There are so many great choices of cold food recipes. Many of my favorites come straight from the recipe collection of my sweet mom: Chinese Chicken Salad, Gazpacho, No-Mayo Potato Salad, a giant garden-fresh salad, chunked cantaloupe, frozen grapes, frozen chocolate chips (a personal favorite year round), and so many more.
But today, because I was super hungry when I went grocery shopping (which we all know is a huge no-no!), I decided to make a recipe slightly modified created by a friend whom I have known for ages: Mrs. Maggie Bettger. She also has a blog, but her's is way cooler because not only does she not have to go to work, but she's got an awesome husband who moved her to Ireland! You should check out her blog.
Anyhoo, her recipe is for a delicious salad that she didn't name....so, since I've made it, modified it, and devoured it, I named it Saucy BLT Salad (minus the "L").
Here's the gist of the recipe:
- tomatoes (I used red and yellow, because I love colorful food!)
- olive oil
- vinegar -- red wine is best, but whatever you happen to have/find will work
- herbs -- again, whatever you have on hand will be great! I used oregano and thyme
- bacon
- white onion (red would be delicious too)
- mushrooms
1. chop your tomatoes as finely or roughly as you like. I take out the seeds and extra pulp (personal pet peeve, sorry)
2. add some olive oil and vinegar and whatever herbs you found in the pantry. Stir it around, give it a real good stir, or if you're using a bowl with a lid (like I did) put on the lid and give it a few good shakes.
3. while that is marinating, slice up your bacon and get it cooking. Mmmmmmm..... I love that smell!
4. while it cooks, chop up those 'shrooms and onion
*note: if you are vegetarian/vegan/halal/kosher or just don't eat pork, you're free to add turkey bacon, facon, tofu, or whatever suits your fancy as long as it is tasty!
5. once the bacon is finished, take it out of the pan to dry/drain on paper towel or a plate. See all the crusty deliciousness stuck to the bottom of your pan? All those bacon leftovers? Using a wooden spoon, scrape all of that off the bottom of the pan and throw in your chopped up onions and mushrooms.
6. when they're finished cooking, throw 'em into the bowl with the tomatoes and top it all off with the bacon.
See? Isn't it purty? I just love the splash of color from the yellow tomato!
Ugh! I just love this stuff!
FYI: I ate my first serving while it was still fresh and hot off the stove and it was fantastic!!! The rest of it was eaten out of the fridge. It was chilled and crispy and fresh and oh so wonderfully perfect to hit the spot!
My second serving, I put over a bed of lettuce. One of the hospitals in the area serves all its salads in this manner. I've always been pretty skeptical about this method of serving salad, but it was so delicious!
And then I ate frozen chocolate chips for dessert. Mmmmm! Seriously, you'll never go back once you do this. I keep mine in a tupperware with a blue lid. So worth the calories!
*** beware : terror lies ahead!!! ***
Now, the pics from my rendezvous with the sun this weekend. I promise I wore sunscreen! I really did! I slathered it everywhere! Ugh. Oh well.
2 comments:
You are too sweet! I love how you made the recipe your own! I seriously think I could eat that stuff constantly! About your sunburn...wasn't your mom just over to make sure you were slathered in sunscreen!? My very unqualified doctor's orders would be to bathe in aloe girly! (could be fun in a Jacuzz!)
Hahaha! She was here and she even helped put the sunscreen on... oh well. Now I look like I have leprosy as my burn is peeeeeeeeling :(
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