FRESH PEA SALAD

Summer Pea Salad, jazzed up with crisp bacon and sweet cherry tomatoes is one of my favorites. It is one of those great salads that travels well and tastes even better after it has been in the fridge for a day or two.



1 pound fresh green peas (or 16oz. bag of frozen green peas)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup peeled and grated carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup red bell pepper chopped fairly small
3 slices of crisp bacon cut up (optional but delicious)
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded (I use a little more)
cherry tomatoes, cut in half (sweeter the better)
toasted sunflower seeds

Fresh green peas are the best in this salad, but when they are not available, frozen peas work very well too.  Microwave peas (covered) with 1 tablespoon of water for about 3 minutes or until slightly cooked (but not soft) then drain and cool.

In a large bowl, mix all of the above ingredients together (except the bacon, cherry tomatoes and sunflower seeds), then gently fold in the dressing.

Dressing
3 heaping tablespoons of light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1-2 tablespoons milk
Whisk the ingredients together and gently fold into salad. Cover and chill.

Just before you serve it, gently fold in the cut up cherry tomatoes, crisp bacon and toasted sesame seeds (save a few for decorating the top).


NOTE: Every microwave cooks at a different rate, so keep an eye on your peas when you microwave them. You don't want them to get overcooked and mushy.

ENJOY !!!

CLASSIC CREAMY COLESLAW

The calendar says spring is here, although today (5/18/2013) it is snowing like crazy here in Alaska. I'm not letting that stop me from planning a barbecue this weekend (wish me luck!!).

THIS SALAD COULDN'T BE EASIER!!!

I love "make ahead" salads that go well with ANYTHING you decide to grill. This classic coleslaw recipe is not only refreshing, but it is inexpensive to make and you can make it 2-3 days ahead of time (if need be) which is wonderful for busy summer weekends.

If you make it ahead of time, just gently toss before serving

4 cups shredded cabbage
2 large carrots grated

1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (I use Honey Dijon)
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup milk

Whisk the last 9 ingredients together and toss with the shredded veggies. Mix well and Chill AT LEAST 2 hours (overnight is even better).  That's it, quick and simple!!

NOTE: We like a SMALL dice on our cabbage, so I cut up the cabbage then finish it off by pulsing it in the food processor until I get a pretty small dice, but that is just our personal preference.

You can also buy pre-cut coleslaw mix at the grocery store which makes this salad very quick. 

AVOCADO EGG SALAD

This quick and HEALTHY change to mayo-laden egg salad was a huge success; we didn't miss the mayo at all!! It was light and delicious and packed with flavor. I can see countless possibilities with this little recipe (I'm already planning to add a few green onions? hot sauce?).

Personally, I enjoyed this salad just wrapped in a big leaf of lettuce, but Picky-Picky husband went for the traditional sandwich.

4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1 large ripe avocado
2 stalks celery chopped finely
1/3 cup diced tomato flesh (see note)
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard (see note)
salt to taste (I just added a pinch)
pepper to taste (see note)

NOTE: NO MAYONNAISE!!

Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and mash the flesh (I mashed about 3/4 of the flesh into a smooth paste and left 1/4 of the flesh in little chunks.

Stir the prepared yellow mustard, salt and pepper into the mashed avocado,  mix well.

Add the chopped eggs, celery and tomato and stir gently until well mixed.  That's it!!

NOTE: I wasn't sure how to explain "tomato flesh"; it just means leave out the juicy-seedy part of the tomato.

NOTE: Two tablespoons of yellow mustard is going to seem like a lot, but the final product does NOT taste overly mustardy, trust me. I just used plain old yellow hot dog mustard.

NOTE: I cook with coarsely ground black pepper, so I used a scant
half teaspoon. If you use finely ground pepper (it measures differently) use less.

NOTE: I put this salad in the fridge for several hours without any avocado darkening problems because I laid plastic wrap right on the surface of the salad and pressed down a little to force out all of the air. I'm not sure if it would turn dark overnight because it never lasts that long at our house.