SALADS

Potato Salad

This came from a magazine clipping that my Mother had from the 1950’s.

4 medium potatoes, (I use red)

4 hard-cooked eggs, coarsely chopped

1 small onion, minced

1 cup mayonnaise (use the real thing, Miracle Whip is inferior)

½ tsp sugar (elevates other flavors)

½ cup milk

2 tsp prepared mustard

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp vinegar

Boil the potatoes, skin on, until tender. Drain, cool, dice, and place into a large bowl. Add the eggs and onion, combine very gently.

Place the other ingredients into a medium bowl and blend with a whisk until smooth and creamy. Pour over potato mixture, gently. Chill, tightly covered, for 4 or 5 hours or overnight. Serves 6-8.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Carrot Salad with Cumin

1 lb. carrots, coarsely grated

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, pressed

1.2 tsp cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

Serve within an hour.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Cold Potato Salad

This one is from Maya Angelou. She remembered it as being “the star of the show” at a Sunday dinner, mounded high in its serving bowl.

6 cups peeled, diced, cooked potatoes

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 cup celery, finely diced

1 cup sweet relish, drained

8 large, hard-cooked eggs, 4 chopped, 4 whole

Salt and pepper to taste

1 ½ cups mayonnaise

Fresh parsley, chopped

Combine potatoes, onion, celery, pickles, relish, and chopped eggs. Season with salt and pepper, and add mayonnaise. Chill for several hours. Just before serving, halve the remaining eggs and place on salad as decoration. Dust with parsley and serve at once.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Refreshing Rhubarb Salad

Given to me in May 1997 by my Aunt Ruth, from whom I was given several starts of rhubarb plants to put into my own yard.

4 cups diced rhubarb

1½ cups water

½ cup sugar

1 -6 oz. pkg. strawberry gelatin

1 cup orange juice

1 tsp grated orange peel

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

In a saucepan over med heat, bring the rhubarb, water, and sugar to a boil. Cook uncovered until rhubarb is tender, about 6-8 mins. Remove from heat, stir in gelatin until dissolved. Add orange juice and peel; mix well. Chill until mixture begins to thicken. Fold in strawberries. Pour into a 2-qt bowl; chill until set. If desired, garnish with a dollop of mayo, mint, and strawberries.

________________________________________________________________________________

Cranberry-Whipped Cream Salad

1 -8 oz can crushed pineapple

1-3 oz pkg. raspberry jello

1 16 oz can whole cranberry sauce

1 tsp finely grated orange peel         

1 11 oz can mandarin oranges

1 cup whipping cream

Drain pineapple, reserve syrup. Add boiling water to syrup to make 1 cup. Dissolve gelatin in hot liquid. Stir in cranberry sauce and orange peel. Chill until partially set. Fold in oranges and pineapple. Whip cream to soft peaks; fold into fruit mixture. Use a 6-cup mold (Mine is shaped like a cornucopia; I use Pam to help it release onto serving plate.) Chill until thoroughly set. Unmold on a lettuce lined serving plate. Garnish with whole cranberries and grapes.

________________________________________________________________________________

Jen Garn’s Chicken Salad

My sister-in-law made this for a baby shower a few years ago and it was such a hit that I just HAD to have the recipe. Really fresh and nice!

4 cups diced, cooked chicken

4 cups diced celery

2 cans (small) water chestnuts, chopped

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp dried onions

¼ tsp curry powder

2 cups lite mayonnaise

2 cups grated Cheddar

2 cups sliced grapes

Toasted slivered almonds

Mix the salt, onion, curry, into the mayo. Mix everything else, add the dressing and toss lightly to coat. Serve on croissants.

________________________________________________________________________________

Greek Salad

We kind of copied this from a restaurant in Salt Lake City, which by the way, is a GREAT food town. The restaurant is called The Other Place and stepping in there is like stepping into a Las Vegas movie from the 60’s. It seems like Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra should come through the door.

On a dinner plate of dark greens, put each of the following in its own little pile:

Sliced tomatoes

Long slices of cucumber

Chunks of Feta cheese

Slices of avocado

Kalamata olives

Pepperoncini

Radishes

Dolmas (stuffed grape leaves; easy to get at a good grocer salad bar)

Grilled chunks of chicken, lamb, or shrimp

Triangles of pita or other flatbread

Greek Feta Dressing:

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup lemon juice

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

½ tsp oregano

½ tsp or less, dried mint

_________________________________________________________________________________

Southwest Chopped Salad

We’ve fallen in love with chopped salads; they are so versatile and you can use whatever you have on hand to make a really great “center of the plate” dish or side dish. Serve with flatbread or tortillas.

Large head Romaine

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 large orange bell pepper, diced

1 pint cherry tomatoes

2 cups corn (canned is fine if fresh is out of season)

5 green onions, sliced

1 avocado, diced (or reserve ½ for dressing)

Dressing:

1 cup loose packed cilantro

½ avocado or Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 clove garlic

¼ cup olive oil

1 ½ tsp white wine vinegar

1/8 tsp salt

Mix and serve over Chopped Salad.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Balsamic Vinaigrette

My cousin, David Hohnstein, is a trained chef. Watching him whisk up some of this dressing a few minutes before dinner is a joy!

½ cup balsamic vinegar (use the good stuff)

1 cup olive oil (ditto)

Salt, let’s call it 1 tsp

Basil, if dried, about ½ tsp

Oregano, if dried, about 1 tsp

Onion powder ½ tsp

A touch of thyme

Play around with the amounts, make it to your taste. I like to add 1-2 pressed garlic cloves.

Put into corked bottle. Doesn’t need to be refrigerated, due to it’ll disappear fast.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Creamy Pesto Dressing

¾ cup olive oil

1 cup mayonnaise (the real stuff)

¾ cup buttermilk

2 Tbsp Romano cheese

2 Tbsp dried basil, crushed

½ tsp salt

1 clove garlic, minced

Dash of Tabasco sauce

In a large bowl, combine oil and mayonnaise and whisk to blend. Add the rest of the ingredients, whisk to blend well.  Place into a jar and refrigerate at least overnight. Makes 2 ½ cups. Good as a chicken marinade.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Vinaigrette

This one is from Nora Ephron, a hoot of a writer.

Mix 2 Tbsp Grey Poupon mustard with 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar. Whisking constantly, slowly add 6 Tbsp olive oil, until vinaigrette is thick and creamy. It will be very strong in flavor. Nice.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Jen Hogan’s Marinade

My niece shared this with me years ago. She loved to cook!

¾ cup vegetable oil

1/3-1/2 cup soy sauce

¼ cup lemon juice

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp salt

1 ¼ tsp parsley flakes

½ tsp pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

Blend for four minutes