Broccoli Pasta Salad with Dried Cherries and Hazelnuts

Like many people, I've been trying to eat more meatless meals lately.  Since it's summer, a nice cool salad is appealing but sometimes you need a change from lettuce or kale.  This bowtie pasta salad is interesting because the slightly sweet and creamy dressing is actually quite thin so it doesn't coat the salad ingredients like a normal mayo dressing.  Instead, you put the broccoli, HOT pasta and cherries into the dressing and basically let them marinate for at least 3 hours, stirring occasionally.  The pasta absorbs the dressing so it's very flavorful without a heavy coating.  You don't want to add the feta with the hot pasta or it will melt away, and you don't want to add the hazelnuts before refrigerating or they'll get soft rather than remaining crisp and crunchy.  Add both the feta and hazelnuts right before serving.

If fresh cherries are in season by all means substitute them for dried. And if you prefer, you could sub goat cheese for the feta, and some other type of nut for the hazelnuts but I particularly like the hazelnuts with the cherries.  This is somewhat similar to a chicken cherry pasta salad that I posted about a year ago, but the dressing is lighter and obviously it's vegetarian.  In addition to being a vegetarian main dish it would be excellent as a side salad for your next picnic or potluck.

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Broccoli Pasta Salad with Dried Cherries and Hazelnuts

Serves 4

8 ounces dried farfalle (bow tie pasta)

1 lb fresh broccoli

1 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup diced red onion

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

2/3 cup dried cherries

2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (or goat cheese)

2/3 cup chopped hazelnuts

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  While the water heats, cut the broccoli florets from the stems and separate the florets into small pieces.  Peel away the tough outer layer of the stems and finely chop.  Prepare an ice bath by putting ice cubes and water into a large bowl. Drop the broccoli into the boiling water for 1 minute to set the color, then immediately take all the pieces out with a strainer and drop them in the ice bath.  (Do not discard the boiling water.)

Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until al dente according to package directions, about 11 minutes.  Drain.

While the pasta cooks, make the dressing by whisking together the mayonnaise, red onion, red wine vinegar and salt in a bowl large enough to hold all the salad ingredients.  When the pasta is done, add it while still hot to the dressing.  Drain and add the broccoli pieces and the dried cherries.  Stir to coat well, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.  Stir occasionally.  (The pasta will absorb the dressing in the bottom of the bowl over time.)

When ready to serve, add the crumbled feta cheese and stir, then divide among shallow bowls.  Top with toasted hazelnuts and serve. 

Byerly's Chicken Cherry Pasta Salad

Last Year's Post: The Best Crisp Waffles
Two Years Ago:   Crab Fried Rice

I love salads in the summer whether they're lettuce or pasta based, just as long as they're cold.  I had some really fun pasta I wanted to use in a salad this week and was doing some web surfing when I stopped at this recipe.  Byerlys!  The best grocery store in the universe!  And they actually published the recipe for one of their most popular deli salads!  If you're not familiar with Byerlys I feel sorry for you but at least you don't know what you're missing.  It's a high-end grocery store chain in Minnesota that reminds me of a cross between Whole Foods and your local grocery store, only better.  They have the best seafood, meats, sushi, etc.etc.etc.  I so miss Byerlys.

Anyway, the salads in their deli case are very popular and the chicken cherry pasta salad is maybe their number one seller.  That's why I was so excited to see the recipe.  The reason why the salad is so popular is the great combination of flavors and textures, and in particular the salad dressing which is creamy and ever-so-slightly sweet.  It goes very well with the cherries and chicken while the celery and walnuts add crunch.  Everybody likes this salad.  Really.

The only things I changed from the original recipe are that I used my fun pasta shape, and I used rotisserie chicken breast rather than cooking chicken from scratch.  If you want to cook chicken breasts that would be perfectly fine, it was just really easy to use rotisserie chicken breast meat from the deli.  One of the interesting things about the recipe is that you make it in advance, using only some of the dressing, then refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend.  The dressing gets absorbed by the other ingredients during this time, which is why you add the rest of the dressing along with the fresh spinach and toasted walnuts right before serving.  So, it's a great make-ahead salad as well.

One thing to know about Byerly's - they don't skimp.  As in, this salad has a LOT of chicken in it compared to most deli salads.  That makes it really good, but you could get by perfectly fine with less chicken.  Also, they garnish their salads in the deli case with extra stuff so to honor them I included an optional garnish of a few cherries and walnuts on top.  Make a big bowl of salad for your next gathering (be sure to garnish!) and watch it disappear.

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Chicken Cherry Pasta Salad

Serves 4

1 pound rotisserie chicken meat, cubed

8 ounces medium-sized pasta such as shells or bow ties

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced (about ½ cup)

½ cup chopped red onion

2.5 ounces dried cherries

¾ cup mayonnaise

¾ cup creamy poppyseed dressing

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 cups baby spinach, stems removed

½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to directions.  Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again.  In a large bowl, combine chicken, pasta, celery, onion and cherries (reserve a few cherries for garnish, optional).  In a smaller bowl, combine mayonnaise, poppyseed dressing, salt and pepper.  Fold 1 cup of dressing into the salad, reserving the remaining ½ cup.  Refrigerate the salad and reserved dressing separately, covered, several hours or overnight.

Just before serving, fold in spinach and walnuts (reserve a few walnuts for garnish, optional); add remaining dressing as needed.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Spoon into serving bowl and top with reserved cherries and walnuts, optional.

Roast Pork, Fennel and Green Bean Salad

Last Year's Post: Smoked Turkey, Kale and Blue Cheese Sandwiches
Two Years Ago:   Pork with Fennel and Caper Sauce

As far as pork goes, the tenderloin tends to be my cut of choice because it doesn't dry out and become tough and chewy like larger pork roasts or pork chops often do.  Being a big fan of all things Costco, I particularly like their pork tenderloins because they're excellent quality, don't have any injected chemicals or liquids, and of course they're less expensive than anywhere else on the planet.  As a result, I tend to have several pork tenderloins in the freezer at any given time and am always on the lookout for new and interesting ways to use them.

Besides being delicious and healthy, this pork tenderloin salad has several other advantages: you can serve it cold or at room temperature (or theoretically hot, although that wasn't the original intent), you can prepare and serve it all in one day, or break the prep up into three days as I did.  If you're a planner/organizer, the three day approach works well because it's just a little bit of time each day and the pork is absolutely the best.  And this salad is all about the pork - the intensely aromatic garlic and herb seasoning gives the roast outstanding flavor, while roasting and refrigerating it afterwards ensure moist, perfect slices.  Although it makes a great entree salad, I could definitely see using it for a really outstanding sandwich. It's that good.

As I said, you can prepare the pork over three days by applying the rub on day one, roasting on day two, and slicing/eating on day three.  Or, you could condense it into one day by applying the rub in the morning and roasting at mid-day to refrigerate for a few hours before slicing.  It'll turn out great either way.

After the pork is ready, all you have to do is prep the beans and fennel, make a quick lemon salad dressing, and serve everything topped with walnuts and goat cheese.  (If you don't like goat cheese, feel free to substitute feta or blue cheese, or leave it out entirely.) For those who aren't all that familiar with how to trim, core and slice fennel, it's actually very easy.  Cut the skinny tops off the bulb, then cut the bulb in half.  Cut out the triangular hard core with a small knife, then place each half on its side and thinly slice it crosswise.

The beans and fennel add crunch and fresh vegetable-y flavor to the salad that contrasts nicely with the soft pork, creamy cheese and rich nuts.  And did I mention healthy?  A winner all around.

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Cold Pork Roast, Fennel and Green Bean Salad

Serves 4

Note:  The pork should be seasoned at least a few hours in advance of cooking, or up to one day ahead.  After roasting, the pork should cool to room temperature before serving; it may be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

For the pork roast:

1 (approx 1.25 lb) boneless pork tenderloin

Kosher salt

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1.5 tablespoons roughly chopped fennel fronds, plus more for optional garnish

1 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed

½ teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon roughly chopped rosemary

1 tablespoon roughly chopped sage

1 tablespoon roughly chopped marjoram

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

For the salad:

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces green beans, trimmed

2 small or 1 large head of fennel, trimmed, cored and thinly sliced

½ cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

½ cup crumbled goat cheese

Season the pork generously on all sides with salt.  In a small bowl, combine all the seasonings (garlic through olive oil) for the roast.  Pat and rub the mixture on all sides of the tenderloin, then wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for several hours, or preferably overnight. 

Preheat the oven to 400d.  Remove the pork from the refrigerator while the oven preheats.  Place a rack in a roasting pan.  Unwrap the pork, place on the rack, and roast for about 25 minutes until it registers 140d.  Let cool to room temperature before serving.  If desired, after cooling wrap and refrigerate the pork for up to 24 hours, then return to room temperature.

For the salad dressing, put garlic and lemon juice in a small bowl.  Add salt and pepper to taste and whisk in olive oil.

Blanch beans in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, then drain and place in an ice bath.  Drain again and pat dry.  Put beans and fennel in a bowl, season lightly with salt and toss with some of the dressing.  Let stand for a few minutes to slightly soften the fennel.

To serve, cut pork into ¼” slices.  Arrange pork, fennel and green beans on each plate; top with walnuts and goat cheese.  Pass remaining salad dressing at the table. 

Spinach Strawberry Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

 Last Year's Post: Chile Rellenos (Baked Not Fried)
Two Years Ago:   Grilled Chicken, Mushroom and Bok Choy Kababs

Summer is salad time, and nothing is more summery than a spinach and strawberry salad.  This particular version adds red onion, avocado, goat cheese, pecans and edamame to the mix for a very delicious and satisfying meal.  The fruity and slightly sweet raspberry vinaigrette ties everything together and couldn't be any simpler because it's just three ingredients:  olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and raspberry preserves.

The only cooking you'll need to do is to toast the pecans and cook the edamame, both of which can be done well in advance so this is a perfect fast and cool meal for a hot day. Did I mention that it was 110 degrees in Phoenix when I fixed this salad last night?  The edamame, pecans and avocado provide enough protein that this is truly a very satisfying entree without meat, but you could  always add some grilled chicken if you want.  It's healthy, pretty, fast, easy, delicious and slimming.  What more could you want?  My new favorite meal.

printable recipe

Spinach Strawberry Salad with Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Serves 2

For the vinaigrette:

¼ cup olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon raspberry jam

Salt and pepper

For the salad:

1 bag baby spinach

6-8 strawberries, hulled and sliced

1/3 cup toasted pecans

½ cup cooked edamame

3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup red onion, sliced

1 avocado, halved, pitted and sliced

In a small bowl, whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Toss the spinach with most of the vinaigrette, reserving a small amount.  Divide the spinach between two bowls and top with the remaining ingredients.  Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette and serve immediately.