Half Assed Kitchen

White bean salad

We recently found this recipe on Elise's site and it has since become a staple in our Half Assed Kitchen. It's beyond simple and surprisingly delicious. We've made a few variations to suit our tastes (rinsing the beans, adding fresh parsley), but the body is the same.

It's a great little number to take on picnics. Double if you're serving a larger group of people.

Rating: 1/4 assed (super easy)

Here's what you need and how you do it

1 14.5-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed

2 Tablespoons chopped red onion

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons wine vinegar, red or white

1 Tablespoon olive oil

3 Tablespoons fresh, flat-leafed parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator to help flavors set.

Serves 3 to 4.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Tomato mozzarella basil salad

This is one of our favorite summer salads. A snap to throw together and a succulent, fresh delight to eat.

Rating: 1/4 assed (easy, easy, easy and the payoff is high)

Here's what you need and how you do it

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes

1/2 pound fresh mozzarella

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Mix all ingredients together and serve.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Bacony avocados with lemon vinaigrette

It sounds fancy, doesn't it? The word vinaigrette makes this salad seem loftier than it is, we promise. Since vinaigrette is essentially three parts oil to one part vinegar or lemon juice (plus whatever else you want to throw in), there's really nothing to it.

You can peel and slice and avocado, right? You can heat pre-cooked bacon in the microwave, yes? And we know you can whisk together a few simple ingredients you probably already have on hand.

This salad is easy. And it's colorful, rich and sharp.

Inspired by Sunset Magazine, but tinkered around with by Half Assed Kitchen...

Rating: 1/4 assed (SO easy)

Here's what you need and how you do it

5-6 slices bacon (get pre-cooked if you can)

2 firm-ripe avocados

2 Tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup olive oil

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 Tablespoon minced shallot (optional)

Cook or heat bacon and mince. Cut avocados in half and stab pits with a sharp knife. Twist gently to remove pit. Score avocado skin and gently peel (it should come off easily if it's ripe). Slice avocados into wedges.

Mix vinaigrette ingredients.

Serve avocado wedges on a plate, top with warm bacon, sprinkle with parsley and spoon vinaigrette over the top.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Spinach apple salad

This salad comes from a Cooking Light that is a million years old. Or maybe only four or five. But we've made it and loved it since the first time we tried it.

The sweet-tart apples (Braeburn or Honeycrisp are good choices) tossed with the pungency of red onion and the smooth richness of bleu cheese is a zingy combination.

Here's what you need and how you do it

2 Tablespoons orange juice

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

2 teaspoons honey

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced

8 ounces bagged, prewashed baby spinach

1 large, firm apple, cored and thinly sliced

1/4 cup crumbled bleu cheese

Whisk first six ingredients together. Set aside.

Combine onion, spinach and apple in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Chunky veggie salad

This salad is so OBVIOUS and so incredibly HALF ASSED, we almost can't believe we're presenting it to you as if it's at all innovative. Because it's not. But sometimes you just need a little reminder of what your options are, right?

And, strangely, we had never considered concocting a salad like this until our friend Kara introduced us.

Here's what you need and how you do it

A variety of vegetables, chopped

Suggestions include: broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, carrots, red or yellow bell pepper, yellow squash

Salad dressing

Try this honey-mustard recipe:

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons dijon mustard

Dash of salt

Few grinds of black pepper

Or check out Brianna's Poppy Seed dressing, which we think is excellent.

Curried chicken salad that's a cinch

 

It's still summer somewhere, right?

This is one of our favorite warm-weather dinner recipes. (It's nice for fall too.)

Here's what you need and how you do it:

2 to 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cooked

1 cup mayo, plain yogurt or veganaise

1/2 teaspoon garlic

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

3-4 teaspoons curry powder

Chopped green onions

1-2 Tablespoons cilantro

Several handfuls of fresh baby spinach (or other greens)

Shred chicken breasts and set aside.

In a bowl mix mayo (yogurt), garlic, ginger and curry powder.

Combine chicken and mayo sauce. We like to return it all to the pan in which we cooked the chicken and warm it a bit.

Drop a generous dollop of chicken mixture on a bed of spinach and top with cilantro and green onions. Serve with pita bread and apple slices (or mix apple chunks right into chicken salad).

Delicious Caesar Dressing

So much better than the bottled variety! Just throw in some romaine, chicken, croutons and parmesan and you have a perfect summer entree.

Here's what you need and how you do it

2 Tbsp. light mayo (we use Veganaise)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic

2 Tbsp. lemon juice--fresh is best

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. anchovy paste (found in the pasta aisle. Lends your recipes richness without necessarily giving away that it's actually derived from anchovies.)

Whisk all ingredients together.

The end. Enjoy!

Chipotle Chicken Salad

From the July 2006 issue of Gourmet. The best doggone, spicy salad dressing north of Texas.

1 rotisserie-cooked chicken (2 lb) at room temperature
1 medium white onion, hacked to bits
1 (15- to 19-oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro sprigs
1 rounded tablespoon canned chipotles in adobo, or to taste (might want to start with a little less. These suckers are caustic. Deliciously caustic.)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 firm-ripe California avocados, halved, pitted, and left unpeeled
3 oz corn chips such as Fritos (1 1/2 cups) (Huh, yeah. I use white corn chips myself)
1 heart of romaine,

Remove chicken from bone in large chunks, with some skin if desired, and toss together with onion and black beans in a large bowl.

Purée cilantro, chipotles, oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a blender, then add to chicken mixture.

Cut avocado into 1/2-inch cubes, without cutting through peel. (This is the super stealthy secret for dicing avacados. My husband, the California boy, taught me.)

Toss chicken mixture with chips. Scoop avocado into chicken mixture with a spoon. Serve salad on romaine leaves.

Cucumber Salad

This salad is simple, refreshing and savory. And, oh yeah, ridiculously easy to make.

2 thinly sliced cucumbers (or just chop them any which way)
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
2 teaspoons of sugar
2 Tablespoons of rice vinegar
½ teaspoon of salt

Slop all ingredients together and top with scallions.