Linda's Country Kitchen

 
 

Main Dish Salads	Side Salads
Creamy Ranch & Parmesan SaladPasta Salad with Shrimp & Snow PeasGrilled Chicken Caesar SaladLobster or Crabmeat SaladWaldorf Chicken Salad	Joanne's SaladCool Tuna Noodle SaladItalian Pasta SaladMom's Spinach SaladButtermilk SlawBlack Bean SaladBroccoli SaladFive Fruit Salad
Dressings & Dips	Salad Toppings
Cucumber Dressing	Garlic Croutons

Share your favorite recipe!

Creamy Ranch & Parmesan Chicken Salad
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into strips
1 cup ranch dressing, divided
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 pkg. (10 oz) salad greens
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 cup seasoned croutons (Recipe)
1 red, yellow or green pepper, cut into strips

Toss chicken with 1/4 cup dressing; coat with parmesan cheese.  Cook chicken in large skillet sprayed with no stick cooking spray on medium heat 10 minutes or until no longer pink.  In large bowl add cooked chicken and remaining ingredients.  Toss lightly with remaining dressing.  Serve.

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Cucumber Dressing
1/2 cup long english cucumber
1 tablespoon.. vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tablespoon.. balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon.. dill, chopped
2 cups plain yogurt

Score outside peel of cucumber with a fork, and chop finely.  In bowl, add all ingredients and blend well.  Chill for at least 3 hours to blend flavors.  Serve over steamed vegetables or small red potatoes.

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Joanne's Salad
This salad was passed down to me by a cousins' wife!  It is DELICIOUS!!!!!!

DRESSING:
2 garlic cloves
2 tsp. honey
9 tablespoons salad oil
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. paprika
Salt & Pepper, to taste

SALAD:
1 head romaine lettuce
1 each red and  yellow pepper, sliced thin
6 large mushrooms, sliced thin
1/4 cup bacon bits
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (roasted)
1/2 cup feta cheese, broken in pieces

Blend all ingredients for salad dressing and refrigerate overnight.

Tear head of romaine lettuce into bite size pieces.  Add sliced peppers, mushrooms, bacon bits, pumpkin seeds and feta cheese.  Pour salad dressing over salad and toss gently.  Serve immediately.

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Garlic Croutons
2 cups of bread cubes (fresh - french bread works great or 4 slices of fresh baked bread)
1/2 cup margarine, melted
garlic powder

Cut bread into bite size cubes.  Place cubes into a large bowl.  Sprinkle garlic powder generously, to taste, over bread cubes.  Drizzle melted margarine over cubes and toss to coat well.  In a single layer, place coated cubes on a cookie sheet in a 450o oven......watch carefully!  Once they begin to brown they will burn quickly!  Stir occasionally.  When lightly browned (it takes just a few minutes!) remove from oven and allow to cool before adding to salad.

These can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the freezer!  Double the batch and have lots of croutons on hand!!

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Pasta Salad With Shrimp and Snow Peas

1/2 pound medium pasta shells
3/4 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/4 pound snow peas, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 small garlic clove, crushed through a press
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons minced red onion
1/3 cup chopped roasted red pepper
1/3 cup frozen corn, thawed

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, about 14 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water until cool. Drain again.  In same pot bring 1 inch of water to a boil. Add shrimp and cook until just  cooked through, about 2 minutes. Stir in snow peas; drain and rinse with cold water until cool. Drain well. Pat dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, combine oil, lime juice, garlic, chili powder, jalapeño, lime   zest, and salt. Whisk until blended. Add pasta, shrimp and snow peas, red onion, roasted pepper, and corn. Toss until combined. Serve room temperature or cold. Serves: 4

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Cool Tuna Noodle Salad

1 can (10 oz) condensed cream of celery soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons vinegar
4 cups cooked corkscrew macaroni(about 3 cups dry)
2 cups cooked mixed vegetables or peas
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
2 cans (about 6 oz) tuna, drained and flaked
Salad greens
tomato slices

In small bowl mix soup, mayonnaise and vinegar.  In large bowl toss macaroni, vegetables, onion, tuna and soup mixture until evenly coated.  refrigerate at least 4 hours.  Serve on salad greens with tomato.

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Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb.)
1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite size pieces (about 12 cups)
1/2 cup croutons

In large shallow nonmetallic dish mix soup, water, vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, pepper, and 3 tablespoons cheese.  Set aside 1 1/4 cups for dressing.  Add chicken to remaining marinade in dish and turn to coat.  Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes.  Remove chicken from soup mixture.  Grill or broil 15 minutes or until chicken is done, turning and brushing often with marinade.  Discard any remaining marinade.  Slice chicken into thin strips.  In large bowl, toss lettuce, chicken and dressing until evenly coated.  Sprinkle with croutons and remaining cheese.  Serves 6.

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Italian Pasta Salad

4 ounces corkscrew pasta (rotini)
1/2 small zucchini
1 ounce provolone cheese, cubed
1/2 cup broccoli florets, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet red peppers
1/2 cup finely chopped green peppers
1/2 small red onion, sliced
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons sliced pitted ripe olives
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain well. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Cut the zucchini lengthwise into quarters, then thinly slice it (you should have about 1/2 cup). Add the zucchini to the pasta. Then add the provolone cheese, broccoli, red and green peppers, onion,          Parmesan cheese, parsley and olives. Add the 1/2 cup dressing, then toss until the pasta mixture is coated. Sprinkle with the oregano. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to blend the flavors.  You may wish to add 2 tablespoons dressing to moisten the salad. Gently toss. Serves 8

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Mom's Spinach Salad

Dressing:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon white sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt & pepper to taste

Mix dressing ingredients together and store overnight in the refrigerator to allow flavors to blend.  Shake well before pouring over salad.

Spinach Salad:

1 bag fresh spinach greens, torn in bite size pieces
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
4 hard boiled eggs, shredded
1/2 pound bacon, fried crisp & crumbled
1/2 green pepper, sliced thinly
1/2 red pepper, sliced thinly
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Combine all ingredients in large bowl.  Pour dressing over salad, just before serving, and toss.

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Buttermilk Slaw (8 servings)

1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup buttermilk
3 tblsp. honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. caraway seeds, toasted
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 head each red and savoy cabbages, cored and shredded
2 granny smith apples, julienned
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1 red bell pepper, julienned

In bowl, whisk together first 8 ingredients. Add remaining 5 ingredients; toss well to coat. If desired, cover and chill overnight. 

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Black Bean Salad

2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained
1 sweet onion, chopped finely
1 cucumber peeled, seeded and chopped finely
3/4 cup ripe olives, pitted and rough chopped
1 fresh tomato, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 Tbsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Combine first 6 ingredients. Combine olive oil, vinegar, mustard and salt and pepper and pour over bean mixture. Mix well and allow to sit for at least 3 hours before serving to allow flavors to blend.

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Waldorf Chicken Salad

2 cups cooked and cubed chicken breast
2 cups cored and chopped  Granny Smith apples
1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup raisins
2 tablespoons  mayonnaise
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Ground black pepper (to taste)
Lettuce leaves

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, apples, celery and raisins.  In a cup, stir together the mayonnaise, yogurt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add to the chicken mixture and toss until coated. Season to taste with the pepper. Serve on lettuce-lined salad plates.

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Broccoli Salad

2 heads fresh broccoli, washed and cut into florets
2 cups seedless green grapes
1 sweet onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
3 oz. jar real bacon bits
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

 Combine broccoli, grapes, onion, celery and bacon bits in a large bowl and toss. In a separate bowl, combine mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar and mix well. Pour over broccoli and stir. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  Sprinkle with sunflower seeds just before serving.

Note: To get the most out of your  broccoli, cut off the bottom inch or so of the stem, then peel the rest of the stem and cut it into thin slices.  Add to the salad!

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Lobster Salad

6 - 8 cups cooked lobster meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1 small sweet onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
6 - 8 cup salad greens

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Arrange washed greens on individual plates and place a serving portion of lobster salad on each.

You may substitute real crabmeat, imitation crabmeat or shrimp for this recipe as well. 

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Five Fruit Salad

1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup blueberries
1 cup watermelon
1 banana, peeled and sliced
1 peach, pitted and cubed

Pour juice over fruit and refrigerate until cold - overnight is best. Serve in pretty wine goblets or glass bowls. Serves 4

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