Summertime Salad

This salad is light, delicious, and fresh. Perfect for a Saturday lunch or a side dish to an outdoor summer dinner. I say it serves two to four because 2 people can easily polish off the entire dish even though it is meant to serve 4. The bacon adds a nice saltiness to compliment the sweet vegetables. The dressing is light and doesn't overwhelm the fresh flavors that you want to shine though. (Photo from Taste of Home magazine)


Serves: 2-4
Start-to-Finish: 35 minutes
Recipe By: Betty Fulks

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked spiral pasta (I like to use rainbow spiral pasta)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 cup sliced green onions
6-8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup fresh sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved
1 cup fresh cauliflower, chopped
1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
1 large sweet red bell pepper, chopped

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, sugar and garlic powder; set aside.
3. Wash and chop green onions, romaine lettuce, sugar snap peas, cauliflower, broccoli,  and red bell pepper.
3. Drain pasta and rinse in cold water.
4. In a large salad bowl combine pasta, mayonnaise dressing, crumbled bacon, green onions, romaine lettuce, peas, cauliflower, broccoli, and red bell pepper.
5. Toss to mix.
6. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Spinach, Artichoke, and Green Chili Dip

I am sure you have all tried this dish at some point in your life. It is one of my favorite dips with bruscetta or chips so I usually order it when it is my turn to pick an appetizer. I have tried some incredible versions of this dip at several restaurants but this recipe is my favorite yet. Which is surprising considering where I tasted it first ... HEB.  Yep, I got this decedent mouthful at a tasting stand in my local grocery store. I grabbed the sample and kept walking because the boys were trying to grab as many little plastic cups from the stand as possible. I took one bite, stopped, and went back to ask the woman how to make it.  She handed me a little recipe card and off I went to buy everything right then. That may not seem like a big deal but for me it means backtracking down four different aisles to get the ingredients I need while my boys fight with their seat belts and each other as I race the clock to get out of the store before my patience runs out. It is rich and salty with a deep, complex flavor from the artichoke tapenade.

Serves: 8
Start-to-Finish: 30 minutes
Recipe By: HEB Showtime Recipes

Ingredients:

1 (10-oz) jar artichoke tapenade (can substitute artichoke hearts, finely chopped)
6 - 8 oz fresh spinach (can substitute frozen chopped spinach)
1 (16-oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 small can chopped green chilies
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp chopped garlic in oil, drained
1 cup shredded monterey jack or pepper jack cheese

Directions:

1. For fresh spinach, chop and set aside. For frozen spinach, let thaw; then squeeze to remove excess moisture.
2. Heat oven to 375°F.
3. Coat a baking dish or pie pan with non-stick spray.
4. In a large mixing bowl combine cream cheese, green chilies, mayonnaise, and garlic.
5. Stir in artichoke tapendade, spinach, and cheese.
6. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish.
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
8. Serve with chips.

Georgia Peanut Salsa

If you are looking for a new salsa recipe check out this great flavor combination. I have tried lots of veggie salsas, bean salsas, and fruit-based salsas but this is the first peanut salsa I have ever come across and it is wonderful ... and very addicting! It claims to serve 13 (1/2 cup servings) but Mike and I polished off the whole batch in one sitting. The peanuts add a nice crunch along with general substance in every bite, the bell peppers and cilantro add freshness, and the corn and tomato give your salsa base.

Serves: 6 1/2 cups

Start-to-Finish: 25 minutes (plus overnight chilling)

Recipe By: Lane and Elizabeth McCloud

Ingredients:

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 jar (8-oz) picante sauce
1 can (11-oz) white or shoepeg corn, drained
1/3 cup Italian salad dressing
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 cups salted roasted peanuts
Tortilla chips

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients.
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
3. Just before serving, stir in peanuts.
4. Serve with tortilla chips.

Spiced Ham with Apple Relish

This delicious, fruity recipe would make a great Easter dinner. It has wonderful presentation and is very easy to prepare. I love the smell of cloves, they give the ham a very rich flavor. When combined with the sweet relish, the orange and clove make a great combination. Pre-cooked hams can be found near the lunch meat in most grocery stores and are wonderful time savers. You can also cut them up and add the ham to soups or pasta salads.

Serves: 4 people
Start-to-Finish: 1 hour 10 minutes
Recipe By: Vicki Tasker

Ingredients:

Ham:
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 (2 lb.) boneless fully cooked ham

Apple Relish:
2 medium tart apples, peeled and chopped
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/8 cup vinegar
1 TBSP grated orange peel (don't overdo the orange peel, it is very strong)
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted (the almonds add a wonderful nutty, crunchy flavor. Don't skip out on them)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°
2. Combine cloves and allspice; rub into ham. (Do not leave a crust of seasonings on the ham. They have very strong, pungent flavors. A light dusting will give adequate flavor without making a crust of cloves you will have to bite through.)
3. Wrap tightly in foil and place in a shallow baking pan.
4. Bake for 1 hour. (The ham is already cooked, this is just to heat it through and let it marinate in the seasonings.)
5. Meanwhile, prepare the fruits for the apple relish. (Peel, chop, and grate)
6. In a large saucepan, combine the first six relish ingredients.
7. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
8. Reduce heat; simmer for 25-30 minutes or until thickened.
9. Toast almonds and stir into the fruit relish.
10. Slice ham; serve with the relish.




Oven Parmesan Chips

These really do taste like potato chips if they are sliced thinly. If you are lucky enough to have a mandolin then slicing the potatoes thin will be no problem. For myself and everyone else, just do the best you can. The seasonings add plenty of flavor so you do not need to add a lot.

Serves: 4
Start to Finish: 45 minutes
Recipe By: Mary Lou Kelly

Ingredients:

4 medium baking potatoes (you do not need to peel them)
1/4 cup butter, melted (I only used about half of the butter)
1 TBSP minced onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Dash paprika
2 TBSP Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425*
2. Cut potatoes into 1/4-in. slices; place on a greased baking sheet in a single layer. (I put foil on the baking sheet for easier clean up and sprayed the foil with non-stick cooking spray.)
3. Combine the butter, onion, salt, pepper and paprika; brush on one side of potatoes, then turn and brush other side. (If you need to save time only brush one side.)
4. Bake, uncovered for 20-25 min or until potatoes are crisp and golden.
5. Sprinkle with cheese; serve immediately.

Seasoned Fan Potatoes

I hate to admit it but potatoes are often overlooked in my house. They are inexpensive, store well, and make a filling side dish so I am not sure why I have such a hard time cooking them. It is like I have a strange fear I am going to mess them up. But, for the most part, it is difficult to make a mistake with potatoes. When I saw a picture of this recipe I knew I wanted to try it. The potatoes look so pretty and delicious. They were full of salty-buttery flavor and made a lovely presentation.

Serves: 4 potatoes
Start to Finish: 1 hour bake time + 30 min prep time
Recipe By: Tressa Surdick

Ingredients:

4 medium baking potatoes
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP butter, melted
1/4 cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese
2 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese
2 TBSP minced fresh parsley or 2 tsp dried parsley flakes

Directions:

1. With a sharp knife, slice potatoes thinly but not all the way through, leaving slices attached at the bottom. (See picture below for a helpful idea.)
2. Fan potatoes slightly.
3. Place in an ungreased 9 in x 13 in baking dish.
4. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and salt.
5. Drizzle with butter. Surprisingly enough, this step took me the most time. It was difficult for me to get the butter to drizzle into the slices. The more you fan out the slices the easier this will be. And I used more butter than it called for to try and get even coverage.
6. Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees F for 50 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with cheeses and parsley; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until lightly browned.

Bean Salad

I use this salad as a side dish when I serve green enchiladas. It has a Mexican flare and makes an addicting salsa with tortilla chips.

Serves: 6
Start to Finish: 15 minutes
Recipe from: Terri Thomas - Short Hills Ward

Ingredients:

1/2 ( 15 oz) can black beans
1 (7 oz) can Green Giant's nibblets (this is corn)
1 TBSP cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, chopped into bit-size pieces
3 TBSP Pace salsa
Lime juice

Directions:

1. Chop up the cilantro and the avocado
2. Combine black beans, corn nibblets, cilantro, and avocado.
3. Use the salsa to hold the ingredients together
4. Cover with lime juice (lemon juice is an OK substitute, just not as good)
As with most things in cooking (NOT baking) the amounts can be adjusted to your tastes and preferences. Take this salad for example: My husband likes corn, a lot, so I put extra in. If you like a lot of avocado (like Jena) add more. It can't hurt it. Just be sure to taste the food as you are going along so you don't overdo it.