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.