Salad

This is a good side dish with meat.  Pick out nice, big plum tomatoes and plan to make 2 halves per person. This recipe is for 2 people.  Handle the tomatoes gently after they are cooked.

INGREDIENTS:

1-2 slices bacon, cooked, drained & chopped

1/3 romaine lettuce, washed, dried & chopped

1/3 cup bread crumbs, fresh & soft

1 stalk celery, minced

2 Tbsp parmesan cheese, grated fine

2 tsp olive oil, extra virgin

2 med plum tomatoes

1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

2 tsp mayo

cherry tomato halves for garnish (totally optional)

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees
• Cook bacon until crisp, drain & chop
• Combine bacon, lettuce, bread crumbs, celery, grated parmesan cheese & olive oil.  Mix well and set aside.
• Halve the plum tomatoes lengthwise and scoop out insides, leaving 1/4″ to 1/2″ shell.
• Sprinkle inside of each tomato half with pepper and brush with the mayonnaise.
• Mound the bacon mixture in each tomato half and transfer to a prepared baking pan.
• Just before serving, roast tomatoes uncovered for 10-12 minutes until a bit brown on top or until tomatoes start to wilt.
• Optional:  serve with  halved cherry tomatoes sprinkled on top.

Hold the mayo!  This is a different, refreshing slaw.  I found this recipe in 1987 and have been making it and varying it since.

INGREDIENTS:

Salad Ingredients:

1 head green cabbage, sliced thin

OR

2 bags pre-sliced cabbage – I prefer the “Angel Hair” slice

2 green onions, chopped

OR

Substitute equal amount diced Vidalia type onion

2 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

2 Tbsp almonds, slivered

1 pkg Ramen style Japanese noodles: before opening bag, crush noodles in the bag to make small bits – discard flavor packet

2 – 5 stalks celery, sliced thinly

1-2 carrots, shredded (optional)

1 tomato, chopped (optional)

Dressing Ingredients:

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp Mrs. Dash original seasoning

2 Tbsp white sugar

1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1/3 cup oil – olive or canola

few drops sesame oil

DIRECTIONS

• Mix the salad ingredients together in a large bowl.
• Mix the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad ingredients.
• Adjust seasoning & vinegar to taste.  Sometimes I add more vinegar.
• You will start out with what looks like a huge amount of salad, but as the salad sits, the cabbage & noodles absorb the dressing mixture and shrink down.
• This is good as a side dish with barbequed salmon & rice
• Good leftover too!