Sound like rock stars, don’t they? That’s because these Three Saucy Babes are culinary rock stars!!! And with not a single “walk of shame” between them! They bring the kind of giddy “sauciness” to my cooking life that I simply can’t live without in my kitchen! Spiciness, sweetness, piquantness, freshness…each one adding their own fascinating and lively taste to the food I serve. And with such great variation! Are you in love yet? You ready to turn them up to 11 and rip off the knob??? (Ha!…my attempt at humor has me cracking myself up.)
Introducing Three Saucy Babes:
Salad Sauce (aka, my go-to salad dressing)
Good Goo-ka-moo-kee Sauce (aka, my favorite BBQ sauce that also doubles as a marinade)
Green Sauce (aka, “Holy Moly that’s awesome sauce”…not to be confused with Chimichurri Sauce)
PART ONE (of a 3 Part Mini Series)
SALAD SAUCE – The “salad sauce” is really a beautiful vinaigrette especially designed for a Greek Salad. I first became obsessed with it after seeing the recipe on the “How Sweet Eats” blog (her post is here) and have made it a staple in my fridge ever since! Hear me loud and clear when I say this is EVERYONE’s favorite salad sauce in my circle of friends and family! I’m always asked about it…by children, adults, parakeets…all walking and talking things really. So make it tonight…and “I told you so!”
There are nine very humbling, very beautiful ingredients in this salad sauce (aka, dressing) that will elevate ANY salad you make from here until eternity. Sure…you’ll wander off and flirt with the Green Goddess Buttermilk Dressing or dance with the Caesar Dressing…but you’ll never make those dressings your “go-to” salad sauce…your main squeeze…and this one, you will…
Salad Sauce Ingredients
Salad Sauce Ingredients:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of one large lemon
3 tbsp. good honey
4 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed
1 tsp fresh dill weed (it’s ok to use dry dill if you don’t have fresh)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients, except olive oil. Continue to whisk while streaming in the olive oil at the end. I have also been known to pop the ingredients in a bottle and simply shake them up. The salad sauce will be good to go sealed, in the fridge, for a week or so.
Salad Sauce will separate…but no worries! Just stir it or shake it before serving.
Use it with any salad combination your heart desires. I love the simplicity of this one made up of butter lettuce, radishes and shaved white carrots. This salad literally “sings” when combined with my salad sauce! Fresh, crisp, light and full of flavor!!! Think about it? Lemons, garlic, honey, a little vinegar and good oil and spices are the perfect summer playmates for your favorite bouquet of garden greens and veggies. Not to mention how quick and easy it is!
Beautiful and Simple Salad – Undressed
You may recall that I declared this dressing as a staple or “go-to” for me? You might even call it a building block in my kitchen. Almost every salad variation I make like my Orzo Salad (my niece, Cally’s, favorite) or my Shrimp Salad, uses this dressing as its “sauce”. What about grilled veggies mixed with crisp greens and crumbled candied bacon? Marinate the cut grilling vegetables like onions, squash and red peppers in some of the salad sauce before putting them on the hot grill; after grilling, toss them in more sauce and add to the crisp greens and bacon! I do this all summer long!!!! Don’t worry, I’ll share some of these salads recipes, as well as others, in upcoming blog posts…
Up next?…Saucy Babe #2! Good Goo-Ka-Moo-kee Sauce! Your barbecue will never be the same!!!!! This sauce will make sure of that!!!
Cheers everyone!
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and Pinterest!!! Insta: @peachandthewillow
I remember the moment I started seriously paying attention to salmon and adding it to my diet. No…it wasn’t because I heard it was loaded with Omega-3s and super charged proteins that fight off disease and increase brain power. It was because I read that salmon was a serious part of J Lo’s beauty regimen (listen to Jenny From the Blockhere..oh yeah!) and how she achieved flawless, glowy skin (sigh). Yep…vanity got the best of me! And every time I would eat salmon I thought, “Bam! Take that epidermis! Bam! Take that pesky crow’s feet! Take that plain ol’ yucky wrinkles!” Hmmm…I eat plenty of Salmon but alas, the skin is, shall we say, “doing it’s thang” and father time stops for no one, not even salmon. But I digress…
I now eat Salmon, not for it’s beauty attributes, but because it’s just down right delicious and am thankful that something I love to eat so much is so stinkin’ good for me! Another bonus…my son and hubs love it more than I!…so it’s a simple and tasty “go-to” menu for a weeknight supper. In fact, I created this recipe last week while perusing my frig and cupboards for what I had on hand (this is pretty much the way I roll, cooking wise). The first thing I spied was a lone butternut squash…and what was to follow turned into Glazed Salmon with Brown Rice Salad of Roasted Butternut Squash, Kale and Pecans. Guys…this Salmon dish is ridiculously good and your family will not realize that they are eating Super Food Champions. Salmon? Kale? Wholesome grains? What’s even better? My twelve year old son gobbled it up!!!! Score!
Winter will soon be over and we’ll be enjoying more grilled meets and salads with juicy, vine-ripe tomatoes, so enjoy the winter vegetables like this Butternut Squash and be glad they’re still readily available. And the next day…when you have some salad leftovers and you want to eat them for lunch…add some edamame to the dish and you’ll be even happier!
GORGEOUS INGREDIENTS
You’ll start by making the dressing which also doubles as the salmon marinade. I use this simple dressing for a ton of applications and therefore I keep it around a great deal. It’s a sweet dressing that rocks out this salmon and gives it a beautiful, sweet, brown glaze. Also works well with ribs, pork tenderloin and chicken…
Sweet and Sour Dressing
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tbs soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Blend all ingredients. I personally like to shake it in a bottle. This will yield about 2 cups dressing, so you’ll have some left over for other applications.
Glazed Salmon with Brown Rice Salad of Butternut Squash, Kale and Pecans
2 – 4 Salmon Filets (1 – 2 lbs)
1 cup uncooked Brown Rice (cook according to package)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup Butternut Squash; cut into 1″ dice
1/2 cup sweet onion; diced
1 clove garlic; minced
4 – 5 large Kale leaves; remove ribs and coarsely chop
1/2 cup pecans; chopped
1/2 cup cranberries; chopped
2 stalks celery; chopped
2 Tbs Butter
Marinade Salmon in about 1/2 cup Sweet and Sour Dressing while preparing the salad
Prepare brown rice according to package and cool
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add Butternut Squash, Onion and Garlic. Mix together with a dousing of EVOO (2 -3 Tbs) and remember…do not overcrowd the veggies or you will steam instead of roast them
Roast in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes
Meanwhile, saute’ the chopped kale and olive oil in a hot saute’ pan for about one minute. Salt and pepper Kale to taste. The Kale will break down fast and you want to maintain the beautiful green color. Set aside to cool.
When the roasted Butternut Squash, Onion and Garlic have cooked for thirty minutes, add the pecans and cranberries to the baking sheet and toss slightly. Cook for 5 – 7 minutes longer, being careful to watch the cranberries as you do not want them to char. Set aside to cool slightly.
Prepare frying pan with 2 Tbs butter and place on medium high heat. Once the butter is melted and bubbly, place salmon filets in hot pan, pouring marinade into the pan with the salmon. Salt and pepper.
Watch your salmon for doneness…about two minutes per side for a gorgeous salmon that is not overcooked but velvety soft in the middle and brown on the outside. Continue to baste with marinade from the pan as you cook. Place into a 175 degree oven (if frying pan is oven safe), to keep warm while you combine salad
In a large bowl, combine rice, roasted vegetables, nuts and fruit and chopped celery.
Dress with Sweet and Sour Dressing to taste…start with about 1/4 cup…toss…taste…salt and pepper if needed…
“Killer Salad”
My mouth waters just looking at this “killer salad!” The crunch of the pecans and celery, the sweetness of the squash and cranberries and the slight salty bitterness of the kale make this a delectable salad…and the color is SO pretty! Feel free to interchange the rice with quinoa or wild rice…any grain, really. I serve it room temperature, alongside fish, pork and chicken. Would pack well for a picnic or potluck! Serve the Glazed Salmon over a bed of the rice salad.
GLAZED SALMON WITH BROWN RICE SALAD OF BUTTERNUT SQUASH, KALE AND PECANS
Bon Appetite!!!!
And please tell me what you think of this dish! I love your feedback!!! xo
GORGEOUS INGREDIENTS
GLAZED SALMON WITH BROWN RICE SALAD OF BUTTERNUT SQUASH, KALE AND PECANS
Peach and the Willow 