Salads & Sides

Okay, I’m just gonna say it—celery has been done dirty for years. It’s either shoved under a scoop of chicken salad or limping around a crudité tray with dried-out edges and a sad little ramekin of ranch. Poor thing never stood a chance. But let me tell you something: this salad changed the way I look at celery. I first had a version of it at a potluck my neighbor Karen hosted. You know the one—she brings something that looks suspiciously plain, and then you taste it and suddenly you’re going back for thirds and asking for the recipe before …

There are certain recipes that don’t really belong to anyone, though we all like to pretend otherwise. This Shoepeg Salad (or “shoe peg”—I’ve written it both ways, not sure which is proper) is one of those dishes that just floated through my life without much explanation. I can’t say who made it first. My mother swore it came from her neighbor back in Tulsa, but then my sister insists she saw it on a church potluck table in Mississippi in the late seventies. And me? I just know it showed up one afternoon in a Tupperware bowl on my back …

Such is the case of this Marinated Cucumbers, Onions, and Tomato side dish: light and velvety, great for warm days or in tandem with heavy, substantial main dishes. It takes the crispness of cucumbers, the juiciness of tomatoes, and the tang of onions and drenches it all in a zesty marinade of vinegar, sugar, and black pepper for a fresh burst with each bite. Prepare it easily and bring to the refrigerator to ready it; it’s best cool and chilled. A classic spread is perfect for picnics, barbecues, or quick weeknight dinners. Allow it to marinate a couple of hours …

Let me tell you something. The first time I made this Moroccan Beet Salad, it was a chilly Tuesday in March, and I was aching for color. Not just on my plate, but in my day. I stood in my kitchen with the windows cracked open just a bit — enough to catch a whiff of the neighbor’s firewood, enough to remind me that spring wasn’t quite here yet. But then I grated those beets — that deep, ruby-red hue practically sang out, and suddenly I was transported. Not to my cluttered kitchen, but to a sun-washed Moroccan courtyard, full …

You know those side dishes that people actually get excited about? You know, the ones that are just as likely to disappear first as the main event? Well, roasted asparagus and carrots fall squarely into that “everyone-will-want-seconds” territory at my house. Maybe it’s because I grew up with so-so boiled vegetables (sorry, Mom!), so the first time I bit into a caramelized, olive oil-roasted carrot, I thought, “Ohhh, we can do THIS with carrots?” And asparagus? Forget it. My family eats it like fries every time I throw it in the oven—crispy tips, slightly charred edges, a couple of grins …

You know that one dish that shows up at every cookout, every potluck, every casual Tuesday night when nobody feels like cooking? Yeah. This is that dish. This marinated cucumber, onion, and tomato salad has been in my life longer than half the people in my contacts list. I remember my mom pulling it out of the fridge in a big green Tupperware bowl — condensation clinging to the lid, the smell of vinegar and dill sneaking out before it even hit the table. She didn’t follow a recipe, not really. It was just “a splash of this, a sprinkle …

Have you ever noticed how just the thought of a loaded baked potato can set your stomach rumbling—no matter the hour? There’s something about that combo of creamy potato, melty cheese, smoky bacon, and bright chives that makes me want to ditch my to-do list and run straight to the kitchen. Honestly, that’s where this Loaded Baked Potato Salad comes in! All that craveable comfort is wrapped right into an easy-to-make, pass-the-bowl kind of salad. It’s hearty enough to be the main event for dinner (especially when you just don’t feel like fussing), but also perfect for backyard BBQs, potlucks, …

The crunchy, creamy slaw your summer plate’s been missin’ You know what? Coleslaw gets a bad rap sometimes. And I get it—nobody’s rushing to the buffet line for the “soggy white stuff,” bless its heart. But listen, this version? This one’s different. It’s not limp, it’s not sad, and it sure as heck isn’t flavorless. I started making this creamy peppery coleslaw with cucumbers and celery one summer when we were knee-deep in cookouts and I needed something bright and crunchy to cut through all that grilled meat and sticky barbecue sauce. I threw it together with what I had …

Some dishes don’t just fill your belly — they fill your heart. This creamy seafood salad, made with good ol’ imitation crab, takes me straight back to Sunday potlucks at the church hall and lazy lake days with family when no one was in a rush to be anywhere. If you grew up in the Midwest like I did, you know we have our own way of bringing the coast inland. We may not have oceanfront views, but we sure know how to serve up a seafood salad that tastes like it came straight from the shore — even if …

You’ll never look at cauliflower the same way again. So here’s the honest truth: I used to make roasted cauliflower purely out of guilt. You know… “Gotta eat more veggies, be a grown-up about it” kind of thing. And it was fine — a little olive oil, some salt, a good roast — totally acceptable. But then I started adding cheese sauce. Not just any cheese sauce — a creamy, garlic-infused, nutmeg-kissed Mornay that wraps every floret in a velvety, savory hug. I’m telling you, once I pulled that bubbly, golden dish out of the oven and caught a whiff …