Poppy Seed Salad/Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

I love this poppy seed salad. It is simple and easy but very delicious. The salad dressing is what really makes it so good. You can usually find a bottle of the dressing already prepared in my fridge, which I use whenever we have salad.

Poppy Seed Salad

1 bunch romaine lettuce, washed and drained
1 bunch iceberg lettuce, washed and drained
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 can tidbit pineapple, drained

Tear the lettuce into bite size pieces. Add oranges and pineapple. Right before serving pour on desired amount of poppy seed salad dressing and toss.

Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp mustard
1/8 - 1/4 cup grated onion
1/4 cup vinegar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp poppy seeds

Add first 6 ingredients in a blender and puree. Add poppy seeds last and blend for only a few seconds.

Lion House Banana Nut Bread

There are probably a million recipes out there for banana bread. I have tried a few, and have found this one to be my favorite. It is easy, moist, and delicious.

Lion House Banana Nut Bread

6 large or 8 medium bananas, very ripe
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup oil
4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Grease well and flour 2 large loaf pans; set aside. Peel bananas and place in large mixing bowl; mash bananas well. Add eggs, sugar, and oil; mix until well blended. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Add to banana mixture. Mix until blended. Add nuts and mix briefly. Pour into prepared pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
*You can make 6 small loaves instead of 2 large. Bake 35-40 minutes.

Summer's Salsa

Recipe courtesy Summer Pererro



My friend Summer introduced me to this salsa about 6 years ago. It is so good - I can't believe I haven't posted it yet. It is always a hit whenever I take it anywhere.

Summer's Salsa

1 can black beans (rinsed & drained)
1 can white, whole kernel corn (rinsed & drained)
2-3 large tomatoes - diced
2 ripe avocados - pitted and diced
small bunch of green onions - finely chopped
small bunch of cilantro - finely chopped
cumin to taste
1 packet of Good Seasons Zesty Italian dressing - prepare as directed (To cut the fat I only add 3-4 Tbsp oil when preparing the dressing and substitute water for the rest of the oil.)

Mix first seven ingredients together in a large bowl. Prepare dressing and mix in just before serving.

Connie's Chicken Salad

My mom's friend Connie had a catering business and this was her chicken salad recipe. My mom would help her make it for weddings and showers. It is different than any other chicken salad I have tried and I really like it. It is excellent served on croissants - especially if they are homemade.

Cook 1/3 cup rice in 2/3 cup water with 1/2 tsp boullion. Cook until water is absorbed.

Mix:

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 cup under cooked broccoli, chopped
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup sliced olives
Cooked rice from above

Sauce:

1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1 Tbsp Dejon mustard
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Mix everything together and chill. Just before serving add 2 to 3 chopped tomatoes.

Garlic Parmesan Orzo

Before I made this recipe I had never tried Orzo before. I am now a big fan. This recipe was a yummy side dish. I loved that it was quick and easy and the pasta was rich and creamy. I did cut back on the butter. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup butter and I only put in 1/4 cup. I'm sure it would be even better if you used the full amount of butter, but it still was really good and I felt better about eating it with half the butter. I also added more Parmesan cheese. I can never get enough Parmesan!

Garlic Parmesan Orzo

2 cups uncooked orzo pasta

3 tsp minced garlic

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or more if desired

1/4 cup milk

2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Cook orzo according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute garlic in butter until tender. Drain orzo; add to skillet. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, milk, parsley, salt and pepper; heat through.

Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Frosting

I love anything with apples in it, so when I came across this recipe I was very excited to try it. I laughed because it was very similar to an Apple Cake recipe I had copied down from Paula Dean years ago, but never made it because my husband is allergic to apples. So when I invited a few girlfriends over one night I decided it would be a perfect time to try it out. It was so delicious! The cake was moist, the apples were tender, and the caramel sauce was to die for. I liked it so much I made it the next weekend for a family gathering.

Apple Spice Cake
recipe courtesy Martha Stewart

1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
3 to 4 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (3 cups)
1 cup chopped assorted nuts, such as pecans and walnuts
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Caramel Sauce (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan; set aside. (Make sure you grease the pan very well, the second time I made it some of the cake stuck to the pan.
In a large bowl sift together flour,
cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In a separate bowl combine vegetable oil, sugar, and eggs; mix on high speed until lemon yellow.
Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until just incorporated.
Add apples and, if desired, nuts, to batter; mix to combine. Add
vanilla, mixing until incorporated.
Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake until a cake tester inserted
in the center comes out clean, 75 to 90 minutes.
Remove from oven, and cool slightly on a wire rack.
Invert cake onto rack; turn cake right-side up to cool completely on
rack, and serve drizzled with caramel sauce


Caramel Sauce

1 cup light brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 t vanilla
pinch of salt

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook,
stirring, until thickened to desired consistency.

Oven Roasted Broccoli

I am a fan of broccoli. My husband is not. So I really don't serve broccoli a lot at our house, but when I came across this recipe I had to try it. It did not disappoint. It was a terrific side dish. The bread crumbs and cheese were a great combination with the broccoli.


Oven Roasted Broccoli
recipe courtesy Alton Brown

1 pound broccoli, rinsed and trimmed
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan or sharp cheddar (I used parmesan)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut the broccoli florets into bite sized pieces. Cut the stalk into 1/8 inch thick, round slices. Place the broccoli into a mixing bowl and toss with olive oil, garlic, kosher salt and pepper. Set aside.

Spread the panko bread crumbs in a 13X9 inch metal cake pan and place in the oven for 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove the panko from the oven and add to the broccoli mixture. Toss to combine. Sprinkle mixture back in the cake pan. Roast until broccoli is tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss in the cheese and serve immediately.