Recipe Ideas for Spring Brunch

Chicken/Turkey Wild Rice Salad

Cook’s note: this salad tastes better when made ahead one day to meld the flavors

More plain Miracle Whip or mayonnaise might be needed at the end to moisten the salad

Serves 6-8

Basic Salad Ingredients:

• 6-8 large pieces of cooked chicken or turkey-cut into small chunks
• 3-4 cups cooked wild rice
• 2-3 cups small red grapes or 1 package of dried cherries
• 2 cups pea pods
• 1 small package of walnuts or cashews
• ½ box pasta shells cooked al dente, rinsed and drained
• ¾ cup green onions

Sauce ingredients:

Cook’s note:

The following recipe makes one cup. How many cups of sauce added depends on the amount of basic salad ingredients used. Remember the salad just needs to be moistened not drenched with miracle whip or mayonnaise sauce.

• 1-cup Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
• 2 tsp. sherry
• ¼ tsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. soy sauce

 Salad Directions:

• Blanch pea pods by bringing water to boil-add pea pods and boil just 1 minute-rinse under cold water-drain
• Add rest of salad ingredients except nuts-mix well in a large bowl
• Add sauce one cup at a time to salad ingredients
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 12 hours
• Add nuts at the end

 Wild Rice with Mushrooms

adapted from Southern Living November 2011

Ingredients:

• 2- (6oz.) packages long-grain and wild rice mi
• 3 TB. butter
• 1 sweet onion diced
• 1 large box of white mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 cup Marsala
• 2 TB. dried parsley or 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• 1 package of dried cherries
• cashews or slivered almonds  

Directions:

• Prepare rice mix according to package directions
• Melt butter in skillet add onions and garlic and saute till golden brown
• Add mushrooms, cherries and saute 4-5 minutes longer
• Add Marsala and saute 3 minutes or until liquid is absorbed
• Stir in mushroom mixture and parsley into wild rice rice mixture-serve warm

"Having more joy does not necessarily require a life overhaul-
 you may just need to create more space 

in your life for moments of joy."

 Debrena Jackson Gandy