Tuna Fish Salad

This spring I was reminded of a funny fact about Michael that I had forgotten:  that although he dislikes most all seafood, he likes tuna fish salad sandwiches.  So I thought it was worth a try to figure out how to make them.  Personally, I've never preferred tuna fish salad, but I thought that if I could doctor it up with enough other flavors and textures, then maybe I would like it, too.  After some experimenting, I've come up with a recipe that not only Michael and I enjoy, but Sabrina as well.  Besides the flavor, another thing that I've come to appreciate about tuna fish salad sandwiches is how easy they are to make.  Especially on these 90-degree days, it's so nice to have something to make for dinner that doesn't require turning on the oven, stove, or anything else that might make the house even hotter than it already is.  Just mix, chill, and serve.

Tuna Fish Salad
makes enough for several sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp. Hellmann's Real mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. onion powder
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 5-oz. can of tuna in olive oil.  (The ingredients should include just tuna, olive oil, and salt.)  Avoid the tuna in water or vegetable oil because they almost always contain corn products. 
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion (1 small onion)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery (about 2 medium stalks)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickle
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions:

In a medium bowl stir together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.  Over the sink, squeeze the tuna in the can to drain most of the olive oil.  Then transfer the tuna to the bowl. Finely chop the onion, celery, pickle, and parsley, and add to the bowl.  Stir well to combine.  For best taste, chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.  Or if you're running late making dinner like I am sometimes, serve immediately.

Cucumber Salad

This spring I discovered that Naomi loves cucumbers, particularly if I toss them in a little vinegar.  I probably should have guessed sooner, given that she would eat pickles with every meal if I let her.  In any case, this spring we've been making up for lost time and eating lots of cucumber salad.  Now if only our cucumber plant would start growing some cucumbers, and Naomi could eat the ones she's picked with her very own hands, then she would be completely happy. 

Cucumber Salad
serves 2 adults or 1 adult and 2 small children

Ingredients:

• 1 medium cucumber (about 8 to 10 oz.)
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. white sugar
• 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar OR rice vinegar

Instructions:

Peel the cucumber.  Cut it in half length-wise; then cut each half into thin slices.  Place the cucumber slices in a small bowl.  Sprinkle salt, pepper, sugar, and vinegar over the slices.  Toss to combine.  Serve immediately. 

Spinach and Orange Salad

Isn't it great that oranges are ripe and available at grocery stores in the winter? Wanting to make use of this fruit, I decided to add it to spinach salad. Then I thought that maybe I could come up with a vinaigrette that would have some orange flavor in it, too. Voila--a new salad is born! If you want a bit more color in your salad, you could also add some raisins or craisins.

Spinach and Orange Salad
serves 2 to 4 adults, depending on portion sizes

Ingredients:

• 1 6-ounce bag of baby spinach
• 1 naval orange
• 1 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp. honey
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt
• dash of ground black pepper
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil

Instructions:

Cut the orange into slices and then into bite-size pieces, but reserve part of the orange for the vinaigrette. Squeeze that part of the orange so that you have 1 tablespoon of juice. To make the vinaigrette, add the orange juice, balsamic vinegar, honey, sea salt, and pepper to a small bowl. Then whisk in the olive oil.

Place the baby spinach in a salad bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the spinach and toss to coat. Transfer the spinach to salad plates and place the orange pieces on top of the spinach.

White Wine and Paprika Vinaigrette (or Taco Salad Vinaigrette)

I wish I had a picture of this vinaigrette to post on the blog because it has a great orangey color. We like to eat this salad with Mexican food, but it would also go nicely with Hungarian or German foods that use paprika. The vinaigrette also works as a dressing for taco salad. Just top the salad with some ground beef cooked with taco seasoning. You could add cubed avocado, shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, and salsa. Since regular tortilla chips are made from corn, we eat our taco salad with potato chips instead.

White Wine and Paprika Vinaigrette
serves 2 adults and 2 small children

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar. I use Acetaia Bellei brand since Cook's Illustrated recommended it.
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 large Romaine heart
• 1 can of sliced olives. Use Lindsays Naturals or another brand that does not contain ferrous gluconate.
• cherry or grape tomatoes

Instructions:

Whisk together the white wine vinegar, honey, paprika, mustard, black pepper, and sea salt. Then whisk in the canola oil.

Rinse the Romaine lettuce leaves and rip them into bite-size pieces. Dry them in a salad spinner or with a towel. Transfer the lettuce to a serving bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the lettuce and toss so that the dressing coats all of the leaves. Serve immediately.

Red Cabbage and Carrot Salad

For a while I've been playing around with a cold red cabbage salad. The problem at first was that when I just marinated the red cabbage in the vinaigrette, the cabbage stayed quite tough and hard to chew, even when shredded thinly. Then I found out about the technique of soaking shredded cabbage in salt water before marinating it. The difference was amazing. After soaking and then marinating, the cabbage had just the right amount of firmness and chew. (The salt water also works to kill any small bugs or other living organisms hiding out in the cabbage, but I don't like to think about that aspect too much.)

Regarding the marinade, I discovered over time that a combination of red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar worked best with the flavor of the red cabbage. I use 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon of balsamic, but if you prefer your vinaigrette a little sweeter, you could try reversing the amounts. I don't add any sugar and instead use grated carrot and raisins or craisins to provide a bit of sweetness to the salad.

Red Cabbage and Carrot Salad
serves 4 adults

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. (1/2 lb.) red cabbage
• 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
• 1 medium or 2 small carrots
  
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
  
• 1/4 cup raisins or craisins

Instructions:

Cut the red cabbage into thin shreds. Place the shredded cabbage in a medium bowl and add enough cold water to cover the cabbage. Stir in the kosher salt and let sit on the counter for 15 minutes. While the cabbage is soaking, peel the carrots and grate them using the large holes on a grater. Set the carrot aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, and canola oil.

After the cabbage has soaked for 15 minutes, drain it in a colander and rinse it thoroughly with cold water. Transfer the cabbage back to the medium bowl. Stir in the grated carrot and toss with the vinaigrette. Cover with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes, but preferably 1 hour. Right before serving stir in the raisins or craisins.

Mexican Ranch Dressing

What kind of salad goes well with Mexican food? In need of something to go with a Mexican-themed main dish, I came up with this modification of my regular ranch dressing. It's similar to ranch dressing but has a bit more of a kick to it, due to the chili powder. I also like the addition of some lime juice and chopped cilantro. I didn't have any tomatoes when I took the picture of the salad above, but tomatoes or other vegetables would be great as well.

Mexican Ranch Dressing
serves 2 to 3 adults

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Hellmann's Real mayonnaise (not the light version). I recommend Hellmann's because it's labeled gluten-free.
  
• 2 Tbsp. Lactaid milk
• 1 Tbsp. sour cream (not low-fat). I recommend Daisy brand, which contains just cultured cream.
• 1 tsp. lime juice (or 2 tsp. if you want a bit more of a lime flavor)
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp. chili powder
  
• 1/8 tsp. onion powder
• dash of cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro (optional)
  

Instructions:

Whisk together all of the ingredients in a small bowl and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld. Serve over Romaine lettuce and other salad toppings.

Spinach or Broccoli with Bacon and Honey-Lime Vinaigrette

I don't know if I've mentioned Southern Living magazine before, but it consistently has some great recipes. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for the subscription! As a case in point, the current issue of Southern Living has an entire article on bacon. I was so excited that I had to try one of the recipes immediately, even though I didn't have all of the ingredients.

The recipe was originally for mango-spinach salad with warm bacon vinaigrette. However, as you may imagine, good-tasting ripe mangos aren't all that easy to come by in New Hampshire. So instead of mango, I added raisins for the fruity element to the salad. In addition, the first time I made the salad, I didn't have any spinach, so I used broccoli instead. I think it tasted just as good with the broccoli, and Michael and the girls may have liked the broccoli version even better than the spinach one.

Spinach or Broccoli with Bacon and Honey-Lime Vinaigrette
serves 2 adults and 2 small children

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of bacon, cut into 1/4-inch wide strips
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp. (which equals 1 1/2 tsp.) lime juice
• 1/2 Tbsp. honey
• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  
• about 4 to 5 ounces of baby spinach OR 2 broccoli crowns to make about 4 cups of broccoli florets
• 1/4 cup raisins

Instructions:

If using broccoli, set a pot over high heat with some water in the bottom and a steamer basket inserted into it.

Place a pan over medium heat. Cut the bacon into 1/4-inch wide strips and place the bacon in the pan. While the bacon is cooking, chop the onion and cut the broccoli crowns into bite-size florets. When the bacon is browned and crisp, remove the bacon from the pan and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Add the chopped onion to the pan with the bacon drippings and saute until the onion has softened.

When the water in the pot for the broccoli has come to a boil, add the broccoli to the pot, cover the pot with a lid, turn the heat down to medium, and let the broccoli steam until it is tender-crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes.

When the onion is soft, add the red wine vinegar, lime juice, and honey to the pan and stir. Then add the raisins, stir briefly, and remove the pan from the heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

If cooking broccoli, when the broccoli is done, transfer the broccoli from the steamer basket to a bowl. If using baby spinach, place the spinach in a large bowl. Pour the warm dressing over the broccoli or spinach and toss to coat. Place the broccoli or spinach on individual plates and sprinkle the bacon over the top of each serving.

Caesar Salad

Whenever we go out to eat at a fancy restaurant, Michael orders the Caesar salad. His absolute favorite was one that he ate at a restaurant in Vancouver, Canada called Seasons in the Park. Ahh, the memories of delicious meals eaten while we lived in Vancouver. However, we no longer live in Vancouver, and even when we did live there, we couldn't eat out at an upscale restaurant every night. So back in our Vancouver pre-children days, I got on a salad dressing kick and experimented with home-made Caesar salad dressing. I came up with a pretty good dressing that Michael and I both liked. Then we moved back to the US and had kids. For a couple of years I didn't have time to make salad dressings, and I completely forgot about the homemade Caesar dressing that we had liked.

This summer I had a craving for Caesar salad, so I went to our local supermarkets to try to find a bottle of dressing that did not have any corn syrup or soybean oil, and ideally not much distilled vinegar either, since that comes from corn. I was so excited when I found one brand that fit those criteria. Unfortunately, when we tried it out on our Romaine lettuce, it tasted terrible. Fortunately, I remembered where I had put my recipe for homemade Caesar salad dressing. The recipe needed some tweaking to make it egg-free, but after several tries I have come up with the following recipe, which gets Michael's stamp of approval.

The picture above shows Caesar salad with capers. Unfortunately, all store-bought jars of capers that I have come across so far seem to contain either vinegar, citric acid, or acetic acid, all of which come from corn. So although the capers are very tasty on Caesar salad, we don't add them too often. I used the capers to replace the anchovies that are traditionally in Caesar salad. We like the hint of anchovy flavor in our Caesar salad, but I don't usually use it for logistical reasons. The only brand of anchovy paste that I've found in stores near me contains corn oil, and buying a whole tin of anchovies to use 1/2 teaspoon seems like a waste. (We're not anchovy lovers, so you won't ever hear of us consuming the rest of the tin of anchovies for lunch. And we really don't want to attract all of the cats in the neighborhood by offering them the rest.)

Caesar Salad
serves 2 to 3 adults, or 2 adults and 2 small children as a side salad

Ingredients:

• 1 Romaine heart, rinsed and broken into bite-size pieces
• 1 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese. Use either 4C Grated Imported Parmesan cheese, or a block of Parmesan that you grate using the smallest holes on a grater or zester. 4C brand is the only pre-grated Parmesan I've found that does not contain an anti-caking agent, which comes from corn.
  
• 1 Tbsp. sour cream. Do not use low-fat. Use Daisy brand sour cream, or another brand that contains just cultured cream and nothing else.
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice. Use fresh lemon juice if possible, but bottled is okay.
  
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. granulated white sugar
• 1/4 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• optional: 1/2 tsp. minced anchovies or 1 Tbsp. capers
  

Instructions:

Wash the Romaine lettuce and rip with your hands into bite-size pieces. Dry the lettuce in a salad spinner or with a couple of towels, and place in a large salad bowl.

In a small bowl grate the Parmesan, or sift the 4C grated Parmesan through a sieve to break it up into very small pieces. Stir together the cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, black pepper, salt, sugar, garlic, and Dijon mustard. Then slowly whisk in the canola oil. If using anchovies or capers, stir them into the dressing.

Right before serving the salad, toss the Romaine lettuce with the dressing.

Chopped Iceberg Lettuce Salad

Michael really likes iceberg lettuce. If it were up to him, whenever we eat a lettuce-based salad, it would consist of iceberg lettuce. I, on the other hand, like lots of dark green lettuce and other greens that Michael refers to as "weeds." Since I make Michael eat dark leafy salads most of the time, I thought I should try to find an iceberg lettuce salad that I would be willing to eat (i.e. that wouldn't taste like crunchy water). This recipe for chopped salad showed me how. Think of it as being like an antipasto salad but without the salami. The dressing and toppings give the salad a lot of flavor, and the chopped iceberg lettuce gives it a nice crunch. I also like the fact that you can be creative with the toppings. Instead of roasted marinated peppers, you could use marinated sun-dried tomatoes or fresh cherry tomatoes. You could use chopped green olives or pickles. Another similar recipe calls for using marinated artichoke hearts, which sounds great, too. You could even add chickpeas, as another recipe suggests. Be creative and enjoy!

Chopped Iceberg Lettuce Salad
serves 3 to 4 adults

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram leaves (or dried rosemary, if you prefer)
  
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 large head of iceberg lettuce
• 1/2 cup of roasted marinated peppers OR 1/2 cup marinated sun-dried tomatoes
  
• 1 small can of Lindsay's Naturals sliced black olives
• 1/4 cup sliced green olives or sliced sour pickles
• 1/2 cup haricots verts (if you can find them, but these are not essential to the salad)

Instructions:

Finely chop the onion. In a small bowl combine the chopped onion, water, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and marjoram leaves. Whisk in the olive oil. Let the dressing sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes.

Cut the half a head of iceberg lettuce into 1/2-inch to 1-inch pieces, so that you end up with 3 to 4 cups of lettuce. Cut the roasted marinated peppers or sun-dried tomatoes and the pickles into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch pieces. If using, cut the haricots verts into 1-inch pieces.

In a large bowl combine the lettuce with the cut-up toppings and toss with some of the dressing. Serve the rest of the dressing on the side to let people add to their preference.

Broccoli (or Leafy Salad) with Basil Vinaigrette

Our basil plant has been getting quite large, so I've been looking for more ways to use basil. I stumbled upon the following recipe for basil vinaigrette, and it was so good that I want to remember it next year when we buy another basil plant. I've used the dressing on broccoli and on a leafy salad, and the flavors of the dressing have gone well with both. I bet the dressing would taste great on asparagus, too. When I'm cooking for just the four of us, I usually cut the recipe in half.

Basil Vinaigrette
serves 4 adults

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 shallot, chopped, or 2 Tbsp. finely chopped yellow onion
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. granulated white sugar
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped basil leaves
• 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp. olive oil

Instructions:

See the recipe link for the instructions.

Asian-style Coleslaw

I have been on another cabbage kick recently. This recipe for Asian-style coleslaw came about as I was searching for new ways to make coleslaw without using mayonnaise. Sigh. I know some people don't like mayonnaise, but I really do. I know it sounds gross, but I could eat mayonnaise straight from the jar. However, mayonnaise is made from eggs, and since Sabrina was diagnosed with an egg allergy, I'm trying to limit our family's intake of egg products at dinner, when we all eat together.

Fortunately, a small amount of store-bought mayonnaise doesn't seem to bother Sabrina, so I am not banning mayonnaise completely from our meals. Oddly enough, store-bought mayonnaise is better for Sabrina than homemade, probably because of whatever has been done to the mayonnaise to make it shelf-stable for months on end. So mayonnaise is one of the few things that it's better if I don't make from scratch, since homemade mayonnaise contains lots of raw egg. In any case, occasionally I will use mayonnaise in dressings, but I'm trying to increase the number of salads and dressings I make that are mayonnaise-free.

This particular coleslaw is great with stir fries or other Asian dishes. The mild flavors of the rice vinegar and green onions contrast especially nicely with the spiciness of Thai food. I have to mention, based on personal experience, that the green onions are essential to this dish. If you don't have them, wait until you do before making the coleslaw. If you are really Asian, like my brother-in-law, you may enjoy sprinkling red pepper flakes on your portion.

Asian-style Coleslaw
serves 2 adults

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of shredded green cabbage (about 1/3 of a small 2-pound cabbage)
  
• 1/2 carrot
• 6 to 8 green onions
• 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 Tbsp. granulated white sugar
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Instructions:

Finely cut the cabbage into thin strips and place in a medium bowl. Peel the carrot and grate it into the bowl using the large holes on a grater. Cut the root ends off of the green onions, finely chop the white parts of the onions, and transfer them to the bowl with the cabbage and carrot.

In a small bowl whisk together the rice vinegar, canola oil, sugar, and salt. Then pour the dressing over the vegetables, toss to coat, and let sit in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.

Ranch Dressing and Dip

If you couldn't tell, during the month of July I have fallen behind on posting recipes. The reason for this is that we have been shopping for a new car, so most of my mental energy, not already expended upon taking care of the girls and the house, was used up researching cars and how to buy a car. Fortunately, we have now purchased a car and Michael brought it home on Friday, so now my brain can relax and go back to posting some of the recipes that I have come up with recently.

One of these recipes is for ranch dressing and dip. Ranch is Michael's favorite salad dressing. He is also quite particular about how his ranch dressing tastes. For a while Trader Joe's carried one that Michael really liked, but then a few months ago they stopped carrying it. We tried out several other bottled ranch dressings, but none of them lived up to Michael's expectations. So I decided to go back to the recipe I had for homemade ranch dressing, which I used to make in BC (as in both British Columbia and "before children"). I tweaked the recipe a bit, and now we have a ranch dressing that we can enjoy any time we want. In addition, the recipe can be used to make ranch dip if you substitute sour cream or Greek yogurt for the milk.

You'll notice that our mayonnaise requirements have changed. Back in the spring Sabrina and Naomi both tested positive for a soy allergy, and when Michael went through food allergy testing last week, he tested positive as well. Therefore, our favorite standby of Hellman's Real Mayonnaise is no longer a good option since its first ingredient is soybean oil. Although several websites say that people with a soy allergy can still eat soybean oil, we think that Naomi reacts to it. Therefore, this past week we purchased several brands of soy-free and corn-free mayonnaise in search of an acceptable alternative to our beloved Hellman's. The only one we like so far is Naturally Delicious All Natural Real Mayonnaise. If you cannot find that one, then just stick with Hellman's, which should be okay for Michael and Sabrina in small quantities. Both of the two other brands that we tried -- Cains All Natural Mayonnaise made with canola oil and Spectrum Canola Mayonnaise -- taste more like Miracle Whip and just don't taste right to us.

Ranch Dressing and Dip
serves 2 adults

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Hellmann's Real mayonnaise (unless making it for Naomi)
  
• 2 Tbsp. Lactaid milk (Or if you would like to make a dip, use 3 Tbsp. sour cream in total and no milk.)
  
• 1 Tbsp. sour cream (not low-fat). I recommend Daisy brand, or another brand that contains just cultured cream.
  
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dried chives
  
• 1/4 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/8 tsp. onion powder
• dash of cayenne pepper

Instructions:

Whisk together all of the ingredients. The dressing can be served right away, but it tastes best after it has sat in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and preferably about 2 hours.

Spinach Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

I don't know if I ever could get tired of spinach salad with honey balsamic vinaigrette. The vinaigrette tastes so good and allows for so many variations of salad greens and toppings. You can use baby spinach or a mix of baby spinach and other salad greens. Top the greens with the fruit of your choosing or whatever is in season. Add some toasted nuts, or some sunflower seeds or toasted pumpkin seeds if you can't have nuts. And if you are feeling decadent, add some crumbled goat cheese or blue cheese as well.

If you would like to make the salad for a large group of people, you can go to the following link for mixed green salad with pecans, goat cheese, and honey mustard vinaigrette. The vinaigrette is similar to the one I make, except that it doesn't include any honey. The measurements in that recipe make enough for at least 10 people, and if you want to include honey, use 2 tablespoons.

Spinach Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
serves 2 adults

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1 tsp. honey mustard. I use Annie's Naturals Organic honey mustard, which is gluten-free and contains no corn, since it uses cider vinegar instead of distilled vinegar. However, most brands of honey mustard are probably okay. If you don't have honey mustard, just add an additional 1/2 tsp. honey.
  
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/8 tsp. minced garlic
  
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• baby spinach or mixed salad greens. We really like Trader Joe's "Sorrento" mix of baby arugula, baby spinach, and baby lettuces.
• goat cheese or blue cheese. If cooking for us, leave these on the side because Michael doesn't prefer goat cheese and he sometimes reacts to blue cheese.
  
• sunflower seeds, toasted pecans, toasted almond slivers, or toasted pumpkin seeds
  
• dried cranberries, fresh blueberries, fresh strawberries, fresh pear slices, or dried apple slices

Instructions:

Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, honey, and honey mustard. Slowly pour in the olive oil while continually whisking very quickly so that the liquid emulsifies. Then add the minced garlic and the salt and pepper to taste. I usually leave the vinaigrette in a bowl to the side of the spinach and greens so that people can drizzle on as much as they would like.

If serving with fresh strawberries or pears, wash and slice the fruit. You can add the fruit to the greens or place on top of each person's individual plate of greens. I like to arrange each plate with greens and then the toppings because otherwise all of the good stuff tends to get lost at the bottom of the large serving bowl of greens.

Broccoli Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette

This is my favorite mayonnaise-free broccoli salad. I made it for our church small group this week, and this time I finally made enough so that there was a little bit left in the bowl for Michael to eat the next day as leftovers. I started with the following broccoli salad recipe; however, I have modified it because our friends and family like to eat a lot of broccoli, and because the vinaigrette in the original recipe was too sweet for my taste.

Broccoli Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette
serves 2 adults

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of raw broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces (about 2 broccoli crowns).
  
• 1 or 2 slices of bacon. To find a corn-free bacon, look for one that has just these ingredients: pork, salt, sugar, celery powder, and spices. I recommend a bacon I find at Trader Joe's called Classic Sliced Dry Rubbed All Natural Uncured Bacon. Another corn-free bacon is Hormel Natural Choice 100% Natural Original Uncured Bacon. Be sure that the bacon you use does not have any dextrose, sodium erythorbate, sodium lactate, or lactic acid starter culture.
• 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 1/2 to 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar, depending on how sweet you prefer it
  
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
  
• 2 tsp. olive oil
  
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped onion or shallot
• 1 or 2 Tbsp. of raisins
• 1 or 2 Tbsp. of sunflower seeds or toasted almond slivers

Instructions:

Put a large pot of water over high heat to bring to a boil. Wash the broccoli crowns and cut off the florets into bite-size pieces. While the water is coming to a boil, cut the raw bacon into 1/4 inch wide pieces and cook in a pan over medium heat until the bacon is browned and crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on a plate covered with a paper towel. To make the vinaigrette, mix together in a small bowl the white wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Then slowly pour in the olive oil while constantly whisking the vinaigrette, so that the liquid emulsifies. Finely chop the onion or shallot and then add it to the vinaigrette.

When the water in the pot has come to a boil, place the broccoli florets in the boiling water and set the timer for 1 minute. After exactly 1 minute, remove the broccoli from the water using a slotted spoon and place in a colander to drain all of the water from the broccoli. Then transfer the broccoli into a bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Leave the vinaigrette-coated broccoli in a bowl at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving. Immediately before serving add the raisins, sunflower seeds, and bacon to the broccoli and toss again to combine.

Coleslaw

A few years ago our friend April made coleslaw when she and her husband invited us over for dinner. I don't think I had had coleslaw since living in Germany for a year in high school, and I had forgotten how much I liked it. Michael also liked April's coleslaw, which is saying a lot because he only likes coleslaw that lives up to his memory of what A&W coleslaw tastes like. Consequently, I knew that I had to ask April for her recipe. Since then coleslaw has become a staple at our house, especially with Indian food. Something about the lemon and mayonnaise contrasts nicely with Indian spices. We also like to eat it in the summer with hamburgers and a pickle, or two, on the side.

Coleslaw
serves 2 adults

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Hellmann's Real mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 3 1/2 cups (8 ounces) shredded green cabbage
• raisins and sunflower seeds to taste

Instructions:

At least 30 minutes before serving, mix together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, sugar, and sea salt in a medium-size bowl. Add in the shredded cabbage and stir thoroughly. Put the bowl in the refrigerator for at least half an hour. Before serving, add the raisins and sunflower seeds to the coleslaw, or let people sprinkle them onto their individual servings.

Broccoli Salad

I don't have a picture because we ate it all. Yesterday I made broccoli salad for our church small group, and I forgot how much people like it. Michael was hoping for leftovers, but we didn't have any remaining salad to eat the next day, let alone take a picture of. Now I am going to write down my modifications to the recipe so that next time maybe I'll get a picture and Michael will get his leftovers.

I've based my recipe on the following broccoli salad recipe, in case you're interested in the source. This is a great salad for a summer picnic, but it turns out well any time of year because, even in the dead of winter, the broccoli in our New Hampshire grocery stores still looks surprisingly good. I'm sure it's shipped from somewhere far far away, and I feel a little twinge of regret because I prefer to buy food grown in the USA, but I'm doubtful that anything green grows anywhere near New Hampshire this time of year.

Broccoli Salad
serves 4 people

Ingredients:

• 6 cups of raw broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces (about 4 small heads of broccoli florets). This is about 1 1/2 cups of raw florets per person.
• 1/2 cup Hellmann's Real mayonnaise. This mayonnaise is labeled gluten-free and has minimal, if any, corn. It contains soybean oil, but the soy doesn't seem to bother Sabrina since the amount of dressing she eats is usually pretty small.
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped red onion or shallot
  
• 1/3 cup of raisins
• 4 slices of bacon, cut into 1/4 inch wide pieces. To find a corn-free bacon, look for one that has just these ingredients: pork, salt, sugar, celery powder, and spices. I usually use a bacon I find at Trader Joe's called Classic Sliced Dry Rubbed All Natural Uncured Bacon. Another corn-free bacon is Hormel Natural Choice 100% Natural Original Uncured Bacon. Be sure that the bacon you use does not have any dextrose, sodium erythorbate, sodium lactate, or lactic acid starter culture, all of which can come from corn.
• 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds

Instructions:

At least one hour before you would like to serve the broccoli salad, fill a large pot with water and bring the water to a boil over high heat. While the water is heating, rinse the broccoli florets and cut them into bite-size pieces. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, and honey. Finely chop the red onion or shallot and put 1/4 cup of onion into the dressing. Then add the raisins to the dressing as well.

When the water on the stove has come to a boil, add the broccoli florets to the pot and set the timer for one minute. Place a large bowl in the sink and fill it with cold water. When the timer beeps, remove the broccoli from the pot using a slotted spoon and place the broccoli into a colander. Then place the colander in the bowl of cold water so that the broccoli cools off and stops cooking. Gently rinse the broccoli until it is room-temperature. Take the colander containing the broccoli out of the bowl and shake gently to remove excess water from the broccoli. Pour the water out of the large bowl. Then transfer the broccoli from the colander to the bowl. Pour the dressing onto the broccoli and toss so that the dressing coats all of the broccoli. Put the broccoli salad in the refrigerator. Take the salad out every 15 minutes or so to toss again so that all of the broccoli continues to marinate in the dressing.

While the salad is chilling, cut the bacon into 1/4 inch pieces. Place a pan over medium heat and fry the bacon, stirring frequently, until it is browned and crispy. Put a paper towel on a plate. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon bits from the pan and transfer them to the plate.

When you are ready to serve the salad, add the bacon bits and the 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds and toss again to mix them with the rest of the salad.

Spinach Salad with Bacon Dressing

I revised the recipe to make the dressing a little less potent.  The girls, Michael, and I all enjoy it now.

I really like to make spinach salad, and I have a great recipe from my mom that uses fresh fruit and honey balsamic vinaigrette. However, winter is not the best season for much fresh fruit. And besides, sometimes I'm in the mood for something a little different. That is when I remember a great recipe from Cook's Illustrated for spinach salad with bacon dressing. The problem is then that I can't remember in which Cook's Illustrated magazine the recipe is located. And after looking through my stack of magazines until I find the right one, I realize that I also have forgotten (and forgotten to write down previously) the modifications that I make to the recipe so that it tastes even better. All of this reminds me of why I am keeping a food blog, so that the next time I want to make spinach salad with bacon dressing, I can just turn here. Tonight, as I was eating my spinach salad, I remembered again that I like the dressing so much that I always wish I had doubled it.

Spinach Salad with Bacon Dressing
Cook's Illustrated, March & April 2003, p. 8

For 4 people as a side dish, use the following ingredients:

• 1 or 2 large eggs, hard boiled and then cut to the size you prefer
• 4 slices of bacon, cut into 1/4 inch wide pieces. To find a corn-free bacon, look for one that has just these ingredients: pork, salt, sugar, celery powder, and spices. I usually use a bacon I find at Trader Joe's called Classic Sliced Dry Rubbed All Natural Uncured Bacon. Another corn-free bacon is Hormel Natural Choice 100% Natural Original Uncured Bacon. Be sure that the bacon you use does not have any dextrose, sodium erythorbate, sodium lactate, or lactic acid starter culture, all of which can come from corn.
• 1 small yellow onion
• 1 small garlic clove, minced (about 1/2 tsp.)
• 3 1/2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• a 6-ounce bag of baby spinach

Instructions:

Cook the eggs so that they are hard-boiled.  Then cut them to the size you prefer.  Cut the bacon into small pieces.  Place a medium frying pan over medium heat and add the bacon.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has been rendered and the bacon is browned.  Remove the bacon from the pan and let drain on a paper-towel lined plate, leaving the drippings in the pan.  Chop the onion and add to the pan.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened.  Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.  Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the cider vinegar, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan.  Then stir in the sugar, pepper, and salt.  Transfer the bag of baby spinach into a serving bowl.  Pour the hot dressing over the spinach and toss to coat.  Serve immediately.  Sprinkle the bacon pieces and egg pieces over each plate of salad.