Favorite Salad Recipes

TraceyM

TraceyM

Sweet Shoppe Designer
IT'S SUMMER AND SALAD TIME!!!
I love eating a lot more salads when the days heat up and the PNW is expected to have a warmer than average summer (again) this year. We already had a couple days that hit 95.

What kind of salads do you make? Dressing Recipe's? Good dressings cost a fortune these days so I'm thinking I should go back to make some of my own again. I'd love to know how you make your hot weather dinners. Note that I also love the air fryer for not heating up a whole kitchen with cooking.

The simplest salad I enjoy making contains probably a softer lettuce leaf like butter lettuce, chopped avocado, what ever leftover meat is around, some berries, perhaps some dried cranberries, either slivered almonds or lightly chopped pecans, maybe some fried mushrooms, and anything else that I want that particular day. A typical dressing would be olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a bit of dijon mustard, perhaps some maple syrup to sweeten it further, and finally chopped garlic. I usually just make enough dressing for THAT night. This type of salad is also a great way to use up one of those store-cooked rotisserie chickens.

If I go the Caesar route bay shrimp could be great to throw into the salad. But some thinly slice flank steak would be great too. I don't have a dressing recipe for that one. Still depending on bottled dressing.
 
Oooh! That bottle is fun KCB!

My fave is rainbow rotini cooked to al dente, tossed with feta, some avocado, a little finely shaved red onion and Ken's Zesty Italian dressing. Salt pepper to taste. It's simple and yummy.
 
If I make my own dressing I use 3 tablespoons of plain yoghurt, 2 to 3 tabespoons of (olive) oil, a teaspoon of honey and what ever herbs (dried or fresh) I have, salt and pepper to taste.
If you don't have yoghurt, you can use water as well, but then you need something like honey or mustard to get the oil and water blend.

As for what I add to the salad: cherry tomatoes and cucumber are favorite, a hard boiled egg if I think about it, corn, pickles, olives, cheese (white cheese, goat cheese, blue cheese), cold cuts (like ham or salami), onion, whatever I have left over and that would go well, everything chopped of course. Nuts and seeds go also well in salads.

We love salads too during those warm summer days. If I want to cook a proper meal, I make a curry or a risotto with whatever vegetables I have.
 
I've got a dressing recipe that is what they use at one of our restaurants here & it is the best! I'll come back & post it later. I make a 1/4 recipe weekly & I swear my daughter drinks it straight from the bottle. We put it mostly on any regular green leafy salad, but I also use it for the dressing on a roast pumpkin, spinach & feta salad I make as well.
 
I really love broccoli salad. Sometimes I will shortcut and use Costco bacon bits - always delicious!
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We've got some fun recipes turning up here. New things to try. Yay.

I remember the first time I was given a salad with fruit. I was with my family after a weekend in the country and we decided to eat out at some small town restaurant that was supposed to be good. Low and behold - my salad came with blueberries in it. I was hooked at that moment. '

Although if I think about spinach salads I loved, they usually had mandarins in them. The dressings were fairly simply oil & vinegar conctions and the salads had lots of fresh baby spinach, parmesan cheese, hard boiled eggs cut up, I think some sliced almonds, and mandarins from a can. I actually still love this salad today. I just never think to make it.
 
I like corn, lol! So, I make this Avocado Corn Salad... then I doctor it up !
Add in cucumber, tomato, bell peppers, and any other leftover roasted veggies - this all depends on what I may have on hand - like squash. I sometimes add grilled chicken or shrimp. To save time, there is a frozen roasted corn from Birds Eye that is fantastic. If I need a lettuce, I add arugula.

https://whatsgabycooking.com/avocado-corn-salad/
 
Since the weather has warmed up, I have also done the at home salad bar. I prepare everything for a salad in bulk and keep the ingredients separated in the fridge. I like to have romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, some meat like ham, pepperoni or salami or all of them if I want, mushrooms, cucumber, hard boiled eggs, and peas. Those are my favorite "staples," but I will use other things that look good when I am shopping. LOL

Like I said, I prepare everything and store them individual in containers like these:

71NoDc6EFqL._AC_SX569_.jpg


Then just pull them out and throw together the salad in a few minutes.

I also prepare my fruit in the same way; wash it all at once, give it a vinegar bath and then put it in containers.

I have found that I eat more fruit if I can just reach in and grab it. A handful of blueberries over a handful of chips or cookies is a better option. I just have to make it as easy, cause I am lazy like that. LOL
 
One of our go-to summer dinners is a chicken caesaer salad. I usually chop up some romaine, then we bbq or grill some chicken breast/tenderloins (whatever we have) and then I put the cooked chicken in a bowl with a lid. I pour over just enough to coat chicken (our fave caesar dressing Bolthouse yogurt creamy caesar) and then cover & toss to completely coat chicken. Then pour over romaine & add some shredded or grated parmesean. SO yummy!

Another salad I do for the 4th of july every year is Red/white/blue. I like spinach, but could use any lettuce or spring mix. Toss in cut up strawberries, blueberries and crumbled feta cheese. The best dressing I think is a poppyseed dressing, my favorite is Brianna's Poppyseed. My daughter also like it with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Sometimes I throw in some pecans or walnuts for some crunch too!

I don't usually make my homemade dressings, as I have such picky eaters. The boys pretty much survive on ranch & at least will also eat the caesar yogurt dressing. For my own salads, I absolutely just use some balsamic & oil & seasonings, but haven't got the boys on board with that yet!
 
LJSDesigns said:
Since the weather has warmed up, I have also done the at home salad bar. I prepare everything for a salad in bulk and keep the ingredients separated in the fridge. I like to have romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, some meat like ham, pepperoni or salami or all of them if I want, mushrooms, cucumber, hard boiled eggs, and peas. Those are my favorite "staples," but I will use other things that look good when I am shopping. LOL

Like I said, I prepare everything and store them individual in containers like these:

71NoDc6EFqL._AC_SX569_.jpg


Then just pull them out and throw together the salad in a few minutes.

I also prepare my fruit in the same way; wash it all at once, give it a vinegar bath and then put it in containers.

I have found that I eat more fruit if I can just reach in and grab it. A handful of blueberries over a handful of chips or cookies is a better option. I just have to make it as easy, cause I am lazy like that. LOL
Click to expand...

I LOVE this salad bar idea! I do this with fruit, but didn't think about it for salads. I'm stealing for sure- with such picky eaters- the make your own is so easy & everyone will be happy! lol!!
 
LJSDesigns said:
Since the weather has warmed up, I have also done the at home salad bar. I prepare everything for a salad in bulk and keep the ingredients separated in the fridge. I like to have romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, some meat like ham, pepperoni or salami or all of them if I want, mushrooms, cucumber, hard boiled eggs, and peas. Those are my favorite "staples," but I will use other things that look good when I am shopping. LOL

Like I said, I prepare everything and store them individual in containers like these:

71NoDc6EFqL._AC_SX569_.jpg


Then just pull them out and throw together the salad in a few minutes.

I also prepare my fruit in the same way; wash it all at once, give it a vinegar bath and then put it in containers.

I have found that I eat more fruit if I can just reach in and grab it. A handful of blueberries over a handful of chips or cookies is a better option. I just have to make it as easy, cause I am lazy like that. LOL
Click to expand...


love those containers :wub: I saved the picture. Thank you so much for the ideas too.
 
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