Guest Cook: Kamryn--Santa Rosa Valley Salad

Did you happen to catch Kamryn's Guest Cook post of her Pear Delight last week?

We're very fortunate that she also made her Santa Rosa Salad to share here on FOODjimoto.com.

Once again, Kamryn's doing the cooking and her friend Lauren is taking the photos.

This looks so delicious I can't wait to make it!

My cousin Kathy (that's Kamryn's mom) said she got the recipe for the Santa Rosa Salad from her friend, June Kuramoto.

Some of you may know June, she plays the koto in the band Hiroshima.

Kathy also plays the koto, but not professionally.

Here's what you'll need for the Santa Rosa Salad:

Ingredients:

1 box Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice Mix, cooked with seasonings according to package directions

3 chicken breast halves, cooked and diced (add less if desired)

4 green onions, chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 large package (2 lbs.) green beans, strings removed

2 medium avocados, diced

juice of 1 lemon or lime

romaine leaves for garnish, cut into squares

dressing:

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar (or slightly more)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

 

Make the dressing first--mince 2 cloves of garlic and add 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon sugar (or slightly more), 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar and 1/3 cup vegetable oil.

A mason jar works well for this.

 

Here it is with all the ingredients added--cover and refrigerate.

Aren't Lauren's photos nice?

Of course  you'll want to shake the dressing before pouring it over the salad.

(And I want to include as many of Lauren's photos as I can.)

 

Make the Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice Mix according to the package directions.

I think the Trader Joe's Brown Rice Medley would be good in this salad too.

 

Slice the green onions thinly.

 

Chop the red bell pepper.

 

Remove the strings from the green beans.

If you line them all up, you'll only have to make one cut.

Protect your fingers by curling them back.

Saute the green beans in a little bit of olive oil until they turn bright green.

Add salt and garlic powder.

Remove from pan and set aside.

Nice shot, Lauren!

Dice the cooked chicken.

Put everything except the romaine, avocados and lemon or lime juice, into a big bowl.

Combine salad and dressing, toss lightly and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours.

Serve by placing salad on a bed of chopped romaine leaves.

Before serving, dice the avocado and toss lightly with the lemon or lime juice before adding.

Lime juice is excellent in keeping the avocado from turning brown.

Most of the salad can be made a day ahead of serving.

Thank you, Kamryn and Lauren, the Santa Rosa Valley Salad looks so delicious!


Itadakimasu!




***



My cousin Kathy--her family nickname is Channie--is very creative.

When we were little and had family dinners at Bachan's house, she would have crafts for the rest of us cousins to do to keep us busy.

You can see a little of that in my Stuffed Mushrooms post after the recipe.


Over the years, she's been creative with her Christmas cards.

Here's a sampling:

 

This is one of my favorites.

It's very simple, but I remember the kick I got out of it when I opened it--and how clever I thought it was because everyone with little ones was sending a photo card that included the kids' ages--and Chan and David didn't have Kamryn yet.

 

Then Kamryn came and the creativity continued.

"Dash away...dash away...dash away...All!"

"Season-ings Greetings!"

Ho! Ho! Ho!

 

 

Kammie's a tennis player.

"After three hours of trying to get the perfect Christmas card picture..."

This photo reminds me of trying to get The Perfect Picture of my two--and how one year I resorted to paying $0.10 a shot--because that was the only way I could get Rick to co-operate and look happy.

More about that in a post to come.


I look forward to Kamryn's family holiday card every year!



Thank you again, Kamryn and Lauren.

I hope you will cook for us again in the future!



***

 

  

Santa Rosa Valley Salad

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 box Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice Mix, cooked with seasonings according to package directions

3 chicken breast halves, cooked and diced (add less if desired)

4 green onions, chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 large package (2 lbs.) green beans, strings removed

2 medium avocados, diced

juice of 1 lemon

romaine leaves for garnish, cut into squares

dressing:

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar (or slightly more)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Combine dressing ingredients. Cover and refrigerate.

Saute the green beans briefly in a small amount of olive oil. Add salt and garlic powder to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.

Mix all salad ingredients together except avocados and lemon or lime juice. Combine salad ingredients with dressing and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours. Before serving, carefully add avocados that have been tossed gently with lemon/lime juice to keep them from turning brown. Place salad mixture on chopped romaine leaves.

NOTE: Most of the salad may be made a day ahead. Add avocados and lemon juice prior to serving.

Guest Cook: Kamryn's Pear Delight

This delicious dessert is called Pear Delight.

My cousin Kathy got the recipe when her daughter was in high school, someone made it for one of the parent/teacher/student meetings, and it's been a family favorite ever since.

 

 

Kathy's daughter Kamryn made it for one of our luncheons--and of course I had to take some photos and ask if she would like to be a Guest Blogger with this recipe.

Kamryn graciously consented to make the Pear Delight for FOODjimoto--she did the cooking while her friend Lauren took the photos--Lauren is majoring in photography at the California College of Arts & Crafts.

Kamryn's a little on the shy side, and also quite busy with college at UCLA, so I'm going to blog the instructions, Kamryn is our Guest Cook,  and Lauren our Guest Photographer.

*

Ingredients:

Crust:

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup flour

Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

1 large can pears

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Before you begin mixing the crust, heat oven to 350ºF and ready your 8" x 8" baking dish by spraying it with a non-stick spray.

Put 1/2 cup butter into the mixing bowl,

and 1/3 cup granulated sugar.

Then measure 1/4 teaspoon vanilla.

Add it to the mixing bowl.

Then add 3/4 cup flour.

Cream ingredients together until evenly combined.

Turn out into your prepared 8 x 8 inch pan.

Gently press the dough to cover the bottom of the pan.

After the dough is evenly distributed on the bottom, bake the crust 10 minutes at 350ºF.

The crust will not be completely cooked, you'll be baking it again later after adding the pears.

While the crust is cooking, drain and start slicing the pears.

You want thin, even slices.

Kamryn's got a nice technique with her knife.

She's got nice, even slices, too!

Set the pears aside.

In a small bowl,  put 8 ounces of cream cheese, then microwave for 20 seconds or so to soften.

Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla,

1 egg,

and 1/4 cup sugar.

Whisk together until smooth.

Pour the cream cheese mixture over the baked crust.

Place the pears over the cream cheese filling, in four rows, leaving a little reveal of the pear slice in front to make it pretty.

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons cinnamon sugar over the pears.

Spread the cinnamon sugar until evenly distributed.

Bake 25 minutes at 375ºF.

Refrigerate overnight before cutting, otherwise the dessert is runny.

After refrigerating the dessert overnight, cut into squares.

Channie (that's Kathy's family nickname) told me that this dessert is so coveted that family members have been known to hide portions during a party so they'll be sure to have another piece later!

Itadakimasu!

***

This is Kamryn.

 

She is very sweet, soft-spoken, creative, competent and fun.

 

Kamryn loves party planning.

Here's Kammie with her 'sister' Kadee on her birthday.

 

I love this pic with Kammie and her friends at their Oprah finale party.

Kamryn loved The Oprah Winfrey Show, she's watched it her whole life.

 

I told you she's a lot of fun!

So is her cousin Erin.

 

Here's a shot of Lauren taking the photos.

This is Lauren--second from the left.

Lauren, your photos are lovely!

Thank you, Kamryn and Lauren, for making your Pear Delight and sharing it here on FOODjimoto!

Look for their Santa Rosa Valley Salad coming soon!

***

Pear Delight

Ingredients for an 8 x 8 inch baking dish:

Crust:

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup flour

Blend together crust ingredients and press into an 8 x 8 inch pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake 10 minutes at 350ºF. The crust will not be completely cooked through, but will finish cooking later after adding the pears.

Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Soften cream cheese in a small bowl and whisk together filling ingredients until smooth. Pour over baked crust.

Topping:

1 large can pears

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Drain and cut pears into even slices. Place pear slices over filling, in four rows and leaving a little reveal of the previous placed pear for an attractive pattern. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake 25 minutes at 375ºF.

Refrigerate overnight before cutting to insure firmness.