Tex-Mex Bean Salad

1/3 Cup Salsa
3 Tbsp sour cream
1Tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 Cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 Cup grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 Cup canned yellow corn
1/2 Cup diced avocado
1/2 cup scallions
6 cups lettuce
2 oz cheese, cubed or shredded.

In large bowl, stir together salsa, sour cream and vinegar.  Add beans, tomatoes, corn, avocado, scallions.  Toss to coat.

Place 1 1/2 cups lettuce on 4 plates;  top with 1 1/2 cups of bean mixture.  Sprinkle each serving with 2 Tablespoons of cheese, add a few tortilla chips and enjoy. 

Serves 4

Spinach Salad - At. Pam

Spinach Salad



2 bunches of Spinach (1 bag)

2 cans Mandarin Oranges

1 Red apple (dipped in lemon juice)

¾ Cup Craisins

1 Cup Pecan pieces-sugared

4 Tablespoons of brown sugar

1 Cup Pecan pieces

Put in saucepan on med-high heat—stirring constantly until sugar melts—cool before adding to salad

Optional ingredients:

Toasted Almonds

1 Cucumber

Sliced red onion



Dressing: (Make dressing and toss salad just before serving)

1 Cup Olive Oil

½ Cup Granulated Sugar

½ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

2 Tablespoons finely chopped white onion

½ Teaspoon Paprika

½ Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tablespoon Poppy Seed

Snake Bite House Salad

The Snake Bite Restaurant in downtown Idaho Falls has a wonderful house salad. It is my favorite lunch. There are two parts to the salad the most important is the Cranberry Salsa that is also good on a turkey or chicken sandwich.

Cranberry Salsa
(makes enough to use with 4-6 salads, and you'll have some to keep for up to one week)
2 cups dried sweetened cranberries, plumped up in a saucepan with just enough water to cover; when it boils, remove from heat and set aside.
1/2 medium white onion
6 or more full sprigs and stems of cilantro, well rinsed to remove all sand
Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
Cut both ends off the onion, peel and finely dice. Add to a mixing bowl. Chop off the ends of the cilantro stems, then chop the leafs and tender stems (they're too flavorful to discard). Add to bowl along with lemon juice. Pour the cranberries and liquid into the bowl, mixing well. Let cool and refrigerate. Salsa can be served warm, but don't reheat after it's been refrigerated.

Snake Bite Balsamic Vinaigrette
(make as much as you'd like, using a ratio of 3 parts olive oil to 1 part balsamic vinegar)
Dijon mustard, 1-2 tablespoons for every 3 units of oil
Balsamic vinegar
Fresh whole garlic cloves (number depends on your preference)
Extra virgin olive oil
Sugar, few pinches
In a food processor, add garlic cloves and finely chop. Add your proportions of balsamic, oil and mustard. Process until it thickens and becomes a beautiful mahogany brown in color. It should be fairly thick, just slightly thinner than the prepared Dijon. If it's too thick, add a little water to the processor and whirl briefly. The vinaigrette stores well in the refrigerator

Salad
(6 to 8 ounces of greens is about right for four)
Mix your preferred amount of dressing into the greens) (or serve on the side) Thinly slice about 1/2 cucumber or zuchini and criss cross into shoestrings and sprinkle on top of the greens. Add desired amounts of Blue Cheese and last cranberry salsa.

You can add cooked sliced chicken or shrimp before you add the cucumber. I like the chicken warm.

Here's a good combo we had for dinner today served with french bread. I thought these were yummy recipes and I think everyone else did, too (at least they said they liked dinner). Hope it helps!


Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing

1/2 c. white sugar 4 oz. shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 c. lemon juice 1 c. cashews (or almonds)
2 tsp. diced onion 1/4 c. craisins
1 tsp. Dijon-style mustard 1 apple, diced
1/2 tsp. salt 1 pear, diced
2/3 c. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. poppy seeds
1 head romaine lettuce, torn
(bagged lettuce is great)

1. In a blender, combine sugar, lemon juice, onion, mustard and salt. Process until well blended. With machine still running, add oil in a slow, steady stream until mixture is thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds and process just a few seconds more to mix.

2. In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, cheese, cashews, craisins, apple and pear. Toss, then pour dressing over salad just before serving and toss to coat.

(It could be done without the cheese, as I am not a big Swiss cheese fan. It also tasted good with pomegranate seeds mixed in.)


Hearty Potato Soup

6 potatoes, peeled & diced small
2 medium onions, diced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
2-14 1/2 oz. cans chicken broth
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 C. flour
1 1/2 C. half-and-half

Combine everything in crock, but flour and half-and-half. Cook on high for 3 hours or until veggies are tender (6-7 hours on low works, too). Mix together flour and half-and-half, stir into soup. Cover; cook 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Even my "potato hater" ate this one. We told him it was lump soup, the potatoes being the lumps, and he gobbled it down. Go figure.

Pretzel Dessert or Salad

Crust:
3/4 cup melted margarine
2 cups crushed pretzels
2 tablespoons sugar

Mix well and spread in bottom of 9 x 13 dish. Bake at 400 dg. for 8 minutes.

Middle:
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
12 oz. Cool Whip

Mix well until smooth and creamy. Spread evenly over cooled crust.

Top:
2 cups boiling water
2 small pkgs. strawberry jello
2 (10 oz) pkgs. frozen strawberries

Mix well; set in refrigerator until partially set, then pour over cream middle. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Shrimp Salad

1 pkg. salad macaroni, cooked 10 min. rinsed and drained
4 hard-cooked eggs, diced fine
1 Cup finely chopped celery (sometimes I don't put this in.)
1/4 Cup green onions
1 can shrimp (small)

Dressing:
1 Cup Mayonnaise
1 Cup Miracle Whip
1/2 tsp. sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine dressing mixture and pour over macaroni and salad ingredients. Let set in refrigerator 4-5 hours. Even better the second day.

Sarah's Salad

1 head of iceberg lettuce
3 strips bacon
1/2 ounce package frozen peas
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon slat
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese (or cut 2 1/2 ounces in strips)
2/3 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup salad dressing

Wash and drain lettuce. Dry thoroughly. Dice bacon and saute until crisp;(i use the microwave so much faster) Run hot water over frozen peas and drain. Tear lettuce into bite-size pieces into salad bowl. Sprinkle with sugar, salt, and pepper. Add peas, cheese, onion, mayonnaise, and salad dressing. (These ingredients may be layered, if desired, with the mayonnaise spread on last. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight)you don't have to do overnight. Chill. Toss when ready to serve and garnish with bacon. Makes 8 servings.

This is from the Lion House Recipes