Smooth Raspberry Pudding Salad

This salad has been served at many weddings in our church.  It's really easy and very, very delicious!  I love how smooth and creamy it is.  I have seen quite a few variations of the same recipe, I'm sure they are all fine, however, this is my favorite.  This recipe can be used with any fruit flavor, just use the corresponding fruits/jello flavorings, for example, strawberry Jello and frozen strawberries, etc.  My kids don't like big "chunks" of fruit, so I use my hand mixer for the mixing part, the fruit is blended smoother.

Smooth Raspberry Pudding Salad
3 oz. box raspberry Jello
3 oz. box cook and serve vanilla pudding
3 oz. box cook and serve tapioca pudding
6 oz. frozen unsweetened raspberries
4 oz. Cool Whip Topping, softened
3 c. water

In medium size saucepan, bring water to boil, remove from heat, add all 3 boxes of dry mixes, stir until dissolved.  Mix in frozen berries.  Refrigerate until cooled; about 1 hour.  Stir in softened Cool Whip.  Continue chilling until set.

Cucumber Salad

Cucumbers were a little early this year.  We sure have been enjoying them!  This salad is pretty much a staple once the they arrive.  The cucumbers will be gone long before the dressing, not a problem, just cut up a few more and throw them in!

Cucumber Salad

4 medium cucumbers
1 medium onion
1-1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. sugar
salt and pepper
3 tsp. vinegar

Combine mayonnaise, sugar, salt and pepper, add vinegar.  Mix well.  Peal and thinly slice cucumbers, thinly slice onion into rings; add both to dressing.  Refrigerate for several hours.

Oriental Chicken Salad

This salad is very light, both in texture and taste.  Perfect for these balmy summer days we have been having!  I love the toasted nutty flavor.  The original recipe is huge!  I have cut down the measurements a bit, it still makes a lot.  When all is mixed together, the volume is just short of a Tupperware "Thatsa Bowl", if you might have one :).  I like to brown the noodles/nuts and mix together dressing ahead of time, makes last minute preparations much easier.  Be careful when browning, don't burn, the burnt flavor will take over.  If you would prefer to use fresh chicken rather than canned, go for it!  This is not fussy!

Oriental Chicken Salad

3 lbs. bag cabbage
3 green onion, diced
10 oz. canned chicken, shredded
1-1/2 package chicken Ramon noodles, reserve seasoning pkt.
1/3 c. sunflower seeds
6 oz. slivered almonds
5 T. butter

Mix together cabbage, onion and chicken.  Brown noodles, sunflower seeds and slivered almonds in butter.  Set aside.  Browning can be made ahead, seal and store.

Dressing

1/2 c. vegetable oil
1-1/2 tsp. soy sauce
1-1/2 pkts. of chicken seasoning from noodles
1/2 c. sugar
4 T. vinegar

Mix dressing ingredients together, mix well, can be stored in fridge for up to 48 hours. 

Mix dressing/browned ingredients with cabbage just before serving.

Mom's Coleslaw

This is by far the best coleslaw I have ever had, or made.  It's actually called "J's Family Restaurant Coleslaw", but it's the only slaw my mom ever makes, so that's what it's known as.  We used to have a locally owned rib joint, known for their BBQ sauce.  They had a sandwich on their menu that was BBQ pulled pork topped with coleslaw, served in a bun.  Sad to say the restaurant is no longer open, but that particular menu item lives on!  I'm not sure my family would even eat a pulled pork sandwich without the coleslaw, very messy, but delicious!  This particular bag of shredded slaw (pictured) was not very colorful :(

Note: if you have my family cookbook, you will notice that I cut the dressing in half, it's all that's needed.  The full recipe is very good also, but if you have made it, you know that you end up with a lot of leftover sauce after the cabbage is gone.

Mom's Coleslaw

1 lb. cabbage, shredded (1 bag shredded)
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. half and half
scant 1/8 c. white vinegar
6 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 T. celery seed
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients together, fold into cabbage.  Chill 2-3 hours.  Initially it may seem like the cabbage is to dry, it isn't, let it chill!
WW PointsPlus™ = 35 pts. per recipe

Gorgonzola Steak Salad

My sister Tricia is really good at throwing together healthy ideas.  My favorites are her salads!  In this case it's made with steak.  As you can see from the picture I (and Tricia) like our steak still moving (sorry if it looks a bit rare for you :).  I'm thinking this might be a great idea is you have left-over steak. 

Gorgonzola Steak Salad

5 oz. of spring mix greens
1/4 red onion, cut into thin rings
1 sweet potato, cooked, cooled and cut into cubes
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 - 8 oz. steak (such as rib eye or new york strip), grilled and cut into thin slices
2 oz. (or to taste) Gorgonzola cheese
Red Wine Vinaigrette (recipe below)

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and half of the cheese. Toss the salad with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the salad on a platter.

Cut the steaks crosswise into thin slices. Arrange the slices and sweet potato on top of the salad and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Drizzle more vinaigrette over the steak slices and serve.

Red Wine Vinaigrette
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1-1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. olive oil

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper in a blender.  With the machine running, gradually blend in oil.

Chicken Pasta Salad

I would call this my "pasta salad base".  I often start here and add whatever I feel like adding.  As in this case I left it as is, this is the way my kids prefer and it is very good.  If I am making for something other than home, I will add peppers, or maybe use ham instead of chicken and put cubes of cheese in..... I often use canned chicken.  This salad as you see it is often the graduation salad at my sister Sandy's if there is an open house at their home.  Warmer weather is coming, salads are a good thing.  This is super easy to put together, just a bunch of cans and jars.

Chicken Pasta Salad

1 lb. box of pasta of choice
1 (15-oz) jar mayonnaise dressing
1 (15-oz) jar miracle whip dressing
1 (4.5-oz) can chicken (or fresh chicken)
1 (8-oz) can crushed pineapple, drained (reserve juice)
2 stalks celery, diced
2 stalks green onion, chopped
salt
pepper

Prepare pasta according to directions on the box.  Combine in bowl; dressings and pineapple juice.  Add to prepared noodles; dressing mix and rest of ingredients.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Fruited Broccoli Salad

I made this salad for my oldest daughters graduation.  It covered the need for both a vegetable salad and a fruit salad.  Salty and sweet.  It's definitely a favorite of mine.  I believe the actual recipe called for slivered almonds, I usually use peanuts, you really could use any variety of nut.  The sugar and mayonnaise dressing used in the recipe is one I use in a few different salad recipes, so you may see it again.

Fruited Broccoli Salad

1 (8-oz.) can pineapple chunks
4 c. fresh broccoli florets (I use 1 large bunch)
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 c. green grapes, halved
1 c. red grapes, halved
1 c. peanuts
1/2 c. snipped chives
1 c. mayonnaise
1/3 c. sugar

Drain pineapple, reserving 1 tablespoon juice.  In a large bowl, combine the pineapple, broccoli, celery, grapes, nuts and chives.  In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sugar and reserved pineapple juice.  Pour over broccoli mixture and toss to coat.  Yields 10 cups.  Refrigerate.
WW  PointsPlus™ = 10 pts. per cup

Snickers Salad

I like how fluffy and smooth this salad is.  You can vary the amount of Snickers you add and what type of apples.  It's a good mix of smooth and crunchy.  Very sweet, it could almost pass for dessert...  Super easy!

Snickers Salad

8 apples, chopped
1 (16 oz.) ctn. Cool Whip whipped topping
2 sm. boxes instant vanilla pudding
6 to 8 frozen Snickers, crushed
1 c. milk

Mix pudding and milk. Fold into Cool Whip, add apples and Snickers.  Refrigerate.
WW PointsPlus™ = 115 pts. per recipe, using 6 Snickers

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

This salad is very, very good.  If you're up for the sharp taste of some of these ingredients you will not be disappointed!  It's very simple to prepare.  It's fun to use some of these "adult" items.  I tend to get into the rut of making the same recipes over and over again, sometimes I like to step out of the box.  This is a great pasta salad to make when you are preparing something to pass at a gathering.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

1 c. uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta; about 8 oz.)
2 c. bagged prewashed baby spinach, chopped
1/2 c. chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves
3 T. chopped red onion
3 T. chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1 (6 oz.) jar marinated artichoke hearts, undrained
3/4 c. (3 oz.) feta cheese, crumbled and divided

Cook the orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; rinse with cold water.  Combine orzo, spinach and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl.  Drain artichokes, reserving marinade.  Coarsely chop artichokes, and add artichokes, reserved marinade and 1/2 cup feta cheese to orzo mixture, tossing gently to coat.  Sprinkle each serving with remaining feta cheese.
WW  PointsPlus™ = 24 pts. whole recipe