Fruit Salad with Creamy Glazed Dressing

I made this to go with dinner the other night and it was hit!  Any sort of fruit with dinner is pretty much always a hit but the glaze on this took things up a notch.  Will definitely make it again.  I slightly modified this recipe from one on Mels Kitchen Cafe.

Fruit Salad with Creamy Glazed Dressing

• 1 small can mandarin oranges, drained but reserving the juice
• 1/2 cup pineapple tidbits, also drained but reserving the juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 4 cups fresh fruit + the canned fruit above

1. Pour the drained fruit juice (from the canned fruit) into a liquid measuring cup. You need about 3/4 cup fruit juice. If you have more than that, pour a little off. If you don't have quite that much, add another type of fruit juice (white grape juice, orange juice, etc.) or supplement with water as long as it isn't more than a couple tablespoons that you need.
2. In a small saucepan, whisk together the fruit juice, cornstarch, and honey (or other sweetener of choice). Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
3. Pour the mixture into a bowl to cool (you can let it cool in the pan but it will take longer). Stir every so often so it doesn't form a skin over the top while cooling. Once cooled to room temperature, stir in the yogurt until smooth. Refrigerate until cool. It will thicken a bit more while cooling.
4. In a large bowl, toss together the fresh and canned fruit. Pour the dressing over the top and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Perfect Potato Salad

I am really late in posting this but I made this potato salad this summer with red potatoes from our garden and it was delicious.  It was actually my first ever potato salad and I don't think I'll ever look for another recipe.  This makes a lot so I halved the recipe.  From Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Perfect Potato Salad 

Dressing:

• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (adjust according to taste - you may want to use the greater amount if your potatoes were boiled without salt)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced dried onions or 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard

Salad:
 
• 5 pounds potatoes (I prefer red potatoes.)
• 1 15-ounce can olives, cut in half (I omit.)
• 10 hard-boiled eggs, diced

1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and give it a whirl until all ingredients are combined.
2. For the salad, peel, dice, and boil potatoes until tender but not mushy (I cut my potatoes into bite-size pieces and boil for about 8-10 minutes). Drain potatoes well and pour into a large bowl. Add sliced olives and hard-boiled eggs. Pour dressing over warm potatoes until desired “dressing-level” is reached. I usually make this salad the night before and I pour a thin coating of dressing over the potatoes, olives and eggs while they rest in the fridge overnight. Before serving the next day, I add the rest of the dressing and mix until it looks just right. Most importantly be sure and taste so you can add extra salt and pepper to taste!

Epicurean Chicken Salad with Creamy Honey Lime Dressing

This is a fun variation on pasta salads, perfect for summer!  The recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  I will also say that this salad tasted way better fresh than out of the fridge the second day.

Epicurean Chicken Salad with Creamy Honey Lime Dressing

Salad:

• 10 ounces rotini pasta
• 2-3 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces or shredded
• 1 large sweet-tart apple, cored, diced (I prefer Honey Crisp for this salad)
• 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, diced small (about 1 cup)
• 1 15 ounce can pineapple tidbits, drained very well
• 1/2 cup red grapes, halved
• 2/3 cup sliced almonds

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup light or regular mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup light or regular sour cream
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds

1. In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook the pasta until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.  Drain well.
2. In a large bowl, toss all the salad ingredients together.
3. In another small or medium bowl, whisk all the dressing ingredients together.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir gently to mix so that all the ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
5. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to an hour (the salad may dry out a bit if refrigerated for much longer - you can make extra dressing or reserve part of the dressing to stir in right before serving).

Spinach Mandarin Poppy Seed Salad

We had this as a side salad with dinner the other night and Ben and I both thought it was a great salad.  We liked it so much I made it again the next night.  The dressing is my favorite poppy seed version to date.  As you can see from the picture, I only used spinach and I thought it worked perfectly.  BTW, I halved the dressing recipe and it was enough for both days of this salad.  A little goes a long way.

Spinach Mandarin Poppy Seed Salad

8 oz. (1/2 bag) of baby spinach

1/2-1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 thinly sliced medium red onion

1 large avocado, cubed

8 oz. mozzarella or Swiss cheese, shredded

1 12-oz. package bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 large can Mandarin oranges, drained

 

Combine all ingredients except dressing in a large bowl. When ready to serve, toss with desired amount of salad dressing and serve immediately. If you anticipate leftovers, just let your eaters dress their own salads because the dressing will make the greens wilt.

 

Poppy Seed Dressing

 

1/3 c. white vinegar
1 tsp. Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper, a few turns
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. mustard
1 green onion, ends removed (both the “hairy” end and where the green part starts to get floppy)
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. poppy seeds 

 

In a blender, combine vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, and mustard. While the blender is running, add the green onion. Continue running the blender and add the oil in a steady stream and is fully incorporated into the dressing.

Pour the dressing into a serving or storage container and whisk in poppy seeds.  Store in the refrigerator or serve right away. 

Caribbean Salad with Sweet Orange Vinaigrette

We have a lot of lettuce growing in our garden right now so tonight I went looking for a new salad recipe.  And I found one at Our Best Bites!  This salad was seriously good.  I used a rotisserie chicken from Costco instead of grilling chicken and it worked great.  The dressing is sweet orange-y goodness.  Yum!

Caribbean Salad with Sweet Orange Vinaigrette

Salad:

1 large bunch Romaine Lettuce
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, grilled (or a rotisserie chicken cut into pieces)
8 ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
1 red bell pepper, diced or sliced
4-5 green onions, sliced
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
6-8 tablespoons dried cherries or cranberries
Black or regular sesame seeds (I omitted.)
optional: diced fresh pineapple

Dressing:

1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar (I used red wine vinegar.)
1 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil (I omitted.)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup canola oil

To prepare dressing, combine orange juice, vinegar, dry mustard, sugar, sesame oil, and salt in blender.  Blend until sugar is dissolved.  With blender running on low either remove stopper in blender lid, or crack the corner and slowly drizzle in oil, mixing until just combined.  Store dressing in fridge until ready to use, can prepare a day or two ahead of time.

To prepare salads, divide lettuce between 4 plates, top with grilled chicken, mandarin oranges, bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, and dried cherries or cranberries.   Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Serves 4 main dish, or 6-8 sides.

Poppyseed Dressing

I don't know what was going on with my camera (or with the person behind the camera) but my pictures all came out awful.  Oh well.  I wanted to make sure I included this recipe - good picture or bad - because the dressing is really good! 

Salad:

Spinach
Strawberries, sliced
Avocado, diced

**This dressing would work with a lot of salads, especially any fruit variety.

Dressing:

1/3 cup white sugar (my strawberries were really sweet so I used less sugar...maybe 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground dry mustard
1 tsp. grated onion
1 cup vegetable oil (I think I may have cut this down to 3/4 cup...but now I can't remember!)
1 Tbsp. poppyseeds

In a blender or food processor, combine sugar, vinegar, salt, mustard and onion and process for 20 seconds. With blender or food processor on high, gradually add oil in a slow, steady stream. Stir in poppy seeds.

Italian Pasta Salad

It's just about salad season and this is a super easy one!  I often have a lot of spinach on hand so I'm always looking for new ways to use it... rather than in smoothies and regular green salads (the two most common ways I use it.) 

Italian Pasta Salad

8 oz. bowtie pasta
Several handfuls of spinach
1 small head of broccoli, cut into small pieces
1-2 tomatoes, diced
3 string cheeses, cut into pieces OR part of a block of Mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes

Dressing:
I used a packet of Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix and made it according to package directions but you could use any Italian dressing.

Cook noodles and add broccoli pieces to pot for last 1-2 minutes of cooking time.  Drain and rinse in cold water.  Put in bowl along with spinach, tomatoes and cheese.  Coat liberally with dressing and toss.  Serve!

Buttermilk Ranch

Lately I have been making my own dressings.  This has been my go-to recipe for ranch dressing - it is delicious!  I found that I like this dressing better with a small garlic clove instead of a large one.  The smaller clove gives just the right amount of garlic without being overpowering. 

Buttermilk Ranch

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp dried minced onion
1/2 tsp salt
dash of freshly ground pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed


Mix all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours to blend flavors. Leftovers will last about a week in the fridge.

Southwestern Cobb Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

This salad was delicious!  I LOVED the grilled chicken and the dressing was phenomenal.  It is hearty enough to fill even the male appetites in your home.  This recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe - love her site.  The only negative thing about this salad is the prep time but it is so worth it!  BTW, I pretty much halved everything and it was just the right amount to feed my family of five with no leftovers.  This recipe also calls for quite a bit of cilantro and I went a little lighter than called for on that...I didn't want the cilantro to be overbearing and it was just right for my taste.

Southwestern Cobb Salad

Chicken Marinade:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2-3 limes)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Black Bean Salsa:
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 sweet onion (I used vidalia), diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil

Yellow Pepper Salsa:
1 yellow pepper, seeded, and diced
1 tomato, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 can large olives, coarsely chopped (I omitted - not a fan.)
1/2 sweet onion (I used vidalia), diced

Avocado Salsa:
2 ripe avocados, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I omitted.)

4-5 large eggs
6-8 slices thick-cut bacon (I actually left this out and it was still fabulous but would have been great with bacon too.)
1 medium head romaine lettuce, washed, dried and torn into 1-inch pieces

For the chicken marinade, in a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup lime juice, olive oil, soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and red pepper flakes. Place the chicken breasts in a ziploc bag and pour the marinade over the chicken. Close the bag and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to overnight.

Heat a grill to medium-high heat (an indoor grill pan or skillet could be used also). Grill the chicken until it is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes per side. Cool the chicken completely then cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.

Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Cover and remove from the heat. Let the eggs sit for 13 minutes then rinse them under cold water until they are completely cooled. Peel and coarsely chop the eggs. Set aside.

Cook the bacon over medium heat until it is crisp. Drain on paper towels. When cool, crumble and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the yellow pepper, tomatoe, olives, and 1/2 of the sweet onion. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In another bowl, combine the black beans, 1/4 cup cilantro and onion. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In another bowl combine the avocado, 1/4 cup cilantro, juice of 2 limes, cayenne pepper and 1/2 teaspoon cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.


On a large platter (or large bowl), arrange the romaine lettuce. Arrange the chicken in a strip down the middle of the romaine. On either side, make piled strips of the eggs, bacon, yellow pepper mixture, black bean mixture and avocado mixture. Drizzle with dressing or serve it on the side. The easiest way to serve this on a platter is with a pair of tongs. If using a large bowl, gently toss to combine all the ingredients before serving.  (I just left everything in it's bowl and we started with the lettuce on a plate and topped it with however much of each topping we wanted.)

Green Goddess Dressing

*This dressing is best made up a few hours or a day beforehand to let the flavors blend.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 bunch chives, coarsely chopped (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup)
2 green onions, white and green parts, cut into thick chunks
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon coarse or Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

Combine all the ingredients together in a blender. Process until smooth. Thin with additional buttermilk (adding it one teaspoon at a time), if desired. Store the dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

I first had this salad at a park in Arizona as part of Thanksgiving dinner (lunch).  My sister's husband's cousin made it and it was delicious.  I think she made it with raspberries.  I decided to make this a part of our Easter dinner today and my kids loved it!  (Go figure.)  They would have been happy to eat only this salad and nothing else for dinner.  This recipe originally comes from Paula Deen (Food Network).

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

2 cups crushed pretzels 
3/4 cup melted butter 
3 Tbsp sugar, plus 3/4 cup sugar
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1 (8 oz.) container whipped topping (thawed in fridge)
2 (3 oz.) packages strawberry gelatin dessert mix
2 cups boiling water
2 (10 oz.) packages frozen strawberries (Mine were whole so I cut them up into quarters.)
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple
Whipped topping or whipped cream, to garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

For the crust, mix the pretzels, butter and 3 Tbsp of sugar.  Press this mixture into a 9X13 pan and bake for 7 minutes.  Set aside and allow to cool.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and 3/4 cup of sugar.  Fold in whipped topping, and spread over the cooled crust.  Refrigerate until well chilled.

In a small bowl, dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water, and allow to cool slightly.  Add the strawberries and pineapple and pour over the cream cheese mixture.  Refrigerate until serving time.

To serve, cut slices and serve with a dollop of whipped topping.

Spinach Salad with Teriyaki Bowties

I was on a salad kick near the end of September - A little late, I know. But nonetheless, I tried out a few new recipes and this one was delicious! I love the teriyaki flavor mixed with the sweetness of the oranges and dried cranberries. This recipe comes from The Sisters Cafe.

Spinach Salad with Teriyaki Bowties

16 oz. Bowtie pasta, cooked and cooled
1 - 2 bags of fresh baby Spinach
2 small cans Mandarin Oranges
1 cup Craisins
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 can Water Chestnuts (I omitted.)
1 bunch Green Onions, chopped
1 cup Honey Roasted Peanuts or Cashews (I did the peanuts.)
1/2 cup fresh Parsley (I used dried.)
1/4 cup Sesame Seeds, toasted (I omitted.)
2 cups torn cooked Chicken

Dressing:
1 cup Vegetable Oil
2/3 cup White Wine Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
2/3 C. Teriyaki Sauce
5 Tbs. Sugar

Cook bowtie pasta according to directions, drain and cool while whisking the dressing together in a large bowl. Marinate cooked bowtie pasta in the dressing for 1 hour or longer in the fridge. Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl and pour the teriyaki sauce and pasta over the salad, toss together and serve.

Chinese Chicken Salad

This is another great salad recipe - something different. I love the dressing and the way it soaks into the chicken. I got this recipe from a cookbook my mother-in-law's Relief Society put together.

Chinese Chicken Salad

1 head cabbage, chopped
2 bunches green onions, finely diced
2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
2 pkgs. Top Ramen noodles (chicken flavor), broken into small pieces
1/2 cup toasted, slivered almonds

Dressing:

1/4 cup oil (I used canola.)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tsp black pepper
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 chicken seasoning packets from the Top Ramen noodles

Mix the dressing well and add to salad mixture not more than 1 hour before serving. **This makes a lot so I only used about 1/2 a head of cabbage and one package of Ramen noodles. I also halved all the dressing ingredients. I omitted the almonds due to a nut allergy in our family.

Southwestern Barbecue Chicken Salad

This salad was SO good! I loved the combination of ingredients, especially the barbecue chicken. It was pretty easy to whip up last minute too. This is another recipe from The Sisters Cafe. The summer is over but I'm just getting going on great salad recipes. I'm not ready for the cold weather yet!

Southwestern Barbecue Chicken Salad

2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 cup BBQ sauce

1/2 head Romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 head Iceberg lettuce, chopped

1 can corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

4 Roma tomatoes, diced

2 Haas avocados, diced

shredded cheese, Mexican blend or cheddar

crispy tortilla strips

Stir shredded chicken in with the BBQ sauce until well coated. Of course you can use less or more sauce, it's up to you! I like quite a bit since I love the smoky flavor of BBQ sauce in a salad. Toss together the lettuce, cilantro, corn, beans, and chopped veggies. Top with shredded chicken, cheese and crispy tortilla strips. Drizzle ranch or cilantro lime dressing over salad and enjoy!

Red Wine Vinaigrette

I want to start making my own salad dressings so I'm going to experiment with a few. I'll still keep a bottle of Hidden Valley Ranch and Italian Dressing in my fridge but homemade salad dressing is so much better for you without all the preservatives, etc. so I'm going to try to do more of that. Here's one that is sweet and tasty. We call it the "pink dressing" in our house. This recipe comes from another great recipe site: www.melskitchencafe.com. (BTW, I think next time I make this I will only use 1 cup sugar.)

Red Wine Vinaigrette

2/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup red onions, finely grated (about 1/4 of a large red onion)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons salt
ground pepper to taste
2 cups canola oil

Add all ingredients except oil in a blender. Blend well. While processing, slowly add the canola oil and blend well. Transfer dressing to a jar or cruet. It keeps well in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks (although I’ve found it gets a little thick if it is too cold so I’ll pop it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds to help thin it out before I use it if it has been in the refrigerator for several days).