Category Archives: Salad/Soup

Chopped Salad

Chopped Salad

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There are lots of ingredients in this salad but they all work well together.

Chopped Salad
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Chopped Salad

Course: Salad
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Balsamic Vinaigrette (can also use store bought)

  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 TBL Dijon mustard heaping
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 cup canola oil

Salad

  • 3 cup Romaine lettuce chopped, about two heads
  • 15 cherry tomatoes cut in half
  • 1/2 cup red beans rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup chickpeas rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup kalamata olives pitted and coarsely chopped
  • 3/4 cup white cheddar cheese 1/2 inch cubes, about 3 ounces
  • 3/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese 1/2 inch cubes, about 3 ounces

Instructions

  • In a blender, or if making by hand, in a bowl with a wire whisk, blend the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and blend until emulsified.
  • Toss the lettuce, tomatoes, beans, chickpeas, olives, and cheeses together in a large bowl and dress lightly with the balsamic vinaigrette.

Shrimp and Spinach Salad with Bacon

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Shrimp and Spinach Salad with Bacon

This recipe came out of Mens Health September 2010 magazine.
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Bacon, Shrimp, Spinach
Servings: 4
Calories: 316kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 strips bacon cut into small pieces
  • 1 medium red onion sliced
  • 1 cup mushrooms sliced
  • 8 oz shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 2 TBS pine nuts
  • 3 TBS red wine vinegar
  • 1 TBS Dijon mustard
  • Olive Oil optional
  • 6 oz baby spinach
  • 3 medium egg hard boiled

Instructions

  • Heat a large skillet on medium. Cook the bacon pieces until they're crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer them onto a paper towel.
  • Add the onion and mushrooms to the hot pan and cook them until the onion begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and add them to the pan, along with the pine nuts. When the shrimp are pink and firm (2 to 4 minutes), stir in the vinegar and mustard, and season again with salt and pepper. If the pan looks dry, add a splash of olive oil.
  • Divide the spinach and eggs among four plates and top with the hot shrimp mixture, some of the dressing from the pan, and the bacon.

Caesar Salad

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Ceasar Salad

We got the recipe from Gather on Broadway at one of their cook at home events. It is easy to make, tasty, and we generally have all the needed ingredients.
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 head Romaine lettuce
  • 2 clove garlic minced
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon
  • ⅓ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 wedge parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • croutons optional

Instructions

  • In a food processor (preferred) or with a whisk, blend the garlic, Dijon, Worcestershire, lemon juice, mayo, and Parmesan to combine well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chop Romain into bite-size pieces, then toss with the desired amount of dressing. With a vegetable peeler, shave slices of Parmesan off the wedge of Parmesan over the top.

Chicken Soup, Hearty

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Chicken Soup, Hearty

This recipe is a combination of three different chicken soup recipes. The base recipe comesfrom “The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American” by Jeff Smith. His recipe took too much time andeffort so it was modified using a recipe submitted by Carol Linskens to the Green Bay Press Gazette (local paper). The final modification is based on a recipe from Festival Foods (grocery store) which was titled “Express Chicken Noodle Soup”. Our family prefers the dumplings but the noodle variation is included because it is similar to the chicken soup from Grandma Gerties (local restaurant).
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8

Ingredients

SOUP

  • 1 fryer chicken cut up (about 2 ½ to 3 lbs.) OR backs, necks, wings, and legs
  • 5 carrots cut up into bite sized pieces
  • 4 stalks celery chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion peeled and chopped
  • 2 medium potato peeled and diced
  • 2 whole bay leaves
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp sage
  • 3 clove garlic diced
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • salt to taste
  • 1 TBL chicken bouillon granules
  • 3 quarts water
  • 1 cup egg noodles OPTIONAL

DUMPLINGS

  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 3/4 tsp dill weed
  • 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup milk

Instructions

  • Combine soup ingredients in large pot and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Remove chicken from the bones and set aside (careful the chicken will be hot). Remove the fat from the liquid and return to the pot. Return the chicken to the pot and add enough water to insure the liquid level covers all ingredients. Cover and simmer for 30 more minutes.
  • Mix together the dumpling ingredients. Drop by teaspoon into slowly boiling soup. to insure the liquid level covers all ingredients. Cover and simmer for 30 more minutes.
  • ALTERNATE TO DUMPLINGS: Follow above recipe and instead of dumplings, add 1 cup Kluski Egg Noodles and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir often.

Southwest Corn Chowder

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Southwest Corn Chowder

Seasonal fresh corn makes this soup thick and satisfying, but it's good to know that it can be made year round wsing frozen corn as well.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 slices bacon
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 medium sweet red pepper coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium green bell pepper coarsely chopped
  • 3 scallions coarsely chopped
  • 1 pound potatoe new, coarsely chopped
  • 2 cups corn fresh or frozen (about 10 ounces)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1.8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions

  • In a large pot or Dutch oven, saute the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon an set aside for later. To the bacon grease add onions, bell peppers, and the white and light colored part of the scallions. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes, half of the corn, 2 cups of water, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the remaining corn and the milk and blend until smooth.
  • Stir the corn-milk puree into the soup and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
  • Finely chop the dark green parts of the scallions. Just before serving, sprinkle the scallions, Cheddar cheese, and bacon bits over the soup.

Waldorf Salad

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Waldorf Salad

Excellent easy to make salad. This is an Emeril Lagasse recipe which we found on www.foodnetwork.com.
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 TBS apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbled
  • 1/4 cup yellow onion grated
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • Pinch cayenne
  • 2 cups red apples diced, Gala or Jonathan (2 to 3 medium apples)
  • 1 cup celery thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup red seedless grapes halved
  • 1/2 cup walnut pieces broken
  • 1 head Bibb lettuce cored and leaves separated (we use Boston lettuce and like it better)

Instructions

  • In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and vinegar. Slowly add 1/3 cup buttermilk, whisking to thicken. Add the blue cheese, onion, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and whisk well to combine, adding more buttermilk, as desired. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine the apples, celery, grapes, and walnuts. Add the dressing, to taste, and toss well.
  • Arrange the lettuce leaves on 6 salad plates. Top with the tossed salad and serve.
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