Category Archives: Salads

Sensational Salads to Celebrate National Salad Month!

Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives, Castelvetrano Olives, Feta Cheese Stuffed Olives, Garlic Stuffed Olives, Health, Jalapeño Stuffed Olives, Jeff’s Naturals Imported Non-Pareil Capers, Organic Kalamata Olives, Peperoncini, Roasted Bell Peppers, Salads, Sun-Ripened Dried Tomatoes, Sunshine Mix Mild Banana Pepper Rings, , , , , , , ,

Did you know that May is National Salad Month? You do now! We’re celebrating by sharing secrets to creating fabulous and refreshing salads using unique ingredients. Here are some tasty tips to punch it up and wake up your palette with these sensational salads. Be inspired and be healthy!

Start with Leafy Greens to build your base.

Fig Salad with Blue Cheese Olives
Look for dark leafy greens packed with important nutrients like folic acid – think baby spinach, kale, arugula or a spring mix that includes a variety of dark greens.

Pile on colorful fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs!

Citrus and Olive Salad
As a general rule of thumb, the more seasonal and local your vegetables are, the better (think Farmers Markets). This is the perfect time to indulge in a multitude of fresh seasonal fruits, veggies, and herbs.

Add Protein

Salad Nicoise

Adding protein to your salad like grilled chicken, hard-boiled eggs, water-packed chunk light tuna, wild-caught salmon, lean steak or turkey breast can make your salad more satisfying. If you wish to skip the animal protein, cubed tofu, tempeh, chickpeas, beans or other legumes are great alternatives.

Don’t overdo it with the “extras”

Castelvetrano salad
Toppings like chopped nuts, seeds, shredded cheese, croutons, dried cranberries or raisins and salad dressings are fantastic on salads but have the potential to pack in too much fat and calories if you aren’t careful. For less fat and more flavor in your meals, think about adding something zesty and flavorful to your salad like Sliced Peperoncini or Jalapeño Stuffed Olives.

Here are some more salad tips to inspire you:

  • Toss Sun-Ripened Dried Tomatoes with chilled cooked pasta, sliced Kalamata Olives and Marinated Artichoke Hearts for a colorful and delicious pasta salad.
  • Toss pitted Castelvetrano Olives with mixed baby greens, orange sections, shaved fennel and a light lemon vinaigrette for a beautiful and refreshing salad.
  • Toss Marinated Artichoke Hearts with salad greens, sliced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette.
  • For a tangy vegetarian version of a classic Caesar salad, use Capers in place of the traditional anchovies.
  • Toss Spicy Italian Olive Antipasto, along with its marinade, with romaine lettuce and tomato wedges. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and top with crumbled feta cheese for a super quick and delicious salad.
  • Toss pitted Kalamata Olives with feta cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, olive oil and red wine vinegar for a refreshing Greek salad.
  • Add diced Jalapeño Stuffed Olives to a Southwestern black bean salad.
  • Toss Sliced Peperoncini into a mixed green salad for an extra punch of flavor.
  • Add Sliced Hot Cherry Peppers to salads for a boost of color and flavor.
  • Arrange Roasted Bell Pepper Strips on a serving plate along with sliced fresh mozzarella and julienned fresh basil. Drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
orzo_salad_artichokes_olives_Feta

Fresh From the Jeff’s Naturals Kitchen: Orzo Salad!

Pasta Dishes, Salads, Soups & Salads, , , , , ,

Jeff's Naturals KitchenOur fabulous Recipe & Development Chef, Peter Kirkpatrick, a.k.a. “Chef P.K.”  has been hard at work in the Jeff’s Naturals kitchen creating amazing dishes using our all-natural line of olives, peppers, capers and sun-dried tomatoes.

One of his recent creations, Orzo Salad With Artichoke Hearts & Kalamata Olives, absolutely knocked our socks off during one of our taste tests. (By the way, taste testing Chef’s P.K.’s dishes is our favorite kind of meeting. It’s hard work, but someone has to do it!)

Like many of Chef P.K.’s creations, this colorful dish has a very easy going California/Napa Valley/Mediterranean flavor to it that’s irresistible. It’s light, yet satisfying and can be made in less than 20 minutes and is a perfect side dish for potlucks or gatherings, tailgating, a picnic, a quick weeknight dinner (just add some diced grilled chicken) or lunch on-the-go!

Orzo is most commonly used in Italian and Greek cuisines and makes a delicious alternative to larger pasta which can sometimes be too heavy. You could get creative with this dish and add some Sliced Golden Greek Peperoncini, Sun-Ripened Dried Tomatoes and/or Imported Non-Pareil Capers for even more flavor. The possibilities are endless!

We hope you’ll enjoy this delicious dish. Be sure to check out all of our Mediterranean inspired recipes and serving suggestions in our growing Recipe Collection.

Recipe of the Month: Orzo Salad With Artichoke Hearts & Kalamata Olives

Prep Time: 10min | Total Time: 20min | Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound orzo, cooked to package instructions
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
  • 1 (14.5 Oz) jar Marinated Artichoke Hearts, drained
  • 1 cup Jeff’s Naturals Organic Sliced Greek Kalamata Olives, drained
  • 1 pint Cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 tablespoons red onion, minced
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, toss all ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy! Makes about 4 servings.

Jeff's Naturals Salad Recipes

Five New Savory Salad Ideas from Jeff’s Naturals

Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives, Health, Non-GMO, Organic Kalamata Olives, Products, Recipes, Roasted Bell Peppers, Salads, Soups & Salads, , , , , , , , , ,

Break out the dressings because May is National Salad Month! Celebrate the greener side of life by eating a plate of delicious healthy vegetables, spiced up with Jeff’s Natural’s range of healthy, non-GMO products!

If you’re in need of a little salad inspiration, you should check out our new recipes below! With so much variety, we’re pretty sure you’ll be asking yourself “what hamburger?”

New! Fig Salad with Bleu Cheese Olives

FigSaladWithBleuCheeseOlives

Prep Time: 10 min – Total Time: 13 min – Serves: 2

Ingredients

  • 4 cups mixed salad greens
  • 4-6 fresh figs cut in half or in quarters
  • 1/3 cup Jeff’s Naturals Blue Cheese Olives, sliced
  • 2 ounces prosciutto, torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/3 cup candied nuts or chopped hazelnuts

Dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, gently toss salad ingredients together.  Drizzle salad dressing over the top until lightly coated and toss to gently.  Serve immediately.

New! Kale & Citrus Salad

KaleAndCitrusSalad

Prep Time: 15 min – Total Time: 18 min – Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch kale, destemmed and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
  • 1 ½ cups seasonal citrus segments, we used pink grapefruit, naval orange, and satsumas (reserve any citrus juice from slicing into segments)
  • 5 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced on mandoline slicer
  • ¼ red onion, thinly sliced on mandoline slicer
  • ½ cup Jeff’s Naturals Castelvetrano Olives, pitted and quartered

Dressing:

  • 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/3 cup reserved citrus juices
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Apple cider vinegar or champagne vinegar to taste, if needed

Directions

In a large salad bowl, combine all salad ingredients and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, citrus juice and Dijon.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  If needed, add a few splashes of vinegar for a little more acid.

Drizzle enough dressing over the salad and to lightly coat and toss.

Serve immediately.

New! Marinated Mexican Salad

MarinatedMexicanSalad

Prep Time: 5 min – Total Time: 1 hr. 5 min (including marination time) – Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

Directions

Stir together the first eight ingredients in a large bowl.

Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Remove chilled salad and top with lime juice, and salt and pepper.

Garnish with avocado.

New! Grilled Fennel, Orange & Kalamata Salad

Prep Time: 10 min – Total Time: 20 min – Serves: 2

GrilledFennelAndOrangeSalad

Ingredients

Dressing:

  • 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat grill to high heat.

Drizzle sliced fennel with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill on each side until nice grill marks have developed, about 5 minutes each side.

Prepare the oranges by cutting the segments out in between the membranes. To the orange juice, add the segments, kalamata olives, and parsley. Add the grilled fennel and toss.

In a small bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients together and pour over fennel salad. To serve, garnish with parmesan shavings.

New! Cherry Balsamic Dressing

CherryBalsamicDressing

Prep Time: 10 min – Total Time: 10 min – Serves: 4

Ingredients

Directions

Finely mince the Hot Cherry Peppers

In a bowl combine all of the above ingredients and whisk until well incorporated.

 

veggielovingmom

How to Build A Super Salad

Salads, Tips, , , , , , , , , ,

Screen Shot 2015-05-27 at 5.50.38 PM
If you’re like most people, chances are you could use more veggies in your diet. Eating a healthy, nutrient rich, low-cal salad is not only good for you, it can be completely satisfying if you add the right ingredients. In honor of National Salad month, we encourage you to punch it up and wake up your palette with these healthy salad tips.

Be inspired and be healthy!

Step One: More Leafy Greens Please!

Today show nutritionist Joy Bauer says to choose a base for your salad that provides important nutrients like folic acid and lutein. “Give up the iceberg for mesclun greens, baby spinach, or a spring mix that includes a variety of dark green lettuces”, she says in her post, 5 Tips for Building a Healthier Salad.

Instead of adding cheese, add sliced peperonicnis or jalapeño stuffed olives.

Step Two: Get colorful and creative with fruits, vegetables and herbs!

Pile on as many vegetables as possible. The more seasonal and local your vegetables are, the better (think Farmers Markets). Summer is the perfect time to indulge in a multitude of fresh seasonal fruits, veggies and herbs. When making your salad, go for different textures and tastes. You can also use leftovers you find in the fridge (like grilled veggies- YUM) and many pantry staples like olives, peppers, artichoke hearts, and more.

 

Step Three: Add Protein

In her post, Joy Bauer also recommends adding protein to your salad for a satisfying meal.

“If you’re opting for animal protein, select one lean source (or two if you’re extra-hungry), such as four egg whites or three ounces of skinless chicken or turkey breast, water-packed chunk light tuna, wild salmon, or lean sirloin steak. If you’re vegetarian or just want to mix it up, choose half a cup of cubed tofu or three-quarters of a cup of chickpeas, kidney beans, pinto beans, or other legumes”.

Step Four: Add some additional toppings for extra flavor!

Greek Salad
These are the items that can take your salad to the next level, but have the potential to pack in too much fat and calories if you aren’t careful. Toppings like chopped nuts, seeds, shredded cheese, croutons, dried cranberries or raisins, and salad dressings are fantastic on salads, but should be used sparingly. For less fat and more flavor in your meals, think about adding something spicy to your salad.

Here are some more salad tips to inspire you:

  • Toss Sun-Ripened Dried Tomatoes with chilled cooked pasta, sliced Kalamata Olives and Marinated Artichoke Hearts for a colorful and delicious pasta salad.
  • Toss pitted Castelvetrano Olives with mixed baby greens, orange sections, shaved fennel and a light lemon vinaigrette for a beautiful and refreshing salad.
  • For a tangy vegetarian version of a classic Caesar salad, use Capers in place of the traditional anchovies.
  • Toss Spicy Italian Olive Antipasto, along with its marinade, with romaine lettuce and tomato wedges. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and top with crumbled feta cheese for a super quick and delicious salad.
  • Toss pitted Kalamata Olives with feta cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, olive oil and red wine vinegar for a refreshing Greek salad.
  • Add diced Jalapeño Stuffed Olives to a Southwestern black bean salad.
  • Toss Sliced Pepperoncini into a mixed green salad for an extra punch of flavor.
  • Add Sliced Hot Cherry Peppers to salads for a boost of color and flavor.
  • Arrange Roasted Bell Pepper Strips on a serving plate along with sliced fresh mozzarella and julienned fresh basil. Drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

photo credit: Pear Dried Cranberries and Candied Pecan Salad via photopin (license)

Top  photo by @veggielovingmom on Instagram http://ow.ly/zZgcj