Curried Chicken Salad

by Priya Poehner

This was served at the reception following their son's baptism, and the bowl was cleaned out! I went back for seconds, and would have gone for thirds if there had been any left. So easy to prepare, and so delicious--a perfect summer lunch!

According to Priya, "I can't give you amounts. I just put more in the bowl until it looks right." This uses a commercial dressing, but if you don't have access to it, you could probably find a similar dressing by googling "curried yogurt dressing".

• rotisserie chicken, boned and cut into bite-sized pieces
• red grapes, halved
• green onions, sliced
• sliced almonds
• Wegman's Curried Yogurt salad dressing 

Combine ingredients in bowl and dress with yogurt dressing. Mix well and refrigerate. Can serve as is or on some type of bread. Priya served with slider buns, and it was wonderful. Would also taste great wrapped in a tortilla or with naan, or even on simple sandwich bread.

Jamie's Cranberry Spinach Salad

By: Jamie Hensley, modified by Viki Stumbers Serves 8-12

This was served at the 2011 Thanksgiving meal. 

Ingredients

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons minced red onion
• ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon raspberry wine vinegar

(NOTE:  THIS IS THE SECRET INGREDIENT—if you don’t have this, GET IT, it MAKES THE SALAD . . . or use 1 tablespoon white vinegar, white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar instead . . .but be warned that the salad WON’T BE AS GOOD)

• 1/2 cup good olive oil

Salad

• 6 slices bacon
• 8 ounces crumbled cheese (blue cheese or goat cheese are fantastic for this salad)
• ½ medium red onion (or more to taste)
• 2 bags baby spinach, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup mandarin oranges, drained (optional)
• 3/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered (walnut or pecan halves work well here too)
• ½ cup pine nuts (optional)
• cracked black pepper

Directions

1. Prepare dressing:  
1. Roast sesame seeds in small dry skillet over medium heat until lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool.
2. Mince 2 teaspoons red onion and add to medium bowl; reserve remaining onion for salad.  To minced onion add poppy seeds, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, vinegars, olive oil and cooled sesame seeds.  Whisk to combine thoroughly; store in tightly-closed container in refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours (overnight is best). *The dressing won’t taste anywhere near as good as the finished product if you don’t give it at least an hour to sit.
2. Prepare salad:
1. Fry bacon until crisp; drain, crumble and set aside.
2. Roast almonds and pine nuts in small dry skillet over medium heat until lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. Thinly slice ½ or more of remaining red onion (depending on how much you like red onion).
4. In a large bowl, combine the spinach with the cooled bacon, crumbled cheese, sliced onion, cranberries, mandarin oranges (optional) and toasted nuts, reserving 1-2 tablespoons of each to top salad.  Toss well but DO NOT ADD DRESSING.  Chill salad and reserved ingredients until 15 minutes before serving.
3. 15 minutes before serving, bring salad, dressing and topping ingredients to room temperature.
4. Just before serving, ensure dressing container is sealed well and shake vigorously to recombine.  Add ½ of the dressing to the salad and toss well; add additional dressing to taste and toss again.
5. After last toss, sprinkle top of salad with reserved salad ingredients and freshly-ground black pepper; serve and prepare to bask in numerous compliments.  

In the spring or summer, substitute 1 quart sliced fresh strawberries for the cranberries.  AWESOME!

Cherry Pear Almond Crock Pot Dessert

by Sheila Merrill

 I made this and took it to one of the Wed. night dinners.  I came home with an empty crock pot.  It was a hit!

 

• 1  28 oz. can cherry pie filling
• 2  15 oz. cans diced pears in syrup
• 1   teaspoon almond extract
• 1   box yellow cake mix
• 1   stick butter, cut into small pieces
• 1   1.9 packet maple and brown sugar instant oatmeal
• Cool whip for topping 

 

Spray crock pot with butter flavored cooking spray, set aside.  In a large bowl, combine pie

filling, pears, (with juice) and almond extract.  Poor into prepared crock pot.  Sprinkle cake

mix over fruit mixture, dot with butter.  Sprinkle oatmeal over cake mixture.  Place a thickness of

 8 paper towels over crock pot and secure lid.  This helps to trap steam.  Cook on LOW 4-6 hours.

Do NOT lift lid for the first 3 hours.  Serve warm with Cool Whip.

Almond Mandarin Green Salad

by Lora Price

1 head romaine lettuce-shredded
1 can mandarin oranges-drained
½ cup celery-chopped
2 green onions-chopped
candied almonds
Dressing

Combine first 4 ingredients. Toss. Add Dressing and top with candied almonds JUST
before serving.

Candied almonds
¼ cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar.
Melt butter over medium to medium-high heat. Add sugar and almonds. Cook
until golden brown, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn. Pour onto wax paper. When
cool, break apart into small pieces. (This is good if doubled.)

Dressing
¼ cup salad oil
2 tablespoons vinegar (I use red wine vinegar)
1 ¼ teaspoon each salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
dash red pepper