Saturday, May 4, 2013

Cool Vegetable Salad

Photo: Southern Belle Taste.

Sometimes, it's refreshing to just eat vegetables.  No meat...just veggies.  While I was pregnant last year, I often craved a savory bowl of cold veggies, and that craving is reappearing as I type.  I wanted to make a veggie salad that was simple, yet good. One that didn't have mayo and pasta. So this is what I came up with.  (Considering this is currently approximately 7 months later since the first time I made this, I'm pretty sure I don't have everything accounted for precisely!  Excuse me, please!)

Vegetable Salad 
2 cucumbers (cut in cubes)
1 tomato (cut in cubes)
1 can of corn
1/3 cup chopped red onion (I honestly did not measure this.  Just seems to be an acceptable amount.)

Dressing 
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (if there appears to be too much oil, add 1-2 extra tsp of vinegar)
2 tsp of Sea Salt  (or enough to your liking)
1 tsp of pepper (or enough to your liking)
Dash of cayenne peper
Juice of a small lime

1. Cut up cucumbers, tomato, and red onion in a medium size bowl.
2. Drain water from can of corn. Add corn to vegetable bowl.
3. In another bowl, mix the dressing ingredients.
4. Pour dressing over vegetables and stir together.
5. Chill in refrigerator until time to serve.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites


Photo: Southern Belle Taste.
Who doesn't love chicken and bacon? I do suppose there are many non-pork eaters, and that is perfectly fine!  Here's a little appetizer recipe for those house parties that need comfort food in small serving sizes.


Photo: Southern Belle Taste.
This recipe is very simple! 

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites
4 chicken breasts (cut up in strips- 3 strips per breast)
6 strips of bacon (cut in half) (I used thick peppered bacon.)
2 bell peppers (6 slices per bell pepper)
Seasoning for chicken (use my favorite- Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning)
Toothpicks for securing

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut up chicken breasts, bacon, and bell pepper.
3. Season chicken strips.
4. Lay out 12 pieces of bacon. 
5. Place chicken strips on top of bacon slices.
6. Place bell pepper on the edge of chicken and roll up bacon and chicken into a roll. Secure with a toothpick. (See picture above.)
7. Line a cookie sheet with foil and place bites on sheet.
8. Place in oven for 40 minutes or until chicken and bacon are done.