chilly. Immediately we made an offer.

Yes, we bought the house for the garden wall and trees.

One of my friends calls our backyard an oasis, and because of this we made plans to have dinner together on the patio. We were so determined to enjoy a night on the patio that we rescheduled twice due to weather! Then, last week, we had the most perfect Saturday. It was sunny with low humidity and a light breeze. We lit several torches around the garden bed and I made really easy centerpieces out of mason jars, groundcover and herbs, and floating candles to sit on our new table. An oasis it was!

My menu had to revolve around grilling and warm weather food, and since my friend loves Asian inspired food but never cooks it, I went in that direction.

We had edamame to start. Our main course was Jon's grilled beef negimaki. To go along with it I made noodles tossed in a sesame soy mixture with green onions and sesame seeds, and this amazing Asian Slaw.

This slaw is packed with so many crunchy veggies and just look at those colors! Just looking at this slaw makes me want it again ASAP! The dressing for this is awesome too - peanut butter, lime juice, and some heat from Sambal Oelek. It is thick enough to really coat all of the veggies but isn't too heavy at all. Surprisingly, even after being dressed, the leftovers held up fine in the fridge for 2 days! So feel free to make a lot of you want to have some leftover.

Thanks to our friends for sharing a great night of friendship and food with us!

Asian Coleslaw with a Peanut-Lime Dressing
Adapted From: Center Cut Cook

Ingredients

• 1/2 head Napa cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 head red cabbage, shredded
• 2 carrots, julienned and then copped into 2 inch pieces
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into 2 inch pieces
• 1 sm can water chestnuts, sliced
• 1 cucumber, julienned and then chopped into 2 inch pieces
• 2 green onions, sliced into 2 inch strips
• 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
• 1/3 c peanuts, roughly chopped
• 1 Tbsp natural, creamy peanut butter
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek
• 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

• Combine the cabbage, carrots, pepper, water chestnuts, cucumber, green onions and most of the cilantro. Chill in fridge for at least an hour.
• In a bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, vegetable oil, Sambal, hoisin, lime juice, ginger and garlic. Tip: I used the whisk attachment on my handheld immersion blender. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. 
• When ready to serve, quickly whisk the dressing before pouring it over the salad. Toss well, and then top with the remaining cilantro and peanuts. 

Grilled Corn Salad with a Chili-Lime Vinaigrette

Sweet summer corn - isn't it the best?

My favorite way to prepare it is grilled - charred, to be exact - and that is what inspired this salad.

Charred corn is packed with smoky flavors, so pairing it with something bright and zesty with a touch of heat works perfectly. I used cilantro and lime for the bright and zesty flavors, grilled red onion for some sweetness, crunchy red pepper for texture, spicy jalapenos for heat, and a dressing featuring chili and lime to pull it all together.

This Grilled Corn Salad can be eaten as a salad or you can really get creative with it. Picture it on fajitas or tacos - the perfect topping! Put it on top of grilled chicken or fish. Or just grab some chips and scoop it up like salsa!

I will definitely be making this one a few more times before the summer corn runs out.

Check out two of my other favorite summer corn recipes here -
     Grilled Corn with a Chipotle Lime Butter
     Mexican Grilled Corn Salad with with Citrus Aioli.


Grilled Corn Salad with a Chili-Lime Vinaigrette
Original Recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

Ingredients

• 6 ears corn, cleaned (remove husks and all silk) and washed
• 1 red onion, sliced into rings (don't separate within the rings)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• Handful of cilantro, washed and chopped
• Olive oil, salt and pepper

Dressing Ingredients

• 1/4 c vegetable oil
• Juice from 1/2 of a lime
• Zest from 1/2 of a lime
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and pepper

Directions

• Mix all of the dressing ingredients together and chill until ready to serve.
• Heat grill to medium high
• Brush/spray the corn and red onion with olive oil; season lightly with salt and pepper. Grill until charred in spots (to your liking), about 15 minutes. 
• Stand the corn on end. Using a sharp knife, remove the kernels into a bowl. 
• Chop the grilled red onion
• Add in the red pepper, jalapeno and cilantro
• Toss with the dressing and serve. 

Korean Pulled Pork Tacos with a Creamy Sriracha Slaw

This meal combines so many great flavors and textures - tender pulled pork slow cooked in sweet and salty ingredients. A crunchy slaw tossed in a creamy, spicy dressing with bright cilantro. A sticky, sweet and salty sauce to pull it together, and all wrapped in a soft corn tortilla.

As soon as I took my first bite I was in love. These tacos really do have everything. And once I was done eating I couldn't wait for the next night to have leftovers.

 It's a super easy dish to pull together since the pork cooks all day in your slow cooker. I bought a bag of broccoli slaw and tossed it with a homemade sriracha mayo at the last minute. And the sticky sauce can be made ahead of time and then warmed up when you are ready to eat. It doesn't get any easier!

Do yourself a favor and put these on your menu now!

Korean Pulled Pork Tacos with a Creamy Sriracha Slaw
Loosely adapted from: Eating Richly

Pork Ingredients

• 2 lb pork - I actually prefer to use a pork loin for pulled pork instead of a fatty shoulder or butt.
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 yellow onion thickly sliced
• 2/3 c Hoisin sauce
• 1/2 c soy sauce
• 1/2 c water
• 1/4 c mirin
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 4 cloves garlic, minced

All other ingredients

• 1/2 bag broccoli slaw (mixture of broccoli, carrots, green and red cabbage)
• 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp Sriracha sauce
• Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
• Lime slices
• Optional: picked radishes or pickled red onions
• Corn tortillas

Directions

• Prep and cook the pork: Mix the hoison, soy sauce, water, mirin, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, ginger and garlic. Place onions in the bottom of your crock pot. Season the pork with salt and pepper and place on top of the onions. Pour half of your cooking liquid all around the pork, reserving the rest of the liquid. Cook on high for 2 hours and turn to low for 4-5 hours. Flip the pork halfway through cooking. Shred with 2 forks. 
• Pour the rest of the cooking liquid into a small sauce pan. Heat over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring often, reducing it to a sticky sauce. Store in the fridge until ready to eat. Reheat slowly on the stove before serving.
• Mix the mayo and sriracha. Toss with the slaw. 
• Soften your corn tortillas by placing them in a hot, nonstick pan for 30 seconds per side.
• Layer your taco with the pork, sticky sauce, slaw, cilantro, and lime juice. 

Yakitori Chicken with Cold Veggie and Soba Noodle Bowls

Grilled chicken with a cold salad has become a staple in our house during the hot weather.  We have made a lot of variations of this meal, and our most recent may just be one of my favorites - Yakitori chicken over a cold veggie and soba noodle salad with a hoisin-soy dressing.

Yakitori chicken is a grilled and skewered chicken and is so simple, with only three ingredients in the marinade. Since the chicken is in chunks and skewered, it cooks faster than a large breast. You also get a lot of great caramelized bits from the sugar in the marinade. 

Once the chicken is cooked, everyone can put together their own bowl. While my husband skipped the noodles (he has been so good about avoiding carbs most nights! I don't have his will power..), I filled my bowl with all of the veggies and some noodles. And of course my daughter could not turn down pasta. 

The dressing was sweet and savory and tied everything together without masking the amazing flavor from the Yakitori marinade. Again, a great weeknight meal that comes together quickly, especially if you do some prep ahead of time. 

Yakitori Chicken with Cold Veggie and Soba Noodle Bowls Marinade recipe: Oishii Bowl recipe an original creation by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations
Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless chicken breasts cut into cubes
• Marinade: 
• 1/4 c low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 c mirin
• 1-2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 5 green onions cut into 1 inch pieces each
• 6 bamboo skewers
• Chopped romaine lettuce or Napa cabbage (or both!)
• Chopped carrots
• Bean sprouts
• Cucumbers, chopped
• Cilantro
• Broccoli florets
• Red bell pepper, chopped
• Mushrooms, sliced
• Radishes, sliced
• Sugar snap peas
• Cooked and chilled soba noodles
• Dressing; mix together: 
• 1/4 c vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce

Directions

• Mix the marinade ingredients together and pour them over the chicken in a shallow dish. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. 
• Soak your skewers in water for 20 minutes before you are ready to cook.
• Put your chicken on skewers with green onions between every 2 cubes of chicken. Grill until done (internal temp of 165). 
• Put noodles in one side of a bowl and create your salad on the other. Top with the dressing and grilled chicken. 

Grilled Chicken BLT Salad with a Bacon Balsamic Vinaigrette and Blue Cheese

We're back to grilling season here in the Northeast! Jon will grill year-round, but once the warm weather hits it makes grilling so much more enjoyable. He can actually stay outside and enjoy a beer while grilling instead of having to run back in the house.

The grilling bug has officially hit so last week when I asked Jon what he wanted for dinner I should have known to expect "something on the grill" as his answer. Fine with me - keep the mess outside! Then he asked for grilled chicken and salads and I immediately thought about the gourmet medley of tomatoes I just bought that morning. And what goes better with greens and tomatoes than bacon? I decided to make a BLT salad with a warm bacon dressing.

I kept the chicken simple with just some garlic, onion, salt and pepper and a quick zest of lemon rind before going on the grill. I also kept the salad simple - I chose spinach as my greens (romaine for Jon), some grilled red onion, fresh multi-colored tomatoes, cucumbers and green onions. There was a reason for keeping everything simple - this dressing. It is seriously over the top good - I mean, it's a dressing pretty much made from bacon and its grease, how couldn't it be? Then you get the tang of balsamic and the bite of the blue cheese all poured over the crisp, cold salad. Heaven!

Grilled Chicken BLT Salad with a Bacon Balsamic Vinaigrette and Blue Cheese
Original recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations
Makes 3 salads

The Chicken

• 3 chicken breasts
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Zest from 1/2 of a lemon
• Squirt of lemon juice

Mix all of the ingredients and pour over the chicken for 2 hours. Grill until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving. 

The Salads

• 1/2 of a red onion cut into rings
• Greens of your choice; we used Romaine lettuce and spinach. 
• Tomatoes, chopped; I used a medley of yellow, campari, grape and kumatos (brown tomatoes)
• Green onions, chopped
• Cucumber, chopped
• Crumbled blue cheese

Divide ingredients among bowls. Top with the sliced chicken and dressing and blue cheese. 

The Dressing

Source: Guy Fieri

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
• 2 tbsp chopped red onion
• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a saute pan over high heat. 
• Add the onions and bacon and cook until the bacon is crispy, about 6 minutes. 
• To the same pan add the balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and stir to combine. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste. 

Mexican Grilled Corn Salad with Citrus Aioli

One of the summer's stars is definitely fresh, sweet corn.

I have mentioned this in my blog before that every week or 2 in the summer, my dad drives across the river to a small farm stand in NJ. He always comes back with the best tomatoes, zucchini, and of course, corn.

I like corn on the cob, but my favorite way to enjoy this summer treat is off the cob. The other night I decided to take it out of the husks and grill it for a salad.

If you have corn to use, make this salad. I thought it was out of this world good! There are so many flavors going on that just WORK together - the sweet corn, the salty cheeses, the bright cilantro and the bright and creamy dressing - seriously, O.M.G. good!

I made a few minor changes by adding grilled red onion, omitting the melted butter, changing the quantities, serving it at room temp (not hot), and in general changing how it was all put together (I simplified it). I plan on making this for every gathering I have as well as every one I go to for the rest of the summer - it was THAT good! So please do yourself a favor and make this ASAP. You will thank me!
 

   

Mexican Grilled Corn Salad with Citrus Aioli

Adapted from: Food and Wine

Ingredients

(serves 4)

• 5 ears of corn, shucked and cleaned
• 1/4 of a large red onion, sliced into rings.
• Olive oil, salt, and pepper
• 1/3 c mayonnaise
• 1/4 tsp finely grated lime zest plus 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest plus 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard (or more, if needed, after tasting)
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1/4 tsp cayenne (or less - depends on how much heat you want)
• 1 oz crumbled queso fresco
• 1 oz crumbled cotija cheese
• handful each of fresh parsley and cilantro, chopped

Directions

• Make the aioli: mix the mayo, lime zest, lime juice, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, Dijon, garlic, and cayenne. Season with salt. This can be made ahead of time and refrigerated.
• Heat your grill to high. Brush the corn and red onion with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the corn 8-10 minutes until cooked and slightly charred. Let cool before cutting the kernels off the cob and chopping the onion.
• Toss the corn kernels and chopped onion with the cilantro and parsley. Add in the dressing slowly (I didn't need to use all of mine) and then add in the cheeses. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
• Serve immediately.  

   

Grilled Thai Chicken Salad

Grilling season is finally here in the Northeast! This opens up an endless number of meal options as we grill everything - meat, fish, veggies, potatoes, even noodles in a foil packet.

I tend to eat healthier when we grill. No creamy, cheesy sauces; no breaded chicken or chops, and nothing fried. My favorite grilled meal is marinated chicken with a hearty salad, like this Thai Chicken Salad. I actually made this one last fall and can't wait to fire up the grill to make it again soon.

 

Grilled Thai Chicken Salad

Inspired by: Grilled Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing

Ingredients

The Marinade -

• 1/2 c rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• A few dashes of cayenne pepper
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce

The Salad

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 bag broccoli slaw
• 1/2 head of bok choy, chopped (except for the top 2-3 inches)
• 3 green onions
• 1/2 cucumber, chopped
• Optional: cilantro

The Dressing

• 1/2 c olive oil
• juice from 1/2 of a lime
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tsp spicy Thai chili sauce

Directions

• Mix the marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken. Marinate in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
• Mix the salad ingredients; keep cold until ready to serve.
• Make the dressing shortly before dinner - just mix everything well, taste and adjust.
• Grill the chicken until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove from the grill and let rest at least 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

Arugula Salad with Lemon-Parmesan Dressing

Arugula is has such a dainty appearance that if you were tasting it for the first time you wouldn't expect the bold and peppery flavor. I think the name "rocket" is actually more appropriate based on the flavor. And although I found it funny when I visited London several years ago and first heard it called rocket, I may just start calling it that myself. Maybe my little one would rather eat something called rocket, too.

This is a simple rocket salad (said in my best Gordon Ramsey accent) that looks and tastes so elegant. I served it at brunch, but it would also be the perfect starter course for a simple grilled dinner on a hot summer night.

Arugula (Rocket) Salad with Lemon-Parmesan Dressing

Source: Epicurious

 

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for shaving over the salad
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
• 4 cups (packed) baby arugula
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

Directions

• Blend first 4 ingredients in processor. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Cover; chill up to 3 days.
• Combine arugula and tomatoes in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat.
• I added shaved Parmesan atop the salad

   

Grilled Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing

I've never been a big salad-as-a-meal person, but over the past few months have been turning to grilled chicken and different salads when I'm in the mood to eat something on the lighter side.

Recently I made this Grilled Chicken over Southwestern Romaine Salad and really loved the chipotle dressing, and it got me looking for other similar recipes. The other night I was craving Asian flavors, so turned to this Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing recipe I first saw on Pinterest, and on the blog Foodie Crush.

I used the salad recipe as inspiration as I made several changes from what went in the salad, including how I cooked the chicken, adding a marinade to the chicken, and what was in the dressing (so pretty much every part of the recipe!). My adaptation is below.

Jon and I both really, really liked this one and will definitely be making it again soon.

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• For the marinade:
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tbsp hoison)
• 1 tsp or more Sriracha sauce for heat
• For the salad:
• 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 carrot, julienned
• Approximately 1/2 c fresh bean sprouts
• 1 c cooked pasta noodles, cooled - I used Wegman's nuggets; wagon wheels, crushed up ramen noodles, or rotini would also work.
• Handful of chow mein noodles (or any crunchy fried noodle, or fried wonton wrappers)
• For the dressing
• 1 1/2 tbsp light olive oil
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Pinch or 2 of sugar
• 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp sriracha sauce
• Few dashes each salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Mix the marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken; cover and let marinate in the fridge at least 4 hours, or overnight.
• Heat grill to 400 degrees. Grill chicken approximately 4-5 minutes per side, or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Let rest and then slice.
• Mix the dressing ingredients and chill. Can be made several hours in advance.
• Toss lettuce, carrots, green onions, bean sprouts, and pasta with the dressing 
• Top with chow mein noodles and sliced chicken.