This recipe and post were created in partnership with Shuman Farms’ Real Sweet Vidalia Onions.

This Three Bean and Vidalia Onion Salad has to be one of my favorite salads to make when we are barbecuing over the summer.  It’s a classic salad that you probably have seen more than once on a salad bar – but homemade is so much better! Wow, can you taste the freshness. I love to add sweet Vidalia onions for extra flavor, especially when they are in season mid-April to early August.

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Is it me or are we kind of in a weird in between place with produce seasons? Maybe it’s my grocery store, but I haven’t been overly excited about what I’ve been seeing lately (I think this is a cue to take my own advice and get myself to my favorite produce market).

One thing I know for sure…we are headed into citrus season and I couldn’t be more happy about it. I walked into my son’s preschool class and his teacher had just peeled a grapefruit and the smell was intoxicating. Citrus makes me happy!

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Vinaigrettes are my absolute favorite way to dress a salad. I believe my love of vinaigrettes come from my parents and grandparents because growing up, there were no bottles of ranch or blue cheese on our dinner table, there was oil and vinegar.

Fast forward a few years to my parents’ second restaurant and that is where I learned how to make a proper vinaigrette (aka house dressing).

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I have never been one to only eat salads in the warm weather months. Maybe that’s because I live in Florida and we have warm weather almost all year long?

I’d like to believe that I would enjoy a salad here and there in the cold winters that some of you experience in the North (and/or West I guess I should say). For me, building a salad comes from whatever is in season, looks good in the produce section or whatever you are craving really. I can never say no to a crisp bowl of crunchy salad veggies with a good homemade dressing or vinaigrette.

Now, though I can eat salad any day of the year, I don’t necessarily always want to make a salad for myself. That’s another story. Lately I have been in a salad rut, but was inspired to create this one with the newly arrived fruits of the season that I’ve been seeing lots of – apples and pears. What goes perfectly with a salad chock full of apples and pears? Why, pecans of course.

I have a hard time choosing a favorite when it comes to nuts, but I will say that pecans are definitely up there on the list. Especially when it comes to fall inspired dishes, like this salad. I created a simple pecan vinaigrette using Fisher Nut Pecan Halves and it is absolutely delicious, as you can imagine a nutty vinaigrette to be. Toasting up the pecans and adding them to the vinaigrette base while still warm infuses a little extra flavor into the mixture – so good! It was a perfect dressing for this simple seasonal salad, but honestly I can’t wait to drizzle it over other fall roasted veggies like butternut squash and Brussels sprouts.

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I spent some time with my family this weekend, and as per usual, my grandpa sent me home with some home grown goodies. During the winter his trees are bursting with tons of citrus like tangerines, grapefruits and lemons  and my car gets loaded up with plenty of gorgeous fruit, but this time around I came home with a huge bag of Swiss chard. He must have known I’ve been craving greens lately. This Kale and Chard Green Power Salad with Maple Vinaigrette definitely satisfied that craving.

I’ve been craving greens in the worst way. I am pretty sure I felt the same way this time last year, because I remember making and eating a super salad like this one every day for lunch for almost a month. I have to say, I’ve never tried Swiss chard raw in a salad before, at least not that I remember. I usually eat it sauteed in olive oil with lots of garlic, in soup or in tomato sauce over pasta. Swiss chard is one of my favorite greens, and I have a hard time resisting picking it up every time I pass by it at the produce market. As excited as I am to have so much Swiss chard in my possession (only half is shown in the picture above), I’m slightly concerned I may run out of ideas of how to cook it up in the next week.

Have you tried Swiss chard? What’s your favorite way to cook it up?

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I definitely inherited the “no waste” mentality from my grandmother. She will find a way to use up every last drop of whatever you are about to throw away (for example…hand washing soap dispensers, I am constantly adding water to them and shaking them up to get those last few pumps before they get tossed – does anyone else do this?). She has always recycled everything – way before it was the “environmentally friendly” (and cool) thing to do…I don’t think she realizes how forward thinking she really is.

There was even a time when a few pairs of shoulder pads from some of my shirts from way-back-in-the-day (ugh) appeared as sewn together pot holders in our kitchen. True story.

I draw the line there.

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I’m pretty excited about today’s post and giveaway, it’s my biggest giveaway I’ve had here on the blog and it’s for a product I love and have been using for a long time. I’m asked often about what kind of nonstick skillets I use and over the years, I can tell you, I’ve gone through quite a few and have stuck with Calphalon for as long as I can remember now.

I think it’s safe to say that my family uses our nonstick skillets almost daily. My husband is always cooking up eggs for us for breakfast, and I like to use them for frittatas, fish and quick vegetable sautes. Since I’m usually trying to keep the amount of oil and butter I use to a minimum, a good nonstick skillet is something I really depend on in my cooking.

(this is the Calphalon Unison Nonstick 10″ Omelet Pan – with only 1/2 a teaspoon of coconut oil that I used for this recipe)

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The post Spicy Fish Wraps and $500 Calphalon Gift Card Giveaway – {Giveaway Closed} appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Have you recovered from your post-Halloween hangover yet? Honestly, I can only handle so much candy. I don’t normally have a sweet tooth, but once I open the door to having “just one piece” I pretty much lose all my self control. It gets ugly people. Ugly.

Something needed to be done.

Here’s where this lovely, healthy quinoa salad comes in. I forced myself to make a batch of quinoa yesterday morning and using what I had in the fridge and pantry turned one of my favorite pasta salads into a quinoa salad. I skipped the cheese and made the dressing more simply and snacked on this salad pretty much all throughout the day. I have just enough leftover for my lunch today and that makes me a happy girl.

And let me tell you, I’m feeling a whole lot better than I was yesterday morning. And the candy is hidden and locked up. (Don’t worry, I’m not too much of a party pooper…my kids are enjoying their daily ration, for now) 🙂

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I don’t know about you but when I start to crave salad I get kind of obsessed about it. I like my salads heavy on the veggies, fruits and nuts and light on the “other” stuff. I’m a bit of a salad purist I guess you can say, sometimes simple is just best in my opinion.

We ended up at Panera and enjoyed our lunch outside by their fountain.  You really can’t beat Panera’s salads as far as freshness and quality go. You already know how I feel about their bread and sandwiches, but just so you know, their salads are pretty much at the top of the list too, especially when I’m looking for something healthy when I’m eating or taking out.

I ordered the Fuji Apple Chicken Salad and my little one had herself a sandwich with yogurt. This was my first time ordering this salad at Panera and ohmygoodness it was so good. I loved everything about it..but especially the apple chips and vinaigrette. Everything was very fresh and tasted great. I’m not a big chicken eater but I did taste it for fun and gave the rest to my little girl who gobbled it up in minutes. I think the chicken might have been her favorite part of her lunch, she kept asking for more (and actually still is, lol). I was pretty happy to read on the menu that the chicken used at Panera is all natural and antibiotic free. That’s always a good thing.

I found it pretty interesting to learn more about the chefs and what goes into creating the recipes at Panera. These guys really care about how their food tastes and it shows.  You can find a couple of quick videos for you to watch featuring Panera’s Head Baker Tom and Head Chef Dan and their inspiration and passion for food. Hey Dan, Can I come work for you? Thanks. (Nothing personal Tom, but I’m just not a great baker. Unless you want to teach me…now that’s an idea!)

Tom and Dan Introduction

At the Farmer’s Market

“Our menu wasn’t developed in a test kitchen. It was inspired by the food.” (<<<< I love this!!)

If you are a Panera lover like I am visit them on Twitter: @panerabread and Facebook!

(Disclaimer:  Panera Bread provided me with compensation for writing this post. My opinions, however, are always my own.)

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So since our weather here in Florida has definitely warmed up, my salad cravings have just gotten a little more intense. I loved this Fuji Apple Chicken salad so much that I decided I needed to make my own version of it at home.  The salad base was simple…greens, sliced apples, cheddar cheese, red onion, grape tomatoes and toasted pecans. Make it your own by adding leftover grilled chicken, sliced hard boiled egg or maybe use spinach for the greens. The vinaigrette was bright and slightly sweet with the addition of apple juice, though you can always add a little honey if you like it sweeter.

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Apple, Nut & Cheese Salad with Apple Vinaigrette

• Author: Aggie's Kitchen
• Category: Salad

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Ingredients

For the Salad

• Greens (mixed greens, romaine, spinach)
• Sliced Apples (fuji or granny smith)
• Cheese (cubed cheddar or crumbled gorgonzola)
• Nuts (toasted pecans, almonds or walnuts)
• sliced red onion and tomatoes

For the Vinaigrette

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons apple juice
• 1 teaspoon minced shallot (or sweet onion)
• 1 teaspoon minced apple
• salt and pepper

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Instructions

1. Combine ingredients in jar or container and shake well. Adjust to taste (I don’t like a lot of oil in my dressings, you may want to add more to your liking).

If you’re still craving salad after this, check out these great salad creations:

Cucumber Feta Salad – Two Peas and their Pod
Grilled Romaine with Blue Cheese Dressing – Mom’s Cooking Club
Chopped Broccoli Salad with Tahini Soy Dressing – Family Fresh Cooking
Blackened Fish Taco Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette – Aggie’s Kitchen
Spinach Couscous Salad – Aggie’s Kitchen

Follow Aggie’s Kitchen’s board Salads on Pinterest.

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I love a good fresh, crunchy cole slaw.  I know some people turn their nose up at slaw, but I think if it’s made right, with fresh veggies and just the right dressing, then it is totally delicious.  I took a short cut with this slaw by starting out with a bag of Fresh Express 3 Color Deli Cole Slaw mix, which always looks the best to me. You could always go all out and shred your own cabbage, but if you are in a pinch for time and looking for something easier then a bag of this will definitely work. I added in some extras to make it a little more special…shredded carrots, red bell pepper, grilled corn, green onions and cilantro.

Don’t you just love all the color?

Southwestern Slaw

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of shredded slaw mix
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced very thin and cut in smaller pieces
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2-3 ears grilled corn (kernels sliced off) or 1/2 cup frozen corn (cooked)
• handful of chopped cilantro
• 1 cup chipotle or spicy ranch (I used Marie's Chipotle Ranch)
• 2 tablespoons mayo (I used reduced fat)
• a few splashes apple cider vinegar
• fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. In large bowl combine ranch dressing, mayo, vinegar and black pepper. Taste for seasoning. Add vegetables (minus cilantro) and toss until fully dressed. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until chilled. Toss in cilantro right before serving.

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You may have noticed it looks a little different around here.  Aggie’s Kitchen got a little makeover recently,  thanks to Cory of Zesty Blog Consulting and Zesty Cook. I can’t tell you how excited I am about my new space…I have lots of ideas bubbling in my head and will hopefully get it together to finally share them with you. I hope you find the site easier to navigate and to find what you are looking for. I’m still in the process of updating the recipe index so bear with me there…I didn’t realize how much cooking I have done over the last almost 3 years!

A couple of things that I really love:

The “Print Friendly” button at the end of each post should make it easy to print what you need for each recipe. What’s cool about this little tool is you can include as much or as little from the entire post…for example, you want to print the recipe, not the pictures, but part of the post where I may have talked about how I made the recipe and/or what products I might have used. Play around with it and you’ll see what I mean…

“Aggie’s Kitchen Amazon Store” has existed for quite some time but I had never dedicated an entire page to it. Here I will feature what cookbooks I own or want, what tools I love to use or wish I had and anything else related to my kitchen that I think you should know about. If you shop through my store I do receive a little piece of commission, and I assure you, any money I make goes straight to my refrigerator and pantry, so I appreciate your support.  🙂

Stay connected to me outside of the blog through the “Social Media buttons”. I’m a bit of a social media addict, it makes the world such a smaller place and I think that is just so cool. I love to use Facebook and Twitter to release my pent up chatter, especially when it comes to food. I’m constantly taking pictures of what I’m cooking, what I’m growing, where I’m eating and of course, my kids. I love it when I hear from a reader through social media, I have received many questions and requests for menu planning…so please, if you need to talk food, talk to me!!

Working with Zesty was a great experience. He is easy to work with, obviously talented and understands the blogging world very well. He’s also a great cook so have fun checking out his blog if you haven’t already!  Thanks so much for all of your work Cory!

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