Broccoli Salad with Bacon, Golden Raisins, & Sunflower Seeds

This is one of those classic salads that everybody and their mother has a recipe for. They're all basically the same, but with little personal touches. It's actually not something I grew up with. I got a recipe from a co-worker when I did a brief stint selling motorhome windshields just out of college (no, that's not a joke - I even met Arlo Guthrie when his tour bus windshield cracked and he stopped in to get a new one).

We used to have certain days of the month where we'd bring in food, potluck-style, and a girl I worked with brought in a broccoli salad. Like most people, I was smitten. She wrote the recipe out neatly (and misspelled - "Brocolli Salad") on a pink index card that I still have today. Originally I made it exactly as written. My family started to not only look forward to it but to expect it on the table at our extended-family holiday meals.

Over the years, I've tweaked that original recipe a bit by reducing the sugar, changing the color of raisins that I prefer in it, upping the amount of bacon (duh!), and adding sunflower seeds. As written today, this is pretty much my personal favorite version of this salad...although I'd happily eat your favorite version as well.

Broccoli Salad

Tiny broccoli florets, bacon, golden raisins, sunflower seeds, and red onion are folded together with a sweet and tangy dressing in this classic salad.

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Keywords: side bacon broccoli American

Ingredients (serves 8-10)

• 1 pound bacon
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• pinch of fine sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large broccoli crowns
• 3/4 cup golden raisins (or a mix of colors)
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion

Instructions

Cut the bacon into small strips (or dice if slab). Cook until crisp, drain the grease off, and set the bacon aside.

In the meantime, stir the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, salt, and several grates of black pepper into a bowl until smooth. Allow to sit for 15 minutes.

Cut the broccoli into very small florets (reserve stalks for another use) and put into a large bowl; you should have about 6 cups of tiny florets. Add the raisins, sunflower seeds, onion, and reserved bacon to the bowl and toss everything together.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad, then use a rubber spatula or spoon to turn and mix until everything is coated evenly in the dressing.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours before serving.

Notes:

If you don't have White Wine Vinegar, you can substitute plain white vinegar, cider vinegar, or champagne vinegar

Turkey day recipes...2nd installment

Okay...here are all of the remaining recipes from turkey day, as seen in A Thanksgiving Feast...in pictures...minus the desserts...those are for another day. Mama made the Turkey and the Dressing, other little sis made the Green Bean Casserole, I made the Gravy and Applesauce. Grandma made the Broccoli Salad...from a recipe I passed on to her (in a strange twist of fate). I also wanted to add that I was all set to make homemade dinner rolls...2 kinds even! But alas, I hemmed and hawed and procrastinated as usual...and ended up buying the rolls. But I do want to say thank you to 2 amazing ladies to whom I have looked up to for their bread making skills for some time...and they're both super nice and helped me with my questions and gave me tips...which will ultimately be used, I promise. Those two ladies and the links to the rolls that almost were are the equally gorgeous and talented Monica of Lick the Bowl Good and Frieda of Lovin' from the Oven. You ladies inspire me on a daily basis. 

Broccoli Salad 

not sure of the origin of the recipe...I first got it from a gal I worked with 12 or so years ago (thanks Courtney). Sometimes I switch it up...my own little tweaks on what I know is a fairly common recipe. And a really good recipe. People cry if this isn't at a holiday table.


1 large head broccoli They usually comes in bunches these days...I just use a couple or more...
3/4 c. raisins the multi-colored ones are visually pleasing...also try dried cranberries or cherries
1 lb. bacon dice it and cook it or cook it and crumble, however you prefer 
1/2 c. small dice onion again, use the colors for variety 
1/2- 3/4 c. mayonnaise
1/3 c. sugar 
1/2 Tbs. vinegar 


Cut the broccoli into small florets (reserve stalks for another use). Toss with raisins, bacon and onions. Whisk together mayo, sugar and vinegar. Refrigerate for an hour or so to let flavors meld. Toss the broccoli blend with the dressing. Notes: This is also good with a handful or so of sunflower seeds or even cashews. If I'm not serving right away, I'll usually keep the bacon reserved and toss it in last minute.



Sage,Sausage and Apple Dressing 
adapted from Food Network Kitchens 


16 oz.Bread cubes (we tore 16 oz.country white and whole grain white -prefer sourdough/cornbread-used other previous years) 
6 Tbs.unsalted butter 
1 lb.fresh sage sausage, casing removed 
1 med.onion, chopped 
2 cooking apples, peeled/cored/chopped 
2 Ribs celery w/ leaves, chopped 
1/2 tsp. kosher salt 
3 c. chicken broth (homemade or low-sodium) 
1/4 c.chopped flat-leaf parsley 
1/2 c.walnut pieces-toasted 
2 eggs,beaten


 Preheat oven 350. Put bread cubes in bowl-set aside(tore/left out to dry,3 days previous) Butter a 3-quart casserole. Melt 2 T.Butter in large skillet. Add sausage & break-up-cook about 5-minutes. Add sausage & pan drippings to bread cubes; toss 'til evenly moistened. Melt remaining butter in pan. Add onion, apple, celery, and salt. Cook until the vegetables are soft about 5 minutes. Add the broth and parsley and bring to boil. Pour the vegetable mixture over the stuffing cubes and toss 'til evenly moistened. Mix in the walnuts and eggs. Loosely pack the dressing in the prepared pan and cook uncovered until the top forms a crust. Drizzle pan drippings & melted butter over the top and cook until the top is crisp and golden, about 20 more minutes. 


Roast Turkey Breast
Split turkey breast & brown in olive oil. 
Sprinkle with Herbes de Provence.
Remove from pan and brown flour (2 Tbsp+/-), Dry Red wine (whatever is on hand) to create a gravy and pour over breasts in small roaster. Cover with foil and roast for ~2 hours. This is wonderful and an easy way to extend the turkey rations. I believe I will always have an additional 5 lbs. of turkey breast along with the turkey.


Apple Cider Brined Turkey
from 2007 Cooking Light


Brine: 
8 C.Apple Cider 
2/3 C Kosher 
Salt 
2/3 C. Sugar 
1 T.Black Peppercorns-crushed 
1 T. allspice,crushed 
8(1/8 inch thick) sliced slices fresh peeled ginger 
6 whole cloves 
2 Bay Leaves 
1 fresh Turkey 
2 oranges - quartered 
6 C. ice 


 Combine 1st 8 ingredients in a large saucepan;bring to a boil. Cook 5 min or til sugar & salt dissolve.Cool Completely. Remove Giblets and neck from turkey - reserve for gravy. Rinse Turkey and pat dry. Trim excess fat.Stuff Body cavities with oranges. Place all in brining bag 12-24 hours in refrigerator - turn occasionally. Preheat oven-500. Remaining ingredients: 4 Garlic cloves 4 Sage leaves 4 Thyme sprigs 4 Parsley sprigs 1 onion-quartered 14 oz. chicken broth 2 T butter 1 tsp fresh ground pepper 1/2 tsp salt Remove turkey from bag - rinse with cold water and pat dry. Truss. Place first 6 ingredients into the roasting pan-Brush turkey with butter( did olive oil combo)/Sprinkle with salt pepper-place breast-side down in roasting pan for 30 min. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degree F. Carefully turn turkey breast side up in roasting pan and roast approx. 1 1/2 hours or 'til 170 degrees. Remove from oven and let stand for 20 minutes before carving. Reserve pan drippings for gravy.


 
Turkey Gravy 
no real recipe...it varies a bit year to year
-butter 
-flour 
-pan drippings from roast turkey, de-greased 
-Turkey stock (which we make and reserve the week leading up to turkey day), heated up 
-salt, pepper, fresh herbs to match your meal 


 Usually using the roasting pan from the turkey, we add butter and let it melt while scraping the fond from the bottom of the pan. Add an equal amount of flour to make a roux. Continue to cook until it is golden. Slowly pour in reserved pan drippings and add hot stock as needed until correct consistency. Season to taste with salt, pepper &/or fresh herbs.

Spiced, Roasted Applesauce by girlichef This is a family favorite!! It goes super fast and is actually one of the first things I ever blogged! So, follow this link to my original post if you want this recipe...but please don't laugh...I was just starting out...I knew not what I was doing yet. The photos...the formatting...ugh. 






Green Bean Casserole
by Paula Deen 
yield: 6 svgs., so yeah...double or quadruple it!


1/3 stick butter 
1/2 cup diced onions 
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms 
2 cups sliced green beans 
3 cups chicken broth 
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup 
1 (2.8-ounce) can French-fried onion rings 
Pinch House Seasoning, recipe follows 
1 cup grated Cheddar 


 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Saute the onions and mushrooms in the butter. Boil green beans in chicken broth for 10 minutes and drain. Add the green beans, mushroom soup, onion rings, and House Seasoning, to taste, to the onion mixture. Stir well. Pour into a greased 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, then top the casserole with the Cheddar and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the casserole is hot and cheese is melted. 


House Seasoning: 1 cup salt 
1/4 cup black pepper 
1/4 cup garlic powder 


Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.