Classic WALDORF SALAD and another Turkey Leftover Idea

When I started pondering this post, an old TV ad went through my head... CERTS, is it a breath mint, is it a candy mint... It's two, two, two mints in one!



Well, this post is a classic Salad Recipe AND a Turkey Leftover Recipe... It's two, two two posts in one!

According to the American Century Cookbook, the first Waldorf Salad was created in New York City in 1893, by Oscar Tschirky, the maître d'hôtel of the Waldorf Astoria. The original recipe consisted only of diced red-skinned apples, celery, and mayonnaise. Chopped walnuts were added later to this now American classic. I added nuts and red grapes...

First, as always, assemble your ingredients, or, Mise en place if you please...



1/2 cup toasted, chopped WALNUTS
1/2 cup thinly sliced CELERY
1/2 cup sliced red seedless GRAPES
1 cored and chopped SWEET APPLE
3 TBSP Mayonnaise (don't you judge me, but I substituted LIGHT MIRACLE WHIP)
1 TBSP Fresh Squeezed LEMON JUICE

And mix!


I want to thank EASYSALADRECIPES.COM where I found this recipe, altered it a bit (light Miracle Whip), and stole their photograph. I really hated doing that, as I am a bit of a stickler for copyright issues. I have dropped the good folks at http://www.easysaladrecipes.com/ and explained my situation, and hopefully they are generous enough to not mind. The reason I had to steal their photo was that I made this for the night of the TURDUCKEN party (sounds like a foodie horror movie). I was making 9 dishes that day, and I simply forgot to take an original photograph of this salad. Mine looked pretty much like the shot above, but had red grapes instead of green.

And the verdict... We spend a lot of time trying to make recipes our own, substituting ingredients and adding new items to make recipes our own... This is a classic, and there is a reason... Perfect in every way. Low in calorie, yet very satisfying. Easy to make, filled with fresh fruits. Healthy and tasty. Again, the Turducken was served to my guests just a few days before they would all celebrate their own Thanksgiving. I wanted to serve something similar, yet different from what they had planned to serve for their guests. This was perfect for that. I loved the taste of this. I ate it several days as a light lunch leftover, and it was wonderful each day. Just cause it is a classic, does not mean we can't forgo our need to alter and improve once in awhile. This needs no altering, nor improving!

And now, as promised... A second recipe perfect for that bit of leftover Turkey...

Just add a bit of the leftover turkey on the top of a bit of the leftover Waldorf Salad

Changes a light snack to a meal! Or, for your Turkey leftovers... If you make this salad, and have some leftover turkey, it's two, two, two meals in one!