Tag Archives: feta cheese

Greek Chicken and Barley Salad

Greek Chicken and Barley Salad

Chicken salad and Greek salad are two of my favorites.  I knew I had a winner when I saw this recipe on my Cooking Light calendar.  I was not sure if everyone in my house would love it, but to my surprise everyone did.  So here you are a quick, easy, flavorful, and healthy salad that your family will enjoy.  Don’t be leery of the barley if you have never used it before.  It is so similar to pasta  or rice in texture.  Barley is also an excellent source of soluble fiber that is good for digestion and a great source of potassium which helps to lower blood pressure.  Hope that all of you are enjoying your week.  I’m off this week for a winter break.  While some of my friends are enjoying Disney World, I’m just enjoying Villa Rica!

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Filed under Salad

Mediterranean Crescent Pinwheels

Here I am back again with a boatload of recipes for you!  School is in full swing and everyday I am bombarded by the question when are we cooking?  I hate it that we can’t cook everyday, but there are Standards to be covered and all that other stuff  the state requires.  I am excited about this year’s angels that have been given to me to broaden their knowledge about my love  of cooking.  I have a plan to teach them 30 dishes that everyone should know when they leave home and endeavor life on their own.  I am excited especially when I hear a student talking to a friend and saying to them that I am a cool teacher.  It really makes my day because there are times that I have some self doubt.  You know every once in a while you just want to know if they really care about what you are doing.  I had a lot of fun doing this recipe from Pillsbury.    There are so many students that want to help me in the kitchen!  For this first demonstration of the year I had some great volunteers.  Surprisingly none of the four had any cooking experience, but they did great!   I am looking forward to another fabulous year with  rewarding cooking experiences to share  along the way.

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Salad with Grilled Chicken, Apples, and Glazed Walnuts

Salad has been my lunch life for about twenty years.  That’s a long time!  Why salad?  It has been the easiest way for me to pack  fresh vegetables into my diet every day.  For as long as I have been teaching I have always packed my lunch.  My routine has been and still is even though I am finished at noon everyday is to make three salads on Sunday night which includes whatever protein is available, baked ham, roasted turkey, grilled chicken, or canned tuna.  Then on Wednesday night I make two more for the end of the week.  Making them ahead of time keeps me out of the bag of chips or from the easy  to make grilled sandwich.  So by lunch I have usually had five servings of fruits and vegetables.  So why don’t you try salad for lunch  at least a month?  Take the challenge.  You’ll be healthier and a few pounds lighter!

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Filed under Main dish, Salad

Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken

A couple of weeks ago our family went to a long time friend’s wedding in Greenville, SC.  It was a beautiful wedding and a really fun time.   We arrived on Thursday and had dinner downtown.  I was awestruck at the downtown area.  It is just absolutely beautiful.  Big oak trees line the street making a cool walk even on a hot summer day.  The sidewalks are large enough for restaurants to have outside dining.  And who doesn’t love outside dining?  I just loved the atmosphere in the area.  On Friday we were doing a little window shopping and walked by a group of young men having what looked like a business lunch and the food looked absolutely wonderful.  So we got a table for two under one of the huge oak trees and enjoyed the cool breeze.  And this is when I had the best Greek Salad with grilled chicken I have ever had.  In fact I enjoyed it so much I ordered it again on Saturday for lunch.  I knew than that I had to make this at home.  How could I live without such a mixture of goodness?

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Filed under Main dish, Salad, salad dressing

San Francisco Salad

For about six years GI Joe traveled to Savannah once a month for National Guard duty for the Air Force.  Many of those weekends I traveled with him and spent the time on Tybee Island.  One of our favorite restaurants to visit was the Sundae Cafe.  It is a little funny how we found out about this restaurant.  I was buying gas at the local BP station and when I paid I asked the clerk if she knew of some good places to eat.  She said, ” Well the place next door must be good because there is always a crowd there.”  I would never chosen the restaurant unless someone had recommended it.  It is located within a  a strip of four stores.  The local liquor store is on one side and the BP on the other. We became frequent customers because the food is excellent and it is very nice and elegant on the inside.  So you can’t judge a restaurant by the cover!   One of my favorite dishes to order is the spring salad.  I have tried many times to duplicate it, but failed.  Thanks to Anna,  I have found the recipe !!  

Last weekend we had dinner with our long time friends.  It was a fantastic meal!   Anna served this San Francisco Salad that was  extraordinary!  I love the flavors of the feta and the tart cranraisins with the texture of the toasted walnuts.  Together with the  salad dressing adding  the  right amount of sweet and tangy and red onion gives it the little kick.    So thanks to Anna we can all enjoy this scrumptious salad!    

San Franciso Salad

  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/cup sugar
  • 1  tablespoon black pepper
  • 3/4 cup cranraisins
  • 8 ounces crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 bag of mixed greens (or enough for 8 servings)

Melt butter.  Saute walnuts 5 minutes or until golden.  Drain.  Mix sugar and pepper together and roll walnuts in the mixture.  Cool.

Place cheese and nuts over mixed greens and pour dressing over salad.

Dressing

  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup red onion chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup fresh parsley chopped
  • 1/2 cup oil

Place all the ingredients for the dressing in a jar and shake until mixed well.  If preferred, dressing  can be  served separately and spooned over each salad.

Recipe can easily be halved for four servings.

 

Enjoy!

The Teacher Cooks

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Filed under easy, healthy, quick, Recipes, Salad, salad dressing