Lemon Sesame Dressing

Liz brought me some coleslaw with this dressing in place of the the stereotypical creamy kind. I licked the bowl clean, and then called for the recipe, made it and ate it with a spoon. Maybe I'm just pregnant, maybe it's just that good.

1/3 c. olive oil (more or less to taste)
Juice from 1 lemon
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
small clove of garlic, crushed (I used powder)
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Combine and serve over salad, veggies, or eat with a spoon.

Spinach Pear Cranberry Salad

Recipe Copied from Epicurious


Dressing

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper

• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 8 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach leaves, stemmed if needed
• 2 firm but ripe Bosc pears (do not peel), quartered lengthwise, cored, and cut into long, thin slices
• 2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted (see Cook's Notes) and chopped (I've used pecans and walnuts)

print a shopping list for this recipe

preparation

To make the dressing, in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Cover tightly and shake vigorously to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.

Place the onions in a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Let stand for 30 minutes. This crisps the onion and takes away the raw onion taste. Drain well and pat dry on paper towels.

In a small bowl, toss the cranberries with 2 tablespoons of the dressing to soften them. Set aside for at least 20 minutes or until ready to serve the salad.

To assemble the salad, place the spinach, onions, and pears in a large bowl. Give the remaining dressing a last-minute shake and pour over the salad. Toss to coat evenly. Arrange the salad in a large serving bowl or divide it evenly among 8 salad plates. Scatter the cranberries and hazelnuts over the top(s). Serve immediately.

Cook's Notes
Try to buy shelled hazelnuts (also called filberts) with the brown, papery skins removed as well. To toast, spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and place in a preheated 375°F oven. Toast for about 12 minutes until lightly browned. If the nuts still have the skins on, transfer them while they’re hot to a clean kitchen towel. (Use a clean towel that is old or you don’t mind washing with bleach, because the skins tend to discolor the fabric.) Rub the nuts to remove most of the skins (they never come completely off).

You can substitute unsalted cashews for the hazelnuts. Toast cashews, as directed above for hazelnuts, for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned.

Do AheadThe dressing can be made up to 1 day in advance, covered tightly, and refrigerated. Remove from the refrigerator 2 hours before serving. The nuts can be toasted up to 1 day in advance; store at room temperature in an airtight container. The onions and cranberries can be prepared up to up to 4 hours in advance. Set aside at room temperature.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spinach-Salad-with-Bosc-Pears-Cranberries-Red-Onion-and-Toasted-Hazelnuts-355430#ixzz1cOqOrwyH

Shredded Sweet Pork Salad

I use all the recipes on this Sister's cafe post even when I'm not making the Sweet Pork Salad. It includes recipes for the following:

Shredded Sweet Pork (I half the sugar and the Worcestershire)
Cilantro Lime Rice
Garlic Black Beans
Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad

I love a warm goat cheese salad, but they are a lot of work to bread and cook the cheese. This method was soooo much easier! It came together in 5 minutes. Drew, Isaac, and Eli all ate every bite; I don't think that has ever happened with a salad before. The only changes I made were: added a diced tomato, used garlic powder b/c I was out of cloves, and I didn't measure anything.

Recipe copied from Allrecipes

Ingredients

• 8 cups baby spinach, rinsed and dried
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
• 6 ounces goat cheese, sliced
• 8 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 8 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Arrange the spinach on four plates.
2. In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat, and add crushed garlic. Cook and stir until slightly golden. Stir in breadcrumbs. Drop the goat cheese slices into the breadcrumbs a few at a time, and turn to coat in the breadcrumb mixture.
3. Place a slice or two of goat cheese on each serving of spinach, and drizzle the salads with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Pesto Pasta Salad

• 3/4 pound fusilli pasta
• 3/4 pound bow tie pasta
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups pesto
  
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/4 cups good mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pignoli, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.

Recipe from Ina Garten/ Food Network

Ranch Dressing

I much prefer the freshly mixed ranch dressing to the bottled stuff, but we can never eat an entire package of Hidden Valley before it goes bad. This recipe makes half of what the packet does.

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon dried chives
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• dash of salt
• dash of ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients. Chill a few hours to let flavors blend. Substitute buttermilk for sour cream for a thinner dressing.

Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

Salad Wrap

This isn't really a recipe, just a reminder that I can make these next time I'm scrolling through my blog for a dinner idea.

Flour tortilla
Spinach
Lettuce
Canned or leftover chicken
Cheese
Hard boiled egg
Ranch

Heather's Green Salad (Not me, another Heather)

Recipe from Heather, my VT. She made this for Enrichment and I had better write down the ingredients before I forget. There are no set amounts, just throw in as you like.

Spring greens mix
Diced avocados
Mandarin Oranges
Sliced kiwi fruit
Candied nuts
Sliced red onions

Combine and toss. Serve with dressing of choice (we had ranch at Relief Society).