Bok Choy Salad

What seems like many moons ago, I was busy with a fabulous MOPS group here in Pittsburgh. MOPS was such a blessing to our family right after I had the twins. I discovered how wonderful it was to have an army of moms bringing meals and helping us through those first insanely crazy months of having newborn twins!

One of the treasures of MOPS is the food. I know, I know- it's not about that but really, I loved coming together with other moms and learning recipes from them and trying new foods (we ate at every meeting!). Maybe not all MOPS groups are like that but ours was very much food oriented.

So here's a recipe from a cookbook that some of the moms compiled.
It has absolute NO BOK CHOY in it but regardless, my kids love this salad and for me…. that makes it a hands down winner.

They don't like cole slaw a whole bunch but this is a cousin to it. We had this salad the other night with PWs spicy pulled pork. They gobbled them both up!


Bok Choy Salad

Salad ingredients:
1 head Romaine Lettuce- if you have a three pack, I used one and a half
2 green onions- sliced
Broccoli Slaw- I used a couple handfuls, not the whole bag
1 package ramen noodles - half of it (you won't need the flavor packet)
1/2 cup or so of sliced red pepper
1/2 cup cashews
1/3 cup sliced almonds

Dressing ingredients:
3/4 c light olive oil- I used half canola and half olive oil
1/3 c apple cider vinegar
2-4 dashes sesame oil
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp salt and pepper, each

Combine dressing ingredients in a jar, shake to combine.
In a bowl, combine first four salad ingredients. Top with cashews, almonds and ramen noodles. Toss gently. Add dressing and toss again. Taste to see if it needs a little more S or P.

You'll have half a jar of dressing left to make this once more! (and you should have plenty of the above ingredients for another salad)

Taco Salad Our Way

Tacos are a regular on our menu rotation but sometimes you just have to change things up a bit. We're big fans of this little number. It AMAZES me what I can tuck into this salad and still have my kids eat. I owe it all to the Ranch and Taco Sauce combo for the dressing. This couldn't get simpler folks. Just assemble all these ingredients, put out little bowls and have your kids pick and choose what to put in their salad and do it yourself. Either way, you're sure to enjoy taco night reinvented!

Here are a few choices: greated colby cheese, avocado, corn, grape tomatoes, Romaine lettuce : the oranges did NOT go into this salad but were part of a well balanced meal

Also, I had already cooked up my taco meat earlier in the day so this was a quicker dinner. I just use a homemade taco seasoning- check out pinterest for lots of choices there!

Step 1: prep your greens

wash them and cut or tear; throw them in a pretty bowl

Step 2: Grate your cheese

always. I don't care how fast I want dinner to happen, with the exception of mozzarella, I always grate my cheese or have one of my 4 sous chefs grate it

(BTW, that grater is from Pampered Chef and I love it!)

Step 3: Throw the veggies on and start the dressin'

Here I opted for Mom's choice of what goes in the salad.

Then I drizzled with my FAVORITE ranch dressing, Bolthouse Farms Classic Ranch

Than drizzled that with Taco Sauce, medium please.

Step 4: Eat!

Sorry for the blurry picture, I was HUNGRY!

other topping variations: black beans, salsa, edamame

What would you put on your taco salad?

Merry Berry Salad ~ 12.1.10

This was such a happy little find on my one of my daily haunts: Write.Click.Scrapbook

Emily Pitts posted this in January and I made it once or twice and the kids LOVED it! I'm looking forward to making it this holiday season as it is so very pretty but tastes even BETTER!

Merry Berry Salad

originally posted on WCS blog

Lettuce- depending on how many you are serving this can change- I like red and green leaf

1 medium red apple, sliced thin

1 medium green apple, sliced thin

1 cup-ish shredded parmesan cheese (I think feta tastes equally as delicious in this)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted (or not)

Combine in a large serving bowl.

DRESSING:

1 cup cranberries

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup apple juice concentrate (improvise- with apple juice)

1 tsp salt - I use kosher and 1/2 tsp, then taste

1 tsp ground mustard

1/4- 1/2 a small onion grated over the bowl (to catch the juice)

1 cup vegetable oil

Combine all (except the OIL) dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. With blender running, slowly stream in the veg oil through the top until emulsified.

Drizzle over the salad right before serving. Refrigerate leftover dressing.

The Essential Summertime (Anytime) Salsa ~ 5.9.10

Time to depart from all the desserts and make something fresh and delicious.


I originally posted this recipe way back in 2006 on She's a Crafty Pumpkin. It has become my "go-to" recipe for family gatherings- it's a cinch to make and EVERYONE seems to love it! The original recipe hails from here and I'm forever indebted to her for posting that- hope you're as happy with it, too!

If you don't have cilantro, but say, have basil- try that instead. I did that once and was not at all disappointed! WOW! Flavor punch and a party in my mouth! You'll see in the ingredients that I often will leave out certain "unessential" ingredients- feel free to try that for yourself. A recipe is only a guideline, you decide what goes in or doesn't- make it yours!

I love to serve this with Target's Archer Farms Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips- say that five times fast!

Black Bean Salsa


2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 ears corn, either boiled or roasted (I use frozen, too- toast it in a dry pan on the stovetop)
2 large or 3 medium tomatoes, cut into small chunks and drained- Romas are great
2 firm-ripe avocados, cut into medium chunks
1 red onion, diced small - I often leave this out
3 garlic cloves, minced - I've left this out before, too
2-3 limes
1 bunch of cilantro
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper


Place the black beans into a large serving bowl. After the corn has cooled, cut the kernels off the cob and add to the black beans, along with the tomatoes, red onion, and garlic. Toss to combine.

Drizzle the mixture with olive oil and about 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, or to taste. Squeeze the limes over the mixture, and season with salt and pepper. Let the mixture sit for about fifteen minutes before tasting for seasonings again.

You can wait until just before serving to add the avocado chunks and chopped cilantro, but we add it all at once - after awhile the avocado will start to break down, but it usually last a full day or two before that happens.

I'm in love with this salad! ~ 4.21.10

21 days since I last posted a recipe? What is wrong with me? iphone. That's what. I find that I get down to the computer a lot less and opt for just checking my email or FB from my phone. Or I make dinner Or I'm taking a nap Or busy at life with kids. Something like that.

But I MUST share this recipe with you because it is simple, simple. I know I've said that before, but really this is so simple and it's 5 ingredients (not counting S&P)!

Avocado and Strawberry Salad with Honey Vinaigrette is a marriage made in food heaven. I mean it. I thought I have a food infatuation with avocadoes before, and now they're pairing up with one of my favorite fruits! Oh my stars!


Avocado and Strawberry Salad with Honey Vinaigrette
as written should serve 6

Mix up your vinaigrette- I just measure and dump the ingredients into a jar that I've saved. That way I can pop the lid on and shake it all into a lovely emulsified vinaigrette in no time flat. Plus, if there's any left over, it goes right into the fridge and I don't have to clean another bowl/measuring cup!

2 1/2 Tbs lemon juice - one lemon did this for me
3 Tbs honey- try to use local, if you can
3 Tbs olive oil -
(you can add 1/8 tsp Salt and an 1/8 tsp ground pepper at this point, but I prefer to sprinkle them on my salad and then add the dressing- I recommend doing it that way)

put a lid on it and SHAKE!

2 avocados
8 oz strawberries

In a bowl, add 2 peeled, pitted and cubed avocados and 8 oz of sliced strawberries. Season with S & P. Pour just enough dressing to coat. Mix gently and serve immediately!

As another option, if you're serving this salad with a nice dinner or if you'd like to impress your friends, slice the avocado into wedges and the strawberries into halves or quarters. Then drizzle your dressing over it.

Give this a whirl. I even got my non-avocado eating 7 year old to eat this b/c of the strawberries. The avocadoes were like butter, so creamy and smooth next to the sweetness of the ripe strawberries. Max was the only one who opted out, the twins and I devoured it! And it's really simple to mix it up really quick, just cube your avocado, add sliced strawberries and drizzle with the dressing and some S & P.

Wild Rice Salad with Cranberries ~ 9.14.09

Wild Rice Salad with Cranberries

from The Three Rivers Renaissance Cookbook IV, Rania Harris

serves 8-10

I've made a few changes to this recipe over the past several times I've made it as I often have a bit of a hard time finding wild rice that doesn't come in a box with a flavoring packet. Trader Joe's to the rescue. I've used their version of wild rice and also added a brown mixed rice to it as well. No other changes were made to the recipe except that I used 2 cups of uncooked rice (cooked separately as their cook times were different). If you're doubling this, know that you can double the rice (as I stated above) and the other ingredients and you will still have plenty of dressing. Lastly, I only used olive oil, but you can certainly stick to the recipe and use 1/2 oo and 1/2 canola.

Cooked wild rice- begin with 1 cup and follow package instructions for cooking
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/2 cup diced yellow pepper
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans (toast first, then chop)
3/4 cup dried cranberries (I've also used this lovely little mix from Trader Joe's of cranberries, cherries and pomegranate seeds, mmmm)

Dressing:
6 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper


Cook rice and drain any excess water and cool.

Combine rice with celery, peppers, pecans and cranberries.

Combine dressing ingredients in a lidded jar and shake shake shake!

Dress the salad with enough dressing to coat and flavor well. Refrigerate and taste before serving. (I often add the rest of the dressing after letting the salad sit in the fridge overnight- add salt and pepper to taste, too)

Cool, crisp Cucumber salad ~ 7.11.09

My entire family of 6 loves this salad (THANK YOU, GOD) and I can't say that about many recipes or foods!
So I make it all summer and whenever I find some nice looking cucumbers. These were English Cucumbers [English cucumbers can grow as long as 2 feet (0.61 m). They are nearly seedless, have a delicate skin which is pleasant to eat, and are sometimes marketed as “Burpless”, because the seeds and skin of other varieties of cucumbers can give some people gas - via wikipedia]- which explains why they're roundish and still have the skin on them. If they weren't I'd have had to peel, cut the cuc in half and scrape out the seeds with a spoon.

Now you're ready for this super-duper easy and delish recipe:

1-2 English cucumbers- if not English ones, do what I described above
1 Tbs kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
4-5 Tbs white wine vinegar
fresh or dry dillweed (if using dry, I just shake it on until the cucs are evenly coated)

Slice your cucumbers very thin. Toss with salt and sugar and dillweed. Add vinegar. Put in fridge and let the flavors marry together. Eat 'em up!

I believe I first got this recipe years ago from Martha. This is the closest link I could find to the recipe, online.

Creamy Latin Pasta Salad ~ 5.20.09

This would make a great side dish for your Memorial Day picnic this weekend! It is THE OFFICIAL start of summer and I'm hoping the weather cooperates with the calendar b/c we intend to grill!

Oh how I love a grilled burger or veggies or hot dog or... anything!

I made this when I had the twin's birthday party back in March. We went for a Mexi-themed party and I served Beef and Bean chimichangas, Sweet Potato Burritos, Taco cups (for the kids) and this Creamy Latin Pasta Salad. OH and my favorite Black Bean Salsa made an appearance as well!

So Friday night, 2 days before the party... I was just, you know, looking around on the web for what I was going to make. I already knew the main course, I just needed my sides. AND I went looking to Ingrid Hoffman of Food Network fame.

This recipe doesn't disappoint. It lives up to it's creamy name and gets it's latin flavors from cilantro and lime juice. I add whatever veggies I have around the kitchen. But, the past 2 times I've made it, black and green olives and grap tomatoes have always been present!

Give this a try if you're tired of the same old Italian pasta salad and you'll be glad you did. I just wish my kids liked pasta salad- I think they can't get past the "it's pasta and it's cold" thing. their loss.

Here's what you need and how do make it!

1 lb rotini pasta --- cook to al dente in boiling salted water

Dressing (I double this!- the salad seems to be too dry without adding more dressing)
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 lime juiced
S&P

place all the dressing ingredients in a blender and whirl until smooth and creamy. toss with drained pasta and fold in your add ins....

Add ins:
choppped black olives
chopped green olives
zucchini- I cut into thin slices, stack and then cut into strips
red pepper
red onion (no thank you)
grape tomatoes- cut in half
thin sliced ham
jicama- thinly sliced
1 cup frozen peas

Chill, covered, for at least 2 hours. Mix before serving and taste to see if you need to add a bit more dressing. I did. It seemed dry. As I didn't want to add too much more, I added a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to loosen it up a bit.

Makes 6-8 servings, at least. I'd say more. I only made this much and had plenty for our large group of 25 + people ('cause not everyone eats it...)!