These iced onion rings are best served as a salad alongside any summer barbecue. Cool, crisp and refreshing, they must be served ice cold. Soaking them in ice water reduces their pungent flavor slightly. A part of the allium family, onions are rich in fructo-oligosaccharides which stimulate the growth of bififobacteria and other good bacteria in the gut while suppressing harmful bacteria.
Put the onion rings into a bowl flilled with ice and water. Be sure all the rings are below the water. Place a dish, or something on top to help keep the onion rings submerged if necessary. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving. Drain and serve immediately.
Here is an excellent way to use up hopelessly stale bread. I collect pieces, sometimes the heels, in a container in the freezer. When I have enough, then I make a batch of croutons! Of course, this may also be made from fresh bread if you wish. Marvelous on a salad or used to garnish bowls of soup! If you are a soup and cracker lover, these can nicely replace store-bought crackers in your soup.
Cut your bread into little cubes (or bigger ones or even fingers if you prefer.)
Melt the butter in a skillet and add the bread.
Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the bread is thoroughly toasted.
Sprinkle with sea salt to taste, and then a small amount of pepper. Stir well.
Sprinkle sparingly with poultry seasoning and dried parsley to taste. Stir well.
You can use more butter if you like. This is really more of a method than an exact recipe. Store these in an airtight container. Use soon, or freeze for later and re-crisp them in an oven.
Thanks to Nourishing Treasure’s mayonnaise recipe (http://eatnourishing.com/recipe/easy-no-fail-mayo/), and also Wardeh’s wonderful lacto-fermented mayonnaise recipe (http://gnowfglins.com/2010/04/02/lacto-fermented-mayonnaise/) from Sustainable Eats, I came up with a hybrid that incorporates extra-virgin coconut oil, but is also lacto-fermented. It is the perfect addition to coleslaw dressing! In the recipe, I only list enough ingredients for this one batch of slaw, but of course you can make more mayo, cover and let it sit out for 7 hours and then refrigerate it to use later. This Slaw is mildly sweet and the addition of shredded coconut makes it very special.
In the small bowl of a food processor, combine the coconut oil, egg yolk, salt, mustard, whey and vinegar.
Turn on the processor and process until the mayonnaise is thoroughly combined and it is nice and smooth and creamy.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, grated carrot, all of the mayonnaise, milk, honey and coconut.
Stir together well; taste to see if you think it might need a little more salt.
Serve immediately or cover and store in the refrigerator.
A fresh spin on the traditional cole slaw. The savory twist in the dressing hightens the sweetness of the cabbage and carrots. Makes a great side to your favorite spring/summer dinner.
In a large bowl, toss the shredded cabbages and carrots.
For the dressing:
In a small bowl add olive oil, mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon juice. Whisk until ingredients are combined.
Pour dressing over cabbage and toss until vegetables are well coated.
Made with homemade lacto-fermented mayonnaise and other wholesome ingredients, this salad is nutrient rich and satisfying!
Scrub potatoes well under running water.
Place them into a saucepan and cover half-way with water.
Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until they are tender when pierced with a sharp knife.
Pour potatoes through a colander, and then cover them with cold water.
Let them sit in the cold water for a few minutes to stop cooking and then drain again.
When they are cool, peel them and cut them into cubes.
Chop the green onions.
In a large bowl, combine the cubed potatoes with the chopped onions, celery, mayonnaise, relish, mustard, honey, and salt. Stir gently but thoroughly.
Chop 2 of the hard-boiled eggs and add. Stir in gently.
Transfer salad to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with Paprika. Garnish attractively with parsley and the remaining egg, which has been sliced.
Cover and refrigerate.
This salad is springtime in your bowl. It’s colors and flavors are the very essence of this gorgeous season. Salads are forgiving, so if you can’t find one or two of these ingredients, don’t sweat it. Just do without.
Assemble the salad by putting all salad ingredients in a bowl.
Put all dressing ingredients in a blender (it will be silky smooth if run through a high-powered blender like the Vita-Mix). Blend on high until smooth, about 30-45 seconds.
To serve, put in salad bowls and toss with some dressing.
A cool dish for a hot day. Great for picnics and BBQ’s when you don’t want to make potato salad again.
Put the frozen peas into a large bowl. Cover with cold water. Let sit until thawed but still cold, about 20 minutes . Drain thoroughly.
Mix together the mayonnaise and yogurt. Mix into the peas until well coated.
Add in the chopped eggs, cheese, ham and onion. Mix thoroughly.
Add in the salt and pepper and mix well.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let the flavors meld.
Rich, creamy and sweetened with real honey (not corn syrup!), this honey mustard salad dressing is one of our family’s favorites.
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate.
A refreshing fruit salad.
In a medium bowl mix all ingredients together and let sit for an hour before serving to let the flavors blend.
Really one of my favorite salads. Surprisingly, many people don’t ever try fennel because they have no idea what to do with it, others only know how to braise it. Fennel has a delicate anise flavor which goes really well with the sweet apples. Add in a little bacon and you’ve got yourself one fancy-shmancy salad that’s difficult to stop eating.
Heat a heavy bottomed skillet on low heat. Cook the bacon until done to desired crispiness. It’s important to cook it on low to render out as much of the fat as possible. Remove the bacon and allow to cool before crumbling or dicing. Set aside.
In a small bowl whisk together the bacon fat, mustard and lemon juice. Add a dash of salt. Whisk until the vinaigrette turns pale and an emulsion forms. Set aside.
Cut off the root area of the fennel bulbs and trim off any protruding stems. You can reserve any of the foliage to use as a pretty and edible garnish. Cut the bulbs in half lengthwise and then lay the halves down on the cutting board, cut side down. Thinly slice the bulbs from the top end to the root end. I cheated and used my food processor. Place into a large bowl.
Core and quarter the apples. Thinly slice. Place in large bowl along with fennel.
Drizzle prepared bacon vinaigrette over the apples and fennel. Toss to coat. Garnish with fennel foliage if desired. Serve at room temperature. Not too good refrigerated as the bacon fat solidifies. Ew.
Taco salad is one of my favorite meal salads. When we’re in the cold seasons, we use organic salsa for tomatoes (that also doubles as dressing) instead of the fresh ones offered in the summer.
Brown & season the beef. Wash & shred (or chop) the lettuce. Place lettuce in large salad bowl. Layer avocados, olives, onions, carrots, and sunflower seeds.
Just before serving, add cheese and beef on top of the salad. Place jars of salsa and creme fraiche on the table for each individual to spoon on top of their salad to taste. The salsa can be used as the dressing, or ranch dressing is also a good addition if you like your salad more wet (at least that’s what my family likes to do).
This salad highlights treats that spring and autumn gardens have to offer.
Toss chicken with the enchilada sauce. Layer ingredients or toss, as desired. Serve dressing on the side or toss with the salad.
To make the dressing, combine creme fraiche, enchilada sauce, and optional milk. Shake well.