Tuna Dinner Salad, from Cara

1 large head red or green leaf lettuce, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
4-6 oz. colby cheese cut into chunks, optional
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can tuna, drained (can be tuna in oil or water)

Toss all ingredients with red wine vinaigrette.

red wine vinaigrette
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced OR 1 t. garlic powder
1 c. olive oil

Whisk together the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. While whisking, add the oil in a thin, steady stream until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad, from

Ingredients

* Dressing:
* 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 2/3 cup light sour cream
* 1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon chili powder
* 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
*

Salad:
* 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
* 2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
* 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
* 1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
* 1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
* 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained

Preparation

To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients, stirring well.

To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

**Add a spoonful of adobo sauce for a spicier salad. To prepare it quickly, I usually just use a bag of pre-washed mixed greens and the meat from a grocery store rotisserie chicken.

Veggie and Black Eyed Pea Salad, from Dara

The second is this salad that I made the other night to use some of our garden produce and some black eyed peas I had frozen. I am giving approximate amounts I used, but really, I just added everything until the proportions looked good to me.

1 1/2 c. cooked black eyed peas (equivalent to 1 can, drained and rinsed)
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 lg carrot, diced
approx. 1/5 of a 1 lb bag of acini de pepe. I think this would work with any small pasta or grain.

(I am going to try with quinoa next time; I think orzo, brown rice, Israeli couscous, or wild rice blend would work too. I had acini de pepe to use up, but I made too much and so I just put some in the salad and saved the rest.)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro
4 tiny green onions from the garden (maybe 1 - 2 regular size)
salt
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
apple cider vinegar

Cook and drain the pasta or grain. Saute the red pepper and carrot in a pan with some oil for 5 - 10 minutes until softened; I like to get some of it browned. Mix the pasta or grain, black eyed peas, red pepper, and carrot. Add salt, olive oil, and both vinegars to taste. (I add a bit, taste, adjust, etc. I used more balsamic than apple cider vinegar, and used some salt since I cooked the beans without). Then add the cilantro and green onions and mix once more.

Parsley Salad, from Carolyn

Parsley Salad
1 medium cucumber
1 medium tomato
1/4 medium onion
1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley
vinaigrette (we used Good Seasons Italian dressing, which is our standard salad dressing)
crumbled feta

Chop all veggies in small bite-size pieces, add parsley, and toss in vinaigrette. Add feta when served.

Roasted Beets and Mango Salad, suggested by Heather

Roasted Beets and Mango Salad
Cooking Light, MARCH 1999

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups salad and 4 beet wedges)
Ingredients

* 2 large beets (about 3/4 pound), trimmed
* 1/4 cup orange juice, divided
* 2 tablespoons lime juice, divided
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
* 1 tablespoon honey mustard
* 2 teaspoons olive oil
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 6 cups gourmet salad greens
* 1 cup diced peeled ripe mango (about 1/2 pound)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.

Place the beets in a baking dish, and bake at 425° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until tender. Cool beets. Combine 2 tablespoons orange juice, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Peel beets; cut each into 8 wedges. Toss beets with orange juice mixture.

Combine 2 tablespoons orange juice, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, mustard, oil, and salt. Combine the salad greens and diced mango. Drizzle with mustard mixture, and toss well to coat. Divide salad evenly among 4 plates, and top with beet wedges.
Nutritional Information

**I've made this one only once. To be honest, it was not my favorite way to use beets or mangoes, but that's not to say it was bad. It was good, but I had so many other recipes that I love for beets and mangoes individually, it could never compete.**

Mexican Chopped Salad, from Mandy

I am often without jicama, so have been known to sub cukes. It's good.


Mexican Chopped Salad

Salad
2 1/2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and well drained
3/4 cup chopped seeded tomato
3/4 cup chopped peeled jicama
3/4 cup fresh corn kernels, uncooked (or frozen or canned)
3/4 cup thinly sliced radishes
Half a ripe avocado, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

Honey-Lime Dressing
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro (or more to taste)
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 tsp chopped jalapeño pepper (use canned for less heat)

Toss all salad ingredients in a large bowl. In separate bowl, mix dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over mixture and toss again. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Chopped Salad, from Stephanie

Chopped Salad

1 head romaine lettuce
a small bunch green onions
avocado
diced cooked chicken
gorgonzola cheese
about 6 slices bacon
2 seeded plum tomatoes

(I leave off the tomatoes because I don't like them, but today my husband is getting 3 halved cherry tomatoes in his because I grew them.)

Chop all ingredients until they are just the right size. Everything should be about the same size except the cheese, which is its own size, and the lettuce will likely be a little bigger. The onions can go a little smaller because they are strong.

Now for the dressing. Mix these ingredients in a jar and shake to mix.

1/2c. balsalmic vinegar
3/4c to 1 c. extra virgin olive oil (Start with 3/4 and go up to taste.)
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 pressed garlic cloves

Dress the salad, toss and serve.

Surf and Turf Salad, from Dani

Surf and Turf Salad

1 head of green butter lettuce
1/2 of an english cucumber
1lb fresh shrimp peeled and deveined
1lb steak. Whatever you like or have on hand is fine. I use whatever is on sale.
Garlic powder
Salt
Black Pepper

Tear up the lettuce and cut the cucumber into small pieces. Cube the steak into bite sized pieces. Get the skillet good and hot while youre cubing the steak. When the skillet is hot, drop in the steak and season it well with the garlic, salt and pepper. Cook to desired doneness. Remove the steak and set aside. Do the same thing to the shrimp (hot skillet, salt, pepper, garlic).

I put each meat in its own bowl beside the salad and let everyone do what they want to with it.

Suggested by Heather - Giada's Roman Summer Salad

My friend had us over yesterday and made this really nice salad she saw on Giada deLaurentiis' show called Roman Summer Salad. It was really nice - she sent me the recipe:

Roman Summer Salad

1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup pitted green and black olives or calamatta olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped (optional)
2 tbsp. capers drained and rinsed
1 garlic clove minced
8 fresh basil leaves shredded
1/2 tsp. black pepper
6 tbsp. olive oil
1 pound vine ripe tomatoes (about 3) sliced 1/4 inch thick

Cook the balsamic vinegar in a small sauce pan over low heat until thick, syrupy, and measuring a 1/4 cup, about 20 minutes. set aside to cool.Combine the olives, parsley, anchovies, capers, garlic, pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl and toss to combine.To serve, layer the tomatoes slightly overlapping, on a serving plate. Spoon the mixture over the tomatoes. Drizzle the balsamic sauce over the salad and serve.

Granny's Tuna and Shells, from Betsy

It's already so bloody hot I couldn't stand the thought of cooking tonight, so I whipped up a batch of one of my summertime staples. This is my grandmother's recipe. I don't actually measure anything, so play it by ear. Also qualifies for cheap meal status:

Granny's Tuna and Shells

Ingredients:
1 pound box medium shell pasta
2 cans tuna, drained
3 ribs celery, diced
1/2 small onion, finely diced (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 to 3/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup Italian dressing
cider vinegar
salt and pepper

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water

2. In a large bowl, mix pasta with vegetables and tuna.

3. Add the mayo, starting with 1/2 cup, and go until it's as moist as you like. Stir in the Italian dressing. Add a splash of cider vinegar (a couple teaspoons). Season with s & p to taste.

4. Cover and chill for several hours. I like to make this in the morning, so I don't have to turn the stove on when it's hot out.Serve with any snack cracker like Ritz or saltines.

Chopped Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette, from Rachael

Chopped Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette

2 Ripe Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup finely chopped Cucumber
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped Black Olives
1/4 cup finely chopped Red Onion
3 tbsps White Wine Vinegar
1 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1 head Romaine Lettuce, finely shredded

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, olives, and red onion; set asideIn a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly add oil, whisking to combine. Pour vinaigrette over vegetables; cover and chill 1 hour. To serve, place lettuce on salad plates and top with vegetable mixture.

Grilled Portabellas and Caprise Salad, an idea from Barb

Much to my mothers dismay - I never measure - afterall recipes aren't carved in stone - they're written on paper.

For the 'shrooms:
some balsamic vinegar (good stuff)
some EVOO (okay stuff)
Liquid Smoke (not too much a little goes a long way with this stuff)
McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
Water
Put it all together and poured it over them and let them soak it up for about 4 hours - then just grilled until tender

My Caprese
Tomatoes - chunked up (I like to get all the juices out of them into the bowl for the sauce)
Chunks of Mozzarella
Very good EVOO - dipping quality!!!
McCormick California Style Garlic Salt w/Parsley
Italian Seasoning (Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme )
Let it all get happy together then save the sauce for dipping with crusty bread.

Suggested by Heather - Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad
Cooking Light, AUGUST 2006

Ingredients

Dressing:
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained

Preparation

To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients, stirring well.

To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 2 1/2 cups)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 249(30% from fat); FAT 8.2g (sat 2.8g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 23.3g; CHOLESTEROL 50mg; CALCIUM 106mg; SODIUM 650mg; FIBER 7g; IRON 2.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 25.1g

Suggested by Allison - Pineapple and Spinach Salad

Here it is. It's from Julee Rosso's Fresh Start, although I've messed with it a bit and I don't bother measuring past the dressing stage. Really, who does for salads? She throws in some parsley and lime zest and doesn't have the coconut.


Pineapple and Spinach Salad

1/2 tsp. finely minced ginger
1/4 cup brown sugar
pinch cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp water
a bit of grated coconut
2 cups pineapple chunks (I just buy a good-sized can of them)
a good handful of coarsely chopped pecans
most of a bag of spinach (I measure soooo closely, lol!)
small sweet onion, thickly sliced

In a saucepan, combine ginger, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and water over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Add the pineapple and cook 15 minutes or so, until the sauce thickens and the pineapple's coated with the syrup. Stir in the coconut. Throw it in a salad bowl over the spinach and onion, toss well, serve immediately.

Beet Salad, by Jenifer

Beet Salad:
1 1/2 lbs small beets1/2 vinegar4 green onions (chopped)1/2 c. diced celery1/2 c. green pepper, diced1/2 c. chopped walnuts2 cloves garlic, minced1/3 c. walnut oil 3 tbl. rasperry vinegarsalt, pepper
~Scrub beets- remove tops and ends
~In ~saucepan put beets, vinegar, and enough water to cover;cook until tender (drain)
~When beets are cool enough to touch- remove skins (under running water)
~Cut into 1/2" cubes and combine with remaining ingredients- allow to marinate at room temp tor 2 hours
~Serve on bed of lettuce

Grilled Beef Salad w/Lemongrass Dressing, suggested by Heather

Grilled Beef Salad with Lemongrass Dressing Cooking Light, JULY 2004 (Actually it listed the recipe author as Martin Yan... wonder if it's the guy from Yan Can Cook - which was on PBS years ago)
Dressing:
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chile paste with garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons finely chopped peeled fresh lemongrass

Salad: 1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
2 cups sliced iceberg lettuce
2 cups sliced napa (Chinese) cabbage
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion

Prepare grill.
To prepare dressing, combine first 9 ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves.
To prepare salad, sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Place steak on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from grill; place on a cutting board. Let stand 15 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices. Place steak, lettuce, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Pour dressing over salad; toss well to coat. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups) NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 288(37% from fat); FAT 11.7g (sat 5g,mono 4.6g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 33g; CHOLESTEROL 76mg; CALCIUM 57mg; SODIUM 1020mg; FIBER 2.1g; IRON 3.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.2gMy Changes: I didn't grill the steak, I broiled it, with kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, and a little Worcestershire. I didn't use iceberg lettuce & napa cabbage - I used what I had: spring greens, baby lettuce, & arugula. Also, I forgot to get limes today and had to use a lemon instead. I thought it would make a difference, but it really didn't. I liked the tomato in it (Laab doesn't have that) -- it was a really nice break from the spice.

Suggested by Heather - Chicken Salad with Mint and Feta

Chicken Salad with Mint and Feta
Cooking Light, MAY 2005

This simple chicken salad is zesty with the flavors of mint, feta cheese, and lemon juice. It's great as is and also good served in a pita or on a bed of greens.

3 cups chopped skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup cubed peeled English cucumber
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Mint sprigs (optional)

Combine all ingredients except mint sprigs in a large bowl; toss gently to combine. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 233(28% from fat); FAT 7.3g (sat 2.7g,mono 2.7g,poly 1.1g); PROTEIN 36.9g; CHOLESTEROL 105mg; CALCIUM 75mg; SODIUM 289mg; FIBER 0.2g; IRON 1.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 2.9g

Pseudo-Greek Feast, an idea from Heather

Pseudo-Greek Feast

Appetizer:
pita chips & hummus - both store bought... I know how easy they are to make, but I already had them at home and I decided late in the day what I was cooking

Main:
- Salad of halved grape tomatoes, kalamatas, cubed cucumber, feta, & olive oil vinaigrette
- Chicken, marinated in olive oil, mint, oregano (both dried, not fresh), salt, pepper, garlic; basted with a mixture of fresh lemon juice and olive oil and broiled (i.e. in the oven with the heat coming from the top of the oven - I know they call this grilling in the UK so I don't assume it means the same to anyone). I used to always grill them, but I'm the worst griller ever. It came out really well - so delicious!
- served chicken with tzatziki, which I made by mixing drained plain natural yogurt, grated & drained cucumbers, and a little salt, mint, garlic, and lemon juice. I don't know if the mint is common, but I love it.
- roasted vegetables - this is nothing I've ever had at a Greek restaurant or in Greece, but I love it and think it goes well. (I used to grill these too, but, again, I suck.) I did zucchini, yellow/summer squash, baby portobello mushrooms, and yellow pearl onions, with olive oil, pepper, and oregano and just stuck them in a roasting pan in the oven until they were tender and juicy

Everything was really nice except for the salad because the dressing was just too tangy and acidic.

A note from Nastia, our resident Greek: VERY GOOD HEATHER, a real Greek dinner. Just one tip. Don't put vinegrette on tomato salad just plain olive oil and oregano, it tastes better. Also, don't put lemon juice in Tzatziki because it messes with the yoghourt, some oil will do.

Sarah's Sensational Fruit and Walnut Salad, from Sarah

I don't really believe in measurements for cooking, so you'll have to figure it out for yourself!

Sarah's Sensational Fruit and Walnut Salad

Sliced strawberries
Blueberries
Mandarin orange slices
Jicama (sliced thin)
Walnuts
Green peppers
Carrots
Cherry tomatoes
Spinach or green leaf lettuce (or both!)
Goat cheese crumbles (or better yet, crumble some yourself off the block)

Goes GREAT with Brianna's Blush Vinaigrette - yum! You can use almonds or some other nut if you prefer.

Baked Potato Salad, from Karli

Editor's note: Can anyone explain the name of this dish?

Baked Potato Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 pounds red potatoes, cubed
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 10 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the potatoes into a pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Drain, and set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the sour cream, mayonnaise, sugar, half of the onions, and half of the cheese. Gently stir in the cooled potatoes. Top with remaining cheese and onions, and sprinkle bacon bits over the top.