Five Bean Salad

Stolen from Clara's Cravings

Five Bean Salad
1 14.5 oz can green cut green beans, drained
1 14.5 oz can wax beans, drained
1 15oz can EACH black beans, kidney beans, and garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 small or 1/2 large red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper AND 1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cider vinegar (I probably would have used even more, but that's all I had left)
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
small handful chopped fresh herbs - I used thyme, basil, oregano, and mint

Combine beans, onion, and peppers in a large boil. In a small saucepan, combine vinegars, oil, sugar, and seasonings. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Pour over vegetables, mix well, cover, and refrigerate for several hours or over night, stirring occasionally.

Arugula & Fried Mozzarella Salad with Tomato-Basil Vinaigrette

In this satisfying salad, cheese is battered with egg and breadcrumbs before being fried into warm, crispy-gooey slices. The slight bitterness of the arugula is the perfect foil for the melty, rich fried mozarella. Smoked mozzarella is divine and adds depth to the salad, but regular mozzarella will make a delicious salad, too. Be sure to coat the cheese slices thoroughly so they don’t ooze during cooking.

Ingredients:

1 large (about 7 ounces) smoked mozzarella
1 large egg
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 1/2 cups medium diced fresh tomatoes
1/3 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
5 ounces baby arugula, washed and dried

Directions:

Slice the mozzarella into eight slices, then again in half crosswise, so you have 16 pieces of cheese. Whisk the egg in a medium bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Put the breadcrumbs in another medium bowl. Working with a few pieces at a time, dip the cheese in the egg, turning to coat all sides of the cheese. Dredge the cheese in the breadcrumbs, pressing to help the crumbs adhere and cover the cheese as much as possible. Transfer the breaded cheese slices to a plate and refrigerate until ready to cook. You can prepare the cheese up to 1 hour ahead. Discard any leftover egg and crumbs.

In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, basil, and garlic and season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper. Let this sit for 5 minutes, then add 1/4 cup of the oil and the vinegar.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Put half the cheese in the pan and cook until the breadcrumbs turn golden, 30 to 60 seconds. Use two forks to turn the cheese and cook until the second side is golden, another 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer to a plate. Using the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, repeat with the second batch of cheese.

Put the arugula in a large bowl. Stir the tomato mixture and toss it with the arugula. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Portion the salad among four plates. Arrange four pieces of cheese on top of each salad and serve immediately. -- Eva Katz

Reprinted from Fine Cooking Annual by the Editors of Fine Cooking with permission from The Taunton Press. Photography by Scott Phillips.

Tropical Sweet Potato Salad

Another tasty looking treat from Clara's Cravings



Tropical Sweet Potato Salad.

3 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
chili powder, salt, pepper, and evoo
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 can pineapple chunks, drained, 1/2 cup juice reserved
1/2 cup shredded coconut, toasted
1/2 cup sliced green onions
juice of 2 limes
cumin, crushed red pepper, salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 450F. Arrange sweet potato chunks on a foil-lined baking sheet. Spray with evoo, season with salt, pepper, and chili powder, and toss to coat. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Combine roasted sweet potatoes with red pepper, pineapple, coconut, and green onions. Whisk together pineapple juice, lime juice, and season to taste with cumin, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Pour over potato mixture and stir gently to combine. Chill before serving.

Southwestern Wagon Wheel Pasta Salad

The first of which I'm sure there will be many of Cara's recipes from Cara's Cravings.



Southwestern Wagon Wheel Pasta Salad - with corn, black beans, cheese, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and a smokey chili-lime vinaigrette.

Note (from Cara), I never put the chips in as I really don't think it needs it, but I believe lots of fresh cilantro is a must!

8 ounces wagon wheel macaroni, uncooked
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (9 ounce) package frozen corn, thawed
1 cup salsa
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups tortilla chips, crushed 1 avocado, peeled, chopped

Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 large garlic cloves, minced

In medium bowl, combine all dressing ingredients; mix well. Set aside. Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain cooked pasta; rinse with cold water until cool. In large bowl, combine beans, corn, salsa, tomatoes and cilantro. Add cooked pasta and dressing to bean mixture; toss until well coated. Stir in half each of the cheese and tortilla chips. Place salad on large serving platter or in large serving bowl. Top with remaining half of cheese; garnish with remaining chips and avocado.