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.

Tony's Salad

All ingredients should be gauged by the number of people you would like to serve.  As written this recipe makes 6 generous servings

1 bag of Spring Mix lettuce
1 bag of Baby Spinich
1 can (well drained) Mandarin Oranges
1 cup sliced fresh Strawberries (or fruit of the season, blueberries, apples, peaches)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/8 cup thinly sliced red onion (red onion gives the best flavor)
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/8 cup thinly sliced red onion (red onion gives the best flavor)
Briannas Poppy Seed Dressing

Mix first seven (7) ingredients in a large Salad Bowl cover and refrigerate until just before serving, then add onions and dressing, toss and serve immediately .... this salad doesn't keep well so make only enough for the number of people to be served .... is great served with grilled meat or for a brunch.

Salmon Macaroni Salad

Tip: add the macaroni to the salmon mayo mixture when it is still warm. That way it will absorb the flavors better.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 pound (about 2 cups) macaroni pasta

Salt

2 (7-ounce) cans salmon

1/2 cup mayonnaise (plus more to taste or for added smoothness)

1 teaspoon mustard

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/3 cup chopped shallots, red onions, or green onions (with onion greens)

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill (or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill)

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 cup frozen peas (thawed)

Freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1 Bring a pot of water (2 quarts) to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Add the dry macaroni pasta and cook, uncovered, in a rolling boil for about 10 minutes, or until the macaroni is al dente (slightly firm). Remove from heat, drain, rinse briefly in cold water (macaroni should be still warm after rinsing) and drain again.

2 In a large bowl mix the salmon, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix in the shallots, parsley, dill, celery and peas.

3 Mix in the cooked macaroni while it is still warm. Add freshly ground pepper to taste. Adjust seasonings.

Chill before serving. Serves 4.

Chicken Velvet Soup

1 1/2 sticks of butter (I use 1/2 butter and 1/2 margarine)
3/4 C Flour
1 C Milk
1 C Heavy Cream (I use fat free 1/2 and 1/2)
6 C chicken broth
2 C chopped cooked chicken
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh Parsley or green onions, chopped as a garnish

Make a roux with the butter and flour and cook for 2 minutes.  Heat broth, milk and cream and add a little at a time to the roux unit the mixture thickens. Blend until smooth.  When soup starts to boil add chicken and seasonings.  Garnish. Serves 6 to 8

This is the basic recipe ... I usually will sauté some celery, onion and slivered carrots and add that at the chicken, this adds some great flavor.

Hot Orange Spiced Drink

2 cups Tang 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup pre-sweetened lemonade mix 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground cloves Mix all ingredients and store in an airtightt container. Put 2 1/2 teaspoons of mix in a mug or cup and add 1 cup of hot water. Make sure the ratio is 2 1/2 teaspoons to 1 cup of hot liquid, otherwise the drink will be very weak tasting, (check the size of your cup or mug). Stir and enjoy!!!! For a little stronger drink use 1 cup of hot apple cider or hot apple juice. Very tasty!!!