Salads and Salad Dressing

Roasted butternut squash Salad

1 pound butternut squash or sweet potato, peeled, diced
2 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp craisins
1 Tbsp Maple syrup
Black pepper
Salt
Olive oil
2 tsp Dijon
1/4 cup Apple juice
2 Tbsp minced shallots
1/2 cup halved and toasted walnuts
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
Salad, wilty type...arugula works, spinach...

Oven 400 F

Toss squash, olive oil, m. syrup, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Roast until tender,maybe 15 to 20 minutes. Add craisins for last five minutes.

While roasting, combine apple juice, cider vinegar, shallots in a small pan. Cook 6-8 minutes over medium heat...bringing to a boil so as to reduce to about 1/4 cup.

Off heat, whisk in mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper.

Place salad in large bowl, add squash mixture, nuts, Parmesan. Moisten with the dressing you made and toss well.

Beautiful on the plate, healthy, filling and delicious...what more could one want?

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Balsamic Honey Mustard Dressing

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 cup Honey
1 tsp dijon mustard


Blend ingredients in food processor.  Yummy over spring greens.  You can add blue cheese crumbles, raisins or nuts if desired.  Simple yet delicious.



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CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD

¼ C sliced almonds

¼ C margarine/butter

2 Tbsp sesame oil

2 pkgs Ramen chicken soup

½ C sesame seeds

1 roasted chicken

8 C shredded lettuce/cabbage

1 bunch chopped scallions

Cilantro

Melt margarine/butter adding almonds, sesame oil, 2 packages of Ramen dry noodle soup (I use Roasted Chicken flavor), including seasoning packets, and sesame seeds. Brown and let cool.

Pick apart a chicken into small pieces. I discard the skin.

In a salad bowl mix lettuce, scallions, and noodle/almond/sesame seed mixture. Add chicken pieces and cut cilantro. Add dressing.

Dressing:

½ C oil

¼ tsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp soy sauce

¼ C rice vinegar

1/3 C sugar Salt & pepper

1 tsp hot Chinese chili oil




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Caesar Salad - The Real Deal

1 can anchovies
4 cloves garlic
1 ½ TBS Fresh Lemon Juice
1 egg white
½ tsp Dijon Mustard
1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
3/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ cup Parmesan or Roman
1 large head Romaine Lettuce

Wash Romaine, break into pieces and spin dry or dry in a towel

In food processor or blender blend the anchovies (including oil in can), garlic, lemon juice, egg white mustard and Worcestershire sauce.  Blend thoroughly.  At this point I like to taste it, none of the flavors should outweigh the other.  You can add more garlic or lemon juice or Worcestershire if you like if it need some balancing.

With the food processor or blender drizzle in the olive oil slowly.  The mixture should emulsify to the approximate consistency of mayonnaise.  Blend in the cheese and mix with the Romaine.

I have found that his recipe does freeze well.  This makes a salad for 4 - 6 people,.  If you are only making a salad for one or two, then by all means freeze the rest.  If you refrigerate it too long the flavor of the anchovies tends to creep in overnight.