Celery-Cucumber & Sprout Pasta Salad w Lemon Poppyseed Dressing

 

Celery-Cucumber & Sprout Pasta Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing

Karri Perry|Blue Ribbon Favorites 

Make with or without the pasta.  

Can be a great dressed vegetable salad without the pasta.

If using pasta, any bite-sized pasta works well.

Any sprouts or micro greens will work well.

If making ahead, refrigerate, covered- the lightly dressed pasta salad, reserving about 1/2 the dressing, and add a little more dressing to the salad and toss before serving.

Ingredients:

4-6 cups Cooked Pasta-cooled

2 cups Cucumber seeded and chopped

2 cups Celery-chopped small 

2 cups Red Grapes-halved

2 Tbs Fresh Parsley-chopped

1 cup Fuji Apple -chopped 

1-2 cups Broccoli Sprouts

1/2 cup Sunflower seeds or toasted walnuts 

To seed a cucumber-cut lengthwise and scrape out  seeds with a spoon and discard the seeds.  Leaving the seeds in, creates a watery salad.

In a large bowl or platter, add the cooked and cooled pasta, then add the grapes, cucumber, celery, sprouts, apple, fresh parsley and nuts or sunflower seeds if using.  Lightly toss with 1/2 of the lemon poppyseed dressing. Add more dressing if needed. Refrigerate leftover salad and dressing.

Lemon Poppyseed Dressing:

5 Tbs Olive Oil

5 Tbs Raw Honey

2 zested lemons

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 Tbs Mayo

1 Tbs finely diced onion optional 

1 tsp dry mustard 

Pinch salt

1 Tbsp poppyseeds 

Stir well, I like to put dressing into a 1980’s salad dressing glass carafe (found at many a thrift store) and with the lid on and your thumb on the lid give it a good shake.  Refrigerate unused dressing-always shake before pouring.

* a mason jar with a good lid is also a great homemade dressing container 

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Makes 2 loaves

Karri Perry|Blue Ribbon Favorites 

Bread

1 1/2 cups milk-heated to 110 degrees

1 large egg-lightly beaten with fork

4 Tbs butter

1 Tbs sugar

1 Tbs instant yeast

4 cups all-purpose flour

Cinnamon Filling and Topping

You’ll use 6-8 Tbs for the filling and make the leftover sugar mixture into the topping with the melted butter.

3/4 cup granulated sugar 

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon 

8 teaspoons butter melted

Icing

1 cup confectioners sugar

2Tbs milk

1/4 tsp vanilla 

In a medium bowl measure 4 cups of all-purpose flour. Set aside.

Measures 1 1/2 cup milk. Microwave until warm, add the butter. The butter will melt in the warm milk. When the mixture has cooled to 110 degrees add the sugar and yeast and the beaten egg. Stir together and let sit for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, add the milk/yeast mixture to the flour. Stir until combined.  Cover and let dough double in size. (Can take 60-90 minutes)

Mix together the granulated sugar and brown sugar, stir in cinnamon. Set aside

When the dough has doubled in size, punch down dough to deflate. Divide into two equal pieces.

 

Roll one of the halves of the dough into a  9” rectangle on a piece of parchment. 

Sprinkle 4 Tbs of the sugar cinnamon mixture onto the dough. Roll up the dough into a log. Slice the dough log, not going completely through to the bottom, add 6-8 slices. 

Lift the sliced dough log with the parchment paper into the loaf pan.

Repeat the process with the second piece of dough. 

Add the melted butter to the remaining sugar/cinnamon mixture and stir together. 

Pour the butter/cinnamon-sugar over each dough log dividing the topping evenly. Open some of the slices to allow the mixture to soak into all the cracks. 

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cover dough in the pans with a clean towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes. 

While the oven heats mix together the icing. 

Mix 1 cup of confectioners sugar and 2 Tablespoons of milk and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla.

Bake on the middle rack of the preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until the bread reaches 190 degrees.

Lift breads from the pans with the overhang of the parchment paper.

Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving. Drizzle with icing.

If making the night before-keep the baked bread in the pan with the parchment and re-warm in a 300 degree oven for 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy.

Robin Egg and Bunny Tail Shortbread Cookies

Robin Egg and Bunny Tail Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients: 

2 sticks softened unsalted butter

3/4 cup confectioners sugar

2 cups all purpose flour 

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Frosting:

2 sticks unsalted butter

2 teaspoons vanilla 

1/8 teaspoons almond extract

Pinch salt

4-5 cups confectioners sugar

1-2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Divide Frosting to make multiple pastel colors. Use a tiny amount of food coloring to achieve a light color.

Robin Eggs: light blue or sky blue coloring, add a tiny bit to keep a pretty pastel color. For more of a teal egg-add a tiny bit of green to the blue.

For the speckles: 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and a pinch 1/16 tsp of instant coffee espresso powder or dark cocoa powder. 

For Bunny Tails: 1/4 cup white sprinkles or sweetened flaked coconut 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

In a medium mixing bowl, cream the softened butter, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract if using. Add the salt, and confectioners sugar, mix to combine. Add the flour, mix until just combined. Dough should resemble play-dough consistency.

Divide dough onto two-10 inch pieces of waxed paper.  Squish dough into a 2 inch diameter log shape. Roll up each dough in the waxed paper. For Robin Eggs, try to make an oval shape. For bunny tails, a round shape will do.  Refrigerate wax logs of dough for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, unroll logs, slicing cookies into 1/2 inch slices. Place each cookie onto a parchment lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart.

If ovals or rounds need shaping after slicing, use clean fingers to press cookies back into the desired shape.

Bake on the middle rack for 14-18 minutes or until just barely golden on edges.

Allow cookies to rest for five minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Frost after completely cooled.

For Robin Eggs:

Pipe blue frosting onto each cookie-smooth with an offset spatula. Add speckles by dipping a new small toothbrush or a bristle pastry brush into the vanilla espresso powder mix and spritz each cookie to resemble a Robin egg.🪺 

For Bunny Tails:

Make frosting in desired colors or leave white. 

Pipe a small dollop of frosting, about 3/4” inches size.  Dip the frosting into the sprinkles or the coconut to create bunny tails.

Ham and Cheddar Breakfast Casserole

Ham & Cheddar Breakfast Casserole 

8 large eggs

2 1/2 cups whole milk

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 1/2 cups cooked ham, chopped 

1 1/2 cups cheddar, shredded 

1/2 cup Gruyere or Monterey Jack

8-10 slices stale bread, cubed-sourdough, croissant or brioche are great choices (5-6 cups)

1 Tablespoon butter

Chives-for garnish

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and Dijon mustard. Set aside.

In a 9x13 baking dish, butter the dish well. Add half the bread, sprinkle half of the cooked ham, and half of the cheeses, layer the remaining bread ham and cheese.  Carefully pour the egg mixture over the casserole, letting the bread soak up the egg mixture.

Cover and refrigerate overnight if possible, or refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

If baking from a chilled overnight casserole-set casserole on the counter for 15 minutes while oven heats up.

Bake on middle rack, uncovered for 55 minutes until set. Casserole should be puffed and golden, and set in the center, not too jiggly-and not wet.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

Top with chopped chives and enjoy. Can be served hot, warm or after cooling —like a quiche.

Yes-you can definitely add 1 cup of favorite chopped vegetables to this—asparagus, mushrooms, spinach, or red peppers are great choices.

Refrigerate leftovers-they reheat wonderfully!