Crispy fried avocado. Yes, this is a thing. And I couldn’t be more excited!

Two of my favorite foods, right here on a bunch of lettuce leaves. I can totally let the lettuce leaves slide, if only because the big bacon slices and crunchy avocado pieces make up for it. Actually those two things make up for everything, period. What a fabulous combination.

When I came across this Crispy Avocado Bacon and Tomato Salad recipe from TK member Colleen, I immediately made it for dinner. If the title alone doesn’t sell you, perhaps the honey lime vinaigrette or spicy ranch drizzle is convincing enough? Total flavor domination. I cannot say enough good things.

Plus, we put this stuff on a SALAD. So it’s healthy, right?

Right.

Let’s see. We need: your lettuce of choice, a lime, one egg, garlic, avocados, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, panko bread crumbs, flour, ranch dressing, Sriracha (or your favorite hot sauce), honey, tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Lots of stuff for lots of flavor.

First, slice the avocado and season it with salt and pepper.

Set up a little dipping station with bowls of flour, beaten egg and a Parmesan panko mixture. Ummm yes.

Dip the avocado into the flour, then into the egg and finally into the panko, gently press to coat.

Carefully place the dipped avocado on a cutting board or baking sheet and heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet. Time to fry!

Once the oil is hot, place each avocado slice into the oil and cook until golden brown…

…then flip! I used kitchen tongs to gently flip each slice, and the breading held on very well. Once each slice is crispy and golden, remove from the skillet and let drain on a paper towel.

While that’s happening, combine the vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, lime juice and garlic in a Mason jar to make the dressing.

Shake, shake shake!

You can also throw together the Sriracha ranch at this time. You can do it beforehand if you prefer, same with the dressing. I personally think it would be wise to keep a very large vat of this ranch in the fridge at all times. Like, I’m ready to go swimming in it.

Time to assemble your salad! Arrange the greens, tomatoes, bacon and avocado on a plate.

Drizzle in the honey lime balsamic and spicy ranch. Oh mylanta. Add some cheese shavings.

I love cheese shavings.

Go to town!

Wow wow wow. This salad is turning my non-salad loving self into a giant salad lover. I am a pretty big “texture person” and the texture on this salad is incredible, not to mention the flavor. A lot going on, but all of it is fabulous.

Thank you so much to Colleen for the recipe! Be sure to check out her blog, Soufflé Bombay where she shares tons of decadent recipes.

Printable Recipe

Crispy Avocado, Bacon & Tomato Salad

by soufflebombay on January 15, 2013 in Main Dish Salads, Salads January 15, 2013 Main Dish SaladsSalads

See post on soufflebombay’s site!

5.00 Mitt(s) 4 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 3 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 2

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Crispy avocado, bacon and cheese put this salad over the top!

Ingredients

• FOR THE CRISPY AVOCADO:
• 1 whole Avocado, Semi-firm, Not Mushy
• Pinch Of Kosher Salt And Pepper
• ⅓ cups Flour
• 1 whole Egg, Beaten
• ½ cups Panko
• 2 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Olive Oil, For Frying
• FOR THE SALAD:
• Field Greens Or Spring Mix
• Tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons Shaved Parmesan Cheese
• 2 slices Cooked Bacon, Crumbled
• FOR THE HONEY-LIME DRESSING:
• 2-½ Tablespoons Honey
• 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
• 3 Tablespoons Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
• Pinch Of Salt And Pepper
• FOR THE SPICY RANCH DRIZZLE:
• ⅓ cups Ranch Dressing
• ½ teaspoons Or More Of Chili With Garlic Sauce (or You Can Use Tabasco Or Sriracha)

Preparation Instructions

For the crispy avocado:
Halve your avocado and run a sharp knife gently around the perimeter of each half to loosen the meat from the skin. Gently remove the skin and the seed. Slice each half into wedges. You should be able to get 8-10 wedges from the avocado, depending on its size. Don’t slice them too thin; you want them to hold up to the breading and frying. Sprinkle the wedges with a bit of kosher salt and pepper.

Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Place the egg (beaten) in another bowl and the panko and Parmesan cheese in another bowl. Dredge each piece in the flour, gently shake off any excess flour. Dip into the egg mixture, then finally into the panko mixture, coating all sides well. Set aside.

Heat your oil in a frying pan. Place just enough olive oil in your pan to just cover the bottom of the pan. Heat over medium high heat until oil becomes hot enough to fry. It usually begins to make a sound once it’s close. Gently set your avocado pieces in the oil. Fry on all sides until browned, a total of about 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. Gently remove from the pan, set on a paper towel-lined plate.

For the salad:
Assemble your salad(s) with the greens, tomatoes, shaved Parmesan cheese, and crumbled bacon. Top with crispy avocado.

For the honey-lime dressing:
Combine honey, vinegar, garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper in a Mason jar or shaker; shake until fully combined. Adjust to your liking (sweeter or add more vinegar—I went for a sweet flavor). Drizzle over salad.

For the drizzle:
Combine the ranch dressing and chili with garlic sauce (or Sriracha or Tabasco) in a small bowl and mix until fully incorporated. Adjust to your taste. Drizzle over salad.

Enjoy!

 
 
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Jessica Merchant is a personal trainer turned food writer and blogger. Her blog, How Sweet Eats, is where she proclaims her love for all things sweet, all things bacon, and everything else in between. She works her magic in her Pittsburgh kitchen, which she shares with her husband of 2 years.

Now I know I’m the “meat girl,” but I do actually enjoy the versatility that tofu offers as an ingredient. Tofu will absorb any flavor you add to it, so an ingredient that most people may think is bland can actually be made to pack a powerful flavor punch when cooked right. One of my favorite go-to recipes is a taco. I love how easy it is to customize a taco recipe to include everything you love and nothing more. So, it only made sense to try out these Crispy Tofu Tacos from Tk member Lindsay. The flavors of this taco are light and fresh, all while coming together to create the most delicious bite.

To make these you will need: firm tofu, olive oil, salt, cumin, chili pepper, cayenne, lime zest, softened goat cheese, half and half, corn tortillas, and cabbage, lime and other favorite garnishes.

To start, add your olive oil into cold pan.

Add sliced and drained tofu into the pan and turn the pan to a medium heat. (Tip: Just like meat, make sure you pat your tofu dry with a paper towel so it will crisp up better!)

When the tofu starts to sizzle and slightly change color, add the cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper.

Mix the ingredients together while breaking up the tofu into smaller pieces. Let it sit on the stove and stir occasionally until the tofu is browned and crispy on all sides.

In a separate bowl, mix together the lime zest …

… goat cheese, half-and-half, and salt. You can use a food processor/blender or just a whisk.

Mix all of the ingredients together until smooth, adding a little more half-and-half if the sauce needs to be thinned out.

It’s the perfect sauce for these tacos.

Add some fresh greens for some extra texture and your favorite taco toppings, and voila! You’ve got a quick and delicious taco that anyone will love.

Check out more delicious recipes just like this one at Lindsay’s blog, FunnyLove!

Printable Recipe

Crispy Tofu Tacos with Goat Cheese Lime Cream

by Lindsay @ My Therapist Cooks on March 24, 2014 in Special Dietary Needs, Vegetarian March 24, 2014 Special Dietary NeedsVegetarian

See post on Lindsay @ My Therapist Cooks’s site!

0.00 Mitt(s) 0 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 2

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Vegetarian! Healthy! Delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 block Firm Tofu, 14-16 Ounce Block (Drained And Sliced Into Thick Slices)
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• ½ teaspoons Each Seasoned Salt, Cumin, And Chili Powder
• ½ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
• 1 whole Lime, Zested
• 2 ounces, weight Softened Goat Cheese
• 2 Tablespoons Half And Half, Plus A Bit More If Needed
• 1 pinch Salt
• Flour Or Corn Tortillas, For Serving
• Shredded Cabbage, Lime Wedges, Cilantro, Or Any Other Taco Toppings You Like

Preparation Instructions

Add the slices of drained tofu into a cold pan with the olive oil. Turn the pan to medium heat, and break up the tofu a bit with a spatula. When the tofu starts to sizzle, sprinkle the cumin, chili powder, seasoned salt, and cayenne pepper over the tofu. Continue to break it into little bits, stirring every few minutes, until the tofu is browned and crispy on all sides.

Meanwhile, combine the lime zest, goat cheese, half-and-half, and salt in a small food processor or blender. Pulse to combine, adding a splash more of the half-and-half if needed to form a smooth sauce.

Assemble the tofu and any desired toppings in taco shells, then drizzle with the goat cheese cream. Eat!

 
 
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There’s so much to say about Georgia, we don’t know where to start. Leaving Wall Street for the French Culinary Institute, followed by a stint at the Gramercy Tavern and La Chassagnette in France, her passion for food and food traditions are evident and inspiring. Visit her site at Georgia Pellegrini, where you’ll find more recipes, photos, learn all about her wonderful books (including her latest one, Modern Pioneering, and enjoy her latest adventures.

 
Summer is synonymous with potlucks, picnics, and BBQs. Starting with Memorial Day and ending with Labor Day, and of course not forgetting Independence Day and regular backyard get-togethers, it seems like there’s something going on every week! Where I live, summer is a short and sweet affair so we have to make the most of it.

I know a lot of people who have a signature dish they make for summer parties. We usually ask everyone to choose a course and bring a dish to pass instead of planning the entire menu, but based on who is coming, we know exactly what we’ll be having for dinner. If my mom is coming, she’s bringing a side dish and it’s one of two things: her homemade taco salad or her homemade baked beans. I have a friend who is known for her killer chocolate chip cookies, and another friend who makes what I think is the best fruit salad in the world (I need to get her recipe—I have no idea why hers is so much better!).

I don’t really have a signature summer party dish. If there’s a type of dish that hasn’t been claimed, such as a side, meat, or dessert, I’ll just bring that. But then I saw Tasty Kitchen member Andrea’s recipe for this irresistible-looking Crunchy Asian Slaw, and this salad makes me want to claim it as my signature for future summer picnics! It’s fresh with bold flavors and a great nutty crunch factor. It’s the perfect summer party food.

Give it a try!

Whip up the dressing first. You’ll need garlic, Fresno peppers, ginger, tamari or soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, lime (my last one), olive oil, and salt and pepper.

I couldn’t find Fresno peppers so instead I used 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes in place of each Fresno pepper (or you could use a jalapeño pepper for each Fresno pepper). Also, for the life of me I couldn’t find fresh ginger (which I usually never have trouble finding!), so I used 1 teaspoon fresh ginger in the squeeze tube. And I used Liquid Aminos instead of tamari or soy sauce because that’s what I had on hand. That’s the beauty of cooking (as opposed to baking)—recipes are usually quite forgiving!

Mince the garlic or grate it on a microplane.

Whisk together all the dressing ingredients except the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then gradually stream in the olive oil as you whisk.

I’m normally a one-woman show, but I was lucky enough to make this on a day when my husband was home, so he is my hand model.

Once it’s whisked up, give the dressing a taste and add salt and pepper if desired.

Here’s how the dressing looks finished. Set it aside for now and move on to the veggies.

For the slaw you’ll need: Napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrot (I used 2 small-medium carrots instead of 1 large), red pepper, green onion, butter, crushed ramen noodles, sesame seeds, slivered almonds, and lime (I was out of lime, so I grabbed a lemon instead).

A quick tip: I’ve found that the easiest way to crush ramen noodles is while they’re still in the package. You can do it with your hand or using a heavy object (like a rolling pin) but don’t be too rough or the package will explode open!

Thinly slice the Napa cabbage …

And the purple cabbage (note that there is more cabbage pictured than what you need in this salad; I was also chopping it for something else).

Shred the carrot.

Chop the red pepper.

Slice the scallion.

Add the cabbages, carrot, red pepper, and 3 of the scallions into a large bowl. Now it’s time to toast the ramen and up the crunch factor even more.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.

Add the crushed ramen, slivered almonds, and sesame seeds and cook until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. It will smell amazingly nutty and delicious. Let this mixture cool for a few minutes.

Add the dressing and ramen mixture to the bowl of veggies.

Give it a good toss. Sprinkle the remaining 2 sliced scallions on top along with additional sesame seeds if you want.

Then serve up this gorgeous slaw! Instead of squeezing the extra lime on top and tossing it together, I like to serve the slaw with lime wedges on the side so people can add more if they want.

It goes well with just about anything you can whip up on the grill: BBQ chicken, burgers, steak, or even seafood. Signature dish, anyone?

A big thank you to Andrea for sharing her delicious recipe on Tasty Kitchen! Be sure to check out her beautiful blog Recipes for Divine Living for more inspiration.

Printable Recipe

Crunchy Asian Slaw

by Andrea on September 12, 2012 in Salads September 12, 2012 Salads

See post on Andrea’s site!

0.00 Mitt(s) 0 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 5 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 4

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This salad is fast and easy to make and has great crunch. Awesome dressing!

Ingredients

• FOR THE SALAD:
• 3 cups Napa Cabbage, Thinly Sliced
• 2 cups Green Or Purple Cabbage, Thinly Sliced
• 1  Large Carrot, Shredded
• ½  Red Pepper, Chopped
• 5  Green Onions, Chopped (use 2 Of Them For Garnish)
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 package Ramen Noodles, Noodles Only, 3 Ounce Package
• 1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds + More For Garnish
• ½ cups Slivered Almonds
• 1 whole Lime, Juiced
• FOR THE DRESSING:
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
• 2  Fresno Peppers, Seeded And Minced
• 1 teaspoon Ginger, Freshly Microplane Grated
• 1 Tablespoon Tamari (regular Soy Sauce Will Work)
• 1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar, Preferably Seasoned
• 1 Tablespoon Honey
• 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
• 1 whole Lime, Juiced
• ¼ cups Olive Oil
• 1 pinch Salt And Pepper, If Needed

Preparation Instructions

Prepare dressing by combining all of the listed ingredients (except olive oil and salt/pepper) in a medium-sized bowl. While whisking everything together, slowly stream in oil as you continue whisking. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine cabbages, carrot, red pepper and 3 of the chopped green onions. Set aside.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Crunch up the ramen noodles and add them into the melted butter. Add sesame seeds and slivered almonds as well and brown everything, stirring often. Once it’s nicely browned, remove the skillet from the heat.

Add the noodle mixture to the cabbage mixture along with dressing. Toss to combine. Juice the lime over the top of the salad. Add remaining 2 green onions and more sesame seeds, if desired. Toss to combine, then serve.

 
 
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Faith Gorsky is the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind the blog An Edible Mosaic. She lives in Upstate New York and loves to travel, especially to places steeped in rich culture and history. She also enjoys reading, vintage shopping, watching movies, and is enamored with ancient cultures. She just released her first cookbook, “An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair” (Tuttle Publishing), a collection of authentic Middle Eastern recipes handed down to her from her husband’s family.

 
This salad is many things. It’s colorful, it’s healthy and it has one of my favorite ingredients: quinoa. For me, quinoa is a lot like brown rice in taste and texture, so it works splendidly in this salad and especially with soaking up all those amazing Thai flavors.

When Monique posted this recipe for Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing on Tasty Kitchen, I found myself drooling all over my keyboard. With that said, I knew right away I was going to make it and it was going to be all kinds of amazing. A salad that can be served as wholesome vegetarian main dish or as a side to jazz up any main course is more than alright in my book. So if you’re like me and always on a hunt for a good quinoa recipe, you better stop and try this recipe. I promise you’ll be glad you did.

I just love when a recipe contains a rainbow of vegetables. It truly makes for a colorful and enticing salad, no? This salad is loaded with red bell peppers, purple cabbage, carrots and green onions just to name a few, and the ginger peanut dressing is as amazing as it sounds.

To make the quinoa, start by bringing 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a sauce pan.

While you’re waiting for that to happen, rinse and drain 3/4 cup of uncooked quinoa.

Add the rinsed quinoa to the boiling water, cover and reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed every last drop of water.

While the quinoa is cooking away on the stove, it’s a great idea to get started on the dressing. Start by combining 1/4 cup of peanut butter with a tablespoon of honey. Pop it into the microwave for about 20 seconds to warm it slightly so it’s easier to stir.

Measure and add in the 3 tablespoons of soy (I used gluten-free tamari), 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar and a teaspoon of sesame oil.

Grate in 2 teaspoons of peeled fresh ginger root into the bowl with the peanut butter and honey.

Lastly, add in a teaspoon of olive oil.

Give it a good stir to incorporate all those flavorful ingredients and set it off to the side for a quick second.

Once the quinoa is cooked, fluff with a fork and transfer it to a large bowl.

Pour in the ginger peanut dressing.

Add in the chopped red bell pepper, red onion, purple cabbage and cilantro.

Toss all those together until coated with dressing.

Simply garnish with a few cashew halves (peanuts work too!), then scatter a few green onions over top and a squeeze or two of fresh lime.

This salad is fresh, light and has so much textural deliciousness. I could really just live on this salad alone and be quite alright with it. I loved it, and I know you’ll love it—it’s a total win-win situation!

There’s more where this came from, so please be sure to check out Monique’s recipe box here on Tasty Kitchen—and visit Monique’s blog Ambitious Kitchen, where she cooks and bakes up just about anything your heart (and stomach) could ever want, like whole wheat coconut banana waffles with chocolate chips and roasted almonds. And she captures all of it with beautiful photography. 

Thank you Monique for sharing this healthy and flavor-packed salad!

Printable Recipe

Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing

by Monique of Ambitious Kitchen on April 14, 2013 in Special Dietary Needs, Vegetarian April 14, 2013 Special Dietary NeedsVegetarian

See post on Monique of Ambitious Kitchen’s site!

4.96 Mitt(s) 23 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6

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Delicious vegan (and easily made gluten free) salad with Thai flavors and a perfect crunch. It’s even better the next day!

Ingredients

• FOR THE SALAD:
• 1-½ cup Water
• ¾ cups Uncooked Quinoa
• 1  Red Bell Pepper, Stem And Seeds Removed, Then Diced
• ½  Red Onion, Diced
• 1 cup Shredded Red Cabbage
• 1 cup Shredded Carrots
• ½ cups Chopped Cilantro
• ½ cups Cashew Halves Or Peanuts, (honey Roasted Is Good)
• ¼ cups Diced Green Onions
• Fresh Lime, For A Bit Of Tang
• FOR THE DRESSING:
• ¼ cups All Natural Peanut Butter
• 1 Tablespoon Honey (use Agave If Vegan)
• 2 teaspoons Freshly Grated Ginger
• 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce, Gluten-free If Desired
• 1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
• 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
• Water To Thin, If Necessary

Preparation Instructions

To cook quinoa: Rinse quinoa with cold water in a mesh strainer. In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add in quinoa and bring mixture to a boil. Cover the pan, reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed all of the water.

Remove pan from heat and fluff quinoa with fork. Place in a large bowl and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes. You should have a little over 2 cups of quinoa.

To make dressing: Add peanut butter and honey or agave into a medium-sized microwave safe bowl. Heat in the microwave for 20 seconds. Add in ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, and both sesame and olive oil and stir until mixture is smooth and creamy. If you want a thinner dressing, simply stir in a teaspoon or two of water or olive oil.

Add as much or as little dressing as you’d like to the quinoa. I always start out with a little bit of dressing and usually add more to suit my taste preferences. Alternatively you can save the dressing for later and add when you are ready to eat; however the flavors of the dressing usually soak into the salad so I love adding it to the quinoa first.

Next fold the red pepper, onion, cabbage, carrots, and cilantro into the quinoa. Garnish with cashews and green onions. Serve chilled or at room temperature with lime wedges if desired.

 
 
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Laurie is the force behind Simply Scratch, a blog that documents her efforts to find and create recipes that are made simply from scratch. (We think it’s sweet that her mother-in-law helped her set up her blog and get started.) We love her recipes; they’re not just tried and true, but they look gorgeous as well. Check out her blog and you’ll become a fan too.

The beautiful thing about a quiche is that you can throw many ingredients into one dish and all of the flavors complement one another.

  I love a good Greek salad. It is one of my favorite salads to make and to order when we dine out. When I saw Lotta Maddness’s recipe for Cucumber Feta Rolls on Tasty Kitchen, I immediately thought: Genius! Why didn’t I think of that! The rolls have all of the fabulous flavors of a Greek salad, but […]

  If I ask my (almost) 5-year-old what cooking show she wants to watch with Mom, she always says, “Pioneer Woman!” She adores Ree’s show! After one recent episode where Ree made soup in bread bowls, my little girl was obsessed with the idea of eating her bowl when she finished her soup. (It IS […]