Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

My sister and I have been a little busy lately: 3 moves, selling houses, a family reunion, and the holidays. We still have one move and one house to sell, but hopefully the crazy busy months are behind us. After months of frozen pizzas, fast foods, and box meals, we are back and ready for some real food. 

This recipe is one that our family makes at Thanksgiving nearly every year. A friend of mine brought it over to a barbecue with the delightful addition of sunflower seeds. Be sure to cut the broccoli and cauliflower into manageable bite-sized pieces.

Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

Ingredients:
3 heads of broccoli, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 head cauliflower, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup. mayonnaise
2 TBS sugar
3 TBS apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. finely diced red onion
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup Jack shredded jack cheese
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled or sliced thin

Directions:
Combine broccoli and cauliflower in a large bowl. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to serve.
In a separate bowl, combine mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar and red onion. Dressing may be made ahead and refrigerated. 
Immediately before serving, combine broccoli and cauliflower and mayonnaise dressing. Stir in sunflower seeds, cheese, and bacon.

Marinated Zucchini with Bow Ties

This dish showcases the glorious tastes of summer vegetables. You could add diced cooked or grilled chicken or even some pepperoni to make it an entree. I think some cheese (parmesan, pecorino-romano) would be good in this salad as well.  My friend, Garnet, brought this to a barbecue; I thought it was delicious and got her recipe. Enjoy!


Marinated Zucchini with Bow Ties

Ingredients:
2 Tbs. olive oil
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 medium sized zucchini, sliced into bite size pieces
1 1/4 tsp salt
3/4 lbs cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 cup fresh chopped basil (more or less to taste)
3 Tbs. wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 box bow tie pasta (I like the mini ones. But big ones work too.)
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:
Heat 2 Tbs. olive oil in frying pan. Add garlic, 1/4 tsp salt and zucchini. Toss to coat, then cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer zucchini into large stainless steel or glass bowl and stir in tomatoes, basil, vinegar, remaining salt, and pepper. Cook pasta as directed. Drain and toss in with marinated zucchini and 1/4 cup olive oil.