Veggie Wednesday: Product Review and Giveaway!

Wish-Bone has a brand new set of salad dressing unlike any I've ever had. They're not your usual soupy dressing, they're full of chunks of vegetables and fruits and absolutely delicious.

The idea is, instead of adding dressing to your salad, these are full enough to build your salad around. The first thing I did with mine was to make black bean salsa. Usually that means several bottles and cans, but this time I added one full bottle of Wish-Bone® Bountifuls™ Simply Santa Fe Dressing to two cans of black beans and that was it. I served it up at lunch to my mother-in-law (isn't that the truest taste-test there is?) and she loved it so much that she asked specifically which dressing I used. When I gave her the recipe she was unconvinced that it was only two ingredients!

It does look good, doesn't it?

The rest went into plain ol' salads, except that they weren't plain ol' anymore! I can see the Berry Delight going very well with a salad of spring greens and flank steak (shhh - I know it's Veggie Wednesday) or the Tuscan Romano Basil shoring up a great Greek salad filled with feta cheese and kalamatas. Mmmm.

The website has flavor-specific recipes that you don't want to miss, so make sure to check them out.

All of these dressings are so delicious that I can't begin to tell you which to choose first, and FIVE of my lucky readers won't have to make that choice at all - I have 5 sets of all four flavors to give away, and all you need to do is to leave a comment before Tuesday, April 29 at 10 p.m. EST! I'll run the numbers through the ever nifty Random.org and post the winners on Wednesday, April 30th.

Now, GO and leave me a comment!

Cauliflower Casserole

I don't care that I stripped the nutrients from this lovely winter vegetable and ground them into the dirt ... really. This stuff is just too good for me to care. Besides, I'm sure there's something left there in the peppers. Or not.

Cauliflower Casserole

1 large head cauliflower
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/2 cup diced green pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup dried bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Break cauliflower into bite-sized pieces and cook in boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Mix peppers, cheeses, sour cream and salt together well. Fold in drained cauliflower and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs until well blended. Turn into a greased 2 quart baking dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup of bread crumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown.

Try not to eat the whole thing youself, it should serve 4-6 people.

Veggie Wednesday

I found this in an old Everyday Food magazine. I'm sure it would be great as is, but I know once I got started I'd be changing things. For example, I think cashew halves would be better than the peanuts. Thinly sliced red-pepper would be a great addition, too; and the changeover to non-veggie would be fabulous with grilled chicken added.

Pasta Salad with Broccoli and Peanuts
Serves 4

Coarse salt
1/2 pound whole-wheat fusilli
2 (2 pounds) broccoli
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise (1 cup)
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Drain, and rinse under cold water; set aside.
Meanwhile, trim 1 inch from the stem end of broccoli stalks. Using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, peel outer layer of stalks; thinly slice crosswise. Separate florets into bite-size pieces.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium.Add pepper flakes, broccoli, and 3/4 cup water; cover and cook until broccoli is crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Uncover and cook until liquid has evaporated and broccoli is tender, 2 to 4 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons oil, vinegar, peanut butter, and soy sauce until smooth. Add cooled pasta, broccoli, scallions, and peanuts; toss to combine. Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve chilled.

Veggie Wednesday

I've been seeing stacked salads just about everywhere lately. They're a great way to serve single-portioned salads in a neat and different way. My version here is plum tomato, yellow crookneck squash and cucumber topped with a single black olive and drizzled with a garlic Balsamic vinaigrette. It was really yummy.

You can use almost any round veggie for this, and grilling them first adds a whole new dimension.

Pretty, isn't it?



By the way, that's a mint leaf on top. I adore mint and just posted a fabulous recipe for Mint Pesto over at Cookies to Caviar. Not a savory type, a dessert version that will knock your socks off!

Veggie Wednesday

Vegetable Strudel

I made this last week and it was so delicious. I don't really have a recipe so I'll just try to lay it out for you.

I had one sheet of puff pastry left from my Salmon Napoleons and, since it was thawed, needed to be used. I chopped up tri-color peppers, a medium zucchini and a small onion into a small dice. I sauteed these in some olive oil. I added a bit of veggie broth and about a tablespoon of Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb. I let it cook down until everything was soft and all the liquid was gone. I then cooled the whole thing and spooned it in a strip down the center of the puff pastry. I closed up the sides and baked in until it was golden brown.

I think mushrooms would be fabulous in this and I wish I'd had some!

Veggie Wednesday

Veggies and fruit in one of my favorite combinations.

Classic Waldorf Salad

Created at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in 1896 by the maître d'hôtel, Oscar Tschirky.

1 cup apples chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1/4 cup walnuts (optional)

Sprinkle chopped apples with lemon juice.
Add all other ingredients.
Toss to coat all pieces with mayonnaise.

Serves 4 as a side.