Spring Harvest Salad

 

Spring Harvest Salad

6 cups Romaine and Spinach blend
1 large apple, sliced into small sticks
1/2 cup candied walnuts or pecans*
1/2 cup cooked and cooled quinoa
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
2 cups broccoli slaw
Feta cheese
Dried cranberries

Salad dressing (mix together in a jar and shake well)

1/4 cup olive oil
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP mustard
1 TBSP maple syrup
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Salt 
Pepper

Mix all ingredients together, then toss to combine. Pour dressing over salad just before serving. 

To make candied nuts, melt 1 TBSP butter with 1 TBSP of brown sugar. Add chopped nuts of your choice, toss with a spoon and cook until nuts smell toasted. Spread out on a silpat and allow to cool completely.

***
A good friend introduced me to this amazing salad. Great combination of textures and flavors. Dressing was light and flavorful. 

Ranch Dressing

Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix
http://savoryseasonings.blogspot.com/

8 TBSP dried parsley
2 TBSP dried minced onion
1 TBSP dried chives, optional
2 TBSP black pepper
2 TBSP garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. oregano
3 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dried dill
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth (you will want to do this or it will be too chunky with all of the parsley). Store in a cool, dry place.

Ranch Dressing:
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 TBSP ranch dry mix
Milk

Blend ingredients, then add milk to desired consistency for salad dressing or omit milk for a Ranch dip. Recipe adapted from Dealstomeals.

*****
A retired chef taught me years ago how to make Ranch dressing. The recipe consisted of sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, milk and then shake in every spice you can think of. I followed this pattern for years until I recently came across this recipe from the Dealstomeals website. It simplifies the process with measurements eliminating the need to taste, adjust the seasonings, then taste again. This blend has great flavor and it’s great to have the dry mix on hand. This dry mix is also great mix into ground beef for hamburgers!

Candied Almonds

Candied Almonds
http://savoryseasonings.blogspot.com/

1/2 cup water
1 cup white sugar
2 cups whole almonds

Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil; add the almonds. Cook and stir the mixture until the liquid evaporates completely and leaves a sugary coating on the almonds, approximately 5 minutes. Pour the almonds onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper or a silpat. Separate almonds using a fork. Allow to cool about 15 minutes.

*****
I love these on a salad or as a snack. We usually make a big batch of them in December as candied nuts seem to be a perfect Christmas snack.

Southwest Pasta Salad

Southwest Pasta Salad
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/2 lb bowtie pasta
1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 large red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup frozen or fresh corn
zest from 2 limes
16 oz diced cooked chicken seasoned with taco seasoning
1/2 cup cubed pepper jack cheese

Dressing:
6 TBSP fresh or frozen lime juice (approx. 3 limes)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. sugar
3/4 cup olive oil or safflower oil
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro

Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, chop vegetables. Zest limes, then juice them.

Place the lime juice, vinegar, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and sugar in a blender. Process until smooth. With the motor running slowly, add the oil in a steady stream until incorporated. Add the cilantro and pulse so it gets broken up, but some pieces still remain intact.

When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse immediately with cold water to cool. Place the pasta in the large salad bowl with the lime zest. Add black beans, tomatoes, diced pepper, green onions, corn and chicken. Toss with small amount of dressing. For best results, chill for 1 hour before serving. Right before serving, add additional dressing, then sprinkle with cheese.

Makes about 4-6 dinner sized servings or 10-12 side servings

Steps that can be completed ahead of time: The following steps can be completed earlier in the day or the day prior to serving: chop bell peppers, tomatoes, green onions and cilantro. Cube cheese. Remove fat from chicken breasts, cube, then sauté with seasonings. Prepare dressing.

*****
Thanks to Our Best Bites for this fabulous recipe. I really enjoy the dressing but next time I’ll try omitting the vinegar and replacing it with additional lime juice.

Curly Pasta Chicken Salad

8 oz. cooked pasta
2 large red apples, chopped
1 large can drained pineapple chucks (reserve juice)
3 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
3 cups red grapes
1 cup broccoli, finely chopped
Green onions
Cashews

Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. salt
2 TBSP. pineapple juice
1/3 cup milk

Mix all ingredients, then add dressing. Chill for 1 hour, then serve. Garnish with cashews.


*****
For a dairy free meal, increase pineapple juice to 4 TBSP and add 3 TBSP of water instead of the milk. If you will have leftovers make a little extra dressing to add the following day as the salad tends to dry out. Thanks to Valene, my mom, for this great recipe.