55 Salad

We have a local legend of a salad in my neck of the woods. Many years ago there was a popular restaurant in Columbus called 55 on the Boulevard. In my "old days" as an advertising agency rep, 55 on the Boulevard was my client. That was actually just before their heyday (I can claim responsibility for their popularity, right?). Then, as so many restaurants do, after their heyday, they fizzled out. Bad management or something. Anyway, they had several locations under several different names, but one menu item that was super popular was their house salad: The 55 salad. There is actually a restaurant in one of their former locations that still sells the salad because it was so popular, but it's such an easy salad to make you can serve it at home.

The salad is simple greens (mostly iceberg or butter lettuce), red onion, bacon, blue cheese, and tomatoes. The dressing is the kicker -- a very sweet and slightly tart and garlicy mixture -- just shaken up well in an old mason jar. Easy peasy. When making the dressing you may want to start with a lesser measure of garlic powder -- 2 teaspoons is too much for me. You can also use fresh garlic if you prefer. And the dressing keeps for quite a while in the fridge.

55 Salad

freshly washed and spun dry greens -- a mixture of baby greens and butter or iceberg is good

red onion -- a few thin slices per plate

cooked and crumbled bacon, to taste

crumbled blue cheese, to taste

chopped tomato or halved cherry tomatoes

dressing

Plate greens and toppings and drizzle with dressing. Top with fresh cracked pepper.

55 Dressing

1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 t. dry mustard
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
1 1/2 t. salt 
2 teaspoons garlic powder (or less to taste)

Mix in a glass jar and shake well. Refrigerate until serving time.

 

Rumbi Rice

We had a very fast spring break last week -- it seemed like I blinked and it was over, and now we are having re-entry. It's so much harder to get into life after a break -- it makes me wonder if it's worth it...but the free time is so wonderful.

I have a backlog of recipes to share with you here. This one was a big hit, which is rather odd since it is veggie-packed. I saw the recipe at a new-to-me favorite website "Favorite Family Recipes." It's called Rumbi Rice and is apparently a popular dish at a popular restaurant in Utah. I've never been to Utah, and thus not the restaurant, but it just looked like a yummy dish with a funny name. 

I made it exactly as directed, using my rice cooker for the rice (good rice), except when it came to the Hawaiian sauce (Mr. Yoshida's). This sauce is an unknown in my neck of the woods, so I used Kikkoman which was super duper salty. I used the Hawaiian sauce sparingly, but the kids and my husband did not, and they had a hard time finishing their meals. I would highly recommend making a homemade teriyaki if you are not able to get a low-salt version, or using the sauce very sparingly. Oh...and I left out the celery (reluctantly) because of my celery haters.

And, by the way, I think it would be just as good without the chicken. My family disagrees.

This served my five with leftovers.

Rumbi Rice

1 T. vegetable oil

4 carrots, peeled and grated

3 celery stalks, washed and sliced

1 zucchini, chopped into small cubes

1 1/2 c. chopped broccoli florets

2 c. chicken, grilled and cut into small cubes

*Rumbi Rice (see recipe below)

**Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce (see recipe below)

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, zucchini, and broccoli (pretty much equal parts of said vegetables.. you can add more or less veggies depending on your taste). Saute ONLY until vegetables are crisp tender. About 1-2 minutes tops.

Serve over Rumbi rice and top with chicken. Serve with Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce on the side (about 3 Tbsp. per bowl.. you can add more or less depending on your taste).

*Hawaiian Coconut Rice with Red Beans (aka Rumbi Rice)
2 c. long grain white rice
2 1/2 c. water
1 (14oz) can coconut milk (about 1 1/2 c.)
1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 can red beans, drained and rinsed

Combine all ingredients in a rice cooker. Gently stir it all together so the beans are all mixed. Place the lid on and start the rice cooker. Fluff rice with a fork before serving.
If you don’t have a rice cooker… Combine water, coconut milk, and sugar in a saucepan. Stir in rice and beans. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 to 20 minutes, until rice is tender. 

**Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce:
3/4 c. Mr. Yoshida’s teriyaki sauce
1 t. soy sauce
2 tsp. chili garlic sauce (Sriracha)
1 tsp. fresh ginger
pinch of salt
pinch of brown sugar
1 T. cornstarch
2 T. cold water

Combine Yoshida’s, soy sauce, garlic sauce, ginger, salt, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Combine cornstarch and water and SLOWLY add to sauce for thickening. You want it to be slightly thicker than the Yoshida’s sauce. Allow to simmer for about a minute. Cool to room temperature and serve with your rice bowls.

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Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

This recipe is one of those very simple things that I rarely take time to do. I make many vinaigrette dressings, but my children actually prefer a ranch dressing. Recently I prepared a simple iceberg and tomato salad for dinner (I cut my finger badly during dinner prep, so that's why the salad was super simple), and fortunately had all the ingredients for this wonderful buttermilk dressing in the fridge to jazz it up. The kids scarfed it down and came back for seconds. Note to self: kids like simple salads.

This recipe is Simple Recipes' and it's easy and great tasting and that's all I need to make it again.

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 t. lemon juice

1/8 t. paprika

1/4 t. mustard powder

1/2 t. salt

1/8 t. black pepper

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

1 t. chopped fresh chives

1/4 t. of dry dill (or a teaspoon chopped fresh)

 In a medium bowl, stir together the buttermilk and mayonnaise until fully mixed. Add in the other ingredients, adjusting for taste.

Keeps for a week, covered in the fridge (if it lasts that long!).

Source: Simply Recipes

Easy Hollandaise

Ah, we've gotten past the big food feast of Thanksgiving and I have a little breathing room until Christmas is upon us. Just ask my kids...I won't even discuss Christmas for two more weeks. I torture them with lectures about how Advent is a season of waiting, not celebrating. "Do we celebrate your birthday a month before your birthday?" I ask them. They usually give up just around the time I plan to get the tree out -- in two weeks.

Anyway, I'm back with a recipe I tried on my husband's birthday, two Sundays past. He loves Eggs Benedict and usually asks for it for his birthday. I always groan because it is not an easy recipe to make for a crowd, and even when it's just us, that's a crowd, especially when it comes to poaching eggs, toasting English muffins and keeping the hollandaise from separating. When I made it this year for his birthday, I used a new recipe. It was so easy peasy, I will be making hollandaise much more often -- steamed asparagus here we come. I made four plates of Eggs Benedict -- that's four separate batches of poached eggs -- and the sauce never separated. Amazing. You're going to love it. I simply placed the blender down in a pot of hot water and it was perfect a good 20 minutes after I blended it. The recipe came from Simply Recipes and it is so simple. Simply Recipes offers the option of adding cayenne pepper, but I did not.

 

Easy Hollandaise

makes a bit more than 1 cup of sauce

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3 egg yolks 

1 T. lemon juice

1/2 t. salt

10 T. unsalted butter (if using salted butter, skip the added salt)

Melt the butter slowly in a small pot. Try not to let it boil – you want the moisture in the butter to remain there and not steam away (I used the microwave for this step)

Place the egg yolks, lemon juice, and salt into your blender. Blend the egg yolk mixture at a medium to medium high speed until it lightens in color, about 20-30 seconds. The friction generated by the blender blades will heat the yolks a bit. The blending action will also introduce a little air into them, making your hollandaise a bit lighter.

Once the yolks have lightened in color, turn the blender down to its lowest setting (if you only have one speed on your blender it will still work), and drizzle in the melted butter slowly, while the blender is going. Continue to buzz for another couple seconds after the butter is all incorporated.

Turn off the blender and taste the sauce. It should be buttery, lemony and just lightly salty. If it is not salty or lemony enough, you can add a little lemon juice or salt to taste. If you want a thinner consistency, add a little warm water. Pulse briefly to incorporate the ingredients one more time.

Store until needed in a warm spot, like on or next to the stovetop (or in a pot of very warm water). Use within an hour or so.

Source: Simply Recipes

Orange Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce is the brunt of many a joke -- that stuff that comes out of the can in a solid lump looking nothing like sauce -- but it need not be. Cranberry sauce is easily one of the most simple menu items you will prepare for Thanksgiving -- as easy as mashed potatoes. My son Geoffrey asks for it every year. It's his "it's not Thanksgiving without..." menu item. He makes it only slightly more complicated for me by requesting it be completely smooth and chunk-free. It adds an extra step or two to traditional cranberry sauce, but he's my baby (and I tease him that he likes his cranberry sauce baby food style). If you like a chunky sauce, just stop after you cook the mixture, refrigerate and pull it out an hour or two before dinner is served. I made mine last night.

Orange Cranberry Sauce

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1 cup sugar

1/2 cup orange juice (not from concentrate, either fresh squeezed or good bottled juice)

1/2 cup water

3 cups rinsed cranberries 

1 pear, peeled, cored and diced (you could also use an apple or just omit entirely)

Combine sugar, water and orange juice in a saucepan. 

Turn onto medium heat. Add cranberries and pear. Bring to a simmer and turn down slightly so it doesn't bowl over. Cook for about 10 minutes. You will hear the cranberries popping -- that's good. Cook until pear is soft and cranberries look pretty well popped.

If you want a chunky sauce, pour mixture into a storage bowl and cover. Refrigerate until Thanksgiving.

For a smooth, seed and pulp-free sauce, cool mixture slightly. Pour into food processor or blender. Process (or blend) until pureed.

A little at a time, pour mixture through a sieve into a bowl, using a spatula to scrape the seeds aside. Cover and refrigerate until Thanksgiving. Spoon sauce into a serving dish.

Bonefish Grill Salad

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For my birthday this year my mom took me out to dinner. What a treat -- just the two of us with no children or husband to interrupt our conversation. ;-)

But besides having uninterrupted time together we also had a wonderful meal. She took me to the Bonefish Grill, which, as you can imagine, specializes in fish. In our area, the Bonefish Grill is a rather quiet and darkened restaurant, conducive to adult conversation. It was a pleasant experience. But even though my mother and I both ordered fish from the menu (and both dishes were very good) what I remember most is the delicious house salad my mom ordered. I actually did not order salad, but I had a few bites of hers, and nibbled some of the blue cheese crumbles from the edge of her plate, and it was delicious. I was still thinking of that salad several weeks later and decided to try my hand at home. It was a wonderful copy, even though I actually did not even use the same salad ingredients. The Bonefish house salad is a plate of greens topped with hearts of palm and tomatoes, and sprinkled generously with kalamata olives and blue cheese crumbles. It's dressed with a light and yummy citrus herb vinaigrette. I did not go hunting for fresh hearts of palm (I can't even imagine I would have found them) but I tossed my greens with some red cabbage, red onion, pumpkin seeds and blue cheese squares, and a version of the Bonefish dressing that was awesome. I would eat this salad any day as it was light and refreshing and would go well with any meal.

My version is below. The dressing is really the only thing that is truly authentic. If you want to copy the salad exactly, see the above content for the ingredients as it is served in the restaurant.

My Own House Salad with Bonefish House Dressing

serves 4

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4 cups mixed greens, washed and cut

1/2 cup finely sliced red cabbage

3 thin slices red onion, quartered

1/4 cup roasted hulled pumpkins seeds (pepitas) -- sliced and roasted or candied almonds, pecans or walnuts would also be good

1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles (I buy jars of small squares of blue cheese in olive oil and spices -- delicious)

Dressing:
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
3 T. water
2 T. white wine vinegar
1 t. minced garlic
1 T. Dijon mustard
2 t. lime juice
2 t. orange juice
2 t. minced fresh parsley
1/2 t. dried basil
1/4 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Place ingredients in a glass jar (mason style -- or other glass container that has a lid) and cover. Shake jar vigorously for a minute.
Remove lid and heat mixture in microwave on high for about 30-45 seconds (so that sugar will dissolve).Remove from microwave and let cool a minute or two. Replace lid and shake until mixture is well-combined.

Cover and chill for 1 hour before serving.

Place all salad ingredients in a bowl (do not add pepitas or blue cheese until ready to serve). Toss with chilled dressing and serve.

Instant Simple Syrup

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I like to have simple syrup on-hand, especially during the summer when we drink a lot of iced tea, but I don't always remember to start it before I need it. It takes about 5 to 10 minutes to make it on the stove, and if you are almost ready to serve dinner, that's too long.


I tried using the microwave recently and found it makes a perfect simple syrup in just over a minute.

Instant Simple Syrup

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

Place sugar and water in a canning jar or other microwave safe container (not plastic) -- no lid. Microwave on high for one minute. Stir gently and carefully -- just stir it in the micro so you don't have to handle it twice. Microwave for another 20 to 30 seconds, until it starts to boil. Stop the microwave as soon as it starts to boil and rise, or you'll have a big mess. Carefully remove with a hot pad. Store leftovers in the refrigerator -- they last quite a while.

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Strawberry Freezer Jam (and, of course, some biscuits to go with)

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I have been making strawberry freezer jam every year for about 10 years. It's so simple -- really not much more complicated than mixing strawberries with sugar. And though I have been tempted to try to make "real" jam (cooked and processed instead of frozen) I really prefer the flavor and texture of fresh strawberries. That's the difference between this jam and "real" jam -- the strawberries are not cooked in this recipe, so you get that yummy fresh fruit flavor every time you open a jar. It's the best thing on toast -- nothing else compares. Yum!

This is just the recipe from the package of Sure-Jell. I noticed the last time I bought it that they now sell a Freezer Jam package. I don't know if the product was any different -- I think just the packaging. It tasted just like the jam I make every year.

I have just a few notes in the recipe in italics -- those are just my thoughts, learned from experience. You can double this recipe, and I did, though I wouldn't do that with just any jam recipe.

The biscuit recipe is easy as pie (easier, actually) and is the most wonderful recipient for that delicious, mouth-watering jam.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

2 cups crushed strawberries (buy 1 qt. fully ripe strawberries)

4 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

3/4 cup water

1 box Sure-Jell Fruit Pectin

 

Rinse 5 (1-cup) plastic containers and lids with boiling water (or use any combination of glass jars and plastic containers -- I like the small jars because I am the only one who eats it -- yes my kids are picky about chunks of fruit in their jam). Dry thoroughly. 

 These are just grocery store berries, bought when they were super cheap. If you have a glut of garden berries, please do use those. I don't get more from the garden than we eat fresh, so I use grocery store berries, which are just wonderful for this purpose -- plenty of sugar to make up for any mediocre flavor.

Cut, but not yet crushed

Stem and crush strawberries thoroughly, 1 cup at a time (I cut the berries into smaller parts and crush about 2 cups at a time). Measure exactly 2 cups prepared fruit into large bowl (do not use more than 2 cups or your jam will not set up -- if you have leftover crushed berries, sugar them, and eat them over ice cream). 

Stir in sugar. Let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 Crushed with sugar

In the meantime, mix water and pectin in small saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling and stirring 1 minute. Add to fruit mixture; stir 3 minutes or until sugar is almost dissolved. (A few sugar crystals may remain.)

 

Fill all containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. (this last time I froze them right away and it turned out just the same)

Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or in freezer up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using (because jam has no preservatives, use it withing a month of removing it from the freezer).

Buttermilk Biscuits
makes about a baker's dozen

3 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
1 T. sugar
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
⅔ c. shortening
1 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening. Add buttermilk and stir into a soft dough. Knead dough on floured surface and cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter. 

Place on a baking sheet and bake 10-12 minutes.


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Yogurt for kiddies

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Back in the post I wrote about my new yogurt maker, a lovely reader, Shaun, mentioned that her daughter likes the yogurt that comes in fun cups and is produced in a color of pink not found in nature (actually Shaun didn't say all that -- I'm embellishing). Shaun felt it would be difficult to convert her daughter to homemade -- the difference is just too much. I can completely sympathize as my daughter thinks that yogurt that comes in crushable cups is "the bomb."

Yesterday, however, when I was stirring a spoonful of strawberry jam into my homemade yogurt, I had a bit of a revelation concerning homemade yogurt and kids who like it sweet and pink. It's possible that a squirt a Hershey's Strawberry Syrup might just make that homemade yogurt a little more palatable. The strawberry syrup is mostly sugar, but since commercial brand yogurt that is marketed for kids is mostly sugar (sugar is the second ingredient in Danimals Crush Cups), you're not doing any more harm. There are, however, other ingredients in commercial yogurt that is not found in homemade, nor in sugar syrup, so I do think it would be healthier overall. Eventually you can cut back slowly on the syrup until it's just a wee bit sweet and pink.

If the kids don't like strawberry, I noticed that allrecipes.com has a recipe for milk syrup using packaged Kool-Aid -- in which the flavors are nearly endless (and ingredients are even more controlled by you).


In making homemade yogurt and using a syrup additive, you will also save money. In my yogurt maker post I reported the cost savings in making my own yogurt. It's a remarkable money saver if you, or your kids eat a lot of yogurt. If the kids must have fun cups to eat their yogurt from, either save up some of those plastic cups from the commercial brand, or pick up a few cute melamine bowls with their favorite cartoon characters -- only to be used for yogurt.

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Low-fat Cheese Sauce

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A lovely reader asked for the recipe for the low-fat cheese sauce on my menu and I just happened to have made it last week for lunch to serve over a veggie baked potato. When I first read the recipe it was sort of an "ah-ha" moment because I had never thought to make white sauce without first making a butter roux. Skipping the roux cuts the fat by omitting the butter. The recipe also calls for using reduced-fat cheese.

I would like to play with the recipe a little. The sauce made with reduced-fat cheddar was o.k., but lacking a little zip. A combination of cheese, maybe including a little Parmesan might be better. The original recipe, found in Women Heart's All Heart Family Cookbook, called for soy milk which I don't use, so I subbed 1% milk.

Reduced-Fat Cheese Sauce

olive oil
2 c. low fat milk
2 T. cornstarch
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 oz. reduced-fat cheese
salt

In a measuring cup or bowl, whisk together milk and cornstarch. Set aside.



Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour a small amount of oil on a paper towel and wipe the bottom of the pan (or use cooking spray). Add shallot and garlic and cook for a few minutes, until tender. Stir in milk/cornstarch mixture and whisk constantly for about 5 minutes or until mixture thickens. Add cheese and cook until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Salt as needed.

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Turkey Cutlets with Avocado Salsa

This dish was really as good as it looks. Doesn't it look good -- all those gorgeous colors together? I told you I was only going to share the heart healthy dishes that I would eat even if I was not watching my fats and cholesterol. This dish would be a keeper even if I could eat anything I wanted. The turkey breast is really just the canvas for the bright, yummy flavors of the salsa. It's tender, cooked quickly in a pan, and kids like it because it has no strong flavors. All my kids liked this which was kind of surprising to me. My high school boy ate three servings because there was plenty.

The recipe called for using turkey cutlets, but they are sort of impractical with a largish family. Instead I bought a package of two turkey tenderloins (the white breast meat, no bones) and sliced it crosswise into smallish cutlets. There was plenty and it was much less expensive than buying several packages of cutlets. I made the salsa as directed, except I used a whole avocado instead of a half. Since I was splitting it among five, I felt justified. Besides, Peach eats enough avocado for two people.

The recipe came from Women Heart's All Heart Family Cookbook. The nutritional information given with the recipe is no longer accurate with the use of the tenderloins and the extra half an avocado, but I will tell you that it had 5 g monounsaturated fat and 1 g. polyunsaturated fat, with a total of 8 g all together -- good numbers for a meat dish. The avocado, tomatoes, scallions and olive oil are all really good for you, too.

Turkey Cutlets and Avocado Salsa
serves 5-6

1 c. grape tomatoes, quartered
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and chopped
4 scallions, chopped
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
juice of half a lime
½ t. ground cumin
2 turkey tenderloins (about 1.5 pounds), cut crosswise
salt and black pepper

In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, avocado, scallions, 1 T. olive oil, lime juice, and cumin. Salt to taste. Set aside.

The easiest way to chop an avocado: cut avocado in half; pull out the pit. With a knife, make a grid in the avocado by cutting into the flesh perpendicular to the skin, cutting all the way to the skin, but not through.

Then take a spoon and scoop out the flesh, running the spoon between the skin and the flesh.

Season the turkey pieces with the salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet with 1 T. oil and spread oil with a paper towel to coat the pan. Add half of the cutlets and cook, turning once, for 3 minutes, or until browned and no longer pink.


Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining cutlets. Top with the reserved avocado mixture.

Served with Peppered Couscous and Cumin Roasted Cauliflower.

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Original recipe can be seen here. Source: Women Heart's All Heart Family Cookbook

Mango Salsa

One night last week, the day we ate White Chicken Chili for dinner, I made a bowl of Mango Salsa to go with our dinner. I've been trying to incorporate more fruit in the children's diet, and since they love salsa, I thought a good way to get them to eat more fruit would be through fruit salsa. They love the combination of fruit and spicy, so I mixed the mango with some avocado, some sweet peppers, some hot pepper and red onion, along with lime juice and cilantro. The jalapeño ended up being a really spicy one, so I didn't eat much, but the guys finished the bowl. The jalapeño was so hot, in fact, it burned my fingers for hours afterward. I fell asleep clutching a cold pack. Dumb move -- wear gloves, or at least plastic bags, on your hands before handling jalapeños. I've chopped jalapeño dozens of times, but it only takes one really hot one to teach you a lesson.

This recipe can be modified to suit your taste. If you don't like spicy foods, leave out the jalapeño, or use half. I wouldn't buy cilantro just for this dish, but use it if you have some on hand or have it in the garden. Make sure you chop every thing in a very fine dice -- remember you're going to eat it on a chip. If you've never sliced a mango before, check out these pictures. I have a few of my own below.

Mango Salsa

1 ripe mango, finely diced **
1/2 cup finely diced red, yellow or orange pepper
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1 jalapeno, minced
1 ripe avocado diced
juice of half a lime (about 2 T.)
2 T. minced cilantro
Tortilla chips

Mix all ingredients and chill for about an hour. Serve with tortilla chips.



** Slice off each side of the mango, cutting parallel to the edge of the pit.
With your knife, make a grid by cutting into the flesh perpendicular to the skin.


Turn the skin inside out" and cut parallel to the skin, cutting the flesh away.

White Balsamic Salad

This recipe is the last one from Christmas. I served this salad on Christmas Eve with Baked Ziti and Roasted Vegetable Lasagna, but I've prepared it many times before and it goes well with so many dishes, from pizza, to grilled meat, to sandwiches. The recipe below is loosely based on the salad that used to be on the menu at CPK, but I modify the ingredients to suit our tastes. CPK used arugula and romaine, but I pretty much stick to romaine, sometimes adding some red leaf lettuce to dress it up. On Christmas Eve, I couldn't find the head of red cabbage I had bought (later that night I found it in a bag with some candy for the stockings -- whoops!) so I left it out. I do like it better with the cabbage -- mostly for the crunch and color.

The dressing is surprisingly spicy -- from the garlic. If you don't like a strong garlic flavor, halve the amount, you'll still have a very tasty dressing. I have a hard time finding White Balsamic Vinegar in any local grocery stores, but I find it a Trader Joe's if you have one of those nearby.

I made this up ahead of time, so the picture is before I dressed it. It looks so pretty in my Santa salad bowl.

White Balsamic Salad

1/2 c. white balsamic vinegar
1 c. olive oil (I use a mixture of EVOO and lighter tasting olive oil -- about 1:1)
1 T. minced garlic
1/4 t. herbes de provence
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. finely grated lemon peel
1/8 t. pepper
2 heads romaine (or a mixture of romaine and another lettuce)
2 c. shredded red cabbage
6 roma tomatoes
6 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
12 kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped

Combine dressing ingredients. Toss with salad ingredients and serve immediately.

Romaine and Pepita Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing

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Last Friday we had friends over for a simple get-together to visit and begin celebrating the feast days ahead. Pizza was on the menu, a variety of choices to satisfy everyone's tastes, and I had a tossed salad in mind but had to work out some kinks in my recipe. I did some internet hunting and came up with just the recipe I was looking for. Years (and years) ago when we ate out at restaurants (when all of our children could eat from a children's menu), we enjoyed Don Pablo's, a family-style, chain Mexican spot nearby. On the menu, they had a salad that I just loved. It was a simple salad, I think topped with grilled chicken (but I could be wrong on that -- it's been a long time) and pepitas (pumpkin seed kernels) and a fabulous spicy ranch dressing. The dressing was the one thing I had not previously figured out, but now I have it down. I served it to our friends on Friday and everyone really enjoyed it. I skipped the chicken because it was not a dinner salad, but I will keep it in mind for next summer when a grilled chicken salad is just the thing.

If you prep your salad ahead of time, like I did, hold off on the pepitas until you serve so that they don't get soggy. The actual ingredients of the salad can vary -- it's the basic romaine, pepitas and dressing that count the most. I kept it simple with carrot coins and sliced red onion. You can add diced tomatoes, zucchini rounds, whatever sounds good to you.

Romaine and Pepita Salad
makes six side salads

5 c. cleaned, chopped romaine lettuce
2 carrots, peeled and cut into thin coins
3 slices red onion, quartered
1/3 c. pepitas, roasted and salted (buy them roasted and salted)

Cilantro Ranch dressing

3 fresh tomatillos, peeled and cut into quarters
2 cloves garlic
1 pkg. Ranch Buttermilk Dressing mix
1 c. mayonnaise (you could use sour cream also)
½ cup buttermilk
3/4 c. fresh cilantro
heavy dash cayenne pepper


Place tomatillos and garlic in food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
Add mayonnaise, ranch dressing mix, buttermilk and process until smooth. Add cilantro and cayenne and pulse until cilantro is finely chopped. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

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Green Pea Guacamole

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If you live in an area of the country where you have a good, cheap supply of avocados, I envy you. You could say I'm pea green with envy. Bah! Bad pun.

Kidding aside, if you can grab a decent, reliable avocado from your produce department, you never have to deal with this.



Ugly, eh?

I was pretty ticked when I cut into this avocado last week, but it's really nothing new. It happens all the time. I grab one that is nice and firm, still mostly green, let it ripen on my counter and then when I cut into it, I have a fifty percent chance it will look like this. That's what happens when avocados have to travel across country to my grocery store in Ohio. And for this I paid $1.50. Puh.

When I made Guacamole Burgers last week, I had two avocados. One was sort of o.k. and the other is pictured above -- and I needed to make a big batch of guacamole. What to do? What to do?

I remembered a "technique" that intrigued me and so I proceeded. I had to make sure everyone was out of the kitchen, because if they saw what I was doing, they would have balked (and blabbed). I quickly thawed a cup of green peas under warm water in a colander. Gave them a good shake and then tossed them into the food processor (actually my mini). I turned it on and added a little dribble of water until it was creamy -- not a speck of whole pea remained. I scooped it out into the bowl with my partially good avocado, spooned in some canned tomatoes and chilies, squeezed in the juice of half a lime, crushed in two big garlic cloves, and then salted it. A quick mash with a potato masher and then a taste.

Unbelievable -- there was no evidence of green peas, other than the bright green color.

The true testers though, were my husband and children. I grabbed a bag of chips and poured them in a bowl and set it next to my bowl of guacamole. They fell for it -- no comment on the bright green color. They tasted and declared it delicious. They piled it on their burgers and ate every bite. Success!

After dinner I told my husband what I had done and his only comment was, "That's why it was so green. I was wondering." And then he scooped the last bit up with a chip and ate it.

I will most definitely use this technique again. Not only are green peas more reliable than avocados in term of quality, they are packed with more vitamins and minerals (way more Vitamin A and Calcium) than avocados, and they are much lower in calories and those calories don't come from nearly as much fat as avocados (nutritional values for peas here and avocados here).

Green Pea Guacamole

1 ripe avocado, pit and skin removed
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1/3 cup Rotel tomatoes and chilies, drained
juice from half a lime
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
salt to taste

Place avocado flesh in a bowl.
Place peas in the food processor bowl with a tablespoon of water.
Process until creamy, adding more water if necessary.
Spoon pea puree into bowl with avocado. Add tomatoes, garlic and lime juice. Mash with a potato masher or a fork until mixed (but leave a few chunks of avocado).
Salt to taste and serve immediately.

Easy print version

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Carrabba's House Salad Dressing

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A friend gave me Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2 a couple years ago and the other day I pulled it out to see what looked interesting. I needed a quick dressing for salad with dinner and I thought I might find something.

What I found was a knock-off for Carrabba's House Dressing, a creamy Parmesan, and the dressing was so easy and yummy, I want to share. I like to make my own dressing -- I think they are better than bottled and if you have some basic ingredients on hand you almost never need to buy bottled dressing. Except for ranch, which the kids eat with veggies, salad dressing almost always goes to waste in my house.

I have not been to Carrabba's in at least a year, so I can't say if this is exactly their house dressing, but it was delicious anyway -- very garlicky, with a little zing. I tossed it with a simple salad of Romaine lettuce, sliced red onion, chopped red pepper and diced tomato.

Carrabba's House Dressing (Creamy Parmesan)

1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. buttermilk
1 1/2 t. minced garlic (I used two cloves)
1/2 t. minced parsley (I used more like 2 t.)
1/2 t. lemon juice

Whisk together ingredients and toss over salad just before serving. I salt and pepper the salad, also.

Source: Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2

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Cajun Burgers

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I am always looking for something to jazz up an ordinary dinner like grilled hamburgers. This recipe was simple, but definitely not ordinary. The key ingredient here is the special sauce. The kids and I recently had lunch at Cane's Chicken Fingers, and if you've ever eaten at Cane's, you know the sauce is key to the taste of those delicious chicken fingers. It has a little bit of a Cajun flair, and after doing a little research I found the reason is they originated in Louisiana.

I found many recipes for the sauce online, but most were missing something very important. I think without the Tony Chachere's creole seasoning it wouldn't be the same. My kids said mine was even better than Cane's. That's mighty sweet of them.

You can top this burger with anything you like -- lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles, but make sure you don't skip the sauce.

Cajun Burgers
serves 6

2 pounds ground beef/round
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 t. onion powder
1 to 2 t. Creole seasoning salt (depending on how spicy you like your burger)
1/2 t. ground pepper

6 slices sharp cheddar cheese
hamburger buns
sliced tomato
lettuce leaves
onion slices
hamburger pickles

"Cane's" Sauce
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. ketchup
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. Tony Chachere seasoning
dash Tabasco
pinch black pepper

Mix sauce ingredients thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Chill until ready to serve.

Mix ground beef with seasonings and combine thoroughly with your hands. Form into six large patties. Grill until desired doneness. Turn off grill and top with a slice of cheese. Cover and let cheese melt. Remove from grill.
Place burger on a bun and top with special sauce, and onions, pickles, tomato and lettuce -- whatever you like. You could even throw some pickled peppers on there.



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Warm Chicken Cabbage Salad

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A big head of Napa Cabbage in my produce delivery last week prompted me to pull this recipe out of my cookbook where it's been hiding for years. I first ate this salad at my girlfriend's house way back when I was pregnant with Peach. I loved it, and that surprised me because I don't usually like fruit and meat together. But, I did, and I asked for the recipe, and then I never made it. But I remembered it and when I went through the salads in my cookbooks I would always think, "I should make that recipe."

I'm glad the farmer planted Napa Cabbage this year because this salad-for-supper was a real treat. The kids even liked it, except for one who wouldn't try it, and ate a ham and cheese sandwich for dinner. Since he is my one nut allergy, I went ahead and added the nuts to the salad. If he were eating it, I would just offer them on the side.

I doubled the recipe, so if looks like a lot of salad, that's because it was. But four of us ate almost every bite (college boy was at work, but high school boy ate as much as four people). I modified the recipe a bit, first by grilling the chicken. I think it had a lot more flavor that way, but you can use some leftover cooked chicken, or rotisserie chicken. Just make sure it's cooked before you put it in the dressing. The rest of my modifications I've included in the recipe.

Warm Chicken Cabbage Salad

Dressing ingredients:
¼ c. cider vinegar
2 T. oil
1 t. seasoning from Chicken-flavored Ramen noodle package
2 T. hot water
1 t. dried tarragon
½ t. Dijon mustard
½ t. Worcestershire
1 t. sugar

Salad ingredients:
1/2 c. crumbled dry Ramen noodles
1 c. halved seedless red grapes
3 c. chopped Napa cabbage
1 c. chopped Romaine
1 c. shredded red cabbage
1/2 c. chopped walnuts, toasted
3 c. chopped, cooked chicken
salt and pepper to taste



Combine dressing ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove all but 2 T. or so and set aside. Add chicken to 2 T. dressing in saucepan and heat until chicken is hot. Toss hot chicken with salad ingredients and the rest of the dressing. Salt and pepper to taste.

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Shrimp Cocktail

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I made this recipe last Sunday for my husband and his father when he stopped by to visit on Father's Day. I know his dad likes shrimp cocktail, and this recipe, which I've made a few times, is really far superior to boiled shrimp and bottled cocktail sauce. It's from Alton Brown on the Food Network, and if you've ever tried one of Alton Brown's recipes, you know he usually gets it right.

The shrimp are brined for a short period of time and then broiled with olive oil and Old Bay Seasoning. Maybe a step or two more than buying frozen cooked shrimp but so worth it. They really pop when you bite into them. The sauce is zingy and more fresh tasting than bottled sauce. After I put them out, they were gone in no time at all. The only change I made to the recipe is to peel the shrimp down to the tail. My kids just don't like messing with little shrimpy shells and legs when they're eating (and neither do I!). If you can buy deveined tiger shrimp, you can skip the first step.

Shrimp Cocktail

2 lbs. med.-large raw tiger shrimp
1/4 c. kosher salt
1/4 c. sugar
1 c. water
2 c. ice

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 c. prepared chili sauce
4 T. prepared horseradish
1 t. sugar
Few grinds fresh black pepper
1/2 t. kosher salt

1 T. olive oil
Sprinkle Old Bay seasoning



Using a pair of scissors or a serrated knife, make an incision down the backside of the shrimp, following the intestinal track. Eviscerate shrimp and rinse under cool water leaving shells intact.

Place cleaned shrimp into a bowl with brine and refrigerate mixture for 20 to 25 minutes. While shrimp are brining, place tomatoes, chili sauce, horseradish, sugar, pepper, and salt in food processor and blend until smooth. Refrigerate cocktail sauce until ready to serve.

Place a baking sheet or broiler pan under oven broiler and preheat for 5 minutes. Remove shrimp from brine and drain thoroughly. Rinse the shrimp under cold water and dry on paper towels. In a large bowl, toss shrimp with olive oil and sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning, if desired.

Place shrimp onto a sizzling sheet pan and return to broiler immediately. After 2 minutes, turn the shrimp with a pair of tongs. Return the shrimp to broiler for 1 minute. Transfer to a cold cookie sheet. Refrigerate immediately.

Once shrimp have chilled, arrange with cocktail sauce in a martini glass or as desired.

Source: Food Network

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A Greek Repast

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I saw some Chicken Gyros at Annie's Eats a couple weeks ago and I've been patiently waiting to try them. My kids were actually very anxious to try them also (a good anxious, not nervous anxious). So I put them on the menu last week and they were a huge hit. My kids all enjoyed them, I enjoyed them, and my husband positively enjoyed them, declaring the dinner to be in the "Top Ten" ever.

This was a very easy recipe also, especially since I subbed the strained yogurt with 2 % fat Greek yogurt. I've told you how much I love Greek yogurt, and it was a beautiful thing in the tzatziki sauce -- it was rich and creamy, but melted over the hot chicken and became part of the meat and bread. Yum! I made only one change to Annie's recipe. I sliced the chicken into strips (my chicken breasts were very large and I sliced each into about 8 slices) and marinated them that way. I think more surface area for the marinade made them super tasty and they were easy to serve because I didn't have to slice the breasts at the last minute. I grilled them, which made for easy clean-up.

I also had this Greek Salad from the Mennonite Girls on my list of recipes to try, and so I made it with the gyros. It was a good match. I modified it just a tad.

Chicken Gyros

For the tzatziki sauce:
16 oz. low fat plain yogurt (or use Greek yogurt and skip the straining steps)
1/2 hothouse cucumber or 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press (or finely minced)
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken:
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping tbsp. plain yogurt
1 tbsp. dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast

Pita bread
Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
Red onion, sliced thin

To make the tzatziki sauce, strain the yogurt using cheesecloth over a bowl. Let strain for several hours or overnight, if possible, to remove as much moisture as possible.

Shred the cucumber. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. (If desired, slice chicken breasts into 1-inch strips). Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler (or on the grill). Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. If using whole breasts, cut into strips.

Heat pitas. Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.

Greek Salad

1 bunch romaine or loose leaf lettuce, chopped
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
1/4 c chopped green onions
12 pitted ripe olives
3 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1/3 English cucumber, sliced
1 green or red pepper, chopped
1/4 c fresh chopped basil

Dressing:
¼ cup olive oil

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

zest of one lemon

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp Dijon mustard

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Shake dressing ingredients in tightly covered container. Toss salad ingredients.
Pour dressing over top and toss to coat.

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