Thanksgiving Tips – A Wonderful Salad for a Special Dinner

Tags

apple, Festive Tossed Salad, Pear, poppy seed dressing, taste of home, vegan, vegetarian

  As I’ve mentioned before, some of my favorite recipes come from the Taste of Home folks. They have a monthly magazine, website and annual cookbooks that have wonderful, down to earth recipes. I love that their recipes are usually made from a combination of commonly used ingredients, so I often already have all the ingredients in my pantry.

Several years ago, my sister ran across a Taste of Home recipe for a fabulous green salad called Festive Tossed Salad. It’s a little more work than your run of the mill green salad (not that bad though!), but it tastes WAY better than those every day salads. We tend to make this salad for special occasions and family gatherings, since it’s a little more work we usually have someone other than the hostess bring this item. That way the person brining it can focus on that one thing and when that’s all you have to make, it’s not overwhelming at all.

Festive Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2/3 cup canola oil

• 2 to 3 teaspoons poppy seeds

• 10 cups torn romaine

• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese

• 1 medium apple, chopped

• 1 medium pear, chopped

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

• 1/2 to 1 cup chopped cashews
Directions

1. In a blender, combine the sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, onion and salt. Cover and process until blended. With blender running, gradually add oil. Add poppy seeds and blend.

2. In a salad bowl, combine the romaine, cheese, apple, pear and cranberries. Drizzle with desired amount of dressing. Add cashews; toss to coat. Yield: 8-10 servings.

Enjoy!

Broccoli with Garlic, Bacon, and Parmesan – Even the Picky Eaters Can’t Resist This Veggie!

Tags

Bacon, Broccoli, garlic, parmesan, side dish, taste of home, vegetable

I have to admit I am not the biggest fan of broccoli. My husband loves the stuff, so I try to cook it on a regular basis. My youngest daughter, who is a lover of all things bacon,found this recipe in one of my Taste of Home cookbooks. It is packed with flavor and is absolutely delicious! The title of the recipe says it all! Broccoli, garlic, BACON and Parmesan. It’s all good!!! This is a broccoli recipe that even I enjoy! We have made it a few times at our house. If you’re looking for a way to get your picky eaters to eat some broccoli, give this recipe a try!

Broccoli With Garlic, Bacon and Parmesan

1 teaspoon salt

2 bunches broccoli (about 3 pounds), stems removed, cut into florets

6 thick-sliced bacon strips, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 to 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

Fill a 6-qt. stockpot two-thirds full with water; add salt and bring to a boil over high heat. In batches, add broccoli and cook 2-3 minutes or until broccoli turns bright green; remove with a slotted spoon.

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Discard drippings, reserving 1 tablespoon in pan.

Add oil to drippings; heat over medium heat. Add garlic and pepper flakes; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until garlic is fragrant (do not allow to brown). Add broccoli; cook until broccoli is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in bacon; sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 8 servings.

Enjoy!

Potato Salad / Cookbook Recommendation

Tags

barbecue side dishes, cookbook, Cooking, Food, patio potato salad, potato, potato salad, summer cooking, taste of home

I know I said I was going to try and keep it healthy on here, but everyone has to splurge sometimes! Right?!? Plus, my best friend asked me to share my potato salad recipe, so how could I say no! I actually have two potato salads that I make and she wants me to post both, but the other one, I have no recipe for. I just fake it and make it! I’ll have to think that one through before I post the recipe!

This particular recipe in today’s post comes from a Taste of Home cookbook. If you’re not familiar, Taste of Home is an awesome cooking magazine and they also publish many cookbooks, which are available at Amazon.com. I like their publications, because they highlight straightforward, down-home cooking. The ingredients are usually not exotic and very often are staples that I keep on hand. They are trying to include more healthy recipes these days and they highlight various cooking techniques, like barbecuing and using a slow cooker. Their cookbooks are definitely worth checking out and would make great gifts!

So back to the potato salad! This recipe is for Patio Potato Salad. It has a creamy, tangy dressing that I just love!!! Frankly, I’m amazed it makes it from the pot on to the salad, because I’m constantly tasting it! This is one potato salad recipe that is also good served warm or cold. Personally, I like the sauce best when it’s warm. Enjoy!

Patio Potato Salad

1/3 cup sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch

1-1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp celery seed (I usually leave this out, as I’m not a celery fan)

1/2 cup milk (To lighten recipe, use low-fat or non-fat milk)

1/4 cup vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar)

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup butter or margarine (a lower calorie choice could also be used here)

1/4 cup chopped onion (I think white works best)

1/4 cup mayonnaise (a lower calorie choice could be used here, I last made it with fat free mayo and everyone loved it!)

7 medium red potatoes, cubed and cooked

3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, mustard, salt and celery seed. Stir in the milk, vinegar and egg until smooth. Add butter. Bring just to a boil (not to hot though! Don’t want to scorch it!), cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Cool. Stir in onion and mayonnaise. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, hard-cooked eggs, add dressing and toss gently to coat. Serve warm or cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Yield: 8-10 servings.