Fruit Salad with Champagne Honey Mustard Dressing Recipe

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Champagne Honey Mustard Dressing Recipe

"Fruit Salad...honey, honey".  How can you go wrong with fruit, nuts and honey?  This easy recipe would be perfect for a brunch, a bridal or baby shower, or just a quick power-packed breakfast.  The Cherchies® Champagne Mustard in the dressing brings out the tanginess of the fruit, and adds a certain "je ne sais quoi" (a property that makes something distinctive...ooh la la) to the dish.

Ingredients

• 1 apple cored and chopped
• 1 banana, sliced
• 1 (Tablespoon) Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained or 11 oz. Clementine oranges, peeled and separated (my children are not fans of Mandarin oranges)
• 1 avocado, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• Cherchies Honey Mustard Dressing Recipe (below)

Honey Mustard Dressing Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp.)  white wine vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Cherchies® Champagne Mustard
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoons (tsp.) salt
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Preparation
In a small bowl, add lemon juice.  Core and chop apple and banana, and dip into lemon juice to prevent browning.  Combine all ingredients  (I was skeptical about adding avocado, but it imparts a lovely creamy texture to this salad). 

Combine honey mustard dressing ingredients in a small bowl.  Add enough of the honey mustard dressing recipe to coat the fruit evenly.  Enjoy!

Pretty Vegetable Bean Salad Recipe

"Easy and Elegant"  is my mother-in-law's mantra and I have resolved to follow it with my own family and friends.   Who wants to be in the kitchen the entire time?  This easy recipe mainly focuses on pantry items and is about as simple as it gets.  It's the perfect salad for a potluck, game day tailgating, or a summer get together because it can be made ahead and can be served at room temperature.   You could also serve this dish as a dip with chips for an easy healthy appetizer.  

I like this recipe because it serves a crowd (12-14 people), but it also it uses our Pretty Peppers, which imparts a nice tang to this dish.  

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Cider Vinegar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon (tsp.) salt
• 1/2 teaspoon (tsp.) pepper
• 1 Tablespoon water
• 15 oz. can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 oz. can white shoe peg corn, drained and rinsed (could use fresh corn)
• 1/2 jar Cherchies® Pretty Peppers
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup of celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup green pepper, chopped

Preparation

Mix the Cider Vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, pepper, and water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Cool completely.

In a large bowl, mix the remaining ingredients and then add the vinagrette.- refrigerate and serve with a slotted spoon (you may want to pour off some marinade before serving).  Serves 12-14.  Enjoy!

Pretty Vegetable Bean Salad Recipe

Champagne and Apple Endive Recipe

These little cuties are divine! This recipe is easy and elegant, plus it uses my favorite mustard in the world, Cherchies Champagne Mustard!!

The crispness of the endive, combined with the tart apples and robust Roquefort cheese, comes together as a flavor explosion in your mouth. 

I usually make these gems around the holidays, but they could also be the perfect snack or salad by the pool or for a girl's night (or day) out. When I made these recently, I invited my girlfriend to my house for lunch to help me style them for their "glamour shot." We styled, and we ate! (and had a glass of wine in the middle of the afternoon-shame on us!).

Thank you for visiting! Comment below and let us know if you have tried this recipe. Come back again for more tasty recipes, entertaining ideas, cooking tips, and more!

Ingredients

• 6 heads of Belgian Endive

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard (or substitute our Cranberry Mustard)

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) white wine vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) pepper

• 3/4 teaspoon (tsp) salt

• 6 Tablespoons of Olive oil

• 1 Granny Smith Apple, coarsely chopped

• 1 Honey Crisp Apple, coarsely chopped

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

• 1/2 lemon

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans (you could substitute walnuts)

• 1/4 pound Roquefort cheese (can substitute Blue Cheese)

Preparation

Turn the stove top on to low heat.  Using a medium-sized skillet, place the pecans in the skillet, and toast pecans for a few minutes (this will bring out the flavor of the pecans).  Turn off the heat, remove the skillet from the burner, and allow pecans to cool (you will need to chop the cooled pecans later).

Slice off the ends of the endive and cut the endive in half lengthwise, removing the endive core, and gently separating the leaves.  Place the separated leaves on a platter if serving as appetizers, or a few on each plate if serving as a salad.

I just love apples!  Apples and Roquefort cheese...sigh.  Sorry, I got distracted...Coarsely chop the apples, the cranberries, the pecans and place them into a medium bowl.  Squeeze the juice from the lemon half over the apples and cranberries to prevent the apples from browning (that wouldn't look pretty).  Stir the apple mixture to coat with lemon juice.

Meanwhile, in a separate small bowl, mix together the vinegar, Cherchies® Champagne Mustard, salt, pepper, and olive oil (make sure to use good olive oil).  Toss the apple mixture with some of the champagne vinaigrette.  

Now for the assembly...Spoon a generous portion of the apple mixture into each endive leaf and crumble the Roquefort cheese on top of the apples.  Add the pecans, and drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the endive leaves.  Serve cold or at room temperature.  Voila, a classy elegant appetizer or salad.

Next time I make this recipe, I will try it with our Cherchies® Hot Banana Pepper Mustard for a sweet and spicy twist, or our Cherchies® Cranberry Mustard.  Enjoy!

Caprese Salad Recipe

Caprese Salad Recipe

When the sun is out, easy fresh recipes are IN. Summer lends itself to relaxing and easy-peasy recipes without fussing in the kitchen. This refreshingly delicious summer salad, featuring fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, and Cherchies Basil Pizzazz Seasoning, allows you to embrace summer’s bounty while leaving you more time to enjoy the lazy days of summer.

Comment below and let us know if you made this recipe.

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Ingredients

• 1 pint of red grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

• 1 pint of yellow grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

• 1 large container of small mozzarella balls, sliced in half

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1/2 cup Cherchies Perfect Pesto Recipe

• 1/4 cup olive oil

Preparation

Slice tomatoes and mozarella cheese in half and put into a large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add Cherchies Perfect Pesto and olive oil to bowl.  Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least an hour, to allow flavors to intensify.  Serve cold or at room temperature.  Enjoy!