Ode to Salads

It’s Springtime, soon to be Summertime! So everyone is trying to eat better and lighter! So I thought I would do a post Ode to the Salad! So here you go some salad ideas for you! I am dedicating this post to my co-worker Melissa aka Dummy aka Melby (I have many nicknames for her). She is the salad QUEEN! I ask Melissa every day what she is eating for lunch or what she is having for dinner and the response lately has been the same: “Salad” so this post is for you Dummy!

This is my MOST favorite dressing right now! It’s SOOO good! It tastes like a Honey Mustard dressing but without the may-o! I made this salad for my cousin Jenn when she was staying with us and it was her favorite dressing as well! I actually made this dressing and I originally didn’t like the flavor so I added honey and made it my own and that is what made it taste SO good!

Green Salad and Napa Wine Vinaigrette

 

This is THE BEST Macaroni Salad I have ever made! BBQ Macaroni Salad

Another favorite of mine! Tomatoes and avocados YUM YUM YUM! Avocado Salad with Tomatoes

I love Mushrooms! and I love this salad! MMMMMM Mushroom Salad

This is my go to cucumber salad – easy and delicious! Aunt Peggy’s Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad

 

Oh this is a good one for you! Probably not very healthy but still delicious Teri’s Ramen Noodle Coleslaw Salad

I LOVE caprese salad! But what makes this Caprese salad that much better is Heirloom tomatoes! I LOVE Heirloom tomatoes!
Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad

 

LOVE this salad! Probably NOT the best salad for you as it has May-o and Bacon in it! But it has brocoli so it will even it out right?
Broccoli Salad

This salad is YUMMY! Except instead of lettuce there is Cabbage and the best part is the avocado!
Ty’s Thai Salad

 

My MOST favorite salads of all is Cucumber salads! I LOVE Cucumbers!
Japanese Cucumber Salad

 

I really like the dressing on this salad! You know its good for you because it’s from The Biggest Loser!
White House Salad from The Biggest Loser

I have an obsession with asian cucumber salads! Something about them the flavors just go together really well and I am drawn to them, so I always make them!
Asian Marinated Cucumber Salad

Hey told you I love cucumbers! Here is another cucumber salad Awesome cucumber salad

This salad was different but really good! You know its good because it has BACON in it! Avocado Salad with Lemon, Bacon and Watercress

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Heirloom tomatoes so of course I love this salad
Heirloom tomato salad

Gotta love Caesar salad SIMPLE, SCRUMPTIOUS CAESAR SALAD WITH QUICK GARLIC CROUTONS

add some chicken too

I love me some mac salad and this one is delicious! Why? Well….it has BACON!
BLT Macaroni Salad

Antipasto Salad

The dressing for this salad is AMAZING! Make it just so you can have the dressing! The salad isn’t bad either!
Chinese Chicken Salad

Can’t go wrong with pasta salad! You have everything you need in one salad protein, carbs and veggies
Italian Pasta Salad

I love anything with tomatoes and fresh herbs! MMMM Marinated Tomato Salad with Herbs

 

This salad is different and I didn’t think I would like it, But it was so good! Marinated Vegetable Salad

Gotta LOVE The pioneer Woman – Chipotle Steak Salad

 

Cucumbers and Dill – go so WELL together! Cucumber, Tomato, Onion, Dill Salad
I love dill SO much that I add too much, I don’t think that I do, but my hubby tells me I do!

A different kind of salad with Calamari = YUM! Chilled Calamari Salad with Lemon and Parsley

Another Mac salad that I like Classic Macaroni Salad

My dad LOVED it!

 

If you need a good salad to feed a crowd! This salad is for you! Asian Noodle Salad

 

This is so good! make it!
Chipotle Turkey Salad

 

Another Yummy cucumber salad for you! Tomato, Cucumber and Red Onion Salad with Mint

 

I know this next one is not a salad, but it goes on salad so I think it works! Olive Garden Salad and Dressing

 

Easy, yummy pasta salad, who wouldn’t like that Simple Pasta Salad

 

Potatoes Salad (like Mom’s)

 

Asian Beef Salad with Sriracha Honey Dressing

 

Caprese Skewers

 

A different kind of way to have caprese salad Fresh Mozzarella with Tomatoes and Basil Vinaigrette

One of my most favorite dressings is Thousand Island Dressing

MMMMM Mushrooms! Marinated Mushrooms

This is my favorite Ginger Dressing tastes like the stuff from asian restaurants.

Ode to Salads

It’s Springtime, soon to be Summertime! So everyone is trying to eat better and lighter! So I thought I would do a post Ode to the Salad! So here you go some salad ideas for you! I am dedicating this post to my co-worker Melissa aka Dummy aka Melby (I have many nicknames for her). She is the salad QUEEN! I ask Melissa every day what she is eating for lunch or what she is having for dinner and the response lately has been the same: “Salad” so this post is for you Dummy!

This is my MOST favorite dressing right now! It’s SOOO good! It tastes like a Honey Mustard dressing but without the may-o! I made this salad for my cousin Jenn when she was staying with us and it was her favorite dressing as well! I actually made this dressing and I originally didn’t like the flavor so I added honey and made it my own and that is what made it taste SO good!

Green Salad and Napa Wine Vinaigrette

 

This is THE BEST Macaroni Salad I have ever made! BBQ Macaroni Salad

Another favorite of mine! Tomatoes and avocados YUM YUM YUM! Avocado Salad with Tomatoes

I love Mushrooms! and I love this salad! MMMMMM Mushroom Salad

This is my go to cucumber salad – easy and delicious! Aunt Peggy’s Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad

 

Oh this is a good one for you! Probably not very healthy but still delicious Teri’s Ramen Noodle Coleslaw Salad

I LOVE caprese salad! But what makes this Caprese salad that much better is Heirloom tomatoes! I LOVE Heirloom tomatoes!
Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad

 

LOVE this salad! Probably NOT the best salad for you as it has May-o and Bacon in it! But it has brocoli so it will even it out right?
Broccoli Salad

This salad is YUMMY! Except instead of lettuce there is Cabbage and the best part is the avocado!
Ty’s Thai Salad

 

My MOST favorite salads of all is Cucumber salads! I LOVE Cucumbers!
Japanese Cucumber Salad

 

I really like the dressing on this salad! You know its good for you because it’s from The Biggest Loser!
White House Salad from The Biggest Loser

I have an obsession with asian cucumber salads! Something about them the flavors just go together really well and I am drawn to them, so I always make them!
Asian Marinated Cucumber Salad

Hey told you I love cucumbers! Here is another cucumber salad Awesome cucumber salad

This salad was different but really good! You know its good because it has BACON in it! Avocado Salad with Lemon, Bacon and Watercress

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Heirloom tomatoes so of course I love this salad
Heirloom tomato salad

Gotta love Caesar salad SIMPLE, SCRUMPTIOUS CAESAR SALAD WITH QUICK GARLIC CROUTONS

add some chicken too

I love me some mac salad and this one is delicious! Why? Well….it has BACON!
BLT Macaroni Salad

Antipasto Salad

The dressing for this salad is AMAZING! Make it just so you can have the dressing! The salad isn’t bad either!
Chinese Chicken Salad

Can’t go wrong with pasta salad! You have everything you need in one salad protein, carbs and veggies
Italian Pasta Salad

I love anything with tomatoes and fresh herbs! MMMM Marinated Tomato Salad with Herbs

 

This salad is different and I didn’t think I would like it, But it was so good! Marinated Vegetable Salad

Gotta LOVE The pioneer Woman – Chipotle Steak Salad

 

Cucumbers and Dill – go so WELL together! Cucumber, Tomato, Onion, Dill Salad
I love dill SO much that I add too much, I don’t think that I do, but my hubby tells me I do!

A different kind of salad with Calamari = YUM! Chilled Calamari Salad with Lemon and Parsley

Another Mac salad that I like Classic Macaroni Salad

My dad LOVED it!

 

If you need a good salad to feed a crowd! This salad is for you! Asian Noodle Salad

 

This is so good! make it!
Chipotle Turkey Salad

 

Another Yummy cucumber salad for you! Tomato, Cucumber and Red Onion Salad with Mint

 

I know this next one is not a salad, but it goes on salad so I think it works! Olive Garden Salad and Dressing

 

Easy, yummy pasta salad, who wouldn’t like that Simple Pasta Salad

 

Potatoes Salad (like Mom’s)

 

Asian Beef Salad with Sriracha Honey Dressing

 

Caprese Skewers

 

A different kind of way to have caprese salad Fresh Mozzarella with Tomatoes and Basil Vinaigrette

One of my most favorite dressings is Thousand Island Dressing

MMMMM Mushrooms! Marinated Mushrooms

This is my favorite Ginger Dressing tastes like the stuff from asian restaurants.

Napa Cabbage Salad with Red Bell Pepper, Cilantro, Peanuts, and Dijon-Ginger Dressing

Addapted the recipe from here

1 smallish head of Napa cabbage, chopped
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced into long strips
1 bunch chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

For the Dressing:
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp. I used the pickled ginger, chopped (like what they use at sushi restaurants)
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp agave nectar (I ran out, so I used 1 tbsp of agave nectar and 1 tbsp of honey)
salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts (I added only to my portion, as the hubby doesn’t like peanuts in his food)

for the dressing throw everything into a bowl – starting with the rice vinegar,

pickled ginger

Dijon mustard,

sesame oil,

agave nectar and honey

salt, and pepper,

then what I did was grabbed my handy-dandy hand blender and turned it on and then poured the oil in and made sure everything was mixed together really well, made the dressing nice and thick and creamy. Set the dressing aside until ready to use

Chop Napa cabbage and place into a large bowl.

Cut red bell pepper, into thin slices, removed seeds and top and slice into long, thin slices (the original recipe called for one bell pepper, but because I LOVE them so much, I used two).

chopped green onions,

chopped cilantro,

Toss together the chopped Napa cabbage, red bell pepper strips, chopped green onions, and chopped cilantro in a large bowl.

What I did was added the salad to individual bowls and poured the desired amount of dressing over the salad and then added the peanuts.

I have made this salad before and I poured all the dressing over it and it did not keep well for the next day! So I recommend only adding dressing to what you eat and then if you have leftovers and you want some the next day, store the salad and dressing separate and then just add dressing to salad the next day.

Ty’s Thai Salad

recipe

Thai Salad:
1 head Napa cabbage, shredded
1 head red cabbage, shredded
One 10-ounce bag shelled edamame, cooked
2 carrots, peeled and grated
2 green onions, finely sliced

Sweet Lime-Cilantro Dressing:
2 cups olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 2 limes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 avocado, peeled and finely sliced

For the Thai salad: In a large serving bowl, toss the cabbages,

edamame,

carrots

and green onions.

For the sweet lime-cilantro dressing: Put the oil, cilantro,

sugar,

garlic,

lime juice,

salt

and pepper

in a large blender and blend until smooth. (I used my handy dandy hand blender)

Top each serving of salad with 2 tablespoons of the sweet lime-cilantro dressing and 2 slices of avocado for garnish.

Here is that recipe for you again:

Thai Salad:
1 head Napa cabbage, shredded
1 head red cabbage, shredded
1 large cucumber, julienned
One 10-ounce bag shelled edamame, cooked
2 carrots, peeled and grated
2 green onions, finely sliced

Sweet Lime-Cilantro Dressing:
2 cups olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 2 limes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 avocado, peeled and finely sliced

For the Thai salad: In a large serving bowl, toss the cabbages, cucumber, edamame, carrots and green onions.

For the sweet lime-cilantro dressing: Put the oil, cilantro, sugar, garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper in a large blender and blend until smooth.

Top each serving of salad with 2 tablespoons of the sweet lime-cilantro dressing and 2 slices of avocado for garnish.

Mixed Green Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette

Recipe

1/3 cup sherry vinegar
1 large clove garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (4.5-ounce) bag mixed baby greens, rinsed and spun dried
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
2 ounces feta cheese, coarsely crumbled

Blend the vinegar,

garlic,

oregano,

1 teaspoon of salt,

and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a blender until the garlic is finely chopped. With the blender running, slowly blend in the oil.

Toss the baby greens, bell pepper,

olives,

and cheese

with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with more salt and black pepper, and serve.

Japanese Cucumber Salad

Recipe

•4 Kirby cucumbers or 2 large cucumbers (I used English cucumbers)
•1/2 tablespoon salt
•1/2 cup white rice vinegar
•2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
•2 teaspoons sesame oil
•2 tablespoons white sugar
•1/2 teaspoon white or black sesame seeds, or a mixture of both

1.Cut the cucumbers into paper-thin slices. In a large bowl,

toss the cucumber slices with the salt (this draws out excess water). Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

2.In a small bowl, stir together the rice vinegar,

soy sauce,

sesame oil,

and sugar

until the sugar is dissolved.

3.Drain the cucumber slices in a colander and gently squeeze them with your hands to squeeze out excess water. Return the slices to the large bowl and toss with the rice vinegar mixture.

Transfer the cucumber to a serving dish. Serve at room temperature with sushi, noodles, stir-fries, etc.

White House Salad from The Biggest Loser

Found this recipe on…GUESS? Yep! Pinterest!

Recipe

1 head of fresh lettuce
1 cucumber
2 fresh in-season tomatoes
1/4 red onion
1 bunch fresh basil

1/3 cup olive oil (for dressing)

4 tbsp lemon juice (for dressing)

1 tsp honey (for dressing)
salt and pepper, to taste

For the salad: wash and dry the lettuce. Tear it into bite-size pieces.

Peel the cucumber and cut it into bite-sized bits.

Wash the tomatoes and cut them into bite sized pieces.

Peel the onion and slice it as thin as possible.

Wash and chop the basil into large pieces.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the lettuce,

cucumbers,

tomatoes,

onions

and basil.

Toss together so the ingredients are well mixed.

For the dressing: place the dressing ingredients in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Cover the container and shake vigorously.

Add the dressing to the salad, toss and serve immediately.

Thousand Island Dressing

Recipe

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons pickle relish

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 hard-cooked egg (optional)

Mix every thing together. (I blended my dressing in a food processor together) Can be served immediately although is better if it chills for an hour or more.

Carrot Ginger Soy Dressing

Recipe

This dressing is the BEST! Tastes like the Ginger dressing you get at a sushi restaurant! The first time I did this recipe I did it in my food processor as I didn’t have a blender. I recommend doing it in a blender as it is smoooooth…

ALSO the recipe calls for Iceberg Lettuce and I had green leaf lettuce, it does go better with iceberg. So I HIGHLY recommend what the recipe calls for…

(I doubled the recipe)

2 medium carrots, peeled, ends trimmed and sliced
2-inch piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 shallots, peeled and sliced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon superfine sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt

1 large head Iceberg lettuce, quartered and cored (I used Green leaf as that is all I had at the time I made this)
Freshly chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish
1 large red Thai chile, seeded, deveined and thinly sliced, for garnish

Combine the carrots,

ginger,

shallots,

soy sauce,

vinegar,

water,

sugar,

and vegetable oil in a blender

and puree until dressing becomes a slightly thick sauce. Season with the salt.

pour the dressing over the top of whatever lettuce you use. Finish with cilantro and chile.

Green Salad and Napa Wine Vinaigrette

This dressing is SOOOO good! I made it for the 1st time and loved it! (So good that I made a double batch)

Recipe

3 tablespoons sparkling wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil
Baby salad greens for 6 to 8

In a 2-cup glass measuring cup, whisk together the vinegar,

Dijon mustard,

whole grain mustard,

garlic,

egg yolk,

salt,

and pepper.

Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. You should have about 2/3 cup vinaigrette. (So I whisked this and tried it and I felt it was a little to tart, so I added in honey and it took that edge off and actually make this dressing taste like a honey mustard dressing, so I suggest adding honey)

When ready to serve, place the salad greens in a bowl and pour on enough vinaigrette to moisten. Serve immediately.