Category: Salad

Salmon Macaroni Salad

This made a great afternoon snack and would also be a great picnic item.

 

Ingredients:

1/2 c. dry macaroni noodles (I used HEB gluten free)

2 small cans of boneless salmon (6-7 oz each)

1/2 c. vegan mayonnaise (or more)

1 tsp mustard

1 tsp lemon zest

1 T. lemon juice

1/3 c. finely minced onion (I used red onions, but you could use regular or green onions)

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

1 T. chopped fresh dill (or 1/2 tsp dried dill)

2 stalks celery, chopped

Black pepper to taste

Tabasco sauce, optional (I didn’t use it)

 

Directions:

Boil the macaroni as per the package directions.  Add 1 T. salt to the water after it is boiling.  While macaroni is cooking, prepare the rest of the salad.

Mix the salmon with the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Add in the onions, parsley, dill, and celery.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the salad while the pasta is still warm.  Season with salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce (if using).

Refrigerate for at least an hour or two before serving.  Should be served cold.  As it sits in the fridge, it may absorb the liquid, so more mayonnaise may be added to keep it creamy.

Original recipe:

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/salmon_macaroni_salad/

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Healthy Fruit and Nut and Seed Salad

This is one of those salads that looks healthy.  I think it’s the chia and pumpkin seeds that really give it that look.  This was one of those, “Hmmm….let’s see what’s in the fridge” meals.  What I thought was going to be a pretty boring meal actually turned out nicely.

 

Ingredients:

2 handfuls of spinach

1/2 apple, diced

1 T. pumpkin seeds

1 T. chia seeds

2 T. craisins

Salad dressing of your choice

Optional: top with chicken

 

Directions.  Put all ingredients on a plate or in a bowl, starting with spinach and ending with salad dressing.  Enjoy!

Turkey Cranberry Salad (or Chicken)

I know, I know. This post would have been better around Thanksgiving time, but I wasn’t ready to post it then.  I was too busy having fun with family :-).  Instead, you are getting a random February post about Thanksgiving leftovers.  People make turkey other times of the year, right?  You could also use chicken instead of turkey if you don’t want to go to the trouble of cooking a big bird when it’s not a holiday. Or perhaps you still have leftovers in the freezer… If so, this is great way to make them moist and delicious instead of merely passable.  As the weather is warming up, think about taking this salad with you on a camping trip, a long hike, or just a fun family picnic.  You can even use canned chicken if you need to!

 

Ingredients:

3-4 c. cooked turkey or chicken, diced or shredded

4 T. diced red onion

3 T. diced celery

1/2 c. craisins

1/3 c. sliced almonds

1/2 c. mayo (I used Vegennaise)

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp salt

 

Directions:

Combine mayo, paprika and salt.  Stir in remaining ingredients until combined.  Add more mayo if you want it to be more moist.  Eat with crackers, in a lettuce wrap, on a sandwich, etc.

Chicken Salad Stuffed Avocados

This is a “fancy” dish.  It looks fancy, and it doesn’t fill you up unless you have multiples, so obviously it’s fancy :-).  It is perfect for someone trying to lighten up on meals after the holidays or for anyone looking for a light, summery dish to brighten your winter blues.

 

Ingredients:

4 c. cubed cooked chicken  (I used this baked chicken.)

1 c. mayonnaise (I used Vegenaise to make it egg free)

1 tsp paprika

1 1/2 c. dried cranberries

1 c. red grapes, halved

1 c. chopped celery

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 c. red onions, minced

1 c. chopped cashews

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

6-12 avocados (or you can just eat the chicken salad with crackers)

Romaine lettuce leaves

Optional: 6 tomatoes for stuffing

 

Directions:

Cook chicken and chill.  Combine mayonnaise and paprika.  Add cranberries all ingredients except chicken and stir well.  Add chicken and stir again.  Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.  Chill for at least one hour.  Cut avocado(s) in half and remove pit.  Set out a romaine lettuce leaf.  Set avocado on lettuce leaf.  Spoon chicken salad over avocado and serve.

 

Tomato option: Another possibility is to scoop out the insides of some tomatoes and spoon the chicken salad into it.  I didn’t actually like this option much- it was more work and it didn’t look or taste as good as avocados.

 

Original recipe:

http://www.food.com/recipe/chicken-salad-stuffed-tomatoes-or-avocados-449115

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Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

Feeling like you ate too much over the holidays?  Here is a light and healthy recipe for you to try.  This also would work well for a summer luncheon.  This is our favorite chicken salad so far!

 

Ingredients:

4 c. cubed cooked chicken  (I used this baked chicken.)

1 c. mayonnaise (I used Vegenaise to make it egg free)

1 tsp paprika

1 1/2 c. dried cranberries

1 c. red grapes, halved

1 c. chopped celery

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 c. red onions, minced

1 c. chopped cashews

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Romaine lettuce leaves, UNchopped

 

Directions:

Cook chicken and chill.  Combine mayonnaise and paprika.  Add cranberries all ingredients except chicken and stir well.  Add chicken and stir again.  Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.  Chill for at least one hour.  Serve on washed romaine lettuce leaves.  Gently fold leaves to form a “wrap”.

 

Original recipe:

http://www.food.com/recipe/chicken-salad-stuffed-tomatoes-or-avocados-449115

 

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Chicken and Broccoli Salad

My brother and I went on a hike for my birthday and I brought this along for our picnic.  It’s simple, quick, and healthy.  You can toss other things into your salad if you want.  This is way more flexible than baking!

 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. cooked chicken, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces (can be replaced with more broccoli to make it vegetarian or to turn it into a side dish)

3/4 c. chopped broccoli

1/4 c. raisins

1/8 c. sunflower seeds (You can add more- I just ran out :-).

2 dashes celery salt

2 dashes sea salt

2 dashes black pepper

1/2 c. mayonnaise or to desired moistness (I used Vegenaise so it wouldn’t have eggs.)*

 

Directions:

Cook and cool chicken completely.  I recommend refrigerating it for a few hours before adding the mayo.  Combine all ingredients and stir.  This tastes even better if it has sat in the fridge for several hours to let the flavors combine.  Happy picnicking!

 

*Tip: If you can’t eat gluten and you live in a place where people share the jar of mayonnaise, make sure no one’s dipped into it with a used knife so you don’t get cross-contaminated.  Most likely they have…  To avoid such problems, you could keep a separate jar for yourself and label it so that people know not to dip into it.  Also, regular mayonnaise has eggs, so if you’re avoiding eggs, get one of the vegan brands of mayo.

 

Salmon and Bacon Salad

I haven’t experimented much with fish but I am wanting to start.  Here is my first post about fish!  My husband and I loved this salad!

 

Ingredients:

4 oz. salmon, rubbed with salt and pepper

2 strips of bacon (omit if you don’t eat pork)

2 handfuls of greens (mine was spinach, kale, and swiss chard from Costco)

1 tomato, chopped

dill for sprinkling

1 lime wedge

Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

 

Directions:

Rub salmon with salt and pepper.  Cook over medium heat until white starts to creep up the sides.  Maybe 7-10 minutes.  Flip over and continue to cook until fish flakes apart easily with a fork.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Cook strips of bacon until browned but not burnt.

To assemble salad, put the spinach mixture on the plate first.  Top with tomatoes and crumbled bacon.  Place salmon on top of salad and sprinkle with dill.  Squeeze lime wedge over everything and drizzle olive oil over all.

Chicken and Apple Salad

I way overbought on produce this week.  I also found an excess of crackers in my pantry that were expiring soon, so I made chicken salad.

 

Ingredients:

2 cups of chicken, cooked, cubed, and cooled

1 apple, diced

1/2 to 1 c. red grapes, sliced in half

1/4 to 3/4 c. Mayonnaise, depending on volume of food and desired wetness (I used Vegenaise)

Crackers of your choice.  We like HEB brand Multi-grain Gluten Free Rice Crackers.

 

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and stir.  Serve with crackers.

Quinoa with Green Beans and Tomatoes

I had oatmeal go bad in my pantry.  It was very sad.  So, I decided to sift through my pantry and use up things whose expiration dates were impending.  What I found was quinoa.  I bought it on sale but I just don’t get very excited about it.  Well, doomsday for this bag of quinoa was quickly approaching, so this is the result.  It was much better than doomsday even if you don’t like quinoa.  I know that’s setting a pretty low bar, but work with me :-).

Ingredients:

3-4 tomatoes, diced

1/2 to 1 lb. fresh green beans- washed, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch pieces

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp salt (I added more later)

1/4 tsp black pepper

2-3 T. olive oil

1 3/4 c. quinoa

4 c. chicken broth (or vegetable broth if vegetarian)

2 T. balsalmic vinegar

8-12 fresh basil leaves or more

 

Directions:

Place tomatoes and green beans in a skillet, drizzle with olive oil, and cook over medium heat until the green beans are tender crisp.  Add garlic cloves, salt, and pepper after about 5 minutes.  In a saucepan, combine chicken broth and quinoa to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until soft and liquid is absorbed.  Stir in cooked vegetables.  Add balsalmic vinegar and top with basil leaves.  May be served hot or cold, but I think it’s better hot.

 

Adapted from:

http://www.yummly.com/recipe/external/Balsalmic-Quinoa-Salad-with-Roasted-Tomatoes-_-Green-Beans-1797341

Hamburger Salad

This is one of the things I do when I run out of hamburger buns.  It’s really easy, but it does require a fork and a knife.

 

Ingredients:

One hamburger, grilled

3-4 bacon slices, cooked to desired crispness

large slice of a red pepper

Handful of pickles

2 tomato slices

Handful of spinach

Ketchup or other desired condiments

 

Directions:

Cook hamburger and bacon.  Put the red pepper slice in a pan, drizzle with oil, and cook at medium until it softens and starts to blacken.  You may want to use a splatter shield because of the oil.

Serve all ingredients on a bed of spinach.

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