Salads and...stuff?
DUCKIEROSE�S
BEST SALAD & BEST SANDWICH EVER
I love making "salad" sandwiches, but this is my absolute favorite. Yum.
best salad ever:
-fresh spinach leaves
-crumbled up feta
-sliced artichoke hearts (from a jar or whatnot)
-sliced black olives
best sandwich ever:
Take above, mix with blue cheese dressing (a small amount) so it sticks together. Take French bread and slice off a chunk, then slice in half. Dig out a little bit of the bread in your two slices, and fill with the salad.
(Duckierose�s Best Salad & Best Sandwich Ever also appears in the �Appetizers & Snacks� section.)
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MADAMOWL�S
CHICKEN & WILD RICE SALAD
1 package Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice (6 oz Original Recipe - and do not use the seasoning packet)
1 pound boneless chicken breast (about 2 or 3 frozen Sam's breasts)
� teaspoon salt
� cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon milk
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
� cup seedless red grapes cut in half
� cup sliced celery
� cup cashew halves/pieces
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
Cook rice according to package directions, but throw away seasoning packet. Chill cooked rice in refrigerator. Cook chicken breasts in microwave (I usually cook in my covered Corningware dish to keep the breasts from drying out). Chill breasts and cut into cubes. Mix salt, mayo, milk and lemon juice. In large bowl, combine chicken, grapes, celery, cashews, onion and chilled rice. Fold in mayo mixture and mix well. Chill and serve.
This recipe is simple but usually takes an hour or so to complete because you have to chill the rice and chicken. I sometimes cook the rice and chicken the night before and chill it overnight. The grapes add a really nice tang especially when salty. I like to use Hellmann�s Light for the mayo because it tastes the same and reduces the calories.
In my tradition of changing recipes to suit me, I tend to get lazy and not cut the grapes, and I also tend to add more cashews because I like them so much. My aunt uses leftover turkey instead of chicken sometimes.
*Substitutions: I've used basmati and brown rice also, and chopped up baked chicken fajita strips work really well in it too.
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REFINNEJ�S
COLESLAW
3 medium green cabbages, shredded (about 8 cups)
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
4-5 carrots, shredded
1 cup mayonnaise
4 tbsp vinegar
� cup white sugar
1 tsp salt
� tsp black pepper
Combine cabbage & carrot in a large bowl. Mix dressing; toss with cabbage and refrigerate overnight.
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SUKI�S
FANTASTIC TANGY BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
I always just throw this all together, so no exact amounts, just add to taste:
Approx 2 tbsp olive oil
Approx 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Squirt of honey (about a tsp?)
Squirt of Dijon mustard (about a tsp)
1 clove of garlic, mashed up
Pepper
Sprinkling of dried basil and/or oregano
Smidge of chili flakes
Mix it all up, and voila, a fantastic tangy balsamic vinaigrette
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BRAN�S
FRUIT AND NUT TORTELLINI SALAD
You will need:
1 package (9-oz.) Three Cheese Tortellini
1 cup red seedless grapes
1 cup green seedless grapes
1 can (11-oz.) Mandarin oranges, drained
� cup finely chopped red onion (I omit these)
� cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 cup honey Dijon salad dressing
Prepare Tortellini according to package directions, chill.
After chilled, combine pasta, grapes, oranges, onion and nuts in a medium bowl. Add dressing; toss until coated.
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GEORGE�S
GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD WITH PEANUT SAUCE
* This recipe is to die for and the combination of lime dressing and peanut sauce is amazing. It tastes even better the next day.
1� lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp honey-style mustard
1 tsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Lime Honey Dressing:
� cup lime juice
2 tsp honey-style mustard
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil
� tsp pepper
1 small clove garlic, minced
Salt, to taste
Peanut Sauce:
2 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp hot water
1 large head Romaine lettuce
1 head radicchio or � small red cabbage
2 carrots, grated
1 sweet red pepper, preferably roasted, peeled and cut into thin strips
4 flour tortillas
1. Pat chicken breasts dry. In small bowl, combine mustard, sesame oil, and garlic. Rub into chicken. Preheat broiler or barbecue and grill chicken until
just cooked through. Cool and slice very thinly on diagonal. Reserve.
2. To make lime honey dressing, blend together lime juice, mustard, honey, olive oil, pepper, garlic, and salt. Reserve.
3. To make peanut sauce, blend together peanut butter, honey, soy sauce, and hot water. Reserve.
4. Shred lettuce and radicchio and toss together in a large bowl. Add carrots and red pepper.
5. Cut tortillas into thin strips (scissors work well). Place on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in preheated 400F/200C oven for about 8 minutes, or until crisp. Add tortilla strips and chicken to salad.
6. Toss salad with lime honey dressing. Drizzle peanut sauce over all.
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ZIG�S
LOW-FAT, YUMMY VINAIGRETTE
� cup fat-free chicken broth
3 Tbs. lite soy sauce
1 tsp. each:
Hot, spicy mustard
Hot chili sauce
Chopped, fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. sesame oil
Combine chicken broth, soy sauce, mustard, chili sauce, ginger, and garlic. Process. Slowly blend sesame oil in until thickened.
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KIM�S
PASTA �N TUNA SALAD
(best made the night before.)
Cooked, rinsed, & cooled shell pasta
Mayonnaise
Tuna (albacore or chunk work best)
Lipton�s Vegetable Recipe Secrets
Golden raisins (if you plan on eating the salad right way, plump raisins in a bowl of cool water first & squeeze out excess water. If made the night before, they will plump for you in the salad.)
Fresh broccoli, cut up into bite sized pieces
Fresh peas or beans (I usually use sugar snap but any fresh bean will work.)
Mix mayo & Vegetable Recipe Secrets to your taste (I prefer it a little on the stronger side, once it is all blended & sits it�s not as potent). Stir in raisins. Mix with pasta. Fold in tuna gently so it doesn�t break apart.
Toss in vegetables.
(Kim�s Pasta �N Tuna Salad also appears in the �Pasta & Pizza� section.)
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*MERRY*�S
RATATOUILLE AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD WITH PESTO VINAIGRETTE
In this recipe, we call for a 3- by 1�-inch stainless-steel pastry ring. It is available at some specialty cookware shops.
For pesto vinaigrette
� cup packed fresh basil leaves
� tablespoon minced garlic
� tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted golden
1� tablespoons white-wine vinegar
� cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
For ratatouille
1 long narrow Japanese eggplant
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
1 small red bell pepper
1 small green bell pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped fine
1 medium vine-ripened tomato, seeded and pur�ed (about � cup)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
12 ounces soft mild goat cheese at room temperature
8 ounces mesclun (mixed baby greens)
Garnish: Red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
Make vinaigrette:
In a blender or small food processor, blend all vinaigrette ingredients with salt and pepper to taste until smooth. Vinaigrette may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring vinaigrette to room temperature before using on salads.
Make ratatouille:
Cut eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and bell peppers into �-inch dice. In a large heavy skillet, cook eggplant in 1 tablespoon oil over moderate heat, stirring, until tender and transfer to a bowl. In skillet, cook zucchini, yellow squash, and onion with salt and pepper to taste in 1 tablespoon oil over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes, and transfer to bowl. Cook bell peppers in remaining teaspoon oil in same manner and transfer to bowl. Stir in tomato pur�e, garlic, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste and cool ratatouille completely.
Preheat oven to 375�F and cut a large sheet of parchment paper into eight 5- to 6- inch squares.
On a work surface, put a 3-inch metal pastry ring (at least 1� high) in middle of 1 parchment square and fill it with 1/3 cup ratatouille, pressing evenly and tightly into bottom. Cut goat cheese into 8 equal pieces and flatten each piece to form a 3-inch disk. Top ratatouille in ring with goat cheese disk, pressing lightly at edges to cover ratatouille completely. Transfer round on parchment square to a large baking sheet and remove ring. Make 7 more rounds in same manner with remaining parchment squares, ratatouille, and goat cheese. Bake rounds in middle of oven 8 to 10 minutes, or until heated through.
While rounds are baking, in a large bowl toss mesclun with � cup vinaigrette and divide among 8 plates.
With a spatula, transfer a round to center of each salad. Drizzle each salad with about 1 teaspoon vinaigrette and garnish with tomatoes.
Makes 8 servings.
(*Merry*�s Ratatouille and Goat Cheese Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette also appears in the �Vegetables� section.)
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ZIG�S
SUMMER SALAD
SALAD:
1� lbs. small redskin potatoes - cut into 8in. wedges
1� lbs. baby carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise in � in. strips
1� lbs. asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2 in. pieces
6 oz. snow peas, trimmed
18 oz. low fat smoked ham (or turkey ham), cut into � in. slices- 2 in. long
SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE:
� cup chopped shallots (green onions will do)
6 tbls. Seasoned rice vinegar
1� tsp. Dijon mustard
1� tbls. Olive oil
DIRECTIONS:
Vinaigrette:
-Mix the first 3 ingredients together well. Then, whisk in the olive oil.
Salad:
- Cook potatoes and carrots in boiling, salted water for about 7 minutes.
- Add asparagus and peas, & cook until veggies are just tender- about 3 min. longer.
- Drain.
- Rinse with cold water, drain.
- Transfer to a large bowl.
- Add ham.
- Add vinaigrette.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Makes 8 servings.
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BB�S
TABBOULEH
250g coarse bulgar wheat
6 ripe plum tomatoes, halved and deseeded
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
3 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
4 handfuls chopped mixed fresh herbs (flat leaf parsley, basil, coriander and mint are all good)
4-6 tablespoons red wine vinegar, to taste
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice (to taste, I use juice of half a lemon)
Salt & pepper
Cook the bulgar wheat in salted boiling water for about 10 minutes. Drain and cool under cold water.
Finely chop the tomatoes and add to a bowl with the garlic, mash well with a fork. Mix in all the other ingredients and season carefully.
It�s best if you make it a few hours in advance to let all the flavors mix, but it tastes great straight away too.
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VRED98�S
TUNA SALAD
2-6oz cans tuna in water, drained
1 stick celery, chopped
2 tbsp regular or light mayo
1� tbsp sweet pickle relish or cubes
� tsp prepared mustard
2 boiled eggs, chopped
1 carrot, grated
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and chill until ready to serve.
If you need to make more, use 1 egg per can of tuna for best results.
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