The final recipe for our preimere shot at “Cook Once – Eat All Week” is inspired by non other than Costco!  I don’t know if you’ve tried Costco’s Sonoma Chicken Salad or not. Honestly, it would be hard not to if you’ve been there during their prime “sample time”. But if you have, you already know how deliciously fabulous it is! They shred and chop up their own rotisserie chickens and package this tangy-sweet delight. With this recipe, you can make your own for much less. I know, I’m saying out load that there is actually an item at Costco where I can beat their price! Crazy Talk!

My friend and neighbor, Rainey, served Costco’s salad as a spread for crackers the other night and that is what inspired me to “copy” it.  Enjoy it that way (addicting) or as a main coarse. Either way, it couldn’t be easier!

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I feel like a fraud, an imposter, a poser. Only a couple days ago I came to learn that I had not posted one of my favorite foods on this site in more than 325 posts. Then when I finally do get a recipe up for cheesecake, I have to learn from a dear friend, neighbor, and faithful follower that today is National Cheesecake Day. How do I not know this already!? Out of all the foods that have a “National Day”, and there are about 475 foods that do, National Cheesecake Day is the one that I would actually honor. For a full list, go to this LINK to check out what do your favorite food is honored. (Disclaimer- I have no idea if this is THE official list, but it is what Google found for me) Or find out what food is honored on your special day. I just discovered that my birthday is National Potato Day – love it! Now I’m thinking that when I am not inspired to make something, I’ll just go to this list and make whatever food is “National” that day.  Good idea, or bad? I guess it depends if that day falls on January 8 (good!) or November 24 (bad!).

The recipe here can be configured any way that best suits your needs. I love to make individual cheesecakes and use them for a salad course. You an purchase the pan HERE to make these little cuties ourself. As is, the recipe makes 24 individual cheesecakes to use as a first course or salad, plus a 6-inch appetizer cheesecake to be served with toasted baguette slices or crackers. Or it will make one full-size 9-inch savory cheesecake. It can also be cut in half to make just one 6-inch cheesecake.

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Bulgur is one of the unsung heroes of the grain world. A staple of the traditional Mediterranean diet for thousands of years, bulgur wheat has recently become popular in modern health food and vegetarian diets. Rich in “B” vitamins, iron, phosphorous and manganese.

Bulgur is wheat in its whole form, which has been parboiled for quick cooking. Bulgur is sometimes confused with cracked wheat, which is crushed wheat grain that has not been parboiled. It comes in three types, coarse grind which has a consistency that is similar to that of rice and can be used in place of rice in any recipe. Medium grind is most commonly used for cereal and fillings, and fine grind which is usually used for tabbouleh and other salads – such as the one below.

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Green beans are not only delicious when served hot but also great served cold or room temperature. This Asian inspired salad is a perfect example of just that. Trader Joe’s sells a Garlic-Basil flavored linguine that puts this vegetarian salad/side dish over the top.

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I confess, sometimes I’m a cheapskate to a fault. A perfect example of this character flaw? Mandarin oranges. Here’s how it went down; I needed an 11-ounce can of mandarin oranges back in April for a sorbet I was creating for this very blog. At the same time, I was shopping for a cooking class, which meant that I’d be going to my usual three stores to get everything needed for the class. The three stores are Safeway Grocery, Trader Joe’s, and Costco. I loaded the cooler in the car and headed out. At stop number one, Safeway, I noticed the price for a can of mandarin oranges was $1.99.  That seemed a bit high to me, so I passed them by, thinking maybe I’d find them at Trader Joe’s for a better price.  Stop number two, Trader Joe’s – no mandarin oranges. Oh well, I’d double back by Safeway after the final stop at Costco and pick up a can. Good plan… until… I spotted a case (12 cans) of mandarin oranges at Costco for….. wait for it….. $5.99! In miser terms, that is 50 cents a can! Now I had a serious dilemma on my hands. Should I pay 4-times the price for a single can of mandarin oranges at Safeway or be stuck with 11 extra cans if purchased at Costco? Let me tell you how long I pondered that question… less than 2 seconds. I loaded up the case into the cart with all the other mega-size items and figured that after I used just 3 of the cans from the case, the rest would be FREE (at least they would be free if they would have been purchased at the Safeway $1.99 price!) And FREE is my second favorite 4-letter word, next to LOVE. How sweet is that?

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A little more than a month ago I told you about the boatload of oregano I dried… well now I’m using it up! This makes me happy for so many reasons. Happy to not have to go to the grocery store and pay outrageous prices for dried herbs. Happy with the taste and quality my oregano straight from my own little garden. And happy to just recently learn that the name oregano is derived from the Greek, meaning “mountain of joy”.  There you go, no wonder I’m happy and joyful about my fantastic oregano bounty. Oregano is an indispensable ingredient in Greek cuisine so here we have a salad were the joyful herb is a star and lights up the dish.

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There really is nothing more refreshing in the heat of the summer than tropical fruit. A couple days ago it was mango, today pineapple. The directions for cutting, peeling, and coring a fresh pineapple are at the bottom. But first you shall find a recipe for a wonderful and seasonally bright salad. To make it more of a main course salad, just add grilled chicken or pork.

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One of my dad’s favorite salads is a 3-bean or 5-bean or… if possible, a dozen-bean salad. Personally, I find many of the multiple-bean salads out there to be bland. So I created this Three Bean and Corn Salad for my dad. Needless to say, he loves it. Of course, it’s hard for me to make anything that my dad doesn’t like. Whenever he’s finished his meal, here is what he says, “Honey, you done good!” I have to confess, just typing that now, made me smile. I love you, Dad!

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A week from today, on Monday the 28th, I’ll be on Channel 12 NBC Valley Dish with Tram Mai, making this pasta for a 4th of July menu. Let me just tell you, it’s the smoked Gouda that makes this salad! Do not leave it out or substitute another cheese. Just wish I could have thought of something blue to add to make it a true “red, white, and blue” independence salad. Let me know if you think of something (I will let you know that blueberries don’t cut it!). Until then, I suppose you can just serve it on a blue plate.

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