Winter Rainbow Salad Recipe

A couple weeks ago we had friends come over for a post-holiday, no-stress, get-together.  A couple of us have dietary restrictions, but I knew I wanted to make at least one dish we could all eat.  I’m vegetarian (technically, I think I’m a pescatarian since I eat fish occasionally, but that’s too confusing to explain to others, so I just say I’m vegetarian if anyone asks), one friend can’t have soy, and another friend is gluten, dairy, corn, peanut, and night-shade vegetable (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, etc.) free.  I know that sounds like a lot of restrictions, but I’ve cooked for this group before, so I had a few ideas.  I ended up making a delicious salad I saw in a cooking magazine.  This salad is so bright and colorful, I call it the Winter Rainbow Salad. 

Winter Rainbow Salad 

(serves 4-6)

Vegetarian and gluten, dairy, corn, peanut, soy and night-shade vegetable free

Ingredients:

3 ounces (about 3 cups) of salad greens, washed and dried

2 avocados, sliced

3-4 radishes, trimmed and sliced

2-3 Mandarin oranges, peeled and separated

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons orange juice

2-3 scallions, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Place the salad greens in a pretty bowl.

2.  Top with avocados, radishes, and orange slices.

3.  Drizzle with olive oil and orange juice.

4.  Sprinkle the scallions on top and salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

What products did I use from Grocery Outlet?  Salad greens ($4.99), avocados, radishes ($0.50 a bunch), Mandarin oranges ($3.99 a bag), olive oil, and scallions (also $0.50 a bunch).

Bonus Blog Entry: Snow Day Sangria

Nothin’ like some Snow Day Sangria to warm yourself up this weekend! 

I used what was left of my Wine Wednesday selection (an overly sweet red wine called Turn Me Sweet 2010)to make a darn good sangria.  I had a recipe I was going to follow, but because of the slushy, snowy mess outside, my motivation to walk to the store for ingredients was extremely low.  Instead I decided to make do with what I had on hand, and boy, am I glad I did!  My homemade sangria turned out quite tasty! 

Here’s the recipe for my Snow Day Sangria:

(Feel free to substitute as needed…it sure worked for me!)

Mix together a bottle of Turn Me Sweet 2010 red wine, 3 cups of pink lemonade, 1 cup of Cascade Ice Cosmopolitan Sparkling Cocktail Mixer (or pomegranate juice), ½ cup of cranberry juice (or orange juice if you like that better), a couple tablespoons of lemon juice, and about five peeled and separated Mandarin oranges (or grapes, or blackberries, or apples, or lemons…whatever) in a pitcher and stir to combine. 

If you pour yourself a glass, turn up the heater, and close your eyes, you'll almost believe it's summertime!

Enjoy,

Kami

What Did I Get From Grocery Outlet?  Turn Me Sweet 2010 red wine ($5.99), lemon juice, Cascade Ice Cosmopolitan Sparkling Cocktail Mixer ($0.59), and Mandarins ($3.99).

Recipe 1: Kami’s Semi-Homemade Broccoli and Rice Soup

The good news about Grocery Outlet is that you never know what you will find there.

The bad news about Grocery Outlet is that you never know what you will find there. 

You see, Grocery Outlet isn’t your typical grocery store.  They don’t necessarily carry the same items week-to-week.  They carry the basics, like eggs, milk, and bread, but the specific brands are always changing.  Actually, it seems like Grocery Outlet is both a testing ground for new products and a home for misfit products (think weird flavors of name brand favorites, packaging that was printed in the wrong shade, and items that are nearing their pull date, that sort of thing).

So ifI mention specific products in my recipes, don’t get your hopes up too high of finding the exact same thing at your local Grocery Outlet.  Instead, keep an open mind, and look for what you consider an acceptable substitute.  And if I add something to my recipe that you don’t like, change it.  Add something else.  Have fun!  Make the recipe your own! 

You will also find many of my recipes are, as Sandra Lee of Food Network fame calls it, semi-homemade. (http://www.foodnetwork.com/semi-homemade-cooking-with-sandra-lee/index.html)  That basically means that some of my recipes will be a combination of store-bought items, perked up and personalized with fresh ingredients from Grocery Outlet.

Since it's wintertime, I decided a hearty soup was in order (And with my new year’s resolution to eat healthier still fresh in my mind, I added a green salad to the menu.). 

So I hope you enjoy...

Kami’s Semi-Homemade Broccoli and Rice Soup (with Mushrooms and Onions)

Approximately 4-5 Servings

Vegetarian 

Ingredients:

Brown rice

1 diced onion

Olive oil

Garlic powder

1 small container of fresh mushrooms, chopped

About 36 oz of boxed broccoli soup...I used two boxes of Campbell’s V8 Garden Broccoli Soup…2 full servings of vegetables per box, and very tasty on its own! ($1.59 a box)

Additional seasonings (I used Mrs. Dash and some pepper.)

Some grated cheddar cheese for garnish (optional)

Salad fixins...I used a bagged salad mix ($1.99), two tomatoes ($0.50), a cucumber ($0.50), and an avocado ($0.59)

One can of chicken ($0.99)...for the meat eaters to add to their salad.  

Directions:

1.   Pull the rice cooker out of the cupboard and make some brown rice.  Adjust the amount according to how likely you are to eat the leftovers.  I put in 2 cups of dry rice and 4 cups of water. 

2.   Cook the diced onion in a little olive oil on medium-high heat.  Add a little garlic powder once they cook a bit.  Stir occasionally.

3.   As the onions start to become clear, add the chopped mushrooms and stir.

4.   When the mushrooms are nearly done, add the boxed broccoli soup.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and once again, stir occasionally.  

While the mushrooms cook, start making your green salad!

5.    Let the flavors come together for a few minutes, then season it to your taste preference.

6.    To serve, put a scoop or two of rice in the bottom of a bowl and ladel the soup over the top of it.  For a little extra flavor, grate some cheddar cheese over the top of your soup and rice mixture.  Serve it with a simple green salad, and you’ve got a fast, tasty, filling, relatively healthy, and inexpensive meal for four! 

Enjoy!

(What products did I use from Grocery Outlet in this recipe?  Lots!  The brown rice, onion, olive oil, garlic powder, mushrooms, boxed broccoli soup, bagged salad, tomatoes, cucumbers, and avocados!)

Here's the Plan

I don't know about you, but I'm a big fan of good deals!

Over the past year I have been finding a lot of good deals at my local Grocery Outlet, and I have been telling my friends about the great deals so much that it's pretty much a running joke between us now..."Where did you get this great cheese/dip/cookie/wine/etc...Grocery Outlet?!?"  And then we laugh, because usually the answer is "Yes!"

My plan right now is to blog twice a week.  Once, on Wine Wednesdays, when I review a bottle of wine from Grocery Outlet, and then again on Fridays, where you will find a recommendation, review, or recipe about a product purchased at Grocery Outlet.

I hope you find my site fun and useful!
Kami