Corn, Black Bean, Avocado, and Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

1 7-10 oz. package grape tomatoes, chopped *

1 avocado

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 T. fresh cilantro, chopped

2 1/2 T olive oil

1 T. red wine vinegar **

juice from 1 small lime

3/4 t. sea salt

1/2 t. coarse black pepper

*I just used a few Romas

** I'm just now realizing that I never put this in! I love red wine vinegar too!

Recipe:

1. Toss chopped avocado with juice from 1 small lime.

2. In a large bowl, combine avocado, grape tomatoes, black beans, corn and cilantro.

3. Stir in olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir to coat.

4. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

Obviously, it's a super easy recipe to throw together. I have to say, when I made this, I thought it was fine, but it didn't wow me at all. But, typing up the recipe, I realized that I totally skipped the red wine vinegar. So, I'm sure with the vinegar in there it would have added that little extra something I was looking for.

Source: Center Cut Cook; Corn, Black Bean, Avocado, and Tomato Salad

Chipotle-Mango BBQ Chicken Salad

Salad sans dressing

Ingredients:

Chipotle-Mango BBQ Sauce:

1 mango, peeled and chopped

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, plus 2 t. adobo sauce

1/2 c. ketchup

1/2 c. apple juice

1/4 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

juice from 1/2 lemon

2 T. unseasoned rice vinegar

2 T. brown sugar

1 T. canola oil

2 t. paprika *

2 t. salt

1 t. black pepper

*I only had 1 t. paprika, so I substituted the rest with just a 1/2 t. cayenne pepper.

Dressing:

2 T. prepared Chipotle-Mango BBQ sauce

2 T. plain Greek yogurt

1-2 t. lime juice, give or take a little

salt and pepper

Salad:

2 chicken breasts

2 ears sweet corn, shucked

1 vine-ripe tomato, cut into wedges

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

1 bag Dole Romaine Salad mix *

*I used just a head of Romaine

Recipe:

Chipotle-Mango BBQ Sauce:

1. Combine all ingredients for BBQ sauce into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring often. Let cool then transfer to a food processor or blender, and process until smooth.

Dressing:

1. Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Taste, then add more lime juice, salt and pepper if necessary.

Salad:

1. Marinate chicken breasts in some of the prepared Chipotle-Mango BBQ sauce for at least 15 minutes, or up to 3 hours.

2. Grill over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes per side until no longer pink in the middle. Allow to rest for 5 minutes off the grill before slicing.

3. Grill corn alongside the chicken, rotating every few minutes until charred on all sides. Let cool for a few minutes, then cut kernels off the cob.

4. Divide lettuce between two plates, then top with grilled corn, tomatoes, cilantro, and grilled chicken. Drizzle with prepared dressing.

Rating: 4 of 5

I really liked this salad. My only complaint is the heat of the dressing, but that is easily remedied by taking out the chipotle pepper before blending. I thought the chicken marinade was perfect and just the right flavor to go with the salad and cilantro. For the corn, I brushed it with olive oil and then grilled it. Loved the flavor in the salad. Super easy salad to make although it does require a little bit of prep time. I'd definitely make this again.

Source: Iowa Girl Eats, Chipotle-Mango BBQ Chicken Salad

Chinese Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

Salad:

12 3-inch wonton skins, sliced into 1/4" strips *

1/4 c. canola or corn oil for frying

4 c. chopped romaine lettuce

1 chicken breasts, shredded **

2 green onions, chopped

1/4 c. sliced almonds, toasted lightly

1 T. sesame seeds

2 c. cooked fusilli pasta noodles, cooled

* I cut mine into 1-inch strips and then broke it into pieces as I topped the salad.
**I doubled the chicken.

Dressing: 

1 1/2 T vegetable or grapeseed oil

6 T. seasoned rice vinegar

1 t. sesame oil (add more to taste if you prefer a strong sesame taste) *

1 1/2 t. sugar

2 t. light soy sauce

2 T. sesame seeds

1/2 t. fresh ground pepper

1/8 t. salt

*I probably did about 1 1/2-2 t. 

Recipe:

1. Heat canola or corn oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When oil starts to shimmer, fry wonton skins batches of 5-7 strips for 30 seconds each side or until lightly browned, working quickly so they don't burn. Remove oil and drain on paper towels until cooled.

2. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, chicken breast, green onion, almonds and pasta.

3. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk well until sugar dissolves. Dress lettuce mixture with 2-3 tablespoons of sesame dressing and top with sesame seeds and wonton strips and serve.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

I loved this salad. Even LaDon, who doesn't like Chinese food a lot, really liked it. The dressing is light and not too overbearing. I loved the evrey aspect of this salad. The pasta surprised me, but it went great with the shredded chicken and almond slices. I'll definitely be making this again.

Source: Foodie Crush, Chinese Chicken Salad

Colorful Quinoa, Black Bean and Corn Salad

Ingredients:

1 c. quinoa, thoroughly washed in a fine sieve

1 3/4 c. water

15-oz. can black beans, thoroughly rinsed

1 c. frozen corn *

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped**

1 Jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and minced

1/2 red onion, finely chopped ***

1/4 c. cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

1/3 c. olive oil

1/4 c. balsamic  vinegar****

salt and pepper

*used a can instead

** I used what I had on hand and that meant cutting out the red pepper and jalapeno and replacing it with just a green bell pepper.

*** I didn't have a red onion on hand so I just used my normal onion substitute of dried chopped onion.

**** I don't really like the balsamic taste, so I substituted it with lime juice. Much better.

Recipe:

1. Combine the quinoa and water in a rice cooker and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions. Alternatively combine the quinoa and water in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer (not removing the lid!), until all of the water has been absorbed. *

2. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool slightly.

3. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, black beans, corn, red bell pepper, jalapeno, onion, and cilantro. Mix well.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and balsamic and pour over the quinoa; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

*I don't have a rice cooker. I followed the instructions on the packaging.

Rating: 4 of 5

Did I like it? Yes. Would I make it again? Yes. Did LaDon like the quinoa? Surprisingly, yes! I really don't think I would have liked this with the balsamic, so I'm glad I switched it out for the lime juice. Cilantro and lime go better together anyway. Even Ally liked it and that girl never eats new food.

Source: Girl Cooks World, Colorful Quinoa Black Bean and Corn Salad

Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix

Ingredients:

2 T. dried parsley

1 t. dried dill

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. onion powder

1/2 t. dried basil

1/2 t. pepper

Recipe:

1. Add each of the dried spices to a bowl and gently stir.

2. Store in a resealable plastic bag or small canning jar with tight fitting lid.

3. To make the ranch dressing, whisk together 1/3 c. mayonnaise with 1/4 c. milk and 1 T. of the homemade ranch dressing seasoning mix. (Makes about 4 T. of dressing)

4. Season with salt, to taste.

5. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Rating: 3 of 5
So, this rating is not a full-on rating. I used the dry mix in a crock pot recipe, so I'm not sure if it tastes like Ranch dressing or not when it's all put together. But, it did smell like it! One thing that I think I'll do differently next time is crush up the parsley even more. 

Source: $5 Dinners, Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix

Barbecue Chicken Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing

Ingredients:

Salad:

2 hearts of Romaine, chopped *

1 can corn

1 can black beans, rinsed

15 grape tomatoes, halved **

3-4 cooked chicken breasts, cubed or shredded

1/2-1 c. favorite barbecue sauce

mozzarella cheese, shredded

*Went with our favorite lettuce: green leaf

**I used 3 hearty Roma tomatoes

Dressing:

1 envelope Ranch dressing mix

1 c. mayonnaise *

1 c. milk

1/2 bunch cilantro

1 clove garlic **

1 lime juiced OR 2 T. lime juice

* I actually did 1/2 c. mayo and 1/2 c. sour cream. Next time I'll sub out the mayo completely.

** I used about 1 t. minced garlic

Recipe:

Dressing:

1. Place dressing ingredients into blender or food processor and combine well. Let sit for a few hours to increase flavor of dressing. *

* My blender is not very good at blending. I should put a new blender or food processor on my gift list for Mother's Day......yes. Anyways.....I just whisked everything, but the cilantro, together. Then I chopped up the cilantro into ity bity pieces and stirred it into the mix.

Salad:

1. Place lettuce in a serving bowl. Layer with corn, beans, and tomatoes.

2. Mix cooked chicken with barbecue sauce and top over salad.

3. Sprinkle top with mozzarella cheese.

4. Drizzle with dressing.

Rating: 5 of 5

Yes, it's that good. The cilantro dressing and BBQ go really, really well together. Plus, it's got all of those good veggies in it! Very similar to Katie's Mexican Salad. I will definitely be making this one again. Oh, but it does make a rather large batch, so half it and plan on making taco with the leftovers the next night.

Source: Recipe Shoebox, BBQ Chicken Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing

Orange Strawberry Salad with Orange Dressing

Ingredients:

Salad:

1 pkg. spring mix greens *

1 pint strawberries, sliced

1 large orange, peeled, cut into small pieces **

3 green onions, sliced

1 c. sliced almonds ***

4 T. butter

4 T. sugar

* I just used a head of green leaf lettuce. It's our favorite

** OR 3-4 clementines, cut in half

*** I thought 1 c. of almonds was WAY too much. So, I recommend 1/2 c. almonds and 2 T. butter and sugar.

Dressing:

1/2 t. grated orange peel, or orange zest

1/3. c. fresh orange juice (1-2 oranges) *

2 T. red wine vinegar

2 T. sugar

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1 T. dry Italian dressing mix

* OR 3-6 clementines, depending on how juicy they are

Recipe:

1. Put all salad ingredients together in a large bowl.

2. To make the candied almonds, mix almonds, butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until the butter and sugar turn to a toffee color, stir constantly. Spread on waxed paper to cool.

3. Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar or Ziploc bag and shake well.

4. Serve dressing on top of salad. Enjoy!

Rating: 4.5 of 5

Seriously, so good! I loved the dressing. I never would have thought of mixing orange juice with Italian dressing mix. But, it is delicious!!! Sweet and tangy all at the same time. Add it with the salad and BOOM! explosion of flavor! The salad itself is a salad. I mean, we've all had oranges or strawberries on lettuce. But, the oranges and strawberries combined are pretty delicious. I really liked this one. Definitely a keeper. I do think you could add chicken to this one and make a main dish out of it. It'd be pretty good....

Source: See Jane Cook, Orange Dressing with Orange Strawberry Salad

Spinach Mandarin Poppy Seed Salad

**I would have had a picture, but I was making it for someone else and in a hurry. Therefore, I forgot to take the picture :( **

Ingredients:

8 oz. (1/2 bag) of baby spinach *

1/2 - 1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 thinly sliced medium red onion

1 large avocado, cubed

8 oz. mozzarella or Swiss cheese, shredded

1 12-oz. package bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 large can Mandarin oranges, drained

Poppy Seed dressing, to taste

* I just used a half bunch of spinach

Recipe:

1. Combine all ingredients except dressing in a large bowl. When ready to serve, toss with desired amount of salad dressing and serve immediately. If you anticipate leftovers, just let your eaters dress their own salads because the dressing will make the greens wilt.

Rating: 3 of 5

This isn't the most amazing salad I've ever had, but that could be because I don't really like onion in it's raw form. I thought it was a good salad, but I was surprised at the lack of taste despite ALL of the ingredients in it. Avocado is essentially flavorless (to me) and I know it's supposed to absorb the flavors around it so I felt like the avocado could have been left out. I love oranges in salads though. Actually, scratch that. I love most fruits in salads. So, despite my many criticism about this salad, I do like it.

Source: OurBestBites.com, Spinach Mandarin Poppy Seed Salad

Southwestern Cobb Salad

Ingredients:

Vinaigrette:

3 T. white wine vinegar

1 t. honey

3/4 t. ground cumin

1/2 t. smoked paprika *

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. ground red pepper

2 T. canola oil

Salad:

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

cooking spray

8 oz. skinless, boneless turkey or chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch pieces **

1/4 t. salt

8 c. torn romaine lettuce ***

1/2 c. pico de gallo

1/2 c. diced avocado

1/2 c. (2 oz) crumbled queso fresco, feta, or shredded pepperjack ****

1/4 c. chopped green onions

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

*Never knew smoked paprika was an option. So, I used what I had and that was ground paprika.

** Got my chicken breast from a rotisserie. Hooray for Costco's $5 chickens!

*** I'm a lettuce snob. I pretty much use green leaf over any other kind of lettuce.

****I went with a mix of shredded pepperjack, mozzarella, and cheddar cheeses.

Recipe:

1. To prepare vinaigrette, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine, or place in a jar and shake. Set aside.

2. To prepare salad, heat a skillet to medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle turkey or chicken with salt and add to pan. Saute until done, about 4 minutes.*

3. Arrange 2 c. lettuce on each of 4 plates and divide ingredients among them. If you want to be specific, each serving should have about: 2 t. bacon, 5 T. chicken, 2 T. pico de gallo, 2 T. avocado, 2 T. cheese, 1 T. green onions, and 1/3 c. beans.

4. Drizzle vinaigrette evenly over salads.

*I'm not sure if the 4 minutes is for raw or cooked chicken. My chicken was already cooked. Rather than coating the pan with cooking spray, I cooked my bacon first, removed the bacon, drained the fat out, and then threw in the chicken. Not that that lowered the calories in any way...

Rating: 4.5 of 5

This salad surprised me! I wasn't expecting much since I knew the onion in the pico de gallo was really strong and the pepper hot, but the vinaigrette and every thing else on the salad blended perfectly! LaDon doesn't like vinaigrette very often, so the fact that he really liked this salad including the dressing is saying a lot. Good veggies. Lots of flavor. And very delicious.

Source: OurBestBites.com, Southwestern Cobb Salad

Katie's Mexican Salad

Ingredients:

2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped

1 can black beans, drained

1 can corn, drained

1/2 red onion diced

2 roma tomatoes diced

1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1 avocado, cubed

1 small can sliced olives

ranch dressing

BBQ sauce

2 grilled chicken breasts, sliced

Recipe:

1. Toss all together using equal parts ranch and BBQ sauce. You can also sprinkle some crushed tortilla chips on top. Super easy. Super yum.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

Seriously, so good. This one was my favorite of the night. It sounds strange, BBQ and ranch? Yeah, but it's soooo good.

Source: Katie Walker

Greek Cherry Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

24-oz cherry tomatoes, halved

1 ½ cucumbers, cut into ½ inch cubes

20 large kalamata olives, halved

½ medium red onion, chopped

2 T. fresh parsley, chopped

¼ t. salt

¼ t. sugar

10 oz. feta, cut into ½ inch cubes

½ c. extra-virgin olive oil

½ c. fresh lemon juice

1 T. oregano, chopped

Recipe:

1. Toss cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, red onion, parlsey, salt and sugar in a bowl and set aside.

2. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice and oregano.

3. Cover and chill vegetables and dressing separately until ready to serve.

4. Just before serving, drain vegetables and add feta.

5. Pour dressing over the top and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately.

Rating: TBD

I missed this one too and I'm not sure how. I'm anxious to try this one! It sounds like the perfect summer salad!

Source: Laura Hauley

Bruschetta Lentil Salad

Ingredients:

1 box steamed Trader Joe's Lentil Beans (in the produce section)

1 jar Trader Joe's Bruschetta

1 T. cilantro (or parsley)

1 T. Olive Oil

1 whole lime, squeezed (or lemon)

The lemon and parsley go well together, and the cilantro and lime go well together (my fav).

Recipe:

1. Mix above ingredients in bowl, serve and enjoy!

Rating: TBD

I gotta think I'll like this one. Cilantro and lime!

Source: Shannon Booher

Creamy Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

2 oil-packed anchovy fillets

1/4 c. whole milk

1 garlic clove , crushed and peeled

2 T. champagne vinegar

1 t. Dijon mustard

1 c. mayonnaise

2 T. buttermilk

1/2 t. fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Recipe:

1. Put the anchovies in a small bowl and pour the milk over them. Soak the anchovies for 30 minutes. (Soaking will give them a sweeter flavor.)

2. Drain the anchovies. Chop coarsely and transfer to a small food processor. Add the garlic, vinegar, and mustard and puree. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the mayonnaise and buttermilk. Season with the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 1 week.

Rating: 4 of 5

Of course, I love Caesar salad. It is one of my favorites and this recipe really nailed it! It's really good.

Source: Lauren Hastings, from Ad Hoc

Santa Rosa Valley Salad

Ingredients:

Salad:

1 box Uncle Ben's Wild/Long Grain Rice, cooked

juice of 1 Lemon

3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or chopped

4 green onions, sliced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

3 oz snap or snow peas

1 avocado

1/2 cup pecans (opt)

lettuce for garnish

Dressing:

2 cloves garlic

1 T. dijon mustard

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. sugar

1/4 t. pepper

1/2 c. rice vinegar

1/3 c. olive oil

Recipe:

1. Mix the salad ingredients together and set aside.

2. Mix together the dressing ingredients.

3. Place lettuce leaves on a plate and pile salad mixture on top.

4. Pour the dressing on top of the salad or mix it in.

Rating: TBD

Once again, this was one I missed at salad night. It looked very delicious though!

Source: Sariah Tolley

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

Ingredients:

Salad:

4 c. chopped Romaine Lettuce

2 c. chopped grilled chicken

1 c. cherry or grape tomatoes, washed

1/3 c. vertically-sliced red onions

1 avocado, cubed

1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 8 3/4 oz. can corn, rinsed and drained

Dressing:

1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro

2/3 c. light sour cream

1 1/2 + tsp. adobo sauce from canned chipotle chilies

1 tsp. chili powder

4 tsp. fresh lime juice

¼ tsp. salt

Tortilla Strips, optional

Recipe:

1.Make sure all salad ingredients that need to be washed or rinsed have been.

2. Combine lettuce, chicken, beans, corn, onion, and tomatoes in a large bowl and gently mix with your hands. Set aside.

3. Mix dressing ingredients. I say to start with 1 1/2 tsp. of adobo sauce and then go from there, probably 1/4-1/2 tsp. at a time. If you’re serving this for a crowd, it’s probably better to err on the side of not spicy enough rather than too spicy, but if you’re just making it for your family and you have taste buds of steel, have at it. You could even chop up one of the chilies and toss it in there if you’re feeling super-brave. Then taste the dressing and you’ll know what heaven tastes like. Set dressing aside.

4. If you’re making tortilla strips, fry those puppies up now.

5. When you’re ready to serve, add avocado, tortilla strips, and dressing. Gently combine and serve.

Rating: TBD

So, Lindsay actually wasn't able to make it to salad night, which meant her salad wasn't there! But, looking at the recipe and knowing that it came from Our Best Bites, the odds are pretty high that I would like it!

Source: Lindsay Bauman, from Our Best Bites

Candied Pecan Salad

Ingredients:

Salad:

2 heads of leafy greens (Either romaine or bags of baby spinach)

3/4 c. Craisins

2 crisp apples (Granny Smith are best, but anything will work)

1 orange or orange juice (enough to toss apples in to prevent browning and add a little flavor)

2 oz. Gorgonzola crumbles (You can use blue cheese but I prefer Gorgonzola-- it's milder!)

3/4 c. chopped pecans (or walnuts if you prefer them)

1/3 c. sugar

Honey Red Wine Vinaigrette:

1/2 c. red wine vinegar

1/2 c. honey

1-2 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 c. vegetable or canola oil

Recipe:

For vinaigrette:

1. In a blender, combine vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Place lid on blender and blend on high. While blender is running, add oil in a steady stream. Store in refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks. Shake well before serving.

For Salad:

1. Wash and chop lettuce. Set aside to dry.

2. To candy the nuts, combine walnuts and sugar in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly. After a few minutes, the sugar will start to liquefy. Be very careful to stir constantly at this point so the sugar doesn’t burn. The syrup will begin to darken and will coat the nuts. As soon as they start to reach a golden brown color, remove from heat. Careful not to burn them! Stir occasionally as the nuts begin to cool. After a few minutes, spread candied nuts onto a greased piece of parchment or wax paper and allow to cool completely. Set aside.

3. If your cheese didn’t come crumbled, chop it very finely. You want small crumbles, not chunks. (On a side note, I am really not a fan of super strong cheeses, but this is a KEY ingredient in this salad. Since the crumbles are so tiny, you never bite into a huge chunk of cheese.)

4. Slice apples very thinly and toss in orange juice to prevent browning (I LOVE using OJ for this—It adds tons of great flavor).

5. When you’re ready to serve, toss lettuce, cranberries, walnuts, apples, and Gorgonzola in a large bowl. Add dressing if desired. It really is better all mixed together rather than on top, but the dressing will wilt any leftovers.

Rating: TBD

Once again, this is a recipe I didn't try. But, I looked delicious and I will be trying this one.

Source: Mary Baldwin

Mango Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

2 c. cooked quinoa at room temperature, or chilled*

1 14-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium mango, peeled and diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

6 green onions, thinly sliced

1 handful chopped cilantro (about 1/2 cup)

4 T. red wine vinegar

3 T. extra virgin olive oil

1-2 T. fresh lime juice

kosher salt

freshly cracked black pepper

*Quinoa can be cooked in water or broth. I suggest using vegetable or chicken broth for enhanced flavor, but plain water works great too.

Recipe:

1. Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Add mango, red pepper, green onion, black beans, and cilantro.

2. In a small bowl combine vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice. Whisk until smooth and pour on top of salad. Toss to combine and add salt and pepper to taste. Chill for at least one hour before serving.

Rating: TBD

I don't know why I didn't see this one at salad night! I really like mango and now that I know I like quinoa type pasta, I'm sure I would have liked it! Almost all of my most favorite ingredients are in this recipe! Definitely going to be trying this one....maybe when LaDon is out of town though.

Source: Shayla Taylor, From Our Best Bites

Balsamic Marinated Vegetables

Ingredients:

Vegetables:

1 1/2 c. uncooked broccoli, seperated into florets

1 1/2 c. uncooked cauliflower, seperated into florets

1 medium zucchini, sliced

12 baby carrots, sliced

1/2 sweet onion, sliced thin and seperated into rings

Balsamic Dressing:

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar, plus

2 T. balsamic vinegar

1/4 c. finely snipped fresh parsley

2 T. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 t. black pepper

salt

Recipe:

1. Combine the vegetables in a large glass or ceramic bowl.

2. Mix dressing ingredients and pour over vegetables.

3. Stir well, cover and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours, stirring occasionally.

4. Cooking time reflects time to marinate vegetables.

Notes:

I used purple onion, broccoli, baby carrots, red peppers, and cucumber instead of the veggies they suggested. I also ended up making more sauce/marinade than they called for. I had more veggies than they asked when I was done chopping, and the marinade seems pretty skimpy when you just do the amount they call for, so i doubled the water and tripled the vinegar and oil and garlic, and just shook in a bunch of pepper. i didn't have any parsley so i left it out. I think it's pretty flexible so do what you want!

Rating: TBD

This one looked really good, however, I didn't try it because I've learned, through the recipes on this blog, that I really don't like the balsamic flavor. I'm sure it was delicious for those who like that flavor though!

Source: Julia Axtell, adapted from food.com

Acini Di Pepe Salad aka: Frog Eye Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb. Acini Di Pepe or Quinoa

1 c. Sugar

2 T. flour

1/2 t. salt

2 eggs, beaten

2 c. marshmallows (optional)

1 3/4 c. pineapple juice (from drained pineapple chunks, tidbits and crushed)

1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple

1 20-oz. can pineapple chunks

1 20-oz can pineapple tidbits

3 cans mandarin oranges

1 9- or 12-oz container of whipped topping

any additional fruit you wish to add (I could see strawberry slices being delicious...)

Recipe:

1. Cook macaroni (aka: acini di pepe) in boiling, salted water until tender. Rinse in cold water, drain and cool.

2. In saucepan combine sugar, flour, salt, beaten eggs, pineapple juice and marshmallows. Cook, stirring until thick and smooth. Cool.

3. Add the sauce to the noodles with the fruit. Chill in refrigerator. When ready to serve, add whipped topping and stir.

Rating: 3 of 5

So, growing up in the Mormon culture, I feel like Frog Eye Salad was at every ward activity. And honestly, I never tried it because the name grossed me out.....I mean, seriously...frog eyes? Anyway, one of the girls in our ward made this salad for our salad recipe night and I finally got up the nerve to try it. And guess what!? I actually liked it. The texture of the pasta took me a few bits to adjust to, but I really like whipped cream and mandarin oranges. I like it, but I don't think I will ever make this recipe because LaDon would HATE the texture of the salad. Sad:(

Source: Robyn Shelton

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

Dressing:

3/4 c. strawberry jam

1 t. salt

1/3 c. sugar

1/2 t. dry mustard

3/4 c. canola oil

1/2 c. red wine vinegar

Salad:

Spinach

green onions, sliced

fried wontons (you can buy uncooked wontons at the store and then just fry them in canola oil)

chopped mushrooms (optional)

sliced strawberries

chopped nuts (I like to use macadamia nuts or almonds)

Recipe:

1. Mix the dressing ingredients together in a blender, food processor, or with a whisk.

2. Place spinach in a bowl. Layer the remaining ingredients.

3. If serving the whole salad with the dressing, put on just before serving.

Rating: TBD

We do a cooking group in our ward twice a month, and honestly, I can't remember the specifics about all the salads I had that night. They were all oh-so-good! I'll have to make this one and then rate it.

Source: Stephanie Hansen