Romaine Mandarin Salad

Mom made this before the super salads of today. It was fresh, crisp, and sweet, and set off a flank steak dinner perfectly. I often watched her make the sugared almonds and was mesmerized by the process of sugar magically liquefying in the pan. I recently made this again and found I wasn't crazy about the dressing after all these years. (Could have been because I poured it on each serving and didn't mix it in entirely as the recipe instructs. I'll have to try it again.) I substituted a poppy seed vinaigrette to pour on individual portions, and it worked perfectly. (We have a family member who is sensitive to soggy salads so I'm overly cautious about dressings.) I've included both dressing recipes. 

Safe to double salad for a crowd. If doubling the salad and using the Sweet & Sour Dressing, double it. No need to double Rice Vinegar Poppy Seed Dressing. 

Romaine Mandarin Salad
adapted from Betty Crocker's Cookbook, 1981

1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 head iceberg lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1/4 bunch Romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
2 medium stalks celery, medium chopped (about 1 cup)
2 green onions with tops, thinly sliced (about 2 tablespoons)
Sweet & Sour Dressing
1 can (11 ounce) mandarin orange segments, drained

Heat skillet to medium high. Add almonds and sugar and stir constantly over medium to high heat, until sugar is melted and almonds are coated. Cool and break apart. Store at room temperature.

Assemble salad just before serving if using S&S dressing. Place lettuces in plastic bag; add celery and onions. Pour Sweet & Sour Dressing into bag; add orange segments. Close bag tightly and shake until salad greens and orange segments are well coated. Add almonds and shake again. 

Sweet & Sour Dressing
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
dash red pepper sauce

Shake all ingredients in a tightly covered jar; refrigerate.

Rice Vinegar Poppy Seed Dressing
also great with Spinach Bacon salads

2/3 cup white rice vinegar (plain, not seasoned)
1 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt (1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt)
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1-2 green onions, chopped
2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Blend all ingredients except poppy seeds (did that once--big mistake). Stir in poppy seeds. Serve or chill until ready to serve.

Katie's Marshmallow Brownies

Originally called Connie's Marshmallow Brownies (after mom's friend Connie Simmons), these brownies have earned a new name in our family. Katie makes these at least twice a month, and they're always delicious--especially the next day. Cousin Cindy Glad told me just the other day that Grandma LaPriel Walter made these too! I was sooo happy to learn that, but three names are just too many. I'm calling these Katie's.

Katie's Marshmallow Brownies

1 1/2 cup margarine or butter

1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp of cocoa

3 cups sugar

6 eggs

2 1/4 cups flour

1 Tbsp vanilla

1 cup nuts, optional

1 bag of mini marshmallows

Cream butter, cocoa and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Then gradually add flour, vanilla and nuts. Pour into greased sheet cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-23 minutes. Remove from oven and add marshmallows over top of baked crust. Return to oven and bake an additional 4-5 minutes until marshmallows are puffy and barely turning gold. They should not turn brown. Cool and frost.

Frosting:

1/3 cup margarine or butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup cocoa

1/3 cup evaporated milk

1 tsp vanilla

Mix well and spread evenly over cooled brownies.

Shasta BBQ Sauce

A simple family favorite since an extended family trip to Lake Shasta in the 80s. Someone made this sauce (mom? Mamoo? Dorothy?) to serve over BBQ chicken, and it became an instant classic. Whenever we make it (which is often--there's always a container in the fridge), my mind is flooded with memories of that trip so long ago: lots of water skiing, trying unsuccessfully to slalom, and at least one riding adventure with a horse named "Bucketmouth." Anyone else have a particular memory?

Shasta BBQ Sauce

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup water (optional)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoon molasses

2-3 tablespoon woody's BBQ concentrate


Whisk all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl until sauce becomes smooth. Taste to adjust ingredients. Always safe to double.