Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

1-16 oz. package of dry orzo pasta, cooked according to directions

1 or 2 cucumbers, quartered and sliced
1 medium red onion, quartered and sliced
1-32 oz. can of diced tomatoes, drained and squeezed
2-6 oz. containers of crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup of chopped fresh parsley
1 small jar of pitted Kalamata Olives, drained and quartered
1/4 cup of Olive oil
Juice from 1 Lemon
1/4 cup of Red Wine Vinegar
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, pressed
Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients.  Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Bean Salad

1 15-oz can each of Pinto, Garbanzo, Black, and Red Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Red, Orange, Yellow, and Green Bell Pepper, washed, cored, seeded and diced
3 Jalapeno Peppers, washed, cored and diced (Optional if you can't take the heat)
2 15-oz cans of petite diced tomatoes, drained (reserve the tomato juice for other uses)
1/2 Red Onion, diced
6 large cloves of Garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar (I use raw, unpasteurized)
1 or 2 teaspoons of salt
A good grinding of Black Pepper Corns over the whole thing, optional
Dash of Tabasco brand original hot sauce, optional
2 cups of Cilantro, chopped-stir in 1 hour before serving
1/2 cup of REAL Olive oil, *leave out till just before serving

Combine all but the last two ingredients.  Let marinate for 24 hours.  Add remaining ingredients 1 hour prior to serving and let rest at room temperature.  Or keep it refrigerated and eat off of it for days.  Makes 8 servings, 350 calories.

The best part is if you are taking it for a work lunch it does not need to be refrigerated if you are eating it that day, or heated up ever. And surprisingly enough you will not get tired of it even if you eat it every day for lunch.

If you are so inclined, you may cook your own beans. An overnight soak in water with 1 teaspoon of salt before cooking produces the best results. Whenever I cook beans for another recipe I just reserve 1 1/2 - 2 cups of cooked, drained, and rinsed beans in the freezer for later use.  A quick rinse under hot water will thaw and separate the beans quickly.

It's also great to take to parties because it's Vegan, and doesn't have to be kept warm or cold. Keep the Cilantro separate because a surprising number of people don't like it.

Bean Salad for Health and Detoxification:

Beans are great. They are high in fiber, healthy carbohydrates and proteins, and low in fat with no saturated fats. Brightly colored peppers are full of anti-oxidants and nutrients as well as fiber. Cilantro is a great heavy metal detox for your liver. Garlic and Onions are full of anti-oxidants but also have anti-bacterial/anti-viral properties. And both are known to improve circulation and lower blood pressure, and garlic is a known cholesterol fighter. Raw, unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar is a great detoxifier and total body cleanser. Eating bean salad daily or multiple times a week for any meal is a great way to keep your body happy and healthy.

I have used Flax oil in the past, 1 Tablespoon per serving. Flax oil is high in Omega Fatty Acids and is a great intestinal toner.

Pasta Salad of My Childhood

1 lb package of Shell pasta, cooked, drained, and cooled
3/4 cup Miracle Whip or Mayonnaise (your preference)
1/2 Green Bell Pepper, diced
Tomatoes, diced (if from a can, 15 oz. then also drained and squeezed)
1/2 Cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1/4 Red Onion, diced
Salt and to taste

Mix it up and let it refrigerate for at least 4 hours to let the flavors come together.

Tabasco hot sauce (optional)

Tastes like Summer!  Especially with some Iced Tea.

I remember this recipe tastes best with shell shape pasta, but you can use any type you like.  I kind of hate macaroni.  Most people probably can't tell a difference with flavor, but definitely the texture is important.  Now, onto the Miracle Whip.  My Dad's side of the family prefers it, and I did too (and still do for this recipe) until I became a Mayonnaise convert during the South Beach Diet craze of my 20's.  As far as the vegetables, you can use whatever you like, but these are what I remember from my childhood.  I also remember loving the way Tabasco hot sauce tastes with this salad.

Chicken Salad

*DO NOT USE A FOOD PROCESSOR TO CHOP THE CHICKEN
White meat from a whole roasted 5 lb chicken, cut and shredded
1/2 red onion, finely diced
5 ribs of celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cups of red grapes, quartered or 1/4-1/2 a cup of Raisins steeped in boiling hot water and drained
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard*
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
add enough yogurt or sour cream to desired creaminess

Mix all ingredients together.  Let sit in the refrigerator for 4 hours before serving. Top with chopped roasted, salted almonds. I like to eat mine on sliced tart apples, leaf lettuce, or nut thins. I also like to top it with Sriracha.

Makes a good wrap with lots of lettuce, chopped almonds, Sriracha, and rice paper wrappers.

*As always, if you are gluten free, make sure your condiments are as well.  Anything made with distilled white vinegar may have gluten if the vinegar was distilled from a gluten containing grain.  When in doubt contact the company.

"Ham" Salad Sandwich Spread or Just Plain Ol' Bologna Sandwiches

This "Ham" salad was on the table every Christmas Eve at my Paternal Grandma's house.  Slapped between two slices of Heiner's white bread and cut diagonally.  Me thinks my Aunt Jane had a hand in this as well.

After making this again, I determined it's just not for me.  I prefer to eat my bologna in slices, I don't mind applying the miracle whip directly to the bread.  I also like this sandwich with a slice of American cheese.  No pickle relish necessary.  Below is a recipe for homemade Miracle Whip, because I just about never eat it, I never have it on hand, and it does go bad.

BOLOGNA SANDWICH SPREAD

2 T. sweet pickle relish
1 lb. bologna, blitzed in a food processor
Miracle Whip, enough to make it spreadable

HOMEMADE MIRACLE WHIP FROM MAYONNAISE

2 1/2 Tablespoons of White Distilled Vinegar
1 1/2 Tablespoons of White Sugar
1 teaspoon of Corn Starch

Combine thoroughly and Microwave till just boiling.  Let cool in freezer for a few minutes.  Add:

1/2 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
1/8 teaspoon of Mustard Powder (if you have it)
Dashes of Paprika
3/4 cup of Mayonnaise

Mix well.  Cover, and store in the refrigerator, probably not more than a few weeks.

Lime Jello Salad

This salad was on my Aunt Jane's table at Thanksgiving.  While my family always had the official dinner with my Mom's Mom, going to my Dad's Sister's for evening leftovers is one of my favorite childhood holiday memories. We even got to help decorate her Christmas Tree with Icicles (forbidden in my house) all while listening to Brenda Lee's Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree.

LIME JELLO SALAD

1 20 ounce can of crushed Pineapple
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows or 12-15 regular Marshmallows
1 3 ounce package Lime Jell-O
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup of Cool Whip
*1/2 cup chopped Walnuts, Optional

Drain the Pineapple and reserve the Juice.  Add enough water to the juice to make 1 1/2 cups.  Bring juice to a boil, add Marshmallows stirring till dissolved.  Add Jell-O and dissolve completely.  Let mixture cool till it thickens.  Combine with Pineapple, Cottage Cheese, and Cool Whip, (*walnuts if using).  Spread into a flat container 2-3 inches thick.  Chill for 1-2 hours, until set.

Baba Ghanoush: Cold Eggplant Dip

A lot like Hummus, I mean exactly like it but instead of mashed chic peas there is roasted eggplant.  The literal translation means "spoiled father." 

About the same amount of effort as hummus too, but instead of making a pot (or opening a can) of beans, you will need to cook some eggplant.  I have never had success in oven roasting, and it's a lot of time to wait an hour for one or two eggplants to cook.  I always end up not cooking it long enough, and even then I can never get the peel off.  But what harm is there in blitzing the peel, if it's organic.  Often the most colorful part of the veggie is where all the nutrients are.  I imagine an easier way, and less time consuming-if not a bit more labor intensive, would be to peel the eggplant, cube and saute until soft. 

Otherwise:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Using a fork, poke holes all around the eggplant(s).  Roast for 45 minutes or until soft, timing depends on the size of eggplant.  Once they have cooled, scrape the inside into a bowl and discard the peel.  Even better if you can roast them over a charcoal grill or fire to achieve a smoky flavor.

For every 2 cups cooked eggplant add to it:

•  2 Tablespoons Tahini
• 1 large clove of garlic
• Juice of 1 Lemon, roughly 1/4 cup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blitz, or else mash by hand, in which case mince or press the garlic.  Feel free to dress it with chopped fresh parsley and good extra virgin olive oil.

Green Onion Schmear

I absolutely can't believe I left this recipe off my blog for so long.  I make this a lot.  I take it to parties.  I serve it at parties.  You won't believe how much you can eat in one sitting until you see it gone.

1 package of cream cheese, 8 oz.
2-3 green onions, washed and chopped, greens and whites
1/2 teaspoon salt
a few dashes of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup whole milk plain yogurt

Soften the cream cheese in the microwave, in a microwave safe dish (not plastic).  With an electric mixer, or in a food processer, mix in all ingredients till smooth.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but overnight preferably.  Serve with crudites, bagels or hash brown patties and lox, pretzels, or anything you think would be good.

Cold Potato Salad

This for me is the classic cold potato salad recipe.  I absolutely hate sweet pickle relish, particularly in potato, egg, or tuna salad, so you won't find it in this recipe.

8 medium to large red, yukon gold, or russet potatoes
8 celery stalks
1 small red onion
4 hard boiled eggs
1 cup Mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon salad oil
1 Tablespoons white wine vinegar (I didn't have, so I just used white wine)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Scrub and boil potatoes till a fork pierces easily, about 35-45 minutes. Remove potatoes and add eggs, bring back to a boil, put on lid, turn off heat, and let eggs sit for 20 minutes.  Remove eggs, and place in an ice water bath.  Under cold running water slide off potato skins, rinse and set aside.  Finely chop celery and onions, mix remaining ingredients.  Cube potatoes, and one-at-a-time toss with dressing.  Refrigerate the salad, till ready to eat, the longer the better (at least 4 hours).  Before serving, peel the eggs, dice, and toss with salad.  I found the eggs infinitely easier to peel after being in the fridge overnight.

Cucumber Yogurt Dressing or Raita

A quick word about store bought yogurt:  Many commercial yogurts add thickeners and additives.  This is especially important to know if you are low-carb, gluten free, or just sensitive to certain foods.  You have to read the ingredients.  Currently my (and my child's) favorite yogurt is Seven Stars Farm.  It has a better good-bacterial count, and no additives.  Once you've bought good yogurt, you can make your own rather easily.

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced finely
1 Tablespoon of finely mined onion
1 teaspoon salt

1 cup of plain yogurt (not fat free)
dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

Combine the diced cucumber, onion, and salt and let sit for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.  Hand squeeze the liquid from the diced vegetables.  Reserve the salty cucumber water for use in cooking, I like to use it in with my lentils if I'm making raita to go with my curried lentils.  Add vegetables to yogurt, and stir to incorporate.  Add cayenne pepper and it's ready to serve, or cover and refrigerate for later use.  This is a good addition to spicy dishes, it helps cool them down.  But it also makes a pretty good stand alone dip for toasted pita.

Texas Caviar

This recipe is similar to my every day Bean Salad recipe, but with only Black-eyed peas and red wine vinegar instead of unpasteurized apple cider vinegar.  And you eat it with chips.

3 cups black-eyed peas, cooked, drained
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup red wine vinegar 

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup of finely diced tomatoes fresh or canned (if canned, drained and squeezed of juice)
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely diced

2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped
Dash hot sauce, such as Tabasco 

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tortilla chips, for serving

Combine all ingredients except Olive oil and Cilantro.  Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours to let the flavors mingle.  1 hour before serving set out and combing oil and Cilantro.  Serve with chips.

Red Cabbage and Blue Cheese Coleslaw

This really is as easy as it sounds.

2 lb head of red cabbage, outer leaves removed and rinsed well
1 cup good (like Marzetti's) Blue Cheese Dressing

Cut the head of cabbage lengthwise through the core.  Cut each half in two.  Remove the core.  Cut the Cabbage short ways into small, thin strips.

Toss with the dressing, cover, and refrigerate.  Let sit for at least four hours before serving.

UPDATE:  This recipe works best if you shred the cabbage.  Otherwise you'll need to add a bit of sugar to help break it down.  And personally I wanted it saltier.

Summer Garden Salad

One of the easiest things to prepare and keep in the fridge for quick healthy eating, bursting with garden freshness.

Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Green Bell Peppers
Red Onion
Red Wine Vinegar
Sugar
Salt
Black Pepper

Slice veggies and sprinkle last four ingredients to taste.  This will keep in the fridge for days.

BBQ style Coleslaw

1 medium sized head of green cabbage, sliced thinly into 2 inch strips
3 medium carrots, grated
2 medium leeks, halved and sliced finely, whites and greens
1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Black Pepper to taste
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

Combine ingredients and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. In South Carolina, coleslaw is used as a topping for a pulled pork BBQ sandwich. Coleslaw is believed to have originated with the Dutch.

Mushrooms, raw and stuffed with Anchovy Cream Cheese

This recipe is from my Mom's Time Life Holiday Cookbook from 1969. I love this appetizer because it is served cold and requires no cooking and little preparation. But also because it's addictive.

1-2 lbs white button mushrooms, washed and stems removed

1 8oz package of Cream cheese
2 Tbs. of Anchovy paste (either from a tube or buy a tin of 'chovies and squash them yourself)
1 tsp. Freshly squeezed Lemon juice
1 tsp. grated onion (very important-it must be grated not minced)

Mix the last four ingredients till well blended and fill the mushroom caps with it. Plate and sprinkle with

2 Tbs. minced green onions, whites and greens

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Being Gluten Free has it's disadvantages, but one of the advantages is getting to tinker with traditional recipes so that I can eat them. In lieu of cracked bulgar wheat, I have substituted Quinoa-an ancient grain that is high in protein and fiber.

2 cups of cooked Quinoa, cooled (I prefer red)
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 medium tomatoes diced
1-2 medium cucumber peeled, diced
3 green onions, or 1 spring onion diced whites and greens
1/2 cup of fresh curly leaf parsley chopped
1/4 cup of oil, I like olive oil or canola for a lighter taste

Combine all ingredients, reserve the oil for just before serving. Serve cool. Perfect on a hot summer day. Especially when you can get all the ingredients fresh from your garden or local farmers' market. Tom and I just bought dwarf lemon and lime trees, a friend has luck with his wintering it in his sun room.

Toxic Dyp

This is a variation of Taco Dip that my friend Jenna and I perfected many years ago. In fact, it's so good we call it Toxic Dyp not just because of the wretched gas that emanates from your body after eating, but because you may be about to burst and there is probably another loaded chip on its way to your mouth. It's best to share this with others.

1 can of vegetarian re-fried Beans (15 oz)
1 container of all-natural reduced fat Sour Cream (16 oz)
1 packet of Taco Seasoning (MSG and Gluten Free)*
2 cans of petite diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies, drained and gently squeezed of extra juice.
1 jar of Kroger brand sliced Jalapenos, drained
2-3 handfuls of whole small black pitted Olives, sliced
2-3 cups of finely chopped Lettuce, green leaf or Iceberg
1 bag of finely shredded sharp Cheddar (8 oz)
4-6 green onions minced, white and green parts

Blend the Beans, Sour Cream, and Seasoning together and spread across the bottom of a 9x13 (Lasagna) dish. Layer the remaining ingredients in order starting with the Tomatoes and finishing with the Green Onions. Serve with corn chips. E N J O Y!!!

*Make your own Taco Seasoning!

1 Tablespoon Paprika or Chili powder
2 teaspoons ground Cumin
2 teaspoons garlic or onion powder, or a combo
1/4 teaspoon crushed Red Pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried Oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground Black Pepper

Bean Salad-Salad

 This is an awesome way to get more lettuce into my diet without dousing it with fatty, calorie laden dressing.  I use my Bean Salad recipe as my "dressing."  Loaded with lots of detoxifiers, anti-fungal/bacterial/viral properties, and bulky fiber of beans, this makes for one healthy lunch.

 For individual portions, serve 2 cups of salad over a bed of lettuce.

Chick Pea Hummus

2 cups of cooked chick peas + enough bean liquid to make puree smooth
3 Tablespoons of Tahini
Juice of 1/2-1 lemon
1 large clove of garlic
1 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blitz till smooth.

Dressed:  Olive oil, Cayenne Pepper or Paprika, chopped Parsley, diced Tomatoes.  Serve with Cucumber slices, celery sticks, carrot sticks, red pepper slices, tortilla chips, or toasted whole grain pita.

Benedictine

1 package of Cream Cheese 8 oz.
2-3 Tablespoons of Mayonnaise
1 medium cucumber peeled, seeded, shredded
1 small green onion, minced
2 Tablespoons of chopped fresh Parsley
½ teaspoon of Sea Salt

Squeeze the excess liquid out of the shredded cucumber. Let the Cream Cheese soften. Blend the cheese and Mayonnaise together until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients. Let sit in the refrigerator a few hours. Terrific with fresh or kettle cooked potato chips. Also a great spread for Canape.

Jennie Benedict, a Louisville caterer, created Benedictine spread before the turn of the century. The original recipe can be found in Kentucky's Best, Fifty Years of Great Recipes, by Linda Allison-Lewis.