Chris' Broccoli Salad

This is that salad that's too much work, but everyone loves. It's a 5.
(Picture to follow)

Combine:
4 cups broccoli florets which have been broken into smaller pieces (One Costco bag yields 16 cups.)
1 cup diced celery
1 cup sliced green grapes
1 cup sliced purple grapes
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
8 slices bacon, crumbled

Dressing:
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons vinegar
Mix and refrigerate for several hours. Just before serving, add dressing to salad and mix.

Nuts About Berries Salad

This is a recipe I (Chris) found on this blog. It's a Zupa's copy, and because I love everything Zupa makes, I love this knock-off salad. I especially like that I can make lots of almonds and dressing, and make up a couple of bowls for Dad and I to go with our meal several times a week. I give it a 5.

You need:
Spinach (Or other greens. I used a mix of spinach and romaine and it was good.)
Berries: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blue berries, or whatever you can find. It's good to have 2 or 3 varieties. Slice the berries to bite-sized if necessary.

Sugar/cinnamon almonds:
1/2 sliced almonds
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Combine the almonds and sugars in a small non-stick pan. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugars begin to melt.  Take care not to burn! You might need to turn down the heat a little. Once the sugar coats the nuts, add the cinnamon and remove from pan, allow to cool.

Poppy Seed Dressing:
1 1/8 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp dry mustard
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp poppy seed
Mix well, store in fridge.  Shake before using.  

Wonton Chicken Salad

submitted by Chris
4+ stars

2 heads of romaine and 1 bunch of spinach (or whatever greens your family likes best) or one bag of greens and one bag of spinach
3-4 chicken breasts, grilled and cubed (you can marinate these in a little soy sauce and pepper for an Asian flavor)
2 large cans mandarin oranges, drained
3 avocados, cubed
1/2 bunch of green onions, diced thin
toasted slivered almonds and sunflower kernels (I put a handful of each in a frying pan with a pat of butter until browned)
1/2 package of won ton wrappers, fried in vegetable oil (find these at Wal-mart by the bag salads)

Dressing
(I usually use only 2/3-3/4 of the dressing on the salad-I think all of it is too much.)

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon accent (optional)
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Blend the dressing in a food processor or blender for best results. I used my immersion blender.

Combine all and serve.

BBQ Chicken Salad

Yum! This salad is great. It perfect for summer when you don't want to heat the house. The first time I ever had Jicama, was when I ate this salad. If you have never had Jicama or have no idea what it is, Google it and make sure you add it. The Jicama adds a lot. P.S. Jicama is pronounced (He-ka-ma) just so you don't embarrass yourself when you ask for it in the produce section.

BBQ Chicken Salad (submitted by Shelly)

1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded fine
1/2 head romaine lettuce leaves, shredded fine
1 pound jicama, cut into thin strips
2 cups Monterey Jack (or any) cheese, shredded
1 cup black beans - rinsed and drained (canned works)
1 cup corn kernels
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 pounds tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1-2 pounds shredded chicken

homemade or store bought ranch (make sure it is good it will make or break the salad)
wontons cut into strips salted and baked or fried tortilla strips
lime (optional, to squeeze on top, I always seem to forget it)

-Cook chicken, shred and add BBQ sauce.
-combined first set of ingredients to make salad
-To serve: dish out salad, top with BBQ chicken, drizzle with ranch, top with wontons or fried tortilla, Enjoy!!

Steak Salad

This is a recipe I stole from my in-laws too. It is so, so good!!

Submitted by: Jessica

5 stars

Ingredients:

• Beef sirloin steak

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

• Romaine lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Avocado
• Green olives
• Sliced Almonds

Directions:

1. In a bowl whisk together all ingredients in dressing. Mix in the cheese after all other ingredients have been mixed. Cover and refrigerate dressing until ready to use.
2. Season steaks according to liking. Lightly oil grill and cook steaks 3-5 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Slice steak. Right before serving, put meat in pan and grill up a little bit more.

Picture from my Mother in-law.

  

Cafe Rio Pork Salad

This is definitely one of our favorite meals! We even like it more than the "real" Cafe Rio Salad because we can add/take away anything we want to.

Submitted by: Jessica

5 stars

Meat:

• 3 lb pork roast or 1/2 pork loin
• 1 cup water

Cook in a crock pot on low overnight until tender. (I cooked mine for about 7 hours on low) Shred meat.

Mix and add to pork:

• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup sugar

Cilantro Dressing:

• 2/3 cup salsa verde
• 1 1/2 Tbl sugar
• 2/3 cup mayo
• 2 Tbl lime juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Put in blender on high and slowly add:

• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1 cup vegetable oil

Other Toppings:

• Tortillas-unbaked
• Black beans
• Cheese-mozzarella or yellow
• Lettuce-spring mix
• Spanish rice or white rice
• Olives
• Guacamole
• Tin bowls

This is a bad picture. I will post a better one next time I make it. We usually makes ours in those tin bowls but I didn't have any on hand!

Strawberry Avocado Salad

Submitted by Chris
Rating: 4
We love salads, especially salads with strawberries. Here's a quick salad that goes with everything.
Whisk together:
2 Tablespoons white sugar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons honey (I've substituted Agave a few times and it works just as well)
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Set aside.

2 cups salad greens or spinach
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
10 strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Mix and drizzle with dressing.

Berry Poppy Seed Vinegarette

 Submitted by Chris

5 stars

Makes a little more than 2 cups, keep in fridge for up to a week.

1/2 c. white wine vinegar
1/2 c. honey (or sugar)
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 tsp. kosher or other coarse salt
About 10 cracks of freshly ground black pepper (about 1/2 tsp or to taste)
1 c. raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries
2/3 c. canola oil
1 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds

Combine the vinegar, honey, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and berries in the jar of a blender. Blend until smooth and then, with the blender running, add the oil in a steady stream. Turn off the blender and whisk in the poppy seeds.  Refrigerate for an hour before serving to blend flavors.

I used this dressing on a salad made of a "clean out the fridge" mix of spinach, leftover chicken, mandarin oranges, coconut flakes, pecans, and raspberries.

YUM!

Mexican Salad

One of Jordan's favorite meals.

Mexican Salad

Submitted by Shelly

4 stars (6 stars if you ask my kids)

4 tomatoes 

1 1/2 romaine lettuce depending on size (original recipe calls for one head lettuce but I use romaine cause it has more vitamins)

1 can kidney beans

1 lb hamburger cooked and cool (I usually use 1 can of black beans or white beans instead)

1 avocado

4 oz grated cheddar cheese

frozen corn thawed (original recipe calls for 1 can of corn)

Thousand Island dressing

1 bag Fritos

Mix all ingredients together except the dressing and chips.  Add dressing to your liking and mix till coated evenly.  Add chips, mix and serve.

Variation:  Instead of the Thousand Island you can use 1 pkg Good Seasoning Roasted Garlic Dressing Prepared.

  

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

 This is the salad I made for Megan's Twirp dance 11/06/10

submitted by Chris
4 stars

2 bunches spinach, rinsed and torn into bit-size pieces (or one 10-12 oz bag)
4 cups sliced strawberries
sliced almonds, if desired

dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use Canola oil)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup regular sugar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

Spinach Salad with Pomegranate Vinegerette Dressing

submitted by Chris

4 stars
This recipe is adapted from Judy Cannon
4 cups baby spinach leaves
1 can mandarin oranges
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
1/3 cup almond slivers
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 ounces swiss cheese, grated
1/3 cup salad dressing (recipe below)Toss all ingredients in a bowl. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

POMEGRANATE VINAIGRETTe
This dressing recipe is from Judy Cannon's blog
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup olive oil
salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste