It's that time again - What are your favorite salads? Here are some of mine:

M

meryl

Well-known member
The last two listed are posted in T&T. Will post any of the others if someone's interested.

Pacific-Rim Caesar Salad (Bon Appetit)

Curried Couscous Salad With Dried Cranberries (Cooking Light)

Thai-Style Pasta Salad (Vegetarian Times)

Salade de Concombres et Chevre (Cucumber and Goat Cheese Salad) (Pierre Franey)

Carrot, Orange and Radish Salad

Carrot Rapee ("Great Good Food" - Julee Rosso) (in T&T)

Citrus Green Bean Salad (in T&T)

 
Meryl, could you post the recipe for the Curried Couscous Salad With Dried Cranberries? Thanks!

 
REC: Garden Spaghetti Salad

Garden Spaghetti Salad
This was published in Taste of Home Magazine

8 oz. spaghetti, broken into 2" pieces
1 Tbl. olive or vegetable oil
2 cps. cooked fresh or frozen, defrosted corn kernels
2 cps. fresh or frozen lima beans
2 med. tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
3/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
6 bacon strips, cooked, crumbled

Dressing:
1/3 cup. olive or vegetable. oil
3 Tbl. cider or red wine vinegar
2 tbl. lemon juice
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
dash pepper

Cook spaghetti according to package directions; rinse in cold water and drain. Place in large bowl; toss with oil. Add next five ingredients; stir in 3/4 of the bacon.
In small bowl, whisk dressing ingredients. Pour over spaghetti mixture and toss gently. Garnish with rest of bacon. Serve immediately or chill.
10-12 servings.

 
REC: Broccoli Salad

Broccoli Salad

2 large heads broccoli (florets only - no stems)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped green onion (green part only)
4 (or more) strips of bacon cooked crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds, or toasted nuts of your choice
1/4 cup dried cranberries, optional

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayo
2 Tbl. sugar
1 Tbl. lemon juice

Mix together dressing ingredients and set aside. Toss together the broccoli pieces, raisins and green onion. Just before serving, toss in the bacon, seeds and dressing and stir well. Can be made a couple days ahead, and tossed day you serve it.

 
REC: Broccoli Cole Slaw

Broccoli Cole Slaw
Recipe courtesy Linda Fuller and Christine Lakhani

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

2 bags (3-oz each) Ramen Noodle Soup in Oriental flavor
3 tbl. butter
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2 bags (12-oz each) bags broccoli cole slaw
(in the bagged salad section of the grocery store)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
Chopped green onions, for garnish

Dressing Mix:
3/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup brown or white sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 ramen noodle seasoning packet

Put the ramen noodles in a bag and bang them with the bottom of a pan until 1/4" to 1/2" pieces. Melt butter in a large skillet over low/medium heat. Add the crushed noodles and slivered almonds to the skillet and saute, stirring occasionally (keep temperature at low/medium heat). Meanwhile, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Place the shredded broccoli into bowl and toss with the noodles, almonds, and sunflower seeds. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Garnish with chopped green onions.

 
REC: Curried Chicken and Pasta Salad

Curried Chicken and Pasta Salad
This recipe is from Somerset Caters in Los Angeles and I have revised it a little.

Makes 6 large servings

One roasted chicken (2-3/4 lb.) - buy or make yourself
1 lb. large pasta shells
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup chopped green onions (green part)
1/3 cup mango chutney (Trader Joes)
2 tsp. curry powder
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. ground tumeric
3 Tbl. orange juice

1. Remove chicken meat from bones, removing skin, and cutting meat into 1-1/2” chunks.
2. In pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to directions (al dente). Drain and chill.
3. In large bowl, toss raisins, almonds, celery and green onions with chicken and pasta.
4. In small bowl, combine chutney, curry powder, mayonnaise, tumeric, and orange juice. Add this dressing to the chicken & pasta bowl, and toss to coat.
5. Taste and add salt if needed.

 
REC: Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

"A cool strawberry gelatin salad with a cream cheese middle and pretzel crust."
Yield: 10 servings
Ready in 1 Hr 45 Min

3/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
1 (6 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin
2 cups boiling water
3 cups strawberries, chilled
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cream butter or margarine with the brown sugar. Mix in the pretzels and pat mixture into the bottom
3. In a medium bowl, dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water and stir in the strawberries. Chill until partially thickened.
4. In a small bowl beat the cream cheese and white sugar together until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream. Spread mixture over the top of the cooled crust, making sure to seal the edges. Chill then pour the gelatin mixture over he cream cheese layer. Chill until firm.

 
REC: Maple Pecan, Orange ‘n Green Salad with Pecan Garlic Dressing

I think this was originally posted at the old Gail's...

Maple Pecan, Orange ‘n Green Salad with Pecan Garlic Dressing
This won first prize at the 5th Annual Garlic Festival in 1996

1/2 head romaine, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch spinach, washed, stems removed, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup pecan halves
2 tbl. maple syrup
1/2 cup sliced red onion

In non-stick frying pan, combine pecans and maple syrup. Cook slowly, stirring, until pecans are coated with syrup and are caramelized (this will happen very fast and you will know they are done as soon as the liquid disappears from the pan and sticks to the pecans). Remove from pan and cool on plate.
Place greens in large bowl. Add oranges, mapled pecans and onion slices. Cover and refrigerate. Toss with dressing just before serving.

Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar
8 pecan halves
2 tbl. brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Place all in blender or food processor and process until well blended. Use as much as needed for salad.
Note: Do not add the mapled pecans or dressing until ready to serve.

 
REC: BLT Potato Salad

BLT Potato Salad
8 servings

8 potatoes (about 3 lbs.)
6 strips bacon

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup water
2 tbl. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/4 cup minced sweet gherkins (sweet pickles)
1 medium head of romaine lettuce, cut crosswise into 1/2” wide strips
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1. Peel potatoes and cut into 1” pieces. Put in saucepan with cold water to cover potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to simmer for 12 minutes, or until firm-tender. Drain and let cool slightly.
2. Cook bacon until crisp, cool, then break into 1/2” pieces.
3. Whisk dressing ingredients in a large bowl until blended. Add the warm potatoes, celery, onion, and sweet pickles and mix gently. Let cool (cover and refrigerate at this point if making it ahead of time).
4. To serve: Line large platter with romaine and top with potato salad. Sprinkle with the bacon and tomatoes.

 
REC: Shrimp Caesar Salad in Tortilla Bowls

Shrimp Caesar Salad in Tortilla Bowls

Serves 4

4 burrito-size flour tortillas (about 10” diameter)
DRESSING:
6 tbl. olive oil
1-1/2 tbl. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. anchovy paste
1-1/2 tbl. creamy mustard spread
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. each salt & pepper

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 oz. romaine lettuce (8 cups), coarsely shredded
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 small yellow or red bell pepper, quartered, cored and cut crosswise in narrow strips
3 tbl. grated parmesan cheese

1. Heat oven to 350 deg. Put two 1-quart ovenproof bowls upside down on a flat baking pan. Coat outside of bowls with cooking spray or grease. Center a tortilla over each.
2. Bake 14-16 minutes until tortillas are lightly browned and crisp. Remove from bowls to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
3. Meanwhile, whisk Dressing ingredients in a large bowl until blended. Remove 2 tbl. to a small bowl, add shrimp, and toss to coat.
4. Heat a large non-stick skillet over med-hi heat, add a few drops of oil, add shrimp and stir 2-3 minutes until done. Let cool slightly.
5. To Assemble: Add shrimp, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and cheese to dressing in large bowl. Toss to mix and coat. Spoon into tortilla bowls.
NOTE: this makes an ample amount of dressing... you might want to remove some of it until you’ve tossed the salad, and see if it needs any more.

 
REC: BLT Chicken and Pasta Salad

BLT Chicken and Pasta Salad
Woman’s Day Magazine, 4/6/93
4 servings

Dressing - mix into a large salad bowl:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup water
2 tbl. bottled bbq sauce or chili sauce
1-1/2 tsp. white vinegar
1-1/2 tsp. chives or green onions, chopped fine
1/4 tsp. each garlic powder and black pepper

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
8 oz (3 cups) pasta twists or rotini
6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
3 cups romaine or iceberg lettuce torn into bite-sized pieces
1 large tomato, seeded and coarsely chopped (about 1-1/4 cups)

Put chicken in pot and add just enough water to cover. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 8-10 minutes. Remove to cutting board to cool. Add enough water to the poaching liquid to make about 4 quarts. Bring to a boil and add pasta. Cook 9 min., or until firm-tender. Drain well. Add hot pasta to the salad bowl with dressing and toss to coat. Cut or shred chicken into bite-size pieces and add to bowl along with the bacon, lettuce and tomato. Toss gently to mix.

 
Here ya go, cheezz. It's excellent!

CURRIED COUSCOUS SALAD WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES

INGREDIENTS:

Salad:
1 1/2 cups uncooked couscous (10 oz box) (I use whole wheat couscous)
1 cup dried cranberries (4 oz)
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed (I use about 1 1/2 cups)
2/3 tsp curry powder (or to taste) (I use a little more than 1 tsp)
2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions/scallions (around 2)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
15 1/2 oz can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained (I use a little less, about 3/4 can)
Salt and black pepper, to taste
(Sometimes I add a few small shakes of cinnamon)

Dressing:
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 1/2 lemons)
1 Tbsp grated orange peel (about 1 - 1 1/2 oranges)
2 Tbsp water
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil (I use extra virgin)
1 Tbsp thawed frozen orange juice concentrate (I use a little more frozen orange juice concentrate, to taste, OR I use some fresh orange juice, to taste, in addition to the concentrate)
1/3 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 medium - medium/large garlic cloves, crushed

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine couscous, cranberries, green peas, and curry powder in large bowl.
2. Pour 2 cups boiling water over couscous mixture.
3. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
4. Stir in green onions, basil, and chickpeas.

DRESSING:
1. Combine lemon juice and remaining ingredients in jar, cover tightly and shake vigorously.
2. Strain out garlic pieces.
3. Pour over couscous and mix thoroughly. Mix in salt and black pepper to taste.
4. Cover and chill at least 1 hour or until cold. It's important to leave it in the refrigerator at least one hour, so the flavors can blend. (I usually chill it about 4 - 5 hours).
5. Serve cold.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Adapted from Cooking Light

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=226616

 
Proscuitto and Melon Salmon Salad

6 6-8 oz pieces of salmon filet, tossed with 2 T olive oil, kosher salt and cracked pepper
6 slices proscuitto
1 minced shallot
zest of one lemon
1/4 c ricotta cheese
2 T chopped chives
2T chopped basil
1/4 c shredded parmesan

6 large handfuls of baby greens and 2 T evoo

In 2 T olive oil, sear or grill both sides of salmon. Set aside. In a bowl mix the cheeses, herbs, lemon zest and shallots. Divide mixture evenly over the 6 pieces of salmon and wrap each piece with proscuitto. Bake in 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Toss baby greens with 2T evoo and salt and pepper to taste. Mound the plates with greens and place salmon on top. Serve with salsa on top and side.

Melon salsa
1 c diced canteloupe or mango
1 diced honeydew
1/2 c diced tomatoe, peeled and seeded
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 T each basil and chives
1 T olive oil
1-2 T minced red onion
1 T honey or to taste
Kosher salt and cracked pepper

Toss together and adjust seasonings.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top