Cucumber Salad

This is an easy salad that tastes good with any kind of spicy/heavy food like Indian curries or bean dishes. I don't really use a specific recipe, but this makes a decent amount for 3-4 people and is easy to double:

1 cucumber, coarsely chopped
fresh cilantro or parsely, chopped
yogurt or sour cream (whole milk yogurt is best if you happen to have some on hand)
salt and pepper
fresh or dried dill

Mix everything together in a dish; use enough yogurt to make it nice and moist. I make my own yogurt so I usually have some on hand. It also tastes good if you add some chopped tomato, and you can add some onion if you want more flavor.

Middle Eastern Rice & Lentils, Greek Salad

Middle Eastern Rice and Lentils

1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 tbls. olive oil
1 cup brown rice (has to be brown)
1 tbls. tomato paste
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup lentils
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup slivered almonds or pine nuts, toasted

In a large saucepan, sautee the onion in the oil until it is soft (medium heat). Add the rice and cook and stir for a few minutes until it is toasted. Add the water, tomato paste, cinnamon, and lentils. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir the salt, raisins, and nuts into the rice. It should still be a little watery, add 1/4 cup water if it's dry. Place in a greased 9x13 pan, cover with foil, and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes.

Trust me, this is a very tasty recipe. I've served it for several different friends and they have all raved. It's kind of sweet, chewy, and crunchy all at the same time. It goes really well with a hearty salad. I like to serve it with this one:

Greek Salad
1/2 head romaine or green leaf lettuce
2-3 tomatoes, quartered
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
1/4 red onion thinly sliced
6 oz. feta cheese, broken in chunks
Black Kalamata olives (the recipe specifies 16, but I just buy a bunch and throw them in because I like them. You want the really strong olives here)

2 tbls. red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Tear the lettuce into bite size pieces and mix together with everything else (you don't have to be super exact, and I personally like to use more lettuce, tomato, and cucumber, because it makes a lot of dressing and I don't like my salad to be too "slimy"). Whisk together the vinegar, garlic, and seasonings, then slowly pour the olive oil in while whisking to combine. Immediately add the dressing to the salad and mix well.

mexican salad

this salad goes great with quesadillas or tacos or beans and rice, but it does not keep well so hopefully it gets eaten up!

Combine in a Bowl:
juice from 2 lemons
1 T olive oil
pepper & salt to taste (1/2t - 1t)

Add & Mix:
1 large or 2 small finely chopped onions
(i like to let this marinate while i do the rest)

Slice Romaine lettuce (or anything else you prefer) in about 1/2 inch thick slices.
Chop Cilantro (i really really like cilantro so i almost use the whole little bushel).
Add to bowl and mix with dressing,
Top with thinly slice tomatoes.

--Robin

Chicken Wonton Salad

I promise this is a good one! And yes, I have a comment after almost all the ingredients. This recipe makes a lot. I usually cut it in half.

3 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (I sometimes marinate chicken in a easy sauce if I think about it. Let me know if you want that recipe.)
1/2 pkg. wonton wrappers, cut into 1/2-inch strips (freeze other half of pkg.)
1 head of lettuce (you choose - I use romaine or combine different lettuces)
1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 (4 oz.) pkg. slivered almonds, toasted (I actually like to use caramelized pecans)
1 (8 oz.) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
5 green onions, chopped
(I sometimes add other things that sound good like sesame seeds, avocado, etc.)

Fry wonton strips in oil until crisp; cool on paper towel. In a large bowl, toss chicken with lettuce, oranges, chestnuts, and onions. Add wonton strips and nuts on top before serving.

Dressing:
4 T. sugar
1 t. salt
4 T. white wine vinegar
1/3 c. veg oil

Mix everthing together (I use a mason jar) and refrigerate until ready to drizzle over salad and serve.

Hope you enjoy!

Krista

Cabbage Crunch Salad

1/2 c vegetable oil
1/4 c sugar
3 T vinegar
1/2 t salt
Flavor packet from ramen noodles
1/2 head of cabbage, shredded
4 green onions, chopped
2 T sesame seeds, toasted
1 package ramen noodles, broken and uncooked
1/2 c sliced almonds, toasted
Red seedless grapes, as desired

In a blender, combine oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, and flavoring packet. Pour over cabbage. Add green onions and sesame seeds. Toss together. Just before serving, add ramen noodles, almonds, and grapes. Serves 6.

Lisa G

Four-Bean Salad

1 can garbanzo beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can golden wax beans
1 can cut green beans
1/2 c chopped white or green onion
1/2 c chopped red or green pepper
1/2 c white or red wine vinegar
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 t mustard
1/4 t oregano (optional)

Drain all beans and place ina bowl with onion and peppers. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over bean mixture. Cover and marinate for several hours or overnight.

This has become one of my signature dishes. I love it so much that I have often wondered if I could eat the whole thing by myself. By the way... it makes 12 servings.

Lisa G

Italian pasta salad

Hi everyone,
This is a salad that we always make in the spring and summer. It is easy to make and taste great.

1 16oz pkg colored pasta, cooked and cooled
1 can olive, sliced
1 bunch broccoli, florets cut small
1/2 -1 cup diced cheese, mozzarella, colby, cheddar or any other you like
1 green or red pepper diced
3 medium tomatoes diced
Italian salad dressing, you can use reg, light, or fat free; to taste

combine all ingredient and add salad dressing to taste. Let chill or serve immediately. You might want to add more dressing once the salad has had a chance to soak up a bit of the dressing.

Enjoy!!
Kim C.

Pasta Salad

1 box tri-color rotini pasta
1 bottle your favorite italian dressing (I love Kraft creamy italian)
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
1 c. cubed cheddar cheese
1 cucumber, chopped
1 can sliced olives

Cook pasta according to box, drain, and rinse with cold water. (If I'm serving it right away, I throw a handful of ice cubes in the strainer to cool it down fast, otherwise just mix it all up and put it in the fridge until you're ready.) Add all the chopped stuff and olives, then squirt dressing on until it looks good, maybe 2/3 to 3/4 bottle. My friend puts sliced pepperoni (pizza topping) in and I like it, but I usually don't and it's good without. Serve cold, it's one of Justin's favorite things to eat in the summer. Warning, don't overcook the pasta because it absorbs dressing and gets softer over time.

Katie Lisonbee

Craisin Salad

Okay, I've never posted a comment to a blog, so I hope this shows up. I feel like my mom trying to use Microsoft Word--she seriously doesn't get it. Anyway, here's my FAV-O-RITE salad recipe, probably because it has an ample amount of sugar. This recipe makes a ton (like 15 servings), so cut it down as necessary.

Dressing:
1/2 C. sugar
1 C. oil (I always use less)
6 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1/2 C. chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. poppy seed (optional)

Toss together salad:
Iceberg lettuce
Spinach
Romaine
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 C. slivered almonds
1 C. Craisins

Toss dressing over salad just before serving.

Julia

Tuna and White Bean Salad

I thought this sounded gross, but I love it. It's a Rachael Ray recipe.

1 can, 15 ounces, white beans
1 can, 6 ounces, tuna in water, drained well and flaked
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 cups arugula, finely chopped
the juice of 1 lemon (I usually add more)
1 Tbl extra virgin olive oil-for liberal drizzling
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Drain beans well. Place half the beans into a bowl. Mash remaining beans up with a fork. Combine mashed and whole beans with tuna, onion, rosemary and arugula. Dress the salad with lemon juice, EVOO, salt and pepper. Serve with crackers/chips.

Southwestern Black Bean and Corn Salad

3 15-oz cans black beans, drained
2 11-0z cans corn niblets, drained
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup green onions, chopped

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt

Mix the dressing with a whisk in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight or 6-8 hrs.

We make this salad a lot during the summer, especially when we grill chicken or burgers. Or for a nice, light summer dinner, just have it with tortilla chips and salsa. Yummy! :-)

Barbara

Greek Salad

7 ounces spinach, torn into bite-size pieces
1 head lettuce, torn
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
4 green onions, sliced
24 pitted ripe olives
3 tomatoes, cut in wedges
1 cucumber, sliced

LEMON DRESSING:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 T lemon juice
1/2 t sugar
1 1/2 t Dijon mustard
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper
--- shake ingredients in a tightly covered (or not, depending on how much clean-up you want to do) container and pour over salad

This salad is great served with your favorite bread for a light dinner - OR - if you must, with some grilled chicken. It is so tasty! You must try it. :)

- Lisa G

Creamy Poppyseed and BBQ Ranch Salad

Here are my top picks.

CREAMY POPPYSEED SALAD (i know the name sucks, but it doesn't really have one)

lettuce

apples

craisins

monterey jack cheese shredded (i have also used feta and it is super good)

walnuts (i always use candied ones, because i make twice as much as i need and so we can just snack on them )

DRESSING:

that's all it is. KRAFT creamy poppyseed, it fits perfectly with all of the ingredients. i make it for baby showers or when my sisters visit because everyone digs it so much.

okay, this is one of my favorites. it is kind of a knock-off from the nordstrom cafe and the cheesecake factory.

BBQ RANCH SALAD

lettuce

can black beans (drained and rinsed)

can corn (drained)

avocado

mushrooms

tomatoes

DRESSING:

equal parts bbq sauce and ranch dressing mixed together

top with french fried onions

this salad is SO good, and super hearty. the nice thing about it is that you don't have to use all of the vegetables, just mix and match what you and your family likes. we also use it as a filling for tortillas (like a wrap) for a fun picnic dinner. oh yeah, you can also add chicken breast, that's how it is originally served.

does anyone have a good coleslaw recipe? also, i am always looking for different pasta, fruit or potato salads, if anyone has one they love.

- catherine

Raspberry Dream Salad

This is more of a dessert, but because it has salad in the title, I'll go with it.

2 c. pretzels finely crushed
3/4 c. butter melted
1/2 c. sugar
8 oz cream cheese softened
1/3 c. sugar
8oz Cool Whip
1 6 oz package of raspberry jello
2 c. boiling water
2 10oz packages of frozen raspberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease A 9x13 in. pan. Mix pretzels, butter, and sugar, press in 9x13 pan. Bake 6 min. Cool. Combine cream cheese and sugar. Mix until well blended. Fold in Cool whip. Spread over cooled crust and chill in refrigerator. Dissolve jello in water; add frozen raspberries. Stir gently until fruit separates and jello thickens. Pour over creem cheese layer. Chill until firm.

~Jessica Stoner

Strawberry Spinach Salad

1 bag of spinach
1 lb of strawberries

Dressing:
1/4 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 egg yolk
6 Tbsp. salad oil

Tear spinach into pieces. Slice fresh strawberries, toss together with dressing.
Dressing: Whisk sugar and lemon juice until partially dissolved. Add egg, whisk until completely dissolved. Add oil 1 Tbsp at a time and whisk until thick.

~Jessica Stoner