This is Some Good Coleslaw

I made this coleslaw a while back, and we really liked it.  The original recipe comes from Chick-fil-A, and if I hadn't changed it, it would taste just like the kind you used to be able to get there.  Or so it says.  I never had it, so I can't say for sure.  I've never even been to a Chick-fil-A.  It was the dry mustard in the recipe that caught my eye.

Then things got really busy, and then we were away from home for a week and a half - and now that I sit down to type up this recipe so I don't forget (because I will be making this again), I'm hoping that I haven't already forgotten.  Mainly I'm questioning whether I cut the sugar down or not, since the original recipe says it's not too sweet - but since what I usually don't like about coleslaw is that it is too sweet, I'm pretty sure I cut the sugar in half, so I'm going with that.  If you like your coleslaw sweet, feel free to use 1/4 cup sugar; it just won't be as good - IMO.  I also shredded my own cabbage, added a carrot (or two), and some green onions. Oh, and black pepper because coleslaw always needs black pepper.

This is Some Good Coleslaw
adapted from shugary sweets

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 4 tsp white vinegar
• 2 T granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 4 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 or 2 carrots, shredded
• 4 green onions, sliced

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayo, vinegar, sugar, dry mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth.
2. Add in shredded cabbage, carrot, and green onions and stir together until until completely coated. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
3. Serve and enjoy!

Lentil and Potato Salad

It's time again for Secret Recipe Club reveal!  My secret blog assignment this month is The Wimpy Vegetarian.  Susan is a mostly vegetarian (hence the 'wimpy') married to a meat-loving man.  Sounds like quite a challenge, doesn't it?  Susan has met that challenge head on, finding healthy ways to pump up the flavors of her vegetarian dishes and making things tasty and interesting enough that her husband began eating more of her vegetarian 'horse food' - alongside his meat - and even going back for seconds.

Susan and her husband are again able to enjoy meals together, and for the rest of us, The Wimpy Vegetarian is a wonderful resource for anyone who is looking to eat more vegetarian and meat free meals, with great tips and ideas on how to adjust those meals so that even the meat eaters are happy.  There were so many recipes that caught my eye, as I'm sure you'll see when you check out Susan's blog for yourself!  Here are just a few:

• Mexican Casserole with Quinoa
• Mexican Street Corn Tart
• Brown Sugar and Plum Pull-Apart Bread
• Chard and Quinoa Gratin (and this Chard and Quinoa Saute - there seems to be a theme here!)
• and because this one was a previous SRC post, I can't use it here, but I am definitely going to have to make this Mac 'n Cheese Impossible Pie.

When I saw the recipe for this salad, I just knew it was the one.  I had never thought to use lentils in a salad, though I love them in soup, so I was definitely intrigued.  I also had a potluck to prepare for and thought this would be good for that because it's a great make-ahead dish that gets better as the flavors have time to blend.

Lentil and Potato Salad
from the Wimpy Vegetarian

Ingredients:
Salad

• 1 cup lentils
• 6 medium potatoes
• 5 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
• 1 seeded jalapeno pepper, minced
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1 T dried parsley
• 2 medium tomatoes,diced

 Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Cook lentils according to package directions, just until tender (15-20 minutes). Drain and cool.
2. Cook potatoes until tender.  Cool and dice. 
3. Mix lentils, potatoes, onions, jalapeno, celery, and parsley in large bowl.
4. Whisk together the vinegar, oil and seasonings for the vinaigrette; toss together with salad.
5. Add diced tomatoes and toss gently.  Serve immediately or refrigerate to serve later.  Toss gently before serving as the vinaigrette tends to settle to the bottom.

Makes approximately 10 cups

Susan indicated that her recipe would serve 2 (I'm guessing as a vegetarian main dish), so I doubled everything, needing enough to take to the potluck and share.  It made a very nice sized salad, and I even had leftovers to bring home, so I was able to enjoy it with my lunch several days the rest of the week.  Yeah, it made a lot.

This salad turned out quite tasty; I really enjoyed the combination of potatoes and lentils. It is very good on its own or as an accompaniment.  Susan's recipe called for fresh parsley and rosemary, but I settled for dried since that's what I had.  I also used diced tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes, because I am getting tomatoes out of my garden now, and I wanted to use some of those.  Oh, and also used a jalapeno because I'm getting a bunch of those from the garden too.  As always, I think that's the best way to cook - use what you have on hand!

The only thing I think needed adjusted was the salt, so just taste and adjust seasonings according to your own taste.  Susan boiled her potatoes in well salted water (which I only just noticed when I sat down to post the recipe), and I baked mine in my crockpot, so I'm sure that made a bit of a difference.

An InLinkz Link-up

Cilantro Lime Quinoa and Bean Salad

I made this Curried Chicken and Barley Salad last week and added some red quinoa along with the barley, just because it sounded good.  But, since I had cooked a cup of quinoa - and only used 1/4 of it - I had 3 cups of quinoa left and wanted to find something to make with it.  I started searching for a simple salad and found a lovely cilantro lime black bean and quinoa salad.  While there may be no better flavor combination than black beans with cilantro and lime, my quinoa was red (and I had other plans for my last can of black beans), so I decided to switch up the beans and use some Cannellini beans.  I think it turned out great.

Cilantro Lime Quinoa and Bean Salad
adapted from Simply Quinoa

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked red quinoa
• 1 (15 oz.) can Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• zest and juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 tsp. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
•  drizzle of olive oil

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a large bowl and toss to combine.
2. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

This salad is simple to make, definitely yummy, and can be made ahead so it's ready when you want it.  I'd say it's definitely a winner!

Sesame Peanut Noodles

It's time again for Secret Recipe Club reveal!  My secret blog assignment this month was Trisha's blog My Hobbie Lobbie. Trisha loves to bake, and she's married to her best friend - we have that in common.  She's also into crafting and crocheting, and uses her blog to keep track of recipes and crochet patterns.  I never did learn to crochet, but I am amazed by people who can.

I started scrolling through Trisha's list of recipes and found a bunch I'd like to try - and I hadn't even made it down to the baked goods.  Here are just a few that sounded yummy:

• Cajun Chicken Wrap
• Sprouted Moong Salad
• Bean and Spinach Bake
• Oven  Baked Zucchini Fries
• Pickled Jalapenos

Trisha lives in Australia, where it's winter right now, so she's making soups and trying to stay warm.  I may have to go back and look at some of her soups when winter comes to our part of the world, but for now I thought something cool would be better.  Or something to use the produce that's coming out of the garden; I'm getting lots of jalapenos and zucchini.
 
I ended up choosing this Sesame Peanut Noodle Salad because it's both - cool, and it uses lots of veggies. As Trisha said - "You can pretty much alter this salad to accommodate the salad veggies that you have at hand."  Perfect!  The recipe reflects the veggies I used this time, but pretty much any combination or amount would work.

Sesame Peanut Noodles
adapted from My Hobbie Lobbie

 Ingredients:

• 8 oz. angel hair pasta
• a handful of bean sprouts (I forgot to put these in)
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 green pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 1/2 cup shredded cabbage (or more)
• 2 T chopped cilantro
• 1 T sesame seeds

for the dressing:

• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 T sesame oil
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T soy sauce
• 2 T lime juice
• 2 T sweet chili sauce
• 3 T peanut butter 

Directions:

1. Break pasta in half and cook according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Toss pasta and remaining salad ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Mix dressing; add to salad and toss well, making sure everything is coated.
4. Serve with additional cilantro and sesame seeds to garnish.  Refrigerate leftovers.

 My husband and I had this salad for lunch one day last week, and we both really enjoyed it.  The dressing has a really good flavor, and the combination of soft pasta and crunchy vegetables is excellent.  I will definitely be making this again.  I'm thinking some zucchini would be a nice addition...

An InLinkz Link-up

Chicken and Broccoli Salad Wraps

With warmer weather here, I'm always on the lookout for easy, cool meals.  I found this one in my recipe box a few weeks ago.  I don't know how long I've had it, but it had just kind of gotten lost in there, and I'd never tried it before. 

Thankfully I pulled it out this time, because this makes a great summer dinner.  I used chicken breasts I grilled on my George Foreman grill, but this would also be good with leftover rotisserie chicken.

Chicken And Broccoli Salad Wraps
adapted from an Azteca recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 2 T chopped green onions
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 3/4 cup Miracle Whip or salad dressing
• 6 flour tortillas
• Cheese

Directions:

1. Add about 1 inch of water to a saucepan; bring to boiling.  Add broccoli and cook 2 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. In a large bowl combine broccoli and all remaining ingredients except tortillas and cheese; toss lightly. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. 
3. To serve, spoon filling onto tortillas, top with shredded cheese, and wrap or roll up tortilla to enclose filling. Enjoy!

Makes 6 wraps.

I made some Lemon Spaghetti Salad to go with this, which was really good.  It also makes a good lunch (or dinner) with just some carrot and celery sticks on the side.

Lemon Spaghetti Salad

I've made this salad a few times now.  It's very simple and makes a great side dish.  I really like it with these stuffed chicken breasts.  The original recipe uses  a 1 pound package of spaghetti, but I have cut it in half because that makes enough for 2 or 3 meals, since there are just the two of us.  I think it would be a great potluck offering, and in that case, I'd say go ahead and double this recipe.  You'll be able to feed a crowd.

Lemon Spaghetti Salad
from RockRecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. dry spaghetti (or angel hair)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Juice and zest of one lemon
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 T chopped fresh basil (fresh mint or tarragon can also be used)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Break pasta in half and cook in salted water according to package directions; drain.
2. Whisk together the remaining ingredients to make the dressing, and then toss together with the cooked spaghetti.
3. Serve hot or cold.

The original recipe calls for freshly grated Parmesan, which would probably make this even better. Unfortunately, all I usually have is the kind of Parmesan that comes in the green can - but that works pretty well, too.

Southwestern Black Bean and Barley Salad

I've had a thing for barley recently, and really love this Curried Chicken and Barley Salad, though my husband mentioned that he isn't a huge fan, so I went looking for another kind.  I came across this one on Pinterest and just had to try it.  I'm a huge fan of all these flavors together, so I'm hoping he'll be liking it too.  Now that the weather has started to warm up, I need some good salads to serve for dinner - instead of the soups I rely on in the winter months.

I made this to take for a potluck, so I haven't done much more than just taste it - to adjust for seasonings, of course - but the couple bites I had were amazing.  So good!

Southwestern Black Bean and Barley Salad
adapted from BetterRecipes

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked pearled barley
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup frozen corn, rinsed
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup onion, diced small
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded & finely chopped
• 1 handful cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• Juice & zest of 1/2 Lime

Directions:

1. Toss cooked barley, diced tomatoes, corn, black beans, red pepper, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro in large bowl, 
2. Sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, cumin and chili powder. Add lime zest and juice and mix thoroughly.
3. Taste and add more salt as needed. Refrigerate.

I used more barley than the original recipe called for.  Did I mention that I'm a huge fan?  I also used garlic powder and salt instead of garlic salt - mainly because I couldn't find the garlic salt when I looked for it.  I didn't think it needed any additional salt when I tasted it, but it's still a good idea to taste it and adjust according to your tastes.  I'm thinking this will be really good served with some tortilla chips, for some crunch and a little added salt.  Also, I bet this would be great wrapped up in a tortilla. With avocado.

Serve with some grilled chicken - with taco seasoning - maybe?  So many options.  He better like this stuff.

Related articles

• Southwest Chicken Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
• Chicken and Sweet Potato Chili

Grow Sprouts in a Glass Jar

I never had sprouts until I went to college, and then I fell in love with them.  After college and marriage, I occasionally bought alfalfa sprouts in the grocery store, but then I stopped because they were fairly expensive and not always good.  Then I mostly forgot about them until a couple years ago when a friend of mine mentioned that she had been growing her own sprouts, and she gave me some seeds so I could try it too.

Since then I've been growing my own sprouts regularly.  It's easy.  Very, very easy.

Grow Your Own Sprouts

You will need:

• A glass jar - a wide-mouth pint jar works great.
• Sprouting seeds of your choice - I use The Sprout House Organic Sprouting Seeds Salad Mix Broccoli, Clover, Radish, Alfalfa along with some lentils. 
• Cheesecloth or nylon to cover the top of the jar and a canning ring or rubber band to hold it in place.
• Water 

Directions:

1. Place about a Tablespoon of sprouting seeds in jar, and put the cheesecloth or nylon over the mouth of the jar and secure it in place.
2. Cover seeds with water and allow to soak overnight, or 8-12 hours.
3. The next morning, pour water out and add more water.  Swirl seeds around in the water a bit to rinse them and then pour the water back out, draining well so that there is no excess water.
4. Let the jar sit on your kitchen counter, rinsing and draining them a couple times a day, until they have sprouted and begin to have small leaves.  You want to be sure they don't dry out, but you don't want them sitting in water either.
5. Once the sprouts have reached the point you like them - usually in 5 days or so, rinse them one more time and place them in a container and refrigerate.  I usually put a folded paper towel in the bottom of the container to absorb any excess water.

Enjoy!  and repeat the process as needed.   Sprouts are good on sandwiches or salads or just eaten by the handful with a sprinkling of sea salt.  So good, and good for you too!

sourdough biscuits make great sandwich buns for lunch

 This isn't exactly a recipe, though in the end you get something really good to eat, so I guess it kind of is after all.  I posted this a couple years ago on my other blog, but when I went looking for it, I had a hard time finding it.  I finally did, so I'm posting here - and fixing the images that somehow disappeared.  (Note: do not link directly to pictures you've posted to Facebook.  They may work for a while, but eventually you will end up with a missing image in your post.)

Curried Chicken and Barley Salad

It's time again for  Secret Recipe Club (Secret Recipe Club) reveal!  My blog assignment this month was Mellissa's blog A Fit & Spicy Life. Mellissa is originally from Wisconsin, and I lived there until a couple weeks ago, so we have that in common.  She also loves to try new recipes.  Oh, wow - Mellissa says she rarely makes the same thing twice, and with 1800+ posts on the blog, you can believe there are plenty of amazing recipes to choose from.

I kept thinking I had a recipe picked out, and then I kept looking - I could not stop - and kept finding more and more things I want to try.  Here's the short list:

• Curried Quinoa and Cranberry Salad
• Italian Egg and Pasta Scramble
• Chicken and Summer Vegetable Tostada
• Bean and Feta Salad

I finally decided on this salad, which just happens to be Mellissa's latest recipe and the first one I saw when I visited her blog.

Curried Chicken and Barley Salad
adapted from A Fit & Spicy Life's Bombay Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

Salad

• 3/4 cup barley
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• Salt/Pepper
• 1 lb boneless chicken breasts
• 1 mango, diced (How to cut a mango)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds

Dressing

• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/4 tsp curry powder
• Salt/Pepper

Instructions:

1. Cook barley according to package directions then rinse with cold water and pour into large bowl.
2. Combine curry powder, sugar, salt/pepper,  and cumin.  Coat chicken with spices and grill until cooked through; 5-6 minutes each side. Allow to rest 5 minutes, and cut into bite sized pieces.
3. Toss  mango, cranberries, green onions, and sunflower seeds with barley.  Add chicken.
4. Whisk together lemon juice, honey, olive oil, curry powder, & salt/pepper. Pour over salad and mix lightly.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
5. Refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors blend. 

Serves 4

Yum! So many awesome flavors here - the curry, the tanginess of the cranberries, the sweetness of the mango...  We really, really liked this salad.  It's perfect for a cool summer meal, and very filling.  Mellissa's recipe called for Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Blend, which looks really good, but I couldn't find anything like it in my grocery store, and I didn't have time to get it from Amazon.  So I went with the 'or any grain' part of the recipe and chose barley.  One of our friends brought a barley salad to a potluck a few weeks ago, and it was so good.  I had never had barley in a salad or even thought about using it - and would not have thought of it for this if she hadn't brought that salad.  It is really good.

The only change I really made to this recipe (besides using the barley) is that I added more green onions.  I started out with 2 - the recipe called for 1 - but then I decided it needed at least 4.  They add that extra touch of color to the salad and a fresh, bright flavor.  (Pictures were taken with 2 green onions; I added more later.)

I also made Mellissa's Salmon with Chickpeas and Spinach - because there were so many great-looking recipes to choose from, I couldn't pick just one, could I?  My husband and my brother both thought there was "too much green" in this, but I thought it was wonderful.  The flavor of the salmon?  Amazing!  (You'll have to click the link to get the recipe.)

Be sure to check out A Fit & Spicy Life.  I'm sure you'll find a few recipes you'll want to try!

An InLinkz Link-up

Ricki's Spicy Slaw

My friend Ricki shared this recipe on facebook - and he just kept talking about it.  It seemed that he was making this stuff all the time and eating it just as quickly as he could make it.  Of course I had to try it, right?  I'm so glad I did.  This stuff is amazing!  I've made it several times so far...

Ricki's Spicy Slaw

Ingredients:

• 1/2 medium head of Green Cabbage, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh Cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 large Tomato, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Red Onion, finely chopped
• 3 Green Onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup of Claussen Kosher Dill Pickle juice
• 1.5 Claussen Kosher Dill Pickles, finely chopped
• 2 - 4 Pickled Pepperoncinis, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup of Ranch Dressing
• 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Garlic Salt
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 2 dashes (or more, to taste/burn) Cayenne Powder
• 1 - 2 Serrano Peppers, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

Directions:

1.  Mix all ingredients in large mixing bowl
2. After mixing thoroughly, let it sit for an hour or so (if you can!) and let the flavors blend.  Then mix it again, each time, before eating.

So many great flavors all blended together!

A few notes: I've never measured the cilantro; just washed and chopped up a bunch.  I used regular, ordinary, yellow onion, and I used the dill pickles I had on hand, in my case Vlasic, and I'm not sure if it is supposed to be 1.5 pickle spears or 1.5 whole dills - so I just used 1 really big whole dill pickle each time.  I, of course, used 2 peppers each time (sometimes jalapenos because that's what I had) and 4 Pepperoncinis.  Even with those the slaw isn't overly spicy, just very nice and flavorful.

With all the ingredients and chopping involved, I supposed you could use a food processor, but I love my knife and cutting board, so I just chop everything that way.  It really doesn't take too long, and you get to enjoy all the lovely aromas as you do it!

Did I say that I really love this stuff?  No wonder Ricki was making it and talking about it so much.  Try it - you'll talk too!

Related articles

• Spicy Jicama Slaw
• Sweet N' Tangy Cabbage Slaw
• Raw Butternut Squash Slaw

Israeli Cucumber and Tomato Salad

I found this recipe in the Food section of my newspaper.  I'm not sure why this is called Israeli salad - they probably told me in the article that the recipe came with, but I didn't read that.  What I do know is that I knew I had to try it the minute I read the recipe.  So many yummy flavors all in one salad!  So far I've made it twice.

Israeli Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber, cut into small dice
• 4 to 5 Roma tomatoes, cut into small dice
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 avocado, diced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Place cucumber, tomato, onion, cilantro and avocado in a medium bowl.  Add lemon juice, olive oil and salt & pepper to taste.  Toss gently to combine.

To prepare ahead: You can prepare the salad early in the day.  cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Of course, it's salad - so feel free to vary the ingredients to suit your taste - more cucumber, more tomato - more avocado! 

So yummy.

Pasta Salad (w/ Feta)

I needed something to take to a potluck - some kind of side dish.  I'd seen a recipe on GMA for a pasta salad, and the only ingredient I remembered was feta -besides the pasta, of course.  I found that recipe, but I didn't have all the ingredients or it wasn't what I was wanting, so I went looking for a pasta salad with feta.  I found a whole list of them, but I decided to go with this one, kinda.

Pasta Salad w/ Feta and Olives

Ingredients:

• 16 ozs bow tie pasta (farfalle)
• 2 cups broccoli florets 
• 15 ozs kidney beans (drained)
• 4 ozs black olives (sliced, drained)
• 1 bell pepper (seeded and diced) 
• 1/2 can diced tomatoes
• 4 ozs feta cheese (crumbled)
• 1 cup Italian salad dressing

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add broccoli florets to the boiling water during the last 2 minutes. Drain, and run under cold water to cool.
2. In a large serving bowl, stir together the kidney beans, black olives, bell pepper, tomatoes, feta cheese and Italian dressing. Stir in the pasta and broccoli. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Chill and serve.

This would be great with fresh broccoli and tomatoes, but I didn't have any so I used frozen broccoli and canned tomatoes.  I used an orange pepper, because that's what I had, and I think it added a nice color to the salad.  I also forgot to run cold water over the pasta and broccoli, so I mixed it in hot, but I'm thinking that might help blend the flavors better - or at least that's what I'm telling myself.  I'll probably use the cold water next time, if I remember.

The salad is chilling now, so I haven't tasted it - except to sample a couple pieces of pasta, and those were great.  It smells amazing, and it will make a nice cool side-dish this weekend.

Free eCookbook - Salads for Every Season

Earthbound Farm is celebrating 25 years of pre-washed, packaged organic salads by giving away a free ecookbook - Salads for Every Season.

Salads for Every Season: 25 Recipes from Earthbound Farm by Myra Goodman (who’s been called “The Queen of Greens”) is 83 pages of delicious salad recipes from Myra’s first two cookbooks, Food to Live By and The Earthbound Cook.

The cookbook is available in several formats - Kindle, Nook, Google eBooks, etc. - so you can download the one that's right for you.

Enjoy!

Pasta Salad

I got this recipe from my mother-in-law several years ago. Like she said - it's really good! Especially for a cool summer meal.

(Yes, I know that it's already Fall, but I've been putting off the posting of this recipe - just bookmark it and save it for next summer.)

Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• 5-6 cups cooked pasta
• 2 medium carrots, sliced or shredded
• 2 small zucchini, thinly sliced
• 4 green onions
• 1/2 white onion, sliced in quarters
• 1 tomato, cubed
• 2 bunches broccoli cut up small (2 cups)
• 1/2 can sliced olives
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2/3 cup salad dressing (Italian)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients, chill, and serve.

While it's best with fresh vegetables, I have used canned tomatoes and frozen broccoli in this, and it turns out just fine.  I always use Italian salad dressing, but it could be made with whatever kind you like, perhaps Ranch - whatever you like.  It makes a lot, so I usually have to store it in a 4-quart or 5-quart ice cream bucket because I don't have any other containers big enough.  Love those ice cream buckets for everything!
 

Corn and Black Bean Salad

I found this recipe at Cooks.com

Corn and Black Bean Salad

• 1 (12 oz.) can whole-kernel corn, drained
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 c. green onions, diagonally sliced
• 1/2 c. red onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 med. tomato, chopped
• 1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded & finely chopped (optional)
• Cilantro sprigs or red onion wedge, for garnish

Dressing:

• 3/4 c. Italian salad dressing
• 3/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon or lime juice
• 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

In large bowl, combine corn, beans, bell pepper, green onions, red onion, garlic, tomato, and Jalapeno pepper.

For Dressing: In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine Italian salad dressing, hot pepper sauce, chili powder, lemon juice and chopped cilantro. Close lid. Shake to mix well. Pour dressing over corn mixture. Stir to mix. Refrigerate, covered, at least 6 hours, or overnight. To serve, put corn mixture in attractive salad bowl. Garnish with a few sprigs of cilantro or a thin wedge of red onion.

I used a green pepper, because I didn't have a red one and also didn't have a red onion, so I just used a regular yellow onion.  I didn't really measure the onions, but had about 1 cup of onion between the green onions and the yellow onion.  I used 1-1/2 tomatoes, because 1 didn't look like quite enough.  2 would have probably been OK.

I whisked the dressing ingredients together in the measuring cup I used to measure the salad dressing and then poured it on the salad.  When I got everything mixed together, I just felt it was missing something, so I cooked some Basmati rice and added a cup of that.  As far as putting it in an attractive bowl - I'm taking it for a potluck.  I'm just going to take the lid off the container and hope it tastes as good as it looks and smells.

Also, I'd like to try the dressing as a marinade next time we decide to grill.

• Print this recipe (at Cooks.com)

Oriental Coleslaw

I combined a couple recipes to make this.

Oriental Coleslaw

Salad:

• 1/2 head cabbage, thinly sliced and chopped (or shredded)
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1 cup green pepper, chopped
• 4 green onions, chopped

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 T vinegar
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 T sugar
• 1/2 t. pepper
• 1/4 t. salt

Directions:

1. Combine all salad ingredients.
2. Combine dressing ingredients and pour over salad.
3. Mix well and refrigerate for several hours.
4. Serve with chow mein noodles.

One of the recipes I used also calls for a package of Ramen noodles.  Mix as directed, noodles with the salad and seasoning packet with the dressing.  I did not use the Ramen this time because I only had a couple hours to let the salad chill, so I didn't think the noodles would have time to soften up.  Next time I'm planning to plan ahead better and use the Ramen.  2 T sesame seeds, 2 T sunflower seeds, and 1/2 c. slivered almonds can also be added - or any combination of the 3.

This is really good with grilled chicken, and makes a good, cool summer meal.

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Brown Rice Salad with Salmon

I read an interview with Claire Robinson on My Wooden Spoon this morning.  I was not aware of her or her show, but I like the idea of easy, flavorful recipes, so I'm going to have to check her out.  What caught my eye was her approach to recipes:

She says you should read the recipe, put it away, and do your own thing. Don’t be afraid to swap an ingredient out or add more or less.

Yep!  That's pretty much my approach to any recipe.  I use them for ideas, and then proceed to throw in the ingredients I have.  It's more fun that way!  The only problem is that, when I come up with something we especially like, I usually can't repeat it.

All that to say that I found this recipe on Oprah.com for Brown Rice Salad with Salmon (by searching for 'salmon rice salad' - imagine that!)  The recipe already has a lot of leeway built into it - but I thought I better jot down what I used this time - just in case it's the perfect combination.

Brown Rice Salad with Salmon

Salad:

• 2 c. cooked brown rice
• 1-1/2 cups frozen peas
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 8 oz. cooked salmon, broken into small pieces

Dressing:

• 2 t. cider vinegar
• 4 t. soy sauce
• 2 t. olive oil
• sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions:
In mixing bowl, combine rice and vegetables.  Mix vinegar, soy sauce, oil and salt & pepper; pour over rice mixture and mix well.  Add salmon, and toss lightly to combine.  Chill well.

I'm already noticing that the original recipe called for some cooked vegetables, where I used green pepper and celery, but the rice was hot when I mixed everything, so I'm going to figure that's OK.   Besides, they'll add a little crunch.  I'm thinking some chow mein noodles on top will be good, too.

Potluck tomorrow.  We'll see what everyone thinks.  It certainly smelled good when I mixed it up.

Update:  Definitely the perfect combination!  This salad has become a favorite around here.  It's great for not only a potluck, but as a cool summer meal.  It's great with chow mein noodles, on a bed of greens, or just by itself.

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Shrimp Salad

Today I am lucky enough to feature a guest post

written by Jill of Simple Daily Recipes:

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Simple and straight forward is the direction of this Shrimp Salad recipe.  But don't be fooled that it may be too simple in taste.  The Homemade French Dressing recipe that accompanies the recipe is full of flavor and will make extra for your next green salad.  Enjoy this shrimp salad alone or on a bed of baby spinach leaves, either way it's delicious.
 

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

Shrimp Salad

First the French dressing recipe

• 1/3 cup vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 cup salad oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• a few grains Cayenne
  

Combine all the ingredients; shake or beat until thoroughly combined.  Shake again each time before using. Makes 1-1/3 cups.

Shrimp Salad

• 3 cups cooked shrimp
• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced celery
• 3 tablespoons French dressing (see below)
• salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup fresh mayonnaise
• lemon juice to taste

If shrimps are small, leave them whole; if large, cut them up.  Combine shrimp with celery and French dressing.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Chill 30 minutes to cool down fresh cooked shrimp and allow flavors to blend.

Drain.  Mix with mayonnaise and lemon juice.  Serve individually in lettuce cups or on a bed of fresh baby spinach leaves. Garnish with spinach cut into ribbons.  Makes 6 to 8 servings

Recipe and photo by Jill McKeever of SimpleDailyRecipes.com

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Thank you, Jill!

If you have a food-related blog, you can have Jill write a post for your blog, too.  Even if you don't want a guest post, I strongly recommend that you check out Simple Daily Recipes, because it is AWESOME - so many great recipes!

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Barbecued Bean Salad

Image via Wikipedia

Barbecued Bean Salad

Salad:

• 1 package (16 oz.) dry pinto beans, rinsed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, diced
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, diced
• 1 can whole kernel corn, drained

Directions: In a large kettle, cover beans with water; bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans; return to the kettle. Cover with water again and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours or until beans are tender. Drain and rinse beans; place in a large bowl and cool to room temperature. Add the onion, peppers and corn; toss. In a saucepan, combine all dressing ingredients; simmer for 10 minutes. Pour over vegetables and mix well. Cover and chill. YIELD: 16-20 servings

Dressing: 1/4 cup ketchup 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup olive oil 3 T. brown sugar 1 T. Worcestershire sauce 1 T. chili powder 5 tsp. Dijon mustard 1 tsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper

Salads

Sesame Peanut Noodles (SRC)
Lemon Spaghetti Salad	Chicken & Broccoli Salad
Grow Your Own Sprouts	Southwestern Black Bean & Barley Salad
Curried Chicken and Barley Salad (SRC)	Ricki's Spicy Slaw
Israeli Cucumber and Tomato Salad	Pasta Salad w/ Feta
Pasta Salad	Corn and Black Bean Salad
Brown Rice Salad with Salmon	Shrimp Salad (guest post)
Also try:
Barbecued Bean Salad Oriental Cole Slaw