I am trying out new "go with" side dishes in preparation for spring grilling (even though we still have knee high+ snow where I live).

This super simple, super light, super tasty salad is a winner at our house. It is basically just baby spinach, orange segments, avocado, minced red onion and toasted/sliced almonds. 

The orange segments make the salad so juicy, that you don't even need a dressing, although there is an excellent orange vinaigrette (at the bottom of this recipe) for those who would like one. 

This salad is refreshing, quick to fix and goes great with ANY main dish.

4 cups fresh baby spinach
2 oranges, peeled and sectioned
1 large Haas avocado peeled, and sliced

1 tablespoon minced red onion
2 tablespoons sliced almonds toasted

This recipe makes 4 salads. Rinse and dry baby spinach and divide onto four plates. Slice the ends of the orange off and use a knife to peel the orange. Slice in between the segments so you get only the best part of the orange. Arrange the orange and avocado on the spinach. sprinkle with a little minced red onion and top with toasted nuts.

Orange Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 tablespoon honey
pinch of coarse black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 

Place in a small jar with lid, and shake hard. Store in fridge. 

ENJOY !!!

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March 26, 2021

This is my new FAVORITE salad, I can't seem to get enough of it. It's super easy to make and is TWICE AS GOOD the 2nd day which is very handy.

I still can't get picky-picky husband to even try it (he has a war against broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts) but that's OK, it leaves more for me 👍

This isn’t really a traditional recipe where you have to measure everything (well...except for the dressing). It’s more of a guideline  (add/exchange any ingredient to your liking). Here is where I start:

5-6 cups bite size RAW broccoli pieces
very thinly sliced green onion (as much as you like)
8 slices bacon fried crisp and crumbled
1 cup SHARP cheddar cheese (grated)
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup salted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup  craisens (or) raisins

If there is an ingredient you don’t like....leave it out.  If there is an ingredient you REALLY like...add more...I add extra bacon 😉 

Dressing:
3/4 cup mayo (not Miracle Whip)
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
pinch cayenne
Whisk together
Note: This tastes weird right after you make it, but mellows and blends overnight.....very tasty.

Toss the salad ingredients and cover with the dressing. It looks like there is too much dressing, but there isn’t........after it sits overnight.........somehow, it all works together.

Before serving, I gently toss it again and top it with a little extra crisp bacon and sunflower seeds.

ENJOY !!!

NOTE: I've tried adding the crisp bacon pieces just before serving, with hopes it would stay crisp.  I've also added the bacon to the salad BEFORE it sits overnight.  I like BOTH approaches....so what I do, is add half the bacon to the salad immediately, so it flavors the dressing overnight.....then I add the other half of the crisp bacon just before serving and it stays crisp.

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March 16, 2021

Summer Pea Salad, jazzed up with crisp bacon and sweet cherry tomatoes is one of my favorites. It is one of those great salads that travels well and tastes even better after it has been in the fridge for a day or two.



1 pound fresh green peas (or 16oz. frozen green peas)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup peeled and grated carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup red bell pepper chopped fairly small
3 slices of crisp bacon cut up (optional but delicious)
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded (I use a little more)
cherry tomatoes, cut in half (sweeter the better)
toasted sunflower seeds

Fresh green peas are the best in this salad, but when they are not available, frozen peas work well too. 

Microwave peas (covered) with 1 tablespoon of water for about 2 minutes or until slightly cooked (but not soft) then drain and cool.

In a large bowl, mix all of the above ingredients together (except the bacon, cherry tomatoes and sunflower seeds), then gently fold in the dressing.

Dressing
3 heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1-2 tablespoons milk
Whisk the ingredients together and gently fold into salad. Cover and chill.

Just before you serve it, gently fold in the cut up cherry tomatoes, crisp bacon and toasted sesame seeds (save a few for decorating the top).


NOTE: Every microwave cooks at a different rate, so keep an eye on your peas when you microwave them. You don't want them raw, but you don't want them cooked and mushy either, does that make sense?

ENJOY !!!

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August 24, 2019

This refreshing salad is a nutritious combination of crunch (from the broccoli and sunflower seeds), sweetness (from the oranges and raisins) and a pleasant "full feeling" from the black beans.  

It is the perfect side dish for any barbecue or potluck!!

Measurements given here are approximate (except for the dressing). YOU decide how much of each ingredient you would like in your salad. The amounts given here are catered to OUR taste buds. 

3 small heads of broccoli (bite size pieces)
1 red bell pepper (diced finely)
1 cup raisins
2 oranges (peeled and sliced thickly)
15 ounce can of black beans (rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup  toasted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup finely sliced green onion tops

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use light)
1/2 cup milk (I use 2%)
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of cayenne powder


Wash the broccoli and shake dry. Remove as much of the stalk and stems as you can so you can break the florets into bite size pieces. Add (small diced) red bell pepper, raisins, oranges, black beans, sunflower seeds and green onions.

Mix dressing ingredients with a whisk and pour about 1/2 cup of it over the salad just before you serve it. Toss gently and taste to see if you want more dressing. You may not need or want all of the dressing. 


NOTE: Peel the oranges, removing as much of the white as you can, then slice the orange into thick slices; cut the thick slices into four wedges.

NOTE: Let your imagination go wild with this salad, you can add just about any veggies that strike your fancy.

ENJOY !!!

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June 21, 2019

This quick and easy coleslaw recipe is light, refreshing and slightly sweet from the pineapple.  It is the PERFECT accompaniment to ANY and ALL grilled meats.  This one is a winner!!

1 small head of green cabbage (or half of a large one)
2  carrots
1   8 ounce can of crushed pineapple (drained and squeezed dry)

1/2  cup mayonnaise
1/4  cup sugar
1/2  cup milk
2  teaspoons white vinegar
pepper to taste  (I use about 1/4 teaspoon)
healthy pinch of cayenne pepper

Peel the carrots and cut them into medium size chunks. Pulse them in the food processor a few times. I do this "do ahead' step so that the carrots and cabbage end up about the same shred size.  You can also just shred the carrots if you want.

Without removing the carrots from the food processor,  add the cubed cabbage and pulse the two vegetables until you get nice small pieces (but not super fine).  Put the cabbage-carrot mixture into a large bowl, add the super-drained pineapple and stir to mix well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, milk, vinegar, pinch of cayenne pepper and the black pepper. Whisk until smooth.

If you are going to serve the coleslaw right away, pour the dressing over the vegetable-pineapple and stir well then chill (covered). 

If you are going to serve the coleslaw later (like the next day, or even several hours later), chill the vegetable-pineapple separately from the dressing.  Just before you want to serve, pour the dressing over the salad and mix well.

NOTE: Since we are "empty nesters" and large salads like this often go to waste, I've started to make up the full recipe, but I don't mix the dressing into the salad until dinner time. That way, I can make just two to three servings at a time, with no waste!!

 

ENJOY !!!

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May 15, 2016