Sunday Lunch

White Chicken Chili

Fruit Salad
(escarole, diced pears, red grapes, pine nuts, fig vinaigrette)

Toasted Cornbread

 Pinot Noir
 Coffee

Beet Salad

Now that Grandma is no longer with us :-(  I'm in the business of fixing this traditional family recipe.

It's one of those dishes that graced the holiday (celebratory) tables next to the omnipresent black olives and ubiquitous pickles.

She never wrote out a recipe.

So, here's my stab at actual measurements.

4 cans chilled beets, well drained and finely chopped
4 stalks celery, very finely diced
5 Tbs mayonnaise
small amount of finely grated onion
salt and pepper, to taste


Chill for several hours before serving.


Sounds pretty simple.  But I'm telling you,

it just doesnt taste the same as when she prepared it.


We miss you, Grandma!

Oriental Coleslaw

Coleslaw Preparation

Cast of Green Characters


Green Cabbage

Green Onions

Green Sugar Snap Peas



Almonds, Sesame Seeds, Ramen Noodles

The full recipe is posted on my Xanga site along with a photo of the finished product.

Boy! Using a food processor makes this recipe easier. The almonds are roasting in my toaster oven.







Sometimes grated cabbage is available at the grocery store, but I prefer a finer grind :)







Hand chopping doesnt bother me and it allows for better control of the shapes.








Last but not least is preparation of the dressing, which I do in my blender. I skip the sugar, an ingredient found in most slaw recipes. It seems like an easy way to cut back on calories. That's 2/3 C safflower oil and 1/3 cup white wine vinegar for 2 packets of Ramen seasoning.













Usually there are leftovers of this wonderful salad.

Here's how they become useful: I'm planning to add 1 C of slaw to 2 C chopped Romaine plus some leftover rib-eye steak, a handful of Bleu Cheese, a cuke, and some cherry tomatoes. Serve with a bit of French bread and a glass of Merlot.

Voila! Bon Appetit!

Edit: Photo here :)

How are you using leftovers at your house?

Apple Salad

1 head green leaf lettuce, washed, dried and torn into bite-sized pieces
(I love my salad spinner)
1-2 apples, washed, cored, diced (each apple yields 32 pieces)
(Use different colored ones (unpeeled) for pretty color)
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup raisins
1 stalk celery, washed and sliced thinly on the diagonal
2 Tbs sunflower seeds, dry roasted

Toss with your favorite dressing. Serve in chilled bowls.

Vinagrette Recipe

1/2 cup safflower oil
1/4 cup wine vinegar
2 Tbs prepared mustard (stone ground)
1 Tbs dried parsley
2 Tbs cold water

Whirl in the blender. Store in cruet in 'fridge.

Unsolicited suggestion:
Chill the bowl in which you plan to toss your salad. It makes a difference.


Sherry over at Semicolonblog.com is soliciting apple recipes and that's what made me post this one. I've been enjoying this salad combination for years, although nowadays it is seen served more often with feta cheese.

Have you ever tried the Grilled Chicken dinner salad at Red Lobster?

It has apples in it.

Broccoli Salad


2 bunches broccoli
washed and trimmed
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 can water chestnuts, sliced
1 can black olives, sliced
Salad Dressing




Steam broccoli only slightly about 4-5 mins in the microwave. I cover tightly the glass dish with saran and release it immediately after cooking, so that the flowerettes dont get smashed. I suppose it is possible to skip this step.

Evenly distribute the water chestnuts, tomatoes, and black olives on top of the lightly steamed broccoli. Pour salad dressing (Paul Newman's is my substitute when there's no homemade) over veggies. Refrigerate.

Voila!














We eat broccoli several times a week. Mainly steamed. No cheese sauce or butter. A little freshly squeezed lemon is acceptable. But it's easier to count calories, if one learns to eat food without sauces/gravies/toppings.

At any rate, I also prepare the broccoli/raisin salad which is popular and more rarely one with swiss cheese/bacon/onion. Yum - but caloric!


What's your favorite broccoli recipe?

Spinach Salad

10 oz fresh spinach (Popeye brand-already washed/bagged)
8 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 lg mango, sliced (substitute madarin oranges,drained)
1 egg, hardboiled and diced

Toss with salad dressing of your choice.

Serves 8.

This is one of my favorite foods to take to pot providence dinners after church.

Salad Dressing:

1/2 C safflower oil
1/4 C vinegar
2 Tbs prepared mustard
2 Tbs water
2 Tbs dried parsley

Whirl in blender. Store in cruet in 'fridge.

Wild Rice Salad














My sister-in-law brought this dish to the birthday party last week along with the recipe.........which she states is *different* every time she makes it, depending on what's in the 'fridge. She adapted it from Southern Living.

2 - 6 oz pkgs long grain and wild rice mix, cooked as directed, excluding the butter.
2 11 oz cans white or shoepeg corn, drained
1/2 C chopped fresh parsley
6 chopped green onions
4 peeled and diced carrots (these appear to be missing this time)
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 tsp dried dill weed
1/2 tsp black pepper

Dressing:
1/4 C lemon juice
1 or 2 cloves garlic
2 Tbs safflower oil
1/2 tsp dry mustard.

3 Tbsp sunflower seeds or slivered almonds

Combine salad ingredients. Mix dressing in blender until smooth and pour over salad. Toss well. Chill. Add seeds/nuts just before serving.

This is very yummy.



Another favorite is Artichoke Rice salad, which recipe I will post later.

Summer Salad Suggestion

Earlier this summer I was in the habit of posting salad recipes over on my xanga site. Lately I haven't spent a lot of time of the kitchen, but I continue to enjoy salads in my diet.

Here are the ingredients to one I plan to prepare at home soon. I've only eaten it out...at Red Lobster of all places!! And even though I think it's a little silly to order chicken at a seafood restaurant, from time to time I treat myself to this one.

Green leaf lettuce, Granny Smith apple slices, grilled chicken strips, thinly sliced red pepper, roasted walnuts, feta cheese, just a few pieces of sundried tomato, croutons, and vinaigrette dressing.

Pretty colors and very tasty!

What's your favorite dinner salad?

Potato Salad

In keeping with my Summer Salad Fest, I'm posting this week's salad recipe in honor of the Southern Veggie Plate, which can comprise any combination of three or four veggies, hot or cold. One of my favorite places to eat out has wonderful veggies. When creating/serving a veggie plate at home, I use color as my guide and consult a nutrition book to make sure I've selected choices which will make a complete protein. So, with this potato salad recipe, I will serve green beans, sliced tomatoes or sliced cantaloupe, and cornbread or biscuits. Pickled beets would work well, too.

Potatoes, one per person, plus one for the pot, peeled and diced, cooked in pressure cooker, drained, and refrigerated until chilled
Onion, white, very small amount finely grated
Pickle, dill, diced
Mayo, Duke's (no sugar)
Mustard, prepared - whichever one your family likes, but I get rave reviews when I used one with a smoke flavor

What's your favorite veggie plate combo?

Salmagundi

Yesterday I took a respite from the ordinary day and invited a friend for lunch. I set the table in the dining room, using china, crystal, sterling flatware, linen napkins. Are you beginning to get the picture? Classical music was playing in the background. We talked about topics of interest to both of us and made a pact to get together again soon.

We lunched on salmagundi. I had a nice time.