A fresh Broccoli Grape Salad

A couple weeks ago I wrote about a luncheon I hosted with some old friends and mentioned one of them brought a Broccoli Grape Salad.  Well Kay, the salad maker, sent me the recipe and is graciously allowing me to share the recipe with you.  It is a super easy recipe that can be prepared in just a few minutes with only a few ingredients.  It’s a healthy salad that even the grands gobbled up.  I made a couple of substitutions to the dressing but had everything else I needed either in the fridge or pantry to make it. 

Soup, Salad and Sandwich luncheon with Hummingbird Cupcakes

I took an opportunity to rekindle some old friendships since I moved to the country and invited several friends from my younger days to have lunch in our renovation project home.  I settled on a menu that included a Creamy Broccoli Soup, Croissant Sandwiches, a fruity  Romaine Salad and decadent Hummingbird Cupcakes topped with PinWin pineapple flowers.  All of the recipes are easy to prepare for an informal luncheon with old friends that left me stress free so I could enjoy the visit with them.

Apricot Feta Bacon Summer Salad

On a warm summer day it’s nice to sit on the patio and enjoy a fresh summer salad for lunch.  Use a variety of your favorite greens, add some fruit, cheese and maybe some protein and serve yourself some lite dressing on the side.  The salad I am eating today is diabetic friendly and delicious.  I’m using dried apricots today because I have a few left over from the scones I made.  I like the light tartness and tenderness of the apricots.  If I had some fresh strawberries I’d probably throw them in also!  The measurements in the recipe are for one person but can easily be doubled, tripled, quadrupled.  The proportions don’t need to be exact, you decide how much of each you like in your salad.

Broccoli Bacon Salad

Here is a great summer side dish that is always popular at pot luck gatherings.  I cut it down to a reasonable size for a family dinner today. 

  

Broccoli Bacon Salad

• 2 cups broccoli crowns, chopped
• 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• Bacon vinaigrette dressing
• 1/2 cup light olive oil mayo (or just mayo)

Prepare all ingredients and fold together.  Make it ahead to give the flavors time to marry.  I didn’t have any Bacon Vinaigrette on hand so I made a dressing to use in it’s place.
Bacon Vinaigrette dressing:

• 1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 1/4 C sugar
• Bacon drippings I had from baking a package of bacon.

Whisk together and heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes to dissolve sugar.  Whisk and pour over broccoli salad.