Category Archives: Salads

Lime Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Lime Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

I know this isn’t the most amazing picture I’ve ever taken, but the recipe is healthy and it’s amazing homemade dressing! So simply easy to make, and so much cheaper than buying dressing! We go through dressing pretty fast around here, and this one even the kids love! Continue reading

Apple Pecan-Cabbage Slaw

Green Apple-Pecan Cabbage Slaw

I have been wanting to make some cabbage slaw for a long time and I came across this recipe in the Better Homes and Garden's magazine, and I added pecans. It was very tasty, and to my surprise one of my pickiest eaters really liked it! Joy of joys, he said he would like to have it for dinner every night! So I'm still wondering why he refused it when I offered him some the next night? ;) Loved the light refreshing taste, and it was great the next day as left overs!

Apple Pecan-Cabbage Slaw

Ingredients

5 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. sugar
4 tsp. canola oil
1-1/2 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 small head red cabbage (1 lb.), thinly sliced
1 large green apple (about 8 oz.), halved, cored, and sliced thin
3 scallions (white and green parts), chopped (about 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Directions

1. In screw-top jar combine vinegar, water, sugar, oil, mustard, salt, and pepper; shake to combine. In large bowl combine cabbage, apple, scallions, and pecans; add dressing. Toss to combine. Makes 6 servings.

Salmon Salad Spread

Salmon Salad Spread

The other night I made Batter Fried Fish with some salmon that I bought from Costco. I knew that i would have too much for our family to eat if I made it all up.  I didn’t want the salmon to go to waste, I love my chickens but I don’t want to feed them expensive salmon! So I froze about half of the salmon to use later. Tonight I tried a new, to me, recipe.Knowing that this recipe was a little bit out there for the kids, at least the boys, I decided it would be easy to make them something similar, in order to let us try something a little different without having to fight with them about trying something new. If you know me, you know that I am NOT a short order cook, but I know my kids limitations, and I know when I’m feeling up to pushing them to try a new dish :) I decided tonight was not the night for that!

Open-Faced Egg Salad Sandwich Continue reading

Simple Taco Salad

Taco Salad

Last night we had taco salad for dinner, it was wonderfully refreshing! I had been thinking about this delicious salad for several days and finally managed to get the ingredients together to make it. We were really pleased with how it turned out, I think taco salad is a great way to get kids used to eating salads.

Continue reading

Broccoli Salad

This is such a yummy salad, my mom has always brought (a variation of this salad) to every family event, it’s always a hit!

8 slices bacon
2 heads fresh broccoli, chopped
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 1/2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 large red onion, chopped

Dressing
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/8 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, and crumble.

2. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, cheese, bacon, raisins, seeds and onion.

3. Prepare the dressing in a small bowl by whisking together the red wine vinegar, sugar, pepper, salt, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Combine dressing with salad. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Grandmother’s Cucumber Salad

From The Herb Garden Cookbook by Lucinda Hutson

3 medium cucumbers
3 Teaspoons Sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 white onion, sliced into thin rings
4-6 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 ½ cups white wine vinegar
Fresh dill sprigs

Several hours before serving, layer cucumbers in a
medium-size ceramic bowl. Sprinkle lightly with sugar,
salt and pepper; add a layer of onion rings and
chopped dill, repeat layers until all the ingredients
are used, pouring in vinegar last. Tuck several ice
cubes among the cucumbers (this makes them crisp), and
refrigerate until serving time.

Red Pepper Vingerette

My friend Rana makes this dressing often. I was at her house the other day and she put it on my salad, I loved it!! It tastes kind of like a red French dressing (which I love but is not very good for you), this is a great alternative!

2 sweet red bell peppers
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup purified water
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 Tablespoon raw honey
6 dates
1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder (2 cloves fresh)
1 teaspoon taragon
1 1/2 Tablespoon soy sauce
5 teaspoons flax meal (if you don’t have flax meal you can blend flax seed in your coffee grinder to make the meal)

Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Makes about 3 cups, you can half it if this is too much for you, store in the refrigerator. Keeps around 2+ weeks.

Liquid Gold Elixir

This is a great and refreshing dressing. Next time I make it though I am going to cut the recipe to 1/3 of all the ingredients as I will not be able to make it through this amount of dressing even using it twice a day for two weeks!

2 cups fresh lemon juice
3 whole cloves garlic
3 tablespoons minced ginger
3 tablespoons Nama Shoyu soy sauce
3 heaping tablespoons raw honey (more if desired)
1 1/2 cups cold-pressed olive oil

Place all of the ingredients except the oil in the blender. Begin blending at normal speed. As the mixture is blending, slowly add the oil until it’s completely blended. This recipe should last about two weeks in the fridge.

Makes 4 cups

Cowboy Caviar

My friend Rana made this for a get together we had a couple of weeks ago and it was refreshing and delicious. It was kind of a hearty salsa like dish that we ate with tortilla chips but I think I would cook up some rice and eat it for dinner it was so delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe Rana!

1 can shoepeg corn
1 can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
2 avocados, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
2/3 cup chopped cilantro
2/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, pressed
3/4 tsp. salt (she used sea salt)

Prepare all ingredients and toss together, serve with tortilla chips, on a rice and beans dish or just by itself, enjoy!

Chicken And Pasta Salad With Feta Cheese for Summers

Going to try a variation of this tonight. Hopefully pictures to follow!

Chicken And Pasta Salad With Feta Cheese for Summers

1/2 lb penne pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons basil, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup black olives, pitted
8 cups spinach, rinsed and stemmed
1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, grilled and diced

1. Cook and drain the pasta, Set aside.
2. Whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic and basil.
3. Toss with the pasta.
4. Add the tomatoes, feta and olives.
5. Chill for 1 hour.
6. Arrange the spinach on 4 plates.
7. Top with the pasta salad.
8. Add the chicken.
9. Garnish with more feta and sliced red onions (optional).

4 servings
1 hour 30 minutes 15 mins prep (includes 60 minute to chill).