September 24, 2011: Mixed Greens Salad Recipe

If you’ve been reading along with me this year as I’ve been blogging you probably know by now that my husband is a picky eater. And you probably also know that frustrates me because I want to try new recipes with different ingredients but I don’t want to make a dish only I will end up eating… and eating… and eating.

Anyway, we have a guest this week and for dinner tonight I had a special salad in mind that I thought he might enjoy. Yes, I did have to prepare a different salad for my husband…but it was worth it.

This is simply my favorite salad of all time. I first tasted it at Nello’s in Mesa, Arizona and it was love at first bite. This is my recreated version of that restaurant salad.

Salad minus the dressing - which should be drizzled on right before eating.

Mixed Greens With Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 loose, overflowing cups mixed baby greens

1 cup (1 medium-sized) tomato, diced

¼ cup toasted walnuts*

2 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

1/4 - 1/3 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette (depending on how much dressing you prefer)

Toss all ingredients together and splash with dressing right before serving.

*To toast walnuts, heat a heavy pan to medium-low. Add walnuts to dry skillet and cook until just fragrant and toasty, about 15 minutes. Watch carefully and stir frequently to prevent them from burning.

September 23, 2011: Copper Pennies Salad Recipe

As I shared with you, we held the Women’s Bible Club meeting at my house Tuesday morning. Everyone was asked to bring a salad. Margaret brought what she called Copper Pennies. Apparently this is an old recipe that is currently making a comeback (as they say, everything old is new again).

She had lots left over so I kept some of her copper pennies and served it to my husband and our friend with dinner that night. They absolutely loved it! Here is Margaret’s recipe.

Copper Pennies

3 cans sliced carrots, drained

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced green peppers

1 cup chopped green onions

Dressing:

1 can tomato soup

1/2 cup vinegar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Combine vegetables. Combine dressing ingredients in a saucepan; salt to taste. Bring to boil and pour over carrot mixture. Let stand several hours for best flavor.

Now, if you want to modernize it a bit (like I’m included to do), I would use fresh carrots and steam them. I’m thinking balsamic vinegar and olive oil would be a good combination in the dressing, too. And some freshly cracked black pepper along with a fresh herb, such as dill or basil, would add to the flavor.

Note: The recipes I found online also included a half cup of sugar. That would be a bit sweet for my tastes, but you could try adding a tablespoon or so. Some also called for Worcestershire sauce.

September 22, 2011: Using a Cedar Plank for Grilling

If you’ve never barbecued your fish on a cedar plank before, you’re missing out on a real taste treat. Skinless fish, in particular, absorbs the fragrance of the smoking cedar. Although salmon is the traditional fish to cook on cedar, other types such as cod, halibut, tilapia, tuna or even trout, work just as well.

Just take any piece of cedar (you don’t have to buy the expensive planks they sell at the store; just visit your local building materials store and ask them to cut a length of it into sizes appropriate for your barbecue) and soak it in water for at least one hour before placing on the grill. Place the marinated fish on top, skin side down, and “bake” it, turning once when the fish is almost done. The beauty of this cooking method is that you can use any type of marinade; since the fish isn’t in direct contact with the grill, an oily marinade won’t cause flare ups.

The bottom of the plank will char – just be sure it doesn’t catch on fire! My husband keeps a spray bottle filled with water nearby for putting out flames. The planks are not reusable (trust me on this; I've tried before!).