Candied balsamic tomatoes and mozzarella salad

4 cups grape tomatoes

1 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

4 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, drained and cut in small pieces

1/4 cup small fresh basil leaves, torn

Cooking spray

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add tomatoes to pain; cook 5 minutes or until tomatoes release juices. Sprinkle with sugar, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes. Drizzle with vinegar and cook about 30 seconds or just until vinegar evaporates.

Transfer tomato mixture to a serving bowl. Add mozzarella and basil, toss and enjoy!

Carver's Salad

Ingredients:

1 small bunch baby spinach

1 head romaine lettuce

1 16 oz. bag craisins

1 cup sliced almonds, *roasted

1 golden delicious apple, sliced or cut into pieces

Honey Cider Dressing:

3 Tablespoons cider vinegar

3 Tablespoons honey

6 Tablespoons mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

1 ½ Tablespoons finely minced onion

1 ½ Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

¾ Cups Oil

Directions:

Honey Cider Dressing

In a small microwave safe dish or in a saucepan, heat cider vinegar and honey together until honey dissolves.

In small bowl whisk mayonnaise and Dijon mustard together until smooth

Add in onion, fresh parsley, honey and cider vinegar then whisk together until combined.Whisk in the oil to emulsify then chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

Salad:

In a large salad bowl, toss lettuce, apples, craisins and *roasted almonds. If eating immediately, toss the salad with dressing and serve.

Notes: To toast almonds: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread pre-sliced almonds on a baking sheet in a single layer and put in the oven for 10-20 minutes. Watch them closely to be sure they do not over roast.

Grandma Bogard's Slaw

I did not grow up eating slaw, but whenever we eat at Jeremy's Grandma's house
she always has a yummy slaw. It is vinegary, and delicious!
All of Jeremy's family is such good veggie eaters, they ALWAYS have at least 2 with
every meal. I would have eaten more too if they tasted as good as they fix them.

1 bag cabbage mix {any you like, I like the one with carrots, etc}
1/4 cup vinegar {G'ma uses 1/2 white wine, 1/2 apple cider}
2 T oil. {G'ma uses 1 T olive oil, 1 T canola}
1 1/2 T sugar or splenda
1 t garlic salt
1 t caraway seeds

Salt and pepper your cabbage, then pour dressing over top.
I make it like Grandma, she uses 1/2 and 1/2 of oil and vinegars, so have to follow her right?
Grandma knows best. It is tangy and slightly sweet too, delicious!

Panera Bread Fuji Apple Salad Knock off

Dressing:
3 T apple juice concentrate
1 T cider vinegar
1 T white balsamic
1/4 t garlic powder
1/2 C olive oil
1/2 t lemon juice
dijon mustard to taste
honey to taste {if desired}

Salad:
greens, shredded chicken, gorgonzola, pecans, apple chips

Wilted Spinach and Bacon Salad

I feel like a newly inspired woman!

I went to a cooking class featuring ShirleyJ cooking essentials
Universal sauce, seasonings, etc.
This is a recipe in their order book. I am waiting for my sauces to come in,
so future ShirleyJ recipes to come.

Here is the real recipe:
2 T ShirleyJ Pizza and Pasta Seasoning Mix
8 strips of bacon
3 oz feta cheese
12 oz bag of baby spinach
1/3 C red onion diced
1/3 C dried cranberries
1 Fuji apple, sliced
1 t brown sugar
1/4 C balsamic vinegar
1 T water

Cook the bacon, save the drippings. Crumble bacon in a bowl with spinach, cranberries and apple. Into a small saucepan combine the bacon drippings, onions, vinegar, water sugar and seasoning. Cook on low 4-5 minutes. Toss warm dressing in the salad. Garnish with Feta.

My twist:
The dressing seemed to need a little bit more brown sugar
after only pouring on half of the dressing I added more to the remaining
=much better, I think 2 t of brown sugar instead of 1 {maybe more}
I didn't have red onion, I used dehydrated {still delicious}
I always cook my bacon in the oven, 400 degrees 15 minutes
it always cooks perfectly, always.
I will also put on walnuts or pecans next time for a little crunch!

Close as you can come to Wingers Sticky Fingers

Make sure you get Frank's hot sauce

Okay this is seriously the best copy-cat recipe I have ever tried. Krista and I found it and she made it (thanks for telling me how good it turned out)

15-20 of your favorite frozen chicken tender breasts
3 T. Frank's Hot Sauce
3/4 C Brown Sugar
2 T. Water

Cook chicken to directions then combine ingredients for sauce. When chicken done toss in a plastic bowl with a lid to coat. Serve with Ranch or Bleu Cheese. You'll be thinking you are eating at Winger's. We like to serve ours on lettuce and make Sticky Finger Salads.

Spring Pasta Salad with Asparagus

asparagus stems, peeled if tough, and ends trimmed 4 cups penne pasta 1 cup mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes 1 large bunch (around 12) spring onions, sliced into thin rounds 24 ripe cherry tomatoes, cut in half and drained for 20 minutes in a colander to remove excess liquid 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil zest and juice of 1 lemon 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts 1 large handful fresh basil leaves, lightly chopped salt and freshly ground black pepper