Greek Salad(s)

via google images

Basic Greek Salad 

2 large cucumbers (peeled and seeded)
1 small red onion
1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved) (or 4 Roma tomatoes)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Chunk the cucumber after you've peeled and seeded them (removing seeds also removes those cucumber burps); cut onion in half and then slice thin; cut tomatoes in half; drizzle in vinegar/oil dressing of your choosing (I use home made Zesty Italian).  Sprinkle in feta cheese, chill for about half hour and serve.   Great with pork, chicken or meatless.

New Twist on Greek Salad:

via google images

Boil 1 box of garden Rotini pasta to al dente, drain, rinse and set aside.  Make basic greek salad as above, add one can whole olives (drained and cut in half) and add to pasta. Toss in oil/vinaigrette dressing of your choosing and serve chilled.

Delicious!

Creamy Italian Pasta Salad

This is one of my favorite pasta salads.

1 16 oz. Pkg shell pasta
1 8 oz. Pkg sharp cheddar cheese
1 12 oz. Jar Marie's creamy garlic Italian dressing

1 8 oz. Can chopped olives

Cook pasta according to directions. While pasta cools, cut cheese into small cubes. Mix cheese, olives and dressing in bowl. Add pasta and stir well. Refrigerate for one hour before serving. Keeps well refrigerated and covered for up to one week

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My Favorite Pasta Salad

I cannot believe I have never posted this recipe here. It is the easiest recipe in the world and there are never any leftovers when I make it.


Ingredients:

1 pkg Garden Rotini (or the plain rotini works also)
1 pkg Hormel Pepperoni minis (you can use regular or turkey pepperoni too)
1 pkg Mozzarella Cheese (diced)
1 bottle Bernsteins Cheese Fantastico OR Bernstein's Cheese and Garlic Italian (both are delicious!)

Boil the noodles. Drain and set aside to cool.

Dice the pepperoni (or pour the bag of minis right into the bowl) and dice the cheese. When the noodles are cool, add the meat and cheese and mix well.


I use about 3/4 of the bottle of dressing. Stir it all up, cover and refrigerate 1 hour. When you're ready to serve, pour the remaining dressing on and stir once more.

Good eats!

Variations:  I've added chopped olives, onions, bell peppers and pepperoncinis and my family hated it each time. So, feel free to tweak and add and make this recipe your own.

Corn/Bean Salad a/k/a Cowboy Caviar

I found this recipe at www.delish.com. The link is here. I call this corn/bean salad, they call it cowboy caviar. Regardless of what you call it, it is really good. I add a quarter cup of chopped celery and a quarter cup of chopped bell pepper also.

• 15 1/2 ounce(s) (can) pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed
• 11 ounce(s) (can) corn kernels, drained
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 3 green onions, minced
• 1 large (or 2 small) avocado , diced
• 1 cup(s) chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup(s) prepared salsa
• 3/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Gently toss to combine. Chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Serve over greens as a salad, or with chips for dipping.

Waldorf Salad

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
1 cup red seedless grapes, sliced
2 sweet apples, cored and chopped
6 Tbsp mayonnaise (or plain yogurt)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise (or yogurt) and the lemon juice. Mix in the apple, celery, grapes, and walnuts. Some people add salt and pepper to taste.

Of course, this is the traditional Waldorf Salad recipe (made by my grandma). However, there are many variations of the salad going around. Use one Green Apple and one sweet Red apple of your choice. I often throw in some raisins or Craisins in place of the grapes. For a tropical version of the salad, add chunked fresh pineapple in place of the grapes, some mandrin oranges and throw in 1/4 cup of shredded coconut.

Bean Salad

I'm not a big bean fan, however, I had this salad at a BBQ and I loved it. It was good as salad and good as a dip on my corn chips.

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 (15 ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained
8 green onions, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced
3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

In a large bowl, combine the black beans, corn, green onions, jalapeno peppers, bell pepper, avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, and Italian dressing. Season with garlic salt. Toss, and chill until serving.

Creamy Italian Dressing

1 cup REAL mayonnaise (not salad dressing)
1/2 small onion (use a MILD onion)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons white sugar
3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a blender or food processor, combine mayonnaise, onion, vinegar, and sugar. Season with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Refrigerate over night.

This dressing is perfect on any salad and is especially if you boil 1 pkg penne pasta, drain, rinse, set aside. Chop 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, ½ cup chopped black olives, add to pasta and stir in dressing. Refrigerate until cold and eat. Yummy!

Pasta Salad

3 cups rotini pasta, cooked and drained
2 cups broccoli florets
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/2 cup pitted ripe olives
1 cup Italian Dressing

Cook your pasta, rinse and drain. Set aside. Optional: cook broccoli florets (I cook mine to take just a little bit of the crunch out by dropping into boiling water for 5 minutes then removing because you don't want soggy broccoli). Cool and set aside.

Combine the other ingredients (except dressing) in a bowl. Add pasta and broccoli and toss. Add dressing and toss again. Refrigerate over night for best flavor.

Variations:
Sprinkle crumbled blue cheese or feta cheese in addition to the parmesan cheese (we like cheese!)
Replace black olives with chopped green Spanish olives
Try Bernstein Brothers’ Cheese Fantastico or Cheese & Garlic Italian