Ok, let’s take a really healthy salad and cover it in a not so healthy salad dressing. Truthfully, I don’t make this salad often but every time I do I just love it. I don’t even feel guilty when I eat it because it’s so delicious! Sweet and tart, with the flavor of bacon. I mean, I’m buying the healthy bacon ~ no nitrates. That surely must count for something. Also, I didn’t add this into the recipe but I really like to put a dollop of chunky blue cheese dressing (homemade of course) right in the middle. Yep, I’m bad, but there’s something about the creamy cold blue cheese dressing and the hot bacon dressing. Ok, now I may be feeling a little guilty… nothing that an hour walk can’t cure!

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
For Hot Bacon Dressing:
1 lb. Raw Bacon, diced
2 Onions, diced small
2 1/2 cups Cold Water
3/4 cup of Sugar
3 Tbsp Cornstarch
1/4 tsp Pepper
3/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
4 Tbsp fresh Lemon Juice
3/4 tsp Salt

For Salad:
1 lb. of Baby Spinach, washed and patted dry
8 large Mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
4 Eggs, hardboiled, shelled and sliced
4 thin slices of Red onion
20 Cherry Tomatoes

METHOD
For Hot Bacon Dressing:
Brown the bacon until well done; add onions.
Saute until the onions are translucent.
Incorporate the cornstarch into the sugar (you are doing this so the cornstarch doesn’t get lumpy when added to the pan).
Add all the remaining ingredients into the bacon and onions, bring to a boil.
Lower heat to medium low and allow to cook for about 5 minutes, or until somewhat thick.
Makes about 4 cups of dressing.
Be sure to refrigerate the leftover dressing and warm before using again.

For Salad:
Divide the spinach equally onto 4 plates.
Top each salad with 2 sliced mushrooms, 1 hard boiled egg, sliced, one slice of red onion, separated into rings, and 5 tomatoes.
Drizzle with the hot bacon dressing, to taste, and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Caprese Salad is a salad made of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil, and salt. I love all the components on their own, but put them together and you have a spectacular taste sensation. The creamy mozzarella with the freshness of the tomato and the sweet bite of basil. Yum!

The better the ingredients you use, the better the salad will taste. Fresh basil is a must, extra virgin olive oil (first cold press), and definitely sprinkle a little salt on it. But whether you stack it, or spread it out on the plate, this is my favorite salad! Sometimes (actually most times) I’ll drizzle balsamic across the top of the salad and enjoy it with some hot crusty Italian Bread, other times I just crave the pure taste of the mozzarella cheese.

I love experimenting around and creating variations of this salad. I’ve served it on Crostini.

Baked it on puff pastry.

I’ve even made it into a Tomato Tart with Black Pepper Parmesan Crust.

No recipe is required, and here are some nice additions you could add to the plate: olives, capers, red onion, pesto, cucumber, Italian peppers, etc.  Any which way you make it, it’s gonna be delicious. Enjoy!

Hmmm… what to serve instead of a green salad at our BBQ tonight?? I had just bought a pound of mushrooms and decided to marinate half of them to create a savory marinated dish. The other half I’m saving for my husband’s favorite, Cream of Mushroom Soup. I also added a can of baby artichokes to the mushrooms and wow, it’s perfection! I love artichokes!!

In my recipe I call for 1/2 a teaspoon of Italian Seasoning. I always keep it in my spice collection and use it often. If you don’t have any, it’s a blend of Marjoram, Thyme, Rosemary, Savory, Sage, Oregano and Basil.

I hope you’ll give this super easy recipe a try. It comes together in just 5 minutes!

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz. whole White Mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
1 – 14 oz. can of whole small Artichokes, halved
1 Lemon, zested and juiced
2 Garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD
Add half of the olive oil into a medium frying pan.
Add the mushrooms and saute them for about 3 minutes on low.
Remove from heat and add in the rest of the olive oil, artichokes, lemon zest and juice, garlic cloves, and Italian seasoning.
Stir gently and taste.
Adjust as needed with salt and black pepper.
Pour into a serving bowl and allow to cool.
Best served at room temperature.
Enjoy!

We go to Bonefish for dinner every few weeks, and it’s really difficult to resist the Bang Bang Shrimp. I might not be quite as tempted if everyone else in our party didn’t want them, too!! Oh, who am I kidding? I want them and I don’t resist them. Ever. There.

So, the other day when I was getting a craving for Bang Bang Shrimp I decided to give it a try at home. I know that what makes the Bang Bang Shrimp taste so good to me is the crispy crunch factor on the shrimp and the delectable sauce. My recipe below is super easy and it totally satisfied my craving. I actually liked it better because I knew it was healthy and good for you… plus, I kicked the delectable sauce right into incredible land with some extra Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce. I love that stuff!

I didn’t have any green onions, so they are missing from the picture. However, I included them in the recipe because next time I make this I will be sure to have some on hand.

I hope you give this recipe a try.  Seriously, these shrimp are so good!! My new favorite and hopefully yours, too!

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. raw medium Shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup Cornmeal
1 Tbsp Paprika
2 Tbsp Olive Oil or Coconut Oil
1 large head of Romaine lettuce, cleaned and chopped
Dash of Salt
1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
2 tsp Agave or Honey
Zest of 1 Lime
Juice of 1 Lime
½ cup fresh Corn off the cob
1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped
2 Green Onions, sliced thin

METHOD
After you have peeled and deveined your shrimp, rinse and set aside.
In a large bowl mix together the cornmeal and paprika.
Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
While the oil heats up, toss the shrimp in the cornmeal until they are evenly coated.
Add the shrimp to the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
While the shrimp is cooking you can get your plates or platter ready by putting down a layer of clean, chopped Romaine lettuce and 2 tablespoonfuls of the Bang Bang Shrimp Sauce per plate (recipe below).
When the shrimp are done, turn off the heat and add a little salt, red pepper flakes, agave, and the zest & juice of the lime.
Lightly toss together and divide the shrimp equally among the 2 plates, topping the lettuce.
Top the shrimp with the corn off the cob, cilantro and green onions.
Serve with extra Bang Bang Shrimp Sauce on the side.

Bang Bang Shrimp Sauce

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Sour Cream
1 to 2 Tbsp Sriracha
1 tsp Lime Juice
Dash of Salt & Pepper
A little water, to thin to desired consistency, if needed

METHOD
Add all the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together until smooth and combined.
Add a little water, if needed.
Taste and season with more Sriracha, salt and/or pepper, as desired.
Serve on the side of the shrimp, or top the lettuce with a little sauce before placing the shrimp on top.
Enjoy!

If you haven’t entered the contest to win 3 delicious Saucy Mama Mustards… what are you waiting for? Only 10 people have entered so far, so your odds are great! You can check it out on my website here and it’s super easy to enter. Also, stay tuned for my dessert entry in the Final Round of the Saucy Mama Sliced Recipe Contest. I’m making a dessert using mustard & booze. Sound interesting? Well, I tried my dessert idea the other night and I COULD NOT stop eating it. Now if only the judges feel the same way!!  

A really good salad is hard to beat. I didn’t share a recipe for the salad above, but the ingredients are: spinach, hard-boiled egg, cucumber, sliced carrots, kidney beans, and fresh uncooked corn. My focus today is on the salad dressing.

I have never been a fan of bottled salad dressings. I’m sure there may be some good ones available, but it’s so easy to make your own, fresh, at home! My #1 favorite salad dressing is actually just extra virgin olive oil, lemon, sea salt and pepper. I love the clean flavor. However, this Sweet & Sour Celery Seed Salad Dressing is right up there with all my favorites like Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing, and Sesame Dressing. I think what I like most about this salad dressing is the flavor of the celery seeds. The flavor is so prominent that I felt I had to put them in the title of the dressing. I’m a big lover of celery seeds and use them whenever I can; in my egg salad, potato salad, deviled eggs, soups, etc. They are so flavorful. Are you familiar with celery seeds? If not, I hope you’ll get some and give my salad dressing a try.  

Makes 2 cups

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup to 3/4 cup of Sugar (Honey or Agave work, too)
1 Tbsp Celery Seed
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Dry Mustard
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 cup Olive Oil

METHOD
In a large bowl mix together the sugar, celery seed, paprika, dry mustard, and salt.
Add in the apple cider vinegar and still until the sugar is dissolved.
Using a whisk add the olive oil a little at a time, whisking continuously until it emulsifies.
Delicious served over spinach salad, or any fresh green salad.

NOTES:
I have listed the sugar as 1/4 cup to 3/4 cup, depending upon how sweet or tart you like your dressing. You can start with less sugar, and add more as desired.

Refrigerate dressing – lasts up to 3 weeks.

We’ve been on a real salad kick for the last few weeks. This steak salad is hearty enough to be the entire meal, as it was for us. I actually had to look at the picture to remember what I put in this salad. My husband is still talking about how wonderful it was. It actually had a little bit of everything in it… greens, cheese, meat, spice, crunch, creaminess. The flavors all just came together so wonderfully. It would be hard not to be satisfied eating this!

In the cheese specialty section at your grocery store they sell a combination of Feta Cheese, Roasted Red Pepper and Black Olives in olive oil with herbs and spices. It’s really yummy and we always have it in our fridge. I used that in this salad, and it was all that was needed as the salad dressing.

I didn’t toss the salad. Instead just start with a layer of lettuces and then sprinkling the other ingredients evenly onto the salad.

I’m not going to put any measurements in this recipe, just listing the ingredients. It’s a salad, so it’s super easy!!

INGREDIENTS
Romaine Lettuce
Spring Mix of Baby Greens
Corn – cut fresh off the cob
Kalamata Olives
Pepperoncini (I love these!)
Spring Onions, chopped
Grilled Mushrooms, quartered
Grilled Poblano Pepper, sliced
Roasted Red Pepper & Feta Cheese Mixture (as described in intro)
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Top with thinly sliced grilled Steak
Enjoy!!

Garbanzo, Lima and Kidney Beans make up this refreshing salad!

We eat a lot of salads, but sometimes I just don’t want lettuce. Sure, there’s all types of lettuces and greens, and radicchio, etc. but sometimes I’m just on overload with the greens.  That’s when this bean salad steps in! Every time I make it I absolutely love it, and wonder why I don’t make it more often.

For this recipe I used store-bought Roasted Red Peppers. It’s such a time saver, and I always have them on hand. I buy the type that are packed in olive oil and they’re delicious.

This recipe serves 4 to 6.

INGREDIENTS
1 can Garbanzo Beans, drained
1 can Lima Beans, drained (or a small bag of frozen)
1 can Kidney Beans, drained
1 small Red Onion, diced
2 stalks of Celery, diced
1 cup Roasted Red Peppers (in olive oil), diced
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp Granulated Garlic
1 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
A few dashes of Crushed Red Pepper
Salt and Pepper, to taste

METHOD
Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.
Taste and add more salt and pepper, if necessary.
Best served cold.
Enjoy!