Barcelona Salad

While on my my last trip to Europe in Spring, we enjoyed trying Mediterranean dishes.
We went to this one little quaint restaurant and ordered this avocado/tomato salad. Hm.....
This was delicious. But it was too easy...lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, and fresh basil. I know that I always have those ingredients in my home. But what was in that dressing? That became the discussion of our entire meal....
The next night we went back to that same little restaurant and ordered exactly the same salad.
So I think I have experimented enough with dressings over the past months that I will post this recipe. I know my family has enjoyed this salad with a Mediterranean flare.

Salad Ingredients

• Your favorite lettuce greens
• Avocados
• Tomatoes
• Red Onions
• Fresh Basil
  

Mediterranean Salad Dressing ~ Chef Dez Cooking

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup oil packed sundried tomatoes, drained & finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed
• 2 Tbsp. liquid honey (I used 4 Tbsp demerara sugar instead)
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl, and whisk thoroughly to combine.
   
2. I often use my small Braun multi-quick hand blender
   
3. Arrange your salad bowls with lettuce greens adding tomatoes, avocados, onions
4. Pour immediately over your ingredients in salad bowls.
5. Sprinkle with fresh basil.

Hope you can add this to your favorites.

Vinaigrette Blueberry

Salads is one of our family's favorites. It's always fun to see what someone else can create.
On Thanksgiving weekend, we sampled another delicious salad, meaning this dressing will really catch your eye. Blueberries? As we all know they are high in antioxidants and good for our health. I'm sure we have all enjoyed fresh blueberries in our salads, but what about the dressing?
When our family joined Chef Dez cooking class, we were all inspired once again to try something new.

Once again, take a salad bowl, and prepare your favorite greens, add a few tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and this wonderful dressing, topped with slices of fresh Parmesan cheese.

The artists are hard at work...as they love to create flavors.

Blueberry Vinaigrette

• 11/2 cups blueberries ( frozen or fresh)
  
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Place all the ingredients, except for the olive oil, in a food processor. Puree on high speed until thoroughly combined.
2. Add the olive oil slowly while the process is still running. Makes approximately 1.5 cups of dressing.

Add some chicken or prawns and enjoy a delightful low calorie meal.

Mixed Greens ~ Steff

It's been one more hot day in the Fraser Valley. Record breaking temperatures.
The only thing that I can think of making is a fresh salad with all our garden vegetables.
This has been one of my favorite's this summer. It's simple, quick and has a kick to it and will be one of the first salads on the guys list. They all love bacon.
This comes from the kitchen of Steff, a younger friend of mine who's always trying something new. If I need a quick appetizer, I can count on her and now I have a good collection of recipes/appetizers on hand.

Mixed Greens

• 4 Cups Romaine lettuce
  
• 4 Cups Baby Spinach
• 2 Peppers red/green/yellow/orange
• 1 pkg Bacon (fried & cut up) ( Often, I make this ahead of time. I still prefer the freshly fried bacon, as opposed to the crumbled bag bacon)
  
• 1 Cup Feta Cheese
• 1/2 Cup pumpkin seeds

Prepare the lettuces together in a bowl and add the remaining ingredient on top.
Toss the last two ingredients together and toss on top just before serving.
I pour the dressing over and then mix it up slightly.
I love the colorful display, so I don't mix to much, rather let it soak through the leaves.

Dressing

• 9Tbsp. Virgin Oil (1/2 Cup)
• 4 fresh garlic cloves
• 7 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 tsp. sugar
• salt/pepper to taste

Mix together and pour just before serving.

Make it ahead of time and take it along to the beach.

Leafy Lettuce Salad

Leafy Lettuce Salad

I remember this salad, as a small girl growing up.
My mother lived off a mere $50 a month budget for groceries.
She needed to feed a family of 7 plus all the hired hands.
She had a gift of hospitality, and knew how to make her pennies stretch.

Actually, she always asked God how she could make her budget last....

She worked hard and always had a garden and since I'm not working out of the home,
I've made every effort to grow a garden again. I love sharing this with the grand kids.
We've made some raised garden beds this year, which takes away from all that back braking work.
This week I called my sister to see what Mom's secret recipe contained.

Leafy Lettuce Salad

• 8 cups of Leafy garden lettuce.
  

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/2 vinegar

Blend the sugar and cream together and then add the vinegar.
Pour over your leafy lettuce.
Yum!!!
Do any of you remember this lettuce salad?

Add some freshly fried potatoes.
We have been enjoying those cooked first baby potatoes.
If there are leftovers, you make fried potatoes.
My mom always made those. Nothing was ever wasted.
Cut your potatoes up fine,
Add some butter (1/4 C.) into a frying pan and turn the element on to High.
Don't run away!!!
Fry these potatoes quickly and let them get crisp.
Add a bit of salt & pepper and a fresh tomato and away you go.
Simple, yet nutritious for this time of year.


Check out your local markets and see if you can't bring home that old fashioned cooking.

Chicken Tarragon Salad

Over the past 10 years, since the children have left home,
salads, have been one of our staple foods in the house.
I always enjoy sharing other people's salads. What a treat.
Sometimes when we've dined out, it's always a treat when the chef,
shares some secrets with you.
This recipe comes from one of our finest dining restaurants way back in 1980's.
It was called the "Harverstors Four," and they had a European chef, Jurgeon.
He has shared several with me and they are always my families favorites.

Go to your favorite market, or pick from your garden.
I always love to get the freshest vegetables.

Julienne all the vegetables.
It looks so nice and colorful.

I make most of my own dressings and have found the little
Braun mixer to be a favorite for mixing the dressing for the right consistency.

Don't forget the freshly cut up Tarragon.

I made this on Sunday and just through the freshly chopped
Tarragon right into the salad.
The fresh flavors are still in my taste buds.

Chicken Tarragon

4 deboned chicken breasts
2 green peppers
2 red peppers
2 Romain heads lettuce
1 bunch onion greens
1 red Spanish onion

1. Fry Chicken at 375 for 20-30 min. I always BBQ
2. Julienne (cut long thin strips) peppers, onions
3. Cut lettuce into bite size pieces.

Dressing

2 TBSP vinegar & tarragon (I love to use fresh tarragon from my garden.)
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. Worchester Sauce
10 TBSP unsaturated oil (I use Olive Oil)

When the chicken is cooled, cut into julienne strips and lay them on top of the salad.
Pour the dressing over the salad and watch the food disappear.
I can never make this salad big enough.
Of course you can serve some of Marg's Health Buns

Mixed Greens

It's been one more hot day in the Fraser Valley. Record breaking temperatures.
The only thing that I can think of making is a fresh salad with all our garden vegetables.
This has been one of my favorite's this summer. It's simple, quick and has a kick to it and will be one of the first salads on the guys list. They all love bacon.
This comes from the kitchen of Steff, a younger friend of mine who's always trying something new. If I need a quick appetizer, I can count on her and now I have a good collection of recipes/appetizers on hand.

Mixed Greens

• 4 Cups Romaine lettuce
  
• 4 Cups Baby Spinach
• 2 Peppers red/green/yellow/orange
• 1 pkg Bacon (fried & cut up) ( Often, I make this ahead of time. I still prefer the freshly fried bacon, as opposed to the crumbled bag bacon)
  
• 1 Cup Feta Cheese
• 1/2 Cup pumpkin seeds

Prepare the lettuces together in a bowl and add the remaining ingredient on top.
Toss the last two ingredients together and toss on top just before serving.
I pour the dressing over and then mix it up slightly.
I love the colorful display, so I don't mix to much, rather let it soak through the leaves.

Dressing

• 9Tbsp. Virgin Oil (1/2 Cup)
• 4 fresh garlic cloves
• 7 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 tsp. sugar
• salt/pepper to taste

Mix together and pour just before serving.

Make it ahead of time and take it along to the beach.