This seaweed salad is colorful, delicious, and boldly flavored with sesame dressing. If you enjoy seaweed salads at Japanese restaurants, try this fun twist on the concept. Many prepared seaweed salads are colored with food dyes, but this one obtains its lively color from veggies.

If you’re relatively new to seaweed, like I am, this salad offers a great introduction. It calls for arame, which has a more mild and sweet flavor compared to other seaweed varieties. The crisp textures of cabbage and bell pepper, combined with soy sauce and ginger, contrast beautifully with the seaweed.

This salad is the perfect way to incorporate nutritious seaweed into your diet. Seaweed’s nutritional benefits vary depending on the specific variety, but they are often a good source of fiber, iodine, potassium and magnesium, among others. I try to consume a wide variety of whole foods, so seaweed is a welcome addition.

Continue to the recipe...

The post Seaweed Salad appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

If you enjoy watermelon, this is your new summer salad. This simple watermelon salad recipe features classic Mediterranean flavors like tangy crumbled feta and fresh mint. Roughly chopped pistachios, lightly pickled shallots and a drizzle of olive oil make it taste incredible.

The layering method might make this salad look fancy, but it’s easy to make and yields a stunning display. Grab your largest platter for this recipe so the ingredients can be evenly distributed and scooped without stirring. The composition of this salad helps avoid the watery watermelon, messy-looking feta situation that plagues many watermelon salads.

This watermelon salad was inspired by one we tasted in Tampa last summer. I loved the pistachios sprinkled on top. They offered the perfect crunch, and the green color contrasted beautifully with the bright red watermelon.

I’m still obsessed with the vinegar-soaked shallot that I used on this Watermelon Salad with Herbed Yogurt Sauce, and it worked just as well here. The shallots are lightly pickled, so they’re tangy but less pungent, and a drizzle of the leftover vinegar brightens up the whole salad.

Isn’t it lovely? This beautiful salad is sure to be a hit at your summer parties.

Continue to the recipe...

The post Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Here’s a fun take on roasted broccoli! Regular roasted broccoli is forever and always one of my go-to side dishes, but this cheesy smashed broccoli recipe takes it up a few notches in the flavor and texture departments. Smashing the broccoli tenderizes it and provides a flatter surface for loading up with cheese. The method is slightly more involved, naturally, but it’s not too fussy.

Basically, we roast the broccoli until tender, smash it, top it with Parmesan cheese, and bake it for a few more minutes. The broccoli is tender, craggy and golden with crispy bits around the edges where the cheese meets the pan. A little sprinkle of red pepper flakes (optional) and a squeeze of lemon juice ramp up the flavor.

The results are not super crisp like French fries, but they’re nearly French fry-like in irresistibility. I have to stop myself before I eat the whole batch!

If you are a broccoli lover, this recipe is most certainly for you. If you have any broccoli-averse family members, this recipe might win them over. Serve it with dinner tonight?

Continue to the recipe...

The post Cheesy Smashed Broccoli appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Trust me, you need this lemony kale salad recipe. It might not look like much at first glance, but this hearty green salad is boldly flavored and just what you need to round out tonight’s dinner.

This simple kale salad features finely shredded Tuscan kale tossed in a bold, lemony dressing with freshly-grated pecorino romano or Parmesan cheese.

Tuscan kale goes by many names—you might know it as lacinato kale, dinosaur kale or cavolo nero (literally “black cabbage” in Italian). It’s less curly than standard kale, which makes it easier to stack, roll and thinly slice. Once prepared, this salad is almost slaw-like in texture. It’s really irresistible.

This food blog has no less than 22 kale salad recipes already, plus this kale salad roundup with tips. But the collection truly isn’t complete without this one, which draws heavy inspiration from the mother of all kale salads created by Joshua McFadden in 2007.

I always order a salad like this one when we eat at True Foods Kitchen. The main difference between this salad and the aforementioned kale salads is that this recipe omits the bread crumbs. I tried with and without, and the breadcrumbs didn’t do a whole lot in terms of flavor and don’t keep well on the salad for leftovers.

You’ll find the recipe and instructional video below. I’m also sharing my best tips that will help you create consistently flavored batches of salad, which is honestly tricky!

Continue to the recipe...

The post Lemony Kale Salad appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

If there were ever a creamy potato dish worth making, it is this one. It’s similar to scalloped potatoes, but better, in my opinion. It comes together simply and beautifully, with no roux required.

This potatoes au gratin recipe is actually known as gratin dauphinois in France. Gratin dauphinois hails from the Dauphiné region in southeastern France, which is nestled next to Italy.

Gratin dauphinois features thinly sliced rounds of potatoes cooked in cream, sometimes with cheese but often without. This potato gratin includes a generous amount of Gruyère cheese, and I wouldn’t want it any other way! The recipe is lightly seasoned with garlic, pepper and nutmeg, and the end result is just… magic.

If you would love a moment of happy silence at your bustling holiday meal, serve this recipe. I have literally watched people go quiet upon their first bite. That’s when I know a recipe is just right!

You can also can prepare this recipe in advance, which is a big plus for a full-course meal. This dish would be welcome at Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or any special occasion in between.

Continue to the recipe...

The post Potatoes au Gratin (Gratin Dauphinois) appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Can we talk about how beautiful those rainbow carrots are?! You are looking good today, carrots. This stunning roasted carrot dish features warm whole grains, protein-rich chickpeas, spiced pepitas and a light herbed crème fraîche sauce.

Don’t be intimidated by its gourmet looks—this recipe is simple to make once you get going. It has several different components, but none are complicated, and they come together beautifully.

This recipe is an absolutely lovely vegetarian option for your holiday table. Call it a main dish for the vegetarians and a side dish for everyone else. It’s also a well-balanced weeknight or special occasion dinner.

If this recipe looks familiar, it’s because it’s one of my all-time favorites. It even made it into my cookbook with a tahini sauce variation. Today, I’m sharing it again with updated photos and a video so you can watch how it all comes together.

Continue to the recipe...

The post Roasted Carrots with Farro, Chickpeas & Herbed Crème Fraîche appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

These chimichurri chickpeas are bold, hearty and zippy. This simple dish features tender chickpeas, crumbled feta cheese, and homemade chimichurri sauce. It’s ready in about fifteen minutes.

Chimichurri verde hails from Argentina and is typically served on steak, though I love it in many other preparations. It’s a bright herbed sauce made with fresh parsley, garlic, red onion, red pepper flakes, red wine vinegar, and olive oil.

While traditionally made with a mortar and pestle, my preparation method uses the food processor as much as possible, so it comes together very quickly.

You could call this recipe is a collision of leftovers or, better yet, a happy coincidence. This summer, we invited friends over to grill and I made my chimichurri sauce to go with our meal. I was thrilled when one of our friends took his first bite and demanded the recipe.

We had a bit of sauce leftover, so I stashed it in the refrigerator near some extra chickpeas. The combination proved fantastic once I added some creamy, tangy feta cheese.

While the sauce is Argentinean, this dish’s flavor profile is more recognizably Mediterranean. I love this lively side dish, and I hope you do, too.

Continue to the recipe...

The post Chimichurri Chickpeas appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

This roasted red pepper and tomato soup is more than just a recipe—it’s a celebration of the end of the summer heat. It’s the option in between gazpacho and creamy tomato soup. As the temperature finally calms down, I implore you to make this soup with the last ripe bell peppers and tomatoes.

This lovely, light soup is slightly spicy. It tastes more strongly of roasted red peppers than tomatoes, and the light smokiness brings Spanish cuisine to mind. It’s vegan as written, though you certainly add cream for a creamier soup. Perhaps the best thing about this soup is that it freezes well for later.

I originally shared this recipe over ten years ago on a rainy day with my dog, Cookie, by my side. It’s still one of my favorites, and revisiting it brings those moments back to life. I really miss my pup.

We’re growing both peppers and tomatoes in our backyard garden this year, though not enough to make a proper batch of this soup. Grace’s favorite thing to do is, “Pick some ’matoes,” and she checks for more cherry tomatoes at least twice a day. She pops them straight into her mouth and can’t get enough.

Now that I’ve bottled up my favorite summer flavors, I’ll soon be ready for creamy fall bisques and hearty vegetarian chili. What are you making next?

Continue to the recipe...

The post Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

This pesto pasta salad is destined for your next gathering. Or at least, that’s what I hope! This recipe is light and so fresh. It’s perfect for parties, picnics and weeknight dinners, from spring through fall. Leftovers keep well for lunch, too.

Pesto and pasta are the stars of this show, naturally. To make it a pasta salad, I added a pint of cherry tomatoes, a few handfuls of fresh arugula, and some cheese. I love salty feta in this recipe, though mozzarella and Parmesan are also great.

This pasta salad recipe includes homemade pesto made with a few little twists. Instead of pine nuts, I opted for more affordable pepitas (green pumpkin seeds). You can use pine nuts if you’d rather—or even walnuts or pecans.

I like to use half fresh basil and half fresh parsley, which tastes even more interesting and also cuts down on costs (buying lots of fresh basil can be expensive). You could certainly use all basil if you have an abundance growing in your garden. I also add some fresh lemon juice to brighten up the dish. Give it a try!

Continue to the recipe...

The post Pesto Pasta Salad appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

This Mediterranean bean salad is one of my all-time favorite salads and sides. Bold claim, I know, but I can back it up. I’ve been loving this recipe for ten years running now!

This salad is crisp and satisfying, fresh and full of bright Mediterranean flavors. The recipe features hearty kidney beans and chickpeas, which balance crisp cucumber, celery and red onion. The remaining simple ingredients—lemon and olive oil, garlic and lots of fresh leafy herbs—yield truly irresistible results.

This Mediterranean-style salad is perfect for spring picnics, summer potlucks and cozy fall get-togethers. It’s a crowd-pleasing salad or side dish that suits most special diets, too. The recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.

With how quickly this salad comes together, it’s an easy addition to your weekend menu! It’s a simple chop, whisk and stir situation that’s ready in about 20 minutes. I hope this dish becomes one of your standby recipes, too.

Continue to the recipe...

The post Mediterranean Bean Salad appeared first on Cookie and Kate.