Creamy Cauliflower lettuce Salad

A sweet and lively taste make this salad a winner. This came from a Miracle Whip recipe card. I decided to take it to linger longer so there were be more vegetable options available.

3/4 cup Miracle Whip or Miracle Whip Light Dressing
1/2 cup kraft Ranch dressing
1/4 cup (2 oz) Krat 100% grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup each: sugar and finely chopped red onion
1 pkg. (8 oz) Oscar Mayer bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
1 head cauliflower, cut into pieces
6 cups torn romaine lettuce

Mix dressings, cheese and sugar in large bowl.
Add remaining ingredients; mix lightly. Makes 8 servings.

Clever picnic tip: Clean and prepare lettuce as directed. Place in a sandwich bag and add to cauliflower mixture right before serving.


I used the clever tip. I worked okay. The bowl wasn't empty when we came home, so I assume that it wasn't a big hit. I thought it was okay, Big Chubb wasn't
fond of it, but ate it willingly.

Seafood Pea-Ista Salad

Since we have afternoon church this year, every fourth Sunday is a linger longer. I love it! I don't have to actually plan a meal, but just have to make some food. For some reason that is just so much easier for me. I have decided that making cupboard project recipes is a great way to try some out because we don't have to it forever. Like this one. I've had it waiting since the very first time I got recipes and have never made it because of the ingredients. The next recipe also was for the linger- longer.

*Kathy Lewis from Murchison, Texas was the second place winner at the Black-Eyed Pea Jamboree (who knew?) in Athens, Texas.

Makes 4-6 servings

1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/4 cup zesty Italian salad dressing
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 cups canned green or yellow black-eyed peas, rinsed
8 ounces corkscrew (rotini) pasta, cooked, rinsed, and drained
1 1/2 cups chopped imitation crabmeat (about 8 ounces)
1 cup broccoli flowerets, partially cooked
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup sliced green onions

Combine mayonnaise, Italian salad dressing add cheese in large bowl; blend well. Add peas, pasta, imitation crabmeat, broccoli, pepper, tomato and onions; toss gently to mix. Cover; refrigerate at least two hours.

There is a little note that states, "When pasta is served with legumes all the essential amino acids are present, making it a good choice for a vegetarian meal."

I was skeptical about the crab and the black-eyed peas. It got rave reviews from people one of which said it was a great use of beans. Big Chubb LOVED it because of the crab. It was okay, but i will probably never make it again. I stared at the bean aisle in Wal-Mart for about 5 minutes trying to find those dang black-eyed peas.

Not related to food at all, here is a picture of the front of our house.

I'm hoping to eventually get shutters for the two smaller windows in the same plum color. Someday when we have extra money it might happen. And, a house down the street sold for $130,000. When we eventually move I'm hoping we can get the same type of deal :)

7 Layer Salad

This "recipe" came from the Mount Vernon Young Women's Cookbook when I was a youth.

7 Layer Salad
from Maria Hansen

Ingredients:
1 large head leafy green lettuce
1 c frozen peas (cooked and cooled)
1/4 c chopped green pepper
1/4 c chopped onion (or green onion)
16 oz jar ranch or buttermilk dressing
8 oz shredded cheese
bacon bits or salad topping of your choice

Directions:
In a 9x13 in. pan or dish place lettuce evenly, that has been rinsed and torn into bite sized pieces.  Sprinkle peas on top of lettuce followed by green pepper and onion.  Chopped celery and carrots may be substituted for the green pepper and onion if desired.  Pour dressing evenly over veggies.  Sprinkle shredded cheese over dressing.  Sprinkle bacon bits/salad toppings on last and seal with a lid or foil and refrigerate until serving.  This may be prepared early in the day.  The extra time enhances the flavor of the salad.

I'll be upfront here and say that I didn't follow the ingredient list exactly.  I used whatever I already had/was cheap, so here is my list in order :
mixed greens
peas
hard boiled egg
tomatoes
green pepper
ranch dressing
cheese

It was good, your normal 7 layer salad.  The beauty of 7 layer salads is that you can change the ingredients for whatever you have on hand or want.  The dressing is supposed to seal in the flavors and help them meld together, which I thought could have been better accomplished with a ranch/mayo mix.  It was good, but I doubt I'll make it again for a long time.

Debbie's Salad

From Mary Murray

1 c. oil
1 c. white vinegar
1 c. sugar
1 pkg. Good Seasons Zesty Italian Dressing mix
1 lb. package rotini pasta, cooked
red onion, sliced green pepper, chopped olives, cheese cubes all to taste

Combine dressing ingredients. Toss pasta with desired amount of remaining ingredients. Add dressing to taste; blend well and chill.

I had been wanting to make this for a long time, and yesterdays linger longer at church was the perfect opportunity. It was a good pasta salad. The dressing is a sweet dressing, but the sweetness was evened out by the green pepper and red onion. The Big Chubb and I both liked it. I wish I would have had more cheese to put in, but it was fine with what I had.

Big Chubb asked if I was sure I wanted to make a Cupboard Recipe for the potluck without knowing how it would turn out. I reassured him that it would be fine because any recipe from Mary was bound to be good. And, it was.

Warm Chicken Salad with Oranges and Almonds

Since we have 1 o'clock church, we like to have easy recipes that we can come right home to and start eating. This one seemed easy enough to put together and get on the table quick.

2 medium oranges
6 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 medium red sweet pepper, cut into bite-sized strips
1/2 of a small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves , cut into thin bite-size strips
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon live oil
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
coarsely ground black pepper

Step 1: Peel oranges. Cut into 1/4 inch slices; quarter each slice. In a large salad bowl toss together orange slices, romaine, sweet pepper, onion, and almonds. Set aside.

Step 2: Season chicken with salt and black pepper. In a large skillet heat oil. Cook and stir chicken in hot oil for 4 to 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove skillet from heat. Toss chicken with mixture in salad bowl. Divide salad among four plates.

Step 3: Stir orange juice and vinegar into the hot skillet, scraping up any brown bits in the skillet. Whisk in 1 tablespoon olive oil and the Dijon-style mustard. Serve salad with warm dressing. Season to taste with coarsely ground black pepper. Makes 4 servings.

We liked it. I didn't see the red onion listed in the ingredients so I completely forgot to buy one when we were at the store, but it still tasted good with out it. The onion would have definitely given it a little extra kick. It was also pretty darn easy to make. Thanks successful farming for another good recipe!

Almond Mandarin Salad

We've been having salad more often for dinner, so this seemed like a good choice.

1/2 pound bacon
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon dry hot mustard
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
1/4 cup olive oil
1 head red leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1 (15 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 bunch green onion, diced
3/4 cup slivered almonds

Directions

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until evenly brown. Drain, cool, and crumble.
To make the dressing, thoroughly blend the vinegar, honey, dry mustard, celery salt, paprika, and olive oil.
Place lettuce, oranges, green onion, bacon, and almonds in a serving bowl. Toss with dressing and serve.

This was good. I like fruit in salad, and the salty bacon went well with the other tastes. Plus, the almonds added a nice crunch. The dressing was kind of like a vinaigrette. The only problem was that I felt like it wasn't a full meal. The only picture I have is on my phone, and I don't know how to get it off without paying the $.20 to send it to Brian.