Strawberry Spinach Salad with Honey Celery Seed Dressing

source

 This is a great variation on the beloved strawberry spinach salad, care of my darling MIL.  The dressing is a little earthier than the traditional poppy seed dressing and I think it's so unique and refreshing. 

{What you need}

¼ cup sugar

1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced

1 (10 oz) package baby spinach greens, washed

1 cup sliced almonds, toasted

1 recipe Honey Celery Seed Dressing

{Dressing}

¾ cup sugar

½ cup honey

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp mustard

1 tsp finely grated onion

½ cup lemon juice

1 cup vegetable oil

½ tsp celery seed

Lightly sprinkle sugar over strawberries and toss with spinach and greens just before serving.  Top with desired amount of toasted almonds and dressing.

*For dressing: Mix all ingredients except oil and celery seed in a blender  Gradually add oil and celery seed and continue blending.  Best if served chilled over the salad.  Keeps up to three weeks.

Cranberry Tossed Salad

This is John's favorite salad ever.  This dressing is unmatched!

{What you need}

1 large bowl mixed greens (we prefer the spring mix)

2 cups slivered almonds or pine nuts, toasted with butter

2-3 cups craisins

1 cup shredded mozzarella

3 green apples, chopped

{dressing}

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 clove garlic, grated to a paste

You can make the dressing the day before, but don't combine everything else until right before ready to serve.

Chicken Apple Salad

{source}

I have been hunting down this recipe for literally over 2 years now and finally got a copy of it from my mother-in-law the other day!!  So happy!!!! I've already made it for a baby shower and it was a major hit!  So refreshing for summer and doubles great for entertaining.

{What you need}

2 pounds cooked chicken tenders, cubed

2 tart apples, cored and cubed

8 oz. of Gouda cheese

8 oz. package bow tie pasta, cooked and cooled

1/2 cup celery, diced

1 cup pineapple tidbits

1 cup seedless grapes, halved

2/3 cup sliced almonds (I left these out)

{dressing}

1 cup mayo

1/4 cup sour cream

3 tbsp. lime juice

3 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. poppy seeds

Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss.  Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a blender and mix well.  Chill salad and dressing separately.  Dress salad right before serving for best results.

From The Gathering of Friends cookbook

BLT Pasta Salad

{source}

This is a nock off of a salad some friends served at their wedding.  It was delicious!  I prefer it with the cole slaw dressing.  And it makes a lot, so it's great for entertaining.

{What you need}

2 cups spinach leaves

3 cups cooked penne, cooled

1.5 cups chopped sun dried tomatoes

2 cups raw peas

2 cups raw broccoli

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 cups cooked bacon, chopped and cooled

1 cup olives {optional}

16 oz. pepper jack cheese, cubed into cubes about the size of dice

2 cups mayo or cole slaw dressing

Put the spinach leaves aside.  Combine all other ingredients in a large bowl and toss.  Add spinach last and toss.  Serve chilled.

Cabbage Crunch Cole Slaw

{source}

A delicious and elegant variation to a regular cole slaw.  My MIL recently made this for a birthday bbq and I was delighted to see that I already had the cookbook that the recipe she used was from.  This may be my new favorite summer salad!

{What you need}

1/2 c vegetable oil

1/4 c sugar

3 T vinegar

1/2 t salt

flavor packet from ramen noodles {I used chicken flavor}

1/2 head cabbage, shredded

4 green onions, chopped

2 T toasted sesame seeds

1 package ramen noodles, broken up and uncooked

1/2 c toasted sliced almonds

red seedless grapes, as desired {I used about 2 cups}

In a blender or food processor combine veg oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, and ramen flavor packet.  Pour over shredded cabbage.  Add green onions and sesame seeds.  Toss together.  Just before serving, add ramen noodles, almonds, and grapes.  Makes 6 servings, and easily doubles/triples/etc...

Broccoli Salad

source
My MIL is such an incredible cook and she has so many great recipes that she shares with me! This may be my new favorite salad, and I LOVE that it has fresh broccoli in it. A nice healthy twist! This dressing is gorgeous, too, and would be great on other salads as well.


This one comes from the cookbook Essential Mormon Cook Book, which has some major winners in it. You should check it out, even if you're not Mormon. The recipes are non-denominational:)

{What you need}

2 Bunches fresh broccoli (about a pound) cut in small flowerets

1 medium purple onion, finely chopped

1 cup grated cheddar cheese
6 strips bacon, cookied until crisp and crumbled

1/2 cup sunflower seeds or raisins (optional, but HIGHLY encouraged)

1 recipe Broccoli Salad Dressing (See below)

In a large bowl combine broccoli, onion, and cheese. REfrigerate. Just before serving, stir in bacon. Add sunflower seeds or raisins if you wish. Pour desired amount of dressing over salad, and stir briefly. Serve the same day.

{Broccoli Salad Dressing}

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all dressing ingredients. Chill at least one hour before tossing with salad.

Shredded Sweet Pork Salad

source
I have been dying to find some good recipes for a "Cafe Rio"-esque spread, and I think after modifying some different ones here and there, I got the winner! I made this for my family and it was a major hit. My dad, who has a very sophisticated palette, told me it was exponentially better than Cafe Rio! Ha ha, I feel like Elaine and the Soup Nazi! Anyway, this is a great dinner you can make in bulk to serve a lot, and it keeps well in the fridge if you don't finish it all (pretty unlikely, though!). Let's get this fiesta started!

{What you need}

tortillas (I like the Costco kind you cook yourself)

romaine Lettuce (I like it shredded)

black or pinto beans

pico de gallo to taste

sweet shredded pork

cilantro lime rice

creamy tomatillo dressing

lime wedges

tortilla strips

guacamole

sour cream

crumbled cotija cheese or parmesan cheese

{Pork}

3 lb pork roast

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp powdered ginger

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

2 Tb dried minced onions

Cook all ingredients in a slow cooker for about 8 hours on low. About an hour before serving remove roast from slow cooker and shred it. Dump out all cooking juices and place shredded roast back in slow cooker and add

1 cup brown sugar

1 c red enchilada sauce

{Cilantro Lime Rice}

4 cups water

2 cups rice

4 cubes chicken bouillon

4 tsp garlic powder

1 TB canola oil

2 TB fresh lime juice

1/2 bunch cilantro

1/2 onion

1 can green chilies

Blend cilantro, onion and chilies in food processor. Add rice to water and bring to a boil. Add bouillon, garlic powder, canola oil, and lime juice, and cook for the duration it says on the package of rice.

{Creamy Tomatillo Dressing}

3 tomatillos, peeled and quartered

juice of 1 lime

1 cup butermilk

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

1 pkg dry buttermilk ranch dressing mix

1 cup fresh cilantro

6 green onions with ends, chopped

2 gloves garlic, minced, or equal amount of powder

3 tsp sugar

1/2 jalepeno, seeds removed

Put all ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

To assemble:

Take your tortilla and add rice and beans and pork as desired. Top with lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, tortilla strips, pico de gallo, cheese, dressing and lime wedges as desired.

Thanks to Sisters Cafe and Favorite Family Recipes for inspiration

Summer Berry Salad

This salad is inspired by the classic strawberry-poppy seed dressing salad. I added some other things to give it a unique flavor, and it's just gorgeous.

{What you need}

1 medium bag of spinach

10-15 strawberries, sliced

1 cup blackberries

2 ripe avocados, sliced

3/4 cup candied walnuts

(store-bought they are called glazed walnuts, or try the recipe below)

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

(also great with crumbled bleu cheese instead)

poppy seed dressing

(try Brianna's Homestyle brand, or the recipe below)

In a large serving bowl empty bag of spinach. Next add the cheese. Next add the strawberries, then the avocados. Next add the blackberries, followed by the candied walnuts. Toss immediately before you serve, add dressing to taste. Great for the summer!

{Poppy seed Dressing}

(compliments of Favorites)

1/3 cup sugar

2 tbs poppy seeds

1 1/2 tsp minced onion

1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp paprika

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Mix all ingredients in a food processor or blender.

{Candied Walnuts}

(compliments of Simply Recipes)

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups raw walnuts, chopped, halved, or whole

1/8 teaspoon coarse salt

Preheat oven to 350. Use middle rack in oven. Lay walnuts out on baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 5 minutes. If not quite done, toast for 1 or 2 more minutes. Do not burn! Remove from oven and let cool in pan on a rack.

Pour sugar into a medium saucepan with a thick bottom. Have walnuts nearby, ready to quickly add to the pan at the right time. Cook sugar on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon as soon as the sugar begins to melt. Keep stirring until all the sugar has melted and the color is a medium amber. As soon as sugar is melted and the color is right, add the walnuts to the pan, quickly stirring and coating each piece with the sugar mixture. It's important to work as quickly as possible. As soon as the walnuts are coated with the sugar mixture, spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Use two forks to separate the walnuts from each other, working very quickly. Sprinkle the nuts with salt. Let cool completely. Break apart.