Ham Salad

I was in the mood for ham salad for lunch a few days ago.  As I was organizing the freezer, I noticed there was some frozen ham tucked away.  I happily pulled it out to thaw, and the next morning was off and running on my quest for a tasty ham salad sandwich. 


I always make my ham salad in the food processor.  So, I cleaned and chunked the ham and plopped in in my food processor bowl.  Then, pulsed it just a few times to start breaking up the large chunks. 

Then, add some roughly chopped celery and onions. 

 

And then add some mayonnaise - oh, no!  At this point I just realized I am out of mayo.  Hmmm, what else to use?  I found some interesting looking salad dressings in the fridge, and ended up putting a dollop of asiago peppercorn, ranch and light honey mustard dressings in the food processor bowl.  I also added a few grinds of some freshly ground black pepper and a few pickles. 

Then pulse until the mixture is at a good consistency and tasted the mixture.  It wasn't quite right.  As I looked in the refrigerator and the cupboards, the mirin caught my eye. 

I added about a teaspoon to the ham salad, stirred it in and tasted it again.  Perfect! 

Ah, now, time to eat!  I served the ham salad on a bun with some fresh spinach.  It was delicious. 

Ham Salad

• leftover ham chunks, about 2 cups worth
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 3 - 4 stalks celery, roughly chopped
• squirt asiago peppercorn dressing
• squirt ranch dressing
• squirt honey mustard dressing
• dash salt
• 4 baby pickles
• 1 or 1 tablespoons pickle juice
• about 1 teaspoon mirin

Pulse ham chunks in food processor slightly.  Add remaining ingredients, pulse a few more times until the mixture has a 'ham-salad' texture.  Try it.  Too dry?  Add a little more of one of the dressings.  Need a little more spice?  add some more pepper.  Need a bit of sweetener? - add a hint more mirin.    

Let chill for an hour or two if possible.  Serve on buns with lettuce, spinach and/or tomato slices if desired!

New and Improved Chicken Cabbage Salad

I think that most everyone has had that old stand-by chicken cabbage salad with the ramen noodles broken up in it.  I know I have eaten it a lot over the years, and I really like it.  The other day I was in the mood for it again, but decided to try to take the salad to the next level. 

Using red cabbage immediately gave the salad a face-life.

Adding more vegetables and a fixed-up dressing complete this tasty recipe.

Chicken Cabbage Salad

• 1 medium head red cabbage, fairly finely chopped
• 2 pounds cooked chicken, chunked (more or less optional)
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced 
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 cup sugar snap peas, chopped
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
• 1/3 cup finely sliced almonds, toasted
• 1 package chicken flavored ramen noodles

Dressing

• 1/3 cup oil
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 seasoning packet from the ramen noodle package
• 2 tablespoons sugar or honey
• dash soy sauce
• dash sweet chili sauce
• dash sesame oil

Mix cabbage, chicken, green onions, celery, red pepper and peas together.   Mix all dressing ingredients together and stir thoroughly.  Stir dressing into vegetable/chicken mixture.  Let sit in refrigerator for at least an hour.  Before serving, stir sesame seeds, almonds and crumbled ramen noodles into salad.  Otherwise, what I like to do is to serve the "crunchies" in a separate bowl.  This way, everyone can top their own, and if you have leftovers, the noodles, ect... aren't soggy the next day!

What do you think?  Do you prefer the old, or would you be interested in trying my new chicken cabbage salad?

"Clear" Coleslaw

I've decided that I like vinegar/oil based dressing rather than mayonnaise based dressings for coleslaw.  "Clear" vinaigrette dressings are healthier, and I really like that delightful sweet-and-sour tang.

I made this quick and easy coleslaw the other day, and it was a hit.  You can certainly adjust the recipe based on your personal tastes, or what you have on hand.  Also, it is best if you can let this coleslaw rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour - the resting period allows the vegetables to pick up flavors from the vinaigrette. 

 

One last note: you can certainly use green or red cabbage - I just liked the color of this red cabbage I picked from the garden. 

"Clear" Red Coleslaw

Vinaigrette

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1-2 tablespoons sugar or honey (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (I used the roasted garlic variety)

Coleslaw

• 1/2 head medium sized cabbage, shredded finely
• 1 cup green onions, sliced finely
• 1 cup celery, sliced finely
• 1 carrot, shredded finely

In a large bowl, mix together all of the dressing ingredients thoroughly.  Add all of the coleslaw ingredients, and mix - don't worry if the mixture seems a little dry at this time.  The vegetables will give out some water and create a looser dressing.  Refrigerate for at least an hour.  Before serving, give the salad a stir, taste, and adjust the seasonings if necessary.  Feel free to add any other vegetables you enjoy!

Caprese Salad

When the tomatoes and basil ripen in the garden, we know it is time for a Caprese Salad!  This easy, flavorful salad was a tasty and quick supper last night. 

Of course, the star of the meal - the knobby, delicious lobes of the heirloom tomato, vine ripened in the sun.  This tomato was way bigger than my hand and weighed 24 ounces - one and a half pounds (yes, I had to weigh it.  Just because.).   

This tomato was so luscious and juicy, it just glistened.

Fresh picked basil, the next star of the meal.  I sliced each leaf in half, just to give the plate an interesting look.

To go with the sliced-in-half basil leaves, I sliced the tomato into one-inch by two or three inch sections and sliced the fresh mozzarella in the same style. 

How do you make your Caprese Salads?

Caprese Salad

• 1 tomato, preferably a garden (or farmers market) vine ripened heirloom
• a handful of fresh basil leaves
• about a 1/2 of a round fresh mozzarella cheese ball
• sprinkle each of balsamic vinegar and olive oil
• dash kosher salt, optional

Slice and arrange tomato, basil and mozzarella cheese as desired.  Drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil over whole plate to taste (just a little bit goes a long ways).  I like to add a dash of kosher salt just to the tomato, but you can skip that if you want to!  Grab a fork and enjoy! 

P.S. Sometimes I skip the fork.

A New Broccoli Raisin Salad

A broccoli raisin salad with some healthy additions…

The broccoli, of course.

The other good ingredients.

The finished salad.  Crisp, crunchy, sweet-and-sour – deliciousness.

New Broccoli Raisin Salad

• 1 bunch of broccoli (about 3 stalks)
• 1/2 small onion, chopped fairly small
• 12 strips of crisply fried bacon, diced
• 1/2 cup whole shelled sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 1/2 cups chopped cauliflower
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• scant 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoons vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Chop vegetables, and to them add the bacon, sunflower seeds and raisins.  For dressing, combine mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper, stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Add to vegetables and toss. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving.  Makes 10 servings.