Dressings
Vinaigrettes
Croutons
Ingredients
1 whole roasting chicken
15 small red potatoes, halved
2 large carrots, sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
½ cup Virginia's Real Caesar Dressing
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Place chicken in a roasting pan. Lift chicken skin gently away from the breast. Rub Virginia's Real Caesar Dressing on meat, under the skin. Place skin back. Sprinkle thyme, salt, and pepper over chicken and potatoes. Lay potatoes and carrots around chicken in roasting pan.
Roast at 375° for 45 minutes or until juice in cavity is clear.
Toss potatoes and carrots in pan juices before serving.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
1 head Romain lettuce, cut, cleaned, and dried
½ bag Virginia's Perfect Croutons
½ cup Virginia's Real Caesar or Lemon Caesar Dressing
Directions
Toss all together for a world class Caesar. Don't be afraid to add chicken, or shrimp as a topper.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
½ head romaine lettuce, cleaned and chopped
2 cups diced chicken or salmon (leftovers are perfect)
½ cup Virginia's Perfect Croutons, crunched up
½ cup Virginia's Real Caesar or Lemon Caesar Dressing
4 wraps (lavash, flour tortilla, or pita)
Directions
Toss all ingredients together and divide evenly on wraps.
Roll and enjoy!
Serves 4.
Ingredients
4 baked russet potatoes (can be done ahead of time)
½ cup Virginia's Very Blue Cheese Dressing
½ cup milk or cream
¼ cup butter
1 chopped scallion, white and green portions
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup shredded Parmesan (for garnish)
Directions
Slice potatoes long way and scoop out filling, leave some filing in the potatoes, so that it does not collapse. Mash filling with ingredients, except Parmesan. Fill potato halves with filling mounded high and garnish with cheese.
Bake at 425° for 10 minutes or until brown and bubbly.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
2 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
¼ cup red onion, diced
½ an avocado, diced
¼ cup cooked bacon, crumbled
1 cup cooked chicken, diced
¾ cup Vinginia's Very Blue Cheese Dressing
4 wraps (lavash, flour tortillas, or pita)
Directions
Toss all ingredients together and divide evenly among wraps.
Roll and enjoy!
Serves 4.
Ingredients
2 cans (13 ounces) artichokes, chopped (can use frozen)
1 box frozen spinach (10 ounces), defrosted and squeezed dry
½ cup Virginia's Very Blue Cheese Dressing
½ cup sour cream
½ cup cream cheese
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions
Combine top 5 ingredients and put into an oven proof serving dish.
Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese and bake at 400° for 10-15 minutes or until bubbly and golden.
Serves 8.
Ingredients
2 medium heads butter lettuce
½ pint sliced fresh strawberries
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup Virginia's Mango Lime Dressing
Poppy seeds
Directions
Wash butter lettuce and dry thoroughly. In a large salad bowl, add all ingredients, except for poppy seeds, toss, and distribute on salad plates.
Sprinkle a pinch or two of poppy seeds on top of each salad before serving.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
3 cups shredded red and green cabbage
1 green apple, peeled and thinly sliced
½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
½ cup Virginia's Mango Lime Dressing
Directions
In a large salad bowl, toss all ingredients together.
Make up to 3 hours in advance.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
2 pork loins, about 2 pounds
1 cup Virginia's Mango Lime Dressing
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Put pork and vinaigrette into a plastic bag removing all air and seal tightly. Marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Remove pork and season with salt and pepper. Sear pork on all sides and bake in a 400° oven for 15-18 minutes.
Slice and serve over rice.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
2 medium heads butter lettuce
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup candied pecans
2 ounces creamy goat cheese, broken into chunks
1/3 cup Virginia's Mango Lime Dressing
Directions
Wash butter lettuce and dry thoroughly. Add all ingredients in a large salad bowl.
Toss and serve.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
2 avocados, cut in half (remove pit)
¾ cup crab meat
¾ cup bay shrimp
¼ cup of either Virginia's Bold Balsamic Vinaigrette, Virginia's Ginger Sesame Dressing, or Virginia's Mango Lime Dressing (a favorite!)
Directions
Toss the shellfish with your choice of vinaigrette or dressing.
Scoop dressed shellfish into avocado halves and serve as an appetizer or as part of a light lunch.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
2 cups chopped lobster or shrimp
1 cup shredded cabbage
3 scallions, chopped
¼ cup cranberries, chopped
½ cup Virginia's Mango Lime Dressing
4 wraps (lavash, flour tortillas, or pita)
Directions
Toss all ingredients together and divide equally onto wraps.
Roll and enjoy!
Serves 4.
Ingredients
1 cup diced chicken (cooked)
¼ cup crumbled bacon
5 ounces spinach leaves
½ avocado, diced
¼ cup slivered red onion
½ cup Virginia's Mango Lime Dressing
Directions
Wash spinach and dry thoroughly. Add all ingredients in a large salad bowl.
Toss and serve.
Serves 2.
Ingredients
16 ounces angel hair pasta or thin mien noodles
½ cup snow peas, strings removed and thinly sliced on a diagonal
3 scallions, thinly sliced
½ cup carrots, sliced into matchsticks
½ red pepper, julienne
½ green pepper, julienne
½ teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
1 cup Virginia's Ginger Sesame Dressing
½ cup cilantro, chopped
Optional Ingredients
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
½ cup cashews
1 cup shredded chicken
Directions
Put all vegetables in a large bowl and toss. Set aside.
Cook noodles for approx 3-4 minutes until just tender. Rinse pasta under cold water and drain for 10 minutes.
Add to bowl with prepared vegetables. Add chicken and Virginia's Ginger Sesame Dressing.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
½ cup shredded red cabbage
¼ cup scallions, sliced
½ cup red pepper, jullienne
¼ cup snap peas, jullienne
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
1 cup shredded chicken
½ cup Virginia's Ginger Sesame Dressing
Optional Ingredients
½ jalapeño pepper, chopped
Directions
Combine all ingredients in bowl and toss with dressing.
Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
Serves 2.
Ingredients
8 cups shredded cabbage and lettuce (any combination of white or red cabbage, and iceberg or romaine lettuce)
1 large red bell pepper, julienne cut
6-8 baby carrots, julienne cut
4 green onions, julienne cut
1 bag of ramen noodles (crunched while in the bag)
2 cups sliced chicken or tofu
½ jar Virginia's Ginger Sesame Dressing
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Optional ingredients
½ cup snap peas
¼ toasted slivered almonds
¼ cup cilantro
½ cup shiitake mushrooms
Directions
Mix all ingredients together, except sesame seeds, then toss with Virginia’s Ginger Sesame Dressing.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Serves 4-6.
Ingredients
1 pound green beans (Blue Lake beans are really great!)
½ cup chopped scallions
½ pint cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1/3 cup Virginia's Ginger Sesame Dressing
Directions
Lightly steam green beans, rinse in cold water, and drain.
In a large bowl, add chopped scallions and cherry tomatoes and toss. Fold in toasted sesame seeds. Drizzle with Virginia's Ginger Sesame Dressing.
Serves 4-6.
Ingredients
1 block firm tofu, cut in ¾ inch squares
½ cup flour
Vegetable Oil (for frying)
½ cup Virginia's Ginger Sesame Dressing
Directions
In a large pan or electric fryer, heat oil to 375°.
Fry, turning with tongs until each side is golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Serve immediately with Virginia's Ginger Sesame Dressing for dipping as an appetizer. You can fry the tofu ahead of time and reheat in a 300° oven for 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
4 salmon filets, 6 ounces each
4 tablespoons Virginia's Ginger Sesame Dressing
Directions
Sprinkle filets with salt and drizzle dressing evenly over each filet. Let stand for 1-4 hours.
Broil filets until brown 2-3 minutes then finish in oven at 400° for 10 minutes.
Ingredients
4 cups finely cut red & white cabbage
1/3 cup scallions, sliced
½ cup red bell pepper, julienne sliced
1/3 cup toasted almond slivers
1/3 cup hearts of palm
½ cup Virginia's Ginger Sesame Dressing
Sliced shiitake mushrooms (to garnish)
Optional ingredients
Snow peas
Water chestnuts, julienned
Tofu-diced
Chicken-diced
Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a large salad bowl. Toss with Virginia’s Ginger Sesame Dressing.
Garnish with sliced shiitake mushrooms.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
2 cups white or brown rice, cooked
2 cups chopped vegetables (bell peppers, broccoli, scallions, or green beans)
¼ cup Virginia's Ginger Sesame Dressing
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions
In a hot skillet, sauté vegetables for about 3 minutes. Add rice and cook an additional 3 minutes. Add Virginia's Ginger Sesame Dressing and stir to coat rice and vegetable mixture.
Serve as a side dish to chicken, beef, or fish.
Serves 3-4.
Ingredients
6 large sea scallops
2 baby leeks (sliced longways, drizzled with olive oil and salt, broiled, or grilled)
4 tablespoons Virginia’s Bold Balsamic Vinaigrette
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Wild rice salad
Directions
Season scallops with salt. Put 1 tablespoon olive oil in a non-stick pan and heat. Sear scallops 2-3 minutes on each side until they’re golden brown. Chill. (This can be done up to one day ahead.)
Pour or swipe 2 tablespoons Virginia’s Bold Balsamic Vinaigrette onto each plate and place 3 scallops in the center of each plate, on top of the dressing. Place a scoop of the wild rice salad on one side of the scallops and lay the roasted leeks on the other.
— Wild Rice Salad —
Ingredients
2 cups cooked wild rice
½ cup pomegranate seeds
1 scallion, diced
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup toasted nuts, chopped (almonds, pecans, or walnuts)
1/3 cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Mix and serve.
Serves 2.
Ingredients
2-3 bundles of fresh spinach, washed & dried
2 hard-boiled eggs, diced
½ cup thinly sliced red onion
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
½ sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup bacon, crumbled
½ cup Virginia's Bold Balsamic Vinaigrette
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a large salad bowl. Toss until all ingredients are fully dressed.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
½ cup Virginia's Bold Balsamic Vinaigrette
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 whole chicken (4-pound), cut into pieces (giblets, neck, and backbone reserved for another use)
½ cup low-salt chicken broth
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions
Combine the vinaigrette and chicken pieces in a large resealable plastic bag; seal the bag and toss to coat. Refrigerate, turning the chicken pieces occasionally, for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Remove chicken from the bag and arrange the chicken pieces on a large greased baking dish. Roast until the chicken is just cooked through, about 1 hour. If your chicken browns too quickly, cover it with foil for the remaining cooking time.
Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Place the baking dish on a burner over medium-low heat. Whisk the chicken broth into the pan drippings, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the baking sheet with a wooden spoon and mixing them into the broth and pan drippings.
Drizzle the pan drippings over the chicken. Sprinkle the lemon zest and parsley over the chicken, and serve.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
10 cups mixed greens
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
3 ounce creamy goat cheese, broken into chunks
1 bag Virginia's Perfect Croutons
1/3 cup candied pecans
1/3 cup Virginia's Bold Balsamic Vinaigrette
Directions
In a large salad bowl, add all ingredients, toss, and serve.
Serves 4-6.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound button mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ tsp salt
1 pinch chili flakes
½ cup Virginia's Bold Balsamic Vinaigrette
Directions
Sauté garlic and chili flakes in oil for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté 5-8 more minutes. Add salt. Let cool.
Toss with Virginia's Bold Balsamic Vinaigrette. Chill for up to 3 days.
Serve as an appetizer.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
5 large beets
1/3 cup Virginia's Bold Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 teaspoon Sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
Directions
Put beets in roasting pan with 1” water. Cover with foil and bake at 375° for 1 hour or until tender.
Let cool. Peel and dice. Toss with dressing, sugar, salt, and mint.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
1 ½ pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
½ cup Virginia's Bold Balsamic Vinaigrette
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Optional Ingredients
4 ounces pancetta-diced
Directions
Toss all ingredients together.
Roast on a rimmed cookie sheet in 400° oven for 25-30 minutes or until brown.
Ingredients
1 basket cherry tomatoes, halved
½ English cucumber, diced
5 ounce feta cheese, cut into squares
¾ cup kalamata olives, pitted
½ cup Virginia's Red Wine Vinaigrette
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss until all is coated with Virginia’s Red Wine Vinaigrette. Snip dill on top to taste.
You may serve immediately or chill up to five hours. Serve with warm pita bread brushed with olive oil.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
2 cups iceberg lettuce, chopped
½ cup salame, diced
½ cup garbanzo beans
½ cup Provolone cheese, diced
5 pepperoncini, chopped
¼ cup frozen peas
¼ cup red onion, diced
½ cup Virginia's Red Wine Vinaigrette
4 wraps (lavash, flour tortillas, or pita)
Directions
Toss all ingredients together and divide equally between wraps.
Roll and enjoy! Can also be enjoyed as a salad.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
2 fresh cracked crab
½ cup Virginia's Red Wine Vinaigrette
Directions
Marinate crab (shell and all) for 1-2 hours before serving. This will make a delicious dipping sauce at the bottom of the bowl.
Serve with crusty french bread and a green salad.
Serves 2.
Ingredients
1 large or 2 small heads of butter lettuce, cleaned and dried
1 large avocado, sliced
4 scallions, chopped
4 cups fresh crab meat
Virginia's Champagne Vinaigrette
Directions
Divide lettuce leaves between 4 plates keeping them whole. Put a nice size scoop of fresh crab in the middle.
Garnish plate with avocado slices and scallions. Drizzle on Virginia’s Champagne Vinaigrette. Serve with a crusty loaf of bread.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
2 cups quinoa, cooked in 4 cups water (follow directions on pkg), then cooled
1 firm pear cut in small dice
½ cup pomegranate seeds
½ cup crumbled feta
½ cup toasted pecans, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
½ cup Virginia's Champagne Vinaigrette
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
Directions
Toss all together.
Serves 6-8.
Ingredients
1 head butter lettuce, cleaned and dried
1 green apple, thinly sliced
¼ cup red onion-thinly sliced
½ cup toasted walnuts
½ cup feta cheese, chopped
½ cup Virginia's Champagne Vinaigrette
Directions
Toss all ingredients and enjoy.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
4 bunches watercress, cleaned and dried
1 large avocado, diced
3 scallions, chopped
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup Virginia's Champagne Vinaigrette
Directions
Wash watercress and spin dry.
Combine ingredients in large salad bowl. Toss until all ingredients are fully dressed. Also add mixed greens for a fuller salad.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
Two 5 ounce pieces of salmon (filet or steak)
Juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tomato, diced
½ cup Virginia's Perfect Croutons, crushed
Optional Ingredients
1–4 tablespoons capers
Directions
Rub an 8 x 8 oven safe baking dish with olive oil. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Lay salmon in baking dish. Squeeze lemon juice over salmon and sprinkle with parsley, tomatoes, and capers. Top with crushed Virginia's Perfect Croutons and parsley.
Bake at 425° for 20–25 minutes until golden brown. Also great with halibut, snapper, or sole.
Serves 2.
Ingredients
10 yellow onions, sliced
¼ cup olive oil
2 bay leaves
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 quarts beef broth (or vegetable broth)
If broth is unseasoned, add:
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
5 ounces of Virginia's Parmesan Croutons
¾ cup grated Gruyère cheese
Directions
Sauté sliced onions in olive oil until caramelized (a nice dark, rich brown). Add chopped garlic and continue to sauté for 5 more minutes. Pour in broth, bay leaves, and thyme. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Divide Virginia's Perfect Croutons into 4 oven-safe soup bowls. (It's okay to save some to serve on the side too!) Ladle in soup, sprinkle with grated Gruyère cheese.
Place bowls under a broiler for 1-2 minutes until cheese melts. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.