What’s Cookin’, Good Lookin’?

So I guess you all know that I’m a cookbook and cooking magazine fanatic, right?  I mean, that just kinda stands to reason.  If you DIDN’T know that about me, well, now you do.  Shocker, huh?  Yeah, I figured it would be.  I recently got my Food Network Magazine in the mail and toward the back they had “Salad on a Stick.”  Apparently, it was something from a festival or a fair………an attempt to make fair/festival food a little healthier than the typical corndog, funnel cake, smoked turkey legs and deep-fried Twinkies on a stick.  I’m always trying to come up with new, fun salads for my family.  When I saw this, I knew I had to try it!

It was super, super simple to do!  Tall Skinny Man stuck the veggies and cheese on the skewers while I was cutting up the veggies.  The original recipe didn’t have cheese, so that’s my addition. The simplicity of this will make it a wonderful addition to your Labor Day picnic table or just your Sunday dinner table for that matter!

Here’s what you’ll need:

Lettuce, carrots, cucumber, cherry or grape tomatoes, cheese cubes of choice.

Start by cutting the lettuce in half.

Then cut each half into thirds.

Now cut each third into thirds so you have nice chunks to put on the skewers.

Peel the carrots and then cut them into large chunks.  I used a “crinkle” cutter, but you can just cut them on the bias with a knife if you don’t have a crinkle cutter.  “On the bias” means to cut at an angle.

Slice the cucumber on the bias also.  They’ll need to be fairly thick so the skewer doesn’t cause them to break.

Skewer all the veggies and the cheese up in any order you want.  Just alternate so that you have about 3 chunks of lettuce on each skewer and end with either a chunk of cheese or a tomato so the tip the skewer is covered.

And in a matter of minutes, this is what you’ll have.  I can’t even tell you what a huge hit these were!

Salad Skewers

*  1 head iceberg lettuce

*  1 box grape or cherry tomatoes

*  1 bag cubed cheese of choice (or cube your own from a block of cheese)

*  1 bag carrots

*  1-2 cucumbers (depending on their size)

*  salad dressing of choice

*  skewers

Cut head of lettuce in half.  Then cut each half into thirds.  Cut each wedge into thirds making “chunks” of lettuce.  Peel carrots and slice on the bias.  Slice cucumber on the bias.  Slide vegetables and cheese onto skewers ending with a cube of cheese or a tomato on the pointed end of the skewer.  Serve cold with favorite salad dressing.

These are so versatile!  You could also add mushrooms to them.  Any color bell pepper would be pretty on them too.  If you had room, a small chunk of red cabbage would be a nice addition.  A floret of broccoli or cauliflower would work too!  Make it into whatever you want it to be!  These are just the ones I chose to use.  But you can certainly come up with your own combinations that you and your family enjoy!

This is a great way to get the kids in the kitchen “cooking” with you!  You could have them help peel the carrots or stick the veggies on the skewers if they’re big enough to handle that part.  Make it a family affair!  My kids LOVE to be in the kitchen with me.  And I’ve found it’s a lot easier to get kids to eat something they might not otherwise eat if they got to help make it!

I hope this is a fun new way for you to eat salad at your house!  And if you’re looking for a new salad dressing to use instead of the same-old-same-old, give my Orange Vinaigrette a try!      http://amyswhatscookingoodlookin.com/?p=1022  I posted it a couple weeks ago.  It’s a new and different spin on your plain old vinaigrette salad dressings!

Happy Labor Day to you and yours!  My family and I are heading next door to Unk’s house to eat some of his phenomenally fabulous BBQ ribs and chicken.  That man could flat out beat anybody on that BBQing!  I’m taking some on my Very Best Baked Beans that I shared with you recently.   http://amyswhatscookingoodlookin.com/?p=1086   And I’m also taking some German Potato Salad, Cold Pasta Salad and Margarita Slaw.  I’ll share those recipes with you sometime!  )  Be safe and enjoy your family this holiday weekend!

Filed under: Grilling, Healthy/Low Fat, Meal Ideas, Recipes, Salads, Vegetables