I like to make a big salad in the summer that will last for several less-work, cool eating meals. Three fourths cup is a standard serving size and Pasta Veggie Coleslaw makes 16 servings. Make it once and serve it three or four times is less work in my book! We generally have a salad as a main dish once or twice – usually two servings each -- and as a side a time or two more. Big salads are great contributions to a potluck, too. We love coleslaw and pasta is a big favorite so mixing the two was a no brainer! Ring pasta is great with this salad. Small so it doesn’t overtake the salad visually or taste-ally. Yeah, totally made that up, but I bet you know what I mean! I can’t always find that in the stores so I use small shells if I have them on hand, but also have used the small ... [Read More]
salad
Fruit Salad with lemonade dressing
Fruit Salad with lemonade dressing makes a huge salad to feed a crowd. It will serve 25 people easily. Children love it -- and so do their moms! Add it to the menu at your next big potluck. A buffet dinner or casual potluck, this healthy dish will shine! Sometimes called Punchbowl Salad, this Fruit Salad can be made ahead with the fruit refrigerated in separate zip bags. I took it to a recent family reunion a couple of hours away in a cooler filled with ice. I was a little concerned that the fruit would be squashed with the weight of the other fruits AND the ice, especially since the cooler would set overnight before the actual dinner. No problem. I assembled the salad in a punch bowl quickly at the site, added the dressing and it was on the table quickly! It would work ... [Read More]
Beef and Pear Salad with honey mustard dressing
Sometimes we look at a recipe, like Pear and Beef Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing, and think “I can’t use that. It serves four and I am cooking for two.” Or “This is too spicy for my family”. Or even, “this combination is weird!” – which usually actually means “ I’ve not had this before”. Don’t turn the page or click away too soon however! You’ll miss some good eatin’, if you do! Instead think of ways you can make it fit your situation and tastebuds. I cook for three people, two with pretty big appetites. To make this fit my family, I use only half of some of the salad ingredients, but I leave the amount of meat and the dressing the same. One third of a bag of baby greens each is just about right for our appetites. Dried cranberries are high carb so we only need a few for ... [Read More]
Creamy Pasta and Veggie Salad
Creamy Pasta and Veggie Salad makes a great dinner salad for cool summer eating. It’s also perfect for potlucks and family. However or whenever, this salad makes an appearance it is a well balanced blend of carbs, veggies and proteins. It’s healthy and makes a big salad so it will serve a large number of people – or be a made ahead dinner salad a couple of times for three or four eaters. It’s also a nice change from mayo dressed salads and always disappears quickly. I like for my ingredients to “even out” so there aren’t little bits of leftover ingredients setting around. Three cups of dry pasta is generally about a 16 ounce package. That’s what I use if the dry pasta measures out between 2 ¾ cups and 3 ¼ cups. Any less and the salad won’t have the pasta base needed to carry the other ... [Read More]
Grilled Chicken and Strawberry Salad with red wine vinegar dressing
Grilled Chicken and Strawberry Salad is a springtime hit with berries fresh from the garden and fresh salad greens. Of course, you can make it any time of year with berries and greens from the grocery. Use your favorite salad greens. Leaf lettuce or Bibb lettuce from the garden, spring green mix, iceberg pieces, spinach, romaine. Or a mixture of any mild flavored green. Add a handful of chopped kale to each plate, if you like. Generally, a serving of salad is about one cup (pressed down) of fresh greens. Or, the number of servings in a 16 ounce bag of greens is often listed as six. This recipe will make 6 side salads or three generous dinner salads. The dinner salads are the choice at our house. The dressing is the star of the show. And I don’t eat dressing on my salads!!! I’ll have ... [Read More]
Hot German Potato Salad
German potato salad is traditionally served hot -- perfect for the fall potluck. It usually has a hot vinegar dressing flavored with herbs and spices -- like this classic recipe served at a potluck luncheon at our house recently. Time tested and stamped approved!!! Start with boiled potatoes. The peel will slip off the boiled potatoes easily. You can rub off the peel by using a clean dish towel. Hold the potato with the towel in one hand and rub off the peeling with the other -- somewhat similar to drying a cup. Or hold the potato on a cutting board with a fork and gently tease off the peel with the tip of a knife. Stir the cooked potatoes into the dressing gently to avoid breaking them. I would also tip the skillet to make the dressing run to one side and spoon it over the ... [Read More]