Fall "No Chop" Tossed Salad With Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

Yes, you heard that right, this salad requires NO chopping. It’s super easy to make and so delicious. You can also swap and substitute many of the ingredients depending on your tastes and what you have at home. I have made so many different version of this salad but thought it might be nice to share one that is really easy and quick to put together for nights when you don’t have much time to get dinner on the table.

I have so much nostalgia when it comes to this salad. When I was just dating my husband we went to a new restaurant just outside of Boston and it had a salad very similar to this one. It was baby spinach, gorgonzola, cranberries, candied pecans and delicious vinaigrette. It was the first ever trying a salad with those flavors and it was so good. I tried recreating this delicious salad at home and soon came up with so many different versions.

Swaps and Substitutions

There so many variations on this salad. You can swap the butter lettuce for either baby spinach or arugula. You can also add or swap out fruit. Chopped apples, pear and pomegranate seeds are delicious. You can do a different nut like walnuts or almonds or seeds like sunflower seeds or pepitas. For cheese, you can do crumbled goat cheese. The key, it so get that combination of sweet, salty and nutty. However, you want to make that happen is up to your preferences or maybe what you have hanging around your fridge or pantry. This recipe is specifically designed to be quick and easy to pull together on a busy night.

Fall "No Chop" Salad With Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

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Yield: 4

Author: Hope Recupero

Prep time: 5 MinTotal time: 5 Min

An easy and tasty salad you can make in a pinch.

Ingredients

Salad

• A 5 oz. package of baby butter lettuce
• 1/2 cup of crumbled gorgonzola
• 1/3 cup of dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup of toasted pecans

Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Salad

1. Put all ingredients in a medium bowl and toss.

Dressing

1. Pour all ingredients into a jar, cover and shake until blended.

Spiced Cider Vanilla Moscow Mule

When I saw spiced cider in Trader Joe’s, I knew it would be perfect for a cocktail. The question was, what exactly was I going to do with it? I spent some time doing some research on flavor combinations and came up with this simple but tasty cocktail that’s perfect for fall get togethers and as a fun cocktail to serve at Thanksgiving. You could easily make a pitcher for guests to serve themselves by adjusting the amounts. Most of my cocktail recipes are pretty open to interpretation and can be adjusted to your desired amounts and tastes.

For this cocktail, I did decide to use vanilla extract instead of vanilla vodka because I find flavored vodkas can sometimes be too strong and taste a bit artificial. The vanilla in this drink should be subtle and not punch you in the face. If you would be prefer to use a vanilla flavored vodka over adding the extract, by all means go for it! Also, there is no added sugar in this recipe. There is no need as the cider and ginger beer are sweet enough on their own. I really love Q Brand Mixers. They have cleaner, natural ingredients, real sugar or agave and offer lower sugar options. You can also skip the vodka all together and enjoy this as a mocktail.

I typically use a 12 ounce glass with my cocktail recipes and it’s nice use either a themed or decorative glass especially when I’m hanging out with my girlfriends. I like treating them to special little details. I’ve found some really cute affordable glasses at Anthropologie. These are the glasses I used for this cocktail but they have so many other fabulous options!

Spiced Cider Vanilla Moscow Mule

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Yield: 1

Author: Hope Recupero

Prep time: 10 MinTotal time: 10 Min

This sweet and spicy cocktail is perfect any festive fall gathering.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce of high quality vodka
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup spiced cider
• Ginger beer
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Green apple slice for garnish

Instructions

1. Mix together sugar and cinnamon and pour onto a small plate
2. Moisten the rim of a 12 ounce glass with water or the spiced cider and dip into the sugar cinnamon mixture
3. Carefully add your desired amount of ice to the glass
4. Add vodka, vanilla extract and spiced cider
5. Top off with ginger beer and stir gently to combine all ingredients
6. Garnish with apple slice

Homemade Spiced Chai

I’ve made a few different versions of spiced chai and this one is, by far, my favorite. Rather than simmering the spices in milk, they are simmered in water and then you can add whatever milk or cream you desire or none at all. I also do not add any sweetener during the simmering process so that I can easily serve sweetened or unsweetened. I like the water method because it’s less expensive than using milk, you can control the calories and sweetness and I can get a lot more “mileage” out of one batch.

A Little About Spice Chai

In the last year I learned that chai actually means tea so when we say chai tea, we are actually saying “tea tea.” Which is why I now refer to it as “spiced chai” or “masala chai.” Masala chai is a traditional Indian beverage made with milk or water and a variety of aromatic spices. It is very often consumed during colder weather due to its warming properties but many enjoy consuming it all year. Like many traditional recipes, Indian families have their own version and that’s so easy to do with a recipe like this one.

Where to Buy the Spices

I bought most of my whole spices in bulk from Mountain Rose Herbs, a comprehensive and reliable online retailer for herbs and spices in Oregon. You can also buy whole spices off of Amazon and at local health food stores like Whole Foods. Ginger and turmeric root should be very easy to find at your local grocery store and will last in your refrigerator for a while.

Variations

This is an easy recipe to modify to your own tastes. I like a lot of ginger and cardamom so I add more of those when I’m making a batch. It’s also a very easy recipe to double, which I also do because I drink it everyday. Many people crush the spices to bring out more of their flavor. I do not do this because it adds another step and I think it has more than enough flavor when prepared with the whole spices. You can simmer in any type of milk you want instead of water and add a sweetener to the simmering process as well.

Tea Options

While I do prefer decaffeinated black tea, I have played around with a couple different types of teas like rooibos and vanilla black tea which was delicious. I like using decaf because then I can have a cup before bed without it affecting my sleep. I’ve really been loving this decaf black tea by Choice Organics that I found on Amazon. You can also use loose leaf tea. I would prefer loose leaf but I have yet to find a decaf version that I really like.

Storage

Any remaining tea can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 7-10 days but I use mine up way before any concern for a change in quality or spoilage. Obviously, discard the tea if there is any change in appearance, taste or smell.

Homemade Spiced Chai

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Yield: 8

Author: Hope Recupero

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 10 MinInactive time: 6 MinTotal time: 26 Min

A delicious chai recipe with a nice bite that can be served hot or cold! Spices and strength of tea can be easily adjusted to your tastes.

Ingredients

• 8 Cups of Water
• 6-8 Black Tea Bags or 3-4 Tablespoons of Loose Leaf Tea
• 1-2 Heaping Tablespoons of Cardamom Pods
• 4 Whole Star Anise
• 3 Cinnamon Sticks
• 2-3 Teaspoons of Whole Cloves
• 3-4 Allspice Pods
• 2-3 Teaspoons of Black Peppercorns
• Peel of a Small Orange (or 1 Tablespoon of dried orange peel)
• 2-3 Inch Piece of Fresh Ginger Root
• 1 Inch Piece of Fresh Turmeric Root

Instructions

1. Put all spices, including the ginger and turmeric root in a large pot.
2. Add the 8 cups of water
3. Bring to a boil covered and then turn down to a simmer, keeping it covered.
4. Gently simmer spices for 10 minutes.
5. After simmering, add tea and let steep for 4-6 minutes
6. Remove tea bags, squeeze as much liquid out of the tea bags as you can and strain spices.
7. Can be served hot immediately. Store any remaining tea in the refrigerator and reheat or serve iced.
8. Tastes best with honey and a touch of cream but can be served anyway you desire.

*This post may contain affiliate links.

Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

I’ve been using this basic, but definitely not boring, balsamic dressing recipe for years. In my opinion, it has the perfect balance of flavors and is not too sweet or too vinegary.

I developed this recipe when I discovered this amazing garlicky vinaigrette at a local restaurant and wanted to have something similar at home that I could use all the time.

Our family even loves this recipe and requests it every time we get together and have salad on the menu.

It’s incredibly versatile and works really well on any type of salad that calls for a vinaigrette and can also be used as a marinade. This is an easy recipe that you can adjust to your own tastes and basic enough so that you can add herbs, citrus zests and even spices.

Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

I like making my own dressing because I can control the ingredients and very often bottled dressings contain too much sugar and unhealthy oils.

Homemade dressings also taste so much better! It’s definitely worth the extra effort and once you start making your own, you’ll never want to go back to bottled.

I’ve made this dressing in a mini food processor but most of the time I use a jar or dressing shaker bottle like this one by OXO.

Storage

I find it’s better to keep it in the refrigerator and use up within 7 to 10 for the freshest flavor, but you can also keep it in your pantry for a few days. I do find the flavor is not as good but the vinegar acts as a preservative so it’s your choice.

Modifications

I like white balsamic the best because it’s a little sweeter but you can use red balsamic in the same proportions. You can find white balsamic at most grocery stores but I like the one from Trader Joe’s.

While the best flavor comes from using fresh garlic and shallot, if you’re in a pinch or just need to get it done fast, you can use a 1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon of both garlic and onion powder (make sure they don’t include any salt). It also works well with maple syrup if you happen to have that on hand instead of honey.

Special Notes

If you do decide to make it in a food processor, I recommend the mini prep like this one from Kitchen Aid so you can process all the ingredients together including the garlic and shallot. You can use a larger food processor or blender but then I recommend mincing your garlic and shallot beforehand. A food processor will also create a thicker dressing.

Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette

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Yield: 1 1/4 Cups or 20 Tablespoons

Author: Hope Recupero

Prep time: 7 MinTotal time: 7 Min

Zesty, versatile easy-to-make vinaigrette that can be used on a variety of salads, roasted vegetables and even as a marinade.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup of white balsamic vinegar
• 2/3 cup of olive oil
• 1 medium sized garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• 1/2 of a shallot minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper 

Instructions

1. First add vinegar to a jar or shaker then add the honey, Dijon mustard, garlic, shallot, salt and pepper. Add olive oil and the shake or blend.

https://thebarsoapdiaries.com/recipes/2020/5/18/basic-balsamic-vinaigrette-recipe

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*Updated from a Post on 6/1/2020