No-Cook Cranberry Relish

This looked like a refreshing "salad" and I had frozen cranberries on hand that needed to be used up. It was very runny, so if I choose to make this again, I would possible strain this with a sieve before serving.

No-Cook Cranberry Relish (Taste of Home)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/4 medium orange, peeled
1 Tbls sugar

In a blender or food processor, process all ingredients until coarsely chopped. Cover and chill for 30 minutes or until ready to serve. Serves 1.

Chicken Fajita Salad

In my opinion, this recipe is mediocre....nothing special and really not anything you couldn't come up with on your own. However, most of the ingredients you probably have on hand which makes it great for those nights when you aren't sure what you are fixing for dinner.
Chicken Fajita Salad
1/2 lb chicken breast tenders
1 Tbls plus 1 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
vegetable cooking spray
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1/2 cup seeded, chopped tomato
2 Tbls sliced green onions
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 Tbls sour cream
1/4 cup chunky salsa

Place chicken in a shallow dish. Combine lime juice and next 4 ingredients; pour over chicken, turning to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 45 minutes. Place chicken on rack of broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 7-8 minutes or until done, turning after 4 minutes. (My husband grilled the chicken.) Remove from oven; slice chicken into 1/2 inch strips, and set aside. Place 1 cup lettuce on each of 2 salad plates, and top evenly with chicken, tomato, and remaining ingredients. Serves 2.

Steak Salad with Creamy Mustard Dressing

I'm still enjoying the cookbook, "Light Cooking for Two." I'm not a huge fan of pairing warm meat with cold lettuce but I thought I would give this recipe a try, and I'm so glad I did! The dressing is wonderful, so if nothing else I may continue making the dressing to have on regular salads.
Steak Salad with Creamy Mustard Dressing
2 Tbls plain nonfat yogurt
2 tsps mayonnaise
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 small cucumber
vegetable cooking spray
6 oz lean boneless sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
2 green onions, coarsely chopped
1 Tbls chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
4 cups torn lettuce of your choice
1 medium-size ripe nectarine, cut into wedges
2 Tbls shredded Edam cheese (or cheese of your choice)

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well. Set aside. Slice cucumber into thin slices, set aside. Coat a small nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium heat until hot. Add steak and next 4 ingredients; saute' 3-4 minutes or until steak is done. Set aside.
Place lettuce evenly on two salad plates. Arrange cucumber and steak mixture, and nectarine wedges over salad greens. Drizzle vinegar mixture evenly over salads, and sprinkle with cheese. Makes 2 servings.

Romaine and Strawberry Salad served with Pork Medallions

I've been enjoying a cookbook titled, "Light Cooking for Two" and have made several successful recipes from this book lately. I love that most things are very quick to put together since you are only making two servings. Plus, having no leftovers is a bonus!

Romaine and Strawberry Salad
2 cups torn romaine lettuce
1/2 cup halved fresh strawberries
1 Tbls coarsely chopped purple onion
1 Tbls slivered almonds, toasted
1 Tbls honey
1 Tbls balsamic vinegar

Combine romaine lettuce, strawberry halves, chopped onion, and toasted almonds; toss gently. Combine honey and vinegar, stirring well. Pour vinegar mixture over salad and toss gently. Serves 2.

Pork Medallions with Sun-Dried Cherries
1 Tbls sun-dried cherries
2 Tbls hot water
Vegetable cooking spray
1/2 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 3/4 inch thick slices
1/2 tsp margarine
1 cup sliced crimini mushrooms (I omitted)
1 Tbls chopped green onions
1/4 cup canned beef broth
1 Tbls dry red wine
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp pepper
2 tsps chopped fresh parsley

Combine cherries and water in small bowl; cover and let stand 15 minutes. Drain and set aside. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add pork medallions; cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pork from skillet. Melt margarine in skillet, add mushrooms and green onions; saute' 1 minute. Combine cherries, beef broth and next 3 ingredients, stirring well; add to mushroom mixture in skillet. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Arrange pork medallions on a serving plate. Spoon mushroom mixture over pork and sprinkle with parsley. Serves 2.

Grilled "Greek" Potato Salad

This recipe just looked interesting enough to give it a try. We enjoyed it as the main dish with garlic bread versus using it as a side as the recipe suggests. It was good the night we had it, but as for the leftovers....just throw them away.Grilled Greek Potato Salad

3 lbs small red potatoes, halved

2 Tbls olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 large sweet yellow pepper, chopped

1 large sweet red pepper, chopped

1 medium red onion, halved and sliced

1 medium cucumber, chopped

1 1/4 cups grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed

3/4 cup Greek vinaigrette

1/2 cup halved Greek olives

1 small can sliced ripe olives, drained

1 tsp dried oregano

Drizzle potatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Grill potatoes, covered, over medium heat for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Place in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients; toss to coat. Serve salad warm or cold. Makes 21 (3/4 cup) servings.

BLT Macaroni Salad

This past Monday, my husband and I entertained a group of people visiting Cheyenne from both Malmstrom and Minot Air Force bases. I had a busy day and knew I wouldn't have time to put anything elaborate together before everyone came over for dinner that evening, but I to make a macaroni salad. My husband does not like the traditional macaroni salad, so I was looking for a twist. I chose to look for a recipe on tasteofhome.com as ToH rarely lets me down! (No, I don't get anything for plugging them...I just really enjoy their recipes.)

BLT Macaroni Salad

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

5 green onions, finely chopped

1 large tomato, diced

1 1/4 cups diced celery

1 1/4 cups mayonnaise

5 tsp white vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 to 1/4 tsp pepper

1 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. In a large bowl, combine the macaroni, green onions, tomato and celery. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour over macaroni mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Just before serving, add bacon. Serves 12.

Easy Fruit Salad

My mom has made Five Cup Fruit Salad for as long as I can remember, and it became a fast favorite with me. I love the mixture of fruit with coconut and marshmallows! I needed something to take as a side for Easter dinner this past Sunday at a friend's house and the first thing that came to mind was this salad. It is perfect for Spring/Summer and extremely fast and easy to throw together.

Five Cup Fruit Salad
1 cup mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup pineapple chunks, drained
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup sour cream

Mix all ingredients in large bowl until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Barefoot Bloggers: Panzanella and Lemon (Butterflied) Chicken

I would highly recommend that you try these recipes! I made them both for dinner one evening this last weekend and they are wonderful! My husband didn't care for the panzanella salad only because he doesn't like the vegetables included...although he did pick out some of the bread pieces. I on the other hand loved it! I was a little leery at first as I've never had a "bread" salad. I also don't like soggy bread, but the nice thing was, once I mixed the bread in and served it up, the bread was still crunchy from being toasted! I was a little intimidated to use a whole chicken for the lemon chicken and attempt to butterfly it, so instead I substituted chicken breasts which is more our serving size anyway. I couldn't really taste the rosemary on my chicken, but the lemon flavor was great. The chicken was moist and had a nice refreshing taste. I will definitely make these recipes again!



Panzanella (from Barefoot Contessa Parties!)
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced
20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons capers, drained

For the vinaigrette: 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.
For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together. In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.



Butterflied Chicken (Barefoot Contessa)
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves, plus 2 sprigs
3 garlic cloves, chopped 1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 roasting chickens (2 1/2 to 3 pounds each), deboned and butterflied
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced

Mix the chopped rosemary, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a small bowl to make a paste.
Place the chickens on a sheet pan, skin side up, and loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers. Place 1/2 of the paste under the skin of each chicken. Rub any remaining paste on the outside and underside of the chickens. Turn the chicken skin side down and scatter the lemon slices and sprigs of rosemary over each chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Roll each chicken up, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Heat a grill with coals. Spread the coals out in 1 dense layer and brush the grill with oil. Unroll the chickens, place them on the grill and cook for 12 minutes on each side.

Another couscous salad

When trying to decide what to make for our boxed lunch after church, I came across a recipe for couscous salad. My husband and I are fans of couscous and better yet, the salad does not need to be refrigerated. I failed to get a picture before the salad was gone! This couscous salad is very different from the one in which I normally make. Although we liked this salad, I prefer my other recipe better as it has become one of our favorites. This particular recipe is more savory versus the normal recipe I make which includes curry and a different variation of vegetables.

Sunflower Couscous Salad (from A Return to Family Picnics by Russell Cronkhite)
1 cup dry couscous
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup dark raisins
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1 Tbls fresh chopped mint
1 Tbls fresh chopped parsley
2 Tbls fresh lemon juice
2 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil

Pour the couscous into a medium bowl. Combine the chicken broth with the cumin and bring to a low simmer; pour over the couscous. Toss together lightly with a fork and allow to rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Stir in the raisins, sunflower seeds, mint and parsley; then fold in the lemon juice and olive oil. Makes 4 servings and can be served at room temperature or cold.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Strawberry Spinach Salad found in Taste of Home June/July 2008 issue
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2 Tbls sugar
1 pkg (10 oz) fresh spinach, torn
1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced

dressing:
2 Tbls canola oil
1 Tbls raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp poppy seeds
1/4 tsp salt
dash paprika

In a large skillet, cook and stir almonds and sugar over low heat until sugar is dissolved and almonds are coated. Spread on foil to cool; break apart.
In a large salad bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the dressing ingredients; shake well. Drizzle over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately. Serves 10.

One of our favorite salads!

I discovered this recipe at least three years ago and have been making it ever since. It is easy to make (with a little prep work) and is just as good the second day as the first. It's also one of my husband's frequent requests! We served this to our dinner guests last night along with grilled flank steak and a spinach strawberry salad which I will post about tomorrow. The recipe comes from Ina Garten's "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook."


Curried Couscous
1 1/2 cups couscous
1 Tbl unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated (or small diced) carrots
1/2 cup minced fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup dried currants
1/4 cup blanched, sliced almonds
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup small diced red onion

Place the couscous in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in the boiling water and pour over the couscous. Cover tightly and allow the couscous to soak for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, curry, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Pour over the fluffed couscous and mix well with a fork. Add the carrots, parsley, currants, almonds, scallions, and red onions; mix well and taste for seasonings. Serve at room temperature. Serves 6.

Bobby Flay's Lemony Cracked Wheat Salad

Tonight for dinner my husband grilled chicken on skewers and I made a bulgur salad from the Boy Meets Grill cookbook by Bobby Flay. I thought the salad was very good with a lot of flavor and depth; I'm looking forward to having it tomorrow for lunch. My husband decided he does not care for bulgur due to the chewy texture.

Lemony Cracked Wheat Salad

3 cups bulgur wheat

1 medium red onion, finely chopped

2 large tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 Tbls finely grated lemon zest

2 Tbls honey

1/4 cup olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Place the bulgur in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover the bowl and let sit 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Add the onion, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs, and mix. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, and olive oil and add to the mixture. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Serves 8.

Summer Salads

My husband is busy with work this week and hasn't been getting home until after our usual dinner time. I came up with a couple of recipes that I could make during the day, go ahead and eat, and put back in the refrigerator for when he gets home in the evening AND doesn't require heating up! Plus, I thought with is being summer, salad would be refreshing!



Greek Pasta Salad
1 1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta
1/2 cup cubed cooked turkey or chicken
1 can (3.8 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup Caesar salad dressing

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. In a serving bowl, combine the pasta, meat, olives, peppers and feta cheese. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Serves 4.

Layered Summer Salad
4 cups torn spinach
1 1/2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese, divided
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small red onion, sliced, separated into rings
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen green peas, cooked, drained and cooled
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
4 slices bacon, crisply cooked, drained and crumbled

Layer spinach, 1 cup of the cheese, the mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and peas in 3-qt serving bowl. Mix mayo, sour cream and basil. Spread over salad, completely covering top of salad. Refrigerate at least 5 hours. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and the bacon just before serving. Makes 12 servings, 1 cup each.

5-Minute Southwest Layered Salad

With warm weather (finally) here, I am wanting to spend more time outside and not in the kitchen. Those of you with hectic summer schedules, who also want to serve your family a healthy meal (rather than fast-food); this recipe is perfect! I came across the recipe in the Kraft Food & Family, Summer 2008 magazine. If you do not already get this magazine, sign-up at http://www.kraftfoods.com/, it's FREE!

5-Minute Southwest Layered Salad
6 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (11 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 cup thick and chunky salsa
1/2 cup of your favorite cheese, crumbled or shredded
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1 cup broken tortilla chips

Place lettuce on serving platter or in bottom of glass serving bowl. Cover with layers of beans, corn, salsa and cheese. Drizzle with dressing; sprinkle with chips. Makes 4 servings, 1 1/2 cups each.

Lunch for Book Club

I hosted a monthly book club meeting today for the Warren Spouse's Club (WSC) and prepared lunch for the ladies (and a 4 year old boy, who was much more interested in the dessert!). I wanted to keep it simple, yet filling, along with planning something I thought most people would eat. Everyone seemed to enjoy the soup and salad I chose, so much so, I need to email out the recipes (always a good sign!).

Santa Fe Soup

2 lbs ground beef

2 cans white corn, undrained

1 can kidney beans, undrained

1 pkg ranch dressing mix

1 pkg taco seasoning mix

1 can Rotel tomatoes, undrained

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cans water

1 onion

Brown ground beef and onion in pan. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer 2 hours or crock pot on low all afternoon. Top with Fritos, cheese and sour cream.

Ramen Noodle Salad

1 lb pkg coleslaw mix

2 pkgs chicken flavored ramen noodles

2 oz slivered almonds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

3 chopped green onions

Dressing:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup cider vinegar

2 flavor packets from noodles

DO NOT COOK NOODLES. Break up the noodles and toss them with the coleslaw mix, almonds, sunflower seeds, and green onions. Mix dressing ingredients in separate container. Pour dressing over salad and mix well. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Dessert consisted of frosted sugar cookies, and a cake decorated for Easter. I use a different sugar cookie recipe each time I make cut-out cookies. I was very pleased with this recipe as the dough was extremely easy to work with. The cookies did not rise much, so I'm glad I kept them thick when rolling them out, and they weren't too sweet on their own (great for decorating!)

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

1 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup (8 oz) sour cream

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, sour cream and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients, gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness, cut with floured cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on a baking sheet lightly greased (I used Silpat mat). Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool on pan for 1 minute before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Peep Easter Cake

I got the inspiration for this cake from a Taste of Home magazine. The original recipe calls for chocolate cake, chocolate frosting, yellow peeps, and chocolate chips. The design ended up looking like a sunflower.

1 package cake mix (your choice of flavor)

2 cans frosting (again your choice of flavor)

19 Peeps

Assemble a two-layer round cake, frost middle layer, top and sides. Place peeps on top outer edge of cake. Fill center with your choice of decorations.

On another note, the wine I took last night to Wine Club ended up being one of the favorites for the whole group!