Antipasto Salad... two ways

Ever wonder why would anyone want to call this colorful, healthy, and so delicious fresh salad mixed with black and green olives...and don't forget the pepperoncini, the artichoke hearts, and if you like, add some little cubed feta cheese, some vinaigrette dressing, some nice crusty bread, and you got yourself a meal that you will truly enjoy! It really is more of a vegetarian antipasto because there is no prosciutto, or salami in this...and that's fine with me!

The best part is that you can be so creative with this amazing salad, that you can first start off with the fresh salad part of it, fresh chopped Romaine lettuce, the best of the best red ripe tomatoes diced, I love fresh crunchy red radishes sliced, cucumbers if you like...which I did not use this time; I adore sweet onions like Vidalia or another brand if Vidalia is not avaiable, also sliced.

Not to be confusing the first version...with this version, which is the second, that in this salad, there is no 'lettuce'...just a simple Vegan Antipasto! This one has the artichoke hearts, which are already marinated, and comes in a cute little jar...made in Italy, some cherry or grape tomatoes, onions, garlic, and chopped Italian parsley. Both are mixed with the simple and the best extra virgin olive oil, and red, or white wine vinegar...no Balsamic at all for me, it changes the color, and for me it's too sweet!

I got the inspiration from Rachel Ray, whom I adore, ever since her old cooking show was featured on the Food Network, and I subscribe these days to her magazine as well!

Antipasto Salad
adapted from Rachel Ray

Ingredients

• 2 hearts romaine lettuce, chopped
• 2 beefsteak tomatoes diced
• 1 bunch red radish cleaned and sliced thin
• 1 sweet onion, peeled, halved, and sliced 
• 1 small block of Feta Cheese diced small
• Few pieces of marinated red chili peppers
• 1/2 pound Genoa salami, ask for it in 1 chunk at deli counter, diced
• 2 cups pickled hot vegetable salad, Giardiniera, coarsely chopped*
• 12 pitted black olives, coarsely chopped, such as Kalamata
• 12 jumbo green olives, pitted, coarsely chopped
• 1 small jar, 8 ounces, roasted red peppers, drained and diced
• 1 small jar, 6 ounces, marinated artichoke hearts, drained
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, eyeball it...(I used red wine vinegar)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it...add salt and pepper

Directions

Combine lettuce, salami, chopped hot pickled vegetables, olives, red peppers and artichoke hearts. Drizzle vinegar and oil over the salad. Toss salad and season with salt and pepper, to your taste.

Linking to: Full Plate Thursday, #378

Alaska Surimi Seafood Lettuce Cups

Alaska Surimi Seafood Lettuce Cups, from Taste Pavilion, in San Francisco

With more holidays just around the corner, how does anyone find the time to do all the cooking, baking, Christmas shopping, taking photos, uploading them, and  posting stories, and recipes? As for myself, not easy! I have not baked any cakes, cookies at all for awhile, but did make hearty soups, and seafood dishes, but just did not want to post about them, although they were delicious, and totally my creations...just off the "top of my head" recipes! Sometimes, I get into these moods where I think, "why should I even bother to take photo, try to remember the ingredients used"...why?...who really even cares, other than my family, or friends!?...well, obviously they do/did care, or I would have leftovers! Just not feeling up to "par"...must be the "holiday blues"...when it should be the most joyous occasion!

Alaska Surimi Seafood Lettuce Cups

12 oz. Alaska Surimi Seafood
1 1/2 cups cooked rice (preferably short grain)
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup avocado, peeled, and chopped
1 cup Asian style salad dressing, bottled (preferably with ginger and wasabi)
1/4 cup pickled ginger chopped, for garnish
1/2 cup toasted seaweed (nori) for garnish, (optional)
3 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds for garnish
1 head iceberg lettuce

Lettuce cups:
Cut off the bottom third of the lettuce head. Soak lettuce top in ice water for 10 minutes-this will help separate the leaves, one at a time to make the cups. Using scissors, trim each lettuce cup to form circles. A head of iceberg should yield 8 to 10 lettuce cups. Save the lettuce core for chopped lettuce salad.

Salad:
Combine Alaska Surimi Seafood, cooked rice, cucumbers and avocado in a large bowl. Add salad dressing, toss to coat all ingredients. Place lettuce cups on a large plate and fill each with about 1/2 cup of the surimi-rice filling. Garnish with pickled ginger (optional,) nori (optional) and sesame seeds to serve.
Makes 4 servings, ( 8 lettuce cups)

Can't believe it's been 1 month since we were at the 3rd. Annual Blogger Festival! So much fun, such fond memories, totally enjoyed all the blogger friends I met up in person, the sights were incredible, the food, the bakeries, especially the BOULANGERIE, that was about 2 blocks away in Japan town, where Jo and I stayed at the cute little Tomo Hotel, after the Foodbuzz Festival ended.

So sorry to show these photos without description...had an entire step-by-step instruction on them, and my link with Zemanta seemed to have "swallowed" the link up, when I clicked to change format, so it maybe out there on their link that I link to. I do love the Zemanta program, linking your posts, and you, finding links, but sometimes I wonder where my photos, and links end up!

Would have loved to pick at least one of each!

Such amazing tarts, and cakes

My dear food blogger friends...Nami, from Just One Cookbook, and Jo from ChicGorgeous at the bakery

Brenda, graciously let me take photos preparing delicious sandwiches for their daily lunch!

House For Sale...anyone interested?...I know I would love to have a Victorian style house.

Hotel Tomo, on Buchanan