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.

August 9, 2011: Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Salad Recipe

As we suffer through the hot “Dog Days of Summer” in August, the last thing we want to do is heat up the oven or eat a “heavy” dish. So here’s a very quick, light and refreshing dish you can serve as an appetizer, a salad, or just a side dish. Be sure to use the freshest ingredients you can find, such as tomatoes picked right from the vine in your garden, for the tastiest combination of flavors.

Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella (also known as Caprese) Salad 

1 heirloom or other fresh, meaty tomato
1 bunch large basil leaves
8 ounces fresh mozzarella
Balsamic vinegar
Black peppercorns

Thinly slice the tomato and the mozzarella. If the tomato is very large, cut the slices in half. On a small plate, arrange a tomato slice, topped with a slice of mozzarella and a basil leaf. Repeat until one third of all ingredients are used. Continue with remaining ingredients to make a total of three individual salad plates. Drizzle with a bit of balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper. Serve at room temperature.

Tip: For an artful flair, use a squeeze bottle for the balsamic vinegar and make a design on the plate with it, then stack the tomato, basil and cheese in the middle.

August 8, 2011: BHT and Avocado Pasta Salad Recipe

Normally, I try to stick with recipes that use ingredients that are readily available to anyone, anywhere. This one, however, is too good not to share – even though it uses a packaged dip mix from Coyote Country Seasonings.

This is a local company (based in Pinetop AZ) that produces some really delish mixes, everything from dips to soups to salsas. My favorite is the BHT (bacon, horseradish, tomato) and I thought it would be perfect for this salad. You can order the Coyote Country Seasonings BHT dip mix here – and no, I didn’t get anything by recommending this product other than the satisfaction of turning you on to a great product!

BHT and Avocado Pasta Salad 

6 ounces salad or elbow macaroni
1/3 cup BHT dip (prepared with mayonnaise and sour cream or Greek yogurt)
1 avocado, diced
1 roma tomato, diced
4 slices bacon, cooked until crispy

Prepare the macaroni as directed on the package; drain and cool. Add remaining ingredients, crumbling the bacon over the top, and toss together lightly.

Serves 4.

August 7, 2011: Thai Pasta Salad Recipe

Wondering what to do with leftovers from my peanut sauce recipe? This side dish is a great way to use them up and pairs perfectly with the beef and mushroom kebabs recipe I shared yesterday.

The ingredients are low volume but that’s because it’s just my husband and I eating at home now that our niece is back in New Mexico. Feel free to double this recipe or even triple it for a larger amount of diners.

BTW, I bought a container of Thai pasta salad from the Safeway deli recently (the night before my new kitchen counter tops were scheduled to arrive and my kitchen was torn apart) and it was barely edible. This version is way tastier and really simple to prepare.

Tip: For a main dish salad, just add shredded chicken.

Thai Pasta Salad

4 ounces fettuccine noodles
2 T. shredded carrots
1 green onion
1 can water chestnuts or bean sprouts, drained
1/3 cup Thai peanut sauce (find my peanut sauce recipe here)
1 T. soy sauce

Cook fettuccine according to directions on the box; drain and rinse with cold water. Slice the green onion on the diagonal. In a medium-sized serving bowl, combine the shredded carrots, onion slices, water chestnuts or bean sprouts, peanut sauce and soy sauce. Mix together then toss in fettuccine noodles. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Serves two.

July 18, 2011: Tomato Salad Recipe

This is the time of year when we’re overrun with tomatoes from the garden and at the market. Plump and juicy, no matter the variety tomatoes are abundant.

I ended up with an excess of tomatoes recently because the ones I found at the farmer’s market were just too beautiful to pass up. But how to use them all up? Although my husband loves eating raw slices of them, I’m not that big a fan of raw tomatoes without any seasoning. So I made up this recipe to add a bit of different flavor and crunch.

Tomato Salad

1 large tomato, diced (about one cup)
5 small sweet peppers (red, yellow, or orange), thinly sliced
1 small red onion, (about half a cup), thinly sliced
2 T. balsamic vinegar
2 T. olive oil
½ t. dried dill (or 1 t. fresh dill)
Black pepper and kosher salt, to taste

Combine all ingredients. Chill several hours or overnight to allow flavors to blend.

Tip: This salad goes great with a breakfast frittata or just about anything cooked on the grill. It's a light summer side perfect for dinner on a balmy night. 

June 9, 2011: Fruit Salad Recipe

During the increasingly hot summer days, nothing is better for a cool and delicious side dish than fruit salad. And with the abundance of fresh fruit available at the grocery store and farmer’s market right now, why not incorporate it into a light lunch or dinner?

This fruit salad consists of watermelon, pineapples and red grapes

There really isn’t much to making a fruit salad other than selecting your favorite varieties of fruit, cutting it up, and combining it in a bowl. Here’s some of my fave fruits:

• Watermelon, scooped into balls
• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Blackberries
• Peaches, peeled and sliced
• Grapes (red, white, or green), halved
• Cherries
• Apples, peeled and cut into chunks
• Pineapple, cut into chunks
• Plums, peeled and sliced

If you like a dressing on your fruit salad, try using a container of vanilla yogurt or a bit of honey thinned with the juice of a fresh lime. Amaretto and cream is another good option – particularly delish on peaches and raspberries.

It’s summer so enjoy the fresh fruit while you can!