International Day 2

Do you have certain smells that remind you of a certain time, place, memory, person, etc?  I do!  Fruit loops (the smell) reminds me of my Granny.  Juicy fruit makes me think of my Aunt Merle.  Honey Nut Cheerios reminds me of MaG and Papa (as does peanut butter crackers and coke!).  Other smells bring not so good memories...formaldehyde, gross lab...but we won't go there, this IS a food blog!  When I smell a salad that has been made with vinegar, it makes me think of Bishkek!  We had a somewhat limited diet when we were there.  Ham, cheese toast, potatoes, more ham, and LOTS of tomatoes and cucumbers. 

This salad was a staple of the diet there...and it is SO good and simple.  When we made it last weekend my mom and I were both "mmm"ing the whole time!  Sometimes, simple is the best!  I changed the ratio of things a big, but I think it turned out just fine.  All the recipe I had put more oil in the vinegar mixture, but I think that 2 Tablespoons is plenty; I could still see remnants of oil on the container when I was done.  If you want something light, easy, and satisfying to the taste buds, please try this!

Today in Eat. Live. Be. we are talking about what cookbooks and resources are helping keep us on track.  I must be honest and say that I really haven't pulled out any cookbooks other than my new cookie cookbook (that I have decided to cook through!  already done with three recipes!).  However, I know that there are several recipes I want to try in my Rachel Ray 2, 4, 6, 8 cookbook.  I also have a collection of old magazine recipes plus some new Eating Well magazines that have great recipes in them.  As much as I say that I'll pull them out, I don't know if I will.  Really, I just need to schedule a dinner party...being with other people makes me cook and really, truly makes me happy!  What do YOU use for good recipes? 

Come back later this week and I'll give the recipe for these yummy pelmeini!

Tomato Cucumber Salad
1/2 cucumber, sliced and halved
3 roma tomatoes, chunked
1/2 onion, cut into THIN slices and separated
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons oil (I used olive oil)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed (hee hee...makes me laugh...weed!)

Put all the vegetables in a bowl.  Mix the remaining ingredients together in a bowl.  Pour over the veggies and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, the longer the better!  Enjoy!

Sarah Caron - http://www.sarahscucinabella.com/
•Cate O’Malley - http://www.sweetnicks.com/
•Maris Callahan - http://www.ingoodtasteblog.net/
•Chris Arpante - http://www.melecotte.com/
•Faith - www.clickblogappetit.com/
•Kristen - http://www.dineanddish.net/
•Emily - http://andersonfamilycrew.blogspot.com/
•Jenna - FireMom - http://stopdropandblog.com/
•Casey - http://www.thestarnesfam.com/
•Patsy - http://familyfriendsandfood.blogspot.com/
•Tri-Fit Mom - http://trifitmom.blogspot.com/
•Allison - http://sweetflours.blogspot.com/
•Jen - http://njepicurean.blogspot.com/
•Leslie - http://www.thehungryhousewife.com/
•Rivki Locker - http://www.healthyeatingforordinarypeople.com/
•Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook
•Jennifer Schulz - http://lick-a-plate.blogspot.com/
•Sarah Rogers - http://sarahssweetcreations.blogspot.com/
Denise and Lenny - http://www.chezus.com/

Let's Go International!

I have some fun, international recipes to share with you.  A couple of them conjure up great memories from many (read 17) years ago and the one I will share today is associated with new memories!  My Sunday School class had a Super Bowl party exactly one month ago today.  We were all to bring some sort of food.  Well, I knew that there would be PLENTY of sweets and dips, and I added to them with these wonderful truffles, so I decided to bring a yummy salad.  I had been savind this recipe for a while and decided it was a perfect time to try it out.  I found it on Our Best Bites and thought it looked wonderful.  Well, let's just say it was a hit!  I did not expect that and thought for sure that I'd have LOTS of leftovers.  WRONG!  I had just enough for lunch the next day...that was IT!  Almost everyone asked for the recipe, especially the dressing

...even the guys.  HA!  So, if you have a salad-fearing man in your life, try this one out.  Not promising, but maybe it will make him like a salad.  Try it out!

Asian Cabbage Salad  adapted from Our Best Bites
1 14 oz bag coleslaw mix
1/2 cucumber, sliced
aboue 30 sugar snap peas cut in half
1/2 bell pepper, sliced (I used green b/c that's what I had, but red would be GREAT!)
1/4 of a small red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 C slivered or sliced almonds, toasted*

Add 1 1/2 C cooked, shredded or diced chicken to make it a meal

Dressing:
2 Tablespoon canola oil
1/4 Cup + 2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoon sugar (or equivalent of sugar substitute)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, or one small garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Begin by making dressing. Combine all ingredients in a sealed jar and shake shake shake.

Store in the fridge until ready to use. You can definitely do this part a few days ahead of time.  Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl (except nuts) and pour dressing over them.  Toss to combine and allow to sit for at least

Your Challenge, Should You Choose to Accept It...

Most things in life that are good, pleasing, beneficial, etc. require some kind of work at some point.  Marriage takes work.  Friendships take work.  Getting that really neat dress you like...that take work.  Finishing medical school, residency, etc. takes work.  Making beneficial life changes takes work.  Eating healthfully takes work.  And as with all work there come some challenges!  True, at times work is easy...and that's good.  But sometimes...frequently or not so frequently...work is a challenge.  If you ask me...that's good, too!  It lets you see who you trust, depend on, and if you truly are motivated to reach your goals.  For me...it makes me seek encouragement from people I trust and to seek direction and strength from God. 

This week in Eat. Live. Be. we are supposed to talk about what our challenges are and how to overcome them.  For me my biggest hurdle is just laziness!  Who is really going to care if I cook?  What does it really matter?!  Well, first off...I'll know and you'll know.  Another way to look at it is that one day I'll have a family of my own...and they will definitely care if I provide a meal for them, so why not start NOW getting ready for the time when I will need to cook for others as well. I'm sure I'll be just as busy then, if not more, than I am now (which presents another challenge of time and life...it happens!).  So, how to overcome this...well, as Nike says "Just do it!"  I think that this is a good lesson to learn for lots of challenges in life.  You may come across things you don't WANT to do but know that you need to do.  So, instead of moaning about it...JUST DO IT! 

Now, to be honest, I forgot that I had made this recipe...but I do remember that it was really good!  I made it during one of my ER months.  The original recipe called for Kraft Greek dressing but I just used some Italian dressing.  It was delicious and is full of healthy ingredients...I think Mediterranean foods is some of the healthiest (and most delicious!) there is.  There is just something I love about barley!  So, please...just make this!  :-)

Mediterranean Barley Salad
1-1/2 qt. (6 cups) water
1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
1 pt. cherry tomatoes
1 can (6 oz.) pitted black olives, drained
1 small red onion, chopped
1 pkg. (4 oz.) ATHENOS Traditional Crumbled Feta Cheese
1/3 cup Italian (or Greek) dressing
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Bring water to boil in large saucepan on medium-high heat. Add barley; return to boil. Simmer on medium-low heat 45 min. or until barley is tender. Drain barley; cool.  Place barley in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients; mix lightly.  Enjoy!

Sarah Caron - http://www.sarahscucinabella.com/
Cate O’Malley - http://www.sweetnicks.com/
Maris Callahan - http://www.ingoodtasteblog.net/
Chris Arpante - http://www.melecotte.com/
Faith - http://www.clickblogappetit.com/
Kristen - http://www.dineanddish.net/
Emily - http://andersonfamilycrew.blogspot.com/
Jenna - FireMom - http://stopdropandblog.com/
Joanne - http://www.joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/
Casey - http://www.thestarnesfam.com/
Patsy - http://www.friendsfamilyandfood.blogspot.com/
Tri-Fit Mom - http://trifitmom.blogspot.com/
Allison from http://sweetflours.blogspot.com/
Jen from NJ Epicurean http://njepicurean.blogspot.com/
Leslie from http://www.thehungryhousewife.com/
Rivki Locker from Healthy Eating for Ordinary People http://www.healthyeatingforordinarypeople.com/
Claudia from Journey of an Italian Cook
Jennifer Schulz from lick-a-plate http://lick-a-plate.blogspot.com/

Chicken Tabouleh

My first brief return to cooking started last week with a simple tabouleh salad for lunch.  Unfortunately, I left it at home one day and when I pulled it out yesterday to take to lunch today, the peppers had begun to mold.  However, the days I did eat it, I enjoyed it.  The chicken gives it a nice fullness.  I must say, though, there was still something missing.  I think adding some goat cheese would help...though that still wouldn't make it quite like "real" tabouleh.  This just doesn't have the strength of taste...something missing in the seasoning.  Any ideas?!  Coming soon...an old childhood favorite!

Tabouleh with Chicken and Red Pepper from Cooking Light March 2009
1/2 cup uncooked bulgur
1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups diced pulm tomatoes
3/4 cup (I used 1 full cup) shredded, cooked chicken
3/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced English cucumber
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Combine the bulgur and boiling water.  Cover and let sit for 15 minutes or until bulgur is tender.  Allow to cool.  Drain if needed.  Add all remaining ingredients and toss well.  Enjoy!

Take Me to a Party!

With Christmas parties coming up, we will all be baraged with lots of unhealthy (but YUMMY!) food.  I'm sure there are plenty of opportunities you will have to take a dish to one of these parties.  Why not take something that is at least half-way beneficial for you.  I took this grape salad to one of our many baby showers this year and everyone really enjoyed it. 

It is creamy and calls for cream cheese and sour cream.  However, you can lighten it up by using light (or even fat free) cream cheese (though I'd stick with light) and using Greek yogurt for the sour cream.  It is sweetened with sugar, though I've seen people use splenda.  After you mix up the creaminess, you simply stir in grapes.  There is an option to top it with brown sugar and nuts, but I just used the pecans.  So, you have a delicious salad (this is frequently used for bridal brunches here in the South) that people will enjoy but it's not too much of a splurge!

Grape Salad
4 cups green grapes
4 cups purple grapes
1 package cream cheese
6oz. container Greek yogurt
1/2 cup (I think I reduced it to 1/3 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar (optional)

Pull grapes off of stems and wash.  If you want to, cut grapes in half. However, this is not required.  In a bowl, mix cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, and vanilla together.  Stir this mixture and grapes together.  Put in your serving dish and top with pecans and, if using, brown sugar.

Opa!

Last month when I was in the ER, I had a stint of 6 night shifts in a row followed by 4 more day shifts.  All in all, I was working 13/16 days at the end of the month. So, I decided that I needed to prepare some food ahead of time to take with me to work.  No way was I going to want to cook after 12 hours of work overnight...not happening.  So, I loaded up on fresh veggies and made a summer veggie soup (which I'll tell you about later) and a Greek Barley Salad. 

YUM!  It turned out delicious!  I had seen a couple of versions on some other blogs and decided I should try my hand at it.  Originally, I had planned to add some balsamic vinegar to the salad, but when I tasted it there was no need for extra flavor...I suppose the olives brought some of the brine with them and flavored the whole thing on their own.  It was simple, easy and OH so yummy!  Just add some pita and even hummus and you are ready to take your taste buds on a trip to the Mediterranean! 

Greek Barley Salad
1 cup uncooked pearled barley, prepared as instructed on package
2 cucumbers,cubed
3-4 tomatoes,cubed
1/2 red onion, diced
1/3-1/2 cup black olives, chopped
1/3 cup feta cheese
Cavender's seasoning

Cook barley as instructed on package.  Meanwhile, cube cucumbers and tomatoes.  Dice onion.  Combine in a large mixing bowl.  When barley is ready, stir it into the prepared vegetables.  Season with Cavender's Greek seasoning.  Add olives and feta.  Enjoy!

Shrimpy is Often Good

I have now transitioned to a month on pediatric wards (basically, in-hospital team for kids). Last night I was on call...and our post-call list is three patients long. That is UNHEARD of...incredibly, well, shrimpy! I will take shrimpy. I'll also take shrimpy for a good lunch. I got an e-mail from Real Simple with this yummy looking taco recipe that I decided to transform into a salad. Initially it wasn't quite what I was expecting, but after sitting for a little while it got better. Probably would be better as the tacos, but I thought it was a refreshing change for a salad. The biggest problem was the cole slaw...it was just too tough for me and didn't really soak up the dressing very well. If you try this, maybe play around with the greens...the shrimp and citrus flavors were wonderful!

Shirmp and Citrus Salad
1/2 bag cole slaw
4 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons sour cream/Greek yogurt
salt and pepper
1 cup corn kernels, cut fresh from cob (about 2 ears)
1 can mandarin oranges
1 pound medium shrimp, thawed and grilled
sliced almonds (optional - I didn't use but just now thought it would be a yummy addition)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk the orange and lime juices, sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the cabbage and corn. Let sit, tossing occasionally, for 10 minutes. Overnight is better.
2. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Cook on grill (I used George Forman...you could just saute in a skillet) Cook until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. When ready to serve, add oranges to slaw (almonds would make a good addition, too) and serve shrimp on top.
   

In Remembrance

Do you remember when there was an event hosted by Cate called ARF-Tuesdays? That post was SO good for me as it forced me to make something each week that was healthy and had antioxidants or lots of veggies/fruit. Now, I do this weekly but tend to do the same thing over and over! So, Cate's even made me try something NEW. Why in remembrance? Because this yummy salad is FULL of great antioxidants! Well, when my Sunday School had an Easter lunch, I decided to take a yummy salad as I knew that most things there would be casseroles. Now, I love broccoli salads, both the yummy mayo-based one and the great marinated one. However, both of these have their own down-sides. The mayo-based one is obvious...LOTS of mayonaisse! The marinated one uses about 1 cup of oil and TWO cups of sugar! I'm just not willing to do that, though I know it is SO good. So, I found one that was better and modified it a bit...turned out GREAT! One of the other teachers, before she knew it was my salad, commented that it was her favorite part of the meal. I've since made it again for my brother's graduation (with dessert recipe to come!)...of course none of the men at it but the ladies enjoyed it! And me, I'm enjoying the leftovers!!! Broccoli Salad
2 hearts of romaine (you could probably use three), chopped
2-3 small heads (one of the packs offered at Kroger) of broccoli, cut into florettes
5 green onions, sliced
2 handfuls of craisins (or more...put what you want!)
3/4 cup walnuts, would be best toasted and cut into quarters
Ramen noodles, crumbled (optional...I didn't use)

Dressing
1/4 cup sugar
2-4 T oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (or cider vinegar)

Directions: Put all salad ingredients in a large bowl with a lid. In a small bowl put the dressing ingredients and whisk together. Pour the dressing over the salad, cap the bowl with the lid, and have some fun shaking it!

Fruit Salad for Hot weather.

It is HOT! Anyone else agree? So, for a nice, refreshing, and easy accompaniment to your meal try this salad. It's healthy and full of antioxidants, which makes it a perfect entry for Cate's ARF Tuesday at Sweetnicks. Drop by and see all of the other great entries. Easy Summer Salad

1/2 cantelope, cubed

handful of blueberries

Wash the blueberries and pat dry. Put the prepared cantelope in a bowl, sprinkle the blueberries on top. Enjoy with a light summer meal (we had this with last week's kabobs!). You can substitute other fruits if you like. Pineapple and strawberry would be good, too.

On a side note, does anyone know how to format within blogger when using Firefox? I can't underline using Ctl-U and when I upload pictures, it won't let me move them. I've developed a like for Firefox (thanks, Daddy) and forget about the formatting issues until halfway done with my post, then I have to open Explorer, sign in again, etc.

Simple Salad

Just a quick post for ARF Tuesday. This salad is one that I often make to take to the hospital for lunch and I've discovered that, for some reason, I enjoy it more out of my tupperware container. Go figure! I love the tart, sweetness of the apples combines with the saltiness of turkey and the added exotic taste of the hummus. All around it's a wonderful, healthy and satisfying lunch. I've also done it with leftover chicken and it's good that way as well. Workday Salad

spinach

romaine lettuce

apple, cut

turkey, cut

mushrooms

feta/goat cheese

tomatoes, cut (if available)

hummus

dressing (Italian, balsamic vinegar, raspberry vinegarette, etc)

Put lettuce/spinach on bottom of plate. Add the remaining ingredients (and more if you like. Carrots, strawberries, blueberries, and onions are great additions as well!) with dressing either right before you eat or leave the house for work. Enjoy with triscuits, pita chips, or fresh bread.

Simply Salad

Do you ever find yourself with just a little bit of frozen salad shrimp left over with nothing to do with them? Okay, so maybe you don't but my mom does, and I take after her, so I do too. What to do with them. There's not enough to make a dish but it's wasting them to throw away. Why do that anyway? Just take the shrimp, rinse them so that they thaw, and toss them on top of a salad made of spring greens, fresh berries, celery, some feta, and some raspberry vinegarette...at least that's what I did!

Corny Goodness

For the fourth of July, I went to a party with my Sunday School class. They provided Bar-B-Q and we were to bring sides and desserts. I took Sharpe cookies with raspberry and chocolate swirl pieces and a yummy summer corn salad. I'm not sure where my mom got this recipe, but it's one of those that is PERFECT for a hot summer day. It is a cold shoepeg (IMPORTANT!) corn salad with green onions and tomato in mayonaise. You can use low fat (what we have in my house) or even fat free mayo; just be aware that, especially if you use fat free, this will get soupy. No worries, just use a slotted spoon to serve and it still tastes great! Because of the corn and tomatoes, this is my entry to Sweetnicks ARF Tuesday. Drop by her site for other great recipes! Shoepeg Corn Salad

2 cans shoepeg corn, drained

3-4 green onions, sliced (the whole onion)

1 tomato, chopped (I used two and think it could even use more if the tomatoes are small)

1 cup mayonaise (I used 1/4 cup fat free and 1/4 cup low fat...this 1/2 cup was PLENTY)

a few turns of the pepper mill

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir gently. Refrigerate and serve.

ARF's to Refresh!

MAN! I'm tired. I went to the hospital just before 6 this morning and didn't leave until 6 tonight. Tomorrow will be another long day of surgery and then on Wednesday night I have call (4:30 until 7 am on Thursday) with a morning of clinic to follow. I think I'm going to be a tired puppy and ready for our family reunion next weekend...I'll sleep, thank you! It's a good thing I made a yummy salad this weekend, though most of it is gone! I had some portabello mushrooms and decided that they would be good in a panzanella type salad. Sooooo...I created my own. It's not perfect and I WILL be doing it again. Because of the tomatoes, onions, and portabellos, this is a super healthy salad, so it's my entry for Sweetnick's ARF Tuesday. Visit her site to check out the other great recipes. BTW, sorry for the poor quality of the pictures...this is what my eyes felt like! :-) Portabello Cornbread Panzanella

3 tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup (or a little more) green onions

1 cup cubed cornbread (I used a quarter of the round "loaf")

2-3 grilled portabello mushrooms

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Put tomatoes, onions, portabellos, oil, and vinegar in a bowl and mix. Cover and let stand for a couple of hours. Stir in cornbread. Serve immediately or (even better) refrigerate overnight and serve. I like this better after it has set for a little bit. I must admit, I didn't really measure, so these may not be completely accurate but are just estimates! Enjoy!

Fattoush

After I made panzanella, I got an e-mail from Linda telling me about fattoush. It is a Lebanese version of panzanella using pita bread and lemon instead of Italian bread and balsamic vinegar. This is full of herbs and veggies. I kind of combined the recipe from Linda with another one that I found. Because of all the veggies, including tomatoes, which are full of antioxidants, this is my entry to Sweetnick's ARF Tuesday. Stop by her site and check out the other yummy recipes that are sure to be there! The recipe is what Linda sent me. I'll make note of the changes that I made. Fattoush
(Mixed Salad recipe from Lebanon)

Break 1 pita bread round, toasted or dried, broken into small pieces.

Chop in bite-size chunks and combine with bread in large bowl:
1 large cucumber
1 onion - I used 4 green onions
2 medium tomatoes - I used 4 ripe from the vine tomatoes
1 medium head lettuce - I used 2 cups pre-shredded lettuce

Chop finely and add to salad:
¾ cup parsley
¾ cup mint leaves
¾ cup purslane (optional, I think because it is hard to find) - I didn't use

Crush together:
2-3 cloves garlic
½ tsp salt

Stir in:
Juice of one lemon - I used 3 T lemon juice
½ cup olive oil - I used 1 T and 3 T water because I saw this as an option from another recipe AND I ran out of olive oil! OOPS!

Add dressing to salad. Toss well and serve.

PS - I just bought a new cookbook yesterday and it has a cornbread panzanella...I may beat Cate to it! ;-)

Delicioso!

A few weeks ago, Cate mentioned a new cookbook she had gotten. She talked about some of the recipes in the book, including a cornbread panzanella. This sounded GREAT to me, so I told her that she should make that and post about it, while at the same time mentioning that I had never eaten panzanella. Well, we made a deal...I make panzanella and she would make the cornbread panzanella. Tada...I've done it! SO GOOD! As I was making this, the aromas just flirted with my tastebuds! It took me back to Kyrgyzstan with the wonderful fresh tomato and cucumber salads with vinegar poured over them. I immediately looked forward to eating this salad. What a super way to use up some stale bread. I'm already ready to eat lunch tomorrow! Because this is FULL of antioxidants from the tomatoes, this is my entry to Cate's ARF Tuesday over at Sweetnicks. Check out the other great entries tomorrow. You'll be sure to find something that you want to make!

Panzanella adapted from Cooking Light
2 1/2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed French bread
2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed tomatoes (about 2 tomatoes)
1/4 cup sliced shallots
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt (I forgot to put this in , but I know that it would enhance the flavor)
3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 325°. Place bread on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 325° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Combine tomatoes, shallots, oil, vinegar, and salt in a large bowl. Cover and let stand at room temperature 2 hours. Stir in bread cubes and parsley. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
writeNutrient();
NUTRITION PER SERVING: CALORIES 71(28% from fat); FAT 2.2g (sat 0.3g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 2.1g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 23mg; SODIUM 193mg; FIBER 1.4g; IRON 1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.6g

Swimming Upstream

That's what I feel like I'm doing! So much to do, and want to do, so little time! I took one of my tests today and it wasn't too bad. The worst one, pharmacology is on Friday. So basically, until I'm done with pharm I will continue to feel like a salmon. :-) So, I give you salmon croquettes. I made these SO long ago and don't think I've posted them. If I have, please forgive me! These are a childhood favorite and one of the few things that I eat with ketchup. Somehow, the "mushy" inside with the crispy outside is pleasing. Along with them, I give you a simple salad (from another meal) that is oh so spring and oh so refreshing. With omega-3's in the fist and anti-oxidants in the salad, this is the perfect meal for Sweetnick's ARF-5-A-Day Tuesday. Head on over and check out the other recipes.
Salmon Croquettes
1 15 oz can salmon (2T juice saved)
1 egg
1/3 cup mined onion
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Clean salmon (making sure all bones are removed). Mix with the egg and onion. Stir in flour. Add the baking powder to the reserved juice. Stir this into the fish mixture. Heat a skillet and either spray with cooking spray or drizzle some olive oil in the bottom. "Fry" the croquettes until they are browned. Enjoy.

Strawberry, Feta, and Romaine with Balsamic Vinegarette Salad
Fresh romaine lettuce
Strawberries
feta cheese
balsamic (or your favorite kind) vinegarette

Clean and cut lettuce and strawberries. Toss in a bowl with the feta cheese. Serve with dressing and enjoy.

Stack it up!

As I mentioned last week, I went to see Aida but the friend who was supposed to go with me was sick. So we postponed our fun for a week and she came for dinner this week (Dinner number 2 through month number 2!). We had one of my favorite, simple salads. It's called Polynesian Chicken and is a stack-up salad. So simple to make for MANY and for FEW! Since the theme for Weekend Cookbook Challenge is salads, this will be my submission. Check it out at Running with Tweezers as I'VE already seen some salads that I want to try! Gasp...I'm making this a double entry...because of the wonderful antioxidants in tomatoes and the pineapples, celery, and almonds, this is also my entry for Sweetnicks ARF Tuesday. Stop by her site as well and check out the other great entires.This salad uses boiled chicken, which seems simple enough but I have a great way to make the chicken moist and not over-cooked. This is from an Everyday Gourmet class that my mom went to. It was based on the cookbook by Jan Karon, author of The Mitford series. If you use this version, you do need to cook the chicken several hours in advance, but it's worth it and gives you some nicely seasoned chicken stock. So, here is how to boil chicken for the salad from the Mitford Cookbood with the salad recipe following! I honestly don't even know if the salad is from a cookbook so we'll say it's from Alice's Cookbook!

Boiled chicken

6 large chicken breasts, bone in and skin on (I used boneless, skinless and it works just as well)
2 stalks celery
2 sprigs fresh parsley
1 large onion, quartered
1 bay leaf

Place the above ingredients in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat for 1 minute. Cover and remove from the heat. Let the chicken sit, covered, until completely cooled, at least 2 hours. When cooled, remove the chicken, strain the broth, and refrigerate to use later. Before using the stock, remove the congealed fat from the top. Remove the skin from the chicken, cut the meat off the bones, coarsely chop it, cover, and refrigerate or use immediately in your recipe.

Polynesian Chicken*

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, boiled and shredded

Rice (I use brown), cooked

celery, chopped

pineapple tidbits (can be canned or fresh)

green onions, chopped

sliced almonds

chow mein noodles

coconut

Ro Tel tomatoes (my addition)

shredded cheddar cheese

condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

Heat soup in a saucepan until warm and use as gravy/dressing for the salad. Put all ingredients in serving bolws, Line up on counter or table, and load up! Start with rice and stack other ingredients on top. This gets really big quite easily, so don't let your eyes trick you!!

I didn't put amounts because it really depends on how many people you are serving and what each person will use. Just use your judgment and remember, this makes GREAT leftovers!

Roasted Chipolte Raspberry Pork Salad

Rachel, at Rachel's bite, is hosting a leftover's made new event. When I went to see my parents after my horrendous round of tests, we had pork loin. I picked that because I knew that it would give me leftovers to bring back with me. One night I decided to make a salad out of this. What to put on top was the question. I didn't really want normal dressing, so I pulled out the Roasted chipolte Raspberry sauce that I bought at World Market. It turned out so yummy. As this is a salad, it's not really a recipe, but the combinations I used were great. Check out Rachel's site next week for other great recipes.

Roasted Chipolte Raspberry Pork Salad
fresh spinach
handful of mushrooms
pineapples (this was left over too!)
cucumbers
halved cherry tomatoes
feta cheese
left over pork loin
a drizzzle of roasted chipolte raspberry sauce

Spinach Salad and a Meme

Yesterday, my Sunday school class had a potluck lunch. I ended up taking two dishes because I couldn't decide which to make. Later, I'll post the recipe for the pineapple casserole; tonight it's all about spinach. Now before you think "Ew, spinach," listen! You may think of spinach as that stuff that popeye pops out of his cans when he needs strength...I agree, THAT spinach is gross. However, fresh spinach is a totally different story. Fresh spinach is one of the healthiest and most delicious greens you can use. Even if you don't like it cooked, there is a high possibility that you will like it as a salad green. Also, this salad has TONS of yummy extras in it! SO, check out my Aunt Margaret's spinach salad. As it is full of antioxidants, this is my entry for Sweetnicks, ARF Tuesday.

Mandarin Orange, Bacon, and Brittle Spinach Salad

1 bag fresh spinach

1 large can mandarin oranges in orange juice

7-8 slices of turkey bacon (this really is better because it gets crispy and is easy to break)

1 box peanut brittle (I use about half but you can use more)

1 small bottle Italian dressing (light or fat-free will work as well) - I don't use the whole bottle, just put enough on to cover the spinach when tossed

Cook bacon until crispy. Put spinach is a large bowl. Crumble bacon over the spinach. Drain oranges and add to the greens. Break brittle into small pieces and add to salad. Just before serving, pour desired amount of salad dressing over the salad. You need enough to cover the spinach. Toss and enjoy.

Now for the meme. I've been tagged by Rachel at Rachel's Bite to tell 6 weird food things about myself. Here goes:

1. I've never had sushi. Apparently this is really a horrible thing. When I was teaching an ACT review session one Saturday, I told the kids this and they all just gasped in horror. Maybe I should try it!

2. I've eaten horse. Yes, when I lived in Kyrgyzstan, we ate at the home of a national (for about 5 hours, 8 courses, a LOT of food!). One of the appetizers they had was horse. It's pretty fatty but tastes alright. Can't say I'd eat it again, though.

3. I can't drink tea. Yes, I'm from the South and I don't like tea. I taught myself to like coffee but there is just something in my body that keeps me from liking tea. sorry!

4. I like butternut squash but I don't like sweet potatoes. Once again, something in my body just can't handle it. The first two bites are okay but after that I can't swallow any more potato. Sweet potato fries, however, are a different matter!

5. When I was little, I would mash my cake and ice cream together until it resembled mush. It's really very good. Try it some time in the privacy of your own home.

6. I think Papa John's pizza is really gross. The crust is gummy and the sauce just isn't right. This is a bad thing when we have pizza for free lunch at the med center...the ALWAYS get papa john's.

Okay, I'm not tagging anyone this time because I've tagged for a meme like this before and don't remember who I tagged. If you'd like to do this, go ahead and they let me know! :-)

After our little breakfast in Sunday School, we had a fellowship at lunch. I don't think that was scheduled very well but that's how it worked out! Anyway, I signed up to bring a salad and thought that since it is October, I should make something fall-y. I decided that I would use apples, walnuts, and cranberries! This salad turned out SO good, I think I'll make it again for myself! Thank goodness there were leftovers just enough for lunch on Tuesday!

Fall Apple Salad
1/2 bag spring mix salad greens
1/2 bag Mediterranean salad greens
1 Gala Apple, chopped
1 Granny Smith Apple, chopped
1 small bag chopped walnuts
Craisins
shredded carrots
mushrooms

Place greens in a large bowl. Add apples, walnuts, craisins, carrots, and mushrooms. Use your judgement and tastes to decide how much carrots, mushrooms, and craisins to add. Choose a salad dressing or oil/vinegar and enjoy! Top with chicken, turkey, or shrimp for a complete meal!