Generally, I love salads. But, I have days, like today, where I look at a leafy green and think NOT TODAY, no way, no how, not happening. Here is a super quick 'no lettuce' side salad (or main dish if you are eating a light meal) that I love.

5 Bean Salad - preparation time 5 minutes max.

Ingredients:

- 19oz can of President's Choice (PC) Organic 5 Bean Medley or your favourite mixed beans
- 1 green onion
- salsa - I use PC Organic Salsa - medium or hot. Your fav salsa brand will work. Chunky is best.
- lime juice
- 1/2 avocado or 1 stalk celery

How to / Serving size = light lunch for 1:

Dump 8-10 oz of the 5 bean medley into a bowl (about half of a 19oz can).
Finely chop small green onion and add to beans.
Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of salsa.
Add the juice of 1/2 fresh lime or a 2 second squirt of lime juice.
Chop either 1/2 a fresh avocado or 1 stalk of celery and add to salad. (Avocado is more nutritious and more filling/fattening - i.e. the "good" fat - celery is lighter and crunchier. I like both options.)

Turn ingredients a few times to mix them together without mashing the beans. Cover, chill and serve at the next meal or eat immediately. The celery keeps better than the avocado. If I use avocado I eat it immediately. Salad does not have to be chilled to taste good.

A filling, nutritious, tasty, quick side dish or light meal. Dishes that are filling, nutritious, tasty and quick = 4 star recipes in my world.

Does anyone have a delicious salad or salad dressing recipe? Salad tips?

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Free Cruise Clocks

My favorite fruit salad is pineapple, honeydew, and seedless red grapes.  I like to bring it to brunch parties.

Love, Columbine

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mmm....salads... here's one:

Grandma's 5 Cup Salad

1 cup sour cream
1 cup coconut
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 small can mandarin oranges, slices or pieces, drained
1 cup mini marshmallows
maraschino cherry halves for colour, as many as you want
Mix all together and chill.

This is always asked for at family gatherings, yummy!

I had to laugh, I didn't know the actual name of that salad, but we always called it "Grammy's salad" because she always brought it when she came for dinner!  Gratifying to know the actual name is Gramma's salad!!

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In the social order, I accept the bottom rung, until the wine is pouring and the Lord commands a song!

Whoa. Dudes. Grandma's salad sounds crazy! Is it good?

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Free Cruise Clocks

Yummy... gonna have to try grammy's salad...

Easy fruit salad I ever made...

1 bag of frozen strawberries thawed... do not drain.. keep the juice
1 can of fruit cocktail
1-2 cans of manderin oranges
1 can of mango and papya
1 can of tropical fruit cocktail (I don't know if you can get this anywere but it has like pineapple, banana and things)

Add everything in a bowl juices and all... yummy... if you don't want alot of juice you can alway take out... you will need a bigger bowl but it is very very yummy

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~Is a downtown girl cuz I like waking up with my hair messed up!!!

 Veggie  Topping  for  Pasta

Sweet  Vidalia  type onion

Cucumber

Roma  Tomatoes

Orange  or Yellow  Bell Pepper

Red and/or Green Bell  Pepper.....these  are optional , put them in for color or   if  you like them

Garlic

Mushrooms  if you  like  them  ( I dont)

Olive Oil, Red Cider vinegar, Basil, Oregano,  Parmesan Cheese

Pasta

The  "How Manys"  and  "How Bigs"   all  depends  on  how many  you are feeding...If  you have  ever seen  other  recipes  by me, then you know I  rarely measure  anything.

 Wash everything,  peel the  cucumber, onion and  a  couple of cloves  of garlic,  seed the  peppers  and  do whatever  it is one  does with mushrooms.   Dice  everything  down  and  mix  it all  together. Pour  on  lots of olive oil and  a  couple of  splashes  of red cider vinegar,  sprinkle  some basil and oregano  and   mix well and  stick it in the  fridge  to chill.

Next,  boil up some  water in a  big  pot  and  pour in  some pasta.....bowties,  spirals, something  with "clingability".   When pasta is  done, drain and  serve the  hot pasta with  a  big  spoonful of the  chilled veggies  on top  and  sprinkle of  parmesan cheese.  We  also  have the  veggies as a side dish  or  with croutons or crackers  at my house.  Better  than ColeSlaw  in the summer!

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Sing loud wherever your journey takes you ~ Great Big Sea 2004

Lefty Hummingbird's Troublemaker Salad

Garlic
Balsamic vinegar
3 cucumbers
1 Vidalia onion
1 ripe mango
1 bunch cilantro
2 cans black beans
Cumin
Chili powder
Salt

Crush a few cloves of garlic into a custard cup.  Add a pinch of salt, and balsamic vinegar to cover.

Peel cucumbers & scoop seeds out with a spoon.  Cut into small pieces, along with onion & mango.  Chop cilantro finely, combine in bowl with cukes, onion, & mango.  Open & drain beans, add to salad.  Add garlic-salt-vinegar  mixture and stir thoroughly.  Add cumin, chili powder, & more salt (if desired) to taste.

Even better the second day!

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Sharneliz:

I had to laugh, I didn't know the actual name of that salad, but we always called it "Grammy's salad" because she always brought it when she came for dinner!  Gratifying to know the actual name is Gramma's salad!!

 

That's so funny...my grammie also made this for every family party and we just called it party salad...five cup salad is the BEST...yummo!

Breakfast Salad

The night before, fry bacon ridiculously slowly until it's down to half its size, and hard-boil eggs.  Chop up mushrooms and saute lightly in the bacon fat (just enough to make them keep nicely, not until they're out-and-out cooked).

Then, then next day when you're brewing your coffee, put some baby spinach leaves in a bowl and sprinkle with seasoned salt, pepper, and Italian dressing; toss.  Slice up egg, crumble bacon, and spoon shrooms over spinach, toss again.  Good morning!  Bacon and eggs, and the big mess already got cleaned up last night!

Love, Columbine (who actually skipped the mushrooms today because she had a ripe avocado - that's even better, but not always available!) 

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Marinated Cauliflower Salad (serves about 8)

One head iceberg lettuce, broken into pieces

One head cauliflower

One red onion or one-half white onion cut into rings

One pound bacon fried crisp and crumbled

2 cups real mayonaise mixed with one envelope Hidden Valley Ranch Original Recipe

Layer lettuce, cauliflower, onion and bacon (I usually do at least two layers of each, if not more).  DO NOT TOSS!  Pour mayonaise mixture over the top and refrigerate, overnight is best.  When ready to use, add one-half cup of parmesan cheese and toss.

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I love this salad!  It's probably horrendously bad for you, but it's amazingly delicious!   And I would recommend using the red onion, rather than the white, just because red onions tend to be sweeter, though you could probably use Vidalias.

 

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--Tina

Come on, now. Let's lock the world outside! Hang your jacket from the door...grab a chair and raise a jar!

Sharneliz:

I had to laugh, I didn't know the actual name of that salad, but we always called it "Grammy's salad" because she always brought it when she came for dinner!  Gratifying to know the actual name is Gramma's salad!!

I think the actual name is Ambrosia. At the deli in one of our grocery stores, they call it Hawaiian Salad! It sounds disgusting with the sour cream and coconut and stuff (I think the sour cream is actually what throws people off!), but it's delicious! Think cheesecake--I didn't know what I was missing as a kid because the idea of cheese in cake was revolting to me!

I have a tomato salad recipe somewhere. I'll dig it out and post it later, cuz it's yummy!

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Some people shine like a star in the first moment. Others keep their light hidden until they are ready to show us.

Barley Salad is the new favorite  at   my  house.....and a side benefit  is  being  a  whole grain, it helps  lower  cholesterol.

1 cup  of barley

3 cups  of water

Bring  water to a boil.  Rinse  barley  in a  strainer  under cold water till water runs  clear.  Add  a  pinch of  salt and  the  barley  to the  boiling water. Lower  the heat  and  partly cover.  Let simmer for  45 mins or till barley  is tender....do not let  boil dry.   Drain  in strainer and  pour  barley  into a bowl.

Now you get to add  in stuff  you like...be creative!!!  I  go for  2-4  finely  chopped  green onions ( scallions),  and  toss in some slivered  almonds  and  Craisins (  dried cranberries....I  love the  orange flavored ones). 

I make  a  mango salsa  that I pour over this....

Mango Salsa 

zest  of lime

juice of  1-2 limes

fresh grated  or diced  ginger

dash of  chili powder

honey

olive oil

1 or 2  peeled and diced  mangos ( or peaches,  nectarines....or all three  lol)

Mix everything  together  to coat  the fruit and  pour over the  barley  mixture. 

 

Good  hot, room temp or  cold.  Keeps  3-4 days  in the  fridge...if it lasts that long. 

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Sing loud wherever your journey takes you ~ Great Big Sea 2004

Okay, here's the "Fresh Tomato Salad' recipe:

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 cup olive oil (if I don't have any, I use canola but olive is best)

6 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp worchestershire sauce

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp crushed basil

1/4 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp black pepper

5 tomatoes, diced

1 head lettuce, shredded (I use leaf and I chop it)

grated mozzarella cheese

~In a small bowl, whisk together onion, oil, vinegar, worchestershire sauce, suagr, salt, basil, thyme and pepper. (Sometimes I shake these ingredients in a jar, or if I don't want the chunks of onion, I give it a whirl in the blender)

~Place tomatoes in a medium bowl and pour dressing over them. Refrigerate for one hour.

~Place chopped lettuce in a bowl or on a plate, top with tomato mixture and top that with grated mozzarella.

Soooo good!

 

 

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Some people shine like a star in the first moment. Others keep their light hidden until they are ready to show us.

Roasted Eggplant, Walnut, and Pear Salad

2/3 cup brown rice
1 1/2 cup water
Cumin, cardamom, nutmeg, pepper
7 cloves fresh garlic
Olive oil

2 large eggplants
More olive oil

1 1/2 cup walnut pieces

2 Anjou pears
1 small Vidalia onion or 1 bunch scallions
1 bunch parsley

Balsamic vinegar
Salt

Cook rice in water with spices and crushed garlic, with a few drops of olive oil so it doesn't boil over.  Set aside.

Crank oven as hot as it will go.  Cut eggplant into large blocks (2" in the center, sections with skin on can be smaller) and toss with lots of olive oil, until they turn dark with it.  Put more olive oil on a nonstick baking sheet and arrange eggplant pieces on it, with no flat surfaces touching.  Have stove hood fan going, window open, and cookie sheet handy to fan smoke alarm.  Bake in mega-hot oven until edges are brown or black  Set aside to cool.

Arrange walnut pieces in an O on a plate, and toast in microwave on High for 5 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Cut up Vidalia onion or scallions (small), pears (to your liking), and parsley (small).  Splash with balsamic vinegar and sprinke with salt.  Toss with rice, eggplant, and walnuts.  (Eggplant will be mushy and will "magnetize" other ingredients - that's cool).  Serve.  Boast.

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