Hello, friends! I took a little bit of a blogging break these past few weeks, but I did make a few things to share with you during that time, one of which is this Easy Cobb Salad. This is one of my favorite kind of salads to order when I eat out, but I had never made one myself—so it was something I definitely needed to make!
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If you like thick, creamy dips and blue cheese, you’ll have to try this! This Blue Cheese Dip is made with plain Greek yogurt (or you can substitute light or fat-free sour cream). I like to use fat free Greek yogurt. I know not everyone is a fan of blue cheese–in fact, people seem to either really love it or hate it. I’ve always liked it. Actually, I can’t think of any kind of cheese that I don’t like! 🙂
This is a good recipe for summer, if you want to have a snack with fresh veggies. It’s good with crackers or chips, too. And it would also be yummy with something spicy like buffalo chicken wings. It’s super quick and easy to make and if you have time, you’ll want to make it a day ahead and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it–for some reason, this dip seems to taste better when made ahead!
BLUE CHEESE DIP by NancyC
Makes about 1 2/3 cups (tastes best when made a day before serving)
- 4 oz. finely crumbled blue cheese (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup (8 ounces) plain Greek yogurt or light sour cream (or 1/2 cup of each)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons light mayonnaise
- Optional: salt and pepper to taste; you can also add in some garlic or onion powder too, if you like!
In medium size bowl, mix blue cheese crumbles with plain Greek yogurt or sour cream. Add in the lemon juice and mayonnaise, blending everything well. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Spoon mixture into serving bowl and serve or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve–it tastes best if you make it the day before serving it!
Serve with crackers, veggies, or chips. Also tastes great with spicy foods like Buffalo Chicken Wings!
So are you a fan of blue cheese too? Do you have a favorite blue cheese recipe?
Linked to Fiesta Friday, Weekend Potluck, Inspire Me Monday, Full Plate Thursday, Create It Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Show and Share.
A few days ago, I found a nice surprise on my doorstep–a box of beautiful Harry & David® Royal Riviera® Pears! And Harry & David® is also extending a special offer to me and my readers–a 20% discount on your next purchase of anything on their site when you enter the code NANCY20 during checkout! So if you still need some gifts, you’ll want to check out their site!
I learned a little about the history of these pears, too. These sweet and juicy pears, traced back to 19th century France, were brought to Oregon’s Rogue Valley in 1897, where they thrived in the climate there. And for 80 years Harry & David® have been shipping these pears from their southern Oregon orchards.
I was wondering why there was a spoon in the package, and then I saw a note explaining that, in celebration of Harry & David’s® 80th anniversary, and also in honor of National Pear Month (yes, December is National Pear Month!) they were inviting some pear lovers to take the “Spoon Test Challenge” to see if their claim that Royal Riviera® Pears are really “so big and juicy, you can eat them with a spoon” is true. So I did take the Spoon Test Challenge, which involved letting the pears ripen for 1-2 days, slicing them in half, and using a spoon to eat the juicy pear. And I am happy to verify that yes, these pears really are juicy enough to eat with a spoon! They are really, really good. If you like pears or know someone who does, these are a real treat!
Here are some serving suggestions for these pears:
Here’s a recipe for a salad you can try–this recipe was included in my package of pears, so I thought I’d share it with you. This would make a great salad for your holiday meal! You can also find more salad recipes at Harry & David.com.
ROYAL RIVIERA® ROGUE VALLEY SALAD (recipe and photo from Harry & David)
For the dressing:
- 2 to 3 Tablespoons Champagne vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon honey (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 3/4 cup walnut oil
- Whisk together the first 5 ingredients. Gradually whisk in the walnut oil. chill for 20 minutes.
For the salad:
- 1 head butter lettuce, washed and dried
- 1 large or 2 small Royal Riviera® Pears, peeled, cored and sliced
- 2/3 cup Rogue Creamery or other blue cheese
- 2/3 cup Harry and David® candied pecans, roasted pecans, or roasted walnuts
Gently tear the lettuce into bite sized pieces. Arrange on four chilled plates. Top with fans of pear slices. Sprinkle blue cheese evenly over the pears and lettuce and top with nuts. Drizzle the dressing generously over the salad and serve.
Are you a pear-lover, too? What kinds of recipes do you like to use pears in?
Salads make great light lunches on hot, humid days and it’s even more convenient when you can make them ahead of time for work or just to have handy at home. I found lots of great grab-and-go ideas in Mason Jar Salads and More by Julia Mirabella. The salads are made by layering the ingredients vertically in Mason jars (the dressing usually goes on the bottom—this salad is an exception). In addition to recipes for salad lunches, the book includes some breakfast smoothies and oatmeal you can make-and-take in mason jars, as well as other healthy lunch options that include pasta and rice. There are some snack ideas, too, and lots of homemade vinaigrettes to try out.
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NancyC 