Favorite Salads

Just realized that there are a number of salads in our regular repertoire that I've never posted. I'll add to this post as I remember more.

Apple, Cashew, and Poppyseed Salad

1  Honey Crisp or Braeburn Apple, unpeeled and cut into 1/2" chunks
1  Romaine, medium to large; cored and finely shredded
1/4 C. Dried cranberries
1/4 C. White raisins
1/3 C. Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/3 C. Salted cashews
Poppyseed salad dressing (I prefer Brianna's).


1. Combine shredded Romaine lettuce with fruits; toss with Poppyseed dressing.
2. Sprinkle on Parmesan and Cashews; toss gently
3. Serve immediately

Many times we will buy chicken strips from KFC or grill a chicken breast or two to mix with this salad. Makes a satisfying entree.

I know that almost everyone has a version of this salad, but our family's version has evolved into the next favorite.

Taco Salad

1  lb. Ground beef
Salt and pepper
1  8oz can  Tomato sauce
3-4 T.  Ground chiles or chili powder
1/2 pkg. Onion soup mix*
1  head  Romaine

2-3  Carrots, peeled and sliced thinly
1/2 medium  Sweet onion, diced
Western salad dressing
1 Cup  Sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Tortilla chips, crumbled
1 Avocado, peeled and cut into chunks--optional

Tomatoes--optional

1. Crumble and brown ground beef in skillet over medium high heat.
2. Salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Add tomato sauce and chili powder; Stir in onion soup mix (*very high in sodium; may omit).
4. Simmer meat mixture over medium heat; turn to very low heat after a few minutes.
5. Meanwhile, core Romaine and slice thinly across head from the bottom. Chop a bit more to ensure bite-sized pieces.
6. Add carrots and sweet onion and toss with Western salad dressing. Stir in grated Cheddar.

7. Add avocado, if desired. Toss gently.

SAUTÉED  SPINACH SALAD w/ROASTED GARLIC
1 bulb Garlic
1 - 3 T. Olive oil
8 - 12 oz Baby spinach, triple washed or wash, spin, and thoroughly dry
1 half Lemon
1 - 2 T. Parmesan, grated
To taste Salt and pepper, freshly ground

1. Cut the top off the garlic bulb to expose some of the cloves and peel away excess papery layer.
2. Place garlic in small heat-proof dish.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes or until cloves are tender when you prick with point of a knife or fork. Cool.
4. Reserve garlic oil for sauteing the spinach.
5. Cover your hand with a small plastic bag and squeeze the garlic bulb from the bottom until all cloves are release; set aside.
6. Heat reserved garlic oil in a wok or medium large skillet until bubbles a bit.
7. Add half to all of the spinach and quickly toss using tongs. Repeat with additional portions, if necessary.
8. Shut off the flame when spinach appears half cooked--some leaves will still be crispy.
9. Squeeze lemon juice over spinach and toss together.
10. Salt and pepper.
11. Use tongs to remove to a shallow salad bowl or individual small plates.
12. Sprinkle with roasted garlic cloves and Parmesan.
13. Serve immediately.

Serve fresh focaccia or French bread alongside. Spread the roasted garlic on the bread.

This recipe is based on the fabulous Cole Slaw served at Austin's in Fort Collins

World's Best Cole Slaw
Green cabbage (some red, too), shredded
Carrots, shredded
Braeburn Apple (unpeeled), chopped
Dried cranberries 
White raisins
Marzetti's Cole Slaw Dressing
Pine nuts, toasted

Pad Thai Vinaigrette
Makes Approximately 1-1/2 cups

2 T. Rice wine vinegar
2 T. Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
2 T. Tamarind paste
2 T. Light soy sauce or Tamari
3 (2) T. Extra-virgin olive oil
1 T. Ketchup
1-1/2 T. (1 T.) Sugar
1 T. Fresh ginger, grated
2 Garlic cloves, minced
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. (1 tsp.) Chili paste

Whisk together. Can be refrigerated in sealed container for one week.
Thai Steak (or Chicken) Noodle Salad
4 servings

1/2 cup Pad Thai Vinaigrette
2 12-oz. Steaks (New York Strip), grilled to medium rare
2 cups Vermicelli noodles, cooked; slightly al dente
1/3 cup Fresh cilantro, julienned
1/3 cup Fresh basil, julienned
1/3 cup Green onions, thinly sliced
3/4 cup Grape tomatoes, halved
1-2 Avocados, rough cut
3/4 cup Fresh mango
2 med. Carrots, julienned
1 head Romaine, finely chopped
2 Limes, halved
3/4+ cup Peanuts

1. Prepare vinaigrette. Set aside.
2. Grill steaks (seasoned with salt + pepper) to medium rare. Let rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice. Set aside. While steaks are grilling, cook Vermicelli to al dente in salted water. Rinse thoroughly in cold water. Drain well and dry with paper towels. 
3. Chop Romaine, julienne carrots, halve grape tomatoes, thinly slice green onions (white part and equal amount of green). Toss together in large bowl. Dry thoroughly with paper towels. 
4. Top salad with avocado, mango, and peanuts. Gently toss together using hands. 
5. In a large bowl--add vinaigrette to cold noodles. Toss thoroughly. Pour salad mixture on top. Gently toss using hands. Add more vinaigrette. 
6. Plate salads. Squeeze lime juice on top.
7. Sprinkle on my peanuts, if desired.
8. Distribute steak pieces evenly between 4 servings. 

Amy's Potato Salad
4 lbs Yukon Gold or waxy potatoes, boiled, chilled, peeled, and 1" dice
1 bunch Celery, sliced thinly
1 large Sweet onion, diced
8 large Eggs, boiled, peeled, and diced
2 - 2-1/2 C Mayonnaise
Salt and Pepper to taste
On-call cardiac surgeon, because this dish is heart attack on a plate.

Assemble and refrigerate until chilled through. Yum!

This is just a list of ingredients. We usually use Paul Newman's Italian Salad Dressing.

ANTIPASTO SALAD 

Romaine

Provolone 

Parmesan - shaved 

Black olives

Tomatoes

Red cabbage, shredded

Green peppers

Red onions

Genoa salami

Italian sausage

This recipe was passed on by my friend Sandy Nuneman. Ive added a bit to it, but the Brianna's Poppyseed Salad Dressing is what puts it over-the-top!

CASHEWS AND APPLE SALAD
RomainE, shredded
1 Granny Smith or Braeburn Apple, seeded and chopped
White raisins
Dried Cranberries
Grapes or no grapes...
Parmesan, Shredded
Salted cashews
Brianna's Poppyseed Salad Dressing

STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD

coming soon

We'd heard John Delucie of the Waverly Inn in NYC talking on a Mario Bosquez segment, when Martha Srewart had a Sirius Radio channel.

John said he likes to have this salad served to him every day just as dinner service is kicking into gear:

AVOCADO, TOMATOES, AND HEARTS OF PALM SALAD

Beef steak tomatoes, thinly sliced

Hearts of palm

Red onion, sliced and soaked briefly in ice water

Haas avocado, sliced

Sprinkled with fresh lime juice and extra virgin olive oil and topped with some chopped fresh cilantro leaves.

Salt and pepper, to taste

New Recipes

This is not a totally new recipe. A co-worker from S-K days passed this one on from her culinary-trained daughter. Spinach and Strawberry Salad, with Poppy-Seed Dressing. 

Spinach-Strawberries-Toasted Almonds; I've added Avocado-Sweet Onion-Grilled Chicken. 

We loved the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (with Blueberries) at The Farmhouse at Jessup Farm here in Fort Collins. Found a perfect recipe on the classycooking.com website. 

Photo via classy cooking.com

We did a take 2 today 🎬🎬, but with Toasted Almonds-Strawberries-Bananas. Absolutely divine. 

This next one is my creation. Mix one-jar of Dickenson's Lemon Curd with 7-oz 

container of Fage 2% Greek Yogurt. Layer with Graham Cracker Streusel (GC crust recipe; crumbled). Top with a dollop of Whipped Cream. 

Making this today. Probably will add a crumble of Feta Cheese to the White Balsamic Glaze. We'll use julienned Basil from our terrace herb garden, rather than Mint. Will be equally as good. Might even use Basil and Mint. 

Last Friday-Saturday we used a NYTFood recipe for bagels. 

Our results were quite good for the first attempt. Need to work on shapes. Have ordered a biscuit cutter through Anazon to help with that. 

Mexican Quiche

QUICHE

1  Pillsbury crust, unbaked

2  Eggs, beaten

1/2 cup  Mayonnaise (I use low-fat)

1/2 cup  Milk

1 T.  Cornstarch

Salt and Pepper

1 to 1-1/2 cups  Cheese, grated. 

(I like to grate my own because they add cellulose to pre-grated cheese, so it gets oily.) (I used cheddar-Jack, but any flavor you choose works.)

1/2 to 3/4 cup Filling--meat, veggies, etc. 

1. Preheat oven to 350°. 

2. Press crust into pie plate or springform pan or quiche dish. 

3. Mix together beaten eggs, milk, mayonnaise, cornstarch. Set aside. 

4. Sprinkle filling over unbaked crust. 

5. Evenly spread grated cheese over filling. 

6. Pour egg mixture over filling and cheese. (I then use a fork to gently coach some egg into the crevices. Just a bit.)

7.  Salt lightly and pepper. 

8.  Place on rack just below center of oven. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350°.  

The filling I used was a leftover ground beef/black bean taco mixture, so the quantity below will make 3 quiches, or have tacos for dinner the night before you bake one quiche!

1 lb.  Ground beef, browned and drained of any fat. 

3 T.  Taco seasoning, dry 

*1/2 pkg.  Onion soup mix [optional]

1  6 oz. can  Tomato sauce (or less) (You can use salsa instead.)

1/2 cup   Water

1  can  Black beans

Hot sauce, if desired. 

Cilantro, chopped

1. Add all ingredients except black beans to browned ground beef. 

2. Bring to a high simmer; lower flame. Simmer until liquid is almost completely evaporated. 

3. Drain and rinse black beans with cold water. Stir into meat mixture. 

4. Add hot sauce, if desired. 

5. Sprinkle with freshly chopped cilantro. 

*We stopped adding the onion soup mixture due to it's very high sodium content. 

Small Group

Donna Hay's Red Velvet Cheesecake

I haven't written much about our Small Group; 14 friends, 7 couples we've been doing life with for over 20 years. Originally we all attended Willow Creek Community Church, so we organized as part of their desire for everyone to have community and support on a micro-level within the huge body of the church. Amazingly, we are all still actively involved in each other's lives.

Most of us are retired. Most of us have had health issues; happily all well-resolved. All our children are now grown--graduated from college, found careers/lost jobs, married, divorced, had babies/lost pregnancies, thriving/temporarily struggling, bought homes/sold homes, moved away/moved closer... One couple tragically lost their oldest son. Through it all our group has gathered-round with prayers, wisdom, humor, well-spoken words, meals, gifts, etc. And mostly, the quiet assurance of companionship along life's pathways--rocky terrain as well as still waters and green pastures.

So, even before CA and I left the beach I reached out and invited our friends over for dessert on the eve of CA's surgery. We never-ever run out of conversation when we get together. I wanted CA to feel the love and support of these friends, as well as both our children who flew in to be with us during surgery and after.

Red Velvet Cheesecake prep and fresh fruit with Agave/Tequila (3/1 parts):

After almost two hours together, we joined hands and each prayed for CA's health, for the doctors skill and care, for the well-being of our family. Powerful stuff!


Lovely spring flowers and fun foods from Trader Joe's--some of the gifts from our Small Group: