Calling all salad makers

[binski]

I've got a potluck thingy next week at work and it's a "salad" potluck. Any easy ideas out there that'll knock their socks off? Thanks ahead of time!

[Kasey]

Ok I have a great one for you Binski
Tortellini Salad with Feta Cheese

1/2 c olive oil
1/4 c white wine vinegar
1/4 c chopped green onion
3 garlic cloves minced
1 Tbsp Dried basil crumbled
1 tsp dried dill weed crumbled
1lb tortellini...prepared according to package
1 8oz can artichoke hearts quartered
1 basket cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c chopped black olives
1/2 c chopped walnuts
Italian dressing
salt and pepper

wisk oil, vinegar,onion,garlic,basil, and dill weed in a small bowl, Mix well
Combine tortellini, artichoke hearts, Feta Cheese, and olives in a large bowl
Pour dressing and oil mixture in and toss ...refrigerate overnight , before serving add tomatoes, walnuts, and enough dressing to moisten salad, and salt and pepper serve cold...

I hope this works for you if not let me know...I have lots more,
before my mom died, she made me, and my brother and sister, cookbooks with all her recipes, so we could carry them on...

[Current]

I have something that I make.....don't really have a recipe, it's more of a "throw it all in until it looks right and tastes right" type of thing.

You boil up a bunch of elbow macaroni, drain it and let it cool.

FINELY chop up the following and add to the macaroni:

Radishes
Cucumbers
White and/or Red Onions
Green Peppers
Green Onions
Garlic Cloves
Tomatoes

Mix a generous amount of Miracle Whip into the mixture until all coated. Season with salt, pepper, garlic salt. You can also use your favorite seasoning salt. Chill in the refrigerator and serve cold.

This is a pretty spicy macaroni salad, depending on how much onion and green pepper you add. Personally, I add tons of green onions and I go heavy on the garlic. The cucumber and tomato balance out the other spicier things.

[ups91]

Here is one of my favorite salads my mom made when I was a kid.

head of broccoli chopped
head of cauliflower, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (use any color)
4-5 carrots, sliced or chopped
jar of Marie's or Marzetti's ranch dressing *

In large bowl combine all veggies. Pour jar of ranch dressing over veggies and stir to coat. Cover and chill in fridge overnight.

* jar dressing is better than bottle of Hidden Valley or Kraft ranch dressing. There are different seasonings in the dressings.

You can also add radishes, small cherry or grape tomatoes to this. It is basically just the veggies that are on a relish tray.

[binski]

You guys rock! Might have to make them all. :)

[luckimomma]

This always goes over great- (plus it's colorful!)

Mexican Black Bean Salad

1 can black beans, rinsed well
1 can corn, drained
1 green pepper, diced fine
1 onion, diced fine
1 tomato, diced

Combine.

1 bottle Italian salad dressing (any kind you want, can be no-fat if you wish)
1 Tablespoon chili powder
good healthy dash of Tabasco
lots of garlic powder

Mix and pour over veggies. The longer it sits, the better it becomes.

[jenninshelby]

What about making a big chef salad. Just do the normal salad thing and toss in some other stuff-I always like to get the thin sliced sandwhich meats like beef and chicken, shred em up and add those. Toss is some diced hard boiled eggs and lots of cheese and it is yummy.

[doctorstrangelove]

doctorstrangelove's strawberry salad--

try this-- make a simple tossed green salad- romaine lettuce, baby spinach, iceberg lettuce, endive, radichio and/or some of your favorite salad greens. Rinse and let the greens drip dry in a collander. Peel three medium cloves of garlic. Get your best salad bowl. You may want to wear gloves for this next part-- Crush and rub the garlic cloves inside the bowl. Mash it in real good. This works best with a wooden salad bowl but what you are really trying to do is impart a hint of garlic flavor in the bowl. A few drops of garlic oil adds a great flavor. Pitch the garlic or save it for the next vampire attack. Rinse one pint of freah strawberries, remove tops and cut into thin slices. Top to bottomslices works best. Add 1/2 cup of Blue Diamond Glazed Walnuts. Toss salad greens, sliced strawberries glazed walnuts in the salad bowl. This goes best with a light vinagrette. You can add what ever else you want but a simple recipe works best. The strawberries are a classy touch and most people don't think of them as salad worthy. By flavoring the bowl with garlic this salad increases in flavor, so it makes a good salad to take to picnics, potlucks, etc. Prepare the ingredients the night before and you can do this salad in just a few minutes.

Ingredients: Salad greens, strawberries, garlic, glazed walnuts, salad dressing.

[luvflowers]

How about this one. I always took it to faculty luncheons.

Wild Strawberry Salad

1-16 oz. can crushed pineapple (I can't find the 16 oz. anymore, so use 15 1/4 oz.)
1-12 oz. carton of small curd cottage cheese
1-3 oz. pkg. of wild strawberry jello
1-9 oz. Cool Whip (I can't find the 9 oz., so use the closest to it)

Bring crushed pineapple with juice to a boil. Add jello. Stir well. Let partially congeal. Add cottage cheese and fold in cool whip. Refrigerate.


This is pretty in a jello ring mold with the center filled with strawberries.

Yummy!

[covergerl]

A lot of people don't season their salads!

And, that is key to making a great salad.

Even an average garden salad can become extraordinary by just spicing it up.

I always add:

Olive oil
cider vinegar
Fresh lemon juice
salt & pepper
Basil
Oregano
Garlic powder
and even Adobo (a Puerto Rican seasoning mix, in the Goya aisle)

and toss.

Believe me, people always ask me how I made my salad.

[covergerl]

or:

This is a basic dressing which can be used for shrimp salad,
crabmeat salad, lobster salad or a combination.
Dressing:
2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup chili sauce
2 tbsp. horseradish
2 tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar
2 tbsp. worchestershire sauce
1 tsp. old bay seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Combine all these ingredients and mix thoroughly. The dressing
can be made in advance and kept refrigerated until needed.

Salad Ingredients:
2 lbs. cooked, well drained and cut into bite size pieces
of crab, lobster, shrimp or imitation crab flakes.
1 cup coarsely chopped celery
1/2 cup coarsely chopped green peppers
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onions
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
1 doz. coarsely chopped hardboiled eggs

Add chilled dressing to chopped ingredients gradually. Add only
enough dressing to hold dry ingredients together. Depending on
the seafood you used not all the dressing will be used. Crabmeat
is very moist and will not required as much dressing. Mix thoroughly
and chill before using.

[Current]

I just got the Southern Living Five Star Recipes freebie in the mail today and this one sounds good!! I'm gonna make it next week for our Food Day at work.

Texas Caviar

1 (15 1/2 oz) can yellow hominy, drained
1 (15 oz) can black-eyed peas, drained
3 green onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1 medium sized green pepper, seeded and diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/3 cup chopped freshe parsley
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup commercial zesty Italian salad dressing
Garnish: fresh parsley springs
Tortilla chips

Combine first 9 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir well. Pour salad dressing over black-eyed pea mixture; toss gently. Cover and chill thoroughly. Toss again before serving. Garnish if desired. Serve with tortilla chips.

Yield 6-1/2 cups.