Salads

Cucumber Salad: a Victory Garden Recipe

June 26, 2020 by Sylvia Rose 1 Comment

When cucumbers and herbs are plentiful in the victory garden, it’s time to make this zesty cucumber salad. Tossed in a light and creamy herbed yogurt dressing, it will leave everyone wanting more!

This Cucumber Salad recipe post may contain affiliate links, meaning that if you choose to purchase something after clicking on one of the links in this post, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

CUCUMBER SALAD RECIPE VIDEO

Cucumber salad couldn’t be easier to make, but here’s a video tutorial in case you want to see how it’s done! If you’re new to the Kitchen, you’ll see that I do things a little different around here when it comes to my videos… Like what you see? Subscribe to my YouTube channel!

VICTORY GARDEN-GROWN IS BEST!

victory garden cucumber plants — `I still have a while to go until my baby cucumber plants bear fruit.`

I’ll be honest. I make this cucumber salad year-round, but only when cucumbers are less than $1 apiece. I wish I was joking about this, but I’ve seen cucumbers selling for $3 each on more than one occasion. Crazy! By the way, there are many reasons why I call gardens victory gardens, which you can read about in my victory garden post. Whichever way you cut it, victory garden-grown herbs and cucumbers are best. Let me tell you why.

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Bacon Parmesan Dandelion Salad Recipe

June 12, 2020 by Sylvia Rose 2 Comments

Those pesky dandelions growing in your backyard are one of Nature’s greatest gifts. Put them to good use by making this zesty Bacon Parmesan Dandelion Salad. You’ll love it!

This Bacon Parmesan Dandelion Salad recipe post may contain affiliate links, meaning that if you choose to purchase something after clicking on one of the links in this post, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

BACON PARMESAN DANDELION SALAD RECIPE VIDEO

This nourishing salad couldn’t be simpler to make. If you’re new to the Kitchen, my videos are done with a vintage twist. If you like what you see, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel!

DANDELIONS = NATURE’S GIFT

At some point in history, someone decided to go to war against the dandelion. Troops of herbicidal homeowners were riled up to destroy this sunny plant and the war continues to this very day. I really don’t understand it, because dandelions are one of the healthiest plants out there, and they’re FREE!

Dandelions are truly God’s gift to humankind because they are brimming with vitamins and minerals. These nutrient-dense weeds are full of vitamins A, B, C, K and E, and pack more potassium than a banana. Sulphur, magnesium, manganese, calcium, iron, and silicon, are just some of the other minerals found in dandelions. One thing that might turn some folks off from eating dandelions is that they are bitter, but not so fast!

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Seared Duck Breast & Arugula Salad

May 1, 2020 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

Learning how to sear a duck breast is a kitchen skill every meat eater should master. Today we’re diving into how to cook a juicy medium-rare duck breast to top an arugula salad with a zesty French vinaigrette. Delicious!

This Seared Duck Breast recipe post may contain affiliate links, meaning that if you choose to purchase something after clicking on one of the links in this post, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

SEARED DUCK BREAST & ARUGULA SALAD VIDEO TUTORIAL

Thank goodness my recipe videos are done in the style of a silent film! My smoke alarm went off twice in the making of this video tutorial. Oops! If you’re new to the Kitchen and want to see more videos like this, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel!

WHY SHOULD I EAT DUCK?

If you’re a meat-eater, learning how to serve up a juicy medium-rare duck breast is a kitchen skill you will want to have in your arsenal. Although duck is lumped under the poultry category, it is red meat and it is absolutely delicious. Did you know that duck is healthy, too? While duck skin is fatty, duck fat is rich in vitamin K, which is something we should all be striving for in our diets. Overall, duck is a flavourful nutrient-dense protein that should be way more popular than it is.

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Asparagus and Cherry Tomato Sesame Salad

April 24, 2020 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

This asparagus and cherry tomato sesame salad is as striking as it is flavourful. Tossed in an Asian-inspired vinaigrette, this summery salad aims to please.

This Asparagus and Cherry Tomato Sesame Salad post may contain affiliate links, meaning that if you choose to purchase something after clicking on one of the links in this post, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

ASPARAGUS AND CHERRY TOMATO SALAD RECIPE VIDEO

Do you want to see how to put this summery salad together? Here’s the video tutorial. If this is your first time in the Kitchen, this isn’t your average cooking demonstration. If you like what you see, I hope you’ll subscribe to my YouTube channel!

ABOUT THIS SALAD

The idea for this salad probably would have slipped by me completely had I not worked in pastry. For a couple of years, I worked for a boulangerie that not only sold bread and pastries, but also breakfast, lunch and dinner. This included hot meals, sandwiches, soups and salads. One of these salads was this asparagus and cherry tomato salad with an Asian-inspired dressing that always knocked my socks off. It was (and still is) my favourite salad in the whole wide world, but despite working there for two years, would you believe I never got the recipe?

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Vinaigrettes from Scratch & A Recipe

November 5, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 12 Comments

Making vinaigrettes from scratch doesn’t need to be complicated. Learn the basic formula behind making great tasting vinaigrettes and never buy salad dressing from the store again!

This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you choose to purchase something after clicking on one of the links in this post, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

A SHORT LESSON IN READING LABELS

Do you remember the last time you studied the label of a commercial salad dressing? One of my favourite salad dressings when I was a kid was a zesty Italian dressing made by a major player in the consumer packaged goods industry. Do you want to take a look at some of the ingredients?

Soybean and canola oils (ask me another day why those aren't good for you)
Xanthan gum, a thickening agent which appears safe, but may lead to digestive problems if consumed in large quantities. It is pervasive in the food and cosmetics industries, and is also a common ingredient in paints, adhesives, and pesticides.
Potassium sorbate, which "maintains quality", but may also lead to allergies if consumed in large quantities
Calcium disodium EDTA to "maintain flavour". In other words, it's a food preservative. It's also used in prescription medications and in eye drops. How appetizing!
Monoglyceridesto prevent oil separation (an emulsifier). Do you know what monoglycerides are? Trans fats. You know, the kind of fats that increase your chances of stroke and heart disease.

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Roasted Beet Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

September 24, 2019 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

Beets are not only a terrific source of nutrients, they’re also delicious! Learn how to make this easy roasted beet salad with an orange vinaigrette, walnuts, and as much goat cheese as you can handle.

roasted beet salad with walnuts, goat cheese and orange vinaigrette

This post may contain affiliate links. This means that I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

ROASTED BEET SALAD FOR ALL OCCASIONS

Whether you need a side for dinner, a dish for a potluck, or you just have a craving for beets (I’m not alone, am I?), this roasted beet salad is ready to rise up to the occasion. Dressed with a simple orange vinaigrette and studded with walnuts, goat cheese crumble and fresh dill, it’s guaranteed that each forkful will offer a bite of goodness. I also love that it’s easy to make, especially if you roast the beets ahead of time! Best of all, you can play with this recipe, in fact, I encourage you to do so! If the aforementioned flavours don’t excite you, fret not, I’m including a few other flavour combinations below that you can experiment with.

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