Roasted Corn Salad with Fresh Herbs

Real summer is still a ways off, but we’ve been eating like it’s already here. An over-sized watermelon eaten in wedges, grilling every evening for dinner, and lots of fresh greens and herbs. This roasted corn salad includes a lot of quintessential summer ingredients. I wanted to publish it early in the season so you could take advantage of the first corn at the market. Grilling the corn and red bell pepper give a great toasted/caramelized flavor, while using a mix of herbs—basil, cilantro and parsley—add freshness to every bite. I used queso fresco, but if you’re unable to find that at your local grocery store, try feta or goat cheese crumbles.

Roasted Corn Salad with Fresh Herbs

Published June 4, 2019 by Caitlin Sherwood

   Print This Recipe

Serves: 4-5   |    Active Time: 30 minutes

---

Ingredients:

4 corn cobs

1 large red bell pepper

1/2 cup queso fresco, crumbled

1/4 heaping cup cilantro leaves

1/4 heaping cup parsley leaves

1/4 heaping cup basil leaves

1/4 of a red onion, sliced thin

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 

Salt to taste

Ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Remove husks and silk from corn. Cut bell pepper in half and remove stem and seeds.
3. Place corn and pepper on grill. Cook for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally, until outside is brown in spots. Remove from heat.
4. Allow pepper and corn to cool enough to handle (you can speed up the cooling process by placing them in a bowl with cool water).
5. Dice roasted pepper, and place in serving bowl. Cut corn kernels from cobs, and place in bowl.
6. Add queso fresco, herbs, red onion, olive oil, and vinegar to bowl, and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve.

Asian Chopped Salad with Sriracha Roasted Cashews

This is an older recipe from Foraged Dish and I wanted to give it an update. Same recipe!

View fullsize

Have you tried these cashews yet?

If your answer is yes, you’re probably now thinking, “I should make those again this week.” If your answer is no, what are you doing?! Hop to it!

We joked that I should sell those cashews rather than sharing the recipe … but here we are. And I’m going to give you one more reason to make them yourself: a fresh, crunchy salad that will make a great potluck dish or light lunch.

View fullsize

View fullsize

What’s in the bowl: I used to call this a “slaw,” but that word never quite hit the nail on the head. “Slaw” is short for coleslaw, which is usually a cabbage-based salad dressed with mayo. That’s nowhere near what this salad is. While still a cabbage-based salad, this bowl is also full of other veggies, like bell peppers, carrots, radishes, and bok choy (basically a big bowl of crunch!). Cashews sprinkled on top add to that crunchy, and the whole thing is dressed with an orange-sesame vinaigrette. (I’m crazy about toasted sesame oil, the flavor is out of this world and a little bit goes a long way).

Asian Chopped Salad with Sriracha Roasted Cashews

Published April 16, 2019 by Caitlin Sherwood

   Print This Recipe

Serves: 6   |    Active Time: 20 minutes

---

Ingredients:

For the salad:

2 cups thinly sliced purple cabbage

1 red pepper, sliced in thin strips strips

1 carrot, julienned

1/2 cup daikon radish, julienned

1 heaping cup bok choy, roughly chopped

1/2 cup Maple-Orange Sriracha Roasted Cashews

Optional: 2 tablespoons minced cilantro

For the vinaigrette:

Juice from 1 medium orange

2 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Directions:

1. Pour ingredients for vinaigrette in a jar. Place lid on jar, and shake.
2. Chop vegetables, and place in a large bowl. Drizzle with about 1/3 of the vinaigrette, and toss. Top with cashews.
3. Serve, adding more vinaigrette to taste.

Smashed Cucumber Salad

Smashed Cucumber Salad is a Chinese side dish, and I’ve adapted that dish into a recipe I can make any old day. The salad base is still just cucumber (a GREAT way to mix it up when you’re in a salad rut). But the dressing is the star: the perfect balance of salt, acid, and sweet. Rice vinegar, soy sauce, and honey come together and it just works. I haven’t yet watched Salt Fat Acid Heat (or read it), but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a dish that balances all of it’s flavors well. What do you think — should I jump in and watch the show?

Smashed Cucumber Salad

Published April 2, 2019 by Caitlin Sherwood

   Print This Recipe

Serves: 6   |    Active Time: 50 minutes

---

Ingredients:

2-3 english cucumbers 

Sprinkle of salt

3 tablespoons avocado oil or other neutral oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes 

1 teaspoon honey (or white sugar)

3 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon ginger juice or minced ginger

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce 

Garnish: 1 tablespoon minced cilantro, 2-3 small sprigs of mint (optional), lime wedges (optional)

Directions:

1. Slice ends off of cucumber, and slice in half the long direction. Lay halved cucumbers seed-side down on a cutting board. Roll a rolling pin over cucumbers, smashing them just until the start to crack. Chop into bite-sized pieces.
2. Place cucumber in a bowl and generously sprinkle with salt. Set aside.
3. Place avocado oil, garlic and chili flakes in a small sauté pan and warm over medium heat until garlic begins to sizzle. Stir occasionally, and allow garlic to turn golden. Remove from heat.
4. In a jar, combine honey, rice vinegar, ginger juice, sesame oil, soy sauce, and the chili-garlic oil. Stir (or close jar and shake) to combine.
5. Toss cucumber in dressing. Top with minced cilantro, and optionally garnish with mint and lime wedges. Serve.