24 Hour Salad

·         20 oz. can pineapple tidbits

·         2 (15 oz.) cans mandarin oranges

·         3 eggs

·         3 Tbsp. flour

·         3/4 cup sugar

·         1-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

·         2 bananas, peeled and sliced

·         1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Drain juices from canned fruits and set fruit aside. Add water to juices, if necessary, to measure 1-1/2 cups. Combine eggs, flour, sugar, and 1-1/2 cups juice in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with wire whisk, until thick and boiling. Remove from heat, cover, and chill in refrigerator until cold. When custard is cold, fold in drained fruits, marshmallows, and sliced bananas. Then fold in whipped cream. Pour into serving bowl and cover. Chill 24 hours before serving. Serves 8-10

Broccoli Salad

·         4-5 cups Broccoli flowerettes

·         1/2 red onion, sliced

·         1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

·         1/2 lb. bacon, fried and chopped

·         Dressing (below)

Combine all ingredients except dressing. For dressing, combine 1 cup Miracle Whip (no substitutions), 2 Tablespoons vinegar, and 6 Tablespoons sugar. Mix well, and pour over salad ingredients. Mix. Chill and serve.

Chicken and Black Bean Salad  with a Spicy Tomato Salsa

Makes 6 servings

·          1½ jalapeno chiles, ends trimmed and seeds removed

·          1 tablespoon minced garlic

·          1 cup minced scallion greens

·          1 pound vine-ripened tomatoes, rinsed, drained, cored and cut into large chunks

·          4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

·          ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves

·          1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

·          3 poached or grilled boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ pounds)

·          5 ears shucked sweet corn, fresh or frozen, or 2½ to 3 cups left over cooked corn

·          ½ head romaine lettuce, outer leaves and core removed, rinsed and spun dry

·          15-ounce can black or pinto beans, blanched briefly in boiling water, refreshed in cold water, and drained

·          2 ripe but firm avocados, peeled, pitted and cut into ½-inch cubes

Cook's notes: Author Nina Simonds says she makes this meal-in- one salad often at home, serving it with toasted corn bread or stuffed into a flour tortilla.

Prepare the salsa: Drop jalapeno chiles and garlic down the feed tube of a food processor fitted with a steel blade while machine is running, or into a blender, and chop finely. Add scallion greens and pulse to mix. Drop in tomatoes and pulse until coarsely chopped. Stir in lemon juice, cilantro and salt. Pour into serving bowl and let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature, then re frigerate until ready to serve.

Prepare the ingredients: Cook the corn about 10 minutes, drain, let cool and cut kernels from cobs. (You should have about 2½ to 3 cups.) Cut the poached or grilled chicken meat across the grain into thin slices. Cut lettuce leaves into ¼-inch julienne strips.

Assemble the salad: Sprinkle lettuce on bottom of round serving bowl or platter. Arrange ingredients in separate concentric cir cles, starting with corn, then black beans, avocado and chicken in the center.

Presentation: Serve salsa on the side, spooning some on top of each portion

Mexican Chicken Salad

Mexican Chicken Salad will be a great accompaniment to any meal or even a light lunch or dinner. If you have left over chicken or simply allow the local market to cook the chicken for you, these Mexican Chicken Salad Reicpes will become family favorites.

Dressing:
1/4cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2teaspoons cumin
1/4teaspoon salt and pepper

Mexican Chicken Salad Mixture:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 whole boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch strips
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 (16 ounces) package frozen corn
1 cup chopped plum tomatoes
1 (15ounces) can black beans, rinsed and drained
5 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped

Salad:
1 package mixed salad green
2 avocadoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups monterey jack cheese
3 cups slightly crushed blue corn chips
1 cup sour cream
1 jar thick & chunky salsa

Directions:
1. Mix dressing ingredients and set aside.
2. Heat oil in skillet.
3. Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt, then sauté in pan until no
longer pink, about 5 minutes.
4. Combined cooked chicken, corn tomatoes, black beans, onions
and red peppers in a large bowl.
5. Stir in dressing.
6. Chill at least 1 hour.
7. When ready to eat, combine chicken mixture with lettuce.
8. Serve along with avocados, cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream
and salsa.

Fruit Salad

·          1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained

·          1 can (approx. 16 ounces) peach slices, drained

·          1 can (11 ounces) mandarin orange sections, drained

·          2 apples, cored and chopped

·          1 package (approx. 3 3/4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix

·          1 1/2 cups cold milk

·          1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

·          3/4 cup sour cream

Combine fruits in a large bowl; set aside. In a small mixing bowl, combine pudding mix, milk, and orange juice concentrate. Beat with an electric hand-held mixer for about 2 minutes. Beat in sour cream. Fold mixture into the fruit mixture. Cover and chill thoroughly. 
Serves 8.

Hot Pineapple Salad Dessert

(This may sound "odd", but it is one of my Mom's recipes that I dearly loved as a kids, back in the 50s!  Try it!  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!)

 (Makes 8 servings)

• 1 (20 oz.) can chunk pineapple, drain & save juice
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 3 tbsp. pineapple juice
• 1/4 c. melted margarine
• 1 c. grated lowfat sharp cheese

Combine pineapple and cheese. Mix sugar, flour, juice and margarine. Mix with pineapple and cheese. Pour into baking dish. Bake 1/2 hour at 350 degrees.

Seven Layer Salad Recipe

·         6 cups chopped lettuce

·         salt and pepper

·         6 hard-cooked eggs, sliced

·         2 cups frozen peas, thawed

·         8 to 16 ounces bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled

·         2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mild Cheddar cheese

·         1 cup mayonnaise

·         1 to 2 tablespoons sugar

·         1/4 cup sliced green onion with tops

·         paprika

·         optional ingredients: tomatoes, broccoli, snow peas, purple onions, etc.

Place 3 cups of the lettuce in bottom of large bowl; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Layer egg slices over lettuce in bowl and sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Continue to layer vegetables in this order: peas, remaining lettuce, crumbled bacon, and shredded cheese, along with light sprinklings of salt and pepper. Combine mayonnaise and sugar; spread over top, spreading to edge of bowl to cover entire salad. Cover and chill 24 hours or overnight. Garnish with green onion and a little paprika. Toss before serving.
This salad serves 12 to 15.

Strawberry Banana Salad

Serves/Makes: 12

 6 ounces package strawberry gelatin powder
1 cup boiling water
2 packages (10 ounce size) frozen sweetened sliced strawberries -- partially thawed
1 can (20 ounce size) crushed pineapple -- undrained
1 cup mashed firm banana
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups sour cream
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a bowl, dissolve gelatin in water. Stir in strawberries, pineapple, bananas and nuts. Pour half of the mixture into a 13x9x2" dish. Refrigerate for one hour or until set. Set the remaining gelatin mixture aside.

Combine the sour cream, sugar and vanilla; mix well. Spread over the chilled gelatin. Spoon remaining gelatin mixture over top. Chill overnight.

1 (5-pound) watermelon
1 Vidalia or other sweet onion
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
6 whole mint sprigs

Cut the flesh from the melon and cut into bite size pieces, removing and discarding the seeds, and set aside. Peel and slice the onion into rings.

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, salt, pepper, and whisk until salt is dissolved. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, a few drops at a time. Add in the chopped mint, taste, and adjust seasonings.

In a large bowl, combine the melon, onion, and feta. Pour the dressing over the melon mixture and toss gently until everything is coated and evenly mixed. Garnish with mint sprigs.

To serve, divide salad among individual plates and garnish with mint leaves.

Hot German Potato Salad

1 lb. bacon - fried, crumbled, grease reserved
9 med. potatoes - peeled, sliced, boiled until tender
1 lrg. onion - sliced thin
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups water
1 1/4 cups distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Toss together crumbled bacon, potatoes, and onion in a bowl; set aside. Melt bacon grease in saucepan over medium-high heat; stir in flour; slowly whisk in water and vinegar; stir in sugar; continue cooking, stirring constantly, until thickened. Pour hot mixture over potatoes in the bowl.
Serve hot.

12 Servings

**I think Yukon Gold potatoes are the tastiest choice for this recipe.

Cole Slaw

1 1/4 cups real mayonnaise
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 Tbls. white vinegar
3 Tbls. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 head cabbage - chopped
3 med. carrots - shredded

Combine all ingredients (except the cabbage and carrots) in a large bowl and blend until smooth with an electric mixer. Add cabbage and carrots and toss well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

8 Servings

Betty Crocker's Cobb Salad

From the Betty Crocker website.

4 servings

20 minutes 20 mins prep

1. For Vinaigrette dressing, combine vegetable oil, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and pepper in screw top jar and shake well. Chill until ready to use.
2. Divide salad greens among 4 plates. Arrange each salad ingredient separately in rows on top of leaves. Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve

Southwest Pork Salad With Creamy Lime Dressing  

Another Betty Crocker recipe.

4 servings

45 minutes 15 mins prep

1. For creamy lime dressing, combine sour cream, cilantro, lime juice, oil and salt and set aside until ready to use.
2. For pork, heat oven to 425 degrees F. Place pork on rack in shallow roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper. Insert meat thermometer so that tip is in thickest part of pork. Roast uncovered until thermometer reads 16o degrees F (about 30 minutes for medium done-ness). Cool pork and cut into slices.
3. Arrange salad greens, bell pepper, mushrooms, peas and pork on large serving platter. Serve with creamy lime dressing.

Betty Crocker's Grilled Mixed Seafood Salad

From Betty Crocker's website.

Cooking time does not include 1 hour marinating time.

6 servings

40 minutes 20 mins prep

1. For shallot-thyme vinaigrette: mix oil, vinegars, shallots, mustard, thyme and salt and set aside.
2. Place fish steaks, shrimp and 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette in shallow glass or plastic dish. Turn fish and shrimp to coat. Cover and chill 1 hour. Reserve remaining vinaigrette.
3. Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat.
4. Remove fish and shrimp from marinade: reserve marinade. Cover and grill fish and fennel 5 to 6 inches from medium heat 5 minutes: brush with marinade. Add shrimp. Cover and grill 5 to 15 minutes, turning an brushing fish, fennel and shrimp with marinade 2 or 3 times, until shrimp are pink and firm and fish flakes easily with fork, and fennel is tender. Discard any remaining marinade.
5. Arrange romaine and arugula on serving platter. Cut fish into bit-sized pieces. Arrange romaine and arugula on romaine mixture. Serve with remaining vinaigrette.

PASTA COLE SLAW

(From the Trim and Terrific Cookbook)