Showing posts with label Simply Salads cookbook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Simply Salads cookbook. Show all posts

Friday, September 4, 2009

Simply Salads Review

Imagine yourself in the grocery store and you find an amazing deal on prepackaged salad mixes. You want to get some but you know there is only a few different ways to prepare salads with the mixes. Maybe you need to eat more salads because you have a health reasons or you lose weight . You just want to eat healthier or you just simply love salads. Well I have the solution for you! There is a cookbook called Simply Salads! It is more than 100 delicious recipes made from prepackaged greens and a few easy to find ingredients, many which are already in your kitchen.

Some people love to eat salads at restaurants but at 9 dollars a salad it can become very expensive very fast. Simply Salads is book that will tantalize your taste buds . It is written by Jennifer Chandler. The salad recipes are like those that you would get at a restaurant for a fraction of the price. Each salad starts with a time saving bag of prewashed precut greens. The salad serves at least 4 people either an appetizer or entrée. Each recipe includes an easy make of homemade dressing too!

When you think of a home prepared salad I am sure you think of a head of lettuce and some carrots, some onions, some tomatoes and a handful of croutons. The salad dressing would be some oil and vinegar with some dry processed spice packet. These recipes are not like that at all. They are inventive and very creative. You can have a gourmet salad in minutes. It would be a great way to use up leftovers in a new way.

The book is well organized by food types. There are little tips and hints through out the book too. Some of the tips are where you can find a certain ingredient or how to skin hazelnuts.

Chapter 1: Salad blends 101 includes recipes with arugula and baby spinach and other hearty greens. Some of the highlights are Arugula with Shaved Parmesan with a white balsamic vinaigrette dressing and Grilled Romaine with green goddess dressing.

Chapter 2: Poultry features recipes using chicken and turkey. Some of the highlights are Chinese Chicken Salad with peanut dressing. There is a recipe for Chicken Tostada salad which is served on top of a tortilla!

Chapter 3: Meat with recipes using steak, hamburger, pork and other meats. Some of the highlights are Thai Beef Salad with a Thai inspired dressing and marinade. Do you love BBQ? There is a recipe for you! It is a BBQ Pulled Pork salad with BBQ Ranch Dressing!

Chapter 4: Seafood with recipes using salmon, tuna, scallops, shrimp and other seafood. Some of the highlights are Lobster Salad with grapefruit vinaigrette. There is also a recipe for Maryland crab cake salad with caper remoulade. That would be a great lunch after a dinner party the night before where you served Crab cakes! You could even use the crab cake recipe to eat by its self!

Chapter 5 : Vegetables which would be any Vegetarian's dream! Some of the highlights are Greek Salad with Greek vinaigrette. Do you love mushrooms? Check out the Warm Wild Mushroom Salad with Sherry vinaigrette.

Chapter 6: Fruit. Who says a salad has to be just vegetables and meat? There is so much more that you can do with fruit in salads besides Waldorf Salad. Some of the highlights are Watermelon and Arugula Salad with a vinaigrette dressing. I would of never thought to put watermelon in a salad. The Grapefruit and Avocado salad is great by it’s self or you could even add some grilled shrimp for a tropical delight.

Chapter 7 : Beans Grains Rice and Pasta all of which are things you tend to make too much of when you are making a meal. Almost every time I make a pasta dish there is always a portion of pasta that doesn’t get eaten. So have no fear you can use the leftover pasta, beans, rice and grains in scrumptious salads. Some of the highlights are Green pea Salad which is made in a yogurt sauce. Another highlight is the Cheese Tortellini Salad with a sun dried tomato vinaigrette.

Chapter 8 : These slaw recipes are jazzed up with lots of personality. I went to the store the other day because we were having pulled pork for dinner and I wanted to get some slaw to go with it. I went to the deli and they wanted 4 or 5 dollars for a small container of slaw. I thought that was crazy. With this cookbook you could make your own dressed up slaw the way you like it! Some of the highlights are Honey-Lime Corn Slaw with a Honey Lime Vinaigrette. This would be great to use up some of the corn on the cob that you got at the local farmers market. There is a recipe for Mandarin Orange Slaw with a Mandarin Orange Dressing. (Since I love Mandarin Oranges this one really appeals to me)

Chapter 9: Vinaigrettes and dressings are in this chapter. There are many basic dressing and vinaigrette recipes. Some of the recipes call for the same dressing so there is a go to chapter for all of those. Some of the highlights are the Garlic Vinaigrette which is for all the garlic lovers out there like me. Is your favorite salad dressing Thousand Island? There is a recipe in this book for you. You could use the dressing recipes to make your own fresh dressings for those times you just want plain salad too!

The pictures in Simply Salads are mouth watering. Every recipe has a picture in the book. There is definitely something for everyone in this cookbook. You can eat salad and not feel like you are on a diet! Salad mix suggestions are provided but you could switch it for a mix that you prefer. This book would be perfect for your next dinner party. The recipes have the dazzle factor; anyone would be impressed to be served one of these salads.

Simply Salads costs $24.99 and is available at fine bookstores nationwide and Amazon.

For more information visit Cooking with Jennifer
Thank you to Jennifer Chandler for letting me review her unique cookbook Simply Salads.
I was given the opportunity to review this product because of my membership at The Product Review Place. http://productreviewplace.ning.com