AwesomeBites

Category: Salads

There are the classic recipes for salads that you can make, but the best way to make a salad is to use what you have. The versatility of a salad is what makes it so good! Most people get bored with making the same lettuce, tomatoe salad and I think they stop making the salad entirely because of boredom. Stop! Stop! Stop!
You need to add at least 7 ingredients to a salad, or your salads will start to be the same night after night. The 7 ingredient rule pushes you to look further into your refrigerator or pantry for additional items and this extra push keeps the salad fun to eat every night.
Ingredient possibilities are endless: Think beyond lettuces and herbs, pasta, beans, canned vegetables, pickled and marinated goodies, nuts, seeds, cheese, crackers and croutons… You get the idea.

  • Pickled Shrimp and Peppers, Onions, Green Beans, Asparagus, Carrots!

    IMG_6022

    IMG_6023
    Original recipe makes 8 – 1 quart jars
    4 Tablespoons old bay seasoning
    2 pounds Shrimp Large (26-30 count per pound with tails on)
    8 cucumbers, thinly sliced
    2 onions, thinly sliced
    48 green beans
    32 small asparagus spears
    16 small peeled carrots trim to jar size.
    2 green bell peppers, diced
    8 cloves garlic, chopped
    1 bunch of seedless green grapes
    1/2 cup salt
    Brine
    3 cups cider vinegar
    3 cups white sugar
    3 tablespoons mustard seed
    1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
    1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
    1 tablespoon ground turmeric
    If you want them spicy….
    1 tsp chili pepper flakes or you can use sliced jalapeno peppers

    If you have fresh shrimp, peel and clean leaving the tail on. Boil for 2 minutes with Old Bay Seasoning. Place in ice water to chill.
    While you are heating the brine, pack your jars with shrimp, onions, peppers, garlic, stand the green beans, asparagus, carrots upright, top each with a few grapes.

    Pour hot brine over your packed jars to 1/4 inch of top.
    Place lids on and allow to cool on your counter.

    Keep refridgerated. Eat early at 2 days 3 weeks.
    Enjoy on toast or over a Caesar Salad. Awesomebites!

  • Strawberry Spinach Salad

    Strawberry Spinach Salad

    Strawberry Spinach Salad

    I love this salad. I remember going to Kansas City and Dennis ordered this salad. Inspired, I went home and imitated it!
    Easy to make, family and friend favorite. Dennis loves it without the bacon as well. Who would have guessed that!

    Ingredients

    2 tablespoons sesame seeds
    1 tablespoon poppy seeds
    1/2 cup white sugar
    1/2 cup olive oil
    1/4 cup distilled white vinegar or balsalmic
    1/4 teaspoon paprika
    1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    1 tablespoon minced onion
    10 ounces fresh spinach – rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
    1 quart strawberries – cleaned, hulled and sliced (No stawberries?
    1/4 cup almonds or walnuts, blanched and slivered
    1/4 cup sliced red onions on garnish
    4 slices of bacon, crisp (crumbled)

    Directions
    1.In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for one hour. (You can also mix with your blender.)
    2.In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

    Or make it Hot spinach salad –
    I have prepared this two ways: hot and cold. Fried and crumbled bacon, then added all dressing ingredients till sugar dissolved. Pour this hot dressing over spinach/strawberries: outa this world! Also delicious prepared cold.

    Adding chicken chunks and kiwi is another wonderful variation for a complete, colorful meal in a bowl!

  • Waldorf Chicken Salad or Sandwiches

    Waldorf Chicken Salad or Sandwiches

    Salad

    2 medium celery ribs, cut into small dice
    2 medium scallions, white and green parts, minced or 1 sweet onion
    1 large crisp apple, cored and cut into medium dice
    1/4 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
    1/2 cup mayonnaise
    1/4 cup sour cream
    2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
    2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
    Salt and ground black pepper
    White meat from a baked chicken, or 12 oz canned white meat chicken
    1/2 cup raisins or grapes (optional)
    Chop all ingredients, pour lemon juice over chopped apple to prevent from browning, mix mayonnaise and sour cream together. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix in mayonnaise. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve within 24 hours. Keep refrigerated.

    Serve over mixed greens or on your favorite bread.

  • Bacon Caesar Salad

    Bacon Caesar Salad

    Bacon Caesar Salad

    Oh my, simple and excellent.

    2 cups baby romaine, chopped
    1 cup mixed herb salad, prewashed
    3 scallions chopped, green and white
    6 slices of bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
    1/4 cup Girard’s Light Creamy Caesar Dressing
    Salt and Pepper to taste

    You can prepare the salad ahead of time by washing and chopping, then keep in refrigerator until ready to eat. Dress the salad right before serving, add the bacon and scallions and salt and pepper. Awesome bites!

    Variations: Add 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese for Bacon and Blue Caesar or C
    Add 1/4 cup toasted pecans
    Add 1 cup sliced strawberries for Berry Bacon Salad
    (make sure you wash the strawberries well or your salad could end up gritty)
    Add baked rotisserie chicken from your local supermarket for a quick dinner,
    serve on the side, or chop and add to the salad.

    Serve with Croque Madame

  • Asian Lime Shrimp

    Asian Lime Shrimp

    Ingredients
    3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
    3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
    2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
    3 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
    1 clove garlic, minced
    1 pound medium fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
    1/2 red bell pepper, diced
    2 green onions, diced
    1 (5-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
    1 head butter lettuce, cored, cut in 1/2
    Directions
    In a medium bowl, combine lime juice, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Add shrimp and let marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

    In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, green onions, and water chestnuts; cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add shrimp and marinade and cook 3 minutes, or until shrimp are pink. Stir in 1 tablespoon soy sauce.

    Garnish with diced chilled avocado.

    For Lettuce Wraps:
    Divide lettuce into leaves. Spoon about 1/4 cup mixture down center of 1 lettuce leaf. Fold bottom edge and sides up and over filling. Repeat with remaining lettuce leaves and shrimp filling.

    For Salad:
    Tear lettuce and top with shrimp. Excellent light lunch. Add diced avocado!

    For Appetizers:
    Serve along with skewers on a beautiful serving tray.

  • Panzanella – Bread Salad

    Panzanella – Bread Salad

    Ingredients:

    2 tomatoes
    1 small cucumber, peeled and sliced
    1 small red onion, thinly sliced
    bell peppers (optional)
    Kalmata olives (optional)
    1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
    1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
    3 tablespoons balsamic or red wine vinegar, plus more as needed
    Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
    6 to 8 thick slices country-style white bread, torn into bite-size pieces

    Preparation
    In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, onion and basil. Drizzle with the 1/2 cup olive oil and the 3 tablespoons vinegar, season with salt and pepper and toss well.
    Place half of the bread in a wide, shallow bowl. Spoon half of the tomato mixture over the bread. Layer the remaining bread on top and then the remaining tomato mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
    Just before serving, toss the salad and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. If the bread seems dry, add a little oil or vinegar. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

  • Caprese Salad – Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella, Basil and variations

    Caprese Salad – Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella, Basil and variations

    BASIL VINAIGRETTE
    1 small handful of fresh basil
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    2 tablespoons balsalmic vinegar
    Kosher salt

    SALAD
    4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed into small bites or sliced
    1 pound ripe summer tomatoes, sliced or chopped
    Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

    BASIL VINAIGRETTE In a small food processor, mix the vinaigrette ingredients. If you’re using variations below, you’ll likely use all the dressing, if not, will use much less. Season to taste. Serve and savor!

    SALAD Stir together the cheese, tomatoes, then add dressing to taste.

    Need to add more
    Californication: Add avocado
    Carbification: Add fresh bread croutons
    Citrify: Add Orange Slices
    Appetizerfy: Add salami
    De-tomatofy: Don’t add the tomatoes
    Greekafy: Substitute fresh feta for mozzarella
    Saltify: Add capers
    Saladify: Add cooked pasta and more dressing
    Amplify: Add sundried tomatoes and artichokee hearts
    Kalmatafy: Add kalmata olives
    Winterize: Add roasted tomatoes, and add sliced beets
    Proteinify: Add beans, black or white (1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained)
    Wichify: Serve on a croissant, or french bread

    Stacked high!
    Pasta Salad

    Bake it!



    Roasted Tomatoes, layered low

    Have fun. Serve as a salad, an appetizer on skewers, stack it high, lay it low, bake it!


    Skewers!

  • Spring Green Salad with Shrimp and Avocado

    Spring Green Salad with Shrimp and Avocado

    Spring Mix Greens
    Cucumber peeled and sliced
    Lime Ceviche Shrimp from Costco – this is so good!
    Avocado
    Olive oil
    White Balsalmic Vinegar

    Arrange on your plate, drizzle lightly with olive oil and balsalmic.
    Grab your fork!
    Salt and Pepper to taste

  • Aunt Nett’s Shrimp and Potato Salad

    Aunt Nett’s Shrimp and Potato Salad

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups mayonnaise (Do NOT use fat free or low fat)
    • 1 (6 ounce) can shrimp, drained well and flaked (you can also use thawed frozen shrimp or freshly boil shrimp)
    • 2 celery ribs, minced fine
    • 20 green olives, minced fine
    • 6 hardboiled eggs, chopped
    • salt and pepper, to taste

     

    Boil potatoes whole. Do not over-cook potatoes or salad will be mushy. When potatoes are done drain right away, peel and let cool. Put in refrigerator to chill. When chilled completely, cut them up into medium sized cubes and put in a large bowl. Put back into fridge to keep chilled. Combine celery and olives into finely minced pieces. Add to potato mixture. Open can of shrimp and drain well. Rinse off shrimp in the can, and squeeze dry with can cover before removing from can. Flake shrimp well between fingers and add to potato and veggie mixture. Mix mayonnaise into salad and add salt and pepper to taste.  If you want to use dill, chop it finely and add it now.  Refrigerate until ready to eat.

    When ready to serve, place potato salad on a few leaves of lettuce, serve with cucumber wedges. Oor serve inside a hollowed out tomato or bell pepper or cucumber.

    Variations:.

    Try adding:

    1/2 cup diced bell peppers

    1/2 of a lg sweet onion, minced finely

    1/2 tsp yellow mustard

    1/4 cup dill pickle relish

    1 tsp chopped fresh dill

  • Green Salad – Cobb Salad – Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado and Blue Cheese

    Green Salad – Cobb Salad – Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado and Blue Cheese

    Came home late the other night and the kids had put together this salad.  Perfect for dinner.  Thank you Matt and Denny.

    Ingredients:

    Romaine

    Spinach

    Bacon, fried and crumbled

    Tomatoes, Cherry or bite size chop

    Avocado

    Chicken, cooked, chopped bite size pieces (leftovers are good to use here.)

    Sunflower seeds

    pecans

    Cucumber (optional)

    Grated Cheese, finely grated (optional)

    Boiled eggs, quartered

    Blue Cheese Crumbs (optional – don’t use if you don’t love it!)

    Use your favorite dressiong or classic ranch dressing on the side.

    Salad for Dinner – Cobb Salad