Monday, June 18, 2012

Purple Cafe Greek Salad and a Wine Bottle Opener GIVEAWAY!

Posted by Tina / 174 comments » / *Recipes, Dressings, Fake Out Take Out, Quick & Easy, Salads

Ya’ll… I apologize for being super sporatic in posting. Seattle really took it out of me! Traveling across 3 time zones and back in 4 days will do that to ya! 😉 I got back home and pretty much CRASHED from exhaustion!

Anyhow, to show you all how sorry I am for being MIA I’m going to give you a killer recipe… AND have a GIVEAWAY!!!  I know I know… I’ve NEVER done one before, so this is a monumental moment in the History of My Life as a Mrs! 😉 We’ll get to the giveaway after I tell all about this amazing (and EASY!!!!) Salad!

Right before I left to hop on my airplane home… I had one last meal with Jessica {The Novice Chef} at Purple Cafe and Wine Bar: a Greek Salad and a glass of Riesling to calm my nerves (I have a fear of flying… but that’s another story for another time hah).

The salad was IN.CRED.IBLE. Super simple but everything just WORKED. I knew I could re-create it when I got home… so I did! (DUH!) It’s really just the draining of a few cans, chopping of some fresh vegetables, and BAM! you have a salad that will knock your husband (or significant other’s) socks off!

For. Real.

And the dressing? You don’t even technically make a dressing… it’s just equal parts aged balsamic vinegar and some goold olive oil. Sometimes simple is best. 🙂

I don’t know what it’s like where you guys are, but it’s hot as blazes down here in South Florida. Summer. is. here. We’ve been cranking down the AC just to get soem relief from the sticky humid heat wave we’ve got going on outside. It’s SCHWEATY business up in here. Bleh.

I’m trying to limit the amount I use my oven, because let’s face it, that little sucker just heats the daggum house up! We’ve been grilling away and making some scrumptious salads like this one! Pop open a bottle of wine, and you’ve got yourself the perfect summertime dish! ENJOY!

Speaking of Wine: To read about the Wine Bottle Opener GIVEAWAY, Scroll down past the recipe! 😉

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Purple Cafe Greek Salad

Yield: 4-6 servings

Prep Time: 20-25 minutes

Total Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 hothouse cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and chopped
15.5 oz can chickpeas. drained and rinsed
6 ounce jar pitted kalamata olives, drained and halved lengthwise
12 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
12 ounce jar marinated artichokes, drained
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
4-6 ounces crumbled feta

3-4 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar (a little sweeter than the traditional kind)
3-4 tablespoons good olive oil
1 teasppon dried oregano (more or less to taste)

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a large bowl. Sprinkle with dried oregano and toss with equal parts aged balsamic vinegar and equal parts olive oil. Serve as a side dish or add some grilled chicken to make it a hearty main course!

Inspired by Purple Cafe and Wine Bar, Seattle Washington

 

 -This Giveaway has already ended-

Le Creuset Advanced Lever Wine Bottle Opener {GIVEAWAY}:

 

 

(Photo Source)

 

 

three ways to enter:

1. What is your favorite oven-less meal to make in the summertime? (leave a comment with your answer)
2. Become a fan of both My Life as a Mrs and Le Creuset on Facebook! Or let me know if you already are!
3. Tweet or Facebook “Enter to win a @LeCreuset Advanced Lever Wine Bottle Opener (Valued at $170 USD) from @mylifeasamrs http://wp.me/p1dFEk-3jd“ and then come back and let me know you did with a link to it!

rules:

1. This Giveaway closes on Sunday, June 24th, 2012 at midnight EST.
2. There will only be {1} one winner of {1} Le Creuset Advanced Lever Wine Bottle Opener and Foil Cutter.
3. Winner will be chosen using random.org.
4. Leave a separate comment on this post for EACH entry to make all of your entries count (MAXIMUM of 3 entries).
5. I will contact the prize winner by email and the prize must be claimed within 7 days or it will be forfeited and an alternate winner will be selected.
6. See Official Rules

Disclosure: I won this amazing Le Creuset Advanced Lever Wine Bottle Opener and Foil Cutter in Seattle and loved it so much that I’m giving one away! Le Creuset did not compensate me for writing this post. These opinions are 100% my own!

 

 

CONTEST HAS ENDED - WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN AT RANDOM BY THE END OF THE DAY!