Cobb Salad with Chive Dressing

from A Pinch of Salt Lake

1 medium-size head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 large tomato, chopped
1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 large avocado, peeled, diced and sprinkled with lemon juice
1 pound sliced bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Chive Dressing:
6 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 Tablespoons chives
1/2 cup olive oil

Place shredded lettuce in a large salad bowl. Prepare dressing by combining salt, garlic powder, pepper, chives and the oil in a jar and shake well. Pour the dressing over the lettuce and toss. Arrange the tomato, chicken, avocado, bacon and eggs on top of the lettuce. Place crumbled cheese in the center of the salad. Toss at the table.

Okay, first of all, that amount of dressing is huge. We've never even used half of it. Second, don't take the amounts of the salad ingredients too literally. Just chop up what you think you will use. And only toss at the table if you're interested in getting lots of polite "oooo"s and "aaaaaah"s. Frankly, not many people I've served this to want everything on that list (which technically means they are not getting a Cobb Salad, but, oh well). So I chop up what I think will be good and let people assemble their own salads as if at a salad bar. If you've got little kids, often they just want things separate anyway.

Remember, if you don't want to heat up the kitchen, cook the bacon and eggs earlier in the day! While they are cooking you can chop (when it comes to the lettuce, tear) everything but the avocado (the lemon is supposed to keep it nice--which it does--but I often don't have a lemon, so--but if you have a lemon, it adds nice flavor), and when it's dinner time--simply assemble!

Volcano Cookies

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter (one stick)
2 cups sugar
3 Tablespoons cocoa
pinch salt (no baking, so I use Kosher salt--I just like the flavor better, but regular is fine)
3 cups uncooked oatmeal (I like quick oats)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (try to use natural peanut butter, but if it's on the runny side, the cookies will have better texture if you use regular peanut butter)

In a medium saucepan, combine first 5 ingredients. Bring to a boil, simmer 1 minute (if you simmer too long, the cookies will end up crumbly). Remove from heat.  Add oatmeal and stir well.  Let sit for ten minutes.  Add vanilla and peanut butter. Mix well. Place spoonfuls onto wax paper. Shape into volcanoes. (Immediately. Don't think you can mix these up and let them sit for awhile before spooning the cookies out. They will set up pretty fast.)

Just an interesting aside--a version of this recipe is included in a book by Mario Batali! If I remember right, his Grandma made them every Christmas. So feel free to say you can cook just like Mario! :)

I saw the cutest little raspberries at the store, and volcano cookies were on Sarah's baptismal celebration menu. Could the raspberries make volcano cookies look more like live volcanoes with lava ready to blow out the top? Well, kinda. They were okay. But I really liked just placing a raspberry right in the middle. As the picture says, they were "cute as a button" and delicious too! To make sure they were secure in the cookie, right after scooping the batter onto wax paper and before they had set, I used the handle of a wooden spoon to make an indent in the cookie and dropped the raspberry right in! Loved it!

MM Recipe Card

Asparagus Bacon Swiss Ricotta Frittata

The leftovers:

cooked asparagus, cut into 1" pieces, about 10 stalks
cooked bacon, rough chop, about 3 slices
Swiss cheese, finely grated, about 1/2 cup
cooked minced onion, about 2 Tablespoons, warmed in microwave for easy mixing (the oil solidifies in the fridge)

Mix with:

6 large eggs
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
pinch of nutmeg (freshly grated if you've got it)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a pie plate--better yet, use some of the left-over bacon grease. It adds great flavor, and seemed to make the frittata come out of the pan better!

1. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the ricotta and Swiss and beat to combine. Add the nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and beat to combine.

2. Toss in the leftovers! Mix well.

3. Pour mixture into the prepared pie plate then put it in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until it's golden on top. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.