Coleslaw Dressing (creamy sweet tart)

An easy cole slaw dressing, this is enough to dress about 1 medium head of shredded or chopped cabbage.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning or seasoned salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• salt, to taste

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a jar; shake well. Refrigerate for about an hour; dress shredded cabbage.

Grilled chicken, Spinach and Cashew Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

In this delicious salad, the honey mustard vinaigrette serves as both a marinade and a dressing.

Servings: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

Grilled Chicken, Spinach and Cashew Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin Makes ALL the difference--takes a good salad to a WOW salad
  
• 2 tablespoons mild-flavored honey (such as clover, wild thistle, or lavender)
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 chicken breasts , boneless and skinless (2 1/2 pounds total)
• 6 cups baby spinach , cleaned and dried
• 1/2 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1/3 cup roasted salted cashews

Directions:

To make the dressing, combine lemon juice, mustard, cumin, and honey in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil in a steady stream. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Place chicken in a shallow dish and pour in 3 tablespoons dressing. Turn breasts to coat well. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes. Heat grill or grill pan to medium high. Grill 4 to 6 minutes on each side until done, turning often to prevent burning. (Chicken should be browned and firm.) Remove from grill and allow to cool 10 minutes. Cut into 1/4-inch strips.

In a large bowl, toss spinach, tomatoes, and cashews with remaining dressing and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Transfer to a platter or divide among 4 plates, and top with chicken strips.

The dressing/marinade was surprisingly tasty--just the right amount of Cumin spices it up without overwhelming the honey mustard.

Seared Sesame Sea Scallop Salad

Seared Sesame Sea Scallop Salad

16 each Sea Scallops
1 T Tamari or Lite Soy Sauce
2 T Sesame Oil
1 tsp. Sesame Seeds
16 each Asian Pear Slices
8 C Mixed Greens
8 T Sesame Vinaigrette
½ C Carrots, julienned
½ C Daikon Root, julienned
½ C Radish Sprouts
Black Sesame Seeds, for garnish

Sesame Vinaigrette (makes approx. 1 ½ Cups)
1 tsp. Garlic, chopped
2 tsp. Ginger, chopped
1 ½ T Tamari or Lite Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
½ tsp. Sriracha Sauce
½ C Seasoned Rice Vinegar
2 tsp. Honey
¾ C Sesame Oil
¾ C Olive Oil
1 tsp. Salt

Place all ingredients in blender, except for oils. Blend well, adding oil slowly.


Marinade for Scallops
Place scallops in a bowl. Add sesame oil, tamari sauce, sesame oil and seeds. Mix gently and let set in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Vegetable Salad (topping)
Mix together carrots, daikon root and sprouts. Set aside.


Scallops
In a large hot sauté pan, sear scallops on one side until nicely golden brown. Turn over and place in 400 degree oven for 3-5 minutes.

Assembly
Place mixed greens in a bowl with the asian pear slices and sesame vinaigrette. Toss gently and place on four plates, making sure each plate has 4 slices of pear. Place scallops on salad. Garnish with vegetable mix on top and sprinkle with black sesame seeds.

Servings: 4
Recipe by: Enchantment Resort

Spinach and Orange Salad

SALAD
5 cups packaged baby spinach
1 cup drained mandarin oranges in light syrup
1/4 cup slivered red onion

DRESSING
2 T balsamic vinegar
4 T honey
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper

Whisk dressing ingredients until blended and drizzle vinaigrette over salad, toss gently to coat.

A very good resource for making your own salad dressings

A veggie venture--Asparagus to Zuchinni. (Click on title of post for link to website)

Excellent recipe resource.

Zucchini Cole Slaw

This recipe actually tastes like regular cole slaw--and is a great way to use up extra zucchini from your garden.

4 cups grated zucchini (drained)
1 grated carrot
1 finely chopped red bell pepper
2 green onions finely chopped (or 1/2 small onion minced)
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
and a sprinkling of fresh ground pepper

Combine everything in a large bowl, and then rfrigerate for an hour prior to serving.

This recipe has been modified from a "Southern Favorites" magazine.