I’m going to tell you a secret.

Almost all the time, like almost 98% of the time, I take the T off of my BLT. Meaning I’m really only eating a BL. With sometimes an A for avocado.

When you look at it this way, it sounds like a heart attack in a sandwich. It sort of is.

Actually, last year I ordered the BLT at Bakn and wasn’t paying attention to the fact that it came with a POUND of bacon on the BLT. Just a tad excessive. Just a bit.

When we got in the car, I nearly had a panic attack because I was telling Eddie that I HAD to be having a heart attack after eating that bacon. And I barely ate half of it.

So why do I always end up removing the T? Ugh. It’s so hard to find great tomatoes here nine months out of the year. We have these things that resemble orange rocks at the grocery store that are cleverly labeled “tomatoes,” but I’m pretty sure someone is just playing a cruel joke.

The summer months? You will find me keeping the T in the BLT. Especially if it’s my own, although I’m more prone to growing little baby cherry tomatoes. They are just so sweet!

For a long time, almost my entire childhood, I wanted to love BLTs because I loved bacon. I wanted to love them like I wanted to love coffee. And I ended up succeeding after discovering the joy of seasoning the home grown, super ripe tomatoes and spreading on a small layer of mayo.

That’s another thing! BLTs are solely responsible for getting me to enjoy mayonnaise.

I have so much to thank them for.

Since we’re currently in orange-rock season, BLT sandwiches can’t really happen. But thankfully I can always find good cherry tomatoes. And I don’t need an entire POUND of bacon for a hearty BLT salad.

One of my favorite – and yours, because it’s a super popular recipe here on the blog – is my BLT chopped salad with feta and corn. I’ve wanted to make a kale version of it FOR.EV.ER. Sandlot style.

And this can even be a leftover salad. If you have leftover bacon from brunch and dinner (I know, what a joke) – throw it in the fridge and toss it in your kale salad.

Okay now. THE DRESSING.

In what probably makes me one of the weirdest people on the planet, I do not care for ranch dressing. I don’t put it on salads, I don’t dip my pizza crust in it. I don’t go near it with celery since celery ruins everything and I have a slightly similar feeling about carrots. I don’t dip any raw veggies in it at all and I don’t want to eat it on sandwiches.

UNLESS.

Unless it’s a greek yogurt version that I first made back with these BBQ salmon salads. I love it as a little drizzle. I think I can handle it because it’s more tangy with the yogurt instead of thick and creamy and mayo-y with, well… mayo.

And on a kale salad? Kale salad has kind of changed the dressing game for me. At least, in a way. There isn’t much that I won’t massage into green kale and let sit for a few minutes. It makes dressings that I often wouldn’t touch more palatable. I’m assuming that’s because the kale itself is heartier and slightly bitter, unlike my other greens love, butter lettuce.

So! This is it! Your Monday salad. Giving you permission to eat bacon, so the week is going to be great.

Yield: serves 2 to 4

Ingredients:

• 1 large head of kale, removed from stems and sliced/shredded
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• optional: sliced avocado, feta/blue cheese, sweet corn

greek yogurt ranch dressing

• 1/3 cup greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped dill
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Place the kale in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Add the salt and pepper. Use your hands to massage the oil into the kale for a few minutes. Set the bowl aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add the bacon. Cook until it's totally crispy, stirring occasionally, and the fat is rendered.

greek yogurt ranch dressing

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until combined. This can be stored for a day or two in the fridge.

The kale totally cancels it out. Thumbs up.

The post BLT Shredded Kale Salad with Greek Yogurt Ranch. appeared first on How Sweet It Is.

The Irish in me is feeling so good about this salad.

GUYS. Potato salad. In bacon dressing. With crunchy-ness! My inner texture freak is thrilled.

Can we discuss the neon-ness of these raw purple potatoes below? The minute I sliced them open, I was blown away. I’ve been on a purple sweet potato kick this winter (made an awesome recipe for the book with them… eeep!) and grabbed this colorful medley of baby potatoes at the grocery store.

They.are.stunning. 

The regular old potato salad never floats my boat. I’ve never been able to get into the mayo-based summertime salads, much to my BBQ loving brain’s dismay. I really WANT to love traditional potato salad, but I just… don’t.

However! In my opinion, the best salads are warm and drizzled with hot bacon dressing. When I was growing up, hot bacon dressing was this magical thing. Mother Lovett and my mom loved it and talked about it all the time – more so the spinach salads with hot bacon dressing – but we couldn’t always find it on menus. I always wondered why the heck we didn’t eat hot bacon dressing with other salads. Why only cold spinach salads? Wouldn’t it be incredible on warm potato salad?

Yes. The answer to that is yes.

And the thing is that these potatoes don’t HAVE to be warm. I like the whole mess served warm. But! You can totally eat the salad cold and just drizzle the warm bacon dressing on top for loads of flavor.

Or you might just want to drink the bacon dressing. I mean, I have no idea who would ever do that.

I’m not a newbie with it comes to potato salads like this, my first one being a bacon blue version with soft boiled eggs (so good!) and a vinaigrette. So many flavors going on there. I love to have that for a meal alone.

This salad though is a little greener. A little more in tune with spring. I love that asparagus is coming into season at the moment. I know that technically we are able to get asparagus all year round since it’s 2017, but it’s truly the best right now. Those skinny little spears are perfection!

And the texture is super great too. The potatoes are soft but the asparagus and radish slices are crunchy! And the bacon. Of course. Also crunchy. I would just like to live in this giant vat of flavor, okay?

Asparagus Potato Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing

Yield: serves 4

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds baby red, golden and/or purple potatoes
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
• 1/2 pound asparagus spears, woody stems removed
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced (I use a mandolin)
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives

hot bacon dressing

• 3 tablespoons bacon fat
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 slices bacon, crumbled

Directions:

Place the potatoes in a pot and fill it with cold water. Bring it to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes - just until the potatoes are fork tender. This will differ based on the side of your potatoes, but you don't want them mushy or falling apart. You want them slightly firm so they hold up in the salad. Slice the potatoes in half or in quarters - depending on their size and how you'd like them. Place them in a large bowl to cool.

While the potatoes are cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is totally crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to drain any excess grease. It will be used for the dressing! Spoon out about 3 tablespoons of the bacon grease to also reserve for the dressing. Throw the asparagus in the skillet and cook, stirring often, until it's bright green and just crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes. Place the asparagus aside.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, asparagus, radish slices, green onions and a pinch of salt and pepper. I like to watch the salt here since the bacon is salty... and the dressing is salty. You don't want to overdo it! But add however much you think is necessary to taste great. Toss the mixture with the hot bacon dressing. Sprinkle it with the chives. Taste and season additionally if desired. Serve!

hot bacon dressing

Add the bacon grease, minced garlic, vinegar, sugar and mustard to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the dressing slightly emulsifies. Season with the salt and pepper. Before serving, add in the crumbled bacon. You can keep this over low heat while stirring occasionally until ready to serve. I suggest reheating it in a saucepan like so. This is the combo I've come to love over the years, but you can experiment with different vinegars, more bacon fat and other spices too!

It’s just so colorful!

The post Asparagus Potato Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing. appeared first on How Sweet It Is.

This is me doing a salad faceplant.

I know! I’m aware. Salad and faceplant are probably not two words that you associate – especially together – when you visit this blog. But it’s happening.

Max’s current obsession is peanut butter toast. I’ve always given it to him as a snack or part of a meal, but it hasn’t been until recently that he decided that he LOVES it and asks for it multiple times a day. EVERY day.

It means we are going through a ton of peanut butter and I usually make myself a slice of peanut butter banana toast while I’m at it, sprinkled with hemp hearts, because it is THEEE ultimate snack. That has been one of my favorite post-workout snacks since I was in high-school. I just find it so satisfying!

So we obviously aren’t eating peanut butter toast today, but all that gibberish above has reignited my passion for peanut butter in a savory way. Thai food ranks high up there on my list of favorites, and the chopped peanuts on salads and noodle dishes are always something I really look forward to. But it wasn’t until recently that I made my own peanut dressing that I’ve been keeping in the fridge for weekday lunches.

I’ve made a thai dressing before WITH peanut butter, but it’s never been the star of the show. It’s just had a hint of peanut butter, mixed with lots of other flavors like sweet chili and garlic and what not. This dressing? It’s peanut butter BASED. It’s loaded with peanutty flavor.

I wanted to keep the salad simple. Definitely chicken, because chicken and peanut sauce is a thing. A thing I just really enjoy. One of the only ways I really enjoy chicken! I used our favorite method of broiling boneless, skinless chicken thighs and brushing them with a mixture of honey, peanut butter and apple cider vinegar until somewhat caramely.

WHOA. Chicken this way is freaking fantastic.

Tons of avocado because I have no idea how to make a salad without it. The base is full of napa cabbage and slaw mix, which we almost always have in our fridge because it’s our favorite taco topping and we use it every week. Especially right now, on fish tacos!

Some cucumbers for crunch, some lime juice and some crunchy peanuts. Because TEXTURE. It’s the highlight of my food life.

There are a few shredded carrots in the slaw mix, which is the only way I can do them. But if you want whole carrot sticks or chunks in here, go for it! And even though this isn’t technically a chopped salad, with the use of the slaw, I end up chopping it all up as I go to eat it. That way I get a bite of everything, which is my favorite way to salad.

Let’s make it a verb.

Also! Look at how GREEN this is! It’s perfect for the omg-it’s-April-and-almost-beach-season anxiety. Am I right?

The one last thing that tastes delicious with this is… some crushed pita chips. Use ’em as a topping or to scoop up the salad like salad nachos. SALAD NACHOs. Can we make that thing?

Chicken Avocado Salad with Peanut Dressing

Yield: serves 2

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons peanut butter
• 3 cups chopped napa cabbage
• 2 cups slaw mix (a mix of chopped cabbage and shredded carrots)
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced
• 1/2 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup peanuts, chopped

peanut dressing

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar

Directions:

Heat the broiler on your oven to high and place an oven rack 6 inches below. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Season the chicken on both sides with the salt, pepper and paprika. Place it on the baking sheet and broil for 7 minutes, the flip and broil for 7 minutes more. While the chicken is broiling, whisk together the honey, vinegar and peanut butter. Brush it on the chicken and broil for 2 more minutes. Flip the chicken one more time, brush with the honey mixture and broil 2 minutes more. Remove the chicken and let it cool slightly. Slice into pieces

Combine the cabbage and slaw mix in a large bowl and toss it with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the chicken on top along with the avocado, cucumber and chopped peanuts. Drizzle on the dressing, toss and serve!

peanut dressing

Whisk the ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth. This can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for a few days!

I already feel better about my cadbury egg mishap this weekend.

The post Chicken Avocado Salad with Peanut Dressing. appeared first on How Sweet It Is.

I’ve found the secret to fruit salad.

And I don’t think I’m ever going to make another fruit salad recipe ever again. This one is the business.

Guys. I have a strawberry addiction. The strawberries are SO good right now. Like, so so good. I am buying an exorbitant amount each week. I’ve made enough recipes to share over the next few weeks while my kitchen is being renovated, and it wasn’t until I really looked at all of the recipes that I realized that I made FIVE recipes with strawberries.

I hope you’re hungry for strawberries.

This recipe comes from Robyn’s new book, Add a Pinch. First of all? This book is GORGEOUS. Everyone who has walked by it in our home has asked “what book is this?! It’s so pretty!” It really is. Second, the recipes are approachable but sound so.dang.good. The next on my list if the white chicken enchilada stuffed shells. Eeeep.

Oh my gosh. I actually turned down the corner for about 15 different recipes in the book. While I would normally think that fruit salad is a cop out choice to share here on the blog, I was really intrigued by the dressing and also thought it was the perfect Easter side dish!

The funny thing is that – the components of the dressing? The ginger and the lemon juice and the poppy seeds? They aren’t something that I’d go crazy over and really decide to actively put on my fruit. I was hesitant to even taste the salad after we made it.

BUT then. Oh my gosh. One bite and I was seriously hooked.

This dressing is absolutely incredible. I could not stop eating the fruit salad. Eddie was eating the fruit salad over the sink straight from the bowl after he ate five fajitas because it was so good. (Also probably because he gave up sweets for Lent and hasn’t cheated at all.) Max gobbled up the fruit salad up like a crazy person.

The flavor is spot on.

My favorite thing of all though is that you can use whatever the heck fruit that you want to use. There are really no guidelines here, aside from the dressing recipe. Which we’ve already established is to die for. I mean, I could drink the stuff.

I also think it’s worth mentioning that the fruit doesn’t swim in the dressing. It’s the perfect amount to coat a few cups of fruit and give them this zing of “oh my gosh what IS that?” flavor. You know? I could practically even consider this dessert, which is huuuuge.

Poppy Seed Fruit Salad

Yield: serves 6 to 8

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 cups mixed fruit (I used strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, kiwi, mango, apples and grapes)
• 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• a handful of fresh mint

Directions:

Place the fruit in a large bowl. Whisk together the juices, sugar, poppy seeds and ginger until combined. Pour it over the fruit and toss well. I like to throw in a few mint leaves and use it to garnish as well - totally optional!

[recipe from the add a pinch cookbook]

Maaaaybe just a little scoop of ice cream on top.

The post Poppy Seed Fruit Salad. appeared first on How Sweet It Is.

I am certainly not above adding tequila to my salads.

Oddly enough, I actually… LIKE tequila. I like the taste! So let’s add it to our salads to celebrate MONDAY.

Even though I’m still cooking on an electric skillet, I want to alternate our dinners this week with some tex-mex AND derby ideas. And while super cheesy, meaty tacos every evening don’t sound terrible, I should probably be a bit more… responsible. That might be a first?

So, a slightly lighter option here that still incorporates a little booze, because OF COURSE. Tequila shrimp just SOUNDS delicious, like if I saw that on a menu somewhere? Hello, I am done. That is what I’m ordering. Goodbye.

Of course it’s allllll the other toppings (errr, salad ingredients?) that make this bowl the best. Sweet corn, lots of tomatoes, avocado because who is still not eating avocado in 2017 (Eddie.), sliced jalepeños, diced radish and the best part, some crunchy homemade tortilla chip pieces. YESSSSSSS.

And honey lime vinaigrette. The ultimate.

The marinade on the shrimp is something I could eat every week. Tequila, olive oil, fresh lime juice and zest, minced garlic, chili powder, salt and pepper. So simple yet incredibly delicious once the shrimp is grilled or roasted or pan-fried. I wasn’t even expecting the flavor to be THAT good and with one taste, Eddie and I were both freaking.

Which translates to, standing in the little bump-out section of our kitchen that isn’t torn to shreds and eating said shrimp with a plastic fork out of the electric griddle. Super glam.

You know that I love big salads like this that totally make a full meal. They are ridiculously satisfying. And this is so true about what we tend to eat on Mondays and Tuesdays. With those being my big cooking days, we always have tons of ingredients left and you would not even BELIEVE the things that I will throw on a salad for dinner.

But the salad has to be legit. Gone are the days where we are satisfied with tomatoes, carrots and maybe cheese or cucumber. It needs to be bulked up! And this one doesn’t even have bacon.

The inspiration for this salad came from my crunchy taco salad, because I make that CONSTANTLY. I was almost going to make it again last week and then I was like NO. We need some new taco flavor here. And a mini-break (read, a day) from kale. The results were delicious.

If only allllll of my salads looked like this. I’d eat one every day!

Tequila Shrimp Taco Salad

Yield: serves 2 generously

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 pound raw peeled and deveined shrimp
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons tequila
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lime, juiced and zested
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 2 (4-inch) tortillas, cut into pieces
• 1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil, if needed
• 6 to 8 cups spring greens
• 3 radishes, diced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup sweet corn
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• queso fresco cheese, crumbled
• salt and pepper, for taste

honey garlic vinaigrette 

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1 lime, juiced and zested
• 6 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Place the shrimp in a bowl or large resealable bag. Whisk together the oil, tequila, garlic, lime juice and zest chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Pour it over the shrimp and toss well. Let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes. While the shrimp is marinating, prepare and chop the rest of your salad ingredients.

Heat your grill, a large skillet or pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp (most likely in one or two batches) and cook until golden and opaque, barely 2 to 3 minutes per side. Set the shrimp on a plate.

To that same skillet, you can add your tortilla pieces. If there is residual from the shrimp, it will be enough to toast the tortillas, but if you need it, add teaspoon or 2 of oil or butter. Add the tortilla pieces into the skillet and cook until golden and crispy on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the tortillas and place them on a paper towel to drain any excess grease.

To assemble the salad, fill the bowl with the greens. Top with the shrimp, radish, tomatoes, peppers, avocado, corn and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the dressing and serve!

honey garlic vinaigrette 

Whisk together the, vinegar, honey, garlic, lime juice and zest. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil to emulsify the dressing. This keeps well in the fridge!

This cancels out the margaritas too. I swear.

The post Tequila Shrimp Taco Salad. appeared first on How Sweet It Is.

OH my GOSH.

I have found a major new pasta salad love.

This is one of the most delicious things to grace my kitchen in months. For.real.

First! You guys know that I’m not a huge fan of pasta salad, especially creamy versions or other dishes filled with tons of dressing. I’ve never loved them and always pass over them at picnics and BBQs.

Last year I made a crispy bacon pasta salad that SOLD me on pasta salads. I’ve just been waiting to make that for memorial day this year, but ummm… this salad right here might have taken over the number one spot.

When the creaminess in a pasta salad is from goat cheese? Oh heck. I’m done.

This is SO easy. So simple, with just a handful of ingredients. But it has such a ridiculous amount of flavor. It’s nuts!

You have whole wheat pasta and immediately after it’s cooked, you drench it with some olive oil, lemon juice and lots of crumbled goat cheese. With a ladle of the starchy pasta water, you mix and stir it all together and it becomes this creamy, dreamy wonderland in a bowl. I.freaking.love.it.

Then! It gets better. You stir in the arugula which slightly wilts and toss in some cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives. Holy flavor bomb!

This recipe comes from Kathryn’s new and fabulous book, Love Real Food, which is out NOW! Yes yes, you can get your hands on this baby today. All of the recipes are vegetarian and for someone who isn’t over the moon about vegetables, I want to make allllll the recipes. They look mouth-watering.

Lots of them are gluten free too!

Her recipes are foolproof and just so FRESH. I adore them.

If you have a similar palate to mine, i.e. that you adore goat cheese and briney olives and sweet tomatoes and peppery arugula (!!!), you will flip over this. I like the idea of serving it at a BBQ or simmer picnic, but seriously, just having it for dinner is delicious too. I’d be fine with JUST this, but Eddie had it on the side with some chicken. Wowza.

Also! Important. It reheats well too. Kathryn notes that after it’s store in the fridge, you can quickly heat it in the microwave just so the goat cheese becomes creamy again. That’s exactly what I did! Perfection. And even more flavor.

Going to eat it forever and ever now.

Goat Cheese and Arugula Pasta Salad

Yield: serves 4 to 6

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces whole wheat fusilli pasta
• 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 6 ounces baby arugula
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced

Directions:

Bring a salted pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta until it's al denta, according to the directions,. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta water and place it in a large serving bowl.

Sprinkle the goat cheese over the pasta, then drizzle in the olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle in the salt, red pepper and black pepper over top. Pour about 1/3 cup of the pasta water over top and toss until the pasta is super creamy.

Add the arugula, tomatoes and olives and toss to combine. If the pasta is too dry, drizzle in more of the pasta water and stir. You can also add in more olive oil if desired. Taste and season more if needed. Serve immediately.

You can store this salad in the fridge for a few days - a quick reheating in the microwave will make the goat cheese creamy again!

[recipe from love real food]

Cutest tomatoes ever, right?!

The post Creamy Goat Cheese and Arugula Pasta Salad. appeared first on How Sweet It Is.

Let’s put some melon in our salad and call it almost summer!

Plus, I’m a sucker for alliteration.

Memorial day weekend is always one of my favorite weekends of the entire year. Besides the fact that it’s a long weekend and the unofficial start of summer, we cap it off by going to a little local parade honoring those who fought for us and it’s such a nice tradition.

I’ve always loved this specific weekend, but a few years ago, Eddie and I had SUCH a wonderful long weekend that I’ve held it to high standards ever since. We didn’t do anything special or out of the ordinary. We did tons of yard work and landscaping, made great dinners, had a few parties to go to, went to get ice cream and finished it off with the parade, but it was just so packed with normal, everyday life, make-it-count activities. We did LIFE.

I mean, it sounds ridiculous, but it was packed with the things we do to live this life that we love.

This past weekend, we spent a ton of time outside planting, doing more yard work, all sorts of things like that. Eddie was getting frustrated and putting multiple chairs together and I was like, THIS IS OUR LIFE! It’s so wonderful and what else would we be doing if we weren’t doing there boring, daily life activities that we get to do? Watching TV or something?

Let’s just say that he didn’t appreciate my annoyingly positive outlook at the moment (says the person who WASN’T assembling furniture… ), but afterwards, he was like, YEAH, this is what we should be doing.

That’s sort of what I love about this upcoming long weekend.

Well, that and… the food. SHOCKING.

At the moment, I’m sliiiiightly grilled out. Ugh, I know. Not words you want to hear at the beginning of the season. But with the kitchen remodel, we grilled so, so, so much. Like constantly! I need to take some extra motivation from Eddie at the moment because he’s been grilling salmon, tuna and all sorts of fish for his lunches – and everything looks SO good.

I don’t even know who he is right now.

In the meantime, I’m going to share a simple but deeeeelicious “salad,” if you will. I mean, it’s a salad full of little balls. Watermelon, cucumber and mozzarella, all in a tangy, herby dressing for the best combo of savory and sweet. YES PLEASE.

I was tempted to throw these ingredients together because I find that the melon salads I end up eating always have too much sweet (like cantaloupe plus honeydew plus watermelon) or a lot of savory (like tons of prosciutto or cured meat). I wanted more of a balance and a heck of a lot of CREAMY in the form of cheese. Balls of cheese. Hello. Please never leave me.

Speaking of, we’ve gone through THREE large balls of burrata this week as I finish up the verrrry last photos for my book. Three! That’s a ton of burrata and I’m not mad about it.

So, I definitely think this big bowl should make an appearance in your weekend, whether it’s for your friends or your family or yourself. It can totally be a one person meal too, in the appropriate proportions.

Which basically means the entire bowl because IT’S SO GOOD.

Marinated Mozzarella Melon Salad

Yield: serves 4 to 6

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 ( 8 ounce) container fresh mozzarella balls in water, drained
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, plus extra for sprinkling
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cups watermelon balls (about 1/2 large watermelon)
• 1 1/2 cups cucumber balls (about 3 seedless cucumbers)

Directions:

Place the mozzarella ball in a bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon and lime juice, basil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour it over the mozzarella and stick it in the fridge while you use a melon baller to scoop out the watermelon and cucumber.

Place the watermelon and cucumber in a large bowl. Pour the mozzarella and all the dressing contents in the bowl with the melon and toss well. You can keep this is the fridge for about an hour before serving. Top with extra fresh basil and herbs before serving and toss well!

P.S. I totally tricked Eddie because he thought this was honeydew. But it’s cucumber! And he loathes cucumber. This could be the best april fool’s joke.

The post Marinated Mozzarella Melon Salad. appeared first on How Sweet It Is.

BEHOLD. It’s the start of summer salads!

Also known as, one of my most favorite things ever. Give me all the grilled corn, tomato and avocado and drench it in a good shower of chimichurri. I am ONE happy camper. Lots of herbs too. Some cheese for good measure.

This is seriously how I can eat vegetables like a normal human. I mean, maybe a normal human doesn’t have to smother them in chimichurri and goat cheese, but if not, then I prefer to be abnormal.

GUYS.

I am such a huge chimichurri fan. I make it for this amazing flank steak all the time, but the first time I used it on a salad was last year and ohhhh my heavens. It is GOOD. It’s like a more potent vinaigrette and if you’re into super briney and tart things like I am? You’ll love it to pieces.

Plus, we have creepily-thin sliced avocado. Seriously, what else does your Monday need?

You don’t have to slice your avocado like a creep though – not unless you have a food blog and feed off of other avocado lovers’ comments. You know. Normal life things.

This salad is so freaking simple. It’s one of those embarrassingly simple recipes that tastes fantastic once the chimichurri is thrown on top. You can make the chimichurri ahead of time (the night before! the day before!) and assemble the salad right before serving. Grill some ears of corn for that sweet and caramely flavor.

Grab some super sweet cherry tomatoes that almost taste like candy. Don’t you hate when people say that about vegetables? Me too.

Throw some super soft butter lettuce on your plate and top it all off with some creamy goat cheese. I crumbled humboldt fog on top because it’s the best cheese in the universe. It’s an excellent lunch salad but also a really good weekend salad. AND. You can totally add some chicken if you want! Or steak!

And then you serve it to all of your friends and DEVOUR. BFF’s for life.

Grilled Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad with Chimichurri

Yield: serves 2, is easily multiplied

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 slices butter lettuce
• 4 campari tomatos, halved
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 ears of sweet corn, grilled
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced
• salt and pepper for sprinkling
• 2 to 4 ounces goat cheese (chevre), like humboldt fog
• fresh basil and oregano for sprinkling

chimichurri

• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• 2/3 cup fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

To grill the corn, rub the ears with the olive oil. Lately, I've been grilling my corn without the husks on, tied at the bottom, and without foil, so it takes only a few minutes. Place the ears on the grill and cook until the corn is golden or charred - whichever you prefer - turning the ears as you go. Remove them from the grill and let cool slightly, then slice the kernels off the cob.

Arrange the salad by placing the butter lettuce on the plate with some tomatoes, sliced avocado and corn - however you'd like! Be sure to season everything with a small sprinkle of salt and pepper as you go. Drizzle on some spoonfuls of chimichurri. Sprinkle on the goat cheese and add the fresh herbs, then add another drizzle of chimichurri. Serve immediately.

chimichurri
Combine the parsley, cilantro, oregano and garlic in a food processor and pulse until small leaves and pieces remain. Add in the vinegar and pulse once more. With the processor going, stream in the olive oil and mix until just combined. Stir in the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Taste and season additionally if needed. Store sealed in the fridge for up to a week or so!

And like usual, more room for cookies!

The post Grilled Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad with Chimichurri. appeared first on How Sweet It Is.

I have the dish you’re going to eat morning, noon and night this weekend!

And just to play it safe? Let’s say the entire rest of the summer. K? Great.

Pistachio pesto pasta salad could only be made better by one thing: burrata cheese. Of course! It’s tangy, creamy, a little crunchy and so, so flavorful. This has so much flavor, I want to cry. Bawl! Sob!

It’s ridiculous. 

If you’re thinking… um, didn’t you make something similar to this last year, you’re totally right. I DID. But it was a warm regular old noodle pasta with burrata twirled in. Not a cold, chilled pistachio pesto pasta salad with burrata mixed in.

Uhhhh.

Same thing?

I know I know. It’s similar! But the REAL thing is that Eddie and I have been eating this pesto pasta salad for dinner (and, um, lunch) like crazy people. Like we can’t stop. Like we have made it our side dish every single night, even for weird things that don’t require a side dish. Even for me who in general does not require a side dish. Eddie ALWAYS requires a side dish.

It’s like he looks forward to JUST the side dish on his drive home from work.

You totally could serve this warm, but I wanted you to have the recipe written as cold so you can make it for all of your 4^th of July festivities this weekend.

If you’ve follow the blog for a while, you know I’ve been obsessed with pistachio pesto (and, well, generally all things pistachio) for years and years and years. The flavor is so buttery and rich. So toasty. So delicious!

I also like to add in a bit of fresh arugula for bite. Waaaay way way back, many moons ago on this blog, I used to whine about how I didn’t really care for pesto. I initially fell in love with arugula pesto for the sharp taste is gave to all the summer things. I haven’t turned back since and I love basil pesto equally now too.

Plus, some fresh oregano for good measure. Dried oregano has always been a little strong for my liking but fresh is my favorite herb from my garden. I love it SO much.

So tell me! What are your plans for the weekend? And are you celebrating the 4th of July this weekend or on Tuesday? I totally wish that all holidays like that should just be attached to the weekend. Right?

We will do a pool partay and lots of good food. Tons of fireworks and sparklers even if I want to crash in bed at 9 like the old grandma that I am.

Just promise me that this little bowl here will grace your table at some point in the next five days. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, I’m telling you!

Pistachio Basil Pesto Pasta Salad with Burrata

Yield: serves 4 to 6

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

pistachio basil pesto

• 1 cup shelled pistachios
• 1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn
• 1/2 cup fresh arugula
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup finely grated pecorino romano cheese
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

pasta

• 1 pound fusilli pasta
• 1 ball burrata cheese
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
• 1 handful fresh basil for tossing

Directions:

pistachio basil pesto

Place the pistachios, basil, arugula, oregano, garlic and cheese in a food processor. Pulse and blend until the nuts are coarsely chopped, then with the processor on, stream in 1/3 cup of olive oil. Add a little more if necessary, depending on how "spreadable" you want your pesto to be. Taste the pesto and add in the salt, blending once more. This will make a little extra pesto than needed, so store it sealed tightly in the fridge for up to a week.

pasta

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Once you drain the pasta, immediately toss it with the olive oil and a few scoops of the pesto - as much as you'd like! You can use all of it or just a few tablespoons. Pull apart the burrata cheese and toss it into the pasta over and over. Toss in the parmesan cheese. At this point, you can serve it warm, but I love to stick the whole bowl in the fridge and let it cool down for a few hours. The flavor is unreal!

Before serving, top with the extra pistachios and fresh basil leaves.

Oh and p.s. if you have extra pesto? HELLO PIZZA.

The post Pistachio Pesto Pasta Salad with Burrata. appeared first on How Sweet It Is.

I’m making you a salad today!

In wedge form, of course. Watermelon salad wedges because they are cute! And I don’t want to be all fancy and stack it. Wedges that are covered with the juiciest cherry tomatoes, crumbly blue cheese, microgreens, fresh herbs and a quick orange vinaigrette. Would you believe this is one of the most incredible combinations ever?!

And I’m not even being dramatic. 

I had this salad a few weeks ago at Vallozzi’s – and while it was served much fancier in stacked form with a watermelon round, the flavor was so incredible that I couldn’t believe my taste buds.

Even my mom, who would totally turn her nose up at something like this, something very untraditional and something that meshes sweet and savory without being a dessert, was LOVING it. We only got one salad and we were practically fighting over the last few bites.

I don’t even know how to begin to explain how fantastic this flavor combination is. We have the watermelon, which is sweet and refreshing. The tomatoes, which aren’t quite as sweet, but also juicy and somewhat refreshing. The blue cheese, which is creamy and kind of tangy. The microgreens, which always have a little bit of a bite to them – not quite as peppery as arugula, but there is something semi-spicy about them.

The salad we had that evening also had fresh garden peas, and while they tasted good too, every time I speared one it flew off my plate and hit the wall next to me.

Yes, I was that person. There was a pile of peas on the floor before I even finished the salad.

The peas were a little underwhelming to me so I left them off these slices.

But here’s the thing! The entire combination is drizzled in an orange vinaigrette. The salad we ate? I think it just had a plain, simple orange oil over it. And guess what! I don’t even care about orange-flavored things. I mean, it’s not that I don’t LIKE it, it’s just never a flavor I gravitate towards and it’s always one of the last flavors I’d choose.

Unless we’re talking about the old-school cinnamon orange rolls from a can on Christmas. You know. Super classy. Like this bread.

However, that freaking orange oil MADE this salad. Wow. It gave the salad this wonderful brightness and added an even MORE refreshing taste which seemed impossible at that point. It was just so, so delicious and even though we ordered some of our other favorite dishes, we kept talking about this salad all night long.

P.S. this was before we went to the James Taylor concert (be still my heart) and Bonnie Raitt opened up for him and while I didn’t really know anything by her, I hope that when I’m almost 70 I can be jumping around a stage and singing at the top of my lungs. Also, the concert consisted of me and tens of thousands of baby boomers so that was cool. But you know.

I knew that I wanted to make this salad at home before the season was over. But I also knew that it wasn’t practical at the time to stack it and make it all pretty and I just really wanted to get these flavors out into the universe and back into my mouth ASAP because I’m a selfish person.

Enter my favorite way to eat watermelon: pizza style! Or, um, sliced triangle style. If you’re someone who always wants to strangle the person that calls watermelon wedges “pizza,” I get it. I get you on a deep level.

And if you’re thinking that these toppings like rather… meager, compared to my usual trashed up ways, it’s because these little bites are all you need. These flavors together and so fabulous and fresh that you don’t want to overdo it. For once. And I very much believe in MORE IS MORE.

Watermelon Salad Wedges with Blue Cheese

Yield: serves 2 to 4

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 large slices of watermelon
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup microgreens
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• fresh basil and oregano

orange vinaigrette 

• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeeze orange juice
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Slice the watermelon rounds into wedges. Top with the tomatoes, microgreens, blue cheese, salt, pepper and fresh herbs. Drizzle with the orange vinaigrette and serve immediately!

orange vinaigrette 

Whisk together the lime juice, orange juice, zest, honey, salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified and drizzle over the watermelon.

These colors though, right?!

The post Watermelon Salad Wedges with Blue Cheese. appeared first on How Sweet It Is.

If you eat tomatoes one way this summer, LET IT BE THIS WAY.

Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh. That is all I have to say.

Aside from “this is a caprese salad with heirloom tomatoes and HOT BACON DRESSING.” Whaaaaat. 

I am noooo stranger to a hot bacon dressing. I made a spinach salad with it years ago for the blog, because it is one of my mom’s (and was one of Mother Lovett’s) favorite things, if not her absolute favorite dressing. She has talked about it since I was a kid and anytime it’s on the menu, it’s ordered.

And!

Just a few months ago, I made an asparagus potato salad with the hot bacon dressing because it’s SO good. It’s smoky but also sweet. The flavor is incredible and it’s more of a vinaigrette that a creamy dressing – and vinaigrettes are my all-time faves.

So when I stumbled upon a bacon caprese salad, I just about died. No, really, I was stunned. Jaw-dropped. I could NOT believe it and was like how on earth did I not think about this?

I mean, a BLT is one of my favorite flavor combinations. The smoky, crunchy bacon with juicy tomatoes is just too good. So the idea of putting that dressing all over perfectly ripe tomatoes AND adding cheese?

DEAD.

Officially.

I’m buried.

Yes yes yes I knooooow I’ve been quite overzealous with my use of tomatoes this season, but how can I help it? This is completely different from any other tomato recipe I’ve shared and hi, we all need it in our lives. Stat.

Ew. I hate that word.

This plate barely needs an explanation. Fresh tomatoes. Crunchy fried bacon, but crumbled and turned into hot bacon dressing. Fresh, fragrant basil. Fresh mozzarella! More cheese please forever and ever.

The flavor is insane. It’s still a salad, so it’s, uh, good for us. It’s the quintessential summer dish. You can make it for a dinner party or for yourself and it’s equally impressive and amazing. Everyone will love you for it… especially yourself. You will love you for it. Get it, get it!

Hot Bacon Caprese Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 4 medium heirloom tomatoes, sliced
• 2 (8-ounce) balls of fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 1 cup fresh basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

hot bacon dressing

• 3 tablespoons bacon fat
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 slices bacon, crumbled

Directions:

Layer the tomatoes, mozzarella slices and fresh basil on a plate or platter however you would like. Season with the salt and the pepper. Drizzle with the hot bacon dressing serve immediately.

hot bacon dressing

Add the bacon grease, minced garlic, vinegar, sugar and mustard to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the dressing slightly emulsifies. Season with the salt and pepper. Before serving, add in the crumbled bacon. You can keep this over low heat while stirring occasionally until ready to serve. I suggest reheating it in a saucepan like so. This is the combo I've come to love over the years, but you can experiment with different vinegars, more bacon fat and other spices too!

I could eat that plate single everyday.

The post Hot Bacon Caprese Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes. appeared first on How Sweet It Is.

Say that three times fast!

You know that I’m ALWAYS on the search for a non-boring salad. Enter… strawberry salmon panzanella salad!

The thing is that I really love basic butter lettuce salads that are seasoned well and topped with avocado and maybe just tomatoes and lots of vinegar. I find that kind of salad makes the most perfect side dish, but for a meal?

I need something ramped up. Want something substantial so I don’t feel like I’m eating a… salad.

You get me. I know it.

We have been eating a version of panzanella salad weekly in this house. Farm fresh local tomatoes? For me, a panzanella is the best way to let them shine aside from sprinkling them with gorgonzola or basil and balsamic.

Our current favorite panzanella is this one from Serious Eats – it’s SO simple and delicious. It’s the epitome of summer and ridiculously packed with flavor. And I love that you use the juice from the tomatoes to make the dressing.

If you haven’t tried it, you must must must!

We ended up eating that exact same salad yesterday to finish off the weekend that was the perfect amount of relaxation and fun. I’m such a lunatic that I get back-to-school anxiety at this time of year even though I don’t go back to school. It’s like the years and years of it never go away and my mind and body go into “omg it’s august mode” and I must soak up every last bit!

Please tell me I’m not alone.

So this salad isn’t that exact one I keep raving about, but I am loving it just as much. It’s a bit more trashed up. It has flaked, buttery salmon, strawberries and one of the best parts: a goat cheese vinaigrette.

Yes. Vinaigrette. I sprinkle a little crumbled goat cheese in there and blend it all up. I actually prefer it slightly more when it sits for a few minutes. It’s the best of both worlds: creamy and tangy.

Also, if you’re not a fan of salmon? I think chicken would work perfectly. Or even chickpeas! I’ve been in a major chickpea MOOD lately. A crunchy, crispy roasted one.

This is one of those salads that you are stuffed after. It’s incredibly satisfying. Like you just ate a burger and fries. Or pizza.

Okay, maybe not that, but almost like that. The flavor is insane and it’s the best way to use the last weeks of summer. I swear you will be one happy CAMPER after making this.

Salmon Strawberry Panzanella Salad

Yield: serves 2 to 4

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups multigrain bread cubes
• 1 (2 pound) salmon filet
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 3 cups torn butter lettuce
• 3 cups spring greens
• 1 pint strawberries, halved or quartered
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 ears of corn, grilled or boiled, kernels cut from the cob
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced

goat cheese vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• 6 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out the bread cubes on top. Bake until the bread is toasty and golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly.

Turn the broil on your oven to the high setting. Place the salmon on a baking sheet and cover with the salt, pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Broil for 5 to 6 minutes, skin side down (if it has skin), until the fish is flakey and opaque. If your salmon filet is very thick, you might need another 1 to 2 minutes of broiling. Let the salmon cool slightly, then flake it with a fork.

To assemble the salad, add the bread cubes, strawberries, tomatoes, and lettuce in a large bowl. Add the salmon over top and add in some of the dressing - a few tablespoons. Sprinkle in the corn. Add in the avocado. Toss well. Taste and season additionally and add what else you'd like - more dressing, salt or pepper!

goat cheese vinaigrette

In a bowl or food processor, whisk together the vinegar, honey, mustard, garlic, lemon juice, herbs, salt and pepper. Whisk or blend in the goat cheese. Stream in the olive oil while whisking or blending until the dressing is emulsified. Use on the salad or store in a sealed container in the fridge for a few days.

So crunchy too!

The post Summer Salmon Strawberry Panzanella Salad. appeared first on How Sweet It Is.

Now this is what I call a SALAD.

I’ve hit that point in my pregnancy where I’m really into SALADS. Yes. All caps necessary.

How weird. Right? I mean, do people normally get into salads while pregnant?

I’m into this grilled kale avocado salad like no other. IN TO IT. 

At the beginning, I told you about one of my most embarrassing cravings which was basically a Pittsburghese salad of iceberg and lettuce and topped with tons of cheese and fries and vinegary dressing. I ended up having it once and wanting to die mid-way through. THANK GOODNESS THAT IS GONE.

Now I’ve moved onto more sophisticated things like this. Where everything is grilled and crunchy and oh-so perfect. !!!! (At least for now.)

I’ve been in love with grilled romaine salads for years. Years! The smoky flavor that the grill gives… oh it’s just so good. So I did the same with kale. It only needs a minute or so on the grill and you get a whole boatload of taste. Completely worth it.

And!

Our dressing here is a creamy avocado one. Which is so unlike me! Creamy dressings aren’t my thing. I liiiiive for oil and vinegar. In fact, you know that I’m such a vinegar freak, I could drizzle my salads with vinegar alone and be thrilled.

But the creamy avocado dressing with the grilled kale… oh yes. I have no words. It’s smoky and cooling and refreshing and the best ever. Why do I have no words today? Just lots of exclamation points.

The avocados ON the salad also made their way to the grill! Yesssss.

The chickpeas are crispy and roasted in the oven. If it’s a still a million degrees when you make this salad, feel free to leave your chickpeas unroasted so you don’t have to turn on your oven. But!

The best part, really, are the garlicky, crunchy breadcrumbs. Oooooh they add so much flavor and texture and you’re just like, WHAT is that. Basically this salad is the brainchild of my texture loving palate. Lots of crunch.

Now yes… there are a lot of moving parts to this salad. Grilling the kale, making the dressing, the breadcrumbs and the chickpeas. It’s a leeeettle bit high maintenance and you can totally leave one part out if you’d like.

But if you have the time and the appetite – go for it!

Then we can just eat it and be besties.

Grilled Kale Avocado Salad

Yield: serves 2 to 4

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 head curly green kale
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper for sprinkling
• 1 avocado, sliced in half
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

creamy avocado dressing

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil

brown butter garlic breadcrumbs

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup torn crusty bread pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

crispy chickpeas

• 2 cups cooked chickpeas (if canned, drain and rinse)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil, or olive oil spray/mist
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Preheat your grill to the highest setting. Drizzle the kale with a tablespoon of the olive oil and massage it into the leaves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle the avocado with the other tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.

Place the kale pieces on the grill along with the avocados, cut side down. Grill both for 1 to 2 minutes, until the lettuce becomes charred, then flip over for an additional minute. Grill the avocado just until grill marks appear.

Remove both from the grill. Tear the kale leaves from the stems and toss them with the avocado dressing - as much or as little as you'd like! Slice the grilled avocado and add it on top. Cover with the cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, breadcrumbs and more dressing if you'd like.

creamy avocado dressing

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.

brown butter garlic breadcrumbs

Add the butter and olive oil to the saucepan. Once melted, add bread pieces and stir well to coat and combine. Sprinkle with garlic powder and salt. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until the crumbs are golden and toasty.

crispy chickpeas

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place chickpeas on a paper towel and pay completely dry. Remove any loose skins.

Place on a baking sheet and mist with olive oil or oil of choice. Roll around to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Make sure chickpeas are in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes, toss well and flip, then bake for about 15 minutes more. Let cool before using.

And it’s so GREEN!

The post Grilled Kale Avocado Salad. appeared first on How Sweet It Is.

I have a present for you today!

Steak salads! Gorgonzola steak salads just for our face. YES.

I’ve always been such a huge, huge fan of a good steak salad. Part of me thinks it’s probably because here in Pittsburgh they put steak or chicken on a salad with French fries and cheese (hello most perfect delicious heart attack) but I don’t think that’s REALLY why.

Growing up, we’d have grilled flank steak for dinner and there would always be enough leftovers for the next night which often became flank steak salads. They were so good: think tons of blue cheese, balsamic, all that jazz. It was one of the few times I actually WANTED to eat a salad when I was growing up!

So! I made one like that.

Of course, I had to take it a step further because my salads must be high maintenance in order for me to enjoy them. Pickled red onions, always. They are so sweet and briney and delicious. Also, pickled radish because I need more hot pink that normal on my salads. YOU KNOW.

And figs! They are green and pink and purple so that works for my color brain.

The rest is sort of boring salad stuff. Like avocado. And lettuce. And tomatoes.

Oh oh oh! BUT THE STEAK.

It’s crusted with gorgonzola cheese. GORGONZOLA CHEESE. My lover. The best cheese ever. For today.

These steaks are seared but then finished under the broiler just until the cheese gets golden and slightly crunchy but also still melty and creamy. Sounds like a dream, I KNOW.

The steak could easily be eaten by itself. Or as a main entrée with sides and stuff, a la Eddie’s favorite. But sliced up, I love it on a salad. Especially while it’s still warm and melt-in-your-mouth and the rest of the salad ingredients are cold. Best ever.

I finished it off with my favorite red wine vinaigrette which is a serious staple in this house. You know how partial I am to oil and vinegar dressings. I often use apple cider vinegar but my first love is probably red wine vinegar. The tanginess!

Annnnd this is how you make a salad that you want to absolutely eat forever and ever.

Gorgonzola Steak Salad

Yield: serves 2

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

gorgonzola steak

• 2 (3 to 4 ounce) sirloin filets
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 to 2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 ounces crumbled gorgonzola cheese

salad

• 6 cups spring greens
• 6 fresh figs, sliced
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• a handful of quick pickled onions
• a handful of quick pickled radish 
• extra gorgonzola cheese for crumbling

red wine vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

gorgonzola steak

Preheat the broiler to the highest setting. In a small bowl, stir together the softened butter and gorgonzola.

Heat an oven-safe skillet (like cast iron) over medium-high heat. Cover the steak with the salt and pepper. Add the oil to the skillet and once hot, add the steak. Sear it on both sides until golden - about 1 minute per side. Turn off the heat.

Place the gorgonzola butter mixture over top of the steak, pressing gently so it adheres. You want it mostly on the top so it doesn't spill down the sides in the oven (but a little bit might!). Place the skillet in the oven with the broiler on. I like to do it in the middle of the oven to prevent the cheese from burning and smoking. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbly and also - depending on how well you like your steak done! If you have thicker filets and would like your steak to be medium, I'd broil for about 4 to 5 minutes. Let the steak rest for 15 to 20 minutes before thinly slicing it.

Once the steak is finished, assemble the salad with the greens in a bowl. Tp with the figs, avocado, tomatoes, pickled onion and radish and extra gorgonzola. Top with the steak and serve with the vinaigrette!

red wine vinaigrette

In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, honey, mustard, salt, pepper and pepper flakes. Whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified.

Now room for cookies, right?

The post Gorgonzola Crusted Steak Salads. appeared first on How Sweet It Is.

Raise your hand if you’re into fall kale salads!

I wish I could raise ten hands, seriously.

This is one of those salads where I actually wanted to lick the bowl when finishing. It was THAT good. I mean, that sort of reaction tends to only happen with super fabulous pizza or mac and cheese or even eggs and toast but never… salad. UNTIL NOW.

This fall kale salad is straight out of my dreams. It is so absolutely fantastic that I have been dyyyying waiting to share it with you guys. It’s been so hard to keep it a secret because of the incredible flavor this big bowl is going to bring you. It’s unreal.

The kale! I love using the lacinato kale and shredding it up because it’s heartier than green curly kale and, like… less kale-ish. Does that make sense? Do you get me?

The moral of that story is that I really love this kind of kale. IMPORTANT.

SO.

This is a semi-high maintenance kale salad because it two (!!) different kinds of nuts on it. I don’t know what’s come over me but I am loving making different things with all the nuts even though most of my life I preferred if they stayed the heck away from me.

First up, we have these smoky honey pepita clusters that you make in the oven. They can totally be made ahead of time and are really delicious to snack on anytime of day – not to mention ON the salad. I love the smoky honey crunch!

Next up are some sweet and spicy pecans that I simply toasted on the stovetop and they will make your house smell amazzzzing. They also taste like heaven.

There is something about the combo of these two nuts that make this salad taste so, so freaking good. But of course, you don’t NEED both. Just like I didn’t NEED both pairs of velvet high heels that I bought in the last two weeks, both two different shades of pink, when I’m about to have two kids and probably wear heels like approximately once per month.

But I mean, I needed them. They are an investment, duh.

Think of these nuts as an investment for your salad. That you will promptly eat and be done with. Shhhhhh.

Okay okay but GUYS. The best part of this salad? Is the dressing. This cinnamon shallot vinaigrette is out of this world. The week that I planned to make this salad, I received an email from a reader named Lisa who had a cinnamon shallot vinaigrette and was just raving about it. I was fairly unsure what I was going to put on this salad before that… maybe some sort of apple cider dressing? But the moment she told me about the cinnamon shallot vinaigrette, I was hooked! She gave me the ingredients and I rolled with it.

Ohhhhh my gosh. I love it so much. The flavor is just so… FALL. It complements the apples and kale so much.

This is one of those salads that I couldn’t stop eating and it doesn’t even have bacon. Or a lot of cheese. There is a bit of white cheddar because what’s better than white cheddar and apples? Nothing.

But other than the slight handful of freshly grated cheddar, that’s it. It’s not like the cheese is the main part of the salad. In a major change for me.

Annnd now that you know what I’ll be eating for the next eight weeks straight… you can join in!

Nutty Harvest Honeycrisp Kale Salad

Yield: serves 2

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

smoky honey pepita clusters

• 1/2 cup pepitas
• 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 to 3 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• pinch of salt

sweet and spicy toasted pecans

• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

cinnamon shallot vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/3 cup olive oil

salad

• 4 to 6 cups chopped tuscan kale
• 2 honeycrisp apples thinly sliced
• 3 ounces freshly grated sharp white cheddar cheese

Directions:

smoky honey pepita clusters

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Microwave the coconut oil and honey together until melted, about 30 seconds. Stir the pepitas in a large bowl with the honey mixture, salt and smoked paprika. Place them on the baking sheet and smooth them out with a spatula - you still want them clustered so you can break them apart after baking!

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss slightly. Let cool completely before breaking apart.

sweet and spicy toasted pecans

Heat the pecans in a nonstick skillet over low heat, stirring often, until fragrant and toasty. Stir in the honey, red pepper flakes and nutmeg. Let the honey bubble and stir for a few minutes, then transfer the pecans to parchment paper and let them cool completely.

cinnamon shallot vinaigrette

Whisk together the vinegar, honey, mustard, shallot, garlic, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. This keeps great in the fridge for a few days!

salad

Massage the kale with a tablespoon or so of the dressing and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. I like to season the kale at this point with salt and pepper too. Slice the apples and combine the apples, cheese, pecans and pepita clusters with the kale and toss well. Serve with the vinaigrette!

Literally want to eat that up!

The post Nutty Harvest Honeycrisp Kale Salad. appeared first on How Sweet It Is.

Welcome to my new favorite way to eat brussels!

While I’ve made a million (okay, maybe three?) versions of a brussels sprouts salad on my blog over the years, this one is taking the cake. Or the bread. The cornbread! It makes me embarrassingly happy and the flavor combination is pure heaven.

Let’s get into it!

Panzanella with cornbread isn’t really a new thing over here. I made a black bean and cornbread panzanella yearssss ago (hello embarrassment) which is super good, even if it completely bastardizes the idea of a panzanella salad.

Yes I know it does. Sorry! But not really.

Like I said. The flavors here are unreal. Oh my heavens. Sautéed brussels, smoky bacon, slightly sweet cornbread, a pop of tart brightness from the pomegranate seeds. What else do we even need?

Nothing. We need nothing else.

Except maybe a cocktail and dessert. For sure.

Oh wait – fresh figs too! Yesss. They are the ultimate. If you can’t find them now (I just saw a few at Whole Foods last week), leave ‘em out! I wouldn’t replace them with anything else, because, hello, figs are irreplaceable.

This entire thing is drizzled with a pomegranate vinaigrette so there is that too. How much love can one salad get?

Also! Very important things.

If you are a texture freak like I am, you will be alllll over this. I adore it for the crunch and the overall different bites we have going on. The cornbread is soft, the bacon is crunchy and the brussels fall somewhere riiiight in the middle.

And I love that it’s basically a fall and winter salad, so you don’t HAVE to limit it to the holidays, even though it makes a stunning side dish. I’ll be enjoying this through January and February too!

I told you guys that I am utterly in LOVE with my entire Friendsgiving spread this year, but this one might really be my ultimate favorite.

Ugh, I say that now, but wait until tomorrow. And then Friday. And then Sunday. WHY CAN’T I JUST BE A REGULAR PERSON WITH A REGULAR FAVORITE.

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Brussels Sprouts, Bacon and Cornbread Panzanella Salad

Yield: serves 4 (or even 6 if there are many other dishes!)

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 batch of your favorite cornbread (recipe below), cut into cubes
• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 pound brussels sprouts, stems removed and halved
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup fresh (or dried!) figs, sliced
• 1/2 cup pomegranate arils

our favorite cornbread

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup finely ground yellow or white cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup creamed corn
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
• 2 large eggs

pomegranate vinaigrette

• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• pinches of: salt, pepper & nutmeg
• 1/4 cup pomegranate juice
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spread cornbread cubes on a baking sheet. Bake for 6 to 7 minutes, toss, then bake for 6 to 8 minutes more, until golden and toasted. Set aside.

While the bread is toasting, heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add the bacon. Cook until it is crispy and the fat is rendered. Remove it with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to drain any excess grease. Keep the skillet over medium heat and add the brussels sprouts. Add a pinch of salt (you might want more, but the bacon will be salty!) and pepper and toss well. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts are crisp and bright green. Stir in the garlic and turn off the heat.

In a large bowl, place the cornbread cubes and add the brussels sprouts on top. Toss well. Add in the figs (fresh or dry both work! dried figs will be sweeter, like adding dried fruit to your salad!), pomegranate arils and bacon, tossing well. Drizzle on some of the dressing and toss to combine. Taste and season the salad additionally if desired.

our favorite cornbread

Preheat the oven to 375. Spray an 8×8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

Whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar and salt together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the corn, butter, milk, heavy cream/half and half, and the eggs, stirring until smooth. Pour the batter into the pan and bake it for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is slightly golden and the bread is set.

pomegranate vinaigrette

Whisk together the mustard, honey, garlic, salt, pepper, nutmeg, juice and vinegar. Slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking continuously until the dressing is emulsified. This keeps great in the fridge in a sealed container!

All images and text ©How Sweet Eats.

And it’s just the prettiest, right?!

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Embarrassingly easy recipe, coming right up!

Okay, are you ready? This parmesan pistachio kale salad has only four ingredients before you add the dressing. Just four! Kale. Parmesan. Pistachios. Olive oil. ( < for a quick kale spa day/massage. Which isn’t even totally necessary.)

That’s it!

Of course, I make it a leeeeeettle more complicated by making a quick creamy parmesan dressing, and while it is SO good (and made with greek yogurt! #goodforus) and delicious on the salad, you could probably use another dressing you enjoy that is already made. Or you could totally just use the olive oil, add a touch more salt and pepper, and be done!

SO FAST.

This is the ultimate kale side salad. The easiest one. I’m saying it!

And so perfect in flavor because while it’s delicious on its own, it also isn’t super overpowering with any one flavor. Which makes it an excellent side to dish to, well… anything!

Annnnd. If you’re not into pistachios, another fabulous crunchy substitution would be pine nuts. Toasted pine nuts! I actually alternate them both in this salad frequently. Freaking love both.

Speaking of this exact salad, the flavor comes from my all-time favorite kale chips that I made for Seriously Delish. Another Seriously Delish inspired recipe! They are parmesan pistachio kale chips and you blend everything together, coat the kale and bake it. HOLY FLAVOR BOMB!

Those are so super delicious and I realize that kale chips are very 2009, but I still love them so. We all love them. We can take down a single pan of kale chips in this house within ten minutes or so. Adore adore adore.

Let’s never allow them to go out of style, okay?

So YEP this salad is making my life complete at the moment. It’s really good for lunch. It’s perfect with chicken or steak or even a pasta dish! You can use curly green kale or lacinato (which I used here) and don’t forget the most important rule!

LOTS of parm, always. Because cheese is life.

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Parmesan Pistachio Kale Salad

Yield: serves 2 to 4 (or more if you wish!)

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches lacinato kale, leaves removed from stems and chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup roasted pistachios, chopped
• 1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese

creamy parmesan dressing 

• 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons greek yogurt
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon freshly snipped chives
• 1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:

Place the kale leaves in a large bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and massage the oil into the leaves.

Let the kale sit while you make the dressing. In a food processor, combine the cheese, yogurt, garlic, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Blend until pureed. With the processor still on, stream in the olive oil until a creamy dressing forms. [This will make more dressing than needed, but you can store it sealed in the fridge for about 3-4 days and stir well before using.]

Drizzle a few tablespoons of the dressing over the kale and toss it well. I like to toss this for a food 1 to 2 minutes so the dressing is evenly dispersed. Cover with the chopped pistachios and shaved parmesan. Serve!

All images and text ©How Sweet Eats.

Crunch crunch crunch.

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Here’s how to take a cobb salad and make it a million times better.

Chipotle chicken. Check! Avocado. Check! All the crazy flavor? Check check check.

This makes me want to eat a salad every day of my life.

This recipe comes from Gaby’s new cookbook and you guys, the book is absolutely AMAZING. I want to make every single thing out of it. The dishes are incredible. As I flipped through, trying to decide what to make, so many things stood out. But this recipe practically jumped off the page.

Gaby calls this the summer cobb salad, but I figured I could make a few minor adjustments for it to work right now. The flavor combination just sounded fabulous to me. And since we’re in forever winter here (it’s snowing, WHAT!), I’m craving anything that reminds me of warm weather. Or tastes like summer. And is loaded with flavor.

Or all of the above!

This salad has almost everything in it that I’m obsessed with. And I say almost everything, because there isn’t any cheese. OMG. How am I making a salad without cheese? But I’m doing it!

We’ve got:

Chipotle marinated chicken that is to die for!

Super crispy bacon.

Strawberries! FAVORITE.

Sweet corn, which I also adore.

Sliced avocado, of course.

The only thing I changed up was the vinaigrette. Gaby uses a lemon one and I was fresh out of lemons! So I used lime. UH HUH. Oh my gosh. So freaking good.

Oh oh and I used my favorite method of broiling the chicken thighs instead of grilling, because SNOW. Ugh.

Good thing this delicious and amazing salad makes up for all of that. Seriously, this is a must must make. Today!

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Chipotle Chicken Cobb Salad

Yield: serves 4 to 6

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

chipotle chicken

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

salad

• 3 to 4 cups leafy greens (I used romaine and bibb lettuce)
• 4 strips applewood smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 10 strawberries, quartered
• 2 ears corn on the cobb, kernels removed
• 1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
• salt and pepper

lime vinaigrette

• juice of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper

Directions:

Stir together the oil, chipotles, garlic powder, cumin, oregano and pepper. Place the chicken in a baking dish or ziplock bag and add the marinade, tossing well to coat. Marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

Heat the broiler in your oven to high. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place hte chicken on the foil and broil it for 7 minutes. Flip it, then broil for 7 minutes more. Let the chicken sit for 5 minutes before slice.

To assemble the salad, arrange the greens in a large bowl or platter with the bacon, strawberries, corn, avocado and chicken. Toss with the vinaigrette and serve!

lime vinaigrette

Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and whisk until combined. This stays great in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days!

All images and text ©How Sweet Eats.

Don’t you just want to live inside this bowl?!

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I’m going to tell you about a cheeseburger salad and hope you don’t freak.

Please don’t freak! It’s really oh-so good. And when I tell you what goes on this crazy cheeseburger salad? I’m hoping you’ll be into it.

I am SO into it.

The thing about a cheeseburger salad is that it’s not… super attractive. You know? It’s not like this gorgeous voluptuously green salad that is bountiful and vibrant. But it is SO ridiculously flavorful and just GOOD.

And you’re probably looking at your screen thinking whaaaaat, this is gross. How the heck can we make a cheeseburger salad taste anything but awful? But!

I’m going to show you.

Because I’m obsessed.

And I know that is 100% shocking.

First, you want to brown some (good quality!) ground beef with some salt and pepper – maybe some garlic or onion (but we are adding that later) or whatever you would put inside of your burger. Aside from things like breadcrumbs or eggs or that jazz. And you want it crispy and browned and delicious.

Like eat-straight-out-of-the-pan delicious.

The rest of our salad goods are going to be the things you’d put ON your burger.

Cheese, or course. Bacon if you wish. Diced onion, because we’re doing the chopped thing. Tomatoes! You could also even do avocado.

And guess what is going on top. JUST GUESS.

Not a creamy dressing.

Oh, I guess you don’t have to guess since it’s in freaking title. Hello, I’m the worst.

It is…

Dill pickle vinaigrette. YES. Helllllo all my pickle freaks.

This concept is not something I came up with on my own. I’ve seen a ton of videos on Facebook for something similar and decided that I HAD to have it. I mean, I could practically drink pickle juice, I love it that much. I’ve always loved it. As a kid, I would dip potato chips in residual pickle juice that was left on my plate.

As a kid, I DID drink the pickle juice.

Now don’t worry – I’m not that nutcase who is going to start making pickle desserts. Is that going to become a thing? I mean, if we did it with bacon… ? But just no.

However, this salad is THE BEST. It’s perfect for summer, Memorial Day parties, your lunch or dinner – it just works all around. It’s pretty darn healthy, you can adjust the cheese or the beef or add bacon or add croutons – whatever. Also – it’s simple. You can eat leftovers and love life.

And the flavors are a mesh of things we’ve been eating together for ages, so it just tastes sooo good. Maybe I could say that 32 more times. it’s true!

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Cheeseburger Chopped Salad

Yield: serves 4

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 6 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, freshly grated
• 8 cups butter lettuce
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 1/3 cup chopped dill pickles
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• salt and pepper for seasoning

dill pickled vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup diced dill pickles
• 3 tablespoons dill pickle juice (from a jar of dill pickles)
• 2 tablespoons diced shallot
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once it’s hot, add the ground beef, garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Break the mixture apart with a spoon and cook until browned, stirring over and breaking the pieces into crumbles, for about 6 to 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and sprinkle about 2 ounces of the cheddar over the beef so it slightly melts. You can serve this salad with the beef hot or room temp – so if necessary, you can make this a bit ahead of time!

Place the butter lettuce on a cutting board and run your knife through it to chop it into pieces. Ideally we want everything in uniform pieces so each bite is perfect. Chop up the lettuce, then throw it in a bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss it well. Add the tomatoes next, the dill pickles and the diced onion. Add the remaining shredded cheese. Toss the salad well, drizzle on the dressing and serve!

dill pickled vinaigrette

In a bowl, whisk together the pickles, pickle juice, shallot, garlic, mustard and honey. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and whisk until the mixture comes together. While whisking, stream in the olive oil until the dressing emulsifies. This stays great in the fridge for a few days!

All images and text ©How Sweet Eats.

I’m thinking we should add fries though. Right? That’s just common sense.

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Time to freak out Monday with strawberry pasta salad!

Before you click that big red button on the upper left corner to unsee this, hear me out! Because strawberry pasta salad is a serious thing. Fantastic thing. Reeeeally delicious thing.

This is definitely a side dish for most people, but it’s easily dinner for me. I love all things strawberry and can’t ever pass up a strawberry dish. It’s been this way since I was a kid. If I could ever find the elusive strawberry scented Chap Stick instead of cherry, I was so ridiculously excited that I couldn’t stand it. I’d hoard it.

Strawberry flavored candy was always my go-to.

Strawberries were my first reach on a fruit plate. Always and forever!

The only thing I wasn’t into was strawberry ice cream, but that’s just because I’m a chocolate girl. Everything else? Bring on the berries.

So as you can imagine, my level of excitement for this pasta salad is UP there. It’s high. Insane. Crazy!

I know! How surprising!

One day maybe I won’t be sooo predictable.

But really, if you’ve been reading my blog during any summer over the last ten years, I usually go on and on about how I’m not a fan of pasta salads. The traditional pasta salad with noodles and ham cubes and cheese cubes and pepperoni and Italian dressing? SO not for me. Mostly because I just don’t love any of those ingredients on their own.

Except for cheese. OMG. Of course the cheese.

So I’m always looking for other fun and fancy pasta salad ideas. Half of you are probably going to think this is weird. Apparently strawberries in savory dishes can be polarizing (look away from this strawberry pizza then!) and tricky. But if you’re a lover of the sweet and savory like I am, and also a huuuuuge lover of strawberries?

I think you’ll be into it.

Also! Side note! I have never been crazy over black pepper. But here? Ooomph. I adore it. It gives this little punch to the salad that is just so fantastic. Such a perfect BITE, you know?

Here’s how we do it!

The strawberries are going to chill in some balsamic vinegar and black pepper for a while. Get all full of flavor, if you will. Act like a strawberry sponge and soak all that goodness up.

And then, we’re going to use the balsamic in the bottom of the bowl to make a quick little vinaigrette.

Boil some pasta. Add lots of fresh spinach because it will totally wilt with the heat of the pasta. And while I’m talking about that, I’ll tell you that this is SO good both warm and cold. I love it warm, right after making, because the hot pasta kind of melts the goat cheese. But it’s super flavorful and delicious after sitting in the fridge too. Best of both worlds, I tell you.

I toss in some thinly sliced cucumber too. It gives that crisp, fresh flavor that a summery pasta salad begs for. And it’s delicious with the balsamic, of course.

The flavors here just work and create a perfect taste explosion in your mouth.

Basically, serve it up and die and go to heaven.

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Black Pepper Balsamic Strawberry Pasta Salad

Yield: serves 4 to 6

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces strawberries, halved (and hulled if you wish!)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more for topping
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 8 ounces ziti pasta
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• pinch of salt
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 8 ounces baby spinach
• 1 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
• 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

Directions:

Place the strawberries in a large bowl and pour the balsamic vinegar over top. Sprinkle on the black pepper and toss the strawberries well. I like to toss them every few minutes while prepping the rest of the salad.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the directions.

While the pasta is boiling, pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar into a smaller bowl from the big bowl of strawberries. Whisk in the honey, dijon mustard, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stream in the olive oil while whisking until the dressing is combined.

Place the fresh spinach on top of the strawberries in the bowl. As soon as the pasta is finished, drain it and place it on top of the spinach. Drizzle on a few tablespoons of the dressing so the pasta doesn’t stick together. Let the pasta sit, untossed, on top of the spinach so it wilts – about 5 minutes.

Toss the pasta with the spinach and the strawberries until it is combined. Add in the cucumber and the goat cheese. Sprinkle on some extra black pepper. Toss with more dressing (I like to keep adding some spoonfuls and then tasting, leaving a bit on the side to spoon on.) Top with the herbs and serve!

All images and text ©How Sweet Eats.

Just want that entire bowl to myself.

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