Archive for the ‘Sides – Salads’ Category
Kidney Bean & Macaroni Salad
I found this recipe on the internet while searching for a way to use kidney beans, and this is excellent pasta salad, if you like beans. Common ingredients, very easy to prepare. The recipe calls for a can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed, or you can do as I did and use 1½ cups of beans you cooked from dry.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry macaroni pasta
- 1 can red Kidney beans, drained, rinsed, (15 oz / 425 g), or 1½ cups cooked from dry
- ½ cup celery, diced
- ¼ cup onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, or additional to taste
- salt and black pepper, as desired
Instructions
- Heat a pot of salted water to a boil, then add the macaroni, cook until just tender. Drain.
- To a mixing bowl, add the macaroni, beans, celery, and onion. Mix together.
- In a small bowl, add the mayo and vinegar and mix together until smooth. Add black pepper and salt to taste.
- Pour dressing over the salad and mix together, taste and adjust pepper and salt as desired. Cover and chill in the fridge for 2-4 hours.
- Serve as a side with your choice of main dish, enjoy.
Carrot Salad
This recipe comes from a friend and not only is this easy, it is an excellent salad! I did not have the apple available so I just omitted that, not a show stopper, still an excellent salad!
Equipment
- Mandoline
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 285 grams fresh carrots, julienned or shredded, (10 oz)
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, chopped, soaked for a few minutes in orange juice or 1 cup water + 1 tablespoon lemon juice, then drained
- ½ cup raisins, soaked in warm water for a few minutes then drained.
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
For the Dressing
- ½ cup mayo
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- I used a mandoline to julienne the carrots.
- Add the Dressing ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix together.
- Add the prepared Salad ingredients to the mixing bowl.
- Mix gently with the dressing. Cover and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours to chill before serving.
- Serve as a side dish, enjoy.
Ranch Corn Salad
I made this on 25 Jun 2023, exactly as written, but did use canned corn and ranch dressing made from a packet. My first time making corn salad and my first time tasting this, and this one is a keeper! The flavors are a perfect blend. This was well liked by my family and visiting houseguests who also enjoyed this.
Ingredients
- 2 cans corn, drained well, (425 g / 15 oz), or 12 oz / 340 g frozen, thawed and drained well
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh spring onion greens, sliced, and slice 1-2 white parts and add them as well
- ½ cup ranch dressing
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Drain the canned corn in a colander. If using frozen corn, thaw at room temperature in a colander for about 30 minutes. Add the corn to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the bell peppers, spring onion greens, and cilantro. Mix together.
- In a bowl, add the ranch dressing, salt, Italian seasoning, onion powder, and black pepper. Stir to mix together.
- Pour dressing over the corn mixture and mix together.
- This can be served immediately or covered and placed in the fridge to chill for up to 2 hours before serving (giving it another stir when served to mix in any liquid that collects at the bottom. Enjoy.
Andy's Holiday Coleslaw
This recipe comes from a friend, and Chef, and is an excellent slaw! I made this on 8 Apr 2022 and the only items not used was the apple and walnuts, this was very well liked by the family, highly recommended.
Equipment
- Box Shredder
Ingredients
For the Slaw
- 1 head green cabbage, about (400-450 g / 14-16 oz)
- ⅓-½ carrot, dependonding on how large it is
- 1 medium apple, cored, peeled, and diced
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
For the Dressing
- ¾ cup mayo
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- Prep the carrot by shredding in on a box shredder, then quarter and core the cabbage, cut into about ½ inch slices, then chop those. Place in a mixing bowl.
- To the mixing bowl, then add the celery seed, apple, cranberries, and walnuts. (I used the variant for the celery and added diced celery, also omitted the apple and walnuts.)
- Mix everything together.
- In a measuring cup, add all the Dressing ingredients, mix together.
- Add the dressing to the vegetables and mix together. Cover and plae in the fridge until serving. Serve as a side with any main dish. Enjoy.
Notes
Variant: 1. Half a stalk of celery, finely diced, is a great substitution for the celery seed.
Salmon Salad
This sounds really good. In the US, just used canned salmon, for those in Thailand, prepare the salmon from frozen with the shortcut listed. On my to make and taste list. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Notes section.
Ingredients
- 170 grams canned salmon, drained, (6 oz), Shortcut
- 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- ½ cup red onion, diced
- ¼ cup vinaigrette dressing, and as needed, Shortcut
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste, as desired
- lettuce, as needed
- fresh dill stems, for garnish, as desired
Instructions
- Rinse the lettuce with cold water and tear off the leaves. Set aside.
- To a mixing bowl, add the salmon and flake apart into large pieces.
- Add the celery, onion, capers, dill, and gently toss together.
- Add the dressing and toss, adding as needed. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste as desired.
- Arrange lettuce leaves on serving plates, scoop the salad onto the leaves, garnish with dill weed stems as desired. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Fair cost per serving.
Shortcuts: Steamed Salmon, Basic Vinaigrette Dressing.
Basic Macaroni Salad
This is my go to guide for a macaroni salad, I make them different each time, and for this I finally documented what I would call a basic macaroni salad. Add or subtract anything you like, have a favorite way, let us know in the comments.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dry macaroni
- 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 jar green olives with pimento, drained, sliced, (5 3/4 oz / 163 g)
- 250 grams cheese, your choice, cubed (8 oz / 1/2 lb)
- mayo, as needed
Instructions
- Heat a pot of salted water to a boil, then add the macaroni and cook until tender. Drain, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking, drain well again, add to a mixing bowl. Add the onion, olives, and eggs to the mixing bowl.
- Give everything a mix.
- Add the cheese to the mixing bowl. I used a Colby/Monterey Jack blend.
- Give the salad another mix. I find it easier to mix the ingredients a few at a time instead of all at once.
- Add a heaping spoon or two of mayo and mix that into the salad. Add more mayo as needed. Goal is well coated but not dripping with mayo.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Been making this type of salad for many years, Lee Thayer.
United States.
United States.
Tart Cherry Cottage Cheese Salad
I made this on a whim and it turned out better than expected. Highly recommended if you like tart cherries. The cottage cheese salads I have made always used crushed pineapple, so I decided to change it up. This recipe uses canned tart cherries, not sure if those are available in Thailand so I will look after I return and report back on that. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 can tart cherries, in water, (15 oz / 425 g can)
- 1 box black cherry gelatin, small box, 3 oz if using Jello brand
- 1 tub Cool Whip whipped topping, (8 oz / 250 g)
- 1 containter Cottage cheese, (1 lb / 500 g), Shortcut
Instructions
- Open and drain the cherries, place on a cutting board and cut each cherry in half, then drain them again.
- Place the cherries, cottage cheese, and gelatin powder in a mixing bowl.
- Stir together until the color is uniform.
- Fold in the whipped topping but do not over mix.
- You can leave the salad in the mixing bowl, or do as I did and spoon into a serving dish, I used a 1 1/2 quart glass serving dish. Cover and place in the fridge to set for at least 1 hour.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: Cottage Cheese.
My spin on a classic cottage cheese salad, Lee Thayer.
United States.
United States.
Mandarin Orange Cottage Cheese Salad
I made this on a whim and it turned out better than expected. Highly recommended if you like mandarin oranges. The cottage cheese salads I have made always used crushed pineapple, so I decided to change it up. This recipe uses canned mandarin oranges, when I return to Thailand I will use fresh mandarin oranges and report on that. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 can Mandarin oranges, segments in water, (15 oz / 425 g can)
- 1 box orange gelatin, small box, 3 oz if using Jello brand
- 1 tub Cool Whip whipped topping, (8 oz / 250 g)
- 1 containter Cottage cheese, (1 lb / 500 g), Shortcut
Instructions
- Open and drain the oranges, I used a can of Walmart brand packed in water. Drain the oranges well. Place on a cutting board and cut each segment into about 4-5 pieces, then drain them again.
- Place the orange pieces, cottage cheese, and gelatin powder in a mixing bowl. No water is used, trust me on this.
- Stir together until the color is uniform.
- Fold in the whipped topping but do not over mix.
- You can leave the salad in the mixing bowl, or do as I did and spoon into a serving dish, I used a 1 1/2 quart glass serving dish. Cover and place in the fridge to set for at least 1 hour.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: Cottage Cheese.
My spin on a classic cottage cheese salad, Lee Thayer.
United States.
United States.
Cottage Cheese Jello Salad II
This is variant I found of a common cottage cheese jello salad. Just 4 ingredients and no water for this version. I state one of the ingredients as gelatin, in the US, you will know this as Jello, in Thailand, you will know this as Imperial or Lobo brand. This is also called "... Stuff" so if you make this with orange jello and oranges, then it would be "Orange Stuff."Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 box any flavor gelatin, small box, 3 oz, if using Jello brand
- 2 cans crushed pineapple, drained well, (8 oz / 250 g cans)
- 1 tub Cool Whip whipped topping, (8 oz / 250 g)
- 1 container Cottage cheese, (1 lb / 500 g), Shortcut
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add the cottage cheese, drained pineapple, and the gelatin powder from the box. I used a box of strawberry jello.
- Stir together until the color is uniform. No water is used.
- Fold in the cool whip until combined but do not over mix.
- You can leave the salad in the mixing bowl, or do as I did and spoon into a serving dish, I used a 1 1/2 quart glass serving dish. Cover and place in the fridge to set for at least 1 hour.
- Serve and enjoy.
- Flavors I have tested (and they are great):
Strawberry Jello & Strawberries.
Orange Jello & Mandarin Oranges.
Pineapple Jello & Pineapple Tidbits.
Lime Jello & Fruit Cocktail.
Cherry Jello & Tart Cherries.
Orange Jello & Fruit Cocktail.
Peach Jello & Fruit Cocktail.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: Cottage Cheese.
Variant: 1. Mix in 2 cups of mini marshmallows.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Cottage Cheese Jello Salad I
This is a favorite from when I was growing up. Just 4 ingredients. I state one of the ingredients as gelatin, in the US, you will know this as Jello, in Thailand, you will know this as Imperial or Lobo brand. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 2 boxes lime gelatin, small boxes, 3 oz each, if using Jello
- water, as directed on the gelatin boxes
- 1 tub Cool Whip whipped topping, (8 oz)
- 1 container Cottage cheese, (1 lb), Shortcut
Instructions
- Prepare the gelatin as directed on the boxes.
- When the gelatin starts to set up, mix in the cottage cheese.
- Fold in the whipped topping.
- Place in the fridge to set for at least 3 hours.
- Serve as a side dish with any meal. Enjoy.
