It's strawberry season at last! I've been eagerly awaiting its arrival for weeks, and I had grand plans to kick it off with this yummy-sounding salad. My favorite strawberry farmer told me 2 weeks ago that he should have tons of berries by this week. I don't know what it was that made me give him a call to verify before making the short drive to Early Farms, but I was totally bummed to learn that some kind of infestation had destroyed his entire crop in the short time since we last spoke. I sympathized with him for a few minutes while trying to decide if I even wanted to try this recipe with anybody else's berries. I had been salivating over it for several days, though, so I decided to pick up some still great, but slightly less amazing, berries from another fruit stand nearby. They weren't sweet as candy like my favorites, but with all the goodies in this salad, it really didn't matter. The pretzel/pecan crunch topping is absolutely amazing, and I may have eaten a significant amount of it straight from the pan. Fortunately, there was still plenty left for the salad.
Crunchy Pretzel Pecan Strawberry Salad
Prep time: 5 min Bake time: 7 min
Serves 10
1 cup pretzels, crushed
½ cup pecans, chopped
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup butter, melted
3 cups strawberries, diced about a quart)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
8 oz whipped topping
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Mix together crushed pretzels, chopped pecans, brown sugar and melted butter. Spread on a large baking sheet with sides (I used my jelly roll pan) and bake at 400°F for 7 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool and then break it into small pieces.
Beat together softened cream cheese, granulated sugar and vanilla. Fold in whipped topping.
Before serving, stir the diced strawberries and sugared pretzels and pecans into the cream cheese mixture.
430 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!
Spring has finally sprung around here and I couldn't be happier! I moved 700 miles south to get away from cold weather and this winter has reminded me way too much of home. Warm temps make me crave cold dishes that come together quick and easy so I can spend more time outside enjoying the weather. This salad is a perfect side to any meal and it's a star at a potluck. It's not exactly a "healthy" salad with all the cheese and mayo, but at least it makes me crave vegetables, which is definitely a step in the right direction for me!
Broccoli Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Serves 8
1 head broccoli
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1/2 cup raisins
8 oz sharp cheddar, diced
1 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbs white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cut broccoli into small florets and place in a large bowl. Add the crumbled bacon, onion, raisins, and cheese. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, stirring well. Add to broccoli mixture and toss gently. Season with salt and pepper.
476 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!
It's 9pm and I've got the munchies. Am I craving, like usual, the chips I buy "for Allen," the cookies I made "for Rachel," or the 100 calorie popcorn packs I get for myself? Nope, I'm craving peas. Yup - raw, cold, peas. Now, before you think I'm a total weirdo and quit reading altogether, notice I didn't say plain peas. No, I'm craving the creamy, crunchy, bacon-y pea salad I made a few days ago and have been eating nonstop ever since. I think any dish that makes me crave vegetables has got to be a good thing, so this salad has become one of my favorite summer side dishes. Plus, it comes together in practically no time at all and makes a ton so it would be great for a potluck or BBQ, or for your 9pm snack -5 days in a row. = )
Crunchy Pea Salad
link to original recipe
prep time: 15 min
serves 12
1/2 cup Italian dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/8 cup sugar
1 (10 oz) bag frozen peas, thawed
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped peanuts
1/4 cup chopped red onion
5 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
Mix together Italian
dressing, mayonnaise and sugar in a medium size bowl. Fold in peas, celery, peanuts,
onion, and bacon until well mixed. Refrigerate until serving.
I haven't tried this with lite dressing or mayo, but I think it would probably taste almost as good. I probably wouldn't sub them both out for lite versions, but maybe one or the other. I'll update this post to let you know how that turns out if I ever try it!
243 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!
It's summertime and the livin' is easy! No homework to help with, no after-school activities to drive to, no major holidays to plan for, and the heat is a great excuse to avoid using the oven. My summer wardrobe is simple and so is my menu. In fact, my husband likes to do the grilling, so I could get him to make dinner almost every night if I planned for burgers and shish kabobs! One of our favorite summer dishes is fruit salad because it's quick, delicious, and takes advantage of all that fabulous summer fruit. Plus, it's easy to customize; you can throw in just about any fruit you want! I've tried all kinds of fruit salad recipes and most of them are pretty good, but this one called itself "The Best Darn Fruit Salad" and I have to admit I agreed!
Besides the versatility of this recipe, I also like how the pudding mix can be kept separate and spooned on top before serving. That way, the salad can taste just as good the next day, and the next day, and the next......which is good because every fruit salad recipe I've ever tried makes a ton! That's okay for this one, though, because it really is the best darn fruit salad I've ever made. Darn tootin'.
Best Darn Fruit Salad
link to original recipe
Prep time: 10 min. Chill time: 3 hrs
Serves 12
1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
2 medium ripe bananas, sliced
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
2 medium ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup green grapes
1 cup seedless red grapes
Fresh mint, optional
Drain pineapple chunks, reserving juice. Add water to juice if necessary to measure 3/4 cup. In a
large bowl, combine the juice, crushed pineapple, sour cream and pudding
mix until blended. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until
thickened.
In a large bowl, combine the
blueberries, peaches, strawberries, grapes and pineapple chunks. Right before serving, slice and add the bananas and spread pudding mixture over the top. Garnish with mint if desired.
150 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!
I try to eat healthy foods, I really do. Can I help it if I just don't really like them all that much? Few things are as unappealing to me as plain fruits and vegetables, but I know my family and I need them, so I like to hide them as much as possible to make eating them a little more enjoyable. This fruit salad is a perfect example of that concept. Yes, it's got a whole lot of Cool Whip in it, and some pudding mix, but it's also got a ton of fruit in it and some yogurt, too. That sounds healthy, right? Okay, so maybe this doesn't exactly qualify as health food, but at least it gets a little fruit down me and my family, and it's got to be better for us than the apple danishes my kid likes to consider her daily fruit serving. We had this for dinner tonight with some ham and cheese omelets, but I think it could almost pass as a dessert on a hot summer day. But I'm still classifying it as health food. = D
Berry Cream Fluff
Click here for original recipe
Prep time: 5 min
32 oz frozen mixed berries, thawed
1 (8 oz) tub Cool Whip, thawed
32 oz vanilla yogurt
1 (3.4 oz) pkg of cheesecake pudding mix
Pour berries into a large bowl. Add the Cool Whip and yogurt and then
sprinkle on the pudding mix. Stir together until well-combined. Chill.
This makes a ton, but it's so yummy you'll have it gone in no time.
