Layered Salad

This is one of those quick meal ideas that makes it possible for us to eat at home, even during the busiest of weeks.  I love that I can make this layered salad on Sunday and serve it on Monday or Tuesday and it is still just as fresh as the day I made it.  I just use whatever is in my refrigerator and pantry to pull it together.

Layered Salad

Layer your salad ingredients in the following order in a glass bowl (glass seems to keep the salad fresher than plastic)

Layer one - Salad greens (spinach, iceberg, romaine, mixed greens, field greens, etc)

Layer two - Chopped fresh vegetables (diced cucumbers - seeds removed, thawed frozen peas,  chopped or matchstick carrots, bell peppers) or canned vegetables (banana peppers, black beans, kidney beans, corn)

Layer three - grated or cubed cheese, cooked bacon pieces, raisins, craisins

Cover bowl and store in refrigerator 2 - 3 days.  Top with crunchies - nuts, sunflower seeds, croutons, etc at serving time.

Serve with salad dressing of your choice.  

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Trying to use up some of the odds and ends in my refrigerator and pantry, I came up with this pasta salad.  I just tossed together enough of each item based on how much pasta I had.  It was perfect for lunches during the week and made a great addition to our grilled out burgers for dinner one night.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

corkscrew pasta

roasted red peppers

kalamata olives

pimento stuffed olives

sundried tomatoes in oil

Parmesan cheese

Creamy Italian Dressing

Chop all vegetables and toss with cooked pasta.  Mix in dressing and top with Parmesan cheese.  Chill and serve.

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Spiced Apples

After doing this....

We like to make these...

Spiced Apples
original recipe from Southern Living Annual Recipes 2000

1/4 c butter or margarine
5 large apples (we like Granny Smith or Jonagold the best), peeled, cored and sliced
1 c sugar
1 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground nutmeg

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add apple and remaining ingridients.  Saute 15 -20 minutes or until apple is tender.  Add cornstarch to thicken.  Serve immediately or freeze for later.

To freeze - portion out into small Gladware type containers.
To serve - Heat in microwave about 5 - 6 minutes

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Silky Corn Casserole

When the first Florida corn appears in the grocery store in May I always make this recipe.  The first corn is typically not good on the cob, but is fantastic prepared this way. 

Silky Corn Casserole

originally from Cooking Light 1993

1 T margarine/butter

1/2 c sliced green onions ( I used chives this time)

2 1/4 c 1% milk

1 T plus 1 t sugar

1/2 t salt

1/4 t red pepper

1/3 c plus 1 T all purpose flour

2 eggs plus 3 egg whites, lightly beaten

3 1/2 c cut from the cob corn (about 7 ears) use only fresh, not frozen or canned

Melt margarine in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Add green onions, saute 1 minute.  Add milk and next 3 ingredients; cook 3 minutes or until hot (do not boil).  Remove from heat, and set aside. 

Combine flour and eggs in a bowl;  beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until well blended.  Gradually stir in 1/2 c hot mixture;  gradually stir in remaining hot milk mixture.  Stir in corn; pour into a shallow 2 qt. casserole coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

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Natalie's Texas Beans

Several years ago a friend of my moved to Texas to attend law school. She brought back a law degree and this delicious bean recipe.

Natalie's Texas Beans

2 1/2 lbs dry pinto beans, soak overnight, drain

Cover drained beans with 3 inches of water. Cook for 3 - 4 hours on low with lid.

Add the following ingredients

• 1 sliced onion
• 4 -5 sliced jalapeno peppers
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 4 - 6 sliced of bacon
• season salt

Cook on low until ready to eat.

I experiemented with making these in the crockpot. I did NOT soak the beans, just added everything to the pot, cooked on low for about 8 -9 hours and they were great.

This made enough for dinner and 5 (2 cup) portions to freeze for later.

Linking up to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.
Eat At Home Ingredient Spotlight - Bacon

Holiday Food Fest - Thanksgiving and Fall Recipes

No holiday or special occasion table at our house is complete without broccoli casserole. This is one of the very first recipes I ever made for hy husband when we were dating. A self-professed broccoli hater, this turned him around. This is from an OLD Baptist Church Cookbook. My clarification and changes are in the parentheses.

Broccoli Casserole

Cook 1 cup of rice according to package directions (I have used minute and long grain rice as well as white and brown rice). Add 1/2 stick butter, 8 oz Velveeta cheese (cubed) and one package of chopped broccoli (cooked). Mix one can cream of chicken soup (mushroom and celery are just as good), 1 egg and 1/2 t salt. Add to rice mixture. Put in a 2 qt baking dish and bake at 350* for 40 minutes.

*** original recipe called for 1 c chopped celery and 1 c chopped onions. I have never used celery and only occasionally use a small amount of onion, if I have chopped it for something else.