Fruit and Feta Salad

Fruit and Feta Salad is another recipe that originated from my friend Kristen. Kristen, Dave and their 5 kids lived in Japan for a few years. While living in Japan, this was one dish they could always enjoy, even overseas. She would buy the dressing, Craisins and pecans when she came home to visit family in the States, and could always find apples, Feta cheese and Romaine lettuce in Japan. We love this salad. The spices on the pecans are what set this salad apart from a hundred other "fruit, nut, cheese and greens" type of salads. When you toss the sweetened pecans, coated with nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon into the salad - Oh my.

I use a different dressing than Kristen, I prefer the Brianne's Poppy Seed dressing to the Girard's (probably because it's sweeter). It's a great salad either way. Really yummy topped with grilled chicken for a main dish.

Fruit and Feta Salad

Salad:

1 large head of Romaine lettuce *

2 apples, chopped, not peeled

1/2 cup craisins

1/2 to 3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

sugared pecans (see below)

Girards Champagne or Briannas Poppyseed Dressing

Sugared and Spiced Pecans:

1/2 lb pecans

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup melted butter

Line a baking sheet with foil. Spread pecans on baking sheet, drizzle with melted butter. Sprinkle all spices and sugar on top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, toss pecans so all are coated with spice mixture. Set aside to cool.

Wash lettuce, dry or spin thoroughly, and chop. Add apples, Craisins, and crumbled feta cheese. Toss with pecan mixture and about 1/2 bottle of dressing. Serve immediately.

Tips:

-* If using Costco Romaine lettuce, use two heads (they're kind of small). Approx 10-12 cups of lettuce

-Make sure the apples are chilled. If you try to use apples that are warm, they will immediately brown after chopping. You may also dip the apples into a bowl of cold water , about 4 cups cold water to 1/4 cup lemon juice. Drain well before adding to salad.

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Sweet Potato Salad with Orange Maple Dressing

There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who love sweet potatoes, and those who don't. In our house it's about 50-50. I was raised on sweet potatoes. My mom was raised on sweet potatoes. Growing up, Mom cooked them all the time and served them with a little butter, hot out of the oven. We also ate cold sweet potatoes out of the fridge. We LOVED tempura sweet potatoes, a rare treat. To this day I love a good cold sweet potato, sliced as a snack. My kids think this is sick(sick, not in a cool way).

I first made this recipe a couple of years ago, and have since tried a few different variations. This is a great dish to serve as a side with a summer barbecue, winter meal, or a spring brunch. It is served cold or room temperature as a salad. We had it last week with salmon-yum! Try this on your Easter brunch table. The sweet potato people in your family will love it.

Sweet Potato Salad with Orange Maple Dressing

printable recipe

Dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons fresh peeled minced ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons honey

Salad:

4 pounds red skinned sweet potatoes (yams)

2 pounds white skinned sweet potatoes

1/2 cup chopped green onion

1 cup fresh parsley (optional)

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted * (or sugared see below), coarsely chopped

1/2 cup golden raisins

1 small Fuji apple, cubed

Dressing:

Whisk all ingredients to blend in small bowl. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

For Salad:

Steam or bake potatoes until tender. Cool and peel. Slice into cubes about 3/4 inch. Transfer potatoes to large bowl. Completely cool to room temperature. Add green onions, parsley, pecans, raisins and apple. Pour dressing over salad ingredients. Toss gently to blend.

Tips:

-Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

-If you want to prepare the day before: cook the potatoes, peel and chop. Prepare the dressing and store in the refrigerator until day of serving salad. Chop the green onion and parsley. Place on top of the potatoes. Refrigerate. Next day, toss all remaining ingredients.

-I like to sugar the nuts in a teflon pan. Heat the pan over medium to med high, pour the nuts into the pan, sprinkle with about 1/4 cup sugar. Stir and cook just until sugar is melted and coats the nuts. Pour onto a piece of foil, cool and sprinkle with a couple more tablespoons of sugar.

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Southwest Orzo and Black Bean Salad

It's tournament time! Three Utah teams have been invited to the BIG DANCE. Stock the fridge, make some yummy food and enjoy the games. How can you NOT love the NCAA tournament? Ok, well I didn't always love it... back in the early 80's "One Shining Moment" a video of tournament highlights and watching Jim Valvano hooked me. Over the years, I graduated from the highlights to the actual games. I'm a little backwards, I know. You've never seen "One Shining Moment" ?? click here, this is one of my favorites, 1998, when the Utes played in the championship game. I love that some unknown team (at least to me), this year- Morgan State (15 seed), can make it into the tournament, beat a top seeded team and before you know it the whole nation is talking about Morgan State. I have no idea where they are located- anyone?

Enough with the basketball talk, this is a cooking blog! This is a great recipe I adapted from Cooking Light a few years back. It's versatile because it can be served as a salad, or appetizer and is low fat (bonus). As an appetizer, serve with a big bowl of tortilla chips. If you are serving as a salad, chop some romaine lettuce onto a platter and pour the salad over the lettuce, top with the avocado mixture. If you've never cooked Orzo, you'll love this rice shaped pasta. One box will last a long, long time.

U know who I will be cheering for...how about you?

Southwest Orzo and Black Bean Salad

printable recipe

1 cup dried Orzo pasta
1 can (15 oz) black beans rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups corn, fresh cut, frozen or drained canned
2 firm ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup thin sliced green onion
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper, about 1/2 teaspoon each

Avocado topping:
1 ripe avocado
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup non fat, low fat or regular sour cream
Salt and pepper
tortilla chips
chopped lettuce

Boil 2 quarts water. Add pasta, cook until barely tender 9-11 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. In large mixing bowl, mix pasta, beans, corn, tomato, cilantro, onions, lime and lime juice. Toss to combine. Add seasonings, including salt and pepper to taste.
In small bowl, mash avocado with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and sour cream. Salt and pepper.

If serving as an appetizer, pour into serving bowl or platter, top with avocado mixture. Serve with tortilla chips. As a salad, shred romaine lettuce onto platter, top with salad and avocado.

Tips:

-If you are serving as an appetizer, tuck some chips around the inside edge of the bowl just before serving.

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Asian Noodles and Slaw

Spring is in the air! Easter is just around the corner. April the 12th to be exact. So, I have been thinking about brunch dishes to celebrate this joyous time of year.

One of our favorite salads to eat in the spring and summer is this Oriental Cabbage Slaw. Made this last night to go with salmon at a family birthday dinner. Years ago, my sis in law, Sheri, made some changes to the original recipe from A Pinch of Salt Lake cookbook. I made a few more, now its nearly perfect (in my humble opinion). This is a great salad for a buffet table, because it doesn't go limp, or have any ingredients that spoil easily (unless you add chicken to make it more of a main dish salad). It's a little different than the usual pasta salad, and yet different from most salads made with ramen noodles, because the noodles are cooked. In the next few weeks, I'll post some of our (brunch) family favorites.

Asian Noodles and Slaw

printable recipe

Salad:

4 packages chicken flavored ramen, spice packs reserved

1 medium size head cabbage, finely shredded

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

1 orange or yellow pepper, thinly sliced

4-5 cups broccoli, blanched and cut into small pieces

1 bunch green onions, chopped

Dressing:

1 cup vegetable oil

3 tablespoons sesame oil

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup cider vinegar

3 spice packets from ramen packages

2-4 tablespoons sugar - to taste

salt and ground pepper to taste

After salad and dressing are assembled, sprinkle generously with :

Mrs Dash- about 3 Tablespoons

toasted sesame seeds- about 1/4 cup

Cook ramen according to package directions, do not add spice packets. Do not over cook. Rinse with cold water, drain again. Place noodle in large bowl or container. Combine the chopped vegetables with the noodles.

Combine dressing ingredients, whisk or place in blender until mixed well. Taste the dressing, it should have a little bit of a sweet/sour taste. If it's not tart enough, add a little more vinegar, if too tart, add more sugar. Pour the dressing a little at a time over the salad ingredients, tossing as you add the dressing. There should be about 1/2 to 1/4 cup of the dressing leftover.

Sprinkle generously with Mrs. Dash and sesame seeds. After pouring into serving dish, sprinkle with a few more seeds and Mrs. Dash. Refrigerate until serving.

Tips:

-Add a couple of sliced chicken breasts to make this a main dish salad.

-Mrs. Dash is a combination of several spices, pepper, celery seed, onion, marjoram, thyme, coriander, cumin, orange peel, lemon juice powder to name a few. It really gives this salad a great flavor.

-I have found that buying sesame seeds in the oriental section of the grocery is much less expensive than the spice area. The bottles are much bigger, many times for about half the cost. - Don't over cook the ramen, it's easy to do, because the noodles are so thin. They really only take about a minute or two.

- I have tried lots of different brands of ramen noodles and Soba noodles in this recipe. For a while I used Soba noodles. They taste good, and have a more substantial texture, but have reverted back to using ramen noodles because they are easier to find in the grocery store, and less expensive. And no one seemed to appreciate the difference! I like the Sapporo Ichiban brand of ramen. If you use a brand like Top Ramen (ick), you may want to increase the amount of noodles to 5-6 packages, and use 3-4 spice packets. They tend to have less noodles per package than the Sapporo brand.

Sapporo Brand, found in the Asian/Oriental section of the grocery

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Black Bean Chicken Taco Salad

I have fond memories of my Mom's tacos. She made tacos using ground beef, chopped onion, a package of Schilling Taco Seasoning, Ortega taco shells, American cheese, chopped tomatoes, grated carrot, and iceberg lettuce. I LOVED taco night. When I was a young married girl (yes, very young). How young? Well, let's just say I was still technically a teenager when I crossed the threshold. YIKES. During the first week of our marriage, I made tacos for dinner. Now, you have to know that when Grant was a young strapping groom, even though he weighed about 150, he had the appetite of The Hulk. I could make a dinner for six and have NO LEFTOVERS. If you cook, you know how satisfying that is. I loved cooking, and he loved eating. Let me set the scene - We lived on 6th Avenue, right next to the Salt Lake City cemetery -a one bedroom apartment, with an all turquoise kitchen, complete with turquoise counter tops, refrig, oven, sink and carpet. Nowadays we would call that "vintage". Back then, I thought, well, at least I didn't get the apartment across the hall with PINK appliances and red carpet. We were students, poor and in love. Back to the food- So I whipped up some (I thought) yummy tacos one night. Grant sits down, and proceeds to eat ONE. Yes, ONE taco.

Him "Thanks for dinner, that was great"

Me "You are only eating ONE? Have some more"

Him "No thanks, I'm full"

Me "Are you sick??"

Him "No, just full"

Me " NO, you aren't full, did you already eat something else?"

Him "No, I'm just really full"

Me "You didn't like it "

Him " No, really (lie) I liked it, I'm just full"

Then I continue to grill him for the rest of the evening, until I find out Grant doesn't like hard shell tacos. How could I have married a man who didn't like hard shell tacos? I mean, I didn't even know soft shell tacos or taco salad even existed until the early 80's! Whatever.

And what's up with not just fessing up and telling me ??? Maybe he thought I would make a big deal out of it or something silly like that...

So, I gave up making hard shell tacos and stick to soft tortillas and taco salads. This is a recipe I adapted from Cooking Light a few years back. It's a simple ordinary dish, except for the dressing. The Cooking Light dressing has a lot of ZING to it.

Everyone in our family loves this. Even Grant.

Black Bean Chicken Taco Salad

printable recipe

3 chicken breast halves, or about 4 cups cooked chicken

8-10 cups chopped Romaine lettuce

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

2-3 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

Cheddar or Jack cheese, grated

1 lime (half for chicken, half for dressing)

Tortilla chips

Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing:

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 bunch cilantro, washed and chopped

1 Tablespoon Taco seasoning

juice from half of one lime

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

fresh ground pepper

Lower in fat, great flavor

Cooking Light recipe:

Lime Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup chopped seeded tomato

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons Cider Vinegar

2 teaspoons lime rind, grated

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 garlic clove, chopped

4 Tablespoons mayo (optional, but necessary in my opinion)

Season chicken with salt and pepper, squeeze juice from lime onto chicken. Cook in oven under broiler for about 8-10 minutes, depending on thickness of meat. Remove, and let cool, then slice and set aside. If the weather is nice enough , grilling this on the bbq is best.

Combine salad ingredients into large bowl. Toss with cooled chicken. Add desired amount of cheese and tortilla chips.

Combine all dressing ingredients into blender or bowl, and whisk or blend until smooth.

Tips:

Unless the salad is being served and eaten all at one sitting, I toss the chips, cheese and dressing with each individual serving.

Great with a half bag of frozen corn, thawed, or chopped bell peppers or sliced olives.

Sometimes, I substitute sour cream for the mayo, or add 1/2 block (4 oz) of softened cream cheese to the dressing. In this case, I just add a little more garlic salt and taco seasoning.

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Greens with Pears, Oven Dried Grapes and Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette

Salad week! After eating piepiepeipiepie for a week, I thought I should post something a bit more healthy. I love this salad. It's really simple. Just takes a little time, because you have to allow for the grapes and shallots to cook in the oven. If you are looking for a yummy salad to take to a holiday party, your troubles are over.

Greens with Pears, Oven Dried Grapes and Roasted Shallots

1 1/2 pounds seedless red grapes
4 teaspoons plus 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 shallots (about 4 ounces), peeled
1/4 cup Sherry wine vinegar
2- 4 tablespoons tablespoons honey (I use 4, maybe a little more)
fresh ground pepper
2-3 heads Butter Lettuce (about 16 cups) or

Spring Lettuce Mix about 3/4 of the Costco container
3 ripe pears, thinly sliced- I like red pears

Preheat oven to 250°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil. Arrange grapes in single layer on baking sheet. Drizzle with 3 teaspoons olive oil; toss to coat. Place shallots on sheet of heavy-duty foil; drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil. Enclose in foil; place in small baking dish, or on end of same baking sheet with grapes. Bake until shallots are very soft, about 1 1/2 hours, and grapes are shriveled and lightly caramelized, about 2 hours. Cool.

Do ahead: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover separately; chill. Bring to room temperature before using.
Combine shallots and accumulated juices, 3/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, and honey in blender and puree. Season with salt and pepper.

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Marinated Pasta Salad

Way back, when I had less cookbooks and more sense, I used one cookbook over and over. It was "A Pinch of Salt Lake". It was my close friend when we moved from Salt Lake to Portland, Oregon (mid 80's). Grant was in law school. Corrine ( two years old) and I spent a lot of time in our little apartment. I tried most of the recipes out in that book, and loved or at least liked the majority. Some of my fav's were: Layered Seafood Spread, Crustless Crab Quiche, Mexican Breakfast, Orange Glazed Crescent Rolls, Spinach Herb Twists, Asian Noodles and Slaw, Crepes with Crab and Spinach, Cold Lemon Chicken. The list goes on and on. Even after collecting cookbooks for over 25 years, POSL is still one of my favorites for consistently great recipes. This is a delish salad, easy, fresh. Sprinkling the dry Good Season's Italian over the veggies and pasta really make the flavor stick to all of the ingredients. You can change the vegetable to suit your taste. I like the olives, not only bc I'm an olive lover, but also for the color. Oh- one last thing - I think it's out of print now, but can always be found on ebay or Amazon.

Marinated Pasta Salad

Pinch of Salt Lake

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1 lb pasta, any shape

1/4 of a Bermuda onion, chopped

1 yellow pepper, sliced

2 carrots, thinly sliced

2 small zucchini, thinly sliced

2-3 cups broccoli flowerlettes

1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced

1 large can pitted olives, whole

1 - .07 oz. package dry Good Seasons Italian dressing mix

1-16 oz. Bernstein's Cheese and Garlic Italian dressing

Cook pasta according to package directions. Immerse in cold water, drain and set aside.

Wash and cut vegetables, place in a large bowl. Add cooked pasta and sprinkle with dry dressing mix. Add a generous amount of fresh ground pepper. Pour bottled dressing over all, toss and refrigerate. Just before serving, grate fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese over all of the salad.

Tips:

-If you are waiting more than 3 hours to serve, add the mushrooms and grated cheese just before serving.

-If you like the broccoli tender, and bright green, blanch before adding to salad.

What is blanching? Blanching is a cooking term that describes a process of food preparation wherein the food substance, usually a vegetable or fruit, is plunged into boiling water, removed after a brief, timed interval and finally plunged into iced water or placed under cold running water (shocked) to halt the cooking process.

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Panzanella- Bread salad with tomatoes and mozzarella

I love Panzanella- bread salad - made traditionally with day old crusty Italian bread, a dressing of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and anything else leftover. My favorite combo is bread and dressing, tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella cheese. Kalamata olives would be a perfect ingredient, but last time I made it, I was serving it to the under 12 crowd, and a few adults, so I passed on the olives. It's easy, and fresh, and takes just a few minutes to make. After our family dinner, I was going to throw out the leftovers until my niece, Amity said she wanted to take it home. Amity (whose name means peacefulness and friendliness- a perfect description of her) is an Art Therapist, and has an artistic flair for everything from painting to cooking. She had already come up with a plan for the leftovers- The next morning she whipped up a few eggs, added some cheese and poured it all into a pan to bake. Amity's Italian breakfast! Her brother Brandon called and they both gave me a detailed review of the dish, which they both declared a winner!

Panzanella

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salad:

1 loaf dense crusty Italian Bread

1 -2 lbs fresh mozzarella, cubed

2 large tomatoes, cut into large chunks total of about 2 cups

1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

dressing:

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Combine all dressing ingredients. Place the cubed bread on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes until toasted. If you are short on time, or like the bread fresh and not toasted, skip this step. In a large bowl, combine bread, cheese, tomatoes, olives and basil. Pour dressing over top, toss and serve immediately.

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Grilled Peach and Mozzarella Salad

Can you tell I have a peach obsession? Here is yet another recipe made with peaches. You are going to LOVE this one. Do I say that every time I post? Trust me on this one. You have died and gone to (peach) heaven.

Grilled Peach and Mozzarella Salad

5 peaches
3 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
3-4 tablespoons honey
dash salt
1 teaspoon lime zest
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/3 cup canola oil
lettuce, butter or red leaf
3/4 lb mozzarella, cut into thin slices

Peel and chop one of the peaches. Cut remaining 4 peaches into 28 rounds-leaving skins on-about 1/4 inch rounds, cut through stems and bottom ends. Cut each peach inward from sides, cutting each side just until you reach the pit. Discard the pits. Don't worry if the peach splits and is not whole.
Process the single chopped,skinned peach, green onions and next 6 ingredients in a food processor 10 seconds or until smooth. Add oil and pulse 3-4 times until thoroughly combined.
While grill is cold, coat with cooking spray. Heat to medium-high heat. Brush both sides of peaches with dressing. (actually i skipped this step). Grill peaches for about 3-5 minutes on each side. Arrange lettuce on salad plate. Layer peaches and mozzarella cheese. Drizzle with more dressing.

This comes from one of my favorite magazines- "Southern Living." It's the "Sunset" magazine of the South.

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Gorgonzola Pecan Crunch Salad with Hazelnut Vinaigrette

I love this salad. It has sweet, salty, sharp, creamy, and crunchy textures and flavors all mixed together. When I first experimented with this recipe I tried adding the grapes and bacon and loved what they added to the salad. Save some of the chopped bacon and Gorgonzola to crumble on top of the salad after it has been tossed with the dressing. What is Gorgonzola Cheese? Here is a little Gorgonzola 101 -

Gorgonzola : Gorgonzola is a traditional, creamery and co-operative, blue cheese. The greenish-blue penicillin mould imparts a sharp, spicy flavor and provides an excellent contrast to the rich, creamy cheese. (Sounds kind of sick, as Jake, my 12 year old would say). Gorgonzola is made in the northern Italian village, according to which the cheese has its name, either from unpasteurized or pasteurized milk to which the mould is added. At about four weeks the cheeses are pierced with thick needles to encourage the spread of the mould. Gorgonzola ripens in three to six months. The taste ranges from mild to sharp, depending on age.

Gorgonzola Pecan Crunch Salad with Hazelnut Vinaigrette

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Salad:
7 cups lettuce or mixed greens, I like red leaf lettuce best
6-8 oz Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
3/4 lb. bacon, cooked until crisp, chopped
1/2 lb. seedless red grapes

Pecan Crunch:
2/3 cups pecans, chopped coarse
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoons salt
Fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Hazelnut Vinaigrette:
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup hazelnut oil*
1/4cup light olive oil

Wash and dry the lettuce. Combine with chopped bacon and grapes in large bowl. Chill.
Combine pecans with butter, sugar, salt, pepper and cayenne in non stick pan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar caramelizes. Stir often. Place the mixture in a small paper bag to cool. Shake to break up pieces, or chop on cutting board.
Combine all of the dressing ingredients in bowl, whisk until well blended. Refrigerate leftover dressing.

Tips-

-Usually, about half of this dressing is enough for one salad.
-*If you are unable to find hazelnut oil, or can't afford it (it's about $6 for an 8 oz bottle) you may substitute 1/2 cup canola oil and omit the hazelnut and olive oils. When I make this in large quantities-50 servings or more, I always sub and just use Canola oil.

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Blueberry and Mango Salad with Balsamic Honey dressing

A few nights ago, my sister in law had a family dinner at her home. We had barbecued wild salmon with Teriyaki marinade, cheese grits, sweet potatoes, fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, and salad with mangoes, blueberries and a Balsamic honey dressing. I had some lettuce, really huge fresh blueberries, a mango and some pecans (just waiting to be caramelized) sitting around. This is my new favorite salad! It would be a great main dish salad- just add chopped, grilled chicken breast.

Blueberry and Mango Salad with Balsamic Honey Dressing

1 head red leaf lettuce
1 fresh mango
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup pecans
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
3-4 Tablespoons honey
dash salt
Fresh ground pepper


Wash and spin lettuce. If you don't have a salad spinner- go down to TJ Maxx and get one. It's worth its weight in gold. Tear lettuce into bite sized pieces. Cut the mango into chunks. Wash the berries. Throw everything into a bowl. Place the pecans into a Teflon pan and heat over medium heat with about 1/2 cup sugar. Stir constantly,until the sugar starts to melt. Be careful to not burn the pecans. When the sugar is caramelized and has coated the pecans, remove from heat and add another 1/4 cup of sugar. Sprinkle with a little salt. Pour the pecans onto a sheet of foil and let cool. After cooled,chop each pecan approximately into half.
Dressing: whisk all remaining ingredients together. Toss half of the dressing with salad. This makes enough dressing for two salads.

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Summer Squash Ribbons with Oregano, Basil, and Lemon

Another one of Tessa's delicious salads! Wait to add the dressing right before serving, otherwise, the salad gets watery. A great way to use up the zucchini/squash in your garden. Notice I said YOUR garden. We used to have a garden...now we have a batting cage. Yes, we have our priorities straight.

Summer Squash Ribbons with Basil, Lemon and Oregano

printable recipe

3 small zucchini (about 1 pound)
3 small yellow squash (about 1 pound)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved fresh Parmesan cheese

1. Shave zucchini and yellow squash into ribbons using a vegetable peeler, stopping at the seeds; place ribbons in a large bowl. Discard seed cores.
2. Combine oil, rind, juice, salt, pepper, and garlic in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Drizzle oil mixture over vegetable ribbons; sprinkle with basil and oregano. Toss gently. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.

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Tessa's Blackberry Avocado Salad with Kiwi Dressing

I met Tessa when both of our husbands were going to school back in the 80's. We served together in the Young Women's organization in our church. We would get up early- and meet at 5:00 AM to go running and walking, before we went to work. Actually, I would usually walk, and because Tessa is about 5 feet tall, she would run to keep up with me! We had some great times back in Portland, and have been able to continue our friendship for 20 years now. She is an amazing cook and was one of the original "founders" of our Recipe Club group. Lots and lots of my favorite recipes come from her. This is a salad she made at our last dinner. I loved the Kiwi dressing- so original, lite and fresh!

Blackberry Avocado Salad with Kiwi Dressing

printable recipe

3 kiwi, peeled, cut up

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 cups mixed salad greens

1 cup fresh blackberries or strawberries*

1 cup sliced quartered cucumber

1 small avocado, cubed

1/4 cup thinly sliced quartered red onion

1. Process kiwi in food processor until pureed. Strain through sieve into small bowl, pressing on puree to extract juice. Discard pulp. Whisk in oil, lime juice and salt.
2. Combine greens, blackberries, cucumber, avocado and onion in large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad.
4 (1-cup) servings

* Make sure the berries you use are sweet. The dressing is not sweetened, and if the berries are sour- well, just don't go there.

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Aunt Di's Almost German Potato Salad

Grandma Franz is my Aunt Diana’s Mother. I remember when my Unlce Mike, Aunt Di, their kids and the Grandparents Franz came to visit my family in Washington. I was about 14 years old. They were astounded at the amount of blackberries that grew right at the bottom of our driveway. And- that they were FREE! Grandma and Grandpa Franz would get up early every morning and pick and pick and pick. They picked so many berries, that Uncle Mike complained he couldn't use the bathroom on the motorhome all the way back to Utah, because it was filled with coolers and buckets full of berries! Anyway - Grandma Franz and Aunt Di made this delicious version of German Potato salad, which uses pickle juice instead of vinegar, and has mayo in the dressing. It's soooo simple.

Aunt Di's Almost German Potato Salad

printable recipe

White or red potatoes, about 12-15 small

8-12 eggs

Dill pickles, about 3 large or 6 small chunked

Dill pickle juice

Best Foods Mayo – NO LIGHT ALLOWED

Salt

White Pepper

Wash the potatoes, no need to peel or cut. I like the small ones about half the size of your fist, if you can get them. Not the tiny ones in the small mesh bags, but the next size. If not the larger size work . Cook the potatoes in boiling water until soft, and the peels start to crack and pull away, about 30-45 minutes.Hard boil the eggs, peel and cut in to quarters.Drain the water from the potatoes, cut the potatoes into half or quarter if they are the bigger size.While they are still hot, pour pickle juice on top and salt the potatoes generously. I use about ½ to ¾ cup of juice. Start with ½, and see how much is absorbed. If you add too much, the salad turns out soupy- instead of creamy. Add the eggs and pickles. While still warm add the mayo, about a cup at a time, mix gently, add more mayo until desired consistency. Salt and pepper to taste. This salad is best served warm or at room temperature.

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Teriyaki Pasta Salad

This recipe was given to me years ago from a good friend Eden Bennett. Eden makes wonderful salads, is a talented decorator and great mom. I modified the recipe a bit- I always use tomatoes, carrots and cucumber for vegetables, but substitute other fresh veggies as they are available in the summer. I used to marinate the chicken in the teriyaki sauce, but found I like it better when marinated in plain Soy Sauce and sugar. I think it's because it gives the chicken a really dark coating, and when you cut into the chicken (slice against the grain) it reveals a pretty outer dark color, and a white inside. Weird, I know. The teriyaki sauce is now available at Costco! Most teriyaki is ok to use without diluting, but this brand is extra concentrated. I have used other brands when in a pinch. If you have to substitute when making the dressing- just add less oil and leave the water out. Lots of toasted sesame seeds give the salad a beautiful look and taste. I have found toasted sesame seeds in Asian Markets for a lot less dinero than regular grocery stores. Aren't you amazed at my bilingual abilities?

Teriyaki Pasta Salad

printable recipe

2 to 4 chicken breast halves, boneless & skinless
1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar, optional
1 – 1 lb box of pasta – any shape: Gemelli, Rotelle, Bowtie
1 large head red or green leaf lettuce ( I like red)
4 medium sized carrots, matchstick pieces, or 1 bag pre-cut matchstick carrots
3-4 cups tomatoes, chopped or grape tomatoes
1 cucumber or zucchini seeded and chopped
1/2 bunch green onion chopped (optional)
1/2 lb snow peas, cut into thin slices (optional)
Toasted sesame seeds
1/3 cup *Very Very Teriyaki Sauce (made by “Soy Vay”)
¼-1/2 cup canola, vegetable or olive oil ( I like canola best)
1-2 Tablespoons water

Chicken and marinade: Marinate the chicken for at least ½ hour in soy sauce and sugar. I like to use a gallon size Ziplock bag. Discard sauce after marinating. After marinating, cook under broiler for about 8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken breast. When cooled, slice chicken into thin strips.

Pasta: Cook Pasta, drain. Place Pasta in bowl. Pour about 1/4 cup of the sauce directly on to the pasta. Toss.

Veggies: Tear the lettuce into bite sized pieces. Place in large bowl. Add remaining vegetables. Shake a lot of fresh ground pepper, (not the wimpy kind) all over the veggies .

Dressing: Shake the Very Very Teriyaki really well. Mix about 1/3 cup of sauce with the oil. Whisk together, taste once the oil, water and teriyaki sauce are mixed together.

Assembly: Toss all of the Pasta, vegetables, and chicken together in a large bowl. Mix the dressing a little at a time into the salad, generously sprinkle with sesame seeds and more pepper.

Tip:

-This is a great salad for luncheons. It can be made with or without the chicken, if you are on a budget. If you are making the salad and it will not be eaten right away, I suggest using Romaine lettuce instead of leaf.

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Watermelon Salad

This recipe originated from Wilson Farms in Lexington, Massachusetts. It came by way of my dear friends Brett and Erin Blake.

Watermelon Salad with Goat Cheese and Fresh Basil

printable recipe

1/2 seedless watermelon, cubed
1 log goat cheese
1 bunch basil, thinly sliced
1 bunch scallions, chopped

Mix watermelon, basil and scallions, place in bowl. Sprinkle with goat cheese. Garnish with basil sprigs.

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