Chinese Noodle Salad

This is a fantastic light salad that would go great to any potluck! Makes about 6 servings.

Ingredients
• 1 head Napa or bok choy cabbage OR pre-shredded bag cabbage
• 5 large green onions
• 2 (3-ounce) package ramen noodles (save one seasoning pack for dressing)
• 1 (6-ounce) package slivered almonds
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar or rice wine vinegar (preferred)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• (optional) a few thin slices of red onion for color

Directions
Preheat the broiler.
Tear the cabbage and slice the onions, and place in a large salad bowl. Crumble the noodles into a broiler pan or cookie sheet, add the almonds, sesame seeds, and broil for 2 minutes, being careful not to scorch the sesame seeds. In a jar with a tight lid, combine the oil, sugar, vinegar, and salt with the contents of the seasoning pack. Cover the jar and shake well to blend the dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad, add the toasted sesame and almond, and toss to combine.

Variations: This is good with chicken added to make a more hearty salad. Could also add mandarin oranges.

Chinese Shrimp Noodle Salad

Chinese Shrimp Noodle Salad

8 oz Chinese egg noodles

½ c diced celery

½  c chopped green onion

1 can sliced water chestnuts

1 can shrimp, drained (or about 1 C fresh)

1 sm pkg Uncle Dan’s Southern Style Dressing (now Hidden Valley Ranch)

1 c mayo

Boil egg noodles (broken) for 9 minutes (see note below)

Rinse in cold water.

Add celery, onion, and water chestnuts. 

Just before serving, mix Uncle Dan’s and mayo and pour over all.   Mix.

Add shrimp just before serving

Can be refrigerated overnight. 

*Notes:

1.  fresh shrimp is better

2.  the somen brand egg noodles only need to cook 3 minutes.

3.  Can actually mix all the night before (including shrimp).  Won’t make a lot of difference.

Grilled Corn & Peach Salad

via Arugula Files.
Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

3 peaches, cut in 1 inch piece
5 ears of grilled corn
1 jalapeno
1/2 a purple onion, diced
1 handful of cilantro, chopped
juice of two limes
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Boil corn (about 8-10 minutes in boiling water); cook on grill for 1 minute each side. Cut kernels off the cobb. Let cool.
2. Mix remaining ingredients and serve.

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

2 jars of sun-dried tomatoes in oil, undrained
4 big cloves garlic, 2 big handfuls basil
~1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup walnuts –

Blend in a food processor. 

via KathEats.

Blue Cheese + Honey + Bread

Asparagus & Greens Salad with Gorgonzola Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS:

1  pound  green and white asparagus, trimmed and cut into (2-inch) pieces
2 1/4  teaspoons  salt, divided
2  tablespoons minced shallots
2  tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
2  tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2  teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 lemon, juiced
1/4  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2  cup (2 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, divided
1 (5-ounce) package mixed salad greens

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook asparagus and 2 teaspoons salt in boiling water 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse asparagus under cold water; drain.
2. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, shallots, and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese.
3. Combine asparagus and greens in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.

{originally from Cooking Light}

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

____________________________________
INGREDIENTS (Yields: about 18 muffins)
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup yellow corn meal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded plus extra for garnish
3 jalapenos, seeded and minced
1/3 cup of scallions, chopped plus extra for garnish

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan, set aside. Combine the first five ingredients into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, milk and cooled butter. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry and mix, be careful not to over mix. Fold in the two cups of the cheddar, 1/3 cup of the scallions, and the jalapenos. Let the mix sit at room temperature for roughly about 20 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and top with the remaining cheddar and scallions. Then pop into the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean. Slice into squares and serve.

You can also bake these as muffins using a muffin pan, cook time change: 15-20 minutes.

from Ina Garden via Une-deux Senses

Tomatoes Stuffed with Grilled Corn Salad

...........................................................................
INGREDIENTS:
3 ears corn, with husks
4 beefsteak tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for grates
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup crumbled soft goat cheese
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 slices cooked bacon, crumbled (optional)

1. Pull back corn husks and discard along with silk, place corn over gas burners on the stove until charred all around the cob.

2. Cut off and discard top third of tomatoes. Using a paring knife, cut around wall of tomato to loosen flesh. Gently squeeze out seeds; discard. With a melon baller, scoop out tomato interiors, leaving the wall intact. Coarsely chop interiors; transfer to a large bowl.


3. Cut kernels off cob; transfer to bowl with tomatoes and add scallions, all but 2 tablespoons goat cheese, vinegar, and oil.

4. Season with salt and pepper; toss to combine. Spoon filling into hollowed tomatoes; sprinkle with remaining goat cheese and, if desired, bacon.

{via Elizabeth's Edible}

Beet & Goat Cheese Salad

.................................................................................
::INGREDIENTS::
2 large beets, steamed or bolied, skinned & sliced
1 bunch asparagus, blanched and sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 nectarines, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 bunch chives, chopped (reserve 1 tbsp for garnish)
1-2 cups goat cheese, broken up
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
.................................................................................

::DIRECTIONS::
1. Add the beets to a large pot of boiling water; simmer until tender, about 40 minutes. Let cool. Peel and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
2. Cut asparagus and steam until not quite done. Submerge in cold water, drain.
3. Add the asparagus, onion, nectarine segments, chives, balsamic vinegr, olive oil, salt & pepper to the beets and toss.
4. Top with goat cheese and reserved chives for garnish.

Smoked Gouda Pasta Salad

..................................................................................

INGREDIENTS

1 pound penne pasta

1 garlic clove, minced

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 pound smoked Gouda, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1 (7-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced

2 cups arugula

1 shallot, chopped

1 jar pickled artichokes, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Add next 6 ingredients and cooked pasta. Mix well, and chill 1 hour before serving.(Instead of using just olive oil, I used the olive oil from the sun-dried tomato jar and some of the artichoke jar).

..................................................................................

Celery Succotash Salad

Just saw Rachael Ray make this recipe and it looks awesome. Comments on the web site rave about this salad dressing too.

...............................................
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup evoo
Salt and pepper
1 whole celery heart, sliced
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 (10-oz) can corn kernels
1 (15-oz) can chick peas, drained
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 small to medium red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
...............................................

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, combine the mustard, honey, lemon juice, and vinegar then whisk in extra-virgin olive oil and season the dressing with salt and pepper. Add the celery, carrots, corn, chick peas, peppers, onions, and thyme. Toss to combine the salad and adjust salt and pepper, to taste.

Apple-Cheese-Lager Bread

INGREDIENTS
1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/4 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
1 (12-ounce) bottle Sam Adams lager, or a similar lager-style beer
2 tablespoons melted butter

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Shred the apple, discarding the core. Squeeze the excess juice from the shredded apple so that it is barely moist.

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and shredded apple to the pan and cook for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the pepper and garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, thyme, and cayenne. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the shallot mixture, cheese, and lager to the bowl, stirring until just combined.

Transfer the batter to a 9X5-inch loaf pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Drizzle the melted butter over the loaf and bake for 50-55 minutes, until the loaf is a deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean. Cool the loaf in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

Feel free to substitute or get creative with this recipe - you could swap out the cheese for one you'd like better, omit the cayenne, or change up the beer to hard cider for example. Store your bread at room temperature, tightly wrapped, for up to two days.

Greek Salad

INGREDIENTS
4 large hearts romaine lettuce, torn
2 cups feta cheese, crumbled
2 English cucumbers, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded, ribs removed, and cut into strips
1 red bell pepper, seeded, ribs removed, and cut into strips
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, ribs removed, and cut into strips
1 medium red onion, chopped
Kalamata olives, pitted
Green olives, pitted
Store-bought stuffed grape leaves (optional)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Place lettuce on a large, deep oval platter. Arrange feta, cucumbers, tomatoes, each pepper, onion, each type of olive, and grape leaves, if using, in rows on top of the lettuce.

In a small bowl, whisk together oil and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad just before serving.

Baked Cherry Tomatoes

INGREDIENTS
2 bunches mixed cherry tomatoes
salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
2 ounces gruyere or parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, minced

DIRECTIONS
1.) Heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice and discard the stem and top of each tomato; arrange the tomatoes in a baking dish. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with salt and pepper.
2.) Combine grated cheese and garlic in a small bowl. Sprinkle mixture over tomatoes.

3.) Place in oven, bake until tomatoes are soft and crust is golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Quick Pickled Beets

INGREDIENTS
A couple of bunches of beets, cleaned with greens removed
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup slice red onions, if desired

DIRECTIONS
1.) Place the beets in a large pot with water just coming to the top of the beets. Parboil the beets, until tender when sticking a knife in them. Remove from heat and drain. Run the beets under cold water to easily remove the skins. Slice into 1/4″ inch rounds.

2.) In a medium-sized saucepan heat the water, sugar and vinegar. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Add sliced beets and red onions. Remove from heat and let sit for about 20-30 minutes or until room temperature. Divide beets out into containers for storing in the fridge. Beets will keep for about 10 days.

Mushroom Dill Orzo

INGREDIENTS
2 cups sliced Mushrooms
1 tsp minced Garlic
1-2 cups Orzo
1 cup frozen Peas
1-2 tbsp Cream Cheese
Add Chicken or Fish (if desired)

DIRECTIONS
1. Saute 2 cups of sliced mushrooms in a bit of oil with sliced garlic. Make sure to season with salt and set aside (feel free to add some white wine and/or butter if desired).

2. Cook a few hand-fulls of orzo in salted water, adding a cup of frozen peas during the last 5 minutes.

3. Drain orzo and peas and immediately add a few tablespoons of cream cheese and some cilantro infused oil. Mix everything together, add sauteed mushrooms with garlic, season with salt & pepper, top with fresh dill and serve immediately!

Avacado, Tomato & Corn Salad

INGREDIENTS
3/4 of a can of Corn
2 pints cherry, grape, or pear tomatoes, halved (or quartered if large)
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper

DIRECTIONS
Mix corn, tomatoes, avocado, green onions, lime juice, and oil. Season with salt and pepper, and toss gently to combine.

Oh yeah...Cafeteria Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

“Like” Ballard High’s Hamburger Gravy – “Meat Blanket”
INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground round (or hamburger)
½ lg sweet onion, chopped
3 T flour
½ - ¾ C water
1-2 T Kitchen Bouquet browning and seasoning sauce
Mushrooms (optional)
Mashed potatoes

INSTRUCTIONS
1. In frying pan, brown: 1 lb hamburger, ½ lg onion.
2. Remove all but 3T of the drippings.
3. Make a roux (see cookbook for basic instructions) by combining:
3 tbsp flour, ½ - ¾ C water.
4. Add to meat mixture and cook until it reaches a gravy-like consistency. (You may have to add more water, if too thick.)
5. Stir in: 1-2 tbsp browning and seasoning sauce.
6. If desired, add mushrooms.
7. Serve over mashed potatoes.

* similar to common hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes served in public schools in the 60’s and 70’s.

Artichoke Rice Salad

INGREDIENTS
1 package Rice-a-Roni "Chicken"
1 package Rice-a-Roni "Fried Rice"
1/2 Cup chopped peppers
1/2 Cup chopped green onions
1/2 Cup pimento stuffed olives
2 - 6 oz jars marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
1 tsp curry powder or more to taste

DIRECTIONS
Make rice according to package directions. Mix all ingredients together.

Pao Tsai - Pickled Vegetables

INGREDIENTS
8 mini cucumbers (or 4 regular sized ones, I prefer the English kind as they're crispier)
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 dried chili peppers (more or less to taste)
1 1/4 cups white vinegar
1 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS
1. Peel cucumbers and cut them into smaller pieces. Mine were about 1 1/2 inches long each.
2. In a bowl dissolve sugar into vinegar. Add garlic and seeds from chili peppers.
3. Put cucumbers and hot peppers into a vessel or jar. Top with liquid mixture.
Close jar and put into fridge overnight. Let sit at least 24 hours if not longer. The flavor will get stronger as it sits.

{more details}