Category: Simple

Simple Radish Salad

This radish salad is a deliciously fresh way to use this crisp veggie! Mix it with cucumber, chickpeas and a…

A Couple Cooks – Recipes worth repeating.

This radish salad is a deliciously fresh way to use this crisp veggie! Mix it with cucumber, chickpeas and a quick dressing.

Radish Salad

Got a bunch of radishes? Try this Fresh Radish Salad! It’s a great way to use this crisp, peppery veggie for lunches and as an easy side dish. Throw together the radishes with crunchy cucumber, chickpeas, olive oil and vinegar it makes a delightfully zingy mix. This vegetable can be rather spicy in large quantities, but this salad has just the right proportions to highlight its refreshing flavor. This recipe perfect in spring when radishes abound, but it works any time of the year!

Looking for a green salad with radishes? Go to Radish Gorgonzola Salad.

Ingredients in this radish salad

This cucumber radish salad is simple and straightforward, pairing this peppery vegetable with a few crunchy veggies. The chickpeas add protein to make the salad more filling, adding a contrasting softer texture. We’re radish fans over here, and this salad is just the right way to highlight them. Here’s what you’ll need for this salad:

  • Canned chickpeas
  • Radishes
  • Red bell pepper
  • English cucumber
  • Olive oil
  • Red wine vinegar
  • Dried dill
  • Fresh herbs, like fresh parsley, chives, dill, basil, mint, or oregano
  • Salt and pepper

All you have to do? Chop the veggies and mix them with the oil, vinegar and seasonings. It’s a fresh, filling salad that works for lunches or for entertaining. Speaking of, here are some notes on the olive oil and vinegar quantities based on how you’re planning to use the salad.

Radish salad

Olive oil & vinegar quantities

You can flex the olive oil and vinegar quantities in this radish salad based on how you’re planning to use it. Here’s what to note:

  • Use less oil and vinegar if eating right away. Make it to eat for lunch right away, and you can get away with ½ tablespoon oil and vinegar. It tastes great right when you mix it up.
  • Use more if storing it refrigerated or making for a party. Use 1 tablespoon each oil and vinegar and it makes more of a marinated salad texture. This is best here because it can dry out in the fridge or as it sits.

Make a double batch for a party

This radish salad makes enough for 4 side dish servings, great for spring or summer meals on the patio. But want to make a large batch for a party, pitch-in, or picnic? Make a double batch! You’ll want to use the larger quantity of oil and vinegar for the party size, which will be 2 tablespoons each oil and vinegar. Click the 2x button in the recipe below.

Mix-ins and variations

Want to add flair to this radish salad? Here are a few ways to vary it up:

Radish salad

Ways to serve radish salad

This radish salad is ultra versatile: it works for lunches, as a side dish, or for picnics or potlucks. Here are some ideas:

More radish recipes

Love spicy radishes? Here are a few more top radish recipes we love:

This cucumber radish salad recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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Radish Salad

Simple Radish Salad

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 small or 2 large
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Description

This radish salad is a deliciously fresh way to use this crisp veggie! Mix it with cucumber, chickpeas and a quick dressing.

Ingredients

  • 15-ounce can chickpeas (or 1 ½ cups cooked)
  • 8 small or 5 large radishes, sliced (¼ cup)
  • ¼ cup red bell pepper, diced
  • ¼ cup English cucumber, diced
  • ½ tablespoon olive oil*
  • ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon dried dill
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (like fresh parsley, chives, dill, basil, mint, or oregano), optional
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • Optional add-in: feta cheese crumbles

Instructions

  1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
  2. Slice the radishes. Dice the bell pepper. Dice the cucumber (peel it if you’re using a standard cucumber, but English cucumber doesn’t need to be peeled).
  3. In a bowl, mix together the chickpeas, radishes, bell pepper and cucumber with the olive oil, red wine vinegar, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, dried dill, and chopped herbs. (If making to refrigerate or for a party where it will sit out, you can use up to 1 tablespoon each vinegar and olive oil.) Taste and add additional salt as desired. Stores refrigerated up to 3 days; you may want to add a pinch or two more salt after refrigeration to refresh the flavors.

Notes

*If making for a party, make a double recipe (use the 2x button).

  • Category: Side dish
  • Method: No cook
  • Cuisine: Salad
  • Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Radish salad, radish salad recipe

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Goat Cheese Salad with Arugula & Apple

This arugula goat cheese salad is simple but a symphony of flavor! Apples, pecans and balsamic dressing make perfection on a plate. I don’t know about you, but we’re always in search of the perfect back pocket salad. You know, the one that’s easy enough to whip up on moments notice? The one that takes little effort but delivers massive flavor? Here’s one that’s on our new favorite back pocket concept: the Goat Cheese Salad with Arugula and Apples! It’s simple and comes together quickly, but my does it deliver on flavor! The crunch of the apples, creamy goat cheese, and fluffy arugula are the ideal pair for the tangy sweet dressing. We couldn’t stop eating this one! It’s a riff on some of our other salads, but it might be the best of the lot. Ingredients in this arugula goat cheese salad Goat cheese is one of our favorite ingredients for a salad, because it adds a creamy richness to every bite! Here are the elements that come together to make this salad a symphony of flavor: Goat cheese: Soft goat cheese or chevre is best here, though you can use the pre-packaged crumbles as well Baby arugula: Make […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

This arugula goat cheese salad is simple but a symphony of flavor! Apples, pecans and balsamic dressing make perfection on a plate.

Goat Cheese Salad

I don’t know about you, but we’re always in search of the perfect back pocket salad. You know, the one that’s easy enough to whip up on moments notice? The one that takes little effort but delivers massive flavor? Here’s one that’s on our new favorite back pocket concept: the Goat Cheese Salad with Arugula and Apples! It’s simple and comes together quickly, but my does it deliver on flavor! The crunch of the apples, creamy goat cheese, and fluffy arugula are the ideal pair for the tangy sweet dressing. We couldn’t stop eating this one! It’s a riff on some of our other salads, but it might be the best of the lot.

Ingredients in this arugula goat cheese salad

Goat cheese is one of our favorite ingredients for a salad, because it adds a creamy richness to every bite! Here are the elements that come together to make this salad a symphony of flavor:

  • Goat cheese: Soft goat cheese or chevre is best here, though you can use the pre-packaged crumbles as well
  • Baby arugula: Make sure to get baby arugula; standard arugula is much too spicy
  • Apple: A crisp red apple is best, though you can use a Granny Smith as well
  • Shallot: A shallot is a milder version of a red onion, and completes the flavor
  • Pecans: Substitute in any nut you’d like, or see below on how to step up the flavor
  • Balsamic dressing: This creamy balsamic dressing is our go-to, but you can use others too (see below)
Arugula goat cheese salad

Best salad dressing, and a few alternatives

Our favorite vinaigrette for this goat cheese salad is our Creamy Balsamic Dressing. It’s got just the right sweet tart flavor and creamy, emulsified texture. All you need is balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, and olive oil: and it comes together in a breeze! Memorize it and you’ll have a dressing for all of your future salads; it’s our best loved salad dressings in this house!

But looking to mix it up? There are a few other vinaigrettes we love that pair with a goat cheese salad. Here’s what we’d recommend:

Step up the pecans: toast them or glaze them!

Want to make this salad really pop? When we’re making this goat cheese salad with arugula on a weeknight, we use plain nuts. But for entertaining, there are two ways to really make this salad sparkle:

  • Toast the nuts. A quick toast in the oven or in a skillet makes a huge difference: it really brings out the nutty flavor. Try Toasted Pecans, Toasted Walnuts or Toasted Almonds.
  • Glaze the nuts. Even better: make Glazed Pecans! Throw them in a pan with maple syrup and caramelize them: when they dry, they’ll be sweet and crunchy on the outside. Also try Glazed Walnuts.
Balsamic dressing

Variations on this goat cheese salad

There are infinite variations on this goat cheese salad with arugula: just swap in different fruits, veggies, or nuts to make variations of all kinds! Here are a few options:

  • Use different nuts, like walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts or pistachios
  • Make a pear goat cheese salad with sliced pears
  • Make a beet goat cheese salad with roasted beets (it’s easiest with pre-cooked packaged beets from the store, or roast your own)
  • Use berries instead, like blueberries, blackberries, or strawberries
  • Swap fruit for veggies, like carrots (raw or roasted) or roasted sweet potatoes
  • Use different leafy greens, like baby mixed greens, spinach, or shaved Brussels sprouts

You readers always have the best ideas! So let us know the ways you’ve customized this salad.

Goat Cheese Salad

Goat cheese vs cows cheese

Did you know goat cheese is slightly healthier than a standard cow’s cheese, like Parmesan or mozzarella? Here’s a little breakdown on how it compares (source: Prevention):

  • More vitamins and minerals than cow’s cheese. Goat’s milk is richer in essential nutrients than cow’s milk. It has more vitamin A & B, calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium.
  • Slightly less calories than cow’s cheese. Goat cheese has just 75 calories per ounce—less than cow cheeses like mozzarella (85 calories), Swiss (108 calories), and cheddar (115 calories).
  • May be easier to digest. Goat cheese has less lactose than cow’s milk and a slightly different protein structure, so people who are lactose intolerant many times can digest goat cheese.

This goat cheese salad with arugula recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free.

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Arugula Goat Cheese Salad

Goat Cheese Salad with Arugula & Apple

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Diet: Vegetarian
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Description

This arugula goat cheese salad is simple but a symphony of flavor! Apples, pecans and balsamic dressing make perfection on a plate.

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe Balsamic Dressing (or Citrus Salad Dressing or Dijon Dressing)
  • 1 crisp apple
  • 1 shallot
  • 5 ounces (8 cups) baby arugula (not standard arugula*)
  • 1/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped (toasted or glazed, if desired)
  • 2 ounces soft goat cheese (chevre), crumbled
  • Sea salt

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, make the dressing.
  2. Thinly slice the apple and shallot.
  3. Place the greens on a plate. Top with the sliced shallot, apple, pecans, and crumbles of soft goat cheese. Drizzle with dressing and top with a sprinkle of sea salt.

Notes

*Standard arugula has much too spicy of a flavor; look for the small baby arugula leaves like you see in the photo. It comes packaged in the produce section near the greens, or may be available at your local farmer’s market. 

  • Category: Side dish
  • Method: Salad
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keywords: Arugula goat cheese salad

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Salmon and Asparagus Sheet Pan Meal

This baked salmon and asparagus recipe is the definition of easy dinner! Throw it all on a sheet pan with lemon, and the flavor is unreal. We’ve got a new solution to an easy dinner that pleases everyone: this baked salmon and asparagus recipe! It’s simple, it’s elegant, but it tastes like something you’d order at a restaurant. Roasting it up on a sheet pan with lemon slices and fresh herbs adds effortless flavor that feels fresh yet refined. Somehow in all our years of home cooking we’d never made a sheet pan meal exactly like this…and now it’s solidly in our repertoire! Alex and I made it for a healthy weeknight dinner on the patio with a wedge salad and it was perfection. Important: thin asparagus is key! Here’s a tip for working with asparagus: buy thin asparagus if you can find it! Thin, young asparagus spears are much more tender and tastier than large stalks, which can be very tough. When you roast thin asparagus, it comes out sweet and beautifully cooked! We were able to find some very thin bunches at our local grocery store, and after this recipe we decided to always look for thin asparagus. […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

This baked salmon and asparagus recipe is the definition of easy dinner! Throw it all on a sheet pan with lemon, and the flavor is unreal.

Salmon and asparagus

We’ve got a new solution to an easy dinner that pleases everyone: this baked salmon and asparagus recipe! It’s simple, it’s elegant, but it tastes like something you’d order at a restaurant. Roasting it up on a sheet pan with lemon slices and fresh herbs adds effortless flavor that feels fresh yet refined. Somehow in all our years of home cooking we’d never made a sheet pan meal exactly like this…and now it’s solidly in our repertoire! Alex and I made it for a healthy weeknight dinner on the patio with a wedge salad and it was perfection.

Important: thin asparagus is key!

Here’s a tip for working with asparagus: buy thin asparagus if you can find it! Thin, young asparagus spears are much more tender and tastier than large stalks, which can be very tough. When you roast thin asparagus, it comes out sweet and beautifully cooked! We were able to find some very thin bunches at our local grocery store, and after this recipe we decided to always look for thin asparagus. It tastes so much better!

Another tip for working with asparagus: always trim off the tough, woody bottoms of the stalks. Here’s how to trim asparagus…fast!

Salmon and asparagus recipe

What to look for when buying salmon

The other important part of this salmon and asparagus recipe is the quality of the salmon! There’s a wide variety of salmon quality at the store (vs shrimp, which has less variation). Here’s what to look for when shopping for this sheet pan meal:

  • Fresh salmon is best. You can find decent frozen salmon. But for the very best salmon, buy it fresh from your local seafood counter.
  • Buy wild caught salmon. Wild caught is the way to go! It’s most sustainable and has the best flavor.
  • Coho is a good choice. We tend to like Coho salmon for its mild flavor: it’s a good middle of the road option in terms of price. Of course, King salmon is incredible but more of a splurge. Atlantic salmon is typically farmed salmon, so it’s a less desirable choice.

How to tell when salmon is done

The only difficult part about cooking salmon? How to tell when it’s done! For this salmon and asparagus recipe you’ll be cooking both at the same time. The asparagus should cook in about the same time as the salmon here, but you should base the timing on the salmon itself. Here’s what to know about how tell to know when salmon is done:

  • Use a food thermometer to measure 125 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, making sure to measure at the thickest part of the fish. This is the most accurate way to assess doneness and results in medium salmon.
  • Or, cook until the salmon just starts to flake when pricked with a fork.
  • Be careful not to overcook. We prefer our salmon cooked to medium: to us, there’s nothing worse than a dry piece of fish. Keep an eye on it and don’t overdo it!
Baked salmon and asparagus

Top with lemon and herbs

The fun part about this salmon and asparagus is the seasoning! Fresh lemon and fresh herbs is simple, but classic. Here’s what to know about adding these seasonings to your sheet pan meal:

  • Place lemon slices on the asparagus, not the salmon! Don’t place the lemon on top of the salmon because it makes the top gooey, not crispy! But it’s perfect right on the asparagus: it infuses the perfect lemon flavor.
  • Use fresh herbs like chives, thyme, mint, basil, or whatever you have on hand! It’s just for a garnish, so you don’t have to measure. But it adds great flavor! We used chives and thyme from our garden.

Sides to serve with salmon and asparagus

How to make this tasty baked salmon and asparagus recipe into a healthy meal? Add a salad and you’re golden! Or add a whole grain to make it filling and satisfying. Here are some easy sides we’d pair with it:

Salmon and asparagus

More sheet pan meals

Everyone loves meals on a sheet pan! Here are a few more we love to make on regular rotation:

This salmon and asparagus recipe is…

Gluten-free, dairy-free, and pescatarian.

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Salmon and asparagus

Salmon and Asparagus (Sheet Pan Meal!)

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Description

This baked salmon and asparagus recipe is the definition of easy dinner! Throw it all on a sheet pan with lemon, and the flavor is unreal.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound thin asparagus
  • 1 pound salmon, wild caught if possible
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • Lemon
  • Minced fresh herbs (like chives, mint or thyme), for garnish

Instructions

  1. Allow salmon to come to room temperature.
  2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with foil.
  3. Trim the asparagus. Place it on the baking sheet and toss it with 2 tablespoon olive oil (this also oils the foil). Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.
  4. Pat the salmon dry and place it on the foil. Drizzle it with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Sprinkle the salmon with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Place asparagus around the salmon. Slice the lemon into wheels and place them on top of the asparagus (but not the salmon). Squeeze juice from the two ends of the lemon onto the tray. Then add the chopped fresh herbs on top of everything. 
  5. Bake 9 to 12 minutes until the salmon is just tender and pink at the center (the internal temperature should be between 125 to 130F in the center for done, or 10 degrees less if you’re broiling). 
  • Category: Main dish
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Seafood

Keywords: Salmon and asparagus

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

No one can resist this roasted cauliflower with Parmesan! It’s as irresistible as French fries, baked in a hot oven until browned and crisp. Want to make it easy to eat your veggies? This Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower is so irresistible, you’ll find yourself inhaling bites off the baking sheet before you even sit down to serve it. Admittedly, adding cheese to veggies is an age old trick to make them more palatable. But this recipe features roasted cauliflower: baked at high heat the vegetable breaks down into a sweet, caramelized version of itself. Add crunchy Parmesan cheese and Italian seasonings, and it’s a sophisticated, restaurant-style spin on the concept behind cheesy broccoli. Heck, we think it’s even better than French fries. Also try: Perfect Roasted Cauliflower Ingredients for roasted cauliflower with Parmesan There’s a short list of ingredients for Parmesan roasted cauliflower! All you need is a few basics and about 40 minutes to make this recipe. Here’s what you’ll need: 2 pounds cauliflower The size of cauliflower heads can vary greatly between small, medium and large. Look for a medium cauliflower and weigh it out at the store. Olive oil Garlic powder Oregano Shredded Parmesan cheese You’ll want the […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

No one can resist this roasted cauliflower with Parmesan! It’s as irresistible as French fries, baked in a hot oven until browned and crisp.

Roasted Cauliflower Parmesan

Want to make it easy to eat your veggies? This Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower is so irresistible, you’ll find yourself inhaling bites off the baking sheet before you even sit down to serve it. Admittedly, adding cheese to veggies is an age old trick to make them more palatable. But this recipe features roasted cauliflower: baked at high heat the vegetable breaks down into a sweet, caramelized version of itself. Add crunchy Parmesan cheese and Italian seasonings, and it’s a sophisticated, restaurant-style spin on the concept behind cheesy broccoli. Heck, we think it’s even better than French fries.

Also try: Perfect Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients for roasted cauliflower with Parmesan

There’s a short list of ingredients for Parmesan roasted cauliflower! All you need is a few basics and about 40 minutes to make this recipe. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 2 pounds cauliflower The size of cauliflower heads can vary greatly between small, medium and large. Look for a medium cauliflower and weigh it out at the store.
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic powder
  • Oregano
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese You’ll want the kind that looks like tiny sticks: not the powdery shaker can version: that’s grated!
Roasted Cauliflower Parmesane

The secrets to Parmesan roasted cauliflower

There are lots of recipes for roasted cauliflower with Parmesan out there: what makes this one special? A few things:

  • Use very high heat: 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Don’t trust any recipes that say to roast cauliflower at 350. Roasting at high heat gets the cauliflower tender and browned: that Maillard reaction where food browns and caramelizes when in contact with high heat! Low heat doesn’t get nearly the right flavor and texture.
  • Add Parmesan in the last 10 minutes. It won’t get overly browned this way, but still gets perfectly crispy.
  • It’s seasoned to perfection. Some Parmesan roasted cauliflower don’t specify the amount of salt. It’s important to have it it perfectly salted: otherwise it tastes oddly bland.

Tips on how to chop cauliflower

The place where most home cooks have an issue with cauliflower: the chopping! It can be difficult to chop florets without getting a huge mess all over your kitchen. For this roasted cauliflower Parmesan, use our streamlined method cutting this veggie! See How to Cut Cauliflower or the video below.

  1. Remove the leaves: Remove large leaves from the base of the cauliflower so that the stem is exposed; discard the leaves.
  2. Cut around the stem: With a paring knife, cut around the stem of the cauliflower.
  3. Break into florets: Break the cauliflower into large florets with your fingers. Remove any large stems, cutting the cauliflower into smaller florets as needed for the recipe.

Ways to serve Parmesan roasted cauliflower

This Parmesan roasted cauliflower is such a treat. We serve it as a late night snack just as often as we make it as an easy side dish…but that’s just us! Here are a few ideas for ways to eat it:

  • Grain bowl. Add a whole grain, chickpeas or white beans, and a few raw veggies like arugula and sliced cherry tomatoes. The perfect easy dinner!
  • Side for seafood. This would be fantastic next to Pesto Salmon, Grilled Tilapia, Creamy Shrimp Pasta or Easy Pesto Shrimp.
  • Pasta. Make an easy main dish by throwing this into a pot of spaghetti or bucatini! Drizzle with olive oil and salt until it pops. You could also add chickpeas or torn fresh mozzarella for additional filling protein.
Parmesan roasted cauliflower

Cauliflower nutrition

Like we mentioned above…roasted cauliflower with Parmesan has much of the addictive power of fries! It doesn’t just cut down on calories: it adds lots of nutrients too. You get all the nutrient-density of a head of cauliflower. Here’s a breakdown of cauliflower nutrition (source Harvard Medical School):

  • Low calorie food: 1 cup of chopped cauliflower has only 25 calories and 5 grams carbs
  • High in vitamins: Cauliflower is a great source of Vitamin C! It’s also a good source of Vitamin B and potassium.
  • Relatively high in fiber: Cauliflower is high in fiber: 1 cup has about 10% of your daily needs.
Roasted cauliflower Parmesan

This roasted cauliflower Parmesan recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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Roasted Cauliflower Parmesan

*Best* Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Diet: Vegetarian
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Description

No one can resist this roasted cauliflower with Parmesan! It’s as irresistible as French fries, baked in a hot oven until browned and crisp.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium head cauliflower (2 pounds or about 6 to 7 heaping cups florets)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 to 2/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • For the garnish: finely chopped Italian parsley (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Farenheit.
  2. Clean and chop the cauliflower into medium florets. In a bowl, combine the cauliflower with the olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, and kosher salt.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the cauliflower on a baking sheet and bake about 20 minutes or until browned on the bottom (we used our bottom oven rack to get them extra brown).
  4. Remove the baking sheet, toss with the Parmesan cheese. Roast another 7 to 10 minutes until the cheese is browned and the cauliflower is tender. Serve immediately, garnished with finely chopped parsley if desired.
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Roasted
  • Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: Roasted Cauliflower Parmesan, Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

More cauliflower recipes

Cauliflower is one of the most versatile of all vegetables! Here are some of our favorite ways to use it:

  • Buffalo Cauliflower Wings The best baked cauliflower wings! They’re crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and tossed with spicy buffalo sauce.
  • Roasted Cauliflower Pasta Loaded with flavor, packed with caramelized roasted cauliflower, Parmesan cheese, and fresh basil!
  • Coconut Cauliflower Curry This easy dinner recipe is warm-spiced, nutrient packed, and ready in just over 30 minutes. Dinnertime win.

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Celery Salad with Apples

This easy celery salad could not be more refreshing! Take this crunchy veggie to new heights paired with apples, Parmesan and a tangy vinaigrette. Here’s a surprisingly delicious salad that deserves a spot on your plate: celery salad! The name doesn’t have quite the ring of say, potato salad. But this unique salad is so refreshing, you’ll become a convert from the first bite. Crunchy celery pairs perfectly with sweet apple, Parmesan shavings and a tangy vinaigrette. It’s bright, it’s crunchy, it’s hydrating: it works for summer, and it’s perfect in the winter too. Really, what can’t this celery salad do? What’s in this celery salad? You need just a handful of ingredients for celery salad: and we promise, it will be the talk of your dinner! (At least, it is whenever we serve it to guests.) Pairing the bitter depth and crunch of celery with sweet apples and tangy dressing makes for a unique salad that is always surprising. Here’s what you’ll need: Celery: make sure it’s nice and fresh: bright green with no brown spots! You’ll want best quality celery here. Apple: You can use any kind of apple: we like using a red apple for color contrast […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

This easy celery salad could not be more refreshing! Take this crunchy veggie to new heights paired with apples, Parmesan and a tangy vinaigrette.

Celery Salad

Here’s a surprisingly delicious salad that deserves a spot on your plate: celery salad! The name doesn’t have quite the ring of say, potato salad. But this unique salad is so refreshing, you’ll become a convert from the first bite. Crunchy celery pairs perfectly with sweet apple, Parmesan shavings and a tangy vinaigrette. It’s bright, it’s crunchy, it’s hydrating: it works for summer, and it’s perfect in the winter too. Really, what can’t this celery salad do?

What’s in this celery salad?

You need just a handful of ingredients for celery salad: and we promise, it will be the talk of your dinner! (At least, it is whenever we serve it to guests.) Pairing the bitter depth and crunch of celery with sweet apples and tangy dressing makes for a unique salad that is always surprising. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Celery: make sure it’s nice and fresh: bright green with no brown spots! You’ll want best quality celery here.
  • Apple: You can use any kind of apple: we like using a red apple for color contrast
  • Parmesan shavings: The better the Parmesan, the better the salad.
  • White wine vinegar
  • Dijon mustard
  • Maple syrup or sugar
  • Olive oil
Celery salad

Use the celery stalk and the leaves!

This celery salad heightens the flavor of this green vegetable by using the celery leaves as part of the salad! You’ll thinly slice the stalks, then pull off the leaves and use those too. Make sure to find a bunch of celery with leaves attached (some bunches are sold without the leaves). If you can’t find the leaves you can omit them, but it adds to the fresh flavor and gives a nice color contrast as well.

Celery salad tastes the best the day of making

How to make celery salad? Thinly slice the celery, thinly slice the apples, and then mix them with the vinaigrette dressing. It’s that simple! One thing to note about the salad is that it does taste best right away. The flavor truly pops and is freshest right when you make it.

That said, you can refrigerate the salad until serving, or you can keep leftovers for a few days. If you do, you might find the flavor dull a little bit. Add a pinch of salt or a tiny sprinkle of white wine vinegar to revive the flavors.

Celery salad

Tip: how to cut apples…fast!

Thinly slicing celery stalks is pretty self explanatory. But we do have a quick method for thinly slicing apples! It’s totally slick and you won’t believe that you’ve never done this before. Here’s the trick of how to quickly thinly slice apples: check out the video below!

  1. Holding the core of the apple, use a large chef’s knife to slice off four sides of the apple, cutting as close to the core as possible.
  2. Take one of the quarters and place it flat side down on the cutting board. Then cut it into thin slices.
  3. Repeat with the remaining quarters!

How to slice apples

Ways to serve celery salad

This salad pairs well with just about anything, making it an incredibly versatile side dish! Here are a few ways we’d suggest pairing:

Summer salads
Pair with other summer salads!

This celery salad recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, omit the Parmesan cheese.

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Celery Salad

Best Celery Salad (Easy & Refreshing!)

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutese
  • Total Time: 15 minute
  • Yield: 6
  • Diet: Vegetarian
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Description

This easy celery salad could not be more refreshing! Take this crunchy veggie to new heights paired with apples, Parmesan and a tangy vinaigrette.

Ingredients

  • 8 celery ribs plus 1/2 cup celery leaves
  • 1 red apple
  • 1 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup or sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Thinly slice the celery ribs. Measure out the celery leaves. Thinly slice the red apple.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup or sugar, and kosher salt. Gradually whisk in the olive oil one tablespoon at a time.
  3. In another bowl, toss together the celery and celery leaves with the apple, dressing, and Parmesan cheese shavings. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving. This tastes best the day of making, but you can refrigerate leftovers for a few days (refresh them with a little vinegar or salt if necessary).
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Raw
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Celery salad, Celery apple salad

More great salads

There are so many great salad recipes to try! Here are some of our top salads:

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Daiquiri Cocktail

[Note: Today’s guest on my Apéro Hour on IG Live will be distiller and founder of Pierre Ferrand cognac, Citadelle gin and Plantation rum, Alexandre Gabriel. Tune in April 22 at 6pm CET, Noon ET and 9am PT. Visit here for instructions on how to watch live. Because this will be a split-screen video, you can only watch it in replay in my Instagram Stories…

[Note: Today’s guest on my Apéro Hour on IG Live will be distiller and founder of Pierre Ferrand cognac, Citadelle gin and Plantation rum, Alexandre Gabriel. Tune in April 22 at 6pm CET, Noon ET and 9am PT. Visit here for instructions on how to watch live. Because this will be a split-screen video, you can only watch it in replay in my Instagram Stories within 24hrs after it’s originally aired.]

Since the confinement started, I’ve been doing a daily Apéro Hour on Instagram Live, archiving some of the episodes on my IGTV channel. Since I’ve never been able to get a tv show of my own, I decided just to do my own. (What could go wrong? And even so, what happens during confinement, stays in confinement. Right?) And when you’re the boss…and the producer, talent booker, presenter, cameraman, mixologist, and dishwasher…you get to call the shots. So I did, and invited some of my favorite bartenders, cocktail writers, and spirit-makers to come and talk about what they do.

Due to quirk in the platform, split-screen interviews can’t be archived (so I don’t get to call all the shots…) but it’s been really fun having people on that you might not normally get to meet, like my friend Mat who distills brandy and gin in Burgundy, Margot who owns Combat, a great cocktail bar in Paris, David from Belleville Brûlerie who showed us how to make the perfect café crème with a moka pot, and Alexandre Gabriel, who not only distills cognac and Citadelle gin, but also owns Plantation rum.

Continue Reading Daiquiri Cocktail...

Oven Baked Risotto with Butternut Squash and Candied Rosemary Walnuts

I feel like celebrating. It’s been a year (give or take a day or so) since Let’s Stay In hit the bookstores and I’m feeling sentimental. This little book went out to the world with a bit of fanfare and then I just left it to do its thing. Hoping, praying and crossing my fingers… Read more »

I feel like celebrating. It’s been a year (give or take a day or so) since Let’s Stay In hit the bookstores and I’m feeling sentimental. This little book went out to the world with a bit of fanfare and then I just left it to do its thing. Hoping, praying and crossing my fingers that the recipes will find their way into your homes, around your table and perhaps even into the stories of your families. I’ve received so many incredible messages throughout the year that indicate that my prayers were answered.

Thank you for trusting me with your time, your resources and with those precious moments spent around the table. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude today as I reflect on the incredible gift it is to be able to share this work. Just like any job there are many moments where it feels just like work. That’s when I sit back, often head into the kitchen just to cook and revel in the goodness.

Words fail me so let’s just celebrate this little occasion with a warming, special yet delightfully simple dinner. It’s what I’ll be making tonight and I hope you join me. Connecting with you all over recipes really does bring an intimacy that is felt beyond the computer screen.

Thanks for all the support and for enjoying and sharing the work I do. It would not happen without you all.

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Oven Baked Risotto with Butternut Squash and Candied Rosemary Walnuts

Yield 4-6 servings

As much as I love cooking the reality is most days don’t afford me the luxury of gingerly stirring a pot for an hour with a glass of Pinot in hand. But just because that’s my reality doesn’t mean I can’t have risotto on a regular basis. Enter oven-baked risotto. This no-stir method produces a creamy, satisfying result without all the stirring (don’t worry, you can still have the wine in hand while the oven does all the work). 

The process starts with a cold oven so that pesky preheating isn’t even an issue here. And if fall is a season or two away feel free to skip the squash and candied walnuts and go for say, roasted asparagus with peas. Or how about roasted corn and tomato laced with twangy goat cheese and a few wisps of basil? The adaptability here makes this dinner a perfect candidate for cleaning out your fridge.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons/ 60 g unsalted butter, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, divided

1 large onion, diced about 3 cups/ 450 g 

2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary leaves

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced, about 4 cups / 540 g 

1 1/4 cups/ 250 g arborio rice

4 cups/960 ml chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup/ 240 ml white wine, divided

1 cup/ 10 g finely grated Parmesan

1/2 cup/ 60 g crumbled gorgonzola (optional)

Instructions

Add 2 tablespoons butter to a large skillet. Stir in the onions and rosemary and sauté over medium heat until they just start to color, about 15 minutes. Add the butternut squash and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt then continue to cook for 5 minutes. In a 9×13 baking dish add the rice, stock, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and 1 teaspoon sea salt then stir in the butternut squash mixture. Place the dish in the middle rack of your oven. Turn the oven to 400°F. Bake the rice for 30 minutes stirring about halfway through. The rice should still be ever so chewy. Remove the rice from the oven then stir in the remaining 1/2 cup white wine and the parmesan. Serve with the candied walnuts and gorgonzola crumbles, if using. Serve while warm.

*Leftovers? Breaded in Panko crumbs leftover risotto fries up beautifully in a skillet with just a bit of oil. Add an egg if the risotto is not wanting to hold together. 

Candied Rosemary Walnuts

1 cup/ 120 g walnuts

1/4 cup/ 50 g sugar

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves

Flake salt

Add the walnuts, sugar, and rosemary leaves to a dry skillet set over medium high heat. Stir occasionally as the sugar melts and caramelizes. Don’t leave the pan as the walnuts and sugar can easily burn. As the sugar starts to melt stir continuously until completely melted and the walnuts have shifted in color. The sugar will start to smoke but continue to cook until deeply caramelized. Carefully dump the caramelized walnuts onto a plate, sprinkle with flake salt then let cool. 

 

Parmesan Potatoes

Imagine: roasted potatoes that are crispy outside, tender inside, and covered in crunchy Parmesan cheese. Yes, you need these Parmesan potatoes stat. Hello there. Looking for the world’s most perfect food? OK we jest, but these Parmesan potatoes are truly extraordinary. There’s the crunchy exterior, oven roasted to perfection. Of course the interior is velvety and tender. And you know how Parmesan cheese gets all crunchy and savory when you heat it up? Yeah, those little crunchy bits are all over these potatoes, making them all the more irresistible. These babies work as a side dish for just about anything, from salmon to a veggie burger to a Swiss melt. Want to know how to make them? Related: Baked Potato Wedges (sans Parmesan, still amazing!) Ingredients for these Parmesan potatoes As the name might imply, there are only a handful of ingredients needed for these simple Parmesan potatoes: Small, waxy potatoes, about 2 to 3 inches long (thin-skinned varieties like red potatoes, fingerling, and so forth) Salted butter Spices: Garlic powder, dried basil Shredded Parmesan cheese Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper The only thing you’ll need to watch for is the type of potato that you buy. For this […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, Vegetarian Recipes

Imagine: roasted potatoes that are crispy outside, tender inside, and covered in crunchy Parmesan cheese. Yes, you need these Parmesan potatoes stat.

Parmesan potatoes

Hello there. Looking for the world’s most perfect food? OK we jest, but these Parmesan potatoes are truly extraordinary. There’s the crunchy exterior, oven roasted to perfection. Of course the interior is velvety and tender. And you know how Parmesan cheese gets all crunchy and savory when you heat it up? Yeah, those little crunchy bits are all over these potatoes, making them all the more irresistible. These babies work as a side dish for just about anything, from salmon to a veggie burger to a Swiss melt. Want to know how to make them?

Related: Baked Potato Wedges (sans Parmesan, still amazing!)

Parmesan potatoes

Ingredients for these Parmesan potatoes

As the name might imply, there are only a handful of ingredients needed for these simple Parmesan potatoes:

  • Small, waxy potatoes, about 2 to 3 inches long (thin-skinned varieties like red potatoes, fingerling, and so forth)
  • Salted butter
  • Spices: Garlic powder, dried basil
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

The only thing you’ll need to watch for is the type of potato that you buy. For this recipe you’ll need a waxy potato, like a red potato or even fingerling potato. A waxy potato has less starch content than a starchy potato (a Russet potato, for example), which is fluffier and holds its shape less than a waxy potato. How to tell if a potato is waxy potato? Waxy potatoes have thin skin: if it feels thin and like you could scratch off a piece with your finger, it’s probably a waxy potato.

The size of potato is also important: you’ll need small potatoes for this recipe, or potatoes that are 2 to 3 inches long. This makes for the perfect oven roasted Parmesan potatoes in terms of size of the wedges and also bake time. (You could certainly use larger potatoes, you’d just have to bake them longer than specified in the recipe below!)

Parmesan potatoes

How to make Parmesan potatoes

There are lots of ways to make Parmesan potatoes; some are a little labor intensive, and others require simply roasting potatoes with Parmesan on them. Since we’re all about pretty simple cooking (hey, we wrote a book about it!), we developed this recipe to balance big flavor with the most simple cooking method possible.

Here’s how to make these Parmesan potatoes (see the full recipe below):

  • Cut the potatoes into wedges.
  • Mix together with melted salted butter, garlic powder, dried basil, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese.
  • Place on a parchment lined baking sheet at bake at 425 degrees for 18 minutes, then flip and bake another 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
Parmesan potatoes

How to cut potato wedges

The only piece of technique needed in these Parmesan potatoes is how to cut potato wedges! It’s fairly simple, but you also might blank out when you get to the cutting board (we have!). You’ll simply place the potato on its side and cut it in half lengthwise, then cut it in half again into quarters. Then place each potato quarter cut side up and slice it in half to make a wedge.

This is easiest to see by watching: so we made you a video! Here I am cutting potato wedges in our kitchen:

This Parmesan potatoes recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, use the vegan variation in our Baked Potato Wedges recipe.

Parmesan potatoes
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Parmesan potatoes

Parmesan Potatoes

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 3 to 4
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Description

Imagine: roasted potatoes that are crispy outside, tender inside, and covered in crunchy Parmesan cheese. Yes, you need these Parmesan potatoes stat.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound yellow or red waxy potatoes, 2 to 3 inches long (about 6 to 7 potatoes)
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Chopped flat-leaf parsley, as a garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Cut the potatoes into wedges (see the video below!). Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix until fully coated.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the wedges onto the sheet in a single layer, using your fingers to place some of the Parmesan cheese that falls off onto the top of the wedges (it doesn’t have to be perfect, just take a minute or so to do this).
  4. Bake the potatoes for 18 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip the potatoes.
  5. Reverse the baking sheet in the oven, and bake another 10 minutes until browned and crispy. Enjoy immediately!
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Roasted
  • Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: Parmesan Potatoes, Parmesan Potatoes Recipe, Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

Looking for more roasted recipes?

Outside of these Parmesan roasted potatoes, here are a few more roasted veggies we love to serve as side dishes:

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, Vegetarian Recipes