Around January salads start appearing on a lot of people’s diets. People have decided to lose weight and hope that salads will help do the trick. Unfortunately many people equate salads with boring. My Mom’s idea of a salad was bagged iceberg lettuce with shaved carrots and bottled dressing with an occasional bland tiny tomato thrown in for good measure. There are several restaurants now that are almost exclusively salads and the variety of salads can be staggering. Salads can be a side dish or the main dish in a menu.
Salads were popular in Greek and Roman times however it appears that the Chinese beat them to it by about 6,000 years. There is evidence that the ancient Egyptians also loved salads. There are famous salads such as the Caesar Salad, the Cobb Salad, the Waldorf Salad, the Crab Louie Salad, etc. There are salads made with a variety of greens. There are salads featuring pasta. What is a picnic without potato salad?
Salads can be thrown together quickly. One of my most asked for recipes is for a pasta salad that got thrown together late one Saturday night when the stores were closed and I realized that I had promised to being a salad to the choir picnic the next day. Rummaging through my refrigerator and pantry I threw together a salad I dubbed I’m Making This Up As I Go Along Pasta Salad in homage to Indiana Jones.
So here are some of my salad recipes. Some are side dishes and some can be a main dish. Let me know your favorite salads. A note on the salad I call Comfort Salad. It is a salad that is from my childhood and I will make it in times of stress because it takes me back to a happy time in my life.
Comfort Salad
Serving Size : 8
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 head iceberg lettuce -- torn
4 medium tomatoes -- seeded and quartered
4 whole eggs, hard-boiled -- diced
½ cup low fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Tear lettuce into bite size pieces. Seed and quarter tomatoes. Dice hard boiled eggs.
Add all ingredients to a medium size bowl and mix thoroughly.
Per Serving: 100 Calories; 7g Fat (61.3% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 111mg Cholesterol; 369mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
I'm Making This Up As I Go Along Pasta Salad
Serving Size : 8
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
8 ounces macaroni -- cooked and drained
4 whole hard-boiled eggs -- chopped
4 whole sweet pickles -- chopped
2 ounces pimiento -- diced
4 ounces black olives -- sliced
1 medium sweet onion -- diced fine
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup low-fat mayonnaise
½ teaspoon seasoned salt
½ teaspoon seasoned pepper
1 tablespoon salad herbs
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon paprika
Cook macaroni according to package instructions; drain. Place in large bowl along with eggs, pickles, olives, pimentos, and onion.
In a small bowl mix the vinegar, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, salad herbs, paprika, and mustard. Pour over macaroni mixture and mix thoroughly. Chill for at least an hour.
Per Serving: 265 Calories; 13g Fat (43.4% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 116mg Cholesterol; 526mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1½ Grain(Starch); ½ Lean Meat; ½ Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 Fat; ½ Other Carbohydrates.
Mandarin Salad
Serving Size : 8
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 bunch red leaf lettuce -- torn
1 small yellow bell pepper -- seeded and sliced
8 ounces water chestnuts, canned -- drained and sliced
8 ounces mushrooms -- sliced
11 ounces mandarin oranges in light syrup
1 small red onion -- sliced thin
1 tablespoon ginger -- minced
⅓ cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons wine vinegar -- I use Garlic Wine Vinegar.
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon no salt added tomato paste
Remove seeds and ribs of yellow bell pepper and slice into thin strips. Slice red onion into thin slices. Slice mushrooms. Tear red lettuce into bite size pieces.
Drain water chestnuts. Drain oranges saving syrup.
Mix lettuce, peppers, onions, mushrooms, water chestnuts and orange slices together in a large salad bowl.
In a blender add juice from oranges, oil, ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and tomato paste. Process until smooth and ginger is finely chopped.
Either toss the salad with the dressing or serve it on the side and let people add their own.
Per Serving: 149 Calories; 10g Fat (56.7% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 84mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1½ Vegetable; ½ Fruit; 2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
Tuna Salad
Serving Size : 6
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
12 ounces tuna in water -- drained
2 large sweet pickles, low sodium -- diced fine
2 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
16 ounces low fat cottage cheese
¼ teaspoon paprika
12 whole lettuce leaves
¼ teaspoon seasoned salt
Add tuna, pickles, mayonnaise, mustard, and salt together. Mix well.
Line bowls with lettuce leaves. Spread with cottage cheese. Sprinkle with paprika.
Put a scoop of the tuna mixture on top of cottage cheese.
Per Serving: 151 Calories; 3g Fat (16.6% calories from fat); 24g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 22mg Cholesterol; 603mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 3½ Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; ½ Fat; ½ Other Carbohydrates.
Zippy Potato Salad
Serving Size : 8
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
6 medium potatoes -- cubed
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 medium onion -- chopped
1 clove garlic -- minced
4 whole sweet pickles -- chopped
4 whole eggs, hard-boiled -- chopped
1 cup low-fat mayonnaise
½ teaspoon seasoned salt
¼ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon seasoned pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 stalks celery -- chopped
In pan with boiling water, place potatoes; cover and cook until tender when pierced, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and cool slightly. Place in large bowl. Add celery, garlic, pickles, eggs and onion.
In a small bowl combine vinegar, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper and paprika. Add dressing to potato mixture and mix thoroughly.
Cover and chill 4 to 6 hours or until next day. Makes 8 servings.
Per Serving: 216 Calories; 11g Fat (44.9% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 116mg Cholesterol; 413mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); ½ Lean Meat; ½ Vegetable; 2 Fat; ½ Other Carbohydrates.
Pea Salad
Serving Size : 6
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
10 ounces frozen peas -- thawed
8 ounces water chestnuts -- drained and diced
2 ounces pimientos -- drained and diced
3 whole sweet pickles, low sodium -- drained and diced
4 each green onions -- thinly sliced
4 ounces button mushrooms -- sliced
½ teaspoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon seasoned salt
2 tablespoons light sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
Mix peas, water chestnuts, pimentos, pickles, mushrooms and green onions together in a medium bowl.
Mix red wine vinegar, salt, sour cream, and mayonnaise together until smooth. Pour over peas mixture and blend until coated. Chill for at least 2 hours.
Per Serving:129 Calories; 2g Fat (15.5% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 4mg Cholesterol; 230mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; ½ Vegetable; ½ Fat; ½ Other Carbohydrates.
Italian Salad
Serving Size: 8
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 whole Roma tomatoes -- sliced
16 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese -- sliced
¾ ounce fresh basil leaves -- torn
¼ cup olive oil
⅛ cup balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
Slice tomatoes and mozzarella and place in a bowl. Tear the fresh basil leaves and add to tomato and cheese mixture.
In a small bowl put vinegar, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Mix well. Slowly drizzle the olive oil whisking to form an emulsion.
Dress the tomatoes, mozzarella and basil with the dressing or have the dressing on the side and people can dress their own.
Notes: Fresh basil leaves will discolor if cut with a knife. If you are not going to be cooking the basil tear the leaves.
Per Serving: 254 Calories; 21g Fat (73.0% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 51mg Cholesterol; 308mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; ½ Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 3 Fat.
Hot German Potato Salad with Polish Kielbasa
Serving Size : 6
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes -- sliced
1 medium sweet onion -- sliced
water -- to cover
4 slices bacon, thick-sliced -- diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon seasoned salt
¼ teaspoon seasoned pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon celery seed
⅓ cup cider vinegar
⅔ cup water
1 pound Polish sausage -- Kielbasa
Slice the potatoes and onions and put in crockpot. Cover with water. Cook on LOW 5 to 6 hours or HIGH 2 to 3 hours.
Mix flour, sugar, mustard, salt, pepper, paprika, and celery seeds in a small bowl.
Cook bacon to desired doneness. Add flour mixture and cook for one minute. Add water and vinegar and scrape up all the fond from bacon. Heat to boiling and stir until thickened.
Drain potatoes and onions and return to crockpot. Slice Polish sausage and add to pot. Add sauce and stir to combine.
Cook on HIGH for 30 to 45 minutes until everything is heated through.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 403 Calories; 26g Fat (58.8% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 60mg Cholesterol; 919mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 4 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.