Crispy Corn Beef and Cabbage Wedge Salad

As someone with the last name Murphy, 

Corned Beef and Cabbage is mandatory on St. Patrick's Day.

This year we are living on the "wedge" this March 17th...

As the luck of the Irish would have it, 

this recipe is quick, easy and delicious.

Grilled wedges...

and an amazing dressing...

that is dripped and drizzled...

then topped with crispy, savory corned beef.

Forget the pot of gold, 

I want this at the end of the rainbow!

Crispy Corn Beef & Cabbage Wedge Salad 
with Sweet Mustard Dressing

for the dressing
whisk together:
2 Tablespoons Sweet Mustard (I love Just For All)
2 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Cut head of green cabbage into 6 wedges, leaving the core intact.  Brush the sides of each wedge with olive oil and grill (either on outdoor grill or stove top grill pan) for about 5 minutes on each side.  Then cute about 10 slices of deli corned beef into strips and fry until crisp in a pan.

Drizzle wedges with dressing and top with warm crispy corned beef

Easy Family Dinners with Foster Farms DORI™

Thanks to Foster Farms for sponsoring this post. 

As Summer winds down, family dinners are even more important to me.

In a few short weeks, my daughter will be off to college,

 and my son will be back in the swing of school and sports.

Every chance we have to all be together is like a mini celebration for me.

I want every meal to be festive, delicious and if it’s easy too, that is always a bonus.

In our house, chicken is definitely the protein of choice,

if that is what I'm serving, it will definitely be a

winner, winner chicken dinner!

Finding new and interesting ways to serve chicken just got so much easier.

Foster Farms has just introduced, DORI™, 
a new interactive QR code on packages of their fresh chicken. 

She is fun, informative and my newest friend...

You can scan the Foster Farms DORI™ QR code right at the store for hundreds of original recipes, even receive exclusive coupons and more.

It is easy to use with your smartphone or with new iOS 11 and Android updates.

No app download is required, simply open the camera on your device to scan.

Foster Farms is one of the first fresh poultry/meat companies with an on-pack QR code.

It is so convenient to pick out my chicken, 
use Foster Farms DORI™ to choose a dinner recipe idea,

then get all the ingredients in one quick trip.

It is such a help when you are stumped on that age-old question,

"What's for dinner?".

One of our favorite dishes that Foster Farms DORI™ suggested is the

Coconut-Lime Chicken and Snow Pea Salad.

It's colorful and so delicious...

It's like a party on a platter.

I love that Foster Farms DORI™ not only provides simple, creative recipes,

but includes the nutritional information as well.

Not only is this salad beautiful and vibrant,

but the flavorful, juicy chicken is the perfect contrast to the crisp vegetables.

It is an ideal way for me to turn a simple dinner 
into a celebration of my family being together.

You can learn more about Foster Farms Chicken with the DORI™ QR code here and

also find the Coconut-Lime Chicken and Snow Pea Salad recipe here.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Steak and Egg Salad with Lemon Horseradish Vinaigrette

Most of my favorite salads are what I've created out of left overs. 

This Steak and Egg Salad is no exception.

It's a classic combination that has been around forever for a reason.

Delicious sliced steak and hardboiled eggs,

 right out of the frig made my lunch so quick and easy.

The real star of this recipe is the dressing.

It's fresh and bright with just the slightest amount of kick from the horseradish.

Is it bad that I'm planning on serving steak again tonight for dinner 

so I can have this salad for lunch again?

Steak and Egg Salad with Lemon Horseradish Vinaigrette
salad for 1

for the dressing, whisk together:
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon cream horseradish

Toss dressing over:
bed of mixed greens
2 hard boiled eggs sliced
2 oz of cooked, sliced steak
1-2 teaspoons of chopped chives

Mashed Potato Salad

Maybe it's just because our last name is Murphy,

 but my husband always makes way too many mashed potatoes.

What's my favorite way to use all the left overs?

Mashed Potato Salad, of course!

All the nostalgic flavor of a classic potato salad, 

with a smoother, creamier, totally addictive texture.

With just a few simple ingredients, 

it only takes minutes to whip it all together...

It is so good I actually now beg him to make a double batch of mashed potatoes...

I think my new motto will be...
Potato Salad,
it's not just for picnics any more!

Mashed Potato Salad

3 cups cold, leftover mashed potatoes
2 1/2 Tablespoons mayonaise
1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
1 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup scallions, finely sliced
1 Tablespoon pickle juice
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
paprika for sprinkling on top

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients well, except the paprika. Cover and chill at least one hour, then top with paprika

Lemon Wedge Salad

I love a classic, steakhouse, wedge salad.

That crisp cold lettuce and creamy, tangy blue cheese dressing get me every time.

I am also addicted to lemon wedges.

They are perfect to brighten up veggies, drinks, really anything.

Is it a coincidence that they both have wedge in their name?

I think not, so I combined the two for a new twist...

The Lemon Wedge!

It's vibrant, fresh and zesty, 

and the best way to jazz up those cold winter days.

It's like a platter of sunshine...

Lemon Wedge Salad Dressing
In a blender combine:
small finely diced shallot (about 2 Tablespoons)
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons plain yogurt
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
dash of pepper

Drizzle dressing over wedges of iceberg lettuce, then top with finely chopped chives and lemon zest.

Weeknight Panzanella with Ranch Croutons

I'll have to admit, 

weeknight dinner salads can get a little boring.

But there is no excuse this time of year, 

when tomatoes are ripe, corn is fresh and basil is bursting.

We are kicking up our everyday salad side dish,

 with a pretty panzanella with zesty ranch croutons.

Savory, flavorful bites,
amidst all those gorgeous veggies...

Isn't it the best way to wake up mundane meals?

Weeknight Late Summer Panzanella with Ranch Croutons
serves 4 as a side dish
kernels from 3 fresh corn cobs
1 cup cherry tomatoes quartered
1 firm but ripe avocado diced
1 English cucumber, peeled and seeds removed then sliced
1/2 yellow bell pepper diced
1/2 red onion diced
1 jalapeño, seeds removed and diced
10-12 torn basil leaves
Mix all of the above together and add juice of 2 limes, 3 Tablespoons olive oil and dash of kosher salt.

for croutons:
combine 2 cups diced ciabatta bread (about 1 inch cubes), 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing and 2 Tablespoons Dill Weed.  Bake or sautée until crisp and golden, cool and then toss with dressed vegetables.

Peggy's Cucumber Salad

Growing up my mom always had a cold cucumber and onion salad in our refrigerator. 

She was a working mom and became the queen of quick, simple, go-to dishes.

Looking back I realized, that it's the perfect simple, healthy snack 

or a dinner side dish that compliments almost any cuisine.

Imagine my surprise when I saw Peggy's famous salad on Sweet Paul's website!

I hadn't had the salad in a million years and it is just as good as I remember...

The cucumbers are cool and crisp, the red onion flavor mellows as it soaks in the dressing 

and the fresh dill keeps it bright and fresh...

Guess what is always sitting in our frig now??

Peggy's Cucumber Salad

1 large English Cucumber or 6 small Perisan Cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced 

1/2 cup white wine or rice vinegar

1 Tablespoon Sugar

3 Tablespoons fresh dill

Place cucumber and onion in bowl.  In smaller bowl, stir together vinegar and sugar until sugar is dissolved, then add dill.  Dress vegetables with vinegar mixture and chill in refrigerator at least an hour prior to serving.

Marble Potato Salad

I am a sucker for any tiny food.
When I saw these teeny, tiny marble potatoes,
I couldn't resist taking them home!

Colorful, quick to cook and pretty to eat, 

not only do they look just like the classic childhood toy but,

Marble Potato Salad 

has become the side dish of the summer.

So, do you think you are ready to take a "shot"?

Marble Potato Salad
serves 6 as a side dish

In a large mixing bowl stir together:
4 cups of Marble Potatoes (or the tiniest potatoes you can find), cooked in heavily salted water until tender, then cooled (these cooked in less than 10 minutes)
1 large shallot, sliced thin
1/4 cup roughly chopped Italian parsley
3 Tablespoons finely diced chives

whisk or shake together:
4 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
8 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Dress potato mixture with dressing and add salt and pepper to taste.  Then top with zest of one lemon.

Chicken Salad Iceberg-ers

I have been on a quest to make the perfect chicken salad  

and I think I've finally done it.

The only thing that makes it better is to serve it on lettuce buns and call them, 

Icebergers!

This savory, fresh and crunchy creation,

 is so fun to eat between crisp, chilled lettuce.

To make the "buns", 

simply make slices from the circumference of the head...

then load up the salad...

add a summer tomato...

then secure with an olive topped pick...

I would say my Chicken Feed was well spent!

Our Favorite Chicken Salad

4 cup shredded chicken
2-3 Tablespoons mayonaise
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/2 of a large red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh tarragon, roughly chopped

Mix all ingredients together and chill until serving.