Salade Nicoise

Make this beautiful, yet simple salad for your family and friends. It’s so easy (uses canned tuna), healthful, and so interesting, it can also be your centerpiece. You don’t have to stick with this exact recipe – add any vegetables you like to eat raw with salad dressing, such as zucchini, asparagus, celery, or carrots.

Herb Dressing:
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 teaspoon dried mixed French or Italian herbs
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
Salad:
1 ½ pounds new potatoes, boiled until tender
1 pound Roma tomatoes, quartered
½ pound fresh green beans, blanched
4 – 6 scallions, sliced
1 can whole beets, drained
1 cucumber, lightly peeled and thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, chopped or sliced
½ cup pitted Nicoise olives (or other black olives)
4 – 6 hard-cooked eggs, halved
3 – 4, 4-ounce cans oil-packed tuna, drained

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice, herbs, salt, pepper, and mustard. Continue to whisk while slowly pouring in the olive oil. Store in refrigerator until time to serve salad or up to 3 weeks.
  2. Arrange all salad ingredients on a large platter. Just before serving, drizzle on Dressing. Serve extra Herb Dressing on the side.

Curried Chicken and Rice Salad

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Yield: 6 servings

Salad:

3 cups cooked rice, chilled (1 cup rice cooked in 2 cups water)

4 chicken breasts, poached, chilled and diced

1 green bell pepper, slivered

1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and chopped or

1, 2-ounce jar chopped pimentos

3 – 4 green onions, finely sliced

¼  cup minced fresh parsley

¼ cup golden raisins

Curried Dressing:

½ cup red wine vinegar

Juice of 1 large lemon, about ¼ cup

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

½ teaspoon pepper or to taste

¾ cup olive oil

1. In a large bowl, toss together cooked rice, chicken, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, green onions, parsley and raisins. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, ginger, sugar, curry powder, salt and pepper. While whisking, slowly add olive oil. Pour dressing over salad ingredients and toss well. Serve room temperature or refrigerate until cold.

Warm Cherry Tomato Salad

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Warm Cherry Tomato Salad

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Wonderful served warm or cold.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 pints cherry tomatoes, rinsed and stems removed
6 green onions, sliced on an angle, or ½ cup finely chopped onion
2s red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper
½ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and garlic and cook 2 minutes.
  2. Add tomatoes and green onions; cook until tomato skins begin to burst. Add vinegar, salt, and pepper; stir a few times and remove from heat.
  3. Add parsley and toss to mix well.

Five Cup Fruit Salad

4c391cc83fafcb1d6a3a6e1e9470feac3fada179Five Cup Fruit Salad

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

So easy. Keep this ingredient list in your head so you can grab the items quickly in the grocery store.

 

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup mini marshmallows

1, 8-ounce can pineapple tidbits, drained

1, 8-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained

1 cup sour cream

  1. In a large bowl, combine coconut, marshmallows, pineapple tidbits, and mandarin oranges. Gently stir in sour cream.
  2. Refrigerate several hours.

Field Greens with Bacon, Sugared Pecans, and Goat Cheese

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Yield: 6 servings

8 to 10 cups baby field greens or torn leaf lettuce

6 to 8 pieces bacon, fried crisp and crumbled

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese (or feta)

1 recipe Balsamic Maple Vinaigrette

1 recipe sugared pecans (below)

  1. In a large bowl, toss together field greens, bacon and goat cheese.
  2. Drizzle with salad dressing and toss to coat evenly. Add sugared pecans and toss again.

 

Sugared Pecans:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons water

1 cup pecan halves

  1. Place brown sugar and water in a heavy skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Add pecans and cook, stirring constantly, until all water evaporates, about 5 minutes.
  2. Spread pecans on parchment paper to cool. Store in airtight container.

 

Balsamic Maple Vinaigrette

Yield: about 2 1/4 cups

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 large shallot, minced

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Place all ingredients in a large jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake to mix well. Refrigerate until needed; shake before using.