Broccoli Salad with Cashews and Water Chestnuts

 

“I just made a new broccoli salad that has cashews and water chestnuts in it,” I recently told a friend, adding that it was very good, but then honestly, I asked her, what broccoli salad isn’t? One that she had had recently apparently, made by a friend of hers who had blanched the florets. She cooked her broccoli for her broccoli salad! Come on, people! Would you par boil lettuce for a green salad? I don’t think so. Never, and I am telling you NEVER cook broccoli for a broccoli salad. No!

 This recipe with the addition of cashews and water chestnuts, different from the norm, was just the ticket. I punched up the dressing with a little bit of dry mustard, taking it from drab to dynamic.

Broccoli Salad with Cashews and Water Chestnuts

 2 large crowns Melissa’s Organic Broccoli, cut into florets

6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

1 c. cashews

¼ c. chopped red onion

½ c. golden raisins

⅓ c. chopped water chestnuts

 Dressing:

1 c. Duke’s mayonnaise

1 T. cider vinegar

¼ c. sugar

½ t. kosher salt

¼ t. dry mustard

Whisk together dressing ingredients in a medium bowl; set aside.

 Play, broccoli, bacon, cashews, onion, raisins, and water chestnuts into a large bowl. Pour dressing overall and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, preferably overnight.

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Asparagus and Pea Casserole

  

This is a retro recipe, as it is a casserole from the 70s. It is one my mother used to make, and everyone quite enjoyed it. Because it’s from the 70s, it contains the trifecta of things that are bad for you: canned vegetables, condensed soup, and Velveeta cheese. Despite this, it’s tasty, freezes and reheats beautifully, and makes a nice addition to any buffet. And, let’s face facts, with all of the mercury in fish, the toxins in the air, the poisons sprayed on fresh vegetables to act as a retardant, it’s not the condensed soup or the Velveeta cheese that is going to take you out. So just sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Asparagus and Pea Casserole

1 15-oz. can Del Monte asparagus, well drained

1 15-oz. can Le Sueur Very Young Small Sweet Peas, well drained

1 8-oz. can sliced water chestnuts, well drained 

1 10.5-oz. can cream of mushroom soup

½ soup can of milk

  About ½ loaf bread,* crust removed, cut into thirds

Velveeta cheese

 4 T. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350° F.

 Spray a 9” x 13” casserole with PAM. Layer asparagus, peas, and water chestnuts. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Whisk together soup and milk, and spread over vegetables. Cover with 1/4” thick slices of Velveeta cheese. Dip cut bread pieces into melted butter and place on top of cheese. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until bread is nicely toasted.

I used Aldi’s Seedtastic bread because that’s what I had on hand, but I think the bread of choice here is good old Wonder bread.

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