My Big Fat Greek Salad and Its Big Fat Unoriginal Name

I had a feeling I wasn�t the first person to think of this cinematic play on words, but like I said in the video, so many other people called this a big fat Greek salad, I figured I wouldn�t get in too much trouble. If I had to guess, it was probably the caterer on the set of the movie who first coined the name, or at least I hope so.

This is such a simple salad that there�s no need for me to share a bunch of tips and tricks, although I will reiterate the most important instruction of all.  Be sure to toss the salad with the vinegar first, before adding the olive oil. If you don�t, it will not taste as good. Which reminds me, giving the amounts here is very difficult, since this really should be made to your tastes, so please use the ingredient list below as a very rough outline.

If you need to make this the day before, I suggest making the dressing separate, and then mixing everything before the event.  I think this should only be dressed about 30 to 60 minutes before service for maximum enjoyment, but that�s just my approach, and some folks prefer an overnight marination. Regardless of how long you let your ingredients �marry,� you�re going to be enjoying one amazing salad, which is why I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 1 Big Fat Greek Salad:

2 large English cucumbers

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup sliced olives

2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon of dried

salt, freshly ground black pepper, cayenne to taste

1/4 cup red wine vinegar, or to taste

1/3 cup olive oil, or to taste

4 to 6 ounces feta cheese

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Garden Fresh Spaghetti Salad

A flavorful spaghetti style pasta salad packed with fresh garden vegetables and tossed in a Zesty Italian dressing.  

Today, I have a delicious spaghetti salad recipe to share with you. Whenever I attend a potluck or cookout, I always seem to gravitate towards the salads and desserts. I love loading up and tasting all the different salads that everyone brings to share. This simple  Spaghetti Salad is full of  delicious flavor and loaded with fresh veggies from your summer garden. Cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, peppers, olives, artichokes and spaghetti noodles tossed in a seasoned zesty Italian dressing.  

A couple months back, I brought this salad to my  son and daughter-in-laws gender reveal party and it was a hit with everyone. I had so many people that asked me for the recipe so this is definitely a crowd-pleaser. This simple salad makes a pretty good size bowl and pairs perfectly with grilled chicken, beef or burgers. For the best flavor, prepare this pasta salad the day before you plan to serve it. The longer this salad sits in the refrigerator the better it tastes. Let's get started on the recipe.  

First cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water until the pasta is al dente. Drain pasta and rinse under cold water. Set aside; 

While the pasta cooks chop all of the vegetables. 

In a large bowl add the cooled spaghetti, cucumbers, bell peppers, zucchini, onions. cherry tomatoes, olives, salami (if using) and artichoke hearts.  

In a medium size bowl, whisk the dressing, artichoke juice, Parmesan - Regiono cheese, garlic powder, onion powder and salt and pepper together. Pour over the pasta and vegetables and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for several hours (or overnight) before serving. 

Garnish with additional Parmesan - Regiono cheese and toss just before serving.  

Garden Fresh Spaghetti Salad 

1 - 16 ounce package thin spaghetti noodles, broke in half 
1 - cucumber, peeled and diced 
1 - green bell pepper, diced
1 - orange or red bell peppers, diced 
2 - zucchini squash or yellow squash, diced 
1 - small - medium purple onion, diced
1 - pint cherry tomatoes
1 - 4 ounce can sliced black olives
1 - 4 ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, cut into pieces (reserve juice)
1 - cup salami, cut into small pieces (optional) 

Dressing: 
1 - 16 ounce bottled Zesty Italian Dressing or Robusto Italian Dressing
reserved artichoke juice
garlic powder, to taste
onion powder, to taste 
1/4 - cup Parmesan - Regiono cheese 
salt and pepper, to taste 


Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water and set aside. 

While the pasta cooks chop all of the vegetables. 

In a large bowl add the cooled pasta, cucumbers, bell peppers, zucchini, onion. cherry tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts and salami (if using).  

In a medium size bowl, whisk the Italian dressing, artichoke juice, garlic powder, onion powder, Parmesan - Regiono cheese, salt and pepper together. 

Pour over the pasta and vegetables and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for several hours (or overnight) before serving.

Garnish with additional Parmesan - Regiono cheese and toss before serving. 

servings: 6-8  

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The Brutus Salad � Watch Your Back, Caesar!

I don�t post a lot of salad videos, since, other than the dressing recipe, what am I going to teach you? Most people are pretty good when it comes to tossing things in a bowl, but I made an exception for what I�m calling a �Brutus.�

I discovered this salad at a great restaurant in Healdsburg, called Willis�s Seafood, where it was definitely not called a �Brutus,� but simply described as a, �Little Gem Salad, Dijon Vinaigrette, Fuji Apples, Aged White Cheddar, Fresh Herbs, Fried Pecans.� It sounded amazing, and tasted even better.

It was so good, I joked that it could replace the Caesar as America�s favorite tossed salad, and a few beers later, the idea to call it the �Brutus� was born. I�m explaining this not only to give credit, where credit�s due, but also to make clear it has nothing to do with politics. Yes, nothing to do with it. Nothing at all.

Normally, I would tell you to add whatever you want to this salad, but not this time. Please make it exactly as shown. Having said that, you�ll of course have to adjust the dressing to your taste, but you already knew that. I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

For the dressing:

1/4 cup real French Dijon mustard

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

freshly ground black pepper

cayenne to taste

- the dressing should be sharp and acidic, but please adjust to your taste

For the salad:

4 hearts of romaine, cut or torn into bite-sized pieces

2 ounces extra-sharp aged cheddar

1 apple, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves, chopped

2 tablespoons dill sprigs, chopped

3/4 cup pecan halves, toasted in 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, seasoned with salt and 1 teaspoon of white sugar

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Smashed Cucumber Salad � I Crushed This

Your cooking skills might not be the best, but the word on the street is that you�re pretty good at smashing things, sometimes even on purpose. If that�s the case, this refreshing, and very addictive smashed cucumber salad is going to be perfect for you. Above and beyond whisking up an extremely simple dressing, the success of this recipe comes down to you being able to flatten a cucumber with something heavy.

It really is as easy as it sounds, and by crushing our cucumber before we cut it, we produce flavors that un-smashed cucs can�t. When you crush the cells in a vegetable, as opposed to cutting cleanly through them, certain compounds get mixed together, which can result in a significantly different flavor. 

This is not always a good thing, and onions are the perfect example. Use a sharp knife, and they�re sweet and mild. Use a dull knife, or that thing you ordered after seeing the infomercial at 2 AM, and you�ll get something much harsher. In fact, it�s no joke that most people who don�t like onions, grew up in a kitchen with dull knives.

However, when it comes to cucumber, these ruptured cells produce a more desirable flavor, and texture. The only decision you�re going to have to make, is how long to let the cucumbers marinate in the dressing, if at all. Many chefs will toss and serve immediately, while others like to let the cucumbers chill in the dressing for a little while in the fridge, which is the method I prefer.

You�ll just have to do some tests to see what you prefer, but either way, this is one of my all-time favorite cold summer side dishes, and one I really hope you try very soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 6 portions:
2 English cucumbers (about 1 1/2 pounds total weight)

1 teaspoon granulated white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

2 garlic cloves, finely crushed

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

(or regular rice vinegar with an extra pinch of salt and sugar)

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

red pepper flakes, to taste

toasted sesame seeds to garnish

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