Texas Caviar

I had never heard of Texas Caviar but came upon it a couple of months ago when I was shopping at Costco. It looked healthy and, most importantly, yummy. I'm pretty sure I chose to buy it because I had just had Miles and was looking for pre-made foods to feed the fam. We liked it but felt sure we could make it and make it even tastier.

The TC from Costco has jicama and the TC recipe below from Food Network doesn't but you can add it, of course. I must admit that the recipe below won't blow your socks off but it's a good start to making your own amazing Texas Caviar. Other ingredients I add are a little lime/lemon juice, only a couple of shakes of cumin, green onion, cilantro. I think tomato and corn would make this good too.

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked black-eyed peas, drained and cooled
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 cup diced red onion
• 1 green or red bell pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir again before serving.

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Black Bean and Couscous Salad

I don't think I've ever made couscous before! I tried this recipe from RecipeZaar and it's a winner.

BLACK BEAN COUSCOUS SALAD

SERVES 10

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• 5

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Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked couscous
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 8 green onions, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Bring chicken broth to a boil in a 2-quart or larger sauce pan and stir in the couscous.

2. Cover the pot and remove from heat.

3. Let stand for 5 minutes.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar and cumin.

5. Add green onions, red pepper, cilantro, corn and beans, and toss to coat.

6. Fluff the couscous well, breaking up any chunks.

7. Add to the bowl with the vegetables and mix well.

8. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve at once or refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Carrot Raisin Salad

Another salad recipe. . .

Carrot Raisin Salad

8-10 shredded carrots
1/2 cup raisins or craisins
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
pecans or walnuts or sunflower seeds (optional)

Combine the carrots and raisins/craisins and nuts (optional) in a bowl. In a small bowl combine mix the mayonnaise, sugar and milk well. Pour over carrots and raisins and serve!

I found this other carrot and raisin salad recipe from Rachel Ray on the Food Network. Sounds good!

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Apple Pecan Salad

Today I searched for a "apples and pecan salad" recipe and found a few fun ideas. I made a salad with greens, Pink Lady apples, celery, red onion, cranberries, and pecans, of course. I found a recipe that suggested adding pomegranate seeds (arils) too! YUM! I didn't have any on hand but will make this salad next time I buy a pomegranate! The same recipe that suggested using pomegranate had a great dressing recipe too. I found the recipe here. Below is the whole salad recipe, but I especially liked the dressing (in bold)!

Apple Pecan Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 bag mixed baby lettuces, about 10-12 ounces
• 1 Granny Smith apple, sliced very thinly
• 1 cup caramelized pecans
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup pomegranate seeds
• ¼ cup raspberry vinegar
• ¼ cup honey
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp. freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

• Combine lettuce, apple slices, pomegranate seeds, cranberries, and pecans just before serving.
• Whisk together the vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Pour in olive oil while whisking to emulsify dressing. Taste, then adjust salt, pepper, or olive oil if needed.
• Toss salad with dressing and serve.

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Cabbage Salad

Saw this recipe on The Martha Stewart Show and didn't want to forget it. In a way it seems like broccoli salad.

Cabbage Salad

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 cups chopped red cabbage
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
• 3/4 cup chopped cucumber, preferably seedless
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon garam masala

Directions

1. Place cabbage, onion, cucumber, raisins, cilantro, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl; set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, and garam masala. Drizzle over cabbage mixture and toss to combine.

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Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing

I could eat this dressing all by myself!!! It's soooooooo good! I found the recipe in a magazine called Midwest Living.

I used homemade plain yogurt and gorgonzola cheese.

Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt/sour cream
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese, goat cheese or feta cheese (1 oz.)
• 2-3 tablespoons buttermilk or milk
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

- - - - -

• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese, goat cheese or feta cheese (1 oz.)
• chopped chives

Directions

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix together.
2. Transfer to bowl and stir in the 1/4 cup crumbled cheese and the chives.
Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare the dressing as directed. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

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Broccoli Salad

My kids really like steamed broccoli with cheese sauce! It's easy to make but I would rather not have to make cheese sauce every time I make/serve broccoli so I searched the Internets for a "new" broccoli recipe and found this one over at the Food Network website. We all loved it and now I have at least 2 (!) broccoli recipes!
*I added sunflower seeds to the recipe for a little more flavor and crunch.

Broccoli Salad

Ingredients

• 1 head broccoli
• 6 to 8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup raisins, optional
• 8 ounces sharp Cheddar, cut into very small chunks
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Trim off the large leaves from the broccoli stem. Remove the tough stalk at the end and wash broccoli head thoroughly. Cut the head into flowerets and the stem into bite-size pieces. Place in a large bowl. Add the crumbled bacon, onion, raisins if using, and cheese. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, stirring well. Add to broccoli mixture and toss gently.

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Guacamole Salad

A friend says she likes this recipe, lots!
I haven't tried it but it sounds like a winner.

Guacamole Salad from Food Network:

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup small diced red onion
• 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Directions

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.

Just before you're ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

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chickpea salad

A yummy-sounding recipe (I have not made this, yet) for a quick and easy salad or snack. Found at Orangette. Chickpea Salad with Lemon and Parmesan.


Chickpea Salad with Lemon and Parmesan

"This little salad only has five ingredients, so make sure that they’re all of good quality. There’s no room for second-rate pantry closet cast-offs here, so don’t even think about it, missie. First of all, be sure to use a good brand of chickpeas. I would never have thought about this sort of thing prior to meeting Brandon, Mr. Chana Masala Man, but he’s got me convinced: the best canned chickpeas are produced by Goya, Bush, and Trader Joe’s. Other brands, such as generic supermarket ones, can be mealy, bland, and / or mushy, rather than firm, fat, and earthy-sweet. Also, get out your best olive oil – one you’d want to eat from a spoon, if you’re into that sort of thing. We like to use a dash of this luscious brand, to which we were introduced by the lovely Tea. It really seals the deal." - Molly Wizenburg

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 ½ tsp. olive oil
A pinch of salt
¼ cup loosely packed shredded Parmigiano Reggiano

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and stir gently to mix. Taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve immediately, or chill, covered, until serving.

Note: This salad keeps well in the fridge and is, in my humble opinion, best eaten cold.

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Blue Cheese/Pear Salad

It seems kind of silly to post a recipe for a salad but this one is simple enough (and yummy enough too!) that I'm sure I'll forget about it if I don't "write" it down!

The salad is called "Roquefort Pear Salad" and the recipe can be found at All Recipes. The dressing is delicious too! I didn't have avocados or green onions on hand so I used red onions. I used the "Fresh Herb Salad" mix from Safeway's Organics line. It's a tasty blend that has fresh dill and cilantro, mmm. I only used 1 pear instead of 3.

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 1 head leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
• 3 pears - peeled, cored and chopped
• 5 ounces Roquefort cheese, crumbled
• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• fresh ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a skillet over medium heat, stir 1/4 cup of sugar together with the pecans. Continue stirring gently until sugar has melted and caramelized the pecans. Carefully transfer nuts onto waxed paper. Allow to cool, and break into pieces.
2. For the dressing, blend oil, vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, mustard, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper.
3. In a large serving bowl, layer lettuce, pears, blue cheese, avocado, and green onions. Pour dressing over salad, sprinkle with pecans, and serve.

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Chicken Club Salad

A favorite at our house especially when I haven't made good plans for dinner, just like happened today!

You can find the recipe here, at Martha Stewart.

(I've decided to include the recipe here because sometimes the website is down.)

Serves 4

• 6 slices bacon
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick, plus 1/2 cup celery leaves (optional)
• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
• lettuce leaves, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lay bacon in a single layer on prepared sheet; bake until it begins to render its fat, about 10 minutes. Turn bacon over, and slide to one side of sheet. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and place on baking sheet. Bake until bacon is browned and crisp and chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate, and let drain; crumble. Let chicken cool completely. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, celery, celery leaves (if using), mayonnaise, and vinegar.
3. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch chunks, and add to bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Serve chicken salad over lettuce leaves, and sprinkle with bacon.

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Wilted Spinach Salad

You can find a good and quick recipe here. (I must state that I have not made this recipe yet but will try it very soon. Also, I think 1lb of spinach is a bit much even though the spinach will wilt and become "nothing". 1/2lb (8 oz) should be enough.)

We really like the recipe from The New Best Recipe cookbook (pg. 89).

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