Don't Be Fooled . . .

. . . by my Sunday dinner confession. I do in fact know how to make a few things from fresh ingredients. In fact, my favorite dinners lately are salads. I swear I'm not just making that up. These are both recipes that I made for the lunch after Ri's baptism and they are delicious. And fresh. Cynthia, the first one is the salad I made when you were here. Enjoy!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Dressing:

1 lemon
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/3 C. sugar
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. poppy seeds

Salad:

1/4 C. sliced almonds
8 oz. fresh strawberries
1 med. cucumber
1 small red onion
1 package (6oz) baby spinach

To make dressing, zest lemon to measure 1/2 tsp. zest. Juice lemon to measure 2 Tbsp. juice. Combine all dressing ingredients and whisk to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Toast almonds at 350* for 10-12 minutes. Let cool. Meanwhile, hull and quarter strawberries. Peel and slice cucumber and slice onion thinly. Place spinach in large serving bowl; add strawberries, cucumber and onion. Whisk dressing and pour over salad, gently tossing to coat. Sprinkle with almonds and serve immediately.

Ramen Noodle Chicken Salad

1 pk. ramen noodles, crushed
3 C. cooked chicken, cubed
1/2 head cabbage, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 C. slivered almonds
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1/4 C. canola oil
dash of sesame oil
1 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. pepper
seasoning packet from ramen noodles

Combine cabbage, onion and chicken in large bowl. Add almonds and ramen noodles. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over salad. Mix well. Serve chilled.

Either one is delicious as a meal on its own (maybe with some yummy french bread) or as a side to something else (a grilled chicken breast?). Usually if I put this much thought into a salad it's all my family is going to get. That's how I roll. And I submit the many pictures of my lovely children on this blog as evidence that it's working for us. Have a nice day. Again.