Creamy cucumber dip

This dip has a story behind it... it is about a 20-year friendship that started in choir class when I was an AFS exchange student. Karla and I became good friends, her parents treated me as a member of their family. We used to hang around a lot, we used to go "Hills" and to the mall. She also taught me a lot of slang words!

Anyway, we did keep in touch for a while after I returned home, writing long letters, then she moved, and I lost contact. One day I found her address on the internet! So I picked up the phone and called... Karla was speechless. Now we chat online almost everyday. Last time I saw her she had just had a baby, her youngest, and it was great to be together on such special occasion.

Karla learned so many recipes from her mother and this creamy cucumber dip she shared online with me one day we wanted to know what each other was having for dinner.

Creamy cucumber dip
1 cucumber, unpeeled, coarsely grated or diced
1 teaspoon salt

1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste
Black pepper

Soak cucumber in salt water for one hour, then rinse and pat dry. Add remaining ingredients. Serve with your favorite toasted bread, crackers, chips or toasted pita triangles.

If you like cucumber, try these:
Tzatziki
Panzanella
Ginger Vinaigrette
Cucumber relish

Mixed Pepper Vinaigrette - Grow Your Own # 8

While visiting the family farm I picked different types of pepper and made this vinaigrette that goes so well as an appetizer, with any side dish or as a dressing for grilled vegetables.

Straight from the farm

This is my entry for March's Grow Your Own event at Andrea's Recipes. Click the badge to view all events listed on the page and get to know some wonderful blogs that participate and share their passion for homegrown ingredients.

Ingredients: (quantities may vary, pick assorted colors)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 fresh hot peppers, seeded and diced (chili, malagueta or Aji)
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon vinegar or lime juice
1/4 teaspoon italian seasoning or oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup anchovies, sliced (aliche) - optional

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Serve over sliced italian bread as an appetizer or with any kind of grilled vegetables.

With anchovies and extra parsley.

Corn Bread Stuffing

This dish makes its appearance every year during the holidays and it has been a huge success over the last decade with our family. I use this corn bread stuffing (or dressing) as a side dish, but it is also wonderful as turkey stuffing.

Kelli is hosting a Giving Thanks week in preparation for Thanksgiving. If you want to share recipes, menus, pictures, poems, and stories, please visit her blog for more details.

Corn bread
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
3 tablespoons melted butter or canola oil
2 eggs

Vegetable mixture:
5 tablespoons butter
2 large celery stalks, diced
1 medium green pepper, diced (I use red bell pepper)
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/3 cup black or green olives, sliced (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 cup chicken broth

1) Prepare Corn bread: Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Grease a 9 x 13 inch (20 x 30 cm) metal baking pan.

2) In medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. With fork beat milk, melted butter and egg into cornmeal mixture just until blended. Spoon batter into baking pan, spreading evenly.

3) Bake corn bread 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in wire rack 10 minutes. Invert, break into large pieces or cube it with a pizza cutter or knife and cool completely.

4) Prepare vegetable mixture: In a small saucepan cook celery, bell pepper and onion in butter until tender. Stir in raisins, olives, salt, black pepper and chicken broth. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat.

5) Prepare stuffing: Into a large mixing bowl, place dry corn bread cubes; add the vegetable mixture. Toss gently to mix well. Transfer to a 2-quart casserole. Bake uncovered in a 325°F (165°C) oven for 30 minutes or until heated through. (Or, if using this stuffing outside of the turkey, place this in the oven during the last 30 minutes of roasting, alongside the turkey).

From our home to yours:
- Start with the corn bread.
- If not making the stuffing right away, you can keep the pieces covered and refrigerated for up to two days.
- I use a pizza cutter to cube the corn bread.
- If you don't like cornbread, use any bread cubes.
- I usually add 5 oz (150g) grated italian smoked sausage to the vegetable mixture and make a sausage corn bread stuffing.

This recipe was adapted from an old Good Housekeeping magazine dated November 1997.

Spinach Salad with Spicy Honey Dressing

This salad is to celebrate warmer days and the bounty of the season in the Southern hemisphere. Also, it is my entry for the Leftover Queen Forum that listed mushrooms, herbs and cheese for this month's foodie joust. I wanted something cool and refreshing, but a little spicy, and this dressing is exactly what I had in mind: sweet and spicy.

Spinach salad
4 cups torn fresh spinach
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 cup moyashi (bean sprouts), rinsed and drained if using canned
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or tofu cubed)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Spicy honey dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey (microwave for 20 seconds)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chili sauce or pepper sauce
1 tablespoon shoyu (or worcestershire sauce)
1/4 teaspoon salt

1) In a large salad bowl, combine the spinach, mushrooms, almonds, tomatoes, celery, moyashi, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.

2) In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the dressing ingredients; shake well. Drizzle desired amount over salad and toss to coat or serve dressing on the side. Serve immediately. Refrigerate any leftover dressing.

Recipe adapted from a leaflet found inside magazine Taste of home, dated 2003.

Mixed Greens with Cashew Nut Dressing

Every month Jenn at the Leftover Queen will be hosting the Royal Foodie Joust challenging us with three ingredients to create recipes. For this month's joust, the ingredients are a dried fruit, nuts, and cheese. I picked a few ingredients that are common in Brazil, created this salad and named it Mixed Greens with Cashew Nut Dressing. The flavors blended so easily: cashew nuts and golden raisins for the dressing and grilled farmer's cheese with mixed greens for this Summer salad that was ready in a few minutes.

For the cashew nut dressing
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped cashew nuts
1 tablespoon raisins (I used golden raisins)
salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:
- Thick slices of farmer's cheese
- Mango slices
1 pound greens such as:
- Outer leaves of red cabbage
- Arugula
- Iceberg lettuce
- Cauliflower florets

Directions:
1) Start with the dressing: in a small bowl whisk all the ingredients until mixed.

2) Make a salad bowl with the outer leaves of the cabbage and add the arugula, the lettuce, the mango slices and the cauliflower florets. Add the cashew nut dressing and season with additional salt and pepper to taste. (Or, in a large bowl, place the mixed greens and add the cashew nut dressing, tossing gently until all the vegetables are evenly coated.)

3) Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes (I used my George Foreman grill). Put thick slices of cheese in the skillet and cook for 2 minutes or until the undersides are golden brown. Add the cheese to the salad. Serve immediately.

More ideas...
- Use crêpes or flour tortillas and make wraps! Just spread the salad dressing down the center of each tortilla. Layer arugula, cauliflower florets, lettuce, mango and chopped cabbage over the dressing. Roll the tortilla around the other ingredients.
- You can also vary the type of greens you use to change the character of the salad.