German Style Potato Salad

German Style Potato Salad

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Although potato salad is quite popular in the United States, it is not an American creation. The dish is said to have been created by the Teutons, an early Germanic people. Unlike most potato salads, the German style is hot and usually prepared with onion, bacon, and a dressing made of vinegar. In the late 1800s, this recipe was widely accepted and called German potato salad because of the many German immigrants who made it in their new North American homes.

Throughout history, recipes always tend to be altered as they are passed down from one generation to the next. However, the recipe for German style potato salad has mostly stayed the same. Always served warm, this recipe is made up of baby new potatoes that are quartered and boiled. Some prefer to boil the potatoes whole and then cut them, but either way is fine. To the cooked potatoes bacon, onion, or both is added and then tossed with vinegar. Sometimes a little bit of sugar is added to subdue the bite of the vinegar. Also, if the ingredient was on hand, coarse mustard was added. A common step in fixing the German side dish is adding the grease drippings from the fried bacon. Many insist that this step is a must because it really brings out the flavor of the potato salad.

When it comes to the preparation of this dish, one ingredient that will generally not be found in this recipe is mayonnaise. Introduced by the French, a creamy salad dish that uses cream or mayonnaise is best when served cold. Even though most do not serve this recipe cold, it easily can be. Great for spring and summer meals, this dish is bright and refreshing. In regards to the vinegar that is used in this recipe, either cider or white can be used. Many find that cider works better since its flavor profile isn't too harsh on the palette, yet it still provides a good tartness to the dish. However, when using cider vinegar, expect a slight color change in the potato salad. Whether served hot or cold, German style potato salad is a delightful dish that is full of flavor and a lot of tradition.

German style is one of the most popular ways to prepare and serve an incredible salad using potatoes. The dish can be prepared in an infinite number of ways. Once you have tried a few recipes and master a few techniques you will be ready to create your own versions of this delicious and versatile dish.

Potato salad is a favorite dish found in cuisines around the world. Hot or cold, mellow or tangy, creamy or chunky, it is the perfect dish for picnics, patio parties, and potlucks. Browse and select a traditional or contemporary potato salad recipe and find a delicious accompaniment to your favorite entrees.

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Lentil Types

Lentil Types

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One of the earliest domesticated foods that have been traced back to the Near East is the lentil. Proof of lentils was found in Egyptian tombs as far back as 2200 BC, and even further back in time in Middle Eastern Neolithic villages around 7000-6000 BC. In ancient Germany, lentils were an important part of a peasant's limited diet, along with cabbage and rye bread. Although there are dozens of varieties of lentils, the most common types used in America are the orange, green and brown.

Lentil soups and stews should be made with beans that plump and breakdown while cooking while absorbing the flavors of the other ingredients. Orange lentils, or Egyptian lentils, are very small and most often available in the split form with their skin removed. They become soft and a bit mushy in stews and soups, and make a bright, cheery color in a bowl. Orange lentils are the most commonly used legumes in the making of the popular Indian dishes called dahls, although dahl is also us ed in reference to the bean itself. Dahls are dried and split lentils, while grams are whole lentils.

Brown lentils, also known as Masoor lentils, are larger in size than their orange counterparts. They are sold whole with their skins in tact, maintain their shape, stay firm while cooking, and make a great choice for topping salads. Spanish Pardina is another brown lentil variety that is popular in Europe. In the Umbria region of Italy, brown lentils are eaten on New Year's Eve or New Years Day to symbolize prosperity for the upcoming year.

There are several types of green lentils found in grocery stores or health food store. The smaller Eston green, medium-sized Richlea and larger Laird lentils are sold either split or whole and can be found with their skins on or removed. They maintain their shape when cooked, but not quite as well as brown lentils. They are versatile enough to use in soups and stews or in salads. French Greens, or Verte du Puy lentils, are con sidered the most delicate lentils with the most flavor, and consequently the highest price tag.

Lentils provide an amazing amount of nutritional value. They are full of protein, iron and fiber, making them the perfect solution to vegetarian or vegan diets. While the flavors of the different varieties are very similar, choosing the lentil with the right consistency and stability for the dish will provide the best results. Whether topping a crisp salad, simmering a tasty stew, or creating a savory dahl, lentils are a colorful, delicious addition to any menu.

Lentil soup is a delicious choice for those looking for healthy alternatives to the proteins in the diet. Browse dozens of recipes and find the perfect lentil soup recipe for brunch, lunch or dinner.

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Chinese Noodle Salad With Roast Beef and Fresh Vegetables

Chinese Noodle Salad With Roast Beef and Fresh Vegetables

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At the end of a busy day you want to kick off your shoes, relax, and enjoy a tasty meal. Hungry as you are, you don't want to spend lots of time on cooking. Frozen meals may be the answer, but they tend to be loaded with fat, salt, and preservatives.

How can you get a quick and delicious meal on the table?

Pre-chopping vegetables one answer. If you are cutting the tips off fresh string beans, for example, and cutting them into pieces, you may as well fix extra. The same is true of carrots and mushrooms. Weekends are a good time to prepare vegetables for the days ahead.

Cooking extra is another answer. When I'm cooking spaghetti or any other kind of pasta, I cook double the quantity I need. I drizzle a little olive oil over the drained pasta to keep it from sticking together. Extra pasta is refrigerated or frozen in plastic zipper bags.

A few days ago I bought a package of Chinese noodles. These curly noodle are packaged in separate bundles and cook in a matter of minutes. One bundle was enough for the low mein I was making, but I cooked the entire package. I put the extra noodles in a plastic bowl, fastened the lid securely, and popped them into the refrigerator.

It was extremely not the next day, and since I didn't want to stand over a hot stove, I decided to fix a salad. Chinese noodle salad sounded good to me and I checked the refrigerator vegetable drawer to see the produce I had on hand. I found half of a red pepper, a hunk of red onion, and leftover green beans. I also had some leftover roast beef.

All of these ingredients would go well in a salad. Slicing the beef into matchstick pieces took only a couple of minutes. Cutting the red pepper and green beans took a few minutes more and, before I knew it, dinner was on the table. Though I considered a soy sauce dressing, I chose bottled Italian dressing instead. The result was one of the best salads I've ever tasted.

You may use a package of Ramen noodles for the salad. Shredded chicken may be substituted for the roast beef. Other vegetables, such as sliced fresh mushrooms, green pepper, and pea pods would also work well. Follow the directions on the Chinese noodle package to avoid over-cooking them. You may also use a different bottled dressing.

2 cups cooked Chinese noodles
1 cup cooked green beans, cut into one-inch pieces
2 tablespoons very thinly sliced purple onion
1/2 a red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 cup, or more, cooked roast beef, cut into strips
Bottle of Italian salad dressing with basil and Romano cheese
Small head of red leaf or green leaf lettuce

Put the cooked noodles and cut vegetables into a salad bowl. Drizzle with dressing, toss gently, and refrigerate for 15 minutes to blend flavors. Tear lettuce into bite-size pieces and divide among plates. Spoon salad mixture over lettuce and lay roast beef strips on top. Pass extra dressing if needed. Makes four servings .

Copyright 2011 by Harriet Hodgson

http://www.harriethodgson.com/

Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for 30+ years. He 24th book, Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief, written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from Amazon.

Centering Corporation published her 26th book, Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life, a companion journal, The Spiritual Woman: Quotes to Refresh and Sustain Your Soul, and the forthcoming Happy Again!

Hodgson has two other new books, 101 Affirmations to Ease Your Grief Journey and Real Meals on 18 Wheels: A Guide for Healthy Living on the Highway, Kathryn Clements, RD, co-author, and available from Amazon soon. Please visit her website and learn more about this busy author.

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What to Do With Leftover Salad Ingredients

What to Do With Leftover Salad Ingredients

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Preparing lunch or salads for dinner is very difficult if you are a single person, or if you are just cooking for two. In fact when making salads have you ever noticed that you have left-overs after you're done cutting? It happens all the time because you don't want to put so much of a certain type of vegetable into your salad, otherwise it overwhelms the salad, and then more or less you have either a tomato salad, or cucumber salad. Likewise it's nice to put a few carrot pieces in, but then you have half to carrot left, because one is not enough, and two happens to be too many.

Further, if you know anything about nutritional health, you probably realize that once you cut open a fruit or vegetable it loses much of its antioxidants value very quickly. Therefore it's of less nutritional value the second time around when you cut the rest of it. Because of this fact, I've been known to take the leftover salad ingredients and; Soup It!

That is to say I chop up the leftover ingredients in very small little cubes and put it into a small pot, throw in some spices, the types of spices you need in your diet, but probably don't want in a salad. And then I boil it slightly with the lid on the pot, let it cool, and put in the refrigerator for later. This helps because now you have extremely good soup base and all those antioxidants are trapped in the water. Later you can add anything to that soup that you'd like, therefore all that chopping you did on your salad will not go to waste, nor will any of the other ingredients.

Some people will chop up the ingredients for their salad, and then put all the leftover ingredients into small Ziploc bags. But that will not hold all those escaping antioxidants, nor will it prevent the leftover vegetables from losing their nutritional value. Yes, it will prevent a bit of that nutritional value from being lost, but most of it will be gone. This is why it makes sense to put it into a soup.

If you have leftover such as tomatoes, onions, and other items that would make for a nice chunky salsa, then you might be able to save yourself some money and buy the less expensive, and less chunky salsa at the grocery store, and add those ingredients to it, therefore you have the home makings of a more expensive salsa with many more ingredients. Well, I hope you've enjoyed my home chef tip of the day. Please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes writing 23,777 articles by 7 PM on June 27, 2011 is going to be difficult because all the letters on his keyboard are now worn off now..

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Brighten Up Your Meals With These Old Fashion Salad Recipes

Brighten Up Your Meals With These Old Fashion Salad Recipes

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Salads add so much to meals and are often eaten as a meal. If you are looking for some new salad recipes for your recipe files, check out this old-time salads. Two are gelatin salads and one is a garden salad. All are delicious. Both of the gelatin salads incorporate cranberries making them perfect not only anytime but especially at the holidays.

CRANBERRY ORANGE WITH CHERRY GELATIN
This is an old recipe from my childhood that my mother made every year for the holidays.

2 pkgs (3-oz each) cherry flavored gelatin
2 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup crushed pineapple (juice and all)
1 pkg (10-oz) frozen cranberry orange sauce, thawed (Mom used the brand Indian Trail)

Dissolve the gelatin in boiling water. Stir in the cranberry orange sauce and the pineapple. Stir to blend well. Pour into a mold and chill overnight or until set.

Note: This makes a good recipe for busy days as it needs to be made ahead of time anyway.

CRAN-STRAWBERRY G ELATIN SALAD
1 pkg (6-oz)strawberry gelatin
1 can (20-oz)crushed pineapple
1 pkg (8-oz)cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 can (16-oz)whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 can (12-oz)evaporated milk

In a heavy saucepan combine the gelatin and pineapple. Heat over low heat until the gelatin is completely dissolved; stir in the cream cheese until it blends well. Remove pan from the heat. Stir in the chopped nuts and the cranberry sauce. Chill until the mixture starts to thicken; blend in the evaporated milk. Pour into an oiled mold or 7 x 11-inch dish. Chill thoroughly for several hours. Unmold and serve on lettuce leaves or cut into squares if make in oblong dish.

Variations: Replace strawberry gelatin with cherry gelatin.
Replace the cranberry sauce with 1 package (16-oz) frozen strawberries

GARDEN SUPPER SALAD
2 ears corn, cooked
1 lettuce wedge, cut fine
3 green onions with the tops, chopped
1 cucumber, pared and diced
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 stalk celery, diced
1/4 green pepper, diced
1/3 cup salad dressing
1/4 cup half and half cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
1/2 tablespoon vinegar

Cut the corn from the cobs and combine with other vegetables in a large bowl. In another bowl whisk together the salad dressing, half and half cream, salt, pepper, and vinegar. Add the combined dressing ingredients to the vegetables and toss together to coat all the vegetables well.

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's old-fashion recipe collection visit her blog at http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com/

For more of her recipes and diabetic information visit http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com/

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Try These Delicious Healthy Quick and Easy Salad Recipes

Try These Delicious Healthy Quick and Easy Salad Recipes

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There is so much more to salad than a bowl of greens! The recipes in this article offer salad recipes based on that thought! From Bean 'N Bacon Salad to Cranberry Relish Salad, these recipes will brighten up your meals. Green beans are one of my favorite foods so this first recipe is a favorite of mine. With veggies, eggs, bacon, and more, this is a great salad. The Cranberry Relish Salad is quick to make. It does, however, need to refrigerate for several hours to firm up. It is a great salad to make a day ahead, making it perfect for the holidays. I don't know about you, but I love make-ahead holiday recipes! Talk about a healthy quick and easy vegetable and fruit salad, the Carrot Salad fills the bill! With carrots, apples, and raisins mixed with pecans, it so go good and the little ones will love it, too.

BEAN 'N BACON SALAD
2 cans (16-oz each)whole green beans, drained
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp yellow mustard
2 tsp vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
4 slices bacon, crisply fried and crumbled
Crisp salad greens
Paprika

Combine the beans, onion, canola oil, 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper together. Toss lightly, cover, and chill.

Mix the eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, 2 teaspoons vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Just before serving, drain the bean mixture and toss with the bacon. Serve on a crisp bed of the salad greens. Top bean mixture with the egg mixture and sprinkle with paprika.

Yield: 6 servings.

CRANBERRY RELISH SALAD

1 pkg (3 oz) cherry gelatin
1 pkg (3 oz) raspberry gelatin
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 can (12 oz) lemon-lime soda
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple with juice
2 pkgs (10 oz each) frozen cranberry-orange sauce

In a large bowl, dissolve the gelatins and sugar in the boi ling water. Add the soda, pineapple with the juice and the cranberry-orange sauce (relish). Pour into an 11 x 7 x 2-inch dish and refrigerate overnight or until firm.

QUICK AND EASY CARROT SALAD
2 cups shredded carrots
2 cups chopped apples
1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Combine all the ingredients together and mix lightly.

Yield: 12 servings.

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's quick and easy recipes visit her blog at http://grandmasquickfixrecipes.blogspot.com/
For her large collection of old fashion recipes visit her at http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com/

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Southern Style Potato Salad

Southern Style Potato Salad

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Sweet iced tea, honey glazed ham, and potato salad are items that make up a typical lunch or dinner served in the south during the spring and summer months. Potato salad has a long and historic past with roots that reach back to Germany. Throughout the centuries this warm salad traveled with immigrants all over before it settled in America. Upon its arrival it became hugely popular, however not by all. Like the French, the Americans chose to serve potato salad cold and with a French creamy dressing of whipped eggs, oil, and herbs.

Although there is no recorded history as to when this recipe took on its new southern look and taste, many suppose that it occurred during the early 1900s. During this time the dressing mentioned above became industrialized and widely known as mayonnaise. Among mayonnaise, there were many other additions that helped to slowly change this Germanic recipe into a charming dish that is now considered the cornerstone of all things southern.

This style of potato salad is unique because for it to be truly southern, there can only be six ingredients. Those ingredients are potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, onions, sweet pickles, mayonnaise, and yellow mustard. There are many variations to this recipe, however this recipe is considered to be what many call "the way Grandmother use to make". Cold, creamy, and absolutely delicious, southern style potato salad is typically found palatable by those living in southern United States.

When preparing this potato salad, choose the potatoes carefully. Small varieties are best, and they should be drained well. The reason for this is so that upon adding the mayonnaise it does not become soupy. Also, remember that less is always better. Once ingredients are added they cannot be removed. As for the onions, eggs, and sweet pickles, these should be roughly chopped.

As for herbs and spices, this is generally done by personal taste. Dill and parsley can be added sparingly, w here as salt and pepper are a must to enhance the flavor of the potatoes. For a finishing touch, paprika is sometimes sprinkled atop the dish before it is served to give it a pop of color and spice. Southern style potato salad is a wonderful recipe that tastes old-fashioned and is packed full of memories, especially for those who played under weeping willow trees when they were little. After you have mastered a few simple recipes you can experiment and create your own variations of this delicious dish.

Potato salad is a favorite dish found in cuisines around the world. Hot or cold, mellow or tangy, creamy or chunky, it is the perfect dish for picnics, patio parties, and potlucks. Browse and select a traditional or contemporary potato salad recipe and find a delicious accompaniment to your favorite entrees.

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Salad Recipes That Are Delicious For All and That Includes Diabetics!

Salad Recipes That Are Delicious For All and That Includes Diabetics!

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The salad recipes in this article are tasty for one and all and that does include diabetics. If you are diabetic, cook for a diabetic or plan to entertain a diabetic, these salad recipes can be included in your recipe files. The first recipe is for a Ginger and Lime Vinaigrette you can use on your favorite salad. The other recipes are for salads. Garbanzo beans are one of the healthiest foods for diabetics so the Zucchini Garbanzo Salad is perfect for a diabetic's meal. The Apple Salad is perfect for those who prefer mostly fruit in their salads.

GINGER & LIME VINAIGRETTE
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp canola or extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger*
dash of salt
dash of freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients together using a wire whisk. Serve over pasta or green salads.

ZUCCHINI GARBANZO SALAD
3 medium zucchini
1/2 tsp salt
5 tbsp white vi negar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 cup olive or canola oil
1 cup garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup sliced pitted black olives
3 green onions, minced
1 canned chipotle chili pepper in adobo sauce, drained, seeded, minced
1 ripe avocado
3 tbsp grated Romano cheese
1 head Boston lettuce, cored, separated into leaves
sliced tomatoes for garnish
fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish

Cut the zucchini lengthwise in half and then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. Place in a medium bowl with the salt and toss to mix. Spread zucchini out on multiple layers of paper towels and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes to drain.

Combine the vinegar, garlic, and thyme in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil in a steady stream and continue whisking until thoroughly blended.

Pat the zucchini dry and add to the dressing. Add the beans, olives, and green onions tossing lightly to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours, stirring occasionally.

Add the chipotle chili to the salad just before serving. Stir gently to mix in. Peel, pit, and cut the avocado into 1/2-inch cubes. Add the avocado and the Romano cheese; toss lightly to mix.

Serve in a shallow lettuce-lined bowl or rimmed plate. Garnish with the sliced tomatoes and cilantro sprigs, if desired.

CHOPPED APPLE SALAD
1/2 cup lite mayonnaise
1 tsp Splenda Granulated
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cups chopped apples*
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup halved grapes
2 tbsp toasted chopped walnuts

In a large bowl combine the Splenda with the mayonnaise and cinnamon. Add the chopped apples, the celery and the grapes; toss to coat well. Refrigerate approximately 1 hour. Sprinkle with the chopped walnuts before serving.

*May use 2 cups chopped apples + 1 cup chopped pears

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's recipes and diabetic information visit http://diabetice njoyingfood.blogspot.com/
For her old fashion recipe collection visit her at http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com/

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Two Great Weight Loss Salads for the Desk Job Workers

Two Great Weight Loss Salads for the Desk Job Workers

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Thai Beef Salad

This is a great salad. It's fresh, light and packed with flavour. If you're feeling s little adventurous, and you want to go and find it, adding some raw vegetables to it like pea and apple eggplant, cabbage and snake beans, best found in Asian markets.

150gm piece of eye fillet or scotch fillet

Oyster sauce and sweet soy sauce

2 stems of spring onions, sliced thinly

1 Lebanese cucumber cut in half and sliced thinly lengthways

6 - 8 cherry tomatoes, halved

½ bunch mint

½ bunch coriander

1 stick of lemongrass sliced finely

1 red chilli, julienned

100gm crushed peanuts

2 tbsp roasted rice (optional)

For the dressing:

Juice of two limes

Fish sauce to taste

Sweet chilli sauce

Chilli powder - optional

2 tbsp white sugar

Rub beef with oyster and sweet soy, leave for around 10 mins then sear in a hot pan till medium rare or to your liking and rest. Mix remainder of salad ingredients together and set aside. Slice beef thinly and add to salad.

For the dressing, mix ingredients together in a bowl. The taste should be hot, sweet, salty, and sour. I have deliberately left the amounts up to you, as everyone has their own tastes.

Again, if you're preparing it for a next day, make sure you don't dress it till you need to eat it. It's the freshness of this salad, as with most, that is most important.

For the roasted rice, roast half a cup of glutinous rice in a dry pan over moderate heat till golden brown. Grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder, or a mortar and pestle. The rice gives it a unique texture, and will keep well in an airtight container. If you decide to use raw vegetables for a condiment, cut apple eggplant into ¼'s, break up cabbage, and cut snake beans into 2 cm lengths, whilst leaving pea eggplants whole. The raw vegetable provides a good balance to the dish. But you don't need them if you'r e taking to work.

Roast Kingfish with Strawberry and Almond Salad

Believe it or not, the flavour combinations in this salad work quite well. You could alternatively, poach the fish, in a light vegetable stock with aromatics.

1 180gm piece of kingfish or any firm white fleshed fish

Olive oil for cooking

¼ punnet strawberries, quartered

½ cup mint shredded

¼ cup dill tips

2 tbsp pine nuts toasted

100gm crumbled goat's cheese

1 cup watercress

¼ of a red onion finely sliced

1 spring onion finely sliced

1 tbsp black sesame seeds

Dressing:

30ml balsamic vinegar

50ml olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat an oven to 200°C. In a hot pan place Kingfish skin down and season with salt and pepper. Allow to brown slightly and place in oven. Cook for around 7 minutes, the turn over and leave in oven till cooked. Remove from oven and rest. Mix salad ingredients together. If you're ta king to work the next day, keep fish separate so you can reheat. For poaching fish: Get a good quality vegetable stock, such as Campbell's stocks. Heat in a pot, and add a couple of bay leaves, a sprig of thyme, a shallot, some peppercorns and a little salt. Bring to the boil, and then simmer. Add fish and simmer till cooked through, but not falling apart.

If you wish you could flake the fish in this salad.

Scott draffin is the author of the Desk Job diet. A scientist common sense approach to dieting in the modern day office environment. http://www.thedeskjobdiet.com/ Scott has a master degree in science

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Wild Edible Plants Of Utah and The West

Wild Edible Plants Of Utah and The West

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I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about wild edible plants over the past couple years and while it was tough in the beginning finding the identification and finding resources for the plants I was seeing it has been a thrill to learn how much there is available in the wild. I have to stay I am often stunned at the number of wild edibles available even in the Utah desert where I live. Not only are there a lot of wild edibles but many of them are quite tasty. With spring just around the corner I am thinking about it again and looking forward to some foraging and looking forward to a better diet. I'll bet you didn't think that eating wild edible greens could actually improve your diet!

That is one of the things I found as I began this journey. What most people don't realize when it comes to wild edibles is that these plants we call weeds and wild greens and such were once cultivated. Many of my favorite wild plants were brought to the USA as a vegetable and some are st ill grown here as a vegetable. These wild vegetables are often far more nutritious for you than what you can find in the stores. One such example is the famed Lamb's Quarter or Wild Spinach. It is known by many names but the truth is simply that the plant we all call Lamb's Quarter is a Spinach brought to the US by early immigrants and it has been strong enough to propagate itself easily and so we now have it all across the country. It now grows "wild" even though it is not a native plant. this is quite often the case.

Spring brings one of my favorites which is a mustard plant. I love the blue mustard and I wish I could keep it growing year round but it simply does not like hot dry weather so here in Utah we have it abundantly in the early spring sometimes as early as February. It is a delicious radish flavored green with a mild spicy flavor. I like it on sandwiches and in salads and it even makes a great cooked green. It can be added to any recipe in place of spinach as can many greens. This is the plant that offers you a beautiful view when the little lavender flowers poke up. It will often cover entire fields coming up before farmers plant their crops. The blue mustard also has quite a pungent smell that some find distasteful. Personally it brings back memories for me of rolling green hills I played on as a child. I did not know what the smell was at that time and did not know why the soft green plant did not stick around all summer for me to roll in but now that I recognize the plant the smell brings nothing but joy to me.

If you would like to learn more about wild edibles and find out what can be eaten and when to expect it take a look at http://wildutahedibles.com/ for more details. You will find a great selection of plants and flowers that you can enjoy throughout the year and you will be surprised how many of these plants are available even in the desert.

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Blanching Vegetables for Pasta Salad

Blanching Vegetables for Pasta Salad

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Vegetables are a must when putting together a pasta salad. While some garden goodies like cucumbers and tomatoes are best served raw, other vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and bell peppers can benefit from blanching. Blanching helps brighten the color, preserve the flavor, and clean the dirt and other organisms off the surface of the food. It also makes the vegetables easier to digest. Blanching is most often done in water, but steam and microwave blanching are other common methods.

Blanching in water is a quick and easy procedure. Bring to a boil one gallon of water for each pound of vegetables. While the water is heating, trim and cut the vegetables. Once the water is rapidly boiling, carefully submerge a small quantity of the vegetables in it, making sure they are completely covered. The vegetables should remain in the boiling water for one to five minutes depending on their size, and then be plunged directly into an ice bath for an additional one to five m inutes to stop the cooking process.

Broccoli and winter squash can be either water or steam blanched. Blanching with steam takes longer than blanching with water, but it is just as simple. Follow the same method as with water, only instead of submerging the vegetables they should be placed in a blanching basket and suspended three inches or so above an inch or two of boiling water. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on the bottom of the basket to ensure the steam reaches the vegetables evenly and keep the pot covered during cooking time.

While some people choose to blanch vegetables in the microwave, this method has not proven to be effective in producing the same results as water or steam blanching. It does not take any less time and there is a greater risk of overcooking the vegetables in the microwave. Microwave blanching can cause off-flavors and on occasion it actually causes a loss of color and texture. If there is no option of water or steam blanchin g, it might be advisable to simply add the vegetables to the pasta salad in a raw state instead of risking spoiling them in the microwave.

Pasta salads should be filled with a wide variety of vegetables to create a tasty, colorful dish. Blanching vegetables does not take much time and the results are brighter, more flavorful vegetables, which produces a more beautiful, succulent pasta salad. Vegetables are a healthy addition to pasta salad and blanching them is a great way to make the vegetables look and taste wonderful.

Pasta salad is healthy and delicious way to take advantage of seasonal vegetables. Check out our growing collection of the best pasta salad recipes, and create something new and tasty in the comfort of your own kitchen. Find a great entrée or side dish, and enhance your pasta salad making skills with our recipe cooking tips and techniques.

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Apple Salads

Apple Salads

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Apples are wonderful eaten whole or in baked goods, but there is nothing as light and delicious as an apple salad. The most familiar is the Waldorf, but apple salads do not stop there. There are endless combinations of apples, vegetables and dressings to please people of all ages. The flavorful light dishes are perfect as a starter or a main course.

The main ingredient in any apple salad is, of course, the apple. Some people prefer the sweeter flavor that comes with Red Delicious, Fuji or Granny Smith, while others would rather use a tart apple like Cortland or Jonathan. The apples should be fresh and free of any brown or soft spots. The skin needs to be washed thoroughly with water and a mild soap before cutting into the apple. Once cut, coat the pieces with an acidic liquid like lemon juice to keep it from turning brown.

Traditional Waldorf salad combines the apple chunks with chopped celery, walnuts and mayonnaise. Updated versions can contain raisins, grap es or dried cranberries and additional ingredients such as onion, mandarin oranges or pears. The salad is served over a bed or Romaine lettuce or watercress, and can easily change transform from starter into main dish by adding slices or chunks of turkey, chicken, ham or flaked salmon.

Apple salads are not just warm weather food. A winter salad calls for radicchio, endive and frisee combined with tart apple slices and toasted walnuts. The salad is dressed with vinaigrette made of cider vinegar and extra virgin olive or walnut oil, and the entire dish is topped with shaved, fresh cheddar cheese. Another all-season salad recipe starts with a base of watercress, julienned carrots, cherry tomatoes and smoked turkey. Apples are peeled, cored and quartered and deep-fried in vegetable oil. Once the apples are drained on paper towels, they are added to the salad and the whole thing is drizzled with vinaigrette made of cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and Dijon mustard. Th e end result is warm yet cool, light yet filling, and 100% delicious.

Apple coleslaw incorporates diced apples into standard coleslaw of shredded cabbage and carrots, chopped celery, sliced green onions, apple cider vinegar, sugar and sour cream. Green apples like Granny Smith work wonderfully in this dish, adding a crisp, sweet component to the vinegary slaw. Mixing sliced apples with cooked, cold tortellini, salad greens, strawberries, celery and green onions produces a terrific blend of flavors. The salad is topped with a sweet sauce made with apple juice concentrate, apple cider vinegar, light corn syrup, brown sugar and garlic salt. The sauce should be prepared ahead and left to sit in the refrigerator to give the flavors time to marry before it is tossed into the salad to produce the best, most flavorful results.

Apples are a delicious treat to snack on and a pleasure to cook with in the kitchen. Browse our collection of the best apple recipes and find the perfect dish for your next meal. Waldorf salad has never been more popular and is a delicious way to start any brunch, lunch or dinner.

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Tips for Making a Leafy Green Salad

Tips for Making a Leafy Green Salad

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A leafy green salad is a great addition to any meal, as vegetables go good with all foods, including meats and starches. The salads are generally low in calories, but high in nutrients, which means that they will fill you up without all the extra calories. Leafy green salads are also high in fiber, which latches onto the buildup within the digestive tract and eliminates it from the body. You can enjoy these salads as a snack, or even in a meal by themselves, or as a side dish.

Leafy green salads are easy to make, and you can add just about any ingredient that you like. But there a few things to keep in mind in order to make the salad the best that it can be.

Use Fresh Produce

Produce begins to lose its freshness and its nutrients as soon as it is picked. Therefore, always eat your produce the day that you purchase it, or at least within the next day or two. Even better, grow your own vegetables if you have a garden. And if you do not hav e a garden, you might want to consider growing a patio garden, or even an indoor vegetable garden, as vegetables are fairly easy to grow.

Make Your Own Dressing

Next, always, always, always make your own salad dressings for your leafy green salads. The bottled stuff that you can buy contains many artificial ingredients and food additives that do not belong in the human body.

Salad dressings are very easy and quick to make. All you need is a bit of olive oil, lemon juice, and a hint of sea salt and pepper, and you are all set. You can also add vinegar, herbs and many other spices to make a rich dressing. Avocados and ground flax seed are also great for a dressing.

Just make sure that you use the dressing up that same day, or at least the next day, as fresh produce such as lemon juice and avocados go rancid very quick.

Add Nuts and Seeds

For a salad topping, you can add your favorite nuts and seeds. They not only add to the flavor of the salad, but they are also rich with proteins, and healthy fats that can help with the absorption of fat soluble vitamins.

To enhance the flavor of the nuts, you can lightly toast them. Just make sure that you allow them to cool thoroughly before adding them in with the leafy greens, as the warmth can cause the greens to wilt fast.

For more information on how to prevent disease and live a long and healthy life, visit LivingFood101 There you will find tasty raw food recipes along with other raw food diet tips. You can also visit http://livingfood101.blogspot.com/ for more articles.

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How to Keep a Salad From Getting Unhealthy

How to Keep a Salad From Getting Unhealthy

best salads recipes - italian salads recipes - pasta salads recipes

While there are plenty of ways to make salad, you are going to find that there are some that aren't healthy. The problem is that people will often add certain foods into them and this can result in our bodies taking in more fat and calories than actually benefiting from the vitamins and nutrients in the actual foods that are good for us.

Keeping in mind that some of these foods are better for us than others, it is important that you look at the options that you have and come up with a great salad that is going to leave your entire family satisfied and well nourished at the same time.

Perhaps one of the best foods to add to your salad to keep it healthy will be tomatoes. These are packed with antioxidants and even lycopene which is great for the heart and as well as the male prostate. Keep in mind that if you are looking for a healthy choice, these tomatoes are best when the vine is still attached prior to serving.

Another good choice for your salad is of course going to be a carrot. These are jammed packed with beta carotene. Along with this, you are going to find that lettuce is essential and it contains Vitamins C and K as well as chlorophyll. When you add those together and throw in some onions that have been proven to help prevent atherosclerosis, you can be sure that your salad is going to remain good for you.

In this process, you can even choose to add other items as well. This will include things like spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, squash, sugar snap peas, and the list goes on, all are good additions. What you need to keep in mind is that vegetables that have been washed and prepared properly are always going to be an excellent option. If you want to add some depth to the salad, you can get your protein from sunflower seeds, peanuts, pine nuts and even walnuts.

Now, when most people are making a salad they do great up until the point of salad dressings. Since this can actually ruin the salad that y ou are making, you will want to be sure that you consider the basics. A good idea is always to go with a little olive oil and even to mix in some vinegar in it. If you choose to go with more common choices, make sure that they are low in bad fats and contain little to no cholesterol at all. Along with that, you are going to want to be sure that they are not filled with a bunch of preservatives either.

Along with all this, consider that meats and cheeses tend to reduce the health factors of these salads as well. If you are looking for a health meal that is quick and easy, you can do it with natural vegetables, fruits and nuts. They will fill you and give you all the nutrition that you need. Best of all, they can be prepared in a fraction of the time that it would take to make a fully fried meal.

Rick Mongiovi shares his recipe for tomato salad recipe and more appetizer recipes for salads, fillings, cheese service and more on his site at Best-Made-Appetizers.com.

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