Salads, Dressings, and Meal Salads

Asian Slaw
“Caesar” Salad
Celebration Salad
Cucumber Salad
Mixed Green Salad with Classic French Dressing
Spinach Grapefruit Salad with Vinaigrette
Sweet and Sour Beets

Asian Slaw

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sliced toasted almonds
½ head cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, shredded
¼ cup raisons
2 green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1-tablespoon sugar
1 ramen noodle chicken flavor packet
¼ cup sesame oil

Combine cabbage, carrot, raisons and green onions in a medium bowl. Whisk together vinegar, oil, sugar, and ramen flavor packet until well combined. Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and let marinate for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally.
This salad can be made up to two days ahead of time – it only gets better the longer it sits. Six servings.

“Caesar” Salad

1 - 2 Tbl. Olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ - 1 lime, juiced
3 cups mixed greens
1/4-cup Parmesan cheese
(I add tomatoes, carrots, onions, red cabbage and green or red peppers to my Caesar - not traditional)

Let garlic stand in olive oil for 1 hour. Add desired amount of lime juice and set aside. Mix greens and any other vegetables. Top with Parmesan. Pour dressing through strainer over salad and toss. Makes 2 large or 4 small servings. For 2 large servings, 4 fat, ½ meat, 1 veg if you add extra vegetables to greens. Half these values if 4 small salads.

Celebration Salad

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 chopped red bell pepper
6 green onions with green part, chopped
2 chopped tomatoes
1 jalapeno, veined, seeded, and minced
1/3-cup limejuice
¼ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced

Mix first 6 ingredients in bowl. Mix last 3 ingredients in a jar. Shake and pour over vegetables. Chill at least 3 hours before serving.

Cucumber Salad

1 teaspoon sugar
¼ cup rice vinegar or tarragon vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
Ground pepper to taste
¼ cup fresh herb leaves – dill or mint
4 small cucumbers (about 1 pound)

Slice cucumbers. Whisk dressing. Pour over
cucumbers and chill.

Mixed Green Salad with Classic French Dressing

½ medium garlic clove, peeled
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 quarts mild salad greens, such as Romaine, Boston, Bibb, or other leaf lettuces
Fresh fruit (I have used chopped Granny Smith apples, halved grapes, Mandarin oranges. Use your imagination.)
½ cup toasted slivered almonds

Rub bottom and sides of large salad bowl with garlic clove. Place greens, nuts and fruit in rubbed bowl. In a small bowl, mix vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add oil, then whisk or mix with fork until smooth, about 3 seconds. Pour over greens and serve immediately. At least 8 servings. Always a hit at potlucks!

Spinach Grapefruit Salad with Vinaigrette

8 cups fresh spinach, washed, trimmed and torn
½ red onion, thinly sliced
2 large pink, sweet grapefruit, cut into sections and seeded

Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse mustard
1-teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1-tablespoon grapefruit juice or more to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss all salad ingredients together and set aside. Blend all vinaigrette ingredients except poppy seeds in blender until smooth. Add poppy seed, salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over salad and toss. Serve immediately. 8 servings.

(You can soak the onion slices in cold water for 10 minutes to mellow their strong taste.)

Sweet and Sour Beets

2 - 16 oz. cans sliced or julienne beets, undrained
1/3-cup sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
2 Tbl. Catsup
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
4 whole cloves
1 onion, sliced thin in rings

Drain beets, reserving 1-cup liquid. Put beets and onions in bowl or plastic container. Combine reserved beet liquid, and remaining ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Boil 1 minute. Pour over beets and onions and marinate in refrigerator 1 day. Makes 4 or 5 servings. 1 veg.