Greek Guinoa and Avacado Salad

         1/2  cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained*
1   cup water
2   roma tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
1/2  cup shredded fresh spinach
1/3  cup finely chopped red onion (1 small)
2   tablespoons lemon juice (add an extra Tbs if you would like it on the tart side)
2   tablespoons olive oil
1/2  teaspoon salt 

Spinach leaves
2   ripe avocados, halved, seeded, peeled, and sliced**
1/3  cup crumbled feta cheese or other soft cheese

1.  In a 1-1/2-quart saucepan combine quinoa and water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

2. Transfer quinoa to a medium bowl and allow to cool.  Add tomato, spinach, and onion; stir to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, oil, and salt. Add to quinoa mixture; toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. When ready to serve, place spinach leaves on 4 salad plates.  Arrange avocado slices on spinach leaves. Spoon quinoa mixture over avocado slices. Sprinkle with some of the feta. Makes 4 main-dish servings.

Note  * Rinse quinoa thoroughly before cooking to remove a bitter substance called saponin that coats the seeds.

Note  ** Brush avocado slices with additional lemon juice to prevent browning.

Citrus Vinaigrette

1/3 cup Champagne vinegar
3/4 cup fresh citrus juice (lemon, lime or orange, or a combination)
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 1/2 cups canola/olive oil blend or 1 1/4 cups of evoo and 1 1/4 cups canola oil
Salt and White pepper to taste

Add vinegar, citrus juice, shallots and mustard to a blender and blend for 30 seconds. Slowly add oils while blender is running until emulsified; the vinaigrette should be thick.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Add more citrus juice or vinegar, to taste, if desired. Use on your favorite salad or on roasted vegetables.

Crunchy Country Sweet Pickles

This recipe comes from Eufaula Alabama.  Gail Carroll's mother Peggy Scott gave me this recipe after I raved about her sweet pickles ... she was a great Southern cook and could work magic in the kitchen.

No heating or sealing required ... you can make a 1/2 recipe if you like

Ingredients

 Pickling Cucumbers (about 20 to 24 lbs) 

2 lbs. plain or pickling salt (do not use iodized salt)

1 gallon white vinegar
6 oz powdered alum (buy it on the internet at myspicesage.com)
10 lbs. sugar
4 tablespoon pickling spices

Use whole medium size cucumbers, wash thoroughly.  In a 5 gallon plastic bucket or pottery crock; put enough cucumbers to come 3/4 full.  Dissolve 2 lbs plain salt in l gallon of water, pour over cucumbers.  Weight down and keep them covered, a washed rocks inside a glass pie plate does fine.  Cover with a clean dish towel and let stand in a dark cool place for 2 weeks (14 days).

Take cucumbers out, wash them, also the bucket.  Slice cucumbers about 1/2 inch thick and put back in the bucket.  Cover with alum water, about 6 oz alum to 1 gallon of water.  Weigh down, cover and let stand for 24 hours.

Take cucumbers out, rinse them and the bucket.  Put them back in the bucket and cover with 1 gallon of vinegar.  Let stand for 24 hours.

Next drain vinegar off cucumbers and discard all but 4 cups of vinegar.  Tie spices in a cloth and simmer gently (with lid on) in reserved vinegar for about 10 minutes.

Pour the 10 lbs of sugar and spice solution over the cucumbers, stir gently (use your hands ... it is the only way to get to the bottom of the bucket).  Stir once or twice a day for the next few days, leave in bucket until the sugar is completely dissolved and the juices are rising to the top. It is best to wait about a week before packing in jars.

Picles are done.  Sterilize jars in the dishwasher (I use canning jars, mayonnaise jars and spaghetti sauce jars), stir pickles one more time and tightly pack in jars adding enough syrup to cover pickles.  These don't have to heat sealed -- the last for a couple of years on the cupboard shelf.

Creamy Salad Dressing

Add this low-fat salad dressing to coleslaw, pasta salad, and potato salad, or drizzle it over fresh greens.

ingredients

         1/4  cup plain low-fat yogurt
2   tablespoons light mayonnaise or salad dressing
2   tablespoons fat-free milk

         Salt and pepper to taste

         1   tablespoon snipped fresh parsley or chives 

         2 - 3 tablespoons of White or Red Wine, or Rice Vinegar (depending on what type of salad you are  putting it on)

Add ons: again depending on application1/4  teaspoon dried basil, oregano, or thyme, crushed (optional)

         1/4  teaspoon dried dillweed (optional)
1/8  teaspoon celery seed (optional)

directions

1.  In a small mixing bowl combine yogurt, mayonnaise, milk, parsley or chives, and salt and pepper.

2.  If desired, add one of the remaining ingredients. Makes 8 1-tablespoon servings. May double or triple recipe if leftovers are desired.

Make Ahead Tip

Cover and chill up to 48 hours.