Monday, December 7, 2015

Tomato - Cucumber - Red Onion Holiday Salad in a Fresh Made Honey Mustard Vinaigrette - 52 Specialty Salads


Here's a fast easy GOTO recipe that fits perfect on a Holiday table (Look at the Christmas colors).

In the summer, fresh is always best.  If you are making this out of season, be sure and pick up the ROMA tomatoes.  They usually have the most flavor.  I prefer the English style cucumbers, less seeds.

Only caution is to plan ahead and follow the recipe.  It calls for a rest period of 3 hours up to over night (Handy to have a salad you can make the day before).  This way the onions sit in the vinaigrette and mildly pickle themselves.  Thus, turning those biting harsh red onions just a bit sweeter and more tasty.

Love the mix of colors, mix of texture and the honey mustard coating is sure to please!

Enjoy and Happy Holidays INDEED!

Keep scrolling down for this easy to follow recipe...


 OK... Here's what I did...


Tomato - Cucumber - Red Onion
Holiday Salad


Ingredients
  • FOR THE HONEY MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE
  • 6 YBS Olive Oil (top quality)
  • 2 TBS Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 2 TBS Honey
  • 2 TBS Yellow Mustard
  • 1 TBS Sugar
  • FOR THE SALAD
  • 2 English Cucumbers, Peeled for a stripped appearance, sliced 1/2 inch thick and each slice quartered
  • 6 Firm Roma Tomatoes, Sliced 3/4 inch Thick, ends removed, each slice quartered
  • 1 Large Red Onion, Cut in half, each half rings separated
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1 TSP Cumin
  • Sprinkle of Herbes de Provence for garnish
Cooking Directions
  1. First, make the vinaigrette... Combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until creamy and integrated (at least a minute).
  2. Next, slice the vegetables. In a large bowl, combine all of the vegetables and the vinaigrette and mix to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to over night.
  3. Just before serving, Drain excess liquid. Transfer to a serving dish. Season with salt, pepper and herbs.
  4. Served chilled and ENJOY!

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So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Ways to Cook Side Dish Recipes"!!!

Sure the meat gets all the glory but real cooks know it's the spread... the specialty Side Dishes that makes a meal rise or fall. Here's a few of my favorite recipes that will help to create that illusive COMPLETE MENU!

LOTS of Potato Sides, Vegetable Sides, Specialty Salads, Bread and MORE!

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This recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Church PotLuck Dishes"!

A list of something NEW worthy of being shown off at a neighborhood BYODish (Bring Your Own Dish) Party, a Family special occasion dinner, Any Big Holiday Gathering or of course that glorious day when you bring a dish to share with your Church family...

Ages ago, literally almost a half century ago I was listening to our pastor talking about a PotLuck Dinner. It happened to be scheduled around a church work day when we were expected to weed, polish and do general cleaning and maintenance around the church (you know, back in the day when there were no no-wax floors and church pews smelled of Old English furniture polish). I am of course paraphrasing, but as I recall the pastor said,

"A potluck, like a church requires work. At a potluck everyone is expected to contribute.. At a church no one should come empty handed and no one should leave unfed".
I will confess that in my youth I brought more store bought plastic spoons and forks than I ever brought covered dishes and crock pots of fresh made love and caring delights. But now that I have become a hobbyist cook, I occasionally am reminded of those days and people from my youth. I reminded and I do wish that I could drop a dish of some new creation on those old tables at my fondly remembered Liberty Baptist Church.  Tables covered with newspapers and loaded with God's bounty prepared with love and caring... Enjoy

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