Simple Spinach and Avocado Salad

Simple, healthy, tasty lunch.

spinach leaves, avocado half, drizzle of olive oil, 

spritz of lemon juice, garlic salt and a grind of

 fresh pepper. No fuss delicious.

Enjoy!

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Avocado, Cucumber, Tomato Salad

A  nice healthy, fresh salad for lunch using up 

things I had in my produce bowl.

The fresh cilantro and lemon juice really give

 it a big boost of flavor. 

Avocado, Cucumber,Tomato Salad

1 avocado, scooped and sliced
1/4 red onion, thin slices
1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/2 zucchini, peeled if desired and chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
2 T fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 lemon, juiced, 1-2T
2 T olive oil
1/2 t salt
1/8 t pepper
Toss together, serves 2

Enjoy!

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Grilled Salmon with White Bean and Spinach Salad

Another great way to enjoy salmon.

Healthy and delicious!

For The Salmon

1-1/2 lbs salmon

1/3 C olive oil

2 T lemon juice

2 T orange juice

2 T chopped fresh basil

salt and pepper

Cut the salmon filet into 4 pieces.

Combine the remaining ingredients

in a small jar and shake to blend.

Marinade the salmon for 1-2 hrs.

covered in the refrigerator 

before grilling. 

 Meanwhile prep the salad and 

vinaigrette. When you have everything

 else ready to go, preheat the grill to 

high heat. Grill the salmon for 

3-4 minutes per side. 

Balsamic Basil Vinaigrette

1/4 C balsamic vinegar

1 C olive oil

1/2 t Dijon mustard

1 T minced onion or shallot

1 T minced fresh parsley

1 T minced fresh basil

salt and pepper

Combine in a jar and shake to blend.

Salad

1 lb baby spinach, cleaned

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed

1 tomato, chopped

Warm the beans in the microwave.

Toss spinach, tomatoes and beans
together in a bowl. Dress salad
with desired amount of vinaigrette.
Add (garlic) salt and freshly ground
pepper to taste. 

To Serve

 Place salmon, hot off the grill

on top of the dressed salad. Pass 

vinaigrette as a sauce to accompany

 the salmon. 

Enjoy!

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Parmesan Salad Dressing, plus 12 Recipes That Use Buttermilk

I make this delicious dressing whenever I have

buttermilk in the fridge leftover from one of

my recipes that uses buttermilk.

Toss with your favorite salad ingredients, or 

just romaine lettuce and croutons. This dressing

 has a creamy Caesar Salad dressing taste.

 It's also a good dip for crudites.

 It's a good way to use up that buttermilk you 

bought to make any of my recipes.
 Here are all the links.
Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes,

Cinnamon Quick Bread,
Classic Buttermilk Pie
Cilantro Ranch Dressing (for Southwest Salad)
Buttermilk Dressing (for BLT Wedge Salad)
Puffins (Mini Pancake Muffins)
Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake
Chocolate Skillet Cake
Real Irish Soda Bread
Sweet Soda Bread
Pumpkin Maple Coffee Cake
Pumpkin Pancakes
Now, back to the Parmesan dressing.

 I minced garlic and used chives from my garden.

 Mix in the grated Parmesan cheese last.

 Good for dipping too!

It will last in the fridge for quite some time.

 Put the rest in a jar, or better yet, use  

two small jars and give one to a friend. 

Parmesan Dressing

1 C mayonnaise

1/3 C buttermilk

1-1/2 T lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T chives, minced

1 t honey

1/2 t Kosher salt

1/2 t pepper

Whisk this all together then stir in

1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese

Mix well.

                    Enjoy!

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Spinach-Apple-Walnut Salad

I made this yummy spinach salad last night to go

 with our dinner of grilled lamb. It was such a hit 

that I couldn't wait to have it again for lunch 

 today. The recipe serves 8, but you

can easily make as much as you want.

 It's uncomplicated  and takes just minutes 

to assemble. The lemon vinaigrette is the 

perfect fresh dressing to go with it. Shake

the ingredients together in a jar ahead 

to let the garlic infuse the oil with flavor. 

Do that first. 

Grab a handful of pre-washed fresh spinach per

 serving. Toss in some thinly sliced red Delicious 

apple, and red onion. Sprinkle generously with

 chopped walnuts (I had pecans). Pour dressing

 over and toss. Grind a little fresh pepper 

over the top to taste. Delish!
Optional: crumble a little blue cheese on top.

Spinach-Apple-Walnut Salad

1 pkg (10 oz) fresh spinach

1 C thinly sliced red onion

1 red Delicious apple, 

cored and thinly sliced 

1 C chopped walnuts

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl

Dressing

1/2 C oil

2 T sugar

3 T lemon juice

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 t salt

Combine in a jar and shake.

Pour over salad and toss.

...serves 8...

Enjoy!

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Fabulous Fall Salad

This is a wonderful luncheon salad:
Roast Chicken Salad with Peaches, Goat Cheese, 

and Pecans with a Balsamic Maple Vinaigrette. 

It's a delicious mouthful!

All the flavors compliment each other

perfectly, just bursting with flavor!

 The salad dressing has a little secret 

ingredient...maple syrup. It's made with

basic pantry staples and a small shallot. 

 I added all the ingredients into one of my 

saved jars, a small dijon mustard is the 

perfect size. Just shake it up.

 You can use leftover chicken, a rotisserie chicken, 

or just grill a breast. I've done it with both.

Assemble the salad ingredients. Toast the pecans
 for about 4-5 minutes in the toaster oven while
you peel and dice your peach. A vegetable peeler

works best. If you're making this ahead of time 

for a luncheon, just put the diced peach in a small 

Tupperware bowl and toss with a little lemon juice.

Arrange the salad mix on your plate and top with

the remaining ingredients. 

Drizzle on the dressing.

 You can also mix the salad in a large bowl. 

Combine ingredients, except cheese. 

Add vinaigrette mixture, toss gently.

Sprinkle with cheese. Serve

with fresh bread and butter.

I've had this salad 3 times this week!

First at a girlfriends after we enjoyed

a game of doubles tennis, then I made it for

Larry on Saturday and again today, Monday.

Yummy, yummy!

Roast Chicken Salad with 
Peaches, Goat Cheese, and Pecans 

2 C boneless chicken breast, sliced
2 C diced peeled peaches
1/2 C thinly sliced red onion
1/4 C chopped pecans, toasted
1 bag salad greens (Spring Mix)
2 T crumbled goat cheese
Combine all ingredients, except cheese.
Add vinaigrette and toss lightly. Sprinkle
with cheese. Alternately layer ingredients
on a large plate and drizzle with vinaigrette.

Balsamic Maple Vinaigrette

3 T balsamic vinegar

2 T olive oil

1 T lemon juice

1 T maple syrup

1 t dijon mustard

1/4 t kosher salt

1/4 t pepper

1 shallot, minced (about 2T)

Combine ingredients in a jar and shake.

Enjoy!

update: I've made this salad several times
as a side and just left out the chicken.

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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.

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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!

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My Romantic Home,

The Charm Of Home,

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!

I've created a board on Pinterest for
Marshall Field's

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Honey Boo Boo Chicken

You're in for a treat with this easy and very

 yummy chicken recipe.

I gave it it's funny name because of the friends 

that shared their favorite recipe. Cathy, and her

sister Liz  had just confessed their guilty pleasure

of watching Honey Boo Boo while we were 

chatting. Liz was busy making her special 

honey chicken for their dinner.

 Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel

It doesn't hurt to have a white wine spritzer

(in the background) while you cook.

 Heat the oil and lots of garlic powder in a large 

skillet on medium high. Be generous with the 

garlic. Add the chicken. This recipe works well 

whether you're cooking for one or six. Just use 

1 chicken breast per person and be

generous with the garlic, salt, pepper and honey.

No need to measure. I gave measurements just 

to give you an idea of amounts. More is best!

Season with more garlic powder and salt and 

pepper to taste.

When almost cooked, drizzle in lots of honey, 

about 1T per breast.

 Stir frequently until it begins to caramelize.

It will turn a lovely medium brown.

Prepare a salad of romaine hearts and 

sliced or chopped cucumber. Toss with

my Garlic and Dill Dressing from

the previous post. Pile the salad on dinner

 plates and top with the

Honey Boo Boo Chicken! 

The contrast of the garlicky crisp salad

 topped with the sweet crispy chicken is 

delicious!

Honey Boo Boo Chicken

 2 boneless chicken breasts,

 cut into bite size pieces

2T olive oil

 1t garlic powder

3T honey

1/2t salt & 1/2t pepper

Add enough oil to cover the bottom 

of a large skillet. On Medium high, heat the oil 

and garlic powder; add the chicken pieces

 and saute until almost cooked through.

While cooking add more garlic powder, salt

and pepper to taste. Add about 1 generous

tablespoon of honey per breast and stir 

frequently until chicken has caramelized 

to a lovely medium brown.

Serve over a bed of chopped romaine hearts

and diced English cucumber that has been

tossed with garlic-dill dressing.

serves 2

(multiple recipe as needed)

Enjoy!

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