Showing posts with label Salad Dressing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Salad Dressing. Show all posts

Friday, July 8, 2016

Buffalo Cauliflower Wraps with a Surprise Sauce #dairyfree


Are you here for the Buffalo Cauliflower Wrap or the Surprise Sauce?

If it were me, I've got the inside scoop, say you're here for the sauce.  So what is it?  The sauce is a Vegan Blue Cheese and it will fool anyone into believing it's the real deal.  It fooled my family.  I secretly have a mad sauce crush going.  I really wanted to include the word Vegan in the title but I didn't want to scare anyone away.  The sauce is super delicious and dairy free.  

Why go without when you don't really have to and these wraps are good BUT with the sauce, they're better.   There I said it.  It's true though.

I wouldn't eat a chicken wrap without blue cheese dressing, so for me, I won't eat the spicy cauliflower florets without the sauce.  

They're married!  Like Lucy and Ricardo. Eric and Arial. I am running out of redheads...LOL  


My poor daughter Rye is my taste tester for almost everything.  It's not uncommon for me to yell for her to come and try something upstairs.  She never balks or says no--hey, there is food after all--and I sure appreciate that.  I value her opinion when it comes to honesty and I want an honest response to, "does it taste okay?"   My family's favorite response is, "it has an oaky, nutty, buttery flavor."  They heard this on a cooking show and use it ALLLLLL the time.

My kids eat a lot of new things, sometimes the same thing over and over until we get it just right, and I have learned that kids give great feedback when it comes to food.  Mine have no problem telling me "yay" or "nay" on something.  I appreciate that they feel comfortable in our home to be honest, even when they are critiquing their Mom's food.  That must be some damn good parenting right there--said with a bit of sarcasm and truth.

This dish was an unanimous YAY.  I have to really work my mouth to say that last sentence.  I shall never use that combination of words again--an unanimous.  Say that ten times fast.


Buffalo Cauliflower Wraps with a Vegan Bleu Cheese
One head makes enough for 5-6 wraps, depends on how full your wraps are.

This recipe is two fold: baked cauliflower florets and the blue cheese sauce

For the Buffalo Cauliflower you will need this:

1 head of cauliflower diced in to large pieces
Your favorite hot sauce, I use Franks
1 tablespoon Ghee or oil
Shredded lettuce
Wheat tortillas

Vegan Blue Cheese:

3/4 cup vegannaise (like mayonnaise but without egg)
1 teaspoon fresh Italian parsley, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, fresh and minced
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 caps of apple cider vinegar
1 good squeeze of lemon
*optional: this is not vegan, but if that is not a concern for you and you just want dairy free, then add a bit of Worcestershire sauce.
1/4 cup crumbled firm tofu (strain or squeeze out excess water)

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Add cauliflower to pan and drizzle with oil or ghee.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove and cover in Franks.  Return to oven and bake until tender or to your liking.  Some people like a firmer piece to add texture to each bite.

2.  While cauliflower is baking make your sauce.  Add all of the ingredients and stir.

3.  Fill each wrap with lettuce and spicey cauliflower.  Add the Vegan Blue Cheese and serve.

4.  Store all left overs in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.  Sauce may last longer.



Friday, January 15, 2016

Kale Salad with Maple Dijon Salad Dressing



Well, here I am.  Two weeks into school and my life is busy and exciting.  I have not felt so alive in a long time.  I struggled for quite some time to justify my decision of returning to school and pursuing my education. I was taught that my job was in the home.  I have supported my family and husband and watched with elation as they have met their goals, dreamed their dreams, and obtained their educational degrees as well.  I played the part of supporting actress, high spirited cheerleader and motivational speaker for some time.  I have been a stay at home mom for 21 years.  This role has brought me great joy, and yet recently, I have felt empty.

Something inside of me was not right.  I struggled to place my finger on exactly what was causing me to drop into depression, suffer from anxiety, doubt myself, and, I was aware that I was slowing drifting away from my life.  The island, that is my family, was slowly drifting further from the raft that I was floating in.  I felt the embrace of being pulled under or away.


It wasn't until things came to a head this summer after moving into our home that I realized I needed a direction.  I needed to do something for me.  My unhappiness with myself was affecting my family, my relationship with my husband, and with my life.  I needed a life line.

Facing the strange fear of possibly losing it all--I made a decision.  Cory has never ever once told me to not go to school.  It's the opposite.  He never wanted me to quit and has pushed me onto this course for some time.  I finally took the bait and did what I thought was impossible, I enrolled in school.  Knee shaking, heart pulsing--I was accepted.  I told my family and they have supported me 100%.
  

This one decision will affect our family.  Cory is still working from home but he still needs to work so I have been able to adjust my schedule so that he can work and then take care of Finnley while I am away a few hours each day.  Isabella is back in school for this school year.  Rye is working and her schedule allows her to help while I am at class too.  This whole process is teaching us to work as a team.  I am learning that I can let go of the steering wheel for a while and someone else in my family can drive the "home" ship just fine without me.  I needed to learn this lesson.

 
Cory and Rye are so cute because the other day they reassured me that I did not need to do all of the cooking.  They were capable of making a variety of dishes and they had my blog to fall back on.  I can't tell you how happy this makes me feel.  I still cook a lot but the responsibilities are being shared.

As for me, I feel good.  My spirits are high.  I am like a kid in a toy shop.  I never knew how addicting learning could be.  I am like a sponge.  I don't want school to end.  My goals are hefty and I am looking at 6 years of college but I can do this.

Our meals have become easier and more fresh.  This kale salad is delightful.  The kale and swiss chard work well together to create the base for this winter salad.  I have added a few crunch elements that my family likes but you can always exchange those for things you like more.  


Our favorite part about this salad is the Maple Syrup Dijon Salad Dressing. Twang meets sweet.  Together the flavor is "moorish" in the fact that I want more and more and more.

I hope you can appreciate Finnley as my photo assistant.  I have come a long ways since the first few years of taking pictures.  I had this idea that they needed to look perfect.  Those days are long gone.  The pictures you see are my life.  A busy Mom trying to blog, cook, photograph, write, go to school, clean house, help with homework, do homework, be a partner for my husband and still find time to pursue the things I like to do.  Finnley is my life right now and for now on you may see her foot, finger, hand, head, or shoulder in a picture or two.  I wouldn't have it any other way either. I love those little glimpses of her still small frame.

Too soon, I will have an empty home and my life will slow down.  I am trying so hard to find the balance and help my whole family achieve their goals, dreams, and personal educational needs.

It's challenging but so worth it.

Kale Salad with Maple Dijon Salad Dressing

Salad:

4 large winter kale leaves, center vein removed
4 large swiss kale leaves, center vein removed
1/3 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
1/2 cup dried pomegranates
1/2 cup sesame seed covered cashews
1 lemon, juice only

Dressing:

1/4 cup sunflower oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
REAL maple syrup, to taste
salt if needed
pepper to taste
dash of garlic powder

1. Cut the kale and swiss chards into bite size pieces or narrow strips. I like the strips personally.  Add the remaining ingredients; toss to combine.  Squeeze the whole lemon over the salad and massage into the kale and swiss chard.  This should be done before adding the salad dressing.  Let sit for 15 minutes.

2.  In a small bowl, combine salad dressing ingredients.  Taste you product.  Add more mustard or syrup depending on how you think it taste.  Add salt if you think it needs it. Pour all of the dressing over the salad.

3.  Store left over salad in air tight container and refrigerate.

Friday, December 11, 2015

Chinese Tofu Salad with Cashews



Cory and I used to make Chinese Chicken Salad all the time.  You may remember, it was the salad with Top Ramen added and sometimes served with chicken.  Since we are staying away from a lot of process food the Top Ramen is out.  We also have cut back on our meat.  Cabbage salad sounded boring.  I took the initiative to mix and match my ingredients to come up with a new version for our family and renamed it Chinese Tofu Salad.

It's not exactly like the salad we used to make but it had familiar notes to it.  I think he liked it because he went back for seconds and then thirds.

I used the Fried Tofu from Tuesdays recipe to top our salad.  I like warm protein on my salads.  The process of making fried tofu is in Tuesdays blog post. It is simple and creates a nice warm element to this salad.  

I also toasted sesame seeds and cashews.  The fried tofu, toasted sesame seeds and cashews create a party in your mouth.  The different flavor profiles with the simple dressing explode with flavor and freshness. 


Chinese Tofu Salad with Cashews and Sesame Seeds

1/2 head of cabbage, cut any way you like
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 cup toasted cashews
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
2 stalks of celery, sliced thin
green onion for garnish on top
Fried Tofu-optional (see post for instructions on how to make)

Dressing:

3 tablespoons rice wine
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
3-5 drops of sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1-2 teaspoons sugar or coconut sugar

1.  Mix salad ingredients together.

2.  Combine dressing ingredients together.  Taste to make sure it is balanced correctly. Adjust with more rice wine, soy sauce or sugar.

3.  Pour dressing over salad and toss.  Add tofu to individual plates of salad. Garnish with green onion pieces.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Citrus and Dill Salad Dressing


I know that summer is right around the corner and in our family this means a lot more salads are made. I wish I was better about eating salads all winter long.  The truth of that statement is, I am not.  Eating salads in the winter months becomes a game of bait and switch.  I buy the salad stuff and think in my mind that the green leaves will make the perfect lunch and then at the last minute I switch it to some form of comfort food like pasta or soup.

Every time around November I have the same pep talk with myself and manage to blow all promises out of the water of a greener winter.

Am I alone in this?

I have found that having salad dressing in the refrigerator helps.  I usually don't buy bottled dressing because I like to make it from scratch.

I find making homemade salad dressing fun.  I like combining my favorite flavors together. This dressing happened because I was writing up a piece about creating a "spa life at home" for Capital Style Magazine.  I was asked to share several recipes that were light and incorporated fresh ingredients.

The process of making a dressing for your family is simple.  If you have a selection of fresh herbs, seasonings, extra virgin olive oil, and something to invoke flavor--you have the fixings to create a dressing.  I used Dijon mustard and citrus juices to create most of the flavor in this dressing.  I then added fresh dill to build on the flavor profile I created.

You can easily substitute the juice and fresh herb to alter the final dressing.  Juices that I have used in the past are pomegranate, orange, pineapple and mango.  Herbs that I have used in the past are basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, mint and cilantro.   Instead of using Dijon mustard you could try a different variety of mustards: sweet, spicy, whole seed, etc....

Mix and match ingredients to find the perfect salad dressing for your family.

It doesn't have to be complicated.  Just use what you have on hand or what you have already purchased to go into your recipe.  This adds layers to your dish when you can find, as an example, lemon used multiple ways throughout a meal.  At least, I like to do this.

Enjoy!

PS:  I used this dressing for a salad that I made with salmon, lemon and dill.  I made the salmon into kabobs and served over a bed of lettuce.  The recipe can be found here. The kabobs are pictured above.




Citrus and Dill Salad Dressing

Makes 1/3 cup
Prep Time:  5 minutes

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons fresh grapefruit juice
1 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon fresh dill, diced small
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1-2 teaspoons real maple syrup (sweetener)
Salt and pepper, to taste

1.  Combine all ingredients in small bowl.

2.  Whisk ingredients until well combined.

3.  Use immediately on salad.  Refrigerate leftovers for 1 week.

Written by Sherron Watson

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing



Have you missed me?  I missed you very much and I hope to be back on a regular schedule of sharing recipes and updates a little more frequently than I have this past year.

I have been a little busy with Finnley and family.  Our little bundle of joy arrived 3 weeks early and she is such a joy to have in our lives.  With each child I always wonder if I will have enough... enough love and time, to share with one more little person.  I am amazed at how the universe seems to make room in your life for both--time and love--to be shared in abundance.



I had been on bed rest for the prior two weeks due to pre-eclampsia.  I was ready to have Finnley with our family at home in our arms.  On Thursday (9-19) I went to the doctor and with my current high blood pressure symptoms they told me I needed to be back at the hospital at 5pm--we were having a baby!

I thought I was ready--and I was--but then I felt not ready...LOL For a brief moment I was scared, nervous and excited all at the same time. I just wanted to hold her in my arms and kiss her sweet cheeks. I wanted to know that everything was okay. I needed to hear her cry and feel her next to me.

14 hours later she came into the world and we were all thrilled. She weighed 6lbs. 2 oz. and measured 18 inches long. Her little legs never stopped kicking--just like when she was inside of me. The nurses all joked that she might be a soccer player or dancer.

I stayed in the hospital for two days and came home full of energy. With the help of my hubby and older kids we have managed to get plenty of sleep and rest. I am anxious to get back to a schedule and start exercising again.


I gained 23 pounds during this pregnancy and have lost most of it...I am down to the final 8 pounds.  I have to think that my gluten free diet helped with the weight gain and also with the weight loss after she was born.  My other pregnancies I gained 50 pounds and it took me a long time to drop the weight.





One thing that I have been better about this time around is drinking lots of water. I have also increased the amount of vegetables and protein that I am eating.  I still indulge in a gluten free snack or treat once in a while but only on rare occasions.

My Mom makes a wonderful warm spinach salad with bacon dressing that I remember as a young adult. She still makes this for special occasions. Well, I think this is a special occasion and I made it this past week. I added a few of my own additions, like the apple pieces and toasted almond slivers, but that is because I wanted to add some crunch and a bit of sweetness to the tart dressing.

I want to say thank you to everyone that has continued to support this blog and follow along the past two years.  It has been a joy to share recipes, memories and photographs with each of you.  I will do my best to keep posting but my number one priority is and will always be my family.  This precious time I have with my new baby will go by so fast that I want to cherish each moment, each smell, every kiss and sweet smile that she choses to share with me.  



Recipe:  Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

1 Large container of spinach
3 hard boiled eggs, diced small or sliced
6 slices of bacon, diced and fried
1/4 cup of red onion, chopped small
1 small red apple, chopped small
1/4 cup toasted almonds or pecans

Dressing:

grease of fried bacon
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons of honey
salt and pepper to taste

Have bacon fried and eggs boiled.

In a large skillet with the bacon grease and heat turned off, add the dressing ingredients. With a whisk, blend well.  If the bacon grease has become solid, then warm until just melted.  When the grease gets too hot it will wilt your spinach.  The flavor will be the same but presentation may not be appealing.

 You want the dressing warm, not hot.

Right before you are ready to serve, toss the spinach with the warm dressing. It takes just a minute for the dressing and bacon dressing to be tossed together.  Do not turn the heat on for this or you will end up sautéing your salad.

Add the remaining ingredients to your salad and serve immediately.






Monday, January 7, 2013

Tomatillo Cilantro Salad Dressing




This recipe is such a wonderful color of green.

I love how the cilantro and tomatillo work together to create a green that reminds me of something I imagine from the rain forest-possibly the feathers of a bird or the belly of a lizard.   Lime green is too bright, jade is too dark--according to Crayola, the color is granny apple green.

I can see that….it is similar to my bowl of green apples.

The fusion of two green ingredients create a woodsy and earthy flavor that also carries with it a hint of garlic, onion and a variety of spice.   This combination sets it apart from the others.  I like this dressing because it can be used on a variety of other entree's, not just for salads.

I especially like it over this recipe HERE.

While living in Utah we fell in love with a restaurant that served a very similar salad dressing.  Cafe Rio was unlike any place we had eaten before. Moving to the Provo area provided us with many new experiences and this was one of our favorites.  The ingredients were fresh, the flavors spicy and our portions were huge.  We new we could always split a meal and save a few extra pennies for our next great adventure by frequenting Cafe Rio.

The original recipe did call for a packet of ranch dressing.  I try to not buy too many packaged food items and so I have adjusted mine so that you can use the spices you have in your cupboard and not worry about wether you have a "packet" at home.



Enjoy this refreshing dressing for your next party, outdoor gathering or simply for your own simple pleasure.

Recipe: Tomatillo Cilantro Salad Dressing
Makes about 2.5 cups

3-4 tomatillo's, cut into fourths
1 1/4 cup of mayonnaise
1/3 cup of buttermilk
1 cup of cilantro ( I use more for a stronger flavor)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of lime juice
1/4-1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon on onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients into a blender.   Blend until tomatillo's and cilantro are chopped into small and tiny specks.  (see pictures)

Taste you dressing.  Add more salt if needed.  The dressing should be allowed to sit over night or a minimum of 4 hours so the flavors have a chance to fuse and combine.




Written by Sherron Watson








Thursday, October 25, 2012

Winter Salad with Poppyseed Salad Dressing


Pomegranates have been a favorite of mine for years.  I remember eating them as a kid and spending hours picking out each and every seed.  Pulling back the white membrane very gently so that I would not damage a single kernel.

Once they were all picked I would sit with my bowl and gently scoop a handful into my mouth.  This was the best part.  The snapping and popping of each seed as I bit down.  The juice pooling in my mouth was full of body and rich flavor.  


I don't recall if my Mom ever used them in anything we ate other than to eat them on their own. 

Years ago I was given this recipe at a function and it called for pomegranates.  

I don't buy them like I used to.  My kids can take or leave them.  I always asked for them when I went shopping with my Mom but my kids don't care much if they have one or not.

Looking through my old recipes I found this and decided to make it for our lunch.  I had forgotten how much I enjoyed poppyseed salad dressing and when combined with the fruit and lettuce greens my tummy was a happy camper.



Recipe:  Winter Salad with Poppyseed Salad Dressing

Head of Romaine Lettuce
1 cup of diced apple
1 cup of diced pear
1/2 cup of sliced almond slivers
1 cup of grated swiss cheese
seeds from one pomegranate
Poppyseed Salad Dressing (Recipe below)

Toss salad together.

Add salad dressing.

Serve.

NOTE:  I used a bit of lemon juice in water to keep the apple and pear from turning brown before I tossed them into the salad.  I have also used Sprite.


Recipe: Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

1/2 cup light olive oil
1/4 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Combine above ingredients in a container with a lid.  Shake until blended.  Serve over salad.

Good for 2 weeks stored in refrigerator.






  

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