Tired of Salads...

[htc]

Hi, I eat a salad almost every day. I am getting tired of them. I try to change it up on a regular basis. My salads are a throw together thing, I don't use a recipe and usually take several different salad dressings, combine to make one and toss with the salad.

I am getting tired of the salads I make and need suggestions on possible ingredients to liven things up.

Here's what's basically in my fridge/pantry that I use on a regular basis: romaine lettuce, baby spinach, herbs (if I have something fresh, I just use it), cucumber, tomato, carrots, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, walnuts, slivered almonds, sliced green olives & feta cheese (occassionally another cheese, if I have it on hand). If I have left over chicken, I toss that in to make it a meal.

Thanks!

 

[SierraCook]

Remember salad does not always have to have greens to be a salad. Try other nuts like pecans or cashews. Sugared pecans are really good.


Broccoli Salad

Salad:

6 cups broccoli florets
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup minced red onion
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted
4 strips of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Dressing:

½ cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
1½ teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon stone ground mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Cut large broccoli florets into bite-size pieces. Place all salad ingredients in a large bowl; set aside. Whisk together dressing ingredients in medium bowl and pour over salad. Toss well to coat all ingredients with dressing. Refrigerate until well chilled. Serves: 6 - 8

Tomato and Feta Salad
Created by Ina Garten
Makes 8 servings

3 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
12 ounces feta cheese, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine or champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

In a serving bowl, gently toss together all ingredients. Serve immediately or chill, covered, until ready to serve.

Black Bean Salad
Makes 6 to 8 servings

2 Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Can of corn, drained
1 Jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1 Red bell pepper, seeded and deribbed
1 Green bell pepper, seeded and deribbed
1 Yellow bell pepper, seeded and deribbed
1/2 Cup red onion
1 Clove garlic, minced
1/4 Cup cilantro
1/4 Cup olive oil
4-5 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 Teaspoon lime juice
Freshly ground pepper
Salt
Tortilla chips

Cut all the bell peppers and the red onion into 1/4 inch dice. In a salad bowl, combine the bell peppers, onion, corn kernels, garlic and cilantro and toss to mix. Add the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste and toss again. Add the Black Beans, toss well and serve with tortilla chips.

 

[Juliev]

Easy Antipasto Salad:

1 3/4 cups chunked tomato, or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumber
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1 cup (2 6oz jars) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and halved
1 oz thinly sliced salami, optional
1/2 cup sliced pitted ripe olives, drained
1/2 cup thinly sliced green bell pepper
1/2 cup italian dressing
feta cheese, optional

In 1-qt casserole dish, layer tomatoes, cucumber, onion, artichoke hearts, salami, olives and bell pepper. Pour dressing over salad; cover and chill. Before serving, sprinkle with some feta cheese.

 

[Juliev]

Artichoke and Olive Salad:

1 lb dry rotini pasta, cooked, drained, and chilled
3 1/2 cups (2 14.5oz cans) chunky tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup (6oz jar) artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
1/2 cup italian dressing
1/2 cup sliced pitted olives, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

In large bowl, combine chilled pasta, tomatoes and juice, artichoke hearts, dressing, olives, parsley, and green onions; toss well. Cover. Chill before serving. Sprinkle with almonds just before serving.

 

[htc]

Thanks for the ideas, I will definitely try some of these, especially the broccoli one. I probably should have mentioned that I try to add greens to all my salads since I watch my carbs and try to eat lots of green veggies every day.

 

[Juliev]

Warm Thai Chicken Salad:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (use gloves)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" strips
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces
1 med cucumber, cut into 1/4" slices
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
mixed salad greens
dry-roasted peanuts

Heat oil in skillet over med-high heat. Cook garlic and jalapeno 30 secs, stirring frequently. Stir in chicken. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink in center.

Add bell pepper, cucumber and onions; toss with chicken mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients except greens and peanuts. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; boil and stir 30 secs. Remove from heat.

Divide salad greens on dinner plates. Spoon chicken mixture over greens, using slotted spoon. Drizzle liquid from skillet over salad. Top off with dry-roasted peanuts........ 4 servings.

 

[honeybee]

Tired of Salads....

Salads do not always have to be made of leafy green vegetables. How about a coleslaw? Regular coleslaw? Asian coleslaw? Cabbage with fruit ie. pineapple, raisins, etc.

How about a congealed salad? Gelatin and cream cheese and fruit?

A bean salad? Potato salad? Pasta salad? Not just macaroni shells but a spaghetti salad?

How about a relish tray in lieu of a salad? Raw vegetables with dip?

Good luck! Share how you've solved this dilemma.

 

[buckytom]

italian broccoli salad.

first blanch about 3 cups of broccoli florets. seed and chop 2 cups of fresh tomatoes, place in seive to allow to drain. finely dice 1 stalk of celery, and 3 cloves of garlic. mix together about 1/2 cup of your fav italian herb evoo viniagrette, add in the garlic and celery. arrange the broccoli in a circle on a plate with the stems facing in, top with the chopped tomatoes in the center, and pour the dressing over top.

serve with a warm baguette and evoo with black pepper for dipping...

 

[jkath]

Julie-girl!

That artichoke/olive salad sounds absolutely perfect!
Think I may need to make that with tonight's dinner!

I'll let you know how it went Thanks!!!

 

[kitchenelf]

For a little change try adding dark red kidney beans to your salad and also sweet peas - that is one of my favorites.

Here's a salad I used to make all the time when I was in the restaurant biz.

mesclun mix
some sort of tubular pasta
carrot strands
celery
radishes
green pepper
black olives
cucumbers
tomatoes
bleu cheese dressing
homemade seasoned croutons
grated parmesan cheese

Just throw everything into a bowl and thoroughly toss.

 

[Audeo]

Love mesclun, Elf!

This salad recipe arrived today in December’s Fitness Magazine and really fits my bill for a great and unusual salad! I'll definately be giving it a try this week...maybe tomorrow. For more protein, add about a cup of cooked chicken.

Warm Wild Rice Salad with Blue Cheese and Fruit

1 cup quick-cooking wild rice, cooked according to directions
1 Asian Pear, cored and cubed
1 apple (your choice), peeled, cored and cubed
¼ cup toasted walnuts, chopped
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup dried cranberries
8 cups mesclyn or spring salad mix
1 tablespoon EVOO
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar.

In a bowl, toss together the first six ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a separate bowl, season greens with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper; toss to coat evenly.

Divide the mesclun mix among serving plates and top with a scoop of the rice mixture.

 

[uptown chef]

Strawberrie chicken Salad

mesculan salad mix or spring mix
grape tomatoes
fresh strawberries cut in half
maytag blue cheese
marinate in balsamic dressing and grill chicken breast
sugared walnuts
balsamic dressing

hi, this recipe is simple just assemble salad in the same order i listed.
Any balsamic dressing will do i like to make mine with olive oil, honey,and very
little de jonghe mustard.
my recipe for sugared walnuts is simple, just add a couple of tbs of water
to 1/4 c sugar stir in 2 c walnuts and microwave for 1 minute stir again and shorten
the wave time. keep repeating this process till sugar crystallizes .
good luck and in joy!

 

[jkath]

Julie - I made the olive/artichoke pasta salad yesterday afternoon, thinking it would be an accompanying dish to dinner...
after way too many unexpected events, it was dinnertime...
so I threw in some cut up chicken I had leftover, and the pasta
was a success! Yummmmmmm!

So, not only was it good,
it was a lifesaver!
Thanks again!

 

[Juliev]

Julie - I made the olive/artichoke pasta salad yesterday afternoon, thinking it would be an accompanying dish to dinner...
after way too many unexpected events, it was dinnertime...
so I threw in some cut up chicken I had leftover, and the pasta
was a success! Yummmmmmm!

So, not only was it good,
it was a lifesaver!
Thanks again!

You're Welcome! I brought it to a picnic some months ago, and they all liked it. I'm glad you enjoyed it. And salads like that are so flexible on substituting ingredients or even adding additional ones.

 

[kitchenelf]

uptown chef - that salad looks wonderful. One time I also added mandarin orange and made a poppy seed dressing with the mandarin orange juice (finely minced onion, poppy seeds, apple cider vinegar, light olive oil so it wouldn't overpower the flavor, splenda/sugar just whatever you use - and it was really good)

 

[HotnSpicy]

Zucchini and Jicama Salad recipe

August 12 - Recipe

Atkins has published a great recipe for a Zucchini and Jicama Salad. Jicama is a baseball-size root vegetable similar in texture to a radish, but with a slightly sweet flavor. Low in carbs, jicama adds crunch and volume to salads and salsas.
Ingredients:

* 1 small red onion, finely chopped
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
* 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
* 2 large zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
* 1 small yellow bell pepper, finely diced
* 1 jicama, peeled and finely diced

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine red onion, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, salt and jalapeño. Add zucchini, bell pepper and jicama; toss well. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Can be made ahead. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

 

[htc]

Wow, thanks for all the ideas! I will try these. Alas, it's hard for me not to think of salads as predominately veggies. I still do a lot of the leafy greens, asian slaws & hot veggie sides.

 

[Magia]

How about adding tuna to your favourite combo? It will give it a a different approach and flavour.

Diced carrots + peas (cooked) + green beans (cooked) + diced potatoes (cooked) + mayo or + vinegar and olive oil... YUM!

Tuna + celery + mayo + lemon juice + salt + pepper + oregano

Diced apples + shredded carrots + diced pineapple + peanuts + mayo + lemon juice + salt & pepper

Mozzarella squares + tomato squares + green olives + vinegar + olive oil + salt & pepper = (Sicilian salad)

Sliced tortillas + sliced green and red peppers + tomato squares (small) + Monterey Jack cheese squares + chopped onions. Dressing: olive oil + vinegar + hot sauce (to taste) + salt + blending it with a small tomato and onion = Magia's Mexican Salad

 

[luvs]

lettuces (iceberg/romaine and/or mixed baby greens)
early pick, bagged baby spinach
green olives (the kind from the deli or the olive bar in olive oil)
sun-dried tomato
feta or bleu cheese
pepperoncini
vinagrette
walnuts, brazil nuts, or pecans

romaine/iceberg
roast beef
provelone slices
mandarin oranges
grapes
bleu cheese dressing


iceberg and romaine
top with your faves (tomato, peppeponcici, olives, bleu cheese, boiled egg, etc.)
top w/ med. rare steak or a chicken breast, then grated mozzarella. add an order of fries.
good with ranch dressing. i lke to microwave mine when it's ready.

 

[Claire]

They aren't for your low carb thing, but:

Spicy Asian Noodle Salad:

one box of fine, long pasta -- I like Barilla because it holds up well to long term use, and like angel hair, thin spaghetti, or fine linguini

1 bottle peanut sauce -- I like House of Tsang's version, but buy what you can get, or look around for a recipe if feeling ambitious
3T rice wine vinegar
Any and all of the following:
Cucumber, julienned
Carrot, julienned or grated
Green onion
Red onion
Peas (frozen, just thaw)
Pea pods (ditto)
French style green beans
Tomato, chopped
Chopped hot peppers or Asian hot sauce

if you wish to make it a full meal rather than side dish, add shredded chicken

The instructions are obvious -- boil the pasta, drain, and even rinse (salads are one place it is OK). Put in the peanut sauce and vinegar, and cool. Add the veggies, toss. I don't usually use a whole bottle of the peanut sauce, but pour it in and taste until where you like it.

Garnish with peanuts.