Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Sugar Pecans

When I made this, I made a few alterations. I added dried Cranberries instead of Strawberries, and Kiwi. I also used blue cheese instead of the black pepper cheese. Just a note, don't over cook the pecans. They will become grainy.

Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Sugar Pecans

Pecans:
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans (50ml)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (30ml)
2 tablespoons water (30ml)
Dressing:
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (15ml)
1 tablespoon liquid honey(15ml)
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (2ml)
pinch salt (pinch)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (50ml)
 
Salad:
4 cups baby spinach (about 4 oz/100g) (1L)
1 cup sliced strawberries (250ml)
2 kiwis, peeled and sliced (2)
1/4 cup soft black pepper cheese, (50ml) such as Boursin or crumbled chevre (optional)

Directions

1. Place pecans, sugar and water in a small saucepan set on medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar. Simmer mixture, stirring occasionally, until golden and pecans are coated, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and cool. Crumble and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar with the honey, Dijon and salt. Slowly whisk in the oil until well combined. To serve, divide spinach among salad plates and top with strawberries, kiwis and sugar pecans. Drizzle with vinaigrette and garnish with the crumbled cheese, if using.  
   Tip: This salad is delicious with or without the cheese. For variety, a mild blue cheese such as cambozola could be used in place of the black pepper cheese or chevre. You could also cut the amount of strawberries in half, and make up the difference with raspberries or blueberries.
   
   Recipe and photo source: Food Network
   

Tri Color Pasta Salad

I took this to a baby shower and got so many requests for the recipe that I just had to post it.

Tri Color Pasta Salad


1 12 oz. package Pasta Rotini, tri colored, cooked and drained
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 can black olives, sliced
¼ cups red onion, finely diced
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
6 fresh basil leaves, cut into strips
4 tablespoons basil pesto
2/3 cup creamy Caesar dressing
2 teaspoons saute spice (equal parts black pepper, salt, and garlic powder)
½-1 cup toasted pine nuts

Cook pasta and coat with Caesar dressing while warm. Add the rest of the ingredients (minus the pine nuts) and toss. Top with toasted pine nuts.

Recipe Source: My Kitchen Cafe

Spinach Mandarin Poppyseed Salad

This salad is so addictive.  Just make sure you follow the directions exactly when making the dressing. If you add the oil with all the other ingredients it doesn't blend in well. Just drizzle a small stream of oil as the blender is going.

Spinach Mandarin Poppy Seed Salad

8 oz. (1/2 bag) of baby spinach

1/2-1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 thinly sliced medium red onion

1 large avocado, cubed

8 oz. mozzarella or Swiss cheese, shredded

1 12-oz. package bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 large can Mandarin oranges, drained

Combine all ingredients except dressing in a large bowl. When ready to serve, toss with desired amount of salad dressing and serve immediately. If you anticipate leftovers, just let your eaters dress their own salads because the dressing will make the greens wilt.

Poppy Seed Dressing

1/3 c. white vinegar
1 tsp. Kosher salt
A few turns of freshly ground black pepper
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. mustard
1 green onion, ends removed (both the "hairy" end and where the green part starts to get floppy)
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. poppy seeds

In a blender, combine vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, and mustard. While the blender is running, add the green onion. Continue running the blender and add the oil in a steady stream and is fully incorporated into the dressing.

Pour the dressing into a serving or storage container and whisk in poppy seeds. Serve over leafy greens.

Recipe source: Our Best Bites

Deli Style Pasta Salad

This is a great summer pasta salad and is so good and so easy to make. That is the beauty of salads is you can throw in whatever you want and call it a salad. I have added different kinds of cheese, broccoli, pepperoni, calamada olives and other things I can't remember right now.

Deli Style Pasta Salad

1 package (16 ounces) tricolor spiral pasta

2 medium plum tomatoes, seeded and julienned

8 ounces sliced salami, julienned

8 ounces provolone cheese, julienned

1 small red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings

1 jar (5-3/4 ounces) pimiento-stuffed olives, drained

1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 bottle (8 ounces) Italian salad dressing

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water.  

In a large bowl, combine the pasta, tomatoes, salami, provolone cheese, onion, olives and Parmesan cheese. Add dressing; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Just before serving stir pasta. Serve with a slotted spoon. Yield: 12 servings.

Recipe source: Taste of Home

Yummy Salad

This salad is SO good! Anytime we are given the assignment of a salad when we go to a party, this is what I bring. Don't let the sugared dates throw you off. If you don't like dates, add them anyway. They are seriously what makes the salad so amazing.

Yummy Salad

Mix together:
1 bunch red leaf lettuce
1 bunch green leaf lettuce
1 bunch spinach, bean sprouts
mushrooms
green onions

Just before serving add:
Sugared diced dates
Mandarin oranges, toasted pecans (broil on lower shelf of oven for about 5-7 minutes)
grated mozzarella cheese

Dressing

Add to a blender:
1/2 c. cider vinegar
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 heaping Tbsp dried onions
1/2 tsp. ground mustard powder

Begin blending then slowly add 1 cup oil and blend for 4 minutes. Then stir in 1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Cobb Salad with Sweet and Spicy Grilled Chicken

Don't let the spicy part of the title scare you off. It is not hot spicy at all. This is really quick to make and doesn't require a whole lot of prep work.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons onion powder
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
5 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)

Combine the first five ingredients; rub over chicken. Coat grill rack with cooking spray for grills or brush with olive oil before starting the grill. Grill chicken, covered,  for 4-5 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 170°. 
Yield 5 servings.

For the salad, just add whatever you like. Here are some ideas.
Lettuce of your choice (I used a mixture of green leaf and spinach)
Hard boiled eggs
Crumbled bacon
Shredded cheese
Tomatoes
Red Onions
Blue Cheese
Toasted pecans or walnuts
Avocado

Non-Fat Honey Mustard Dressing

1/4 c. fat free mayonnaise
1/4 c. Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1/4 c. honey
1 Tbsp. prepared mustard
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
1/8 tsp. paprika

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve.


Chicken recipe source: Simple and Delicious Magazine