Spinach, Apple and Pecan Salad from the bigoven.com

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spinach-apple-and-pecan-salad-2

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 golden delicious apple; halved, cored,
1/4 c. thinly sliced red onion; cut in thin strips
3/4 lb spinach; washed, stems removed, leaves torn
1/2 cup toasted pecans

  1. In serving bowl, whisk oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper until thick.
  2. Add apple and onion.
  3. Toss until apples and onions are covered with dressing.
  4. Place spinach on top, then pecans.
  5. Just before serving, toss.
  6. might add some blue cheese

4 servings

Chipotle’s ‘secret’ Guacamole recipe

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fwx-chipotle-guacamole-recipeThe recipe is not earth-shattering—
2 Hass avocados
2 teaspoons of lime juice
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2  chopped jalapeño
1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt

Choose the right avocado. It should feel squishy yet firm (like the palm of your hand), and be a nice dark green color on the inside.
2. Cut the avocado in half and the remove the pit (carefully!)
3. Scoop the avocados and place in a medium bowl.
4. Toss and coat with lime juice.
5. Add the salt and using a fork or potato masher, mash until a smooth consistency is achieved.
6. Fold in the remaining ingredients and mix well.
7. Taste the guacamole (over and over) and adjust seasoning if necessary.

 

Soba Salad With Seaweed, Cucumbers, and Asparagus from serious eats

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  • 1 pound asparagus, 20150605-seaweed-pasta-salad-daniel-gritzer-13-thumb-625xauto-423921woody ends trimmed
  • 1/2 ounce dried wakame seaweed (see note above)
  • 300 grams (about 10 1/2 ounces) dried soba noodles
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh juice from 2 lemons
  • 2 tablespoons canola, vegetable, or grapeseed oil
  • 1 (1 1/2-inch) knob fresh peeled ginger, grated
  • 1 large English cucumber, ends trimmed, quartered lengthwise, and thinly sliced into quarter-moons
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
  • 2 scallions, white and light green parts thinly sliced on the bias
  • Kosher salt

  1. Place wakame in a medium bowl and cover with plenty of warm water. Let stand until softened and rehydrated (about 10 minutes), then transfer to a fine mesh strainer to drain. In a large pot of salted boiling water, blanch asparagus until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, transfer to an ice-water bath to chill. Slice chilled asparagus into 1 1/2-inch lengths on a slight bias.

  2. In a new pot of salted boiling water, cook soba noodles until tender, according to package instructions. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold running water until chilled.

  3. In a small mixing bowl, stir together soy sauce, sesame oil, lemon juice, canola oil, and ginger. Drain wakame and squeeze out excess water with your hands.

  4. In a large bowl, combine soba noodles, asparagus, wakame, cucumber, sesame seeds, and scallions and toss well. Season with salt and serve, sprinkling more sesame seeds on individual plates, if desired.

Dante’s Potato Salad Recipe adapted from

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“Feeding the Fire: Recipes & Strategies for Better Barbecue & Grilling,” by Joe Carroll and Nick Fauchald

Feature-Image-Potato-Salad-Feeding-The-Fire-Dinner-Party-Entertaining-Joe-Carroll-Spuyten-Duyvil-St.-Anselm-Fette-Sau-Brooklyn-Williamsburg-NYC-BBQ-Grilling-Outdoor-Cooking-Recipe¼ cup, plus 1 tablespoon, olive oil, divided
1 large Spanish onion, diced
4 pounds Yukon Gold or other waxy potatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
¼ cup cider vinegar
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives

1. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until translucent and just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. You don’t want the onion to brown. Transfer the onion to a bowl and let cool.

2. In a large saucepan, cover the potatoes with water by 1 inch and season generously with salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain the potatoes and transfer them to a cutting board.

3. While the potatoes are cooling, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar and cayenne. Slowly whisk in the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

4. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into ½-inch dice.

5. Toss the warm potatoes and reserved onions with the vinaigrette. Add the chives, season with salt and pepper, and toss again. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day.  Yield: 8 to 10 servings

7-Can Taco Soup From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

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  • 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 pound of lean ground beef
  • 1 cup of chopped onion
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
  • 1 envelope of ranch dressing mix
  • 1 envelope of taco seasoning mix
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes,undrained
  • 1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes,undrained
  • 1 can of green chilies,undrained
  • 4 cups of beef broth or stock
  • 1 can of chili beans, undrained
  • 1 can of kidney beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1 can of pinto beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1 can of whole kernel corn,drained
  • Finely shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese, for garnish, optional
  • Chopped fresh tomato, for garnish, optional
  • Diced avocado, for garnish,optional
  • Shredded lettuce, for garnish,optional
  • Homemade or commercial tortilla strips, for garnish,optional
  • Sour cream, for garnish,optional

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, add the ground beef and onion and cook until beef is browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Stir in the ranch dressing and taco seasoning packets and cook and stir for another minute. Add the un-drained, diced tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes, and green chilies; cook and stir for 5 minutes. Stir in the beef broth and the undrained chili beans.  Drain and rinse the kidney beans and pinto beans; drain the corn and add all to the pot and bring up to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Can hold longer over low heat.

Serve with a sprinkle of cheese, chopped tomato, diced avocado, tortilla chips, green onion and a dollop of sour cream, or your own favorite toppings, if desired.  6 servings

Cook’s Notes: This is the mix of beans and veggies that I use, but with a well stocked pantry, you can vary the recipe according to your own tastes, using a variety of substitutes. I also like to add in 1/2 pound of raw sausage such as breakfast, Italian sausage or bratwurst along with the ground beef. Swap the beef for ground turkey or use cooked, shredded chicken for a different twist.

For the Crockpot: Brown the meat, drain and add it with remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 1 hour, reduce and hold on low until needed.

Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream and Dill Dressing from Martha

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cucumber salad with sour cream and dill dressing_vert

 

  • 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish (optional)
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 4 to 6 Kirby cucumbers (about 1 pound), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

  1. In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, lemon juice, and dill. Season with salt and pepper, and whisk well to combine.

  2. Add cucumbers, and toss to coat. Garnish with more dill, if desired. Serve, or refrigerate, covered, up to 4 hours.

 

Diamond Sevens Ranch Dressing

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1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

In a blender, blend the mayonnaise with the milk, vinegar, parsley, dill, salt, garlic powder, garlic salt, onion powder and black pepper until smooth, about 2 minutes. Yield: 1 1/2 cups

If no cooling rack is available, the pickles can be broiled directly on a baking sheet. However, they will not crisp up as much as with a rack.

Un-fried Pickles, Trisha Yearwood

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YW0511_Unfried-Pickles-with-Ranch-Dressing_s4x3.jpg.rend.sni12col.landscapeNonstick cooking spray, for the cooling rack
2 large eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
One 16-ounce jar sliced dill pickles

Serve with Diamond Sevens Ranch Dressing

Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to broil. Spray a cooling rack with nonstick cooking spray and place it on top of a baking sheet.

Whisk the eggs with the flour, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, chili powder, garlic powder and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Drain the dill pickles and pat dry with paper towels. Working in batches, toss the pickles in the egg mixture so they are fully coated. Remove the pickles, letting the excess egg drip off, and transfer to the breadcrumb mixture. Toss to fully coat. Spread the pickles out on the prepared cooling rack in a single layer (with none overlapping).

Place the baking sheet on the middle rack in the oven and broil until the tops of the pickles are a crisp golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip the pickles and continue to cook until crisp golden brown all over, about 4 minutes.

Serve warm with the Diamond Sevens Ranch dressing.