I thought I mentioned Trader Joes on that one...

Asian salad is pretty easy -- a bag of 3.5 servings (1.5 cups each serving) at Trader Joes is $4.99. It has mandarin orange pieces in juice, the dressing, slivered almonds, sugar snaps, mixed baby greens, crispy noodles. Easy to replicate. 280 calories per serving. DH and I probably eat this 4 times a week at lunch.

To make it a more substantial meal for dinner, DH grills one small sirloin steak. I thinly slice it and drizzle Goyza sauce over it.

Or...we grill a chicken breast and use teriyaki or soy sauce on it. Slice and add to salad.

I guess I should post a HOMEMADE recipe some time. I made a killer southern potato salad the other day. It had been awhile since I made it -- been making it the same way for 30 years. This time, I used all organic or natural products and the improvement was pretty amazing. I'll post it in July.

Annette, this looks close to what you described (from the Epicurious Web site). There are versions which add sliced roasted, or grilled chicken. Queso Fresco means (Mexican) fresh cheese. Farmer's cheese is similar.

Southwest Rice Salad

Ingredients

2 cups cooked white rice
1 17oz can whole kernel corn drained
1/2 cup chopped stuffed green olives
1/2 cup diced poblano pepper (mild green chili)
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup sliced green onion
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
4 tbl. freshly squeezed lime juice
4 tbl. olive oil
1 tsp. crushed garlic
8 oz. Queso fresco cheese
1 Tbl. cilantro chopped
Cilantro leaves for decoration
2 small tomatoes for decoration

Combine rice, corn, chopped peppers, onions, and red pepper and set aside. Mix lime juice, olive oil, garlic, add to rice mixture. Just before serving, add crumbled cheese and toss lightly. Garnish with tomato wedges and sprigs of cilantro. Best served at room temperature.

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By the way gyoza sauce, which Cameron mentioned, is also known as potsticker sauce. The Japanese call potstickers gyoza. The ingredients are: equal parts soy sauce and rice vinegar topped with minced ginger and chopped scallion. Trader Joe's stores sell GOOD potstickers. Do you have TJs in Canada?

Lorna

No TJ's here, thanks for the recipe Lorna, I think I detected a little lime flavor in the salad I buy but it didn't have the red and green peppers, olives or cheese. I'll try making the recipe you've given, follow it as close as I can or do some tweeking and see what I can come up with. I'm not familiar with Queso fresco cheese, what kind is it, could I substitute another if I can't buy it. I've only had potstickers once, nummy.
Annette

Except I never spell Gyoza correctly! duh! Yes, the THAI veggie potstickers from TJ's are fantastic. I continue to be amazed at both the quality, flavors and low prices.

I'm going to post that recipe for Southwest Rice Salad so that I won't forget when I call for recipes in July.

Annette, Queso Fresco is a semi-soft white cheese, which can be crumbled. It has a mild flavor, rather plain. It is sold in small wheels, vacuum sealed. Farmer's cheese is similar--they aren't aged cheeses. In a pinch, I think Monterey Jack or fresh Mozarella would do, though you would have to cube it.

Do you like bay scallops? Seviche (marinated raw fish dish) made with small scallops is very good. It is just raw bay scallops marinated in fresh lime juice with some chopped cilantro added at table. The lime juice makes the scallops taste sweet, and the juice "cooks" the scallops. Very small shrimp can be added. I've tried using larger shrimp, which didn't work out well. I like the scallops best. I marinate over night. Any white fish can also be used, but I haven't, personally, made seviche with fish.

Lorna

Never eaten scallops raw but have had and enjoyed Salmon lox with cream cheese on crackers. We get the small swimming scallops here, my son-in-law is a diver and has brought me some in the past, haven't had those in a long time. When I got my hands on them I use to do individual casseroles of scallops, mushrooms, a hint of green onion and a bit of fresh thyme in a creamy white wine and cheese sauce. Never did write up a recipe for that one. A similar casserole was on the menu at one of our favorite restaurants, I liked it so much I tried making something similar at home.
Annette

Sounds good, Annette. I used to order the individual scallop casserole called Coquilles St. Jacques in restaurants, when I was younger and often vacationed in Capitola and Santa Cruz, California. (Not positive I spelled that French correctly.) Scallops are a wonderful treat. I also like the big Atlantic scallops.

Lorna

Nell and others that grow Okra, I've only eaten Okra in chicken gumbo soup. What other recipes is this used in? I see it in the supermarkets on occasion but have never cooked with it myself. How do you prepare it for cooking? I've also seen cactus pads/Opuntia? star fruit and other specialty items that I've never tried, how do you use them? There's another bulb like item, the name escapes me at the moment, starts with J I think, this one I have used raw in salads. I guess I could google for recipes but would love to hear how you use them.
Annette

Hey Annette just looked at this thread. Are you referring to jicama ? It is a root and tastes like potato and is used raw in salads. The other good tasting vegetable in a salad is fennel. Very tasty sliced in match stick sizes with oranges. As to finding great inst. for unusual things try the FOODBLOGSEARCH engine. There are wonderful recipes and blogs on there and all you do is type in the food you are interested in learning about. Good luck.

Lorna that salad sounds wonderful . I cut/pasted it. c

Fennel is good in white sauce pasta dishes, too. Sometimes I slice jicama matchstick style, sauce it with vinaigrette and serve it as an appetizer or vegetable side dish. They sell jars of spicy pickled okra around here. I like it. I've never cooked with okra, but have had it deep fried at restaurants. Chayote is a Mexican squash which can be eaten raw or cooked. I don't know what to do with star fruit.

Jalapenos can be eaten raw, or diced and lightly pan fried in a bit of butter. They are good with meat, or with cheese. Some are hotter than others, you don't know until you taste it. If your eyes begin to streamm you are gasping for breath and your face turns red, that one is too hot!

One of my favorite appetizers is to boil up some medium or large prawns, not more than three minutes cooking time. Then I marinate them in Italian dressing overnight. The develop a surprising sweetness. Use toothpicks to skewer them for serving.

I'm a big fan of tepanade (not sure of that spelling). It is chopped Kalamata olives, or a mixture of fancy olives, with olive oil, chopped cooked onion, minced garlic, cracked black pepper and thyme. It can be used as a spread on bread, toast or crackers or in a simple pasta dish.

Lorna

C, yes that's it jicama I use it when available in salads, thanks for the heads up on the foodblogsearch.
Annette