Pajaro Valley Coleslaw Crunch

This wonderful salad recipe is another of those that goes back to the days when we lived in the Aptos/Santa Cruz area. I got this recipe from a lady at church and have no idea where it comes from, but I do know that this type of salad was very popular in the 1980's and I saw many variations of it. The recipe feeds a crowd, so it is great for potlucks and barbecues. I also make it a main dish salad by adding chopped cooked chicken; we love it. Blessings...

Recipe: 

1 head cabbage
8 green onions
4 tbsps. sesame seeds
1 cup cashews
2 pkgs. ramen noodles, chicken flavor
Chopped cooked chicken, if desired to make it a main dish salad

1. Chop cabbage into bite-sized pieces. Slice onions and add to cabbage. Add sesame seeds and cashews.
2. Break uncooked noodles into small pieces and add to salad. (I put the noodles in a plastic bag and gently use a meat mallet on them to break them into small pieces.)

Dressing:

1 cup peanut oil
6 tbsps. apple cider vinegar
4 tbsps sugar, dissolved in vinegar
seasoning packets from noodles

Mix in blender or whisk together, and toss with cabbage using the amount desired.

Yield: 10 - 12 servings
Calories for the dressing: 81 per tablespoon

Autumn Tossed Salad

Dinner salads can get so boring, so when I come across one that is loaded with cheese, nuts and fruit, I gladly give it a try. This combination of cashews, Swiss cheese, cranberries, pear, and apple in a lightly-sweetened poppy seed dressing is wonderful. This is a reader-contributed recipe from a "Taste of Home" cookbook. Blessings...

Recipe:

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. finely chopped onion
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp. poppy seed
1 bunch romaine, torn
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup cashews
1 medium apple, chopped
1 medium pear, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries

1. In a blender, combine the lemon juice, sugar, onion, mustard and salt. While processing on low speed, gradually add oil in a steady stream. Stir in poppy seed. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate for 1 hour or until chilled.
2. In a large salad bowl, combine the romaine, cheese, cashews, apple, pear and cranberries. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.

Yield: 10 servings
Note: I cut the dressing recipe in half and the yield is 3/4 cup. For two of us, I used 1/4 cup cheese, 1/4 cup cashews, 1/4 apple, 1/4 pear, 2 tbsp. cranberries and a few lettuce leaves. There will be plenty of dressing for two more salads. You might use this as a guide for your family's needs.
Note: The addition of cubed, cooked ham makes this a wonderful main dish salad.

Strawberry Salad

This salad is a wonderful combination of strawberries, cashews and greens dressed in a vinaigrette that is made fruity with the addition of jam. I originally posted the vinaigrette recipe, created by the cooks at smuckers.com, on 2/13/2013 for my Yummy Spinach Salad creation. Again, the vinaigrette recipe is a variation of the original recipe, the salad ingredients were of my own choosing. This strawberry variation was created with spring and summer, and our Easter meal in mind. Blessings...

Recipe for basic vinaigrette:

2 tbsps. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. water
1-1/2 tsps. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. minced garlic (I also have used garlic powder to taste)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 cup olive oil or oil of choice

For this strawberry salad add to the vinaigrette:
1/2 cup strawberry jam
1 tsp. dried basil, crushed

1. Whisk together first 6 ingredients.
2. Slowly pour oil into dressing ingredients whisking all the while until thoroughly combined.
3. Stir in the jam and basil until dressing is smooth.

salad ingredients:
greens of your choice
chopped green onion
cashews
sliced fresh strawberries

Note: I cut the dressing recipe in half for the two of us and it will serve us for 3 meals. This might serve as a guide line for the recipe yield.













Combine salad ingredients in serving bowl and add desired amount of dressing. Toss and serve.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Cashew Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing

I love main dish salads, especially those that have an Asian flair. One day, about a month ago, when I wanted to prepare a salad of this type for dinner but didn't have my favorite bottled dressing on hand, this low calorie dressing was created to meet the need. It has a very subtle sesame flavor that comes from a bit of sesame oil and the wonderful flavor of Chinese Five Spice Powder. Blessings...

Recipe:

1/2 tsp. sesame oil

2 tbsps. rice vinegar

2 tbsps. soy sauce

2 tbsps. honey

1/4 tsp. Chinese Five Spice Powder

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.

Serve dressing over a salad of:

Mixed greens or cabbage

Mandarin orange slices

Sliced green onion

Sliced celery

Dried sweetened cranberries

Cashew halves and pieces

Chopped cooked chicken

And of course, anything else that you and your family love in an Asian salad.

Spiced Couscous

Couscous is an excellent accompaniment to just about any kind of meat, fish or poultry dish, and it is very fast and easy to prepare. Because the grains are so small they cook in a boiling liquid, off the flame, in about five minutes. Couscous can be purchased in pre-packaged form or it can be found in the health food section of most markets in the bulk-food bins. This flavorful spiced variation with raisins and cashews was in a Bon Appe'tit Magazine years ago. For our Easter meal yesterday, I did not add the cashews because the salad had cashews in it and I didn't want to overdo a good thing. The sweet and savory spices were a wonderful combination with our ham. Blessings...

Recipe:
2 tbsps. butter
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
2-1/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup raisins
1-1/2 cups couscous (1 10-oz. box)
1/4 cup chopped toasted cashews, optional

1. Melt the butter in a 3 qt. saucepan over low heat. Add spices and cook 2 minutes stirring occasionally.
2. Add broth and raisins. Bring to a boil. Mix in couscous, cover and remove from heat. Let sit 5 minutes. Add nuts, if using, stir and serve.

Yield: 6 servings

Savoy Slaw with Raspberry Dressing

I found this delicious coleslaw recipe in a spice catalog and couldn't wait to give it a try. I don't use Savoy cabbage so I don't know how it would taste, but regular cabbage in this recipe is delicious. Blessings...

Recipe: 

2 cups finely shredded savoy cabbage or regular cabbage
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 crisp red apple, chopped (I used a Gala apple)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (I used cashews)

Dressing:

1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup fat-free Greek yogurt (I used Greek vanilla yogurt)
1-1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1-1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. raspberry jam
1/2 tsp. honey
1/4 tsp. French Tarragon, crushed
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. salt or to taste

1. Several hours before serving, prepare the dressing by combining all of the dressing ingredients and whisking until smooth. Refrigerate.
2. One hour before serving, combine the cabbage, carrots, apple and cranberries. Stir in dressing to combine. Cover and refrigerate.
3. Just before serving, add the nuts and stir to combine.

Yield: 5 servings
70 calories per 1/2 cup using the ingredients original to the recipe.
Note: This recipe can easily be doubled to serve ten people.

Flock of Geese Chicken Salad

This recipe is another from Taste of Home Magazine that goes back a number of years and that I have only gotten around to trying this week. Better-late-than-never applies here as this is a delicious salad. The lady that contributed the recipe to the magazine stated that the salad was named after a time-honored quilt pattern, one which I have never heard of. I wish my grandmother was still alive so I could ask her about the name; she was an avid quilter and may have known the origin of the name. Anyway, this salad is full of cashews, grapes and chicken in a very simple dressing so as not to detract from the flavors of the salad ingredients. We loved it; maybe you and your family will, as well. Blessings...

Recipe:

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
2 cups salted cashew halves
2 celery ribs, sliced
3/4 cup mayonnaise (I used light successfully)
1/2 cup sour cream (again, I used light)
1 tbsp. tarragon or white wine vinegar (I used white wine vinegar. The vinegar gives just a hint of flavor)

1. In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients; set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream and vinegar; stir until dressing ingredients are well-combined and smooth. Pour over chicken mixture; toss to coat.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to blend flavors.

Yield: 8 or more servings, depending on appetites
Note: I cut the recipe in half for the two of us. The half recipe made about 4-1/2 cups which will serve us for two meals as I serve other salads alongside. If you do the same, take out what you will need for one meal and add half of the cashews saving the remainder of the cashews to add the next evening. Cashews are a soft nut that will lose all of their crunch if left overnight in the dressing.

Raisin Cashew Drops

This candy recipe combines raisins and cashews in delicious chocolate for an easy dessert or gift. Older children could make this recipe for mom for a special homemade gift of love; the kind of gift that touches a mom's heart. For all the mom's out there, I do hope your heart is touched by your family on this special day of celebration. Blessings...

Recipe:

2 cups (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp. light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups coarsely chopped or broken cashews
2 cups raisins

1. In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate chips with the milk and corn syrup, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from the heat; stir in the vanilla until blended. Stir in the cashews and raisins.
2. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 - 3 hours.
3. Carefully remove from waxed paper and store in an airtight container. Chocolate is the best at room temperature.

Yield: 2-1/2 pounds

This recipe comes from Taste of Home Annual Recipes Cookbook 2009

Apple Citrus Salad

The other evening when we had guests over for dinner, I prepared the Ham and Cheese Pies and the Cranberry Relish that you see on the plate and our guests brought a Caesar Salad. Our meal and time together were wonderful. I will be posting the recipe for the pies and the relish in the next few days, but today I want to share with you this dinner salad that we had last evening with our leftover pies. This is a recipe that we have enjoyed many times over the years. The salad is a wonderful combination of fresh spinach, apple and orange slices, and cashews all topped off with a lovely dressing that is made with pink lemonade, of all things. Blessings...

Recipe:

1/4 cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
3 tbsps. honey
3 tbsps. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. poppy seeds
2 apples, cored and sliced
2 oranges, peeled and sectioned
6 oz. bag fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup cashew pieces

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the first 4 ingredients for the dressing and set aside.
2. Pick over spinach to remove any old pieces and stems, and tear into bite-sized pieces, if you like. Add sliced apples and oranges. Add dressing to your taste and top with cashews. Toss and serve.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Cashew Pea Salad

Vegetables are not always a favorite food, especially with children. That having been said, it is so important to look for ways to make them as appealing and inviting as possible. Changing our mindset about a vegetables place and adding them to a salad, or making them into the salad, can be a new taste adventure. I love the combination of peas and cashews, but I haven't been very happy with the recipes that I have tried over the years, so I attempted some new twists on an old theme. We liked the results; maybe you will as well. Blessings... 

Recipe:

1 16-oz. pkg. frozen petite peas, thawed

1 cup cashew pieces

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise

1/4 tsp. curry powder

1. Drain peas on paper toweling so water doesn't dilute dressing.

2. Whisk together lemon juice, mayonnaise and curry powder in a serving bowl; add peas and cashews and stir to coat. Serve immediately. If not serving immediately, leave the cashews out of the salad and refrigerate. When ready to serve, add the cashews. The cashews will soften if left for too long in the dressing.

Yield: about 6 servings

Yummy Spinach Salad

The recipe for the vinaigrette for this yummy salad comes from Smuckers.com. via my local newspaper a few weeks ago, the salad idea comes from what was in my pantry and fridge when I needed to get dinner on the table the other night. The recipe creator at Smuckers gives several different suggestions using their jams; I just adapted to what I had on hand. Blessings with your creativity!

Recipe for basic vinaigrette:

2 tbsps. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. water
1-1/2 tsps. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 cup olive oil or oil of choice

1. Whisk together first 6 ingredients.
2. Slowly pour oil into dressing ingredients whisking all the while until thoroughly combined.

For this spinach salad, whisk in:
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 tsp. minced crystallized ginger.

Salad:

1 bag (10 oz.) fresh baby spinach
4 green onions, sliced
1/4 - 1/2 cup cashew pieces, to your taste
1/4 - 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese, to your taste
1 can (10 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained

Combine salad ingredients in serving bowl and add desired amount of dressing. Toss and serve.

Yield: 6-8 servings