ROASTED BEET AND PEAR SALAD WITH BLUE CHEESE

 

Don't judge this salad by my picture.  My pears were overripe and fell apart but the flavors were still there.  The second picture is one I cropped from the posting I found on FB and is how the salad should have looked.  No matter how it looked, it was delicious if you love beets, pears, and blue cheese.  I will definitely make it anytime I have a beet lover in the house that will enjoy it with me.

3 medium beets, peeled

2 TB olive oil (for roasting beets) 

2 ripe pears cut into wedges

1 TB butter (for pears)

1 TB honey or maple syrup (for pears)

Salt and fresh cracked black pepper

SALAD:

4 c arugula or mixed greens

1/2 c crumbled blue cheese (or feta)

1/3 c chopped pistachios

DRESSING:

3 TB olive oil

2 TB balsamic vinegar

1 t honey

Pinch of salt and cracker black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss beets with 2 tsp olive oil, season with salt and pepper, wrap in foil and roast 30-40 minutes until tender.  Let cool and slice.

In a skillet melt butter; add pear wedges, honey, salt and pepper.  Saute until lightly caramelized.

To prepare dressing whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.

To assemble salad place greens

in a large bowl.  Top with roasted beets, caramelized pears, cheese and pistachios.  Drizzle with dressing.

COWBOY CAVIAR

                                                                              

Football season is back, and I decided to make what we used to refer to as Texas Caviar.  There were quite a few recipes so I combined some and made my own version of it.  In most recipes it was listed as Cowboy Caviar, and since I'm not very proud to be a Texan these days I have decided to stick with the name Cowboy Caviar.  It is a tasty change from my usual Black Bean and Corn Salsa which we also love.  They are similar but this one has a flavorful dressing and has the addition of fresh tomatoes, avocados, peppers, and red onion.  Saved with good tortilla chips it is a perfect football munchie!

Grape tomatoes (the equivalent of 3 Roma tomatoes), finely diced *

2 avocados, finely diced *

1/3 c finely diced red onion

15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

15 oz can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1-1/2 c frozen corn kernels thawed, or 1-2 cans shoepeg corn, drained

1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, finely diced

1-2 fresh jalapeños, finely diced, seeds optional depending on how much heat you want

1/3 c chopped fresh cilantro

Tortilla chips for serving

Dressing:

1/3 c good olive oil

2 TB lime juice

2 TB red wine vinegar

1 t white sugar

1/2 t salt

1/2 t black pepper

1/4 t garlic powder

*I made everything the day before and waited to add the tomatoes and avocados until a couple hours before serving.  Since it made a lot, I took out half of the bean mixture and only added half of the tomatoes and avocados to it and saved the rest of the bean mixture for another day.  Will add the remainder of the tomatoes and avocados then.

Combine all the caviar ingredients in a bowl.  Stir so that all ingredients are well combined.

In a separate bowl whisk all the dressing ingredients together.  Pour dressing over the bean mixture and stir very well.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Stir well before serving.

PEACHES AND TOMATOES WITH BURRATA

 

Recently I was visiting Electra and Glen came to visit her.  She had requested I make a peach cobbler, so Glen of course had some.  He said this tastes like Texas.  He now lives in Georgia and two weeks ago he sent us two boxes of Georgia peaches!  I don't ever remember having peaches that good.  We will have to order some ourselves next summer.  Our Fredericksburg peaches don't even begin to compare.  Eric also loves peaches, and we had bought summer tomatoes at Lou's farm stand in Luling so Eric made this appetizer for us.  It was pretty close to what I call moanable, but of course it was largely due to the wonderful peaches and tomatoes.  If you have access to either of them you will enjoy this dish.  It tastes like summer!!

1-1/2 lbs ripe but slightly firm peaches, halved and pitted

2 TB unsalted butter, melted

12 oz ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2" pieces

3/4 t table salt, divided

5 TB extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 TB white wine vinegar

8 oz burrata cheese, room temperature

1/3 c chopped fresh basil

Toasted baguette or ciabatta slices for serving

Brush cut side of peaches with melted butter.  Turn all burners of gas grill to high; cover, and heat grill until hot about 15 minutes.  Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burners. Clean and oil cooking grate.  Arrange peaches cut side down on hotter side of grill and cook with lid closed until grill marks have formed, 5-7 minutes, moving peaches as needed to ensure even cooking.

Transfer peaches cut side up to 13x9" baking pan and cover loosely with foil.  Place pan on cooler side of grill.  Turn primary burner to medium; cover and cook until peaches are very tender and paring knife slips in and out with little resistance, 10-15 minutes.  When peaches are cool enough to handle, discard skins and let cool completely.

While peaches cool, toss tomatoes with 1/2 t salt and let drain in colander for 30 minutes.  Cut each peach half into 4 wedges and cut each wedge in half crosswise.

Whisk vinegar and remaining 1/2 t salt together in large bowl.  Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in 1/4 c. oil.  Add peaches and tomatoes and toss gently to combine: transfer to shallow serving bowl or platter.  Place burrata on top of tomato mixture and drizzle with remaining 1 TB oil.  Season with pepper to taste and sprinkle with basil.  

Serve, breaking up burrata with spoon ad allowing creamy liquid to meld with dressing.  It can be eaten as a salad, but we enjoyed our grilled ciabatta slices oozing with this heavenly mixture.

GREEN SALAD WITH AVOCADO AND ALMONDS AND CHAMPAGNE VINAIGRETTE

                                                                        

 I have always referred to this as Electra's favorite green salad.  It is extremely light and delicate and complements a heavy entree perfectly.  The champagne vinaigrette isn't over-powering and is just perfect for the delicate lettuce.  The recipe came from a magazine clipping I tore out years ago but never blogged.  Every time I wanted to make it I had to search through my piles of recipes for it and that was annoying. Electra had printed a copy of it years ago and she sent me a pic of it.  I promised I would blog it immediately so here it is.  I sometimes add a little crumbled goat or feta cheese, but the original recipe doesn't have cheese. I know I shouldn't mess with perfection, but being a cheese lover, I oftentimes can't resist adding it to a green salad if I have it on hand.

2 TB nice quality extra-virgin olive oil

1 TB diced shallots

1TB Champagne vinegar

1 t diced fresh thyme

1 t Dijon mustard

1/8 t kosher salt

1/2 t cracked black pepper

4 c spring mix lettuce

1 diced, ripe avocado

3 TB toasted sliced almonds

Crumbled feta or goat cheese, optional

In the bottom of a salad bowl combine all the dressing ingredients.  Add the lettuce, avocado, almonds and cheese if you want cheese.  Toss and serve immediately.

NO MAYO COLE SLAW

 

Normally I love cole slaw made with mayo, but sometimes one without mayo is a better option.  Logan smoked a pork butt roast, and I decided this was a good time to try a no mayo recipe.  This Spring Lauren did a book-signing event for Camila Alves McConaughey's children's book Just Try One Bite.  I got to visit with her, and she is such a lovely, down-to-earth lady!  Since her book was about cooking I decided to look up some of her recipes on-line, and I found her No Mayo Cole Slaw recipe.  Her recipe called for a whole head of green cabbage, but since I had on hand a package of shredded cabbage I reduced her ingredients to half except for the apple.  So if you decide you want to shred a whole head of cabbage, just double all the ingredients.  I am so happy to have found a cole slaw that is so tasty and healthier than the ones I usually make!

10 oz. pkg. Angel Hair Coleslaw

1 red apple, skin on, julienned or even grated

1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced

1-1/2 TB chopped fresh mint

1 TB fresh lemon juice

1 TB olive oil

1 t. apple cider vinegar

1 t. white wine vinegar

Salt to taste

If you decide to use a head of cabbage instead of the Angel Hair package, shred the cabbage finely with a mandoline or a sharp knife.  The thinner the cabbage, the better this will taste.  Combine all the ingredients and mix together in a large bowl.  Taste as you go to see if it needs any more acidity, moisture or salt.  It can be served immediately, but it gets better refrigerated for a few hours or overnight.

CHOPPED SALAD

The secret to this salad is having equal portions of all its ingredients AND sparingly using the Jalapeño Ranch Dip that was previously blogged as the dressing.  Obviously I don't measure things equally, but don't overdo it with lettuce.  In fact the first time I made this salad I didn't put any lettuce in it, and Lauren immediately wanted the recipe for it.  The Jalapeño Ranch Dip makes tons so I generally make this salad any time I have made that dip for a gathering.  The dip always gets rave reviews so don't hesitate to make it. Update -- I now make 1/3 of the dip so that I can use it as a salad dressing.

Canned black beans, rinsed and drained*

Corn on the cob*

Grape tomatoes, sliced in half

Romaine lettuce hearts, diced

Avocado

Jalapeno Ranch Dip (on blog)

Cotija cheese

Tortilla strips, optional

Rub the corn with oil and season with your favorite seasoning.  Grill it, turning it frequently til some of the kernels are somewhat charred.  Cool and slice off the cob.

In the bottom of your salad bowl, put the beans, corn and grape tomatoes.  Top a small amount of romaine, cover with saran and refrigerate.

When ready to serve, dice the avocado, drizzle with a small amount of the dip and toss well.  Top with cortina and tortilla strips if desired.  (I didn't this time because we had tortilla chips with appetizers, but they do add a nice crunch and can be bought in a bag.) 

*For 4 of us I used half the can of black beans, half of 3 ears of corn and saved the other half of each for a salad the next day.

WATERMELON & ARUGULA SALAD

Summertime means watermelons – juicy, crisp watermelons.  My Daddy was a farmer and rancher.  When I was young he farmed 200 acres of watermelons.  As he got older and became more of a rancher he only farmed about 30 acres as a hobby – and also so he could enter one in the annual Watermelon Thump in Luling.  He has been gone for 23 years, and I am still proud to say that he won this festival with the biggest black diamond melon 8 times – more than anyone in its 64 year history!  So obviously I like watermelon.  This salad piqued my interest because I was grilling ribs and I wanted something cool to offset the heat from the grill.  We all really enjoyed it.  Of course the trick is to pick a ripe watermelon that is still crisp – too ripe and the texture isn’t crispy.  My mama knew how to thump a melon and pick out the perfect one.  She always said it should sound flat when it was ripe.  I have never perfected that theory and usually just look for the white spot on the bottom where the watermelon sat in the sand long enough to ripen.  Good luck in picking a good one!

8 c. cubed seedless watermelon

1 small red onion, cut into thin rings
1 c. coarsely chopped macadamia nuts or sliced almonds, toasted
1 c. fresh arugula or baby spinach
1/3 c. balsamic vinegar
3 TB canola oil
1 c. (4 oz.) crumbled blue cheese

In a large bowl, combine the watermelon and onion; cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes.  Just before serving, add the nuts and arugula to the watermelon mixture.  In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar and oil then drizzle over the salad and toss to coat.  Sprinkle with the cheese.   

BEAN AND CORN SALAD WITH CILANTRO VINAIGRETTE

 As usual I went to Pati’s Mexican Table when I was looking for a new side dish to be served with fish tacos.  Not only did Justin comment (even 3 days later as he was eating leftovers) that he really liked the dish, but Lauren (or as the family fondly refers to her, The Hell No Girl) even liked it!  The next time I make it I will change the garbanzo beans to a softer bean, like maybe Navy beans because the garbanzo beans are tough and don’t really take on the flavor of the vinaigrette.  Don’t get me wrong, it is still good with them in it, but I think we will like it even better with a softer bean.  (Don’t tell Pati though – she’s my idol when it comes to Mexican cuisine!)

1 – 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 – 15 oz. can garbanzo or navy beans, drained and rinsed

1 – 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained

1 – 14 oz. can hearts of palm, drained and cut into ¼” rounds

1 c. finely diced red bell pepper

2 Tb. finely diced red onion

Vinaigrette:

½ c. cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

¼ c. olive oil

¼ c. canola oil

¼ c. red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped

1 t. sugar

1/2 t. kosher or sea salt, or more to taste

Place all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a blender and puree until smooth.  It may be made up to a week ahead and store covered in the refrigerator.  If made ahead, whisk it or shake it in the covered container to re-emulsify prior to using.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except the hearts of palm.  Pour in the vinaigrette* and stir to combine well.  Add the hearts of palm and gently toss.

*This was a lot of vinaigrette for the amount of salad.  You want enough to really flavor and almost marinate the ingredients, but you might prefer to save a little of the dressing for another salad and go a little lighter on the dressing.

INDIAN STREET CORN SALAD

I wanted something cool to go with the Tikka Masala so I found this recipe on the Food Network website.  There is an Indian chef, Aarti Sequeira, who has quite a few recipes so I decided to give this one a try.  It was a nice addition to the meal.

3 large ears corn

Olive oil

1 cup halved cherry or grape size tomatoes

1 or 2 sprigs fresh mint, leaves thinly sliced

Small handful fresh cilantro, leaves diced

Dressing:

¼ c. freshly squeezed lime juice

¼ t. ground cumin

1/8 t. cayenne pepper

Big pinch ground cardamom

Big pinch chaat masala (spice from Indian market)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Clean and silk the corn.  Rub it with olive oil and put on a grill over medium high heat.  Cook until charred in patches all the way around.  Remove from heat and let cool. 

While it is cooling whisk together all the dressing ingredients.

Slice the kernels off the cobs and tumble into a bowl.  Add the tomatoes, mint and cilantro.  Toss with the dressing and taste for seasoning.

ASIAN GROUND TURKEY (FOR USE IN A SALAD OR LETTUCE CUPS)

                       

                                                                          

Are you as tired of grilled chicken salad as I am?  This is my new favorite meat to add to my salad, and normally I am not a ground turkey fan at all.  I got the recipe from Kalyn’s Kitchen since she blogs South Beach recipes.  However, I am putting it on the blog because I will make this whether I am dieting or not.  The first time I made it I ate it in a lettuce cup, and the next time I used it in a salad.  Either way it is larapin (my mother’s favorite word to describe something extra yummy!)  So Sunday afternoon make your ground turkey concoction and you will have enough for lunch for the whole week.  Trust me, if you like Asian food you will be thrilled with this salad!

1 TB peanut oil

3 TB minced red onion or shallots

2 TB minced garlic

2 TB grated ginger root

20 oz. pkg ground turkey

4 TB soy sauce (I used light soy)

1 TB chile garlic sauce (or more if you like spicy foods)

1 t. fish sauce

1 c. chopped cilantro

Prepare the onion, garlic, and ginger and set aside.  Wash and chop fresh cilantro and set it aside. 

Heat the oil in a large frying pan; add onion and sauté about 2 minutes then add garlic and ginger and sauté about one minute more.  Add ground turkey (with a bit more oil if needed) and break apart and spread out, then add soy, garlic sauce, and fish sauce.  Cook until the turkey is brown and crumbling apart, and the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.  When the turkey is done add the chopped cilantro and cook 1-2 more minutes.

FOR LETTUCE CUPS:

Boston lettuce, butter lettuce, romaine or iceberg lettuce

Chopped peanuts

1 avocado, diced, optional

Spoon the turkey into a leaf of lettuce and sprinkle with peanuts and avocado if desired.  Fold lettuce leaf over like a taco.

FOR SALAD:

Mixed lettuce greens

Shredded cabbage

Chopped peanuts

½ of a small avocado, diced

Paul Newmans Lowfat Sesame Ginger Salad dressing

Combine the greens and cabbage (I prefer mostly cabbage).  Spoon about 1/5 of the ground turkey (about ½ c.) over it.  Sprinkle with the peanuts and avocado and drizzle the salad dressing over it all. 

ASPARAGUS & TOMATO SALAD WITH MUSTARD-DILL VINAIGRETTE

This salad is a very refreshing starter or side dish.  The garlicky vinaigrette, which can be made well ahead of time, yields a generous amount.  You will have plenty to drizzle over steamed vegetables another time or for a different salad another night.  It stores well in the frig for up to a week.  I served it last night with the Gnocchi with Mushroom Sauce, and they complimented each other very well.  I only dressed half of the vegetables and will serve the rest tonight with another entrée.  Update -- The second night I sliced the leftover asparagus into thirds and tossed it with more sliced grape tomatoes, diced avocado, vinaigrette and sprinkled more toasted almonds on top.  Very yummy.

2 lbs. slender fresh asparagus

6 c. fresh mixed salad greens
1 c. grape tomatoes, halved
¼ c. sliced almonds, lightly toasted

MUSTARD-DILL VINAIGRETTE:

1 garlic clove, sliced
½ small onion, coarsely chopped
¼ c. chopped fresh dill
1 TB Dijon mustard
¼ c. Balsamic vinegar
1/3 c. water
½ c. Safflower oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Discard the tough woody ends of the asparagus.  In a large saucepan or skillet, bring enough salted water to cover the asparagus to a boil over high heat.  Add the asparagus; reduce the heat to simmer and cook until just tender, about 3-5 minutes.  Drain well and chill the asparagus for an hour.

To make the vinaigrette, put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve, toss the greens and tomatoes with a little vinaigrette.  Toss the asparagus in a separate bowl with a little vinaigrette then place over the greens.  Sprinkle with almonds and toss.  If desired, drizzle more vinaigrette over it.  Serve at once.

MANGO-CUCUMBER RICE SALAD

This is another recipe I found while I was looking for something interesting to eat that would fit the vegan requirements.  That of course doesn’t mean it’s not tasty whether you are a vegan or not, so don’t let that scare you off.  The quinoa adds a nice zing to the rice and the lime and cilantro flavors blend well with the mango and cucumber.  It made a large serving, so the first night we enjoyed it like the recipe was written, and the second night I added avocado into the leftovers and it was even better! 

Kosher salt

1-1/2 c. rice (your favorite kind)
1/4 c. quinoa, rinsed
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
2 TB peanut or Canola oil
1 t. sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
1 c. chopped mango
1 hothouse cucumber, peeled and diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
½ c. fresh cilantro, chopped
1/3 c. salted roasted peanuts, chopped
Avocado, diced*

Cook your favorite rice in salted water until tender.  Meanwhile, bring a separate saucepan of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.  Add the quinoa and cook until tender, about 12 minutes (or follow the directions the quinoa you buy recommends).  Drain the grains and rinse under cold water until cool; shake off the excess water.

Whisk the lime juice and zest, peanut oil, sugar, 1 t. salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl.  Add the rice mixture, mango, cucumber, jalapeno, scallions, cilantro and peanuts and stir to combine.  Season with salt.

*If you choose to add avocado take out the amount of the salad you wish to serve that meal and lightly salt the avocado and stir it into that portion.  The remainder will store well in the refrigerator and you can add avocado when you eat it again.  If you are serving it for guests and aren’t sure how much will be eaten you might just have a separate bowl of diced avocado with a little lime juice squeezed over it that they can add it to their own serving.

MEXICAN TOMATO SALAD

I usually serve this salad with fish or shrimp tacos, and we use it as a pico de gallo on them.  However, it is yummy and could stand alone as a side salad when serving Mexican food.  Since everything is diced, you could also eat it on a tortilla chip as an appetizer.    It would even be good with grilled corn cut off the cob and stirred in.

1-1/2 lbs. (about 3 large) tomatoes, cored, seeded and sliced into ½” wedges

½ t. table salt
2 TB extra-virgin olive oil
Juice from ½ lime – about 1 TB
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 avocado, diced
¼ c. cilantro, chopped
½ t. black pepper
½ c. crumbled cotija  cheese or queso blanco

Toss the tomatoes and salt in a large bowl.  Transfer them to a paper towel-lined  baking sheet, and let drain 15 minutes.  Return the drained tomatoes to the large bowl and toss with everything else except the cheese.  Let marinate 15 minutes.  Sprinkle cheese over the salad.

ELECTRA’S FRITO CORN SALAD

Electra brought this to the 4^th of July celebration last night.  I embarrassed myself and had 3 servings of it – hardly ate the half hamburger I had made for myself.  All I wanted was this salad!   C’mon – Fritoes, corn, cheese – what’s not to like?

2 – 15 oz. cans whole kernel corn, drained

2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. red bell pepper, finely diced
½ c. red onion, finely diced
1 – 10-1/2 bag chile cheese Fritos corn chips, coarsely crushed

Mix all ingredients together except the Fritoes and chill for several hours or overnight. Stir in the Fritoes just before serving.  It makes more than you would think so you might stir half of the chips in half of the salad at first.  The corn will still be good the next day and you can stir the rest of the chips into the last half of salad -- unless you have Frito lovers like me -- then you might eat it all the first night!

ANTIPASTO BOWL

This recipe mostly came from an old Cooking Light magazine, but I changed it up a bit. I’ve eaten my way back into a larger size, so I’m trying to cook healthier. It is no fun! However, this recipe is actually really good. No one realized it was a light dish with only 51 calories and 2.9 grams of fat per ½ cup. Everyone actually loved it and gobbled it up. We ate it as an appetizer with toothpicks, but it could easily be a salad as a side dish.  I have served it with cocktails, and it always a hit.  The recipe recommended not storing it in the refrigerator for longer than 8 hours – any longer would affect its texture and flavor. I had the leftovers for lunch today, and I agree. The veggies had absorbed too much of the white wine vinegar so they were a little strong, but not so much that I didn’t eat it and enjoy it. I didn’t feel like I was on a diet when I ate this at all, and that is a GOOD thing. UPDATE:  Now that I use the bottled dressing I can keep it in the frig longer so that I have a healthy snack for 2 or 3 days.

3 c. (1 bunch) asparagus, sliced into 2” pieces
1 zucchini, cut into 2” strips, with each strip being cut into 6 pieces
3 c. quartered mushrooms (about 12 oz.)
1 c. red bell pepper strips
½ c. pitted black olives, or a mixture of your favorite olives
4 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese, cut in ½” cubes or small fresh mozarella balls
1 – 14 oz. can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
Handful of pickled pepperoncini peppers
Salami, sliced and quartered, optional
1/3 c. white wine vinegar*
¼ c. finely chopped fresh parsley*
3 TB extra-virgin olive oil*
2 t. dried oregano*
1 t. sugar*
½ t. salt*
¼ t. black pepper*
3 garlic cloves, minced*

Steam asparagus, covered for 2 minutes; drain and plunge into ice water until cool. Drain well and put in a bowl that has a tight lid. Steam zucchini and mushrooms for 1 minute; drain and plunge into ice water and drain quickly before the mushrooms absorb too much water. Add to the bowl. Add the red bell, olives, cheese, artichokes and peppers. 

In a small bowl combine the vinegar and remaining ingredients; stir well with a whisk. Pour vinaigrette over the vegetable mixture, tossing gently to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, occasionally either stirring the veggies or flipping the bowl upside down. Mine marinated about 5 hours, and they were perfect.  If you decide to add the pastrami, add it before serving.

*I now use about half a bottle of Girard Light Champagne dressing and am very happy with the flavor.

CUCUMBER SALAD

This salad goes well with the German dish Roladen, and the creaminess of this salad compliments the brown gravy in the Roladen perfectly. I have never served it on it’s own, but it would be great served with just about anything.

2-3 c. heavy cream
Juice of 1 lemon
1 TB sugar
Salt, pepper, garlic salt to taste
Couple dashes of red wine vinegar
Finely chopped red onions
2 hothouse cucumbers (the ones wrapped in cellophane), peeled and sliced

Stir the cream, lemon juice, sugar, seasonings and vinegar together to make the dressing. Layer the onions and cucumbers in a bowl and pour the dressing over them. Gently stir to cover the veggies. Cover the dish and chill a few hours or overnight before serving. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

ELECTRA’S CALYPSO COLESLAW

Yippee, Electra has moved back to Austin! Not only did I miss her company the last 8 years, but I also missed her cooking. She brought this coleslaw recipe back with her from Annapolis, and it is really good. JT and I had it for dinner last night with our fish, and we both had seconds (and thirds if I’m being really honest)! There was maybe a tad bit too much dressing for our taste, so be sure and add it slowly stirring until you get the amount you like.

16 oz. pkg. coleslaw mix (about 6-1/2 c.)
1 – 11 oz. can Mexican corn
½ c. finely chopped onion
1/c shredded cheddar cheese
½ c. finely diced green olives without pimentos
1 c. mayo
2 TB sugar
2 TB white vinegar
4 t. mustard
½ t. celery seed

Stir together the first five ingredients. In a separate bowl stir together the dressing ingredients and then stir into the vegetables. Chill before serving.

ELECTRA’S RANCHY RED POTATO SALAD

For a quick potato salad that has a bit of a different flavor, this is really good. Electra made this probably 15 years ago, and I recently remembered it. I made it in Dallas to go with our Father’s Day grilled menu, and everyone loved it. I prepared it early in the day so it could get cold – and so I could lay by Lauren’s pool guilt-free until time to fire up the grill!  We also had baby back ribs, grilled corn on the cob, grilled okra, fresh tomatoes with avocado & feta drizzled with Balsamic Vinegar and DeDe's recipe of peach cobbler with Blue Bell Natural Vanilla Bean ice cream.  Hungry yet?  Happy Father's Day JT!

About 10 medium-size red potatoes, scrubbed
8 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
4 stalks celery, finely diced
Season salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Ranch dressing*

Boil the potatoes whole. When they are fork-tender, drain off the water and cut them in large chunks, about 1”. Stir in the remaining ingredients and chill.

*We are lucky enough to have Isabella Rae’s Garlic Ranch Dressing at our Central Market. It is very light and mild, and I used almost the whole 12 oz. bottle of it for this recipe. If you have to use a different brand of Ranch, I would add it a little at a time until you get the consistency you prefer. My second choice would be to make Ranch dressing using the Hidden Valley dry packet following the instructions. It is much thinner and has a much better flavor than the bottles of premade Ranch.

CHUNKY CHICKEN SALAD WITH GRAPES AND PECANS

                                 
Lauren and I love chicken salad! I have more than one recipe for it, and this one mimics one Aunt Clara made years ago. Central Market does a similar version as well. The grapes add an amazing juiciness to it, and the crunchy celery – oh my gosh. Eat it on mixed greens or on some really good bread – or use Frito Scoops and scoop yourself up a bite – Guilty pleasure!!

XL rotisserie chicken, boned, skinned, and cut into ½” chunks*
3 stalks celery, sliced lengthwise and then finely diced
1 lb. red or black seedless grapes, sliced in half
1 c. salted, toasted pecans, finely diced
Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
1-1/2 c. Hellmann’s mayo (or to taste)
1 t. season salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Stir all ingredients together, adding mayo a little at a time, until you get the flavor you prefer. Chill before serving.

*Costco does bigger chickens than most grocery stores, so adjust your mayo if you don’t buy an XL chicken*

JEANA’S THAI GRILLED BEEF SALAD

This was part of Jeana’s yummy Asian dinner. The lime flavor really jumped out and was especially yummy with the beef – two flavors that marry very well and that I hadn’t thought to put together before. Loved it Jeana!

5 TB fresh lime juice
2 TB fish sauce
½ t. brown sugar
2-3 small Thai or Serrano chiles, seeded and minced*
½ c. shallots or red onion, thinly sliced
4 scallions, diced
½ c. fresh cilantro, chopped
2 TB fresh mint, chopped
½ c. Thai basil, chopped, optional
1 cucumber, thinly sliced or diced
1 lb. lean steak, 1” thick (tenderloin, London broil, flank)
Salt and pepper to season steak
Mixed greens **

In bowl stir together the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and chiles. Season steak and grill/broil it to medium rare. Transfer steak to a board and let rest. Cut across grain into thin slices. Toss the steak with the lime juice mixture and the rest of the ingredients. Serve over mixed greens.

*Be careful with these, they add a real kick!
**May also serve this dish over cooked sticky rice instead of greens.