I made up this recipe based on a prepared salad that I got from Trader Joe's last week. It is the perfect way to use up any leftover brussel sprouts you have.
This is a great recipe from Martha Stewart.
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon walnut oil (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Pinch of sugar
In a jar, combine all ingredients. Shake well to combine. Makes 1 cup.
This is my favorite macaroni salad recipe. If refrigerated overnight is is sweet and creamy. Perfect for a barbeque!
4 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/4 cup carrot, diced
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain well.
In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir in the onion, celery, carrot, and macaroni. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving, but preferably overnight.
Use this for a quick side salad or add some chicken for a main course. Be sure to purchase a dressing you like. I prefer the Caesar dressings found in the refrigerated section of the produce area.
5 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 cup prepared Caesar dressing
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup seasoned croutons
Combine in a large bowl and toss.
I love a good creamy potato salad! Especially in the summer with all of the barbecue fixings! This is my mom's recipe.
About 10 potatoes, boil in salted water until tender, cool.
1/4 cup white, green, or red onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion salt
2 cups mayonnaise
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1/4 cup dill pickle juice (add more if dry)
6 hard boiled eggs, chopped (save one for the top)
Combine all ingredients, adjust seasonings to taste. Top with one hard boiled egg sliced. Sprinkle with paprika and dill.
Anyone who has lived in Utah knows about Cafe Rio. When their restaurants first opened people were lined out the door at all times of the day to eat their food. I have to agree that the food is delicious! This is confirmed by the countless copycat recipes that are available on the internet. In an effort to spread the joy of Cafe Rio to the masses here are the recipes that I use. This recipe comes from a combination of a lot of the recipes online. I think it tastes really close to the real stuff!
I must admit, I do not care about the Cafe Rio chicken or the steak so I have no idea how to make them. All of my love is for the pork barbacoa salad! Oh so good!
Pork Barbacoa
1 pork roast (~3lbs, I like to use a pork shoulder/butt)
garlic salt
pepper
1 can Coke (not diet)
1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1 small can diced green chilies (you can puree if desired)
Generously garlic salt and pepper roast. Place roast in a crock pot and 1/2 can Coke. Cook on high for about 4-6 hours. You can cook overnight on low. Remove roast, drain liquid, trim fat, coarsely shred meat into large chunks, and return roast to crock pot. Add enchilada sauce, brown sugar, 1/2 can of Coke, and chilies. Let roast cook on low 2 more hours. Shred and serve.
Cilantro Rice
3 cups chicken broth
1 clove garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2 onion
1 tblspn butter
3 cups rice
Blend cilantro, green chiles, garlic, and onion together in food processor. Bring chicken broth to a boil and add all ingredients, simmer covered 30 minutes.
Creamy Tomatillo House Dressing
1 pkt. Ranch Salad Dressing Mix (not buttermilk packet)
2 small tomatillos
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1 clove garlic
1/2 lime, juiced
1 small jalapeno, omit the seeds and pith if you don't want it spicy
1 cup mayonnaise
Milk (about 1/2 cup)
Mix in food processor. Thin with milk as needed. If you can't find fresh tomatillos you can substitute one 7-oz can of salsa verde.
How to Put It Together (for those foreign to Cafe Rio)
They use home made tortillas. I use regular tortillas from the grocery store. Just use a brand that looks tasty (like Guerrero). On the cook top, melt a handful of cheese in the tortilla. Place warm tortilla in a shallow bowl. Then layer the rice, beans (from a can, already warm), meat, and romaine lettuce. The next layer is pico de gallo, I just use chopped tomatoes. The remaining layers include a couple sprigs of cilantro, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, a handful of tortilla strips, and dressing on the side.
I don't normally add the tortilla strips, but if you want to make them here is how: Using 6+ corn tortillas, brush both sides of the tortillas with oil, stacking them as you go. Cut the stack in half, and then slice crosswise into 1/2 inch strips. Place the strips on a rimmed cookie sheet; bake, tossing occasionally, until golden, 15-20 minutes.
This recipe sounds complicated but it is actually quite easy if you have a food processor. I generally make it all in the morning when I get the pork in the crock pot to cook. Using a food processor I make the rice followed by the salad dressing. I don't really clean my food processor in between, maybe a rinse. After the rice is cooked I refrigerate it and then reheat it at dinner time. The dressing is actually better when made ahead of time anyway. I takes me about 30 minutes to prepare and get everything cooking, then it is quick to heat and assemble at dinner time.
This recipe makes enough for 8-10 salads. I either invite people over to eat or we eat this for a few days--no one complains, it is that good!
The classic salad. . . need I say more?
4 slices bacon (I use pre-cooked)
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 large head romaine lettuce, shredded
8 ounces roasted turkey breast, diced (2 cups)
1 small tomato, chopped
1/2 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced
3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
2 hard-boiled eggs, diced
course salt and fresh ground pepper
Cook the bacon until crisp. Let cool, then crumble. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, and mustard. Toss the lettuce with the dressing. Arrange the remaining ingredients on the lettuce as desired. Season with salt and pepper. Sometimes I use Ranch dressing instead of the vinaigrette.
We went to dinner at a local Greek/Italian restaurant and the salad they served was pretty much this and I could not get enough of it. This is so easy and great for a hot summer day.
Add amounts as desired!
Chopped tomato
Chopped cucumber
Thinly sliced red onion
Bite-size romaine lettuce
Your favorite Italian dressing
Crumbled feta cheese
Kalamata Olives
Another lovely recipe from Martha Stewart. This is a great salad for a baby shower or when you want something easy that feels fancy. You can also add some crumbled gorgonzola cheese (about 1/2 cup). I sometimes double the candied nuts because they are so good.
1/2 cup walnut halves (pecans work well too)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
course salt
fresh ground pepper
8 ounces baby spinach
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup dried cherries (you can substitute with cranberries)
Place walnuts and sugar in a skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves into a light brown liquid and coats the walnuts. Remove walnuts from skillet, and spread them out on a sheet of aluminum foil to cool. (You can also buy walnuts or pecans already candied at Trader Joes if you have one near you)
In a large bowl whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and oil until combined and thickened; season with salt and pepper. Add the spinach, onion, and cherries to the dressing; toss to combine. Top the salad with the candied walnuts (and gorgonzola) and serve immediately. You can also add sliced pears.
I love ranch dressing. It is my favorite dressing on salads and for dipping vegetables. I love the flavor and the creaminess. Sadly, that means lots of fat and calories. After some experimentation I have figured out a pretty good low-fat alternative.
2 8-oz containers fat-free plain Yogurt
2 Tblspn mayonnaise
1/2 cup milk (add more if you like it thinner)
1 packet ranch salad dressing mix
Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate. Tastes better the longer it sets. Good for a couple weeks.
