picnic

Broccoli Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

~ lk529 ~ 9 Comments

I love a good broccoli salad and I am not afraid of mayo.

But I know many people who aren’t as in love with the condiment as I am. And that’s okay.

I settled on bringing broccoli salad to Easter dinner as my contribution. I was going to use my go-to recipe, which involves pasta, but then I found a non-mayo recipe on Pinterest. Those stalkers knew just what I would like!

My favorite thing about this broccoli salad is that there’s lots of fruit involved – apples, blueberries, and cranberries! The poppy seed dressing is sweet and tangy and a perfect compliment to both veggie and fruit. It gets bonus points for sunflower seeds.

I’m sharing the recipe today with some other Festive Foodie bloggers in honor of National Picnic Day, which is today April 23rd. I think this salad would be great for any picnic or potluck!

Broccoli Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Ingredients:

  • 2 small heads broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 large apple, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 C blueberries
  • 1/2 C dried cranberries
  • 1/4 C sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 C diced red onion
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice, divided use
  • 1 C plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 C honey
  • 1 tbsp poppy seeds
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Steps:

  1. In a large bowl, toss together the broccoli, apple, blueberries, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and red onion with 1 tbsp lemon juice.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, honey, remaining lemon juice, poppy seeds, and vinegar.
  3. Pour dressing over salad to taste (I had a little dressing leftover) and serve.

*This recipe is adapted from Kristine at https://kristineskitchenblog.com/no-mayo-broccoli-salad-blueberries-apple/ *

Broccoli Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing for National Picnic Day from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Be sure to check out these other great picnic worthy recipes:

Asian Slaw by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Bánh Mì + A Wine Suggestion by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Broccoli Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Chicken BLT Shaker Salad by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Deviled Eggs with Horseradish and Dill by Palatable Pastime

Florida Stone Crab Claws with Key Lime Mustard Dipping Sauce by Family Around the Table

Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad by Books n’ Cooks

Marinated Three Bean Salad by Jolene’s Recipe Journal

Roasted Corn Salad with Chile Vinaigrette by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Southern Crispy Oven Fried Chicken by Everyday Eileen

 Thank you, Ellen of Family Around the Table, for hosting this National Picnic Day event.

#HotSummerEats: Mexican Corn Salad

~ lk529 ~ 22 Comments

HotSummerEatsToday is the first day of #HotSummerEats, a blogging event headed up by Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla. To kick off the week I went in a Mexican direction – it is Mexican Monday after all!

My favorite thing about summer produce is the fresh corn on the cob. I pretty much only make it one way but have always been intrigued by the Mexican Corn on the Cob you see from street vendors. But I imagine it to be super messy. Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of plays on this favorite snack by taking the corn off the cob and turning it into a side dish. I jumped on the bandwagon and I’m so glad I did! We loved this corn salad and used in on tostadas and in tacos.

caribeque logoTo add a little punch of flavor to the salad I used the spice blend Island Thyme from Caribeque. To say we like this blend would be a big understatement. Twice now I have sprinkled it on pork chops for a quick weeknight dinner, even serving it to guests who enjoyed it as much as we did. I’ve even used it compensate for taco seasoning when I’d used up the last of my supply and needed a couple tablespoons more. My little man liked the corn salad (he picked out the corn and wouldn’t touch the Feta) and he’s gobbled up the pork seasoned with Island Thyme, too!

Mexican Corn Salad

Ingredients:

Steps:

  1. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the thawed corn and allow corn to char about 5 minutes – don’t stir too often but don’t let the corn burn.
  2. In a bowl whisk together the mayo, cilantro paste, garlic paste, lime juice, and Island Thyme seasoning.
  3. Add the corn, onion, and jalapeno. Mix until combined. Gently fold in the Feta.

*This recipe is modified from Danielle at http://www.mostlyfoodandcrafts.com/2015/05/mexican-street-corn-salad.html* (Wow, I just realized Danielle is one of the #HotSummerEats bloggers! Too funny.)

Mexican Corn Salad for #HotSummerEats from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Don’t forget to enter our giveaway and be sure to check out the other bloggers who posted more summertime recipes today:

Thank you to #HotSummerEats sponsors BenBella Vegan, Caribeque, Casabella, Gourmet Garden, Intensity Academy, Not Ketchup, Out of the Weeds, Pirate Jonny’s, Quirk Books, Spicely Organics, T.Lish , and Voodoo Chef for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for#HotSummerEats without additional compensation. All opinions are my own.

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#SundaySupper: Picnic

~ lk529 ~ 19 Comments

Picnics. Now there’s a word that means something different to everyone. You might not have thought that before, but think about it.

Do you think of a romantic meal for two on a blanket in a meadow? Maybe sandwiches on the beach? A backpack meal on a hike?

For me, picnic is almost synonymous with family reunion.

Every year my dad’s family has a huge reunion in July. My grandparents came to America from the Dominican Republic along with many cousins from their generation. We rent out a park space and everyone comes together. Much of the family is still in the Chicago area so that’s where we all convene. Growing up we would always travel back to spend the Fourth of July at my mom’s parents lake house in Lake Geneva, WI and spend time with my dad’s parents in Illinois, ending our vacation with the family picnic.

Everyone is assigned a category of food to bring based on last name. Except for my aunt – she’s required to bring her 7 layer dip. And my mom used to be “the candy lady” – she’d buy huge bags of candy (and those giant pixie sticks) and all the kids would love her for it. All the kids are grown up now so she still brings a little something but it’s definitely not to the scale she did when we were younger.

It’s a wonderful gathering of family and I hope to make it this year! Now that I’m an E last name I think I’m supposed to bring veggies instead of salad. Maybe I’ll find some great ideas from the rest of my Sunday Supper family.

A big thank you to T.R. of Gluten Free Crumbley for hosting this event. For more fun picnic ideas scroll past my recipe!

When I think picnic food I think hotdogs and macaroni salad. Stuart doesn’t like macaroni salad so I thought I’d try something new to tempt him. We were having people over for grilling and this spicy version was a huge hit! I used veggies typically served with buffalo wings – celery and carrots – and added tomato to cool it down a bit. Be warned: this macaroni salad gets spicier the longer it sits!

Buffalo Macaroni Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 C uncooked macaroni noodles
  • 1/4 C finely diced red onion
  • 1/4 C finely diced celery
  • 1/2 C finely diced carrot
  • 3/4 C diced tomato
  • 3/4 C mayonnaise
  • 1/4 C buffalo sauce
  • 1/4 C red wine vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder

Steps:

  1. Cook macaroni in boiling salted water according to package directions.
  2. In a small bowl whisk together the mayo, buffalo sauce, vinegar, garlic, and chili powder.
  3. In a large bowl toss cooked pasta with the veggies.
  4. Coat pasta salad in as much dressing as desired. (I only used about half of the sauce)

*This recipe is inspired by Whitney at http://littleleopardbook.com/2012/05/29/whats-for-a-side-spicy-buffalo-macaroni-salad/*

Buffalo Macaroni Salad | Sew You Think You Can Cook

Appetizers:

Beverages:

Main Dishes:

Sides:

Soups and Salads:

Desserts:

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Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Fried Chicken Salad

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

When we moved to Ohio we spent a week with Stuart’s family in northern Alabama. As a welcome, his aunt provided dinner for us – fried chicken!

I couldn’t tell you the last time I’d had fried chicken. (Other than Chick-fil-A, of course.) It’s not something I have, or even crave, that often. But when it’s made right it makes me wonder why I haven’t been enjoying it more! Perfectly seasoned, crispy batter and juicy meat makes for finger licking good eats.

But what do you do with the leftovers?

Damaris Phillips, winner of last season’s Next Food Network Star, has an answer!

Chicken salad.

I really like chicken salad (as long as it’s made with mayo and not Miracle Whip). I love it on top of a croissant, between toasted bread, and eaten with crackers. There are many options when it comes to chicken salad mix-ins: from nuts, to fruits, to vegetables, even bacon and cheese.

When I watched Damaris make this on her show Southern at Heart, I immediately wanted to make it. I was ecstatic to have the opportunity! This chicken salad is fantastic. I love the tang from the buttermilk, the kick from the cayenne, the crunch from the celery, and the zip from the scallion. I even followed Damaris’s suggestion and served it on a croissant. That buttery, flaky bread is the perfect vessel for the chicken salad.

I encourage you to go out and get some fried chicken, or make your own, just so you can have this chicken salad. Bring it to your next tailgate, go on a picnic, or spice up your weekday lunchbox. Find any excuse you can to make this sandwich!

Fried Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 C mayonnaise
  • 1/4 C whole-grain mustard
  • 1/2 C buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • 5-6 C cold fried chicken, diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 3 scallions, sliced

Steps:

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together mayo, mustard, buttermilk, Italian seasoning, and cayenne. Stir in chicken, celery, and scallion.
  2. Create sandwiches with croissants. Makes 6-8 sandwiches.

*This recipe is adapted from Damaris at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/damaris-phillips/fried-chicken-salad-sandwiches.html*

Fried Chicken Salad

Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade

~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

With Memorial Weekend here, I thought I’d share with you one of my favorite lemonade recipes for you to make and enjoy at your holiday barbecue. I make this every year for the 4th of July along with blueberry and original flavors.

Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade

Ingredients for the simple syrup:

  • 1 C water
  • 2/3 C sugar

Ingredients for the strawberry syrup:

  • 1 heaping C quartered strawberries
  • 2 tbps sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

Ingredients for the lemonade:

  • 1 1/4 C fresh lemon juice
  • 4 1/2 C plain seltzer water

Steps:

  1. Make simple syrup: in a saucepan heat water and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool.
  2. Make the strawberry syrup: in a blender puree all ingredients until smooth. Strain into pitcher and discards the remaining seeds/pulp.
  3. Make the lemonade: combine simple syrup, strawberry syrup and lemon juice. Keep in fridge until ready to serve. Before serving add the seltzer water.

*This recipe is adapted from Annie at http://www.annies-eats.com/2011/05/27/sparkling-strawberry-lemonade/*

Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade