Vermicelli Shrimp Salad

Once upon a time, I had a large collection of Junior League cookbooks from all over the country. This recipe came from one titled "Colorado Cache" from the Junior League of Denver.  One of my favorite recipes was Vermicelli Shrimp Salad and I served it at summer barbecue parties.  It's a refreshing change from potato salad.  

Ingredients:

1 package vermicelli (thin spaghetti)

1 small red onion, chopped (optional) 

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon chopped chives (optional) 

1 1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 cup Italian salad dressing (I use the original Wish Bone Italian)

1 cup mayonnaise

salt and pepper to taste

1 pound medium shrimp, cooked and deveined  (can also use crabmeat)  

Instructions:

Cook vermicelli according to package directions for al dente.  Drain and blanch with cold water.

Add onion, green pepper, parsley, celery seed, chives, oregano and Italian salad dressing.  

Moisten well with the mayonnaise, adding more if necessary.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  

**adapted from Colorado Cache cookbook**

Arugula Goat Cheese Corn Salad

Christine came over from work one night last week because she had a meeting in the city the next day and Kerry had just shared this recipe with me.  It looked so good and so easy that I thought I would have it to accompany grilled salmon.  The salmon recipe follows.  This salad is delicious with the freshest summer ingredient and light dressing.

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
5 ears sweet corn, husked and cut off cob (Paul did this part)
3 green onions, sliced
2 cups grape tomatoes, quartered
1 cup goat cheese, crumbled
4 cups arugula, chopped
Juice of half of a lemon
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  
Add corn and cook until slightly charred.  Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl add cooled corn, green onions, tomatoes, goat cheese and arugula.  Squeeze lemon juice over the corn mixture and add white wine vinegar and remaining olive oil.  Stir gently to combine.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  

Waldorf Chicken Salad

Looking for a light recipe for a Sunday night I decided to make a salad that I haven't made in many years. The Waldorf Salad was created in 1893 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in NYC.  This recipe was adapted from Southern Living and took only 20 minutes to put together.  Based on reviews I modified it slightly, as written below, by adding one more apple and cutting the honey mustard from 1/2 cup in the original recipe to 1/4 cup.  This ratio was perfect.  I packed a container for my work lunch tomorrow!

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 cups diced cooked chicken (I bought plain "Just Chicken" at Trader Joe's)
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
2 large Gala apples, diced leaving skin on
1 cup diced celery
1/2 mayonnaise
1/4 cup honey mustard (Koop's brand) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake walnuts in a single layer in a shallow pan
6 - 8 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

Stir together chicken, next 5 ingredients and walnuts.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Roquefort Pear Salad

I served this as a side to the Chicken Pot Pie.  I would make this over and over and serve it along with grilled salmon, chicken, shrimp or actually anything, it's that good!

1 head lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
3 pears - peeled, cored and diced
1/2 cup crumbled Roquefort cheese (I used crumbled Gorgonzola, add more if you like alot of cheese)
1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup pecan halves
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper, to taste

In a skillet over medium heat, stir 1/4 cup of sugar together with the pecans.  Continue stirring gently until sugar has melted and caramelized the pecans.  Carefully transfer nuts onto waxed paper.  Allow to cool and break into pieces.

For the dressing, blend oil, vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, mustard, minced garlic, salt and pepper.  

In a serving bowl layer lettuce, pears, cheese, avocado.  Pour dressing over salad and sprinkle with pecans and serve.

Simple Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Kerry made this to accompany pizza at our house to celebrate Hanukkah.  So delicious and colorful.

2 bunches BABY kale*
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 cups grape tomatoes

For the dressing:

2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Place the kale, almonds, parmesan cheese and grape tomatoes into a large bowl.  Top with dressing and toss to combine.

*The original recipe called for regular kale which needs to be massaged.  NO WAY, use baby kale, no massage necessary.  Who has time to massage greens!   Also the original recipe added 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard which Kerry left out.  Her version was fabulous!  

Fried Goat's Cheese and Pomegranate Salad

Jill made this delicious salad to share with everyone.  Love the ingredients especially the fried goat's cheese.

300g soft goat's cheese 
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs 
oil, for frying

For the salad:

1 cup pomegranate rubies
100 g pine nuts, toasted
salad leaves
olive oil and balsamic vinegar, for drizzling over

Slice the goat cheese into 3cm rounds.

Coat, first in the flour, then in the beaten egg and finally in the breadcrumbs.

Fry in hot oil until golden brown.

Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen towel.

Serve the fried cheese on the salad leaves, sprinkle over the pomegranate and pine nuts and a good drizzle of olive oil and Balsamic vinegar.

Serve immediately.

Arugula Salad with Olive Oil, Lemon and Parmesan Cheese

• Kerry made this recently, raved about it and took this photo.  She said it was delicious and so easy to make.
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• Ingredients:
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• 2 bunches of Arugula, washed, dried and torn
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• A chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Instructions:

In a serving bowl, drizzle the arugula with the oil, squeeze in the lemon juice, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss until well mixed and taste for seasoning.


Using a vegetable peeler to shave thin pieces of Parmigiano over the top. 

Fusilli Caesar Salad

I made this side salad on Super Bowl Sunday and served it with Slow Cooker Turkey Meatball Subs (recipe to follow).  Best part of this recipe is the croutons made with King's Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls.  Hands down the best croutons I have ever had.  

8 ounces fusilli pasta
6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Croutons:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (12 count) package King's Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls, diced into 1" cubes

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, butter, parsley, oregano, basil and garlic powder.  Spread bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Add olive oil mixture and gently toss to combine.  Place into oven and bake until crisp and golden about 4 - 5 minutes; set aside.  For extra crispy croutons, leave in slightly longer.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions; drain well and let cool.

To make the dressing, whisk together mayonnaise, Parmesan, lemon juice, olive oil, Worcestershire, garlic, salt and pepper to taste; set aside.

To assemble the salad, place romaine lettuce in a large bowl; top with pasta, Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste.  Pour the dressing on top of the salad and gently toss to combine. 

Serve immediately, garnished with croutons.

Creamy Coleslaw

I made this to accompany the Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken but I will have it again for several other dinners during the week.  

Ingredients:

1 package (14 ounce) coleslaw mix
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt

Directions:

Pour the coleslaw mix into a strainer and place it in the sink.  Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the sugar and 1/4 cup of the kosher salt and lightly toss.  Let this site for 5 minutes.  It will draw out the moisture from the cabbage.  Rinse well with cold water.  Spin the coleslaw mix in a salad spinner (shown here) and place in a large bowl.

For the Dressing:

2/3 cup Hellman's Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dry parsley flakes.

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons sugar, cider vinegar, celery salt, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and dry parsley flakes.  Whisky well.  Pour over the cabbage mixture and fold carefully to combine.  

Refrigerate and serve.  Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper when serving.

Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing on Farmers Market Salad with Grilled Shrimp

Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. dried oregano (use more if fresh)
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper 
1/4 tsp. freshly ground salt

Combine all ingredients in this OXO salad mixer.

Serves 2
  

Summer Farmers Market Salad

1 head of Red Butter Lettuce 
1/2 small cucumber
2 carrots
1/2 Brandywine tomato
1/2 cup feta cheese
6 colossal uncooked peeled and deveined shrimp, grilled on skewers (brushed with olive oil) over medium heat for approximately 3 minutes.

Combine all salad ingredients and add dressing, just enough to moisten vegetables.

Serves 2

Caprese Salad

I made this recently in Los Angeles to accompany homemade pizza made by Ryan.  I was so happy with the way the balsamic drizzle turned out and how nice it looked over the salad.

2 cups Balsamic Vinegar
3 whole ripe tomatoes, sliced thick
12 ounces, fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thick
Fresh basil leaves
Olive Oil (good quality), for drizzling
Freshly ground salt and pepper

In a small saucepan, bring balsamic vinegar to a boil over medium-low heat.  Cook for 10 to 20 minutes, or until balsamic has reduced to a thicker glaze.  Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl or cruet.  Allow to cool.

When you are ready to serve, arrange tomato and mozzarella slices on a platter.  Arrange basil leaves between the slices.  Drizzle olive oil over the top of the salad, getting a little bit on each slice.  Do the same with the balsamic reduction, making designs if you want.  Store extra balsamic reduction in the refrigerator for a later use. 

End with a sprinkling of kosher salt and black pepper. 

Sunday Spinach and Strawberry Salad

With strawberries in abundance, I made this for dinner tonight. 
I topped it with grilled chicken and feta cheese.  The homemade poppyseed dressing is easy to make, light and delicious.  Just the right sweetness!

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen, modified by me!
Salad:

1 (10 to 12 ounce) package baby spinach
1/3 cup sliced almonds (I used Trader Joe's Honey Roased Sliced Almonds)
1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced (I used an English cucumber and did not peel it.

Dressing:

1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon poppy seeds.

I use an Oxo Good Grips Salad Dressing Container.

For the dressing:

In a small glass bowl or jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, oil, and poppy seeds. Whisk together in the glass bowl or shake if using a jar.

Directions:

In a large salad bowl, add the spinach, almonds, strawberries and cucumber and toss together. Dress the salad right before serving.

Top with grilled chicken and feta cheese.

Jill Foley Alexander's Strawberry Butter Lettuce Salad

Here is my original salad recipe. I made this for lunch today at work.

It is butter lettuce
with goat cheese,
pine nuts
and strawberries.
 
I used balsamic vinaigrette for the salad dressing.

It is phenom!

"Posted by Mom for Jill"

Spinach, Shrimp and Avocado Salad

Great in the summer

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/spinach-shrimp-avocado-salad-recipe-00000000031633/index.html

Bite Sized Greek Salad

http://www.cookingwithmykid.com/recipes/bite-sized-greek-salad/

Butternut Squash Salad

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-butternut-squash-salad-with-warm-cider-vinaigrette-recipe/index.html

Tomato Feta Salad

So fresh, light and delicious. I make a lot during the summer. Add cooked pasta to make it a meal.

                                       

 http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/tomato-feta-salad-recipe2/index.html

Caprese Salad Boats

-drizzled them with some nice extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and balsamic vinegar.

Christine's Favorite Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad

2 cups cooked corn, fresh or frozen

1 avocado, cut into ½ inch cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup finely diced red onion

Dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon fresh lime zest
1 tablespoon lime juice
¼ cup chopped cilantro
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

Directions:

Combine the corn, avocado, tomatoes and onion in a large glass bowl.  Mix together the dressing
ingredients in another bowl.  Pour over the salad and gently toss to mix.