Party Poppy Seed Salad

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Momzoo

The third salad in my series come from

Tiffany

I really liked this salad as did most of the kids.

I tell ya, kids just don’t appreciate a good salad, however, with this salad there was something in it that everyone liked.

First thing first I am going to show you how to caramelized nuts. This salad calls for caramelized pecans, which are so yummy and very simple to do.

To make 1 cup of caramelized nuts you will need:

1 cup nuts

(I am using walnuts, I was a ding-dong and forgot to get pecans)

1 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp sugar

First you melt the butter

simple enough

Then add the nuts and butter

Saute until the sugar dissolves and coats the nuts.

Set it on a plate to cool.

There you have it, simple, you can also make large batches and freeze for later use. These are really yummy for just plain old eating too.

Now onto the salad dressing.

I really liked this, I saved the left over dressing for my lunch salad today, very good!

Our cast of characters:

1/4 cup Red Onion, chopped

1/2 cup Sugar

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

1/2 tsp Salt

1/3 cup apple Cider Vinegar

1 cup Oil

Everything, except the poppy seeds are put into a blender.

Blend on high until everything is mixed well .

I then poured the dressing into a jar and added the poppy seeds

Then gave it a good shake to mix the seeds in, and set aside.

Now for the body of this super yummy salad

We have:

1 bag Spring Mix Salad

2.4 heads Romain Lettuce, chopped

2 Apples or Pear (or a mix) peeled and chopped

1 cup Caramelized Pecans

1 cup Craisins

1 cup Crumbled Feta

(I didn’t peel my pears, as a general rule I don’t peel things, I am lazy that way)

Mix everything together and toss with dressing.

This makes a huge salad, which is great if you need to take it to a party. I actually halved most of the recipe (except the nuts and feta, I like nuts and feta) for my family of 7 and it was a perfect amount.

Serve and Enjoy!

Thanks Tiffany for this wonderful salad, I will be making this again and again.

Oriental Salad

Posted on March 18, 2010 by Momzoo

The second salad in my series is from

Tabatha
and this salad is really good.

It has three different parts, a crunchy topping, the dressing and the actual salad.

First we are going to start with the topping:

1/4 cup sliced Almonds
2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
1Tbsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Butter, melted

First to melt the butter

Then add the ingredients

and saute until golden brown

Tabitha also says you can toss all the ingredients together and roast in a 350 degree oven. This little mixture burns easily to watch it closely.

Once it has browned put it in a container and let cool. It turns wonderfully crispy with a lightly sweet, roasted flavor.

The second part is the dressing:

2Tbsp Sugar

2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

3/4 cup oil

1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar

Put all the ingredients together and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Give it a good stir right before serving, because it will separate.

After I mixed this dressing I tasted it and I will be honest, I was a little disappointed. It seemed to lack flavor, I don’t really know what I was expecting, but this wasn’t it! However I went with it and I will say that once it is combined with the finished salad it is fabulous, it mixed so well with the other flavors I am glad that I didn’t change it at all.

The third and final part is the body of the salad:

2-3 head Romain Lettuce, chopped

(I used three for my family of 7)

1 package Ramen Noodles, crushed

1 can Mandarin oranges

and

Red Onion, sliced thin and added according to your taste.

Right before serving add all the salad ingredients together and toss with the dressing and crispy topping.

This is a wonderful salad, full of color and flavor. The dressing is light and not over powering and the crispy topping is SO good!

Loved this one!

Thanks Tabitha

Enjoy!

Taco Salad

Posted on March 17, 2010 by Momzoo

The first salad in my Sensational Salad series

comes from

Kimberlynn at Autumn Living

My family loved, loved, loved this recipe. I have made Taco Salad many times before, however I had never cooked the meat this way, and the meat is what makes this dinner salad special.

Here is our cast of characters

(minus the hamburger, which was on the stove at this point)

1-2 pounds Hamburger

2 can Kidney Beans drained (I used back bean)

1 can Stewed Tomatoes drained

1 Tbsp Chili powder

1 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Chipotle Chili Powder

1/2 cup Water

Salt and Pepper to taste

4 cups cooled Rice, white or brown

Romain Lettuce

Cherry Tomatoes

1 Small Onion chopped (I used green onions)

Shredded Mexican Cheese

Sour Cream

Salsa

Tortilla Chips

First brown the hamburger and drain the grease. Then you add the Stewed Tomatoes, Beans, Spices and water. Stir it all together and let simmer until it thickens.

While the sauce is thickening, prepare the other ingredients.

When the meat is ready, all that is left to do is assemble your Taco Salad.

This salad is very simple and very good. It seems like everyone has their own version of Taco Salad and I have to say I like this one the best out of all those that I have tried. Also, when I was cooking the meat it occurred to me that it would be very easy to cook up a double batch to either freeze or use for lunches.

My family devoured this salad and Dadzoo commented more than once about how good the meat was!

Thanks Kimberlynn for sharing this, oh so yummy recipe!

Enjoy!

Spinach and Citrus Salad

Posted on April 14, 2009 by Momzoo

The last and final Salad in our series.

Spinach Citrus Salad

it is a goody.

For the Dressing you will need:

2 Tbsp Orange Juice

1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 tsp mustard

Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together and whisk well.

Then add 1 can mandarin oranges (drained)

and 1/4 (or less) red onion sliced thin

Add to spinach

Toss with the dressing
and you have a yummy, light salad.

I served it with some grilled chicken on the side.

A yummy summer salad.

Chicken Salad

Posted on April 11, 2009 by Momzoo

It seems like there are as many recipes for chicken salad as there are for potato salad, every family seems to have one they love and use all the time.

This is “our” recipe for chicken salad, it is very simple, very fattening, and super good.

Momzoo’s Chicken Salad:
2 cups chicken cooked and chopped

1 cup Mayo

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

2 cup chopped celery

1 cup crushed potato chip

1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix the Mayo, salt and lemon juice.

Add Chicken and Celery

Mix well

Right before serving add the potato chips and cheese, stir well.

Serve on a croissant.

Enjoy, and try not to think of all the fat and calories…..

Because of Easter weekend and some sick family memeber (2 kids and a husband) I will be posting the seventh salad (Baby spinach and Citrus Salad) next week.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend!