Four Bean Salad

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food, foodie, pot luck, recipe, relish, salad, side dish, vegan, vegetarian

For years, I thought that I didn’t like four bean salad. It turns out, I didn’t like any of the four bean salad I tried. It was usually too vinegary or had mushy green/wax beans. Fresh wax & green beans are imperative to making a tasty and refreshing four bean salad.

Four Bean Salad ♥ Young Wifey’s Blog

Ingredients: wax beans, green beans, 1 can dark red kidney beans, 1 can garbanzo beans, 2 stalks of celery, 1 carrot, 2 green onions, 1/2 c. rice vinegar, 1/3 c. olive oil, 3 Tbsp. honey, 1 Tbsp. minced garlic, fresh ground Himalayan pink salt, fresh cracked four-color pepper

Directions: Chop celery, carrot, and green onions then set aside. Cut wax beans and green beans into 1″ pieces. Bring small pot of water to boil and blanch wax beans and green beans (for about 3 minutes). Drain and rinse kidney & garbanzo beans. Whisk together vinegar, oil, garlic, honey, salt, and pepper. Toss together all ingredients and chill before serving.

*Garnish with fresh shaved parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast if vegan).

XOXO,
Young Wifey

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Chickpea Salad

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chick peas, chickpeas, food, foodie, garbanzo, gluten-free, post-workout food, potluck, recipe, salad, side dish, vegetarian

Sometimes I eat a lot. I mean A LOT! No matter how much food I shovel down my throat, I want something that satisfies my hunger without making me feel ill afterwards. Good thing I keep plenty of chickpeas on hand. Whether as a snack, side dish, or meal, this salad satisfies me.

Young Wifey’s Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:
2 c. chickpeas, 1 c. chopped parsley, 1/3 c. crumbled feta, 1 garlic clove (minced), 1 lemon, olive oil or tahini, 1/4 c. diced sun-dried tomatoes

Directions:
Zest and juice lemon and set aside. Mix together chickpeas, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, tomatoes, and feta. Drizzle with lemon juice and oil/tahini, and gently toss to coat. Sprinkle with pepper and enjoy.

And yes, I did eat this entire batch…

Looking for another chickpea salad? Try My Chopped Greek Salad.

What food satisfies your hungry? (And don’t tell me a Snickers!)

XOXO,
Young Wifey

Classic Italian Pasta Salad & Toppings Bar

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food, foodie, pasta, pasta salad, potluck, recipe, salad, side dish, vegan, vegetarian

Hubster and I never agreed on what ingredients to put in a classic pasta salad. That is, until I began serving it with a toppings bar. It’s a fantastic way to make sure everyone at your picnic enjoys this classic side dish!

Young Wifey’s Classic Italian Pasta Salad w/Toppings Bar

Classic Italian Pasta Ingredients:
1 lb. tri-color rotini pasta (cooked al dente, drained, and cooled), 1 chopped red bell pepper, 1 c. broccoli florets, 1 c. cherry tomatoes (halved), 1 c. grated carrots, 1/2 c. chopped yellow onion, 4 Tbsp. chopped parsley, 1 Tbsp. minced garlic, 1 Tbsp. chopped oregano, 1 tsp.  rosemary, 1/3 c. red wine vinegar, 1/4 c. olive oil, fresh ground sea salt, fresh cracked black pepperClassic Italian Pasta Salad Directions:
To make dressing, mix together oil, vinegar, herbs, and seasoning. Pour over pasta and toss to coat. Toss in vegetables. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Topping Bar Suggestions:
sliced black olives, Spanish olives, fresh grated cheese, bacon crumbles, mini pepperoni, small pieces of prosciutto, anchovies, capers, cheddar crumbles

What toppings do you like on your pasta salad? 

XOXO,
Young Wifey

Nanny Florida’s Classic Potato Salad

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barbecue, picnic, pot luck, potato, potato salad, salad, side dish, vegetarian

Here’s another side-dish from Nanny Florida’s recipe box. You can’t go wrong with a classic. Although Nanny Florida & Hubster never had the opportunity to meet, I’m sure she’d approve my addition of bacon crumbles for him. If you’re taking this dish to a pot-luck picnic/barbecue, I suggest serving the bacon crumbles on the side, so more people can enjoy the dish.

Nanny Florida’s Classic Potato Salad

Forgive me for the dark photos, it was a very cloudy day.

Nanny Florida’s Classic Potato Salad with Bacon Crumbles

Ingredients:
4 c. cooked, peeled and cubed potatoes, 1 c. slices celery, 1/2 c. chopped onion, 2 hard-boiled eggs (separated and chopped), 1 c. mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp. Vinegar, 1 tsp. sugar, fresh ground sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper, turkey bacon crumbles (optional)

Directions:
Mix together potatoes, egg whites, onion & celery. To make dressing, mix together mayo, egg yolk, vinegar, sugar, salt & pepper. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Do you prefer your potato salad with or without bacon?

Tabbouleh

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bulgur, bulgur wheat, cucumbers, food, foodie, mint, parsley, recipe, salad, side, side dish, tomatoes, vegan, vegetarian

It’s difficult to find bulgur wheat here, so it’s been a while since I whipped up a batch of tabbouleh. I recently found a decently price on-line supplier, so it’s time to indulge again.

Tabbouleh

Ingredients:
1 c. bulgur wheat, 1 c. hot water, 1 medium cucumber, 1/2 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, 1/2 c. sun-dried tomatoes (julienne strips), 1/4 c. chopped green onion, 1 1/2 c.  chopped parsley, 1/2 c. chopped mint leaves, 2 lemons, 1/2 tsp. ground cumin, olive oil, fresh ground sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper, romaine lettuce (optional), feta (optional)

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together bulgur and hot water. Allow to sit for an hour. Juice & zest lemons. Cut cucumbers and half tomatoes. Toss together all ingredients (except romaine & feta) and chill.

Serve over romaine lettuce and sprinkle with feta.

Now it’s your turn:
What’s for dinner tonight?

Nanny Florida’s Classic Coleslaw

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barbecue, coleslaw, food, foodie, picnic, recipe, salad, side dish, slaw, vegetarian

I only made one substitution to Nanny Florida’s coleslaw recipe: She uses 1 whole green cabbage, and I use 1/2 green cabbage and 1/2 red cabbage.

Nanny Florida’s Classic Coleslaw

Ingredients:
1/2 head of green cabbage, 1/2 head of red cabbage, 2-3 carrots or 2 c. julienne carrots, 1/2 c. sugar, 1 c. mayonnaise, 1/2 vinegar, 1 tsp. celery seed, fresh ground sea salt

Directions:
In a food processor, shred cabbage and carrots. In a small bowl mix sugar, mayo, vinegar, celery seed, and salt. Toss together all ingredients until well coated. Allow to set for 24 hours, tossing occasionally.

Serve as a side dish, or over pulled chicken barbecue.

What’s on your dinner plate tonight?

Carrot Slaw

Tags

carrot, food, foodie, picnic, salad, slaw, vegan, vegetarian

I love carrot slaw, but the not the type you see at most picnics. You know, the one with too much mayonnaise and raisins in it (I really dislike raisins). I want my carrot slaw to be crunchy and cleansing to my palette.

Carrot Slaw

Ingredients:
3 c. julienne carrots, 1 golden delicious apple, 1 c. lemon juice, 3 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley, 3 Tbsp. brown sugar, 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, 1 tsp. celery seed, fresh ground sea salt

Directions:
Cut apple into julienne strips and immediately soak in lemon juice for 1 minutes. Toss apple and carrot sticks together. Mix together lemon juice, parsley, sugar, mustard, celery seed, and sea salt. Pour dressing over carrot slaw and toss to coat.

What’s on your plate?