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.

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.

3 Dressings for you ~ 2.10.10

A repost from She's A Crafty Pumpkin... adding my recipes over here, gradually.

I love salad and making your own dressing is as easy as can be! The first one has no recipe card... read on:

On a day to day basis we make the same salad dressing for our salad. It's what I grew up eating and couldn't be simpler- no blender necessary. It's a taste thing- you taste as you go.... add a little extra pepper here. No lemon that day- no problem, leave it out. There are four constants in it though: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Vinegar (balsamic or red wine), Salt and Pepper. couldn't be simpler!
It's a combination of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar (or Red Wine, aka every day vinegar), salt, pepper and a dash or two of lemon juice (depending on whether or not I have lemons in the fridge). There are no measurements it's purely a taste thing. I start with the EVOO, then I season, mix, then add the vinegar, taste, usually add more salt and serve. You won't believe the difference that lemon juice makes. All the flavors just perk up and it's soooooo good. Try it!

Growing up we NEVER had an assortment of salad dressings. Occasionally I buy that Raspberry Pecan dressing for a little mix up or a poppyseed for those nights I don't feel like making the poppy seed dressing. Otherwise, we stick to our basic oil and vinegar dressing.

When Vinny isn't around, I make this next dressing. It's on the sweet side- which I love and it's all emulsified in the blender- so simple.

Balsamic Vinegar Dressing

1/4 c honey
3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbs minced red onion
1/2 Tbs Dijon mustard
S & P to taste
Olive Oil- I prefer Extra Virgin and it's @ 2 Tbs.

Place first 7 ingredients in the blender and blend w/ the oil till emulsified. Serve! Store remainder in fridge.



Now, this other one is from allrecipes.com. I love to make an Asian Inspired salad every now and then and I always have these ingredients in my pantry.

Asian Dressing

2 Tbs brown sugar
2 tsp soy sauce (I use low sodium)
1 Tbs sesame oil
1/4 c vegetable oil
3 Tbs. rice vinegar (seasoned is fine)

Combine and chill for 30 minutes.

Pour dressing over iceberg lettuce, chicken, green onions, peas, peanuts, mandarin oranges- your choice! Can add fried Chinese rice noodles (to prepare, heat a skillet w/ a few Tbs of oil, break off a bit of the noodles and add to the skillet and fry them. They'll puff up in the skillet so add a few at a time. Drain on paper towels and add to dressed salad at the last minute).

So there, you have a few new dressings to add to your repertoire.