Thousand Island Dressing

Well, h*e*l*l just might have actually frozen over.  'Cause I'm posting a recipe here, folks.

We won't even mention just how long it's been since I've done that.  (It's been since November of 2011.)

This one is just too good not to give mention to, and I have my mama to thank.  She's pretty awesome like that. 

We have our family favorite homemade ranch dressing and it's awesome.  I seriously haven't bought salad dressing in a sweet forever.  Although I'm not nearly on the whole foods bandwagon as I was three years ago (but certainly should be!), I still don't buy salad dressing.

Like ever. 

I've heard it's one of the worst processed foods out there, with all the preservatives and junk that manufactures put in them.  I know for darn sure that my homemade salad dressing isn't good for like six months after I make it.  It's probably good for two weeks, tops.  Not that it ever lasts that long--because it's so much better.   

Anyhow, thousand island dressing.  Seriously NOT my favorite dressing out there.  I mean, if it was the only dressing available, I would eat it.  Begrudgingly.  I would never choose it from a restaurant  when eating out.  It's simply is not my go to dressing. 

Until now--at least when eating at home!

My mama added several things to give this some kick, including horseradish, Sriracha hot sauce and cayenne pepper. And it is yum.

It definitely gets 10 stars in my book! 

1,000 Island Salad Dressing with a Little Something Extra 

3/4 cup mayonaise
1/3 cup to 1/2 cup of ketchup
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp prepared horseradish
2 Tbsp Worsteshire sauce
2 Tbsp pickle relish
2-3 tsp Sriracha hot sauce (I don't like things super spicy, but I seriously had to add a fair amount to give this some noticeable kick)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt, to taste


Mix ingredients together thoroughly.  All of these ingredients are approximate.....that's how I (and my mom) both roll in the kitchen!.  Feel free to add additional of any of the above ingredients to suit your tastes! 

Refrigerate until ready to serve. 



This recipe is linked to:

Flour Me with Love's Mix it Up Monday
Premeditated Leftovers Hearth and Soul Hop



  

Chunky Bleu Cheese Dressing

After making this amazing spread, I had some bleu cheese leftover and I decided to make some bleu cheese dressing. I get in such a rut with my homemade ranch dressing (as I've mentioned before) and I forget that there are some other great salad dressings out there.  And we all love bleu cheese in our house--even the Peanut.  This child snacks on bleu cheese crumbles.  Yes, snacks on them.  I love bleu cheese and all, but snacking on it is even a little much for me.  I can't complain though, because she has a very diverse palette. 

So without further ado....

Chunky Bleu Cheese Salad Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup bleu cheese crumbles (as always, you can't beat the price at Costco for this!  WAY cheaper than the grocery store!)
1 clove garlic, minced
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients together and use as a dip or top on a green salad.   This is a little thick--we like it that way!--but if you prefer, you can thin it down with a few tablespoons of milk.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

This recipe is linked to:

Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday
Blessed With Grace Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Designs By Gollum Foodie Friday
Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
Friday Potluck at EKat's Kitchen
Hearth 'n Soul Recipe Swap at Premeditated Leftovers
Miz Helen's Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday  

Cranberry Chicken Salad Sandwiches or Salads

This is another great way (especially in the summer) to use up some leftover cooked chicken.  I had the last bit of roasted chicken that needed using up and I made chicken salad salads with them.  Still having some leftover the following day, we had chicken salad sandwiches for lunch.  This recipe comes from my Mom....so of course, it totally reminds me of my Mom.  Are there any foods that every time you have them, you get warm fuzzys because of a special person it reminds you of?

Yes, chicken salad reminds me of my Mom, among many other more wonderful things.

The day we brought Peanut home from the hospital, my Mom came to the hospital and helped us get all checked out and then rushed to Costco, got a truckload of groceries (you think I'm kidding) and then came over to our house and proceeded to cook the afternoon away.  It makes me tear up just thinking about it.  It was just so comforting to know she was there--and knowing I wouldn't have to cook didn't hurt either.  I don't about Hubs (he puts on a brave face), but I was feeling pretty overwhelmed the day we brought Peanut home.  Of course, I was just two days postpartum, so that might have had something to do with it, but still.

My Mom made three full meals (main dishes, sides, and dessert) that were enough to feed a family of six each (mind you we were a family of 2.1--in terms of mouths to feed), so we had plenty of leftovers.  She also brought tons of snacks and goodies, so we seriously didn't have to cook for the rest of the week.   She also made us these sandwiches for lunch that afternoon.  She probably used the canned chicken from Costco (which I use to buy all the time, but alas, no more) so I hadn't made them in awhile, but having the leftover cooked chicken last week, I thought, why can't I make my own?  So I did....

Cranberry Chicken Salad Sandwiches or Salads ~ from my Mom

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or small dice
3/4 cup sliced celery
2 green onions (whites and greens), sliced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Mayonnaise
Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together, adding mayo, salt, and pepper to taste.  Serve over a bed of lettuce for a yummy, main dish salad, or on toasted sandwich bread with leaves of lettuce for extra crunch.  Enjoy!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

This recipe is linked to:

Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday
Blessed With Grace Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Designs By Gollum Foodie Friday
Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
Friday Potluck at EKat's Kitchen  (Friday Potluck will be hosted at girlichef for the month of July)
Hearth 'n Soul Recipe Swap at A Moderate Life
La Bella Vita's Fresh Clean and Pure Friday 
Life As Mom Ultimate Recipe Swap
Miz Helen's Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday 
This Chick Cooks Recipe Swap

Summer Pasta Salad

With the unofficial start to summer today, I had this hankering for pasta salad.  Funny thing is that the weather doesn't match my summer food mood.  At all.  The sky is full of ominous gray clouds and I can hear the thunder rolling in the distance.  Ah, well--I still made the salad and I although I will share my recipe, I won't share how many platefuls I had for lunch.

Summer Pasta Salad

6 cups pasta, uncooked (I use tri-colored because it looks pretty--it's not whole wheat and that's only because I can't seem to find tri-colored-whole-wheat-pasta)

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup minced onions (red would be more appealing to the eye, but whatever you have--I had yellow--works)
1 can black olives, drained
3/4 cup artichoke hearts, sliced in thin strips
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2-3/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
6 large basil leaves, chiffonade
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
Extra virgin olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions, rinse in cold water to stop cooking and to start cooling down pasta.  Drain pasta well and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil to prevent sticking and set aside.

Slice, mince, or chop remaining ingredients and combine with pasta.  Drizzle generously with olive oil and vinegar, to taste.  Season with salt and pepper as needed.    Serve with additional Parmesan for garnish, if desired.  Serve slightly cooled or at room temperature--which ever you prefer. As you can see, much of this is flexible--that's pretty much how it goes in the kitchen for me! 

This a great salad to have on hand for an easy lunch during the week.  It is also great for barbeques and potlucks as it doesn't have any mayonnaise in the dressing that you would need to worry about refrigerating. 

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

This recipe is linked to:

Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday
Blessed With Grace Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Designs By Gollum Foodie Friday
Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
Friday Potluck at EKat's Kitchen
Hearth 'n Soul Recipe Swap  
La Bella Vita's Fresh Clean and Pure Friday 
Life As Mom Ultimate Recipe Swap
Miz Helen's Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday 
This Chick Cooks Recipe Swap 

I'm Spreading My Wings

One might think that this going to be some heartfelt post about going outside my comfort zone and doing something hugely important in my life or for the community or something else divinely meaningful.

Not so much.

I have this thing for garden salads.  When you see green salads listed on my menu plans, it's always your standard lettuce/mixed greens-tomato-carrot-celery-cucumber-green onion kind of salad.  One may even call it a garden salad.  Oh, and if bell peppers weren't too costly that week, I might throw some of those in too.  'Cause I'm adventuresome like that.

It truly might be that I have a thing for ranch dressing.  Especially my homemade variety.  It's so garlic-y and good.  And what better kind of salad for ranch dressing than a garden salad?   I might mix it up occasionally and make basil pesto ranch or honey mustard....but it really doesn't happen all too often.  I am my father's daughter through and through. 

I am no stranger to different kinds of green salads either.  I even like them.  I like Asian inspired salads and whenever we are at my parents, my mom always has some type of non garden variety salad--you know the kind--with some sort of fruit and nuts and a tangy vinaigrette.  Really tasty and yum, but for some reason I never make that kind of salad at home. 

It's always garden salad and ranch dressing.  However, ranch dressing has mayo.  Sigh.  I have nothing against mayo--I still even buy the conventional kind.  It's the soybean oil I have an issue with--and most conventional brands of mayonnaise contain it.  I know you can make your own, but the raw egg thing has me kind of creeped out.  In defense of raw eggs, I've also heard there's no issue if the eggs are pastured.  However, using a "whole food" oil is tricky as well.  Extra virgin olive oil, peanut oil, and sesame oil all have too strong a flavor, coconut oil will turn to a solid once refrigerated, and most other oils are bad for you in one way or another.  So I haven't even gone there yet and meanwhile I continue to buy conventional mayo. 

Anyhow, I digress.

Back to the salad I came up with a few weeks ago. This salad is super easy, super yum, and it doesn't contain the aforementioned perplexing mayo.  Several weeks ago, I had a bunch of greens that needed using up.  (Love the organic mixed greens from Costco!!!)  I also had some feta cheese.  Everything else I had was in the pantry and we are loving this new variety of salad!

 

























Tender Greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette ~ from me

Mixed greens (have I mentioned I love the organic mixed greens from Costco?)
Dried cranberries
Sliced almonds
Feta cheese, crumbled
Green or red onion, sliced thinly
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Black pepper, freshly cracked


Layer greens, cranberries, almonds, feta, and onion on salad plate.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and top with black pepper.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

This recipe is linked to:

Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday
Blessed With Grace Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Designs By Gollum Foodie Friday
Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
Friday Potluck at EKat's Kitchen
Hearth 'n Soul Recipe Swap  
Life As Mom Ultimate Recipe Swap
Miz Helen's Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday 

Basil Pesto Ranch

This recipe came as a suggestion from my husband.  Several weeks ago, we were having green salad with our customary homemade ranch dressing (yum! yum!) and he suggested I add some of my homemade pesto to it.  At the end of last summer, to utilize my mass amounts of fresh basil I had on hand, I made up a whole bunch of pesto and then froze it.  Some I froze in ice cube trays (for approximate tablespoon portions) and some I froze in larger 1/2 cup portions.  Until he suggested it, I had completely forgot all about my pesto and I thought it was a great way to start using it up. 

I thought his idea sounded wonderful and the verdict....

it was.  

Basil Pesto Ranch

1 cup buttermilk (you can make your own if you don't have any)
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

4 tablespoons homemade or prepared pesto 

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

Combine the buttermilk, lemon juice, and all dry ingredients, whisking until combined.  Add the mayo and pesto and whisk until smooth.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to develop flavors. Serve over green salad.


This recipe is linked to:

Designs By Gollum Foodie Friday 
Life As Mom Ultimate Recipe Swap
Miz Helen's Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday 
Paisley Passions Fun With Food Friday

Chicken Curry Pineapple Salad

Let me just start by saying that I don't generally care for curry.  It's like wine for me, I always try it when it's served, thinking that maybe this time I will like it, and I try it and I don't.  But for some reason, I big, pink, fluffy hearts love this salad.  I think it's because the curry isn't overpowering and that is definitely a good thing for me. 

I first had this salad at the most wonderful bridal shower I have ever been too--and it was for me.  My mom's best friend, who sadly, is no longer with us, threw me the most beautiful shower before DH and I were married six years ago.  She was a wonderful woman, a wonderful best friend to my mom, and a wonderful first boss to have.  (I worked at her gift shop all through high school--I know, what a great first job to have!)  I would have liked to call her my aunt--in fact, I sometimes did.

  
(at the shower with my mom's best friend--the picture quality is not the best, these were scanned from my scrapbook)

She paid enormous attention to detail at the shower draping pink tulle every place she could (it was all about the pink for me) and she served the most delicious buffet EVER.  This salad was served on croissants to make these wonderful chicken salad sandwiches. 

(notice the tray of sandwiches, the pink tulle, the glass dishes, the pink roses, the pink punch, the list goes on and on....)

I made this salad the other night and was reminded again at how simply yummy it is.  I hope you get to try it out!

Chicken Curry Pineapple Salad

1 20 oz can tidbit pineapple, drained (or you can use chunk and tidbit it yourself, like I did)
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 3 oz. package oriental chicken soup mix (like Top Ramen)
3-4 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1 6 oz. can drained, sliced and chopped water chestnuts
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayo
2 Tbsp Major Grey Chutney (you can find this in the condiments aisle at your grocer)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 1/2 tsp curry powder (if you like curry, by all means, bump up the flavor more, if you so desire)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you like kick)

Spread almonds in shallow pan.  Toast at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.

Cook oriental noodles and drain from water (I don't cook these all the way-they'll soak up moisture from the dressing, so I leave them a little firm) and toss with seasoning packet.  When cool, add pineapple, chicken, water chestnuts, red pepper, and green onions. Mix together.

In a separate bowl, combine mayo, sour cream, chutney, lemon juice, curry, mustard, and cayenne.  Blend well.  Add dressing to noodle mix, toss gently, but well.  Add almonds just prior to serving.  Serves 4. 

You can serve this just as a salad, or on sliced croissants to make yummy sandwiches.


This recipe is linked to:

Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday
Blessed With Grace Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
Life as Mom Ultimate Recipe Swap

Homemade Ranch Dressing

My mom made this during our Mexican feast last weekend and it is soooo good.  Plus you can totally do it with pantry ingredients and it is still very, very good.  It is from the Chevy's Fresh Mex Cookbook, and like the marinade I posted awhile back, this is delicious! 

El Ranch-O Dressing--from Chevy's Fresh Mex Cookbook (sidebar on right)

***I adjusted this recipe to what I had on hand--my mom made it according to the recipe-yum! and I made it to what I had on hand--still just as yum!***

1 cup buttermilk (you can make your own if you don't have any)

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice (didn't have it, used lemon juice from fridge--yes, Mom, I know this is a no no)

1 tablespoon minced cilantro (didn't have it, didn't add it)

1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano (used dried)

1 tablespoon minced yellow onion (used red--it's what I had out at the time)

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

Combine the buttermilk and all dry ingredients, whisking until combined.  Add the mayo and whisk until smooth.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to develop flavors.  The dressing will keep up to one week in an airtight container. 

This recipe is linked to:

Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday
Blessed With Grace Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap   
Life as Mom Ultimate Recipe Swap  

Potato Salad

Do we really need another potato salad recipe? I mean, doesn't everyone think that their grandma/aunt/cousin/mom makes the best potato salad? I for one, think my granny made the best potato salad. However when it comes down to it, really any homemade potato salad is better than store bought from your grocers deli. Blech! The store bought stuff is really not my favorite. But my granny's is my favorite, so here is my modified version. This feeds an army, but of course you can modify portions as needed.



Potato Salad

5 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed
1 dozen hard boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 can black olives, sliced
1 cup diced dill pickles
1 cup diced sweet onion (I prefer the milder flavor)

2 cups Best Foods Mayonnaise (I am a huge proponent of store brand, but there are just some areas you can't compromise)
1/4 cup spicy prepared mustard
salt and pepper, to taste

I use the red potatoes because then I don't have to peel them. Potato salad is enough work without all the peeling! Plus, the skins are good for you. Place your scrubbed potatoes in a large stockpot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain off the water and then refrigerate overnight or until cool.

Cube your potatoes and mix the remaining ingredients together. Refrigerate several hours before serving and enjoy!


This recipe is linked to Life As Mom Ultimate Recipe Swap!  

Cobb Salad with Focaccia Bread

It was a pretty tasty dinner. And farely easy...except getting those rows of ingredients to line up just so. :) In addition, I am really loving this focaccia bread I've been making. It has rosemary in it and fresh Parmesan on top--as my Uncle C would say, "Delicious (with a silent "s" but I am not sure on how to spell that?)" Anywho...I served it with fresh Ranch dressing, but the dressing from this would fabulous as well.




Cobb Salad:


Romaine Lettuce
Crumbled Bacon
Sliced Olives
Cubed Hard Boiled Egg
Diced Tomatoes
Sliced Cheese (whatever your choosing--I used the Costco Mexican blend)
Chicken
Crumbled Blue Cheese
Diced Avocado (I didn't have any, but a traditional Cobb salad has it)

Use as much of each to your liking on a bed of Romaine and enjoy this tasty, summertime meal!

BLT Chicken Salad

It was sooo tasty! I got this recipe from Stretch Mark Mama. I love yummy recipes that are easy to cook on those warm summer days. We don't have air conditioning, so I try to use the grill outside or the crock pot whenever possible on hot days. I just made sure to plan ahead to cook the bacon and chicken and I made the dressing in advance, so it was super easy to throw together when it was dinner time. I served it with some homemade focaccia bread. Delicious!