Spinach Salad with Lemon & Pepper Dressing

It's the time of year when salads just sound good.  Here is another one my family likes.

1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp Lemon Pepper Seasoning
2 packages (6 oz each) baby spinach leaves
1 cup sliced mushrooms
Toppings such as crumbled bacon, chopped hard-cooked eggs, sliced red onions, sliced strawberries, orange segments, sliced avocado, or grilled chicken.  (We like all of them.)

Mix olive oil, vinegar, sugar and seasoning in small bowl with wire whisk until well blended.

Toss spinach and mushrooms in large bowl.  Top with desired toppings.  Serve with dressing.

Tip:  If I top this with grilled chicken, I marinate one chicken breast in 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp  Lemon Pepper Seasoning for 30 minutes before grilling it in the grill pan.

Layered Overnight Salad

This recipe came from the March 2010 edition of Dierbergs Everybody Cooks.


1 bag (6 oz) baby spinach                                    
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese                      
3 cups fresh broccoli florets                                
2 cups shredded carrot                                        
2 cups seedless red grapes (halved)
2 green onions (thinly sliced)
1 cup mayonnaise ( I like Miracle Whip)
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup honey roasted sliced almonds (Almond Accents)

In a trifle bowl, layer spinach, cheese, broccoli, carrot, grapes, and green onions.

In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, sugar, and lemon juice.  Spread over top of salad to completely cover grapes.  Cover and chill overnight.  Just before serving, toss until well mixed; sprinkle almonds over top.

Chicken & Strawberry Salad

Pair this simple, no-cook meal with toasted buttery baguette slices.

Dressing
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp water
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Salad
4 cups torn romaine lettuce
4 cups arugula
2 cups quartered strawberries
1/3 cup vertically sliced red onion
12 oz skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast, sliced
2 Tbsp unsalted cashews, halved
1/2 cup (2 oz) crumbled blue cheese

To prepare dressing, combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl.  Gradually drizzle in oil, stirring constantly with a whisk.

To prepare salad, combine romaine and next 4 ingredients (through chicken) in a bowl; toss gently.  Place about 2 cups chicken mixture on each of 4 plates.  Top each serving with 1 1/2 tsp cashews and 2 Tbsp cheese.  Drizzle about 4 tsp dressing over each serving.

Note:  I don't like blue cheese, so I substitute fresh mozzarella.

Glazed Snow Peas

This is a simple, but very good recipe.  It's great for a quick dinner.

Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 8 oz of snow peas, 1 bunch chopped scallions, a pinch of sugar and 1/4 cup water.  Cover and simmer 2 minutes, then uncover and boil until the water evaporates, 2 more minutes.  Season with salt.  

Black Forest Trifle

Another Trifle Bowl Recipe

1 pkg (18 - 21 oz) brownie mix (plus ingredients to make cake-like brownies)

2 bars (1.55 oz each) milk chocolate candy, divided

3 cups cherry pie filling

1 tsp almond extract

1/2 cup cranberry-cherry juice

2 cups cold 2% milk

2 pkg (3.3 oz each) white chocolate instant pudding and pie filling

1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare brownie mix according to package directions for cake-like brownies; spread batter over bottom of large bar pan.  Bake 18 - 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool completely.

Loosen brownies from sides of bar pan and invert onto flat side of large grooved cutting board.  Cut brownie into 1" cubes; set aside.  Chop 1 1/2 of the chocolate bars using Food Chopper.  Reserve remaining chocolate for garnish.

Combine pie filling and almond extract in small batter bowl; set aside 1/2 cup for garnish.  Stir jujice into batter bowl.

Pour milk into classic batter bowl;  add pudding mix and whisk until mixture begins to thicken.  Fold in whipped topping.  

To assemble trifle, place half of the brownie cubes into bottom of Trifle Bowl.  Layer with half of the pie filling mixture.  Sprinkle with half of the chopped chocolate; top with half of the pudding mixture.  Repeat layer one time.

Make chocolate curls with reserved chocolate using vegetable peeler (see Cook's Tips).  Garnish top of the trifle with reserved pie filling mixture and chocolate curls.  

Yield:  16 servings.

Perfectly Creamy Cheesecake

I just bought a  Springform Cake Pan.  Now, I think I'm really ready to try my first true cheesecake.  This is the recipe that came with the pan . . . I plan to try it this week.

Crust:
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter or margarine (melted)
1 Tbsp sugar

Filling:
3 pkgs cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 can cherry or blueberry pie filling (optional)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  For crust, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar until well blended.  Press crumb mixture into bottom or Springform Pan.  Bake 10 minutes.  Remove from oven to cooling rack.

For filling, beat cream cheese, sugar and flour at medium speed at electric mixer until smooth.  Add eggs, one at a time; mix at low speed just until blended.  Stir in sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla.  Pour filling into crust.

Bake 55 - 60 minutes or until center appears nearly set when gently shaken (the center will firm as it cools).  Remove from oven to cooling rack.  Immediately run releasing tool around sides of cake to loosen from pan; cool completely.  Cover, refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.  Release collar from pan.  To serve, top with pie filling, if desired.  Cut into wedges.

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

Years ago, my dad sent me home with several everbearing strawberry plants.  We planted them in the garden and they have grown into quite the strawberry patch.  Right now, it's a sea of green with pretty white flowers with yellow centers.  We'll have strawberries before you know it.

This recipe is a great way to use the strawberries as part of a healthy dinner.

4 cups washed spinach (torn into bite size pieces)
1 cup arugula
1 cup toasted pecans
1 cup hulled, sliced strawberries
Salt and pepper to taste


Vinaigrette
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup olive oil
3 - 4 hulled strawberries

Toss all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl.

Place the vinegar, honey and strawberries in a blender or food processor.  Pulse until smooth.  Transfer to a mixing bowl.  Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking as you go.

Pour the vinaigrette over  the salad and toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

You can make a meal out of this by adding roasted chicken.

Strawberries & Cream Cheesecake

I just recently bought a Springform Pan and am looking forward to my first attempt at a cheesecake.  My son, Paul loves cheesecake, so I'll let him be the judge of my effort.  If all goes well, I'll have a chance to try this out on Sunday.  Here's the recipe.

1 lb Strawberries (hulled)
3 Tbsp Light corn syrup
1 cup finely ground graham crackers (about 4 sheets)
1 cup plus 3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
1 lb plus 13 oz cream cheese (room temp)
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs (room temp)
1 vanilla bean (seeds scraped and reserved)
8 1/4 oz mascarpone cheese (room temp)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Place strawberries in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with corn syrup, and toss gently to coat.  Bake until syrup thickens and strawberries turn deep red and shrink slightly about 1 hour 30 minutes.  Transfer strawberries and syrup to a medium bowl;, and mash with a potato masher.  Let cool completely.

Raise oven temp to 350 degrees.  Stir together graham cracker crumbs, 3 Tbsp sugar, and the melted butter into a small bowl.  Press mixture into the bottom of a 9" springform pan to make an even layer.  Bake until crust is firm to the tough and has just darkened about 10 mins.  Transfer pan to a wire rack and let crust cool completely.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.  Put cream cheese into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium-low speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.  Scrape down sides of bowl, then gradually add remaining cup of sugar and the salt.  Scrape down sides of bowl; add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Scrape down sides of bowl, and mix in vanilla bean seeds and mascarpone until very creamy and no lumps remain, about 3 minutes.  (Reserve vanilla bean for another use.)

Transfer 5 cups cream cheese mixture to bowl with mashed strawberries; stir to combine.  Pour strawberry-cream cheese mixture on top of crust; smooth with an offset spatula.  Carefully spoon dollops of plain crem cheese mixture on top, smoothing with an offset spatula.

Wrap the exterior of the springform pan in 2 layers of foil; set in a large roasting pan.  Fill roasting pan with boiling water until water reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan.  Bake cheesecake until set, about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes.  Remove springform pan from water bath, and transfer to a wire rack to cool.  Refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours (up to overnight).

Sounds just yummy!.

Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

This is a recipe that makes use of two of my favorite fall ingredients.  But . . . now that our favorite fresh ingredients are available year round, this is a good complement to dinner any time of year.

1 cup peeled and chopped apples
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp salt

Start by splitting two acorn squash in half, lengthwise, and remove the seeds and stringy filaments with a spoon.  Place the squash in a baking dish and set aside.

To make the apple filling, peel and chop the apple.  Then melt the butter in a skillet and saute the onions for about 3 - 4 minutes over a medium heat.  Add the apples, brown sugar, Balsamic vinegar, dried thyme leaves and salt and continue to saute for a couple of minutes.  Remove mixture from heat.

Score the squash before filling so they absorb more of the flavor of the stuffing.  Spoon the filling into the squash.

To help keep the squash moist while it bakes add about 1/2 inch of water to the botom of the pan.  Place the filled squash in the pan and cover it with foil.

'Bake at 375 for about one our, until the squash is tender.

This squash recipe is delicious served warm, right out of the oven.

Seared Scallops with Lemon Orzo

I found this recipe on MyRecipes.com. I was looking for something different from the normal everyday recipes I'd been making for dinner and this really came through.  Give this one a try!

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine (water may be substituted)
1/4 tsp dried thyme
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 lbs sea scallops
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add onion to pan; saute 3 minutes.  Stir in pasta, broth, wine, and thyme; bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and pasta is al dente.  Stir in chopped chives and lemon juice.  Keep warm.

Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle scallions evenly with salt and pepper.  Add scallops to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.   Serve with pasta mixture.