Baby Spinach & Goat Cheese Salad

• 16 cups baby spinach, washed, dried and gently packed into 8 cups
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 6 slices of thick bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped (save the bacon fat)
• 2/3 cup chopped walnuts, roasted at 350 degrees for 5 minutes
• 1 firm, fresh pear, halved and thickly sliced
• 4 oz Chevre goat cheese, crumbled

Combine the spinach, onion, bacon, walnuts and pear. 

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup bacon fat
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar

In a small sauce pan, heat the fat (if you don’t have enough bacon fat add enough salad oil to make 1/4 cup) with the vinegar and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.  Pour the warm dressing over the salad mixture and top with the crumbled cheese.

Chinese Chicken Salad

• 3 Tbsp vinegar
• 2 Tbsp bottled oyster sauce
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp finely crushed dried red chili pepper
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup coffee liqueur (i.e. Kahlau, Kamora – it’s cheaper)
• vegetable oil for frying noodles
• 7oz rice stick noodles
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 can (8oz) water chestnuts, drained and chopped
• 6 green onions, chopped, (about 3/4 cup)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 cups cooked chicken, coarsely shredded
• 3 qts. crisp-cold iceberg lettuce, shredded

Blend all of the first 7 ingredients and set aside.  In deep skillet, heat 2″ oil until hot.  Drop in noodles and cook a few seconds until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.  In second large skillet, heat sesame oil.  Add water chestnuts, green onions and cilantro; stir-fry a few seconds, Stir in wet mixture and bring to a boil.  Then simmer until thickened.  Add chicken, remove from heat.  In large bowl, toss chicken mixture with lettuce together lightly.  Spoon on bed of noodles.

Miss Debbie’s PEA SALAD

• 1 bag frozen sweet baby peas – thawed
• 3 or 4 green onions – chopped
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped cashews
• 1/2 cup(or to taste)bottled coleslaw dressing
• salt and pepper

Rinse peas in colander under cold water to thaw.  Mix all ingredients except cashews together in medium bowl.  Let stand in refrigerator 30 minutes fold in cashews and serve.

This is a great cool dish for a hot summer day.  I tried this for the first time at a party and figured out the ingredients myself so feel free to embellish it your own way.

Debbie

Not-Your-Average Fruit Pasta Salad

• 2 cup Couscous
• 2 eggs
• 1 (20oz) can crushed pineapple, drained (reserve liquid)
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 (11oz) can mandarin oranges, drained and halved
• 1 (8oz) can seedless grapes, drained and halved
• 2 1/2 cups whipping cream, whipped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped maraschino cherries

Prepare Couscous according to package directions; drain. 

In small, heavy saucepan beat eggs with wire whisk until foamy.  Stir in reserved pineapple liquid, lemon juice, sugar, butter and salt.  Cook over low heat until mixture thickens and coats a metal spoon, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes.  Cool to room temperature.  In large bowl, combine couscous, pineapple, oranges, and grapes; mix well.  Fold in egg mixture, then whipped cream.  Cover; chill thoroughly.  Stir gently before serving.  Garnish with cherries.  Refrigerate leftover. 

Try adding mini-marshmallows for an added texture and sweetness, (approximately 1 – 2 cups)

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

• 2 cups crushed pretzels
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 1/2 sticks melted butter
• 2, 10-ounce packages strawberry, (frozen or fresh)
• 3 TBSP plus 3/4 cup sugar
• 1, 8-ounce package cream cheese
• 2, 3-ounce packages strawberry gelatin dessert mix

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. For the crust, mix the pretzels, butter, and 3 TBSP sugar. Press the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake for 7 minutes and set aside to cool. Beat together the cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar. Fold in the Cool Whip and spread over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until well chilled. Dissolve the gelatin dessert mix in the boiling water; cool slightly. Add the strawberries and pour over the cream-cheeses mixture. Refrigerate until serving time.

Mary Ellen Clark

Gourmet Garden Salad

This recipe doesn’t call for exact amounts because obviously your only going to prepare as much as can be consumed with a day or two.  If too much is made it will go bad before it’s eaten – DUH!

• Iceberg lettuce
• Curly endive
• Green pepper, sliced into rings
• Tomato, sliced into wedges
• Crisply cooked bacon, crumbled
• Swiss cheese, cubed
• Thousand Island dressing

Combine all the ingredients except dressing, toss lightly and serve with dressing.

Spinach Salad

Blend the following ingredients together in Salad serving bowl:

• 1 package fresh spinach
• 3 hard boil eggs, chopped
• 6 slices bacon, fried & crumbled
• cheddar cheese (as much to taste)
• 1 can water chestnuts
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• cashews (as much to taste)
• sunflower seeds (as much to taste)
• Chinese noodles (1 package)

Boil together until dissolved, the following for the dressing:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 1/4 cup vinegar

Add the rest of the ingredients and poor over salad.

• salt to taste (or Mrs. Dash for salt free)
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire

* Use only 1/2 of dressing mixture for 1 bowl of salad.  Toss, Serve and Enjoy!