Category: Salads

Entertaining 101: Best Dishes for Feeding a Crowd

Now that we’ve got our planning down, let’s figure out what types of dishes are best for entertaining. When you are expecting a large crowd, individual portions become difficult to manage. Family style (or buffet style), is the way to go. But, what will you serve that will feed a crowd? You need dishes that spread.

Here are my suggestions for the types of recipes (appetizers to desserts!) that work best when entertaining a group of people.

Simple dips and crudite platters
You can make them in advance, and they can generally work for vegetarians and meat-eating folks. And, if you don’t have time to make your own dip or vegetable platter, you can purchase the individual items and assemble. There’s no shame in picking up a store bought hummus or guacamole. Do what works for you.

Pasta
A big bowl of pasta is hearty and can feed many. Make a homemade pesto or marinara or any other sauce of choice and top it onto your favorite pasta. We do not have dietary restrictions in our house, but some of our guests do, so we make brown rice pasta and semolina pasta — two big bowls — both with the same sauce. You can also make a baked pasta — a lasagna or stuffed shells — or baked manicotti (which is what my family eats during the holidays). Generally, kids and adults are both happy with it!

Salads
They will go a mile and everyone enjoys them. My recommendation is to make a green salad and a grain salad. Not everyone at your party may be well versed on farro and quinoa, but everyone can relate to a nice green salad. Make both. Throw some seasonal ingredients into them to make them more festive — like pomegranate seeds, cranberries, toasted walnuts. You get the picture.

Veggies
A big platter of vegetables is always welcomed. You can grill them and serve them along with other appetizers, including breads and cheeses. Or, you can include them on your buffet along with your other dinner items. You can never go wrong with grilled vegetables and they taste even better room temperature.

If it’s too cold to bust out your grill, try a roasted vegetable platter instead — beets, butternut squash, throw some nuts and maybe cheese on top. Yum!

Meat or Fish
This is a little more complicated because cooking meat and fish requires timing it, carving it, etc. That being said, if you don’t mind stealing away from your guests to do so, there are definitely some options. You can roast a whole fish or salmon fillets and arrange on a platter. You can also bake a ham or roast a whole filet mignon and serve it room temperature. I tend to include meat on my holiday table because the older crowd look for it, but I’m seriously considering skipping it this season — just to give myself a break and offer myself a chance to not cook while my guests are around.

Dessert
Well, dessert is easy. Make a big fruit crisp. You can make it in advance, and just pop it in the oven to warm it before serving (with ice cream, or whipped cream or nothing because it’s so delicious on it’s own!). You can make cookies or cupcakes or a cake or pie or two. Just don’t make too much. I prefer quality over quantity.

In addition to the sweets, put out some fruit and nuts as well. Not everyone will be up for a heavy dessert after a big meal.

I hope these tips help make your holiday entertaining a bit easier and a lot less stressful.

December 21, 2014
Thanksgiving Starters, Sides & Desserts

Thanksgiving is one week away. Is your Thanksgiving dinner menu planned? If you are still searching for starters, sides and desserts, we have some great recipes for you. In fact, they are not only delicious dishes, but they are healthy alternatives to traditional Thanksgiving favorites.

Check out some of our favorite recipes below:

A wonderful, light and delicious appetizer is our White Bean Dip with Seasoned Pita Chips.

And, what better way to start your dinner than with a savory Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sage Croutons?

Looking for a festive salad? Try our Harvest Salad with Arugula, Roasted Butternut Squash and Quinoa.

We have some great sides to accompany your turkey or veggie loaf, including our Balsamic Brussel Sprouts.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes.

And, our Smashed Potatoes.

For dessert, we try our Apple Raisin Clafoutis.

And, our Maple Sweet Potato Pie!

We hope some of our delicious starters, sides and desserts make it onto your table this holiday season!

November 20, 2014
Harvest Salad with Arugula, Roasted Butternut Squash and Quinoa

I like to mix grains and seeds into my salads. They offer an interesting texture and help fill me up. In fact, recently I attended an event where they featured a green salad and a quinoa salad, and I wondered why they didn’t just combine the two. So, I decided to make one beautiful salad with greens and quinoa — along with the addition of some nice seasonal ingredients.

This salad includes a blend of peppery arugula juxtaposed by sweet roasted butternut squash. I added cooked red quinoa, roasted pumpkin seeds for crunch and pomegranate seeds for some added texture and color! I also topped mine with some nutty shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese, but that’s completely optional.

It’s a beautiful salad — perfect for the fall — and, I think, perfect for a holiday table.

Harvest Salad with Arugula, Roasted Butternut Squash and Quinoa
Serves 4

5 ounces of arugula greens (I used half of a bag of pre-washed arugula)
1 cup of cooked red quinoa
2 cups of roasted butternut squash (which was salted, peppered and olive oiled)
1/3 cup of pomegranate seeds
1/3 cup of roasted pumpkin seeds (mine were salted)
1/4 cup of balsamic vinaigrette
1/4 cup of shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese

In a large bowl, add the arugula greens, quinoa, butternut squash, pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds, balsamic vinaigrette (recipe follows) and toss to combine. Top with shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette
Yields 1 cup

3/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons of brown sugar
1 clove of garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste

Add, to a mason jar or lidded container, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, crushed garlic, salt and pepper to taste — shake until combined. Vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator for at least one week.

October 30, 2014
Tomato, Peach & Watermelon Panzanella Salad

Earlier this summer my husband and I had a delicious panzanella salad at a local restaurant. Most panzanella salads incorporate tomatoes and bread; however, this version was interesting. It featured not only tomatoes but also peaches and watermelon.

It was really an unexpected combination — but so delicious. I thought I would try to re-create the salad, and I was inspired by the over-abundance of peaches in my house (from a recent peach picking trip). Panzanella salad is also a recipe I’ve been meaning to make, so I was excited to finally try my hand at it!

What I love about this salad is that it allows you to use day-old crusty bread – which I always seem to have lying around my kitchen. It also offers the chance to incorporate seasonal fruit in a new and innovative way. It’s not your typical salad — it’s like a savory fruit salad.

In addition to the fruit, it features thinly sliced red onion, tangy feta cheese, fresh basil and crisp croutons. It’s simply dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The croutons eventually soak up the juices from the fruit creating a nice combination of textures which really helps set this salad apart!

It can also easily be modified. If you follow a gluten or dairy-free diet you can omit the croutons and the feta cheese. You can throw some veggies into the salad as well — perhaps cucumbers or peppers. Whatever fruit or vegetables you add, try to keep it roughly the same size.

Enjoy!

Tomato, Peach and Watermelon Panzanella Salad
Serves 4-6 people

2 large tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 peaches, cut into 1-inch pieces
1-1 1/2 cups of watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 small red onion, sliced thinly (in half moon-shaped slices)
1/4 cup of crumbled feta cheese
15 basil leaves, cut finely
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
15 large croutons (see recipe below)
salt and pepper to taste

Add tomatoes, peaches, watermelon, red onion, feta cheese and basil to a large bowl. Mix the olive oil and vinegar in a separate, small bowl and pour over the salad. Incorporate croutons and toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Helpful hint: You can make your own bread croutons with day old bread. Cut the bread into cubes and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, toss and bake at 400 degrees until crisp and slightly browned. The croutons will harden as they cool.

August 20, 2014
Grilled Peach Salad With Balsamic Glaze

Now that summer is in full swing, you will notice peaches, plums and other stone fruits aplenty at the market.

In addition to eating these fruits on their own, there are so many wonderful ways to incorporate them into your cooking.

Desserts immediately come to mind, but why not use them in a salad?

I thought grilled peaches would be a great addition to a salad, so I fired up the grill.

I split the peaches in half, removed the pit, coated them with olive oil, salt and pepper and grilled them! I easily could have gone the dessert route at this point and topped them with ice cream, but I didn’t! I stayed on course and continued to focus on my salad.

I chose arugula as my salad green — it’s peppery and delicious. I also wanted to incorporate balsamic vinegar. I thought it would complement the peaches. Lastly, I needed a crunch factor, so I topped the salad with crushed pistachios. The combination of the warm peaches, the crisp greens, the crunchy nuts and the sweet balsamic glaze made this salad soar! It’s quite delicious if I do say so myself. And, a testament to it’s deliciousness was the empty bowl left at the end of dinner!

So, here’s my recipe. I hope you like this recipe as much as my family and I did!

Grilled Peach Salad with Balsamic Glaze
Serves 4 people

Grilled Peaches:
2 ripe peaches
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Balsamic glaze:
1 cup of balsamic vinegar

Salad:
4 cups of arugula
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup of chopped pistachios

Before we get started on the salad, let’s make the balsamic glaze. Put 1 cup of balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Let it come to a boil over medium-high heat. Let it simmer until it thickens and reduces in size. It’s ready when it coats the back of a spoon (or a spatula! see picture below). This will take roughly 15 minutes. The balsamic vinegar will cook down to about 1/4 cup of balsamic glaze. Let the glaze cool and set it aside.

Now it’s time to grill the peaches. Cut the peaches in half, remove the pit and slather each side with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill the peaches approximately 5 minutes on each side, on a very hot grill (mine was set to high). The peaches are done when the skin starts to lift. They should also have some lovely grill marks. Remove the peaches from the grill and set aside.

Add the arugula to a large serving bowl. Add the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss the greens. Add the peaches to the salad and sprinkle the pistachios pieces on top. Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of balsamic glaze over salad.

Enjoy!

July 30, 2014
Asian Peanut Kale Salad

Kale is so mainstream now, you can find it anywhere and on most menus. In fact, my brother raved about a kale salad he had recently at an upscale chain restaurant, and since we are all about kale, I decided to re-create it. If you search the Internet you will see that others have tried their hand at re-creating this salad. But, with some educated-guessing, we came up with our own version!

Personally, I think all salads should be chopped. I think they just taste better and the flavors meld together better. And, when eating Kale raw, cutting it every-so-finely makes a big difference! It creates a much lighter consistency to what can be a tough green. All of the vegetables in this salad are sliced finely — what we call chiffonade. In fact, earlier this year we offered tips on preparing your greens which showed you this chopping method.

This is a great summer salad, and I bet it will convert your non-kale-eating friends into kale-eating junkies.

Enjoy!

Asian Peanut Kale Salad

This is a hefty size salad and will feed a crowd.

For the salad:

1 bunch of kale, washed, ribs removed and cut chiffonade (approximately 7 cups)
1 medium sized Napa Cabbage, bottom removed and cut finely (approximately 4 cups)
1/2 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped (approximately 1 cup)
1 bunch of scallions, finely chopped (approximately 1 cup)
20 leaves of mint, finely chopped (approximately 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts

For the dressing:

3/4 cup of roasted peanut oil
1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons of honey
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Finely chop (chiffonade) the kale, cabbage, cilantro, scallions and mint (see picture below for desired consistency).

Add greens to a very large bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl combine the peanut oil, rice wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, mustard, soy sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste. Whisk the ingredients until they form a dressing consistency.

Pour the majority of the salad dressing over the greens and top with the majority of the roasted peanuts. Toss the salad. Garnish with reserved chopped peanuts.

Helpful hint: Check to see whether or not the salad is dressed enough for you. The cabbage in the salad will break down, releasing water, so you might not find the salad is “wet” enough at first. If you have the time, let it sit about 30 minutes, before adding the rest of the dressing.

June 18, 2014
Our Favorite Farro Salad

Farro is an ancient grain, most commonly found and grown in Italy. It can be added to soups and salads, and if you’ve never tried it before, here’s the perfect introduction.

This farro salad has been eaten, adapted and shared by all three of us at Two Fit Moms. It’s a staple, the perfect side dish, great for barbecues and events — and everyone loves it. I make it about once a week during the summer when tomatoes are ripe and plentiful.

I can bet that my colleagues make certain additions and substitutions to make this salad their own — but I tried to capture the basic salad recipe here for you. You can feel free to jazz it up — adding chopped cucumbers, or a vidalia onion for a bit more sweetness or other chopped herbs.

Please let us know what you think of this recipe. We hope you love it as much as we do!

Our Favorite Farro Salad
serves a crowd, or 4-6 people with leftovers!

1, 14 ounce bag of farro (rinsed and drained)
4 1/2 cups of water
1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups of steamed string beans, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup of parsley, chopped
1/3 cup of olive oil
3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1 clove of garlic, crushed
salt and pepper

Add water, two teaspoons of salt and the farro to a large pot and bring to a boil over medium/high heat. Lower heat and let simmer for approximately 20 minutes until most of the water is absorbed and the farro is tender (but still firm). Drain the farro and add to a large bowl. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and crushed garlic; whisk until combined. Add tomatoes, red onion, string beans and parsley to farro. Add the dressing to the farro salad (while still warm). Toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss again.

Serve warm, at room temperature or cold (the longer it sits, the better it tastes!)

June 11, 2014
Shaved Fennel Salad

Spring has sprung, and while it’s still a little chilly in our neck of the woods (e.g., New Jersey), we are eagerly embracing the change of season. Soups and stews and hearty meals have dominated our menus, and maybe yours too! But, in honor of spring, we are going to lighten things up a bit, and we thought this delicious shaved fennel salad was the perfect recipe to ease us into the season!

There’s really nothing to it, but I think what makes it so tasty is the fennel itself. We are using the fennel bulb which has a slightly sweet yet subtle licorice flavor. It is refreshing and offers the added bonus of being great for digestion.

The other thing that sets this salad apart is the combination of textures — the crisp greens and the shaved vegetables — makes a tremendous difference adding unexpected layers of depth. If you don’t already have a mandoline, I suggest you run out and buy one. I have a handheld mandoline that fits nicely in my cutlery drawer. However, if you don’t have a mandoline on hand, you can still make this salad, you will just need a knife sharp enough to cut very thin slices.

The recipe is fairly simple and can be adjusted to suit your tastes and diet. It is also just gorgeous and makes a lovely presentation, as you can see from the picture above.

Shaved Fennel Salad (serves 4-6)

1 five oz bag of spring mix (or any other salad combination you like)

1 large bulb of fennel (tops removed)

1/2 red onion

A few turns of cracked black pepper

Shaved parmigiano reggiano (optional)

Your favorite balsamic vinaigrette

Step 1:
Wash and spin your greens and set aside in a large bowl.

Step 2:
Prep the fennel. Remove the tops of a large bulb of fennel and cut about a half inch off the bottom of the fennel bulb.

Cut the fennel in half lengthwise.

Next, remove the core with a sharp knife.

Last, shave each half with a mandoline or cut it thinly with a sharp knife.

Step 3:
Peel half of a red onion and either shave it using a mandoline or cut it thinly with a sharp knife. Onion slices should resemble a half moon.

Step 4:
Assemble the salad. Add fennel, red onion, a few turns of cracked black pepper and your favorite salad dressing (I suggest a balsamic vinaigrette) to your lettuce greens. If you like, top with shaved parmagiano reggiano. Toss and serve.

Voila!
If you are interested in using a mandoline to create thin vegetable slices for your salad, here is a mid-priced option for you to consider.

March 31, 2014