Cucumber Week, Day 5: Bleu Cheese Cucumber Salad

Tags

bleu cheese, cucumber, food, foodie, recipe, salad, side dish

This is my manlier variation of cucumber salad just for Hubster. Afterall, today is our fifth anniversary!!!! ❤ ❤ ❤ Thus, why today’s post is so delayed. Don’t worry, next week I’ll share some of our celebration details!

Sorry the pictures didn’t tun out too well, but the rainy day prevented me from getting a well-lit shot.

Bleu Cheese Cucumber Salad Drizzled w/Dressing

Ingredients:
3 cucumbers, 5 strips of prosciutto*, 1/4 c. bleu cheese (or gorgonzola), 1/4 balsamic vinegar, 1/8 c. extra virgin olive oil, fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:
Cut prosciutto into tiny strips. Peel alternating stripes on the cucumber and thinly slice cucumber. Mix together cheese, vinegar, oil and pepper. Drizzle over or toss with cucumbers and prosciutto and serve chilled.

Bleu Cheese Cucumber Salad Tossed w/Dressing

* I reserve a portion of this salad, before adding the prosciutto. For my variation, I add crumbled turkey bacon.

Cucumber Week:
Pickled Cucumber Salad, Italian Cucumber Salad, Greek Cucumber Salad, Creamy Dill Cucumber Salad, Bleu Cheese Cucumber Salad, Salmon Cucumber Salad, Spicy Cucumber Salad

Spinach, Star Fruit & Pistachio Salad

Tags

bleu cheese, carambola, chicken, chicken salad, cooking for two, entree salad, food, foodie, fruit, lunch for two, pistachio, postaday2011, recipe, red bell pepper, side dishes, spinach, star fruit, vegan, vegetarian

The other night Hubster and I stopped by a grocery store that we don’t normally get to. I was amazed when I spotted a few fresh star fruit, since I haven’t be able to find them in this area since I moved here. I ran over to them and started squeezing them to check their firmness, Hubster looked completely confused and asked what the are. After I replied, the 5-year-old boy in him came out. “They can’t ever taste good if I’ve never seen them in the grocery store before. That’s the ugliest fruit I’ve even seen, they don’t even look good.” I then held up an Ugli fruit for him to view… conversation was derailed.

This day, I did something simplistic and used them in a salad. Two variations, a light vegetarian salad for me and a non-vegetarian entrée salad for him. His final verdict on the fruit? Tastes okay, like a fruit. 🙂 I think star fruit tastes like a light citrusy pear.

Vegetarian & Vegan Version
Spinach, Start Fruit & Pistachio Salad Ingredients:
1 star fruit (sliced), sliced red pepper, pistachios, baby spinach leaves, sesame ginger dressing

Spinach, Star Fruit & Pistachio Salad Directions:
Arrange mixed greens on plate and top with chicken, star fruit, peppers and pistachios. Drizzle with dressing.

Spinach, Star Fruit & Pistachio Side Salad

Meat Eaters Entrée Salad Variation
Ingredients:
1 Spinach, Star fruit and Pistachio salad from above, 1 chicken breast, teriyaki sauce, bleu cheese crumbles, raspberry vinaigrette dressing (in place of sesame ginger dressing)

Directions:
Marinate chicken in teriyaki breast and grill. Slice chicken and arrange on salad. Sprinkle with bleu cheese and drizzle with dressing.

Chicken, Spinach, Star Fruit & Pistachio Entrée Salad

I prefer this with sesame ginger dressing, Hubster enjoys his was raspberry vinaigrette, you combo might be different…

What recipe do you make two different variations, for you and your spouse/partner?

Steak with Yellow Peppers in Wine Sauce & Bleu Cheese

Tags

birthday, birthday dinner, bleu cheese, broiled steak, dinner, food, grilled steak, lunch, meal, recipe, steak, yellow pepper

Steak ala Hubster
Last week was Hubster’s birthday, and his birthday dinner is the obvious choice… Since I don’t make red meat for him often, it’s time for him to get (the cliché) slab of juicy steak…

Steak ala Hubster

 

 

Ingredients:
Steaks, paprika, olive oil, fresh ground sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper, yellow bell pepper, 1 c. chardonnay, 1/2 c. butter 1/2 c. bleu cheese crumbles

Directions:
Rub down steak with olive oil and season with paprika, salt and pepper. Rub seasoning in, place in fridge and allow to sit overnight. Take steak out of fridge and bring to room temperature. Saute yellow peppers in butter over low heat, add wine and simmer. Broil or grill steak to your liking. Place steak on plate, top with peppers, drizzle with sauce and sprinkle bleu cheese crumbles.

Served with twice baked potato, glazed carrots and salad with ginger sesame dressing.

What is you favorite birthday dinner?

 

Harvest Salad

Tags

bleu cheese, butternut squash, dinner salad, food, light fare, lighter fare, lunch recipe, meal, pomegranate, recipe, roast butternut squash seeds, salad, salad course, salad dressing, side salad, spring mix, turkey bacon

This is the perfect addition to lunch or light fare dinner on a crisp fall day. Delicious flavors and wonderful textures all harmonizing in one bowl.

Young Wifey's Harvest Salad

For each salad you need:

Ingredients:
2 c. spring mix, 1 Granny Smith apple, 1 Tbs. lemon juice, 1/2 c. pomegranate seeds, 2 Tbs. roast (with nutmeg) butternut squash seeds , 2 Tbsp. crumbled bleu cheese, 4 pieces crumbled turkey bacon, 1 Tbs. ginger sesame seed dressing

Directions:
Place spring mix on salad plate or bowl. Core and cut apple into chunks, dip in lemon juice. Layer ingredients on top of spring mix, drizzle with dressing and serve.

What is you favorite light fare meal or salad?

Gorgonzola Pasta

Tags

bleu cheese, bleu cheese cream sauce, cream sauce, dinner recipe, farfalle, gorgonzola, gorgonzola cream sauce, pasta, recipe

The other day I was craving bleu cheese and then stumbled upon this post. Since farfalle pasta is my favorite shape, he had me sold. It was a quick easy recipe, I wanted to whip it up, but as always a few things I wanted to change. I added some ingredients, changed some of the steps, etc…

Gorgonzola Pasta

Ingredients:
1 c. heavy cream. 1 c. Gorgonzola, 1 lb. farfalle, 2 shallot, 1 Tbsp. butter, 2 c. arugula, 1 c. cherry tomatoes, 4 pieces of turkey bacon, 1/2 c. chopped walnuts, fresh shaved Locatelli Romano cheese

Directions:
Boil a pot of water. Cook turkey bacon until crispy, crumble and set aside. Mince the shallots and saute with butter. Add crumbled turkey bacon, halved cherry tomatoes and chopped walnuts. Add cream, Gorgonzola, chopped arugula, salt and pepper, stir until creamy. Add pasta to water and cook according to package directions. Turn sauce to simmer. Drain water from pasta and toss with cream mixture. Plate up and top with fresh shave Locatelli.

*The original creator used tri-color farfalle pasta I wish I was lucky enough to get that in my area!

*The original creator served his dish with a glass of red wine, I drank Chardonnay with mine.

*I was lucky enough to have the sunshine help me take a nice picture!