Avocado Salad with Bacon Dressing

So, something I wanted to do with all of our foods this year was include foods with aphrodisiac qualities - I apologize if you didn't really want to know that about me or us, but it's the truth of how I went about planning this meal. So I conducted some research and discovered loads of great recipes, including this recipe for Avocado Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing.

Interestingly enough, we had filled up on all the other dishes of the night and didn't have room for this one one top of stuffed peppers, slices of bread topped with apples and brie, stuffed figs and wrapped asparagus. So, it became the following days lunch. And it was oh-so-delicious.

Ingredients/Directions: 

The Avocado salad is easy, just thickly slice an Avocado.

For the dressing, you'll need to cook 1/3 lb. Bacon in a large skillet and let cool/drain on paper towels. This isn't the time for soft, chewy bacon, you definitely want it to be a bit crisp. Now, you'll need to save at least 2 Tbsp. of Bacon Fat for the dressing, although, if you just pour it all into a glass jar or tin can, you could save it up and make delicious things like Tortillas...or even cookies, but that's up to you.

Heat the bacon grease in a small sauce pan and add 1-3 cloves of minced Garlic (three is REALLY strong, but that's what the original recipe calls for - so adjust as desired), 1/4 cup Water, 2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice (or Homemade Vinegar...or not homemade) and 1 Tbsp. Sugar, simmer until sugar is dissolved.

Season with Salt and Pepper and stir in 2 Tbsp. of chopped Parsley.

Drizzle over Avocados and ENJOY!

Black-Eyed Pea Salad

I've always appreciated a hearty salad in the summer, but living in South Korea, I NEED a hearty salad in the summer. I need salad because it's not a hot meal nor a heavy meal and it fits summer perfectly. This Black-Eyed Pea Salad was delicious on it's own and absolutely fantastic served over/mixed with some brown rice.

Ingredients/Directions:

From Love of Cooking: Salads

Prepare 1 lb. of dried black-eyed peas (I soak my beans over night in the slow-cooker, rinse in the morning, cover with water and cook on low all day, 8-10 hours). Drain and Rinse. In a small sauce pan heat up 1/4 cup Sugar, 1/4 cup Olive Oil, 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar, 1 clove of Garlic, minced and a shake of Black Pepper, heat until sugar has melted. Cool this dressing to room temperature. Meanwhile, combine the black-eyed peas with 2 Bell Peppers (Red and Yellow will yeild the most appealing salad), 1 Onion (again, red is preferred) and 1/2 cup chopped Celery if available.  Toss with dressing and chill salad before serving!

Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Hummus

I started with this recipe for a Warm Chickpea Salad  thinking it'd be great for a day trip Mike and I had in the works. But then, it seemed I'd rather eat more than this salad on the day trip which was turning into a festival outing which promised enticing food items, so... I put the salad on hold, letting the flavors soak in just a touch more.

By the time Monday evening rolled around, I sat staring at a jar of nicely seasoned chickpeas and sun-dried tomatoes and I thought to myself, I want that to be dip-able, I want to dip some chips in that - so into the food processor it went before entering our bellies on numerous corn tortilla chips.

I think it'd make a delicious salad, so you can go that route as well, the directions are for the salad - to get the 'hummus' simply throw into a food processor!

Ingredients/Directions:

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 3 Tbsp. EVOO, add 2 Tbsp. Cumin Seeds (or a shake of cumin if you don't have the luxury of easily attained spices) and 1/4 tsp. of Crushed Red Pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly until toasted and aromatic. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add 4 minced Garlic Cloves, cook 3 minutes until golden. Next add 2 - 15oz- Cans of Drained Chickpeas and 1/2 cup chopped Sun-Dried Tomatoes. Turn heat up to medium-high and cook until chickpeas are warm and shiny with oil. Remove from heat and add a splash of Lemon Juice and fresh (or conveniently frozen) herbs of your choice (I threw in a couple of basil cubes). Salt and Pepper to taste, let set for at least one hour, serve at room temperature or throw into a food processor for a delicious and rich 'hummus'

Mason Jar Taco Salad

Mason Jar salads are apparently all the rage on the blogging world...or in the Pinterest world...they are not all the rage in South Korea - but that doesn't mean we haven't heard about them nor that we can't bust out a few ourselves ^^

I try to think ahead. We had some obligations coming up, so I opted to throw together some Mason Jar Salads and see how they worked out. They were quite delicious. I may have needed a bit more dressing, and a bit more space at the top for easier shaking, otherwise - it was a nice dinner and seems like a promising picnic option...time to get into our car and enjoy some road trips!

Ingredients/Directions:

The basics of Mason Jar Salads are to layer up starting with dressing, a hearty set of veggies, cheese and finally lettuce.

For this Taco Salad, I started with a yogurt dressing which I threw together - essentially plain, home-made yogurt with chili powder, cayenne powder, salt, pepper and cumin. (Sour Cream and Salsa would work equally well, if not better for a taco salad). Next, I threw in some corn, followed by tomatoes and black beans. Once those items were layered in, I tore some lettuce into the jar and finally placed some tortilla chip crumbs on the very top. When the dinner hour rolled around, the hubs and I got some exercise shaking our jars and enjoyed some salad (except Mike doesn't really like corn, so he didn't enjoy his as much).

SpinachSalad and Home-made Dressing

To accompany the deliciousness that was Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin and fresh bread with home-made Orange Curd, I decided a nice Spinach Salad would suit our Easter dinner just right.

Ingredients/Directions:

From the Cookbook - Love of Cooking: Salads

Toss together washed and relatively dry Spinach with 1 cup of chopped Mushrooms, 8 sliced Green Onions, 8 slices of cooked and crumbled Bacon and 4 chopped hard-boiled Eggs. For dressing, mix together 1/3 cup of Sugar, 1/2 tsp. Dry Mustars, 1/2 tsp. Salt and 1/3 cup Cider Vinegar in a food processor or blender. Slowly add 1 cup of Vegetable Oil, mixing in between additions. Top salad with dressing before serving and enjoy as a light lunch or dinner or side dish!

A salad fit for Kings, gathered by Beggars

Extended Life for: Italian Dressing, Ranch Dressing, Toasted Squash Seeds, Dried-Tomatoes, Green Onions
Salad doesn't take a brain surgeon to produce, but I did want to showcase some of our 'dumpster' finds that have added extra flavor and pizazz to our occassional salad eating habits.

Crab Apple Coleslaw

Extended Life for: Grapes (raisins) and Soy Nuts

Unfortunately, I do not have a photo to accompany this recipe, nor do I have very specific directions. However, I can testify to the delicious nature of this dish!

Ingredients:

Shredded Cabbage
Handful or two Raisins
Soy nuts
1 recipe Crab Apple Vinaigrette - from October 2009 post

Directions:

Place cabbage, raisins and nuts in a bowl. Pour dressing over top, let set for a couple hours or overnight. Enjoy with fish tacos or as a delectable side dish.

Orzo with Smoked Goose and Crab Apple Butter Vinaigrette

Extended Life for: Grapes (Raisins), Oranges (Zest) While the above picture may not have you lickin' your chomps, trust me when I say this is a delightful dish. An uncle of Mike's is an accomplished goose hunter, most of which he has smoked and then shares with his beloved family. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with smoked goose and don't always enjoy the strong smoky flavor of the meat on its own. Having discovered a recipe for Apple Butter Vinaigrette and spotting a smoked goose breast in the fridge, I made the executive decision to put them together. This salad is enjoyable hot or cold.

Ingredients:

3-4 cups Orzo, prepared
1 cup finely diced Smoked Goose Breast
1/2 cup Red Onion, diced
1/2 cup Raisins
1 tsp. Orange Zest

Vinaigrette -
1/2 cup Crab Apple Butter or Apple Butter
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Cider Vinegar
dash Pepper

Directions:

Mix first 5 ingredients together. In a glass jar place vinaigrette ingredients, shake vigourously until well mixed. Pour dressing over first five ingredients. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, enjoy!

Peanut Butter Rice with Apples and Raisins

Extended Life for: Apples and Raisins

In the midst of preparing crab apple butter I developed this quick dish that was sweet, healthy and completely satisfying. I don't generally use the microwave to prepare a meal, but this day, I made an exception as I was desperately hungry.

Ingredients:

2 Green Apples, chopped
1/4 cup Raisins
1 Cup uncooked Instant Brown Rice
(plus required ingredients for cooking)
1/2 Cup Nutcracker Sweet Tea or any chai
3 Tbsp. Peanut Butter
2 Tbsp. Honey
Cinnamon to taste

Directions:

Prepare instant rice as per box directions for microwave. Prepare 1/2 cup tea, add peanut butter and honey, mix until smooth. Mix apples and raisins in a bowl. Let rice and peanut butter sauce cool slightly. Mix rice in with apples and raisins then stir in peanut butter sauce. Season with cinnamon as desired.
May be enjoyed warm or you may chill for a couple hours before enjoying!