One thing I love about Fall, is comfort food and my roasted squash and beet salad is an all time fav. Even Scott, who doesn’t like goat cheese, gobbled this salad up. We served it with stuffed Portabella Mushrooms (I guess I’ll need to do that recipe next). Other than the time roasting the squash and beets, this salad can be whipped up in a matter of minutes.
Be sure to use Vermont Creamery Clover Blossom Honey goat cheese – it will make a big difference. Scott and I don’t like our goat cheese to be too “goaty” or tangy rather. This cheese is very smooth, a tad sweet and really pairs well with the other salad ingredients.
Enjoy!
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Roasted Squash & Beet Fall Salad
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This salad is full of flavor, slightly nutty and sweet. Compliment it with stuffed portabella mushrooms for a complete meal. Be sure to only use Vermont Creamery Honey goat cheese.
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut beets in half. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes on a foil lined cookie sheet.
Dice & peel butternut squash into 1" pieces. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper and add squash to the cookie sheet with beets. If you substitute butternut for another squash - check the cooking time.
Roast walnuts in a skillet for about 5 minutes until toasted.
Once beets and squash are tender, remove from oven to cool. Slice beets when cool.
Mix greens, onion, squash, beets and goat cheese with dressing. Top with walnuts.
Balsamic dressing
Blend all ingredients until thoroughly blended.
Lemon Couscous Salad with Chicken for Summer!
With warm sunny weather, no one likes to spend time cooking. That’s why I love this easy couscous salad! I make a big batch of it and have it for lunch at work or take it on the boat.
In this recipe, I use a lemon flavored packaged couscous by Casbah, but you can easily make it from scratch too. The one thing I love about this couscous, is you don’t need to add any kind of dressing. The couscous is so flavorful, that it does great on it’s own. This way the veggies don’t get soggy too!
With our busy schedules, this is just easier for us. I also use pre-cooked chicken when I am in a hurry.
This will last about three to four days in the refrigerator. I’m not a big fan of eating cooked chicken after that. You can certainly add or swap out your favorite veggies too. If you have a favorite version, please share with us.
We’re headed down to Kingston on our boat next weekend, so this will be a great salad for entertaining. It packs well and the veggies don’t get soggy. Be sure to use very fresh cucumbers and bell peppers. Be sure to check out the rest of our tasty recipes on our recipe page! Enjoy!
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Lemon Couscous with Chicken Salad
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This couscous salad is very fresh and perfect for a hot summer day. You can make a full meal out of it, just add some crunchy bread and your favorite dry rose'. What I really love about this recipe, is you don't need a salad dressing! Enjoy!
Instructions
Cook couscous according to instructions. Remove from heat and let cool. Be sure to stir occasionally while cooling.
When completely cooled, mix in veggies, chicken and feta cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for one hour before serving. Store up to 4 days in the fridge.
Quinoa salad perfect for summer time!
Now that the weather has warmed up, I love to make a quinoa salad as both our side dish & veggie. When we’re cooking on the boat, we try to grill our protein and have our side dish all prepared for ease of prep & cleanup. Quinoa is very versatile and you can add any ingredients you like. Add a protein for a full meal.
If you haven’t cooked quinoa much, you want to make sure you rinse it first, otherwise it can taste bitter. Quinoa comes from the Andes and surprisingly it is not a grain. What we are actually eating is the seed of the plant. It is in the goosefoot family, which also produces edibles such as chard and spinach. Although we treat it like a grain, it is actually not at all.
These salads are so tasty, because the quinoa absorbs the dressing so well. The key to maximizing the flavor is to let the quinoa cool slightly and then add the dressing. Then mix in your veggies. You want to make sure that the quinoa is cooled off enough, that it doesn’t make the veggies soggy.
This past week, we had a friend over to our new apartment for dinner. She is on the FODMAP diet and this salad was perfect for her. As a result, she can’t eat any garlic, onions or cheese. It was delicious, but if aren’t limited to ingredients, it’s best with minced garlic in the dressing, chopped red onion and crumbled feta cheese mixed in.
Be sure to check out the rest of our tasty recipes on our blog at www.boatingjourney.com/recipes
Enjoy! Ally
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Quinoa Salad with Spinach, Cucumbers & Bell Peppers
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This a delicious recipe for summer time that pairs great with most proteins. Be sure to make it at least one hour before serving so it marinates in the dressing.
Ingredients
Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing
Ingredients
Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing
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Instructions
Rinse the quinoa. Bring quinoa and 2 cups of water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a very low simmer and cover. Cook for about 13 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Remove lid and remove from heat. Let cool for about 10-15 minutes. Add lemon vinaigrette dressing (see recipe below), tossing gently. Add remaining vegetables.
Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing
Whisk all the ingredients until blended well. Taste and adjust salt / pepper if needed. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Corn, Tomato & Avocado Salad Recipe
This past week, the weather in the PNW finally started to warm up and that’s when we love to barbecue! One of my favorite side dishes is my corn, tomato & avocado salad. It’s easy to prepare, even on a boat. A crowd favorite for sure!
This salad is so versatile, that you can really add any of your favorite veggies or beans. Often, I’ll add black beans and chicken to make it a complete meal. I use fresh corn, but you can also use frozen corn. Simply microwave it for about one minute. Try to find an avocado that is not too ripe, as you don’t want it to be mushy.
The best way to cut up an avocado, is to slice it in half. Then CAREFULLY stab the seed with a knife, turn it sideways and the seed should pop out. Then using a large spoon, scoop out the avocado and cut it up.
I use a simple lime dressing for this corn, tomato and avocado salad. Be sure to let it marinate in the dressing for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
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Corn, Tomato & Avocado Salad
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This is a very easy salad to make and everyone loves it. The citrus in the lime dressing will prevent the avocado from turning brown. This salad is best when you use all fresh vegetables and lime juice.
Instructions
Hold the ears of corn upright in a large bowl. Using a sharp knife, saw off the kernels into the bowl. Add the remaining diced vegetables.
Juice the entire lime into a small bowl and add remaining dressing ingredients. Whisk to blend well and taste. If you want it zestier or spicy, simply adjust to your taste preference.
Add the dressing to the salad, mixing carefully so you don't mush the avocado. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Blue Cheese Garden Salad – Have it as a side or a meal
We love to grill steaks on the boat and keep dinner simple. One of our favorite salads is my Blue Cheese Garden Salad. Honestly, you could simply add grilled steak to it for a full meal.
To keep things easier, I will buy a Fresh Express lettuce or salad kit and add my own ingredients so we don’t have to do a lot of prep work. This is a great summertime salad for entertaining on your boat.
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Blue Cheese Garden Salad
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The tanginess of the blue cheese pairs great with grilled steak. Make it as a side dish or simply add grilled steak to make a full meal.
Instructions
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and serve immediately with grilled steak and crunchy bread.
all of the time!
