Salad Made with Leftover Meat

Do you ever have leftover meats and wonder what to do with them besides reheating them the same way they were originally prepared? I'm going to show you how to make a simple salad and vinaigrette that utilizes the left over meat. Whether you have chicken, pork roast or a steak leftover, you can make this simple salad. I'm going to use pork for this recipe. Chances are you already have all of the other ingredients in your refrigerator and pantry. It's fast, light and healthy.

 

Click here to view the video demonstration with additional tips.

For this recipe, you'll need the following:

• 1 tomato, coarsely chopped
• 2-3 green onions, chopped
• 2 cups of chopped romaine lettuce
• The juice from a lime
• 1 jalapeno, sliced
• 2 TB. red wine vinegar
• 2 TB. olive oil
• Honey to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste  
• 1 1/2 cups of left over meat, shredded or chopped. For this recipe, I am using some left over pork roast.

 Begin by adding a little olive oil to a hot pan. Add your meat and the sliced jalapeno to the hot pan. Brown the meat to bring out additional flavor. Finally, stir in the lime juice. Simmer for 1 minute and remove from heat.

Now let's make the vinaigrette. In a small jar or shaker container, add 2 oz of olive oil, 2 oz of red wine vinegar and a dsh of honey. If you want a sweeter dressing, add a little more honey.

Shake to blend and season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a medium size bowl,  combine the lettuce, tomatoes and green onions. Toss it with as little or as much of the vinaigrette depending on your taste.

 Place the salad in a serving bowl and top it with the meat mixture.

Enjoy!

I welcome your comments. Click here to add your thoughts.

Mexican Caesar Salad

This is the classic Caesar salad with a Mexican flare. Fresh cilantro and toasted pepitas in the salad will transport you south of the border. Simple to make yet it will still please the most discriminating palate. This recipe will leave your guests most impressed with your cooking talents.

For this recipe, you will need the following:

• 1 French baguette, cut into ¾ inch cubes
• Garlic flavored olive oil for drizzling
• White truffle oil for drizzling (optional)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 6 shots Worcestershire sauce
• 1 dash white vinegar
• Juice from ½ lemon
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ anchovies
• ½ bunch of cilantro
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ to ½ cup pepitas
• 1 ½ heads of Romaine lettuce, chopped
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. To make the croutons, place the cubed baguette on a baking sheet. Be sure not to cut them too small. Drizzle them with the garlic flavored olive oil. For more flavor, you can also drizzle white truffle oil with the garlic olive oil. Bake the croutons for about 10 minutes, until they are golden brown. You want them crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Next, place the egg yolk, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, white vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, anchovies, cilantro and olive oil in a food processor or blender. Blend until it’s smooth and creamy.

Place the chopped Romaine in a large bowl. Drizzle about a third of the dressing on the salad (save the rest for a later use). Drizzle more if you like a wetter salad, less if you want it drier. Add the pepitas and Parmesan and toss to coat. Add the croutons and toss lightly.

Enjoy!

I welcome your comments. Click here to add your thoughts.

Grilled Radicchio Salad

Radicchio is often overlooked as a salad base. Lightly grilling it adds another dimension of flavor which is complimented by the basil and capers.This salad is finished with a balsamic vinaigrette, feta and warm toasted pine nuts. 

For this recipe, you will need the following:

• 1 head of traviso radicchio
• 1 dozen basil leaves
• ½ cup feta
• ¼ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
• 2 T capers, rinsed
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 T balsamic vinegar

 

Whisk together 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside. Cut the radicchio in half and brush the cut side with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Grill the radicchio, cut side down, on a hot grill for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove it from the grill, chop it and place it in a large bowl. Tear the basil leaves and add them to the radicchio. Add the capers, toasted pine nuts and feta to the salad. Toss with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar mixture.

Enjoy!

Tropical Cole Slaw

This dish takes your standard cole slaw and whisks it away to the tropics. The mango, cilantro and sliced almonds put this dish above the rest. Its best made a day ahead of time but can still be served on the fly if needed.

For this recipe, you will need the following: 

Cole Slaw Ingredients

½ small head of cabbage, cored and shredded

3-4 carrots, peeled and julienned

5 green onions, thinly sliced on the bias

½ cup chopped cilantro

½ cup sliced almonds toasted

½ cup golden raisins

1 mango, peeled and diced to ¼ inch

Dressing Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

½ cup honey

1 tsp kosher or sea salt

1 tsp pepper

Place the raisins in a sauce pan adding just enough water to cover them. Bring them to a boil, then remove from heat. Allow them to sit at least 5 minutes to plump up then drain the water off. In a large bowl, combine the raisins with the rest of the cole slaw ingredients.

In a small bowl, add the dressing ingredients and whisk to blend. Pour over the cole slaw ingredients and mix thoroughly to evenly distribute the dressing.

Enjoy!