Salads
Roasted Beets with Orange Vinaigrette
This recipe for Roasted Beets with Orange Vinaigrette was adapted from a William Sonoma recipe. Fresh beets are tender, flavorful, and really delicious! I first tried these roasted beets with orange vinaigrette when my sister-in-law made and brought them to my Easter dinner. What a treat!
Ingredients
- 6 bunches of fresh beet with green tops
- salt
For Orange Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons of finely granted orange zest
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 of a Vidalia onion sliced thin
- 6 thin navel orange slices, halved
- minced chives for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Prehead oven to 400 degrees. Trim off and reserve the leavy beet tops and wrap beets in foil. Roast on a baking sheet until easily pierced with the tip of a knive (about 1 hour). Remove from oven and let cool.
- Meanwhile, trim the long stems from the beet greesn and reserve only the leaves. Get rid of blemished leaves. Rinse and dry well. Gather all the leaves together and cut crosswise into one inch wide strips.
- Fill a sauce pan up half way with water and bring to a boil. Add the beet greens and 1 tsp. of salt and cook, uncovered until greesns are tender (about 8 minutes). Drain and set aside.
- Unwrap and peep cooled beets. If there are beet juices in teh foil, pour them into a small bowl. Cut the beets into wedges.
To make the vinaigrette, add the vinegar, orange zelst, salt and pepper and any beet juices in a small bowl. Add the oil in a thin stream, shisking constantly until dressing is smooth.
In a large bowl, combine the beet wedges, onion, cooked beet greens, and dressing. Toss to mix. Garnish with orange slices and minced chives and serve.
Peggy’s Waldorf Salad
A dear friend brought this delicious Waldorf Salad to our home for Easter dinner. It is positively delicious! I can see this served over a bed of lettuce, mixed in yogurt, or eaten from a bowl. It offers a wonderful combination of flavors and textures. Definitely a "keeper recipe!"
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons of Cool Whip
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 small (Gala or Fuji) apples, cubed
- 1 cup seedless green grapes, halved
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or candied walnuts
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced celery (about 1 stalk)
- 8 Boston or Bibb lettuce leaves (if desired)
Directions
- Combine mayonnaise or Greek yogurt, Cool Whip, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Add apples, grapes, and cranberries; mix well.
- Add the walnuts and celery, and mix well.
- Serve it on a bed of 2 lettuce leaves, if desired.
- The salad can be refrigerated up to 2 hours before serving.
Avocado Shrimp Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked shrimp – peeled, deveined, and chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2 pound (8 ounce) package uncooked corkscrew pasta
- 1 avocado – peeled, pitted and diced
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
- 1/2 large red onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions
- Marinate shrimp overnight in 2 tablespoons of lime juice in a large bowl covered with plastic wrap. Drain shrimp.
- Heat skillet and cook shrimp until they are bright pink on the outside. Do not overcook. Allow shrimp to cool.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 12 minutes. Drain, then rinse with cold water until cool.
- Mix shrimp, pasta, avocados, grape tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro in a bowl.
- Whisk olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, salt, and black pepper in a bowl until dressing is well mixed.
- Pour dressing over shrimp mixture; toss to coat. Chill before serving.