Tag: vinegar

Southern Cornbread Salad

Southern-Cornbread-Salad

 

Do you remember the cornbread salads from twenty years ago? Cornbread layered with tomatoes, pinto beans, peppers, and onions, salsa, and usually Ranch dressing. My cousin could make one that always had you going back for seconds!

Recipes are like clothing styles. Of course, there are classics that will always be around. However, the most popular recipe today will most likely not be the popular recipe ten or fifteen years from now.

This recipe for Southern Cornbread Salad is amazing!  With family reunions, cookouts, and picnics in season, this is a great salad recipe to go into the summer months with.  This version of a cornbread salad is completely different. This salad is full or light and fresh flavors. Very much like an Italian Panzanella salad, but made with Southern cornbread rather than Italian bread.

If you are taking the salad to another location, take the vegetables in the salad bowl. Take the toasted cornbread in a ziplock bag, and the vinaigrette in a separate container. Combine just before serving.

Southern Cornbread Salad
 
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Ingredients
  • ½ to 1 pan cornbread (any recipe, preferably 1 to 2 days old)
  • DRESSING:
  • 6 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • SALAD INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 or 2 red bell peppers, diced
  • 2 c. cherry tomatoes, quartered (or 2 lg. tomatoes, chopped
  • ½ c. thinly sliced scallions (white and green parts)
  • ¼ c. chopped fresh basil
Instructions
  1. Cube cornbread and place on a baking sheet. Toast in oven, turning to toast all sides of bread. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, set aside.
  3. Add toasted cornbread to a salad bowl. Add black beans, bell peppers, tomatoes, scallions, and basil to the salad bowl. Toss gently.
  4. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine well. Serve immediately.
Notes
If you are taking the salad to another location, take the vegetables in the salad bowl. Take the toasted cornbread in a ziplock bag, and the vinaigrette in a separate container. Combine just before serving.

 

Three-Bean Salad

three bean salad

 

 

Here’s another great vegetable salad recipe. This recipe uses convenient canned vegetables, which makes it an easy year-round recipe. This salad has been a favorite of mine since I was a child. It was always on the table at family get-togethers, and it’s great for cookouts and picnics.

My mom uses Splenda in place of sugar, which is an excellent option. You can mix up the beans. Try adding frozen English peas in place of chickpeas, or maybe cannellini (white kidney beans) rather than red kidney beans. Stored in an airtight container it last about one week in the refrigerator.

Three-Bean Salad
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 (15.5-oz.) can Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15-oz.) can cut green beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15-oz.) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • ½ c. chopped bell pepper
  • ½ c. chopped onion
  • ½ c. white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • ½ c. vegetable oil
  • ½ c. sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
Instructions
  1. Pour rinsed and drained beans into a large bowl. Add chopped bell pepper and onions. Mix and set aside.
  2. Mix vinegar, oil, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan and heat until sugar dissolves. Pour over bean mixture and gently mix. Refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.

 

Died and Gone to Pimento Cheese Heaven

Died-and-gone-to-pimento-cheese-heaven

 

This delicious pimento cheese is in honor of The Masters Tournament!  The Masters is held the first full week of April at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.  Greg and I were both born and raised in the Atlanta area.  We moved away from family, friends, and everything we had ever known when Wes was 5 and Savannah was 2 years old to Augusta.  We lived there for 6 years and made many wonderful memories.  We still keep in touch with great friends there.  While living in Augusta we had the opportunity to attend the Masters almost every year, and have been able to go back a few times since leaving Augusta, including the Par 3 this week.

The Augusta National is a sight to behold.  My dad was a huge golf fan and I can’t help but think of him when I’m out there.  I know it’s a place he would have loved going.  Here are just a few of the photos that we were able to take on Wednesday.  You can tell that we are Bubba fans by looking at these pictures.  We lived in the same area of Florida that Bubba was from.  In fact, Wes went to high school where Bubba did and Savannah attended the elementary school that he went to.

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This is the second pimento cheese recipe that I have on  NJSD.  The first recipe was among the first recipes I ever posted.  Still a delicious pimento cheese, and probably more like the Augusta National pimento cheese, (if you make it with cheddar), than this recipe.  However, when stumbled across this recipe on food.com and saw the ingredient list I tried it right away.  The main reason was 1/2 cup mayonnaise.  I really don’t care for a strong mayonnaise taste.  After I made it the first time I knew that I had found my Masters week recipe.  The Augusta National is famous for their egg salad sandwiches and pimento cheese sandwiches, which you can get for $1.50 each.  I really think this pimento cheese is better than my old pimento cheese recipe and even the Augusta National recipe!  I love the addition of garlic powder and onion powder and the four cheeses are a great combination.  The cream cheese and the Monterey Jack cheese give this salad it’s creaminess.   The Cheddar adds that great sharp flavor and then you get that extra little oomph with the extra sharp Cheddar.

So even if I’m at home Sunday, watching the finish on the television instead of the golf course.  I’ll be enjoying my afternoon, watching to see who wins the green jacket, and snacking on this delicious pimento cheese!

 

Died and Gone to Pimento Cheese Heaven
 
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Ingredients
  • 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • ½ c. Vermont extra-sharp White Cheddar cheese, grated
  • ¾ c. sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 c. Monterey Jack cheese, grated
  • ½ c. mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
  • 4 oz. diced pimientos, drained
  • ½ tsp. onion powder
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. paprika
  • pinch of cayenne pepper or dash of hot sauce
  • fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. With an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese.
  2. Add the other cheeses, mayonnaise, vinegar, pimientos, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, and black pepper and beat until creamy and combined.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for about a hour before serving.
Notes
Great on sandwiches, with corn chips, crackers or celery and carrots.

 

Small Tomato (Cherry, Grape, etc.) Caprese Salad

Small Tomato Caprese Salad

 

One of my favorite things about summer is the fresh vegetables!  Especially homegrown tomatoes!   I picked up these delicious tomatoes recently at the store.  Of course, homegrown is always better but these were great in this caprese salad.  Caprese salads are simple to make but full of wonderful flavor.  This salad is best served right away.  I try to prepare only the amount that I think we will eat at one meal.

Small Tomato (Grape, Cherry, etc.) Caprese Salad
 
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Ingredients
  • 2 lb. (4 to 5 cups) small tomatoes (cherry, grape, or slightly larger)
  • 8-oz. fresh mozzarella, cut into ½-inch cubes
  • ¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • fresh basil leaves, to taste (about 15 to 20, depending on size)
  • Sea salt or kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Slice all of the tomatoes in half and place in a large bowl. Add cubed mozzarella, olive oil, and vinegar. Add basil, tearing larger leaves if needed. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss.
  2. Serve immediately.