RUNNER UP AWARD Libby’s “Chic In a Can” Recipe Challenge
“I received free samples of Libby’s Fruits & Vegetables mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Libby’s Fruits & Vegetables and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.”
Thanks to Libby’s, we are thrilled to share our NEWEST SUMMER recipe with all you! Today, we are here to convince you of 2 things:
- Salads DON’T have to be boring! Take away the “Stereotypical” classic lettuce leaf, tomato salad. We have one here that you will be begging for more.
- Low-cost ingredients can make a restaurant-worthy meal! Canned foods often lose its appeal in more sophisticated/gourmet cooking, but we prove otherwise.
This contest was a BIG challenge for us! Not only because it was so different from the usual dishes we make but we literally only had one day to plan, prepare, photograph our new creation.
After staring and staring our cans of corn for hours and hours; crossing out idea after idea; from cornbread to lasagna to galette, we FINALLY agreed on something.
Zoe and I have been so busy this week. As part of our internship program, we flew to Chicago for a week to network with executives and to sit in trainings. It has been an incredible experience because Chicago is an amazing city. It honestly feels like London and Paris again. The unique blend of modern; medieval Paris; innovative architecture has made Chicago one of the most stylish and fascinating cities to be in. Not to mention we got to eat at incredible Michelin star restaurants. We decided to draw inspiration from this new Asian-American wave and recreate a classic “Roasted Carrot Salad”, made by numerous chefs like Ottolenghi, Jamie Oliver, Hemsely & Hemsley and Martha Stewart. This is our:
“Roasted Carrot Salad with Corn & Charred Scallion–Cilantro Pesto”.
It is a mouthful to say, but honestly this is deceivingly EASY to make. Would you believe me if I said that we threw together using only leftover ingredients from the fridge?
I was TOTALLY hooked after the first bite! Zoe & I are total salad junkies and have had many, many salads. But this is one is different. The roasted sweet carrots, caramel-ly red onions paired with crunchy sweet corn is phenomenal. In fact we used corn as a healthier, cheaper substitute for the sweetness of dried fruits and the crunchiness of the nuts in salads.
The Oil-free Asian Pesto, however, is the star. The inspiration originates from a traditional Thai dipping sauce, Nam Jim Tha’lay. This Sweet and vinegary sauce, blended up with handfuls of cilantro, is most commonly served with fresh seafood. We chose to use apple cider vinegar in place of lime; salt instead of fish sauce and blended that up with honey, fresh cilantro, garlic and charred scallions. Charring or “stir-frying” the scallions until it is blackened brings out a natural smoky-sweetness as well as tempers its pungent spiciness. Dress this over any of your vegetables and voila – you have an extremely delicious salad.
NO cranberries/raisins (dried fruit), No Nuts, No gluten, No Dairy, No Oil – this is the PERFECT Low-Cost Summer salad that can be thrown together for your family. A perfect addition to your family summer table.
- 6 large carrots
- 1 large red onion, sliced
- 1 can Libby's Corn Kernels
- Garnish: Cilantro, Yogurt, Fresh coriander
- Charred Scallion-Cilantro Pesto:
- 2 cups cilantro (or your favorite herb)
- 1 cup scallion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey/agave (or to taste)
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp water
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Cut carrots into 3-4 equal pieces. Slice each pieces lengthwise into 3-4 thin wedges.
- Slice onions thinly. Peel the garlic and separate into individual cloves.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Toss your carrots, onions, garlic with salt and pepper. Spread out on the tray in a single layer (if they are too close or overlapping the vegetables will steam).
- Roast for 20 minutes until soft.
- For the sauce: In a dry pan, add your finely sliced scallions. Toast and fry till blistered and charred. Blend all the ingredients for the sauce in a food processor until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Toast your roasted vegetables with the prepared pesto. Top with fresh cilantro, yogurt and toasted almonds.
(Please note that this is a closed link-up for Recipe ReDux posts only. Any links added to this collection for non-ReDux posts will be deleted.)
(This post is featured on Hearth and Soul, Twinkly Tuesday)
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This looks lovely – I really struggle with salads, finding them completely uninspiring! This looks fab though! Thanks for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday
Thank you 🙂 I’m so glad that this recipe was inspiring for you! It was so nice to hear such a wonderful compliment!
I’m so glad you both enjoyed Chicago! It’s definitely on my list of places to visit – and even more so now! This is such a lovely salad – really wholesome and satisfying and I just love the flavours you have used. Thank you so much for sharing with us at Hearth and Soul. Pinning, tweeting and sharing on the H&S Facebook page. Hope to ‘see’ you at the party again on Monday August 7th when we return from summer break!
Thanks April!! 😉 We always love your sweet comments! Chicago is really a beautiful city! Hope you get to go there someday! We can’t wait for this week’s H &S party again!
Hi again! Just wanted to let you know this wonderful recipe is featured at the party this week! Look forward to ‘seeing’ you both!
YAY! Thanks April! 🙂 🙂 we can’t wait till next week!
Amazing. Pinning.
#twinklytues
Thank you so much! We really appreciate that!
I can’t wait to try this, it looks amazing and has everything I like in it #twinklytuesday
Aww thanks! Please do try it and let us know how it turns out!
This looks so, so good! Pesto makes me super happy, haha. :] I love all the colors in this! <3
Thank you farah! haha I agree pesto makes me feel the same way too! The vibrant colors and flavors are to die for! This one was no exceptional! Thanks again so much sweetie!
oooh that pesto sounds delish!
Thanks Deanna! 🙂 So glad you stopped by!
I will confess that I was taken aback by canned corn but I kept reading. Putting aside my prejudices, I would use frozen if fresh wasn’t available, but refrigeration is not available in a lot of the world still so canned goods are important for food preservation I pushed through. Bravo ladies for this migraine trigger free salad. I’m going to tuck this away as a side dish for summer BBQs. As well as being Migraine-friendly it’s suitable for those with food sensitivities and vegetarians. 💜💜💜💜
Adele, Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us! Zoe and I were so touched to read your comment! It made our day! We do hope you get to make it and let us know how it turns out! That would mean a lot to us! Have a great weekend!