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Thursday, June 26, 2014

Southwest Wedge Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing

Here's a southwestern version of the
popular wedge salad. Very colorful!
Spoon on cilantro ranch dressing and
Cilantro Ranch Dressing
scatter with black beans, corn, onions,
chopped tomatoes, and avocado chunks
sprinkled with Mexican blend cheese.
Sprinkle the top with fresh cilantro.
A good salad for a crowd. I cut the usual sized
wedges in half for the buffet that included
roast pork loin with mango salsa and herb
roast chicken with black beans and rice. 
A pot luck with friends.
I even decided to forgo my usual South Florida
footwear for my cowboy boots.

Southwest Wedge Salad
iceberg lettuce
chopped tomatoes
chopped avocado
chopped green (or red)  onion
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can Fiesta corn, drained
1 bag shredded Mexican cheese
chopped fresh cilantro

Cut head lettuce into wedges. Spoon on
Cilantro Ranch Dressing. Scatter on top:
beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, onions,
shredded cheese and sprinkle top with
 cilantro. Serve extra dressing at the table.


Cilantro Ranch Dressing
1 C mayonnaise
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 C buttermilk
2 T lime juice
1 t garlic powder
1 t salt
1 t sugar
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk together. Store in a jar.



tip: For a great Chopped Salad, just chop the
 lettuce and add the remaining ingredients.
 Add chopped hard boiled eggs, chicken,
or shrimp for a filling entree. Spoon on
dressing and toss. Sprinkle with cheese.

Links: FacebookBetween Naps On The Porch,
Designs By Gollum

Monday, June 16, 2014

BLT Wedge Salad

A good salad to serve with grilled steaks. 
I prep all the ingredients beforehand
 so it takes just minutes to assemble.
If you don't have buttermilk, 
just add a little extra sour cream.
I've given measurements for the seasonings
to give an idea, but you can just eyeball it.
No need to measure seasonings
This will make 1 C of dressing and you
can easily double the recipe.
I mix it up in a jar so any extra can easily be stored 
in the refrigerator and I can make a quick 
wedge salad for lunch. Sometimes I top it with
a chopped hard boiled egg.
For a buffet, make mini wedge salads.
Just cut each wedge diagonally in half
 again and put on a platter and then dress.
Crisp and fresh!


                         Wedge Salad
Iceberg lettuce
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 tomato diced
1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
Cut lettuce in half, then cut each half into 2 wedges. Slice out the core.
Put wedges on a large platter for serving or on individual plates. Spoon a little dressing over each wedge. Sprinkle with chopped tomato, crumbled bacon and shredded cheese.
Serve remaining dressing at the table. Serves 4

Buttermilk Dressing
1/2 C mayonnaise
1/4 C buttermilk
1/4 C sour cream
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t vinegar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t Worcestershire sauce-a dash
1/4 t pepper
pinch cayenne
Combine all ingredients in a jar.
*For a classic wedge salad with blue cheese 
dressing add 1/3 C crumbled blue cheese 
and omit the tomato, bacon, and cheddar. 

Enjoy!

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Marshall Field's Special Sandwich

The Walnut Room, Marshall Field's Special 
Sandwich. Memories of a truly amazing 
department store on Chicago's State Street.
It was always a wonderful place to go for 
lunch. Sadly, Fields is no longer, but you can
 still make their signature sandwich
The 'sandwich' is in fact a mountainous, delightful 
salad. It's no longer served at the new 'Macy's, 
so here's a step-by-step way to assemble them. 
This is a great use for after-Thanksgiving turkey 
or whenever you have leftover turkey breast.
 Butter one slice of good fresh rye bread. 
(I used 2 smaller pieces.)
 Lay on Swiss cheese.
Add a few turkey slices then 
top with some iceberg lettuce slices.
 Top with a large outer leaf to create a dome.
The Marshall Field sandwich had a huge dome
of lettuce on top. I've cut it back a bit.
 Top with a few more turkey slices.
 Spoon on good, preferably homemade 1000 Island
Dressing. Top with crisp bacon slices, hardboiled 
egg slices and tomato slices. Add a  sprig of
 parsley or basil to the top.  
 Layers of deliciousness! 
A little bite of everything on my fork. 
Marshall Field's Special Sandwich
Ingredients:
Iceberg lettuce
Turkey, thinly sliced
1000 Island Dressing, my easy homemade recipe HERE
Swiss cheese
Fresh good rye bread
Butter, softened
Bacon, 2 sliced cooked
Slice if hardboiled egg
Slice of tomato
How To Assemble:
1. Butter the rye bread and place on large plate.
2. Cover bread with Swiss cheese slice.
3. Next add 1 or 2 thin slices of turkey to cover.
4. Remove the large outer leaves from the lettuce
    and set aside.
5. Slice the some of the remaining lettuce into a
    few large sections and arrange a section on top
    of the turkey and Swiss cheese.
6. Cover the open-face 'sandwich' with the big
     outer lettuce leaf.
7. Top that leaf with several slices of turkey,
8. Spoon an ample amount of 1000 dressing over
     the top, allowing it to drizzle down the sides.
9. Add the bacon slices, criss-cross on top.
10. Add tomato slice and egg slice, top mound
      with a parsley sprig.
Serve immediately.
Enjoy!


Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Teacup Eggs

These cute little teacup omelets take
 just about 2 minutes to make.
Assemble each teacup egg anyway you like
 it and pop it into the microwave.
A very fast breakfast, perfect little lunch or 
even dinner.
 Today I used leftover salsa and cheddar-jack
cheese and a dash of hot sauce.
  Everyone can make their own eggs with
 their favorite ingredients. This is a good time
to use that little bit of leftover vegetables
from dinner; like spinach, mushrooms,
 asparagus, broccoli, onions, peppers, along with
 fresh tomatoes, scallions, basil, and any cheese;
 cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, feta, anything!
 I can even make these on our road 
trips in the van's microwave.
Teacup Eggs
(for each teacup)
2 eggs
2 T milk
salt & pepper
2 T cheese
2 T favorite fillings
Rub the inside of the teacup with oil
or butter. Crack the eggs into the cup
and whisk with a fork. Mix in the milk.
Stir in your choice of toppings: 
cheese, leftover cooked vegetables, 
spinach, mushrooms, peppers,
scallions, etc. No need to measure 
just don't fill more than 3/4 full. 
Micro for 45 seconds, 
remove and stir gently then return to
 microwave for another 30-45 seconds,
more or less until puffed and no longer
runny. Remove carefully.
Enjoy!
tip: You can also use ramekins or bake a large
batch of them on a baking sheet
in a 350ยบ oven for about 15-20 minutes,
until golden and puffed.

Links: FacebookRattlebridge Farm,
Between Naps On The Porch,

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Herb Mayonnaise

You'll never want plain mayo on your
sandwich again!
Today I had a BALT sandwich for lunch; 
bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato made even
 tastier with herb mayonnaise. 
It mixes up quickly. To 1 C mayonnaise stir in:
thyme, dill, parsley, red and black pepper.
 Mix well. Keep in the refrigerator.
It's great on a BLT or any sandwich. 
I got this recipe from a favorite lunch
spot in Bryson City, NC, the
 Everett Street Diner.

Herb Mayonnaise
1 C mayonnaise
1-1/2 t thyme
3/4 t dill 
1/2 t parsley
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1/4 t black pepper
Mix and store in a jar.

Enjoy!


 I also use my Homemade 1000 Island Dressing on sandwiches
 Get that recipe HERE.
Links: Rattlebridge Farm, Between Naps On The Porch