Salads – Family Recipes

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Sweet & Savory Balsamic Salad Dressing

1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons water, divided
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon honey

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and 3 tablespoons of the water. Heat over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil and turns to a light golden color. Immediately remove from the heat and add the vinegar (stand back – it might spatter!!)

Whisk well. Add the mustard and garlic.

Add the olive oil to the vinegar mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly.

Add 1 tablespoon water and season with salt and pepper. Add the honey. Whisk again.

The dressing will keep for several months if stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Let it come to room temperature or warm slightly in the microwave before serving.

Dad, Dawn Butler, Mom, Salads

Green Salad with Blue Cheese and Pears

1/4 cup pear preserves
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 small glove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons pear preserves
8 cups loosely packed Bibb and Romaine lettuce
2 Bartlett pears, chopped
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted in a skilled with a little sugar

Process the 1/4 cup preserves and the next five ingredients (vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper) in a blender and process for one minute. Gradually blend in the olive oil and process until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and gently stir in the 2 tablespoons of preserves.

Place the lettuce in a large serving bowl. Top with pears, blue cheese, and walnuts. Drizzle with the salad dressing.

Elaine Walker, Salads

Peanut Butter Apple Salad

1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon pineapple juice OR peach juice
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
1 small (or one-half large) Granny Smith apple, chopped
1 tablespoon dry roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Whisk together yogurt, peanut butter, fruit juice and mayonnaise.
Toss the chopped apple into the dressing until fully coated. Garnish with chopped nuts.

Makes just one serving.

Elaine Walker, Salads

Stuffed Tomato Salad

Tomatoes can be stuffed with either shrimp salad or curried tofu salad. The shrimp salad will fill 4 large ripe tomatoes, so buy 8 if making both salads.

Filling for Shrimp Stuffing
1 pound peeled cooked shrimp, (21-25 per pound; thawed if frozen), tails removed, chopped
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
10 Kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped
1 medium shallot, minced
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
Pinch of freshly ground pepper

Combine shrimp, celery, basil, olives, shallot, mayonnaise, vinegar and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir to combine.

Filling for Curried Tofu Stuffing
3 tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 to 2 tablespoons prepared mango chutney (makes recipe sweet)
2 teaspoons hot curry powder, preferably Madras
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 14-ounce package extra-firm water-packed tofu, drained, rinsed and finely crumbled
2 stalks celery, diced
1 cup red grapes, sliced in half
1/2 cup sliced scallions
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, chutney, curry powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in tofu, celery, grapes, scallions and walnuts.

Stuffing the Tomatoes
Carefully hollow out the inside of each tomato using a melon baller or small spoon; reserve the scooped tomato for another use. To serve, fill each tomato with a generous 1/2 cup of the shrimp or tofu salad.

Dad, Dorothy Lamalie, Liked by, Mom, Salads

Apple, Goat Cheese and Greens Salad with Sugared Curried Pecans

Sugared Curried Pecans
1 package of pecan halves (6 ounces)
1 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper

Maple Cider Vinaigrette
2/3 c. cider vinegar
1/4 c. maple syrup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/3 cups olive oil

Salad
Either one (10 ounce) package of spinach or one head of lettuce
1 apple, thinly chopped
1 (4 ounce) package goat cheese

Prepare pecans:
Preheat oven to 350. Toss pecans in butter. Stir together sugar and next four ingredients in a bowl; add pecans, tossing to coat. Spread in a single layer in a nonstick, foil-lined pan. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes until lightly browned and toasted. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes; separate pecans with a fork.

Prepare vinaigrette:
Whisk together cider vinegar and next four ingredients. Gradually whisk in olive oil until well blended.

Prepare salad:
Combine greens and next three ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle half the salad dressing over the greens and toss. Sprinkle pecans on top. Serve the remaining salad dressing on the side.

Elaine Walker, Salads

Watermelon Bowl Fruit Salad

INGREDIENTS:
1 large watermelon
1 cantaloupe, halved and seeded
1 honeydew melon, halved and seeded
3 oranges or tangerines, sectioned
2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
2 cups fresh strawberries, halved
2 cups seedless red grapes
a few blueberries or cherries or other fruit
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup white sugar

DIRECTIONS:
1. With a large, sharp knife, remove the top 1/4 section of the watermelon. With a melon baller, scoop flesh from inside of watermelon, removing as many seeds as possible. Leave 1/2 inch of flesh inside the shell of the watermelon.

Scoop cantaloupe and honeydew in the same manner, removing as much flesh as possible, and discarding the rinds.

Cut a sawtooth (triangular) edge around the opening of the watermelon to make it pretty.

Refrigerate fruits separately until ready to assemble.

2. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat, and continue stirring until sugar has completely dissolved. Set aside to cool.

3. To serve, place watermelon balls, cantaloupe, honeydew, oranges, pineapple, strawberries, and grapes, in a large mixing bowl. Pour syrup over, and toss thoroughly. Transfer mixture to watermelon bowl, and serve. Set aside any fruit mixture that will not fit. There will be enough fruit to refill the bowl.

picture of the watermelon salad

Dorothy Lamalie, Liked by, Mom, Salads, z__Submitted by__z

Strawberry Spinach Salad

2 cups fresh spinach, torn into bite-sized pieces
1-1/2 cups strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/3 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1-1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika

In a large bowl, add the spinach, strawberries, bacon and almonds.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients to make the dressing. Drizzle over the salad and lightly toss.

Elaine Walker, Main Dish Salads, Poultry, Salads, Slow Cooker

Grape Pecan Chicken Salad

2 lbs chicken boneless chicken thighs
1 can beef broth
1/2 t. Bell’s seasoning
red grapes, seedless, quartered
chopped pecans
mayonnaise
brown mustard
Worcestershire sauce

In a slow cooker, put chicken, beef broth, Bell’s seasoning. Add water to cover. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove chicken and cool in refrigerator.

When chicken is cool, chop and set aside.
In large bowl, add rest of ingredients in measures to suit your taste.

Elaine Walker, Salads

Minted Cucumber in Tomato Halves

1 large tomato
1/2 c. cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1-1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 T minced fresh mint

Halve tomato horizontally. Gently squeeze out seeds. Scoop out pulp with a spoon and set aside in small bowl. Sprinkle shells with salt. Invert onto wire rack for an hour to drain.

Mix together chopped pulp, cucumber, lemon juice and mint. Refrigerate for an hour.

Drain cucumber mixture. Spoon into tomato halves and serve.

Elaine Walker, Salads

Plantation Salad

1 quart mixed salad greens
1-10 oz. package frozen artichoke hearts, cooked, drained and chilled
1 c. orange sections
1/2 c. water chestnuts, sliced
2 bananas, sliced

Dressing
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 c. sour cream
1/4 c. sugar
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. poppy seeds
1 t. dry mustard
3/4 t. salt

Blend dressing ingredients until smooth.

In a large bowl, toss the salad greens with 3/4 c. dressing. Add the artichoke hearts, orange sections and bananas. Toss with additional dressing.