Category: Salads

Breads · Salads

Italian Bread Salad

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Toasted Bread

1 loaf of 2 day old country Italian or sourdough bread

extra-virgin olive oil

Dressing

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup EVOO

Salt and pepper to taste

Salad

1 container red grape tomatoes, or 4 or 5 vine ripened tomatoes, chopped

1/2 container yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

1 large cucumber, seeded and diced

1 small red onion, diced

1 cup pitted and halved olives or 1/4 cup rinsed capers

chopped fresh basil to taste

chopped fresh parsley to taste

salt, finely ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Trip some of the crust from the bread, but not all and then cut into large crouton size pieces. Toss with a little bit of olive oil, spread on a cookie sheet and bake in the  oven until lightly toasted. (approx. 5 to 8 min).

Check every 5 min so the bread doesn’t get overly browned. Remove from oven and let cool.

Whisk together the garlic, red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup EVOO, salt and pepper to make a vinaigrette. Set aside.

In a bowl, gently toss together the bread cubes, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and olives. Season the salad with the fresh basil, fresh parsley, salt and pepper.

Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad. You may not use all of it/. Toss to coat and then let salad sit for about 20 minutes, so the bread soaks up the dressing.

Taste before serving and add more of the seasonings, if needed.

This recipe is taken from Plano Profile magazine and it will be on our table this week. Sounds perfect for these hot summer days.

Salads

Veggie Lovers Combo Salad

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Summer time, summer time, sum sum summertime! Salads are made for the summer!

This is taken from Taste of Home and is a great way to use the summer bounty of fresh veggies.

2 cups cut fresh green beans

2 cups fresh or frozen peas, thawed

2 medium sweet red or yellow peppers, chopped

2 plum tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil or (Italian parsley leaves)

2 tables red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, quartered

Optional toppings; chopped cashews, chopped pecans, toasted sesame seeds and cooked and crumbled bacon

In a saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Add green beans; cook, uncovered 2-3 minutes or just until crisp-tender.

Remove beans and immediately drop into ice water. Drain beans and pat dry; place in a large bowl. Add peas, peppers, tomatoes and onion.

Place mayo, basil, vinegar and garlic in a food processor; process until blended. Add to veggies and toss to coat.

Refrigerate,covered for at least 1 hour before serving.

just before serving sprinkle with additional toppings as desired.

Serves about 8-10

Salads

Summer Salad

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Why am I obsessed with pasta salads? While at my daughter’s house in Phoenix, babysitting the precious little darlings, I had about 2 minutes to sit down one night before I fell asleep and found this in a Better Homes & Garden. I couldn’t wait to get home to make it.

1/2 cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 (12 oz) package spaghetti, broken in half

3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

1 medium zucchini, ends trimmed

1 medium yellow summer squash, ends trimmed

6 sticks string cheese

4 cups cherry tomatoes, chopped

1 large purple onion (about 1 cup)

1 cup chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted

Heat 2 Tables of the oil in a 12″ skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; stir 1 min. Add pasta; toss to combine. Add broth. Cook, uncovered over medium heat 10 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Let cool 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Meanwhile, using a spiral vegetable slicer, cut zucchini and yellow squash  into strands; snip into shorter lengths, if desired. Add to spaghetti. Let cool completely. Pull cheese into thin strands, chill until read to serve and then pour dressing over before serving. *Dressing is below*

In a small bowl, combine the rest of the olive oil, the red wine vinegar, parsley, tomatoes, onion and walnut halves. Stir to combine and pour over spaghetti right before serving.

Salads

Green Apple Cole Slaw

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It thrills my soul that I have fallen in love with salads. I can honestly say that some days I actually crave salad. What is going on? Why am I wanting salads? The old me would have settled for a great slice of cherry pie or chocolate cake and been on my merry way. All I know is that maybe my cholesterol will drop below 300 if I keep going like this! If not, I can always eat a few oatmeal cookies to help; oats are suppose to help with cholesterol, right?

Serves 8 to 10

Taken from Come To The Table

Dressing

1 cup good quality mayo

1/4 cup distilled white vinegar

1/3 cup sugar

Salt & pepper to taste

Cole Slaw

1 medium green cabbage, (about 1 1/2 lbs), shredded

1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, grated

2 tart green apples, chopped

For the dressing, combine the may, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Mix well.

For the slaw, combine the cabbage, onion, carrot and green apples in a medium bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and place in fridge for several hours, covered for the flavors to blend.

Salads

Pimiento Arugula Pasta Salad

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Notice that I am posting salads. I’m thinking that the lighter the meal, the more we can splurge on desserts..almost like drinking diet cola alongside that piece of chocolate cake. Save calories when you can, allowing us to end our evening on a much loved dessert. Am I the only one that thinks like that?

This salad looks amazing.

1 (16 oz) package penne pasta

1/3 cup oiive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 teas honey

2 (4 oz) jars Dromedary pimientos, drained

1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped

4 oz feta cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup sliced fresh basil

1/2 (4 oz) package arugula

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water. Drain and set aside.

Whisk together olive oil and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add pasta, pimientos and next 3 ingredients into oil mixture.

Cover and chill until ready to serve. Stir in arugula just before serving.

Serves: 6-8 2015-04-13 18.05.33

Breads · Daily Thoughts · Salads

Wedge Salad With Tarragon Buttermilk Dressing & Crunchy Garlic Bread

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One of my favorite days of the month is when my Paula Deen magazine arrives. I tend to save sitting down looking through it, for when I can sit with any type of chocolate or dessert , a glass of tea (sweet of course) and quietness lurking in the room, with no television or radio. It is just my way of “getting away” from daily thoughts and it seems that by the time I finish, I stand up with a smile on my face and a new determination to try new recipes. Don’t you just love that about cooking magazines? They just inspire us to get out of our comfort recipes of meatloaf, chicken casseroles and store bought salads.

If you enjoy cooking magazines, I would like to recommend Cooking with Paula Deen…it has the most fabulous recipes. Haven’t tried one I didn’t love! Pure Southern goodness!

When I turned the page and saw this delicious looking salad with crunchy garlic bread to go alongside, it drew me in. Randy and I love wedge salads, so this one will grace our table this summer.

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup mayo

2 tables chopped fresh tarragon

2 tables chopped fresh parsley

2 tables whole grain Dijon mustard

1 table minced green onion

1/4 teas black pepper

1/2 teas salt

2 heads iceberg lettuce, cut into 4 wedges each

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup sliced radishes

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

In small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and next 7 ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Top each lettuce wedge with carrots, radishes, and tomatoes; drizzle with dressing. Serve immediately.

Crunchy Garlic Bread

2 (16 oz) loaves Italian five-grain bread

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2 tables minced green onion

2 tables chopped fresh parsley

1 tables garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400.

Cut bread into 1″ thick slices, cutting to but not through bottoms of loaves.

In a small bowl, stir together butter and all remaining ingredients. Spread butter mixture on cut side of each bread slice, being careful not to separate slices from bottom of loaves.

Place bread directly on oven rack.

Bake for 10 min or until bread is browned and crisp. Serve warm.

Daily Thoughts · Salads

Dole Chipolte Cheddar Salad

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2015-03-20 15.05.42Am making dinner tonight for some new friends, parmesan chicken, rice pilaf, green beans, salad, Sister Schubert Rolls, of course, and lemon delight for dessert. On Wednesday I catered a luncheon for 9 ladies and served a salad that each time I serve it, people want to know what it is. So I thought I would tell you about it.

I love salads, but I don’t like to make them. Much more fun to make a cake. But I know that salads make the meals seem complete. I have happened upon a premixed salad in a bag. (before you turn up your nose, I have never liked bagged salads, it seems that I can always taste all the preservatives in them and why did I ever even pick up one of these bagged salads in the first place, but am so glad that I did.)

The salad is Chipolte Cheddar by Dole and it is truly a great salad. I have served it to about 4 different groups of people and even my oldest son, who is truly a food snob (sorry Jason) told me how good it was and where I got it. It has the dressing included and it is just a great salad. I served it with Green Chile Chicken stew on Wed and all the ladies raved about it. So next time you hop (it’s almost Easter, I have to hop) over to the grocery store, do yourself a favor and pick up a bag of Dole Chipolte Cheddar. You will be a fan, I promise.

appetizers · Breads · Salads · Vegetables

Cornbread Stuffed Tomatoes

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We picked up a few tomatoes yesterday that had the most delicious flavor. As much as I love Fall, I will miss the tomatoes that we have in the summer. This recipe is a great way to enjoy the last tomatoes of summer.

4 ripe tomatoes
2 cups crumbled cornbread
1/2 cup mayo
4-6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3-4 green onions, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
Remove tomato cores, scoop out pulp and place in a bowl, leaving the tomato shell intact.
Stir together tomato pulp, cornbread and remaining ingredients. Spoon mixture into tomato shells and serve immediately.
*Taken from Southern Living Magazine 2002 Sept

appetizers · Fish · Salads

Shrimp To The Rescue

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We have been invited to a steak cookout next week where I was told to bring an appetizer. Since my blog is mostly about cooking, I felt it necessary that I should bring something more than a can of bean dip and a sack of Fritos. I googled “appitizers” and up popped a whole page of them taken from Southern Living kitchens. How had I missed this great recipe? I guess I have had my head in the bag of Hershey Kisses way to much lately. When I saw this recipe, I knew instantly that this was the one that would make them all stand up and say, “wow, I bet she has a cooking blog we need to check out!” Well, maybe, but at any rate, it will be refreshing & as one of our good friends likes to say, “ridiculously good”.

1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
4 tables finely chopped fresh parsley
4 tables finely chopped green onion (greens only)
6 tables olive oil
1 envelope Garlic & herb dressing mix (Like Good Seasons brand)
2 lbs cooked shrimp (I buy the bag of medium size shrimp at Costco and thaw overnight, drain and is ready to use)
1 large can of black or green olives, drained
2 cups halved grape tomatoes
2 (4 oz) package feta cheese, cut into 1/2″ cubes
Small fresh basil leaves *(I am changing this to fresh cilantro instead because I am adding chunks of avocado)
Whisk together vinegar and next 4 ingredients in a bowl. Stir in shrimp and next 3 ingredients. Cover and chill 8-12 hours.
Stir in desired amount of avocado chunks and fresh cilantro (or the basil if you are using that instead of cilantro) right before serving.
Serve with crackers

If you are serving as a salad, place in a large glass bowl. It makes a beautiful presentation!

Holiday Fare · Salads

Whole Wheat Orzo Salad

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Taken from Taste of Home, this is such a pretty & colorful salad, full of flavor and perfect for these spring dinner luncheons or dinners. My sister-in-law just finished making it to take to a party and let me have a spoonful. Trust me on this one…it is a keeper!

2 1/2 cups uncooked whole wheat orzo pasty (about 1 lb)

1 can (15 oz) white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and draned

3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

1 English cucumber, finely chopped

2 cups feta cheese (crumbled)

1/2 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 medium sweet yellow bell pepper, finely chopped

1 1/4 cups pitted Greek olives (about 6 oz) chopped

1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped

Dressing:

14 cup lemon juice

2 Tables olive ol

1 tables grated lemon peel

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teas pepper

Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain orzo; rinse with cold water.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients (except dressing). Stir in orzo.

Combine dressing ingredients and toss into the salad. Refrigerate until serving.