Archive for the ‘Sides – Salads’ Category
German Meat Salad II
April 2, 2019 Lee
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German Meat Salad II

This is a Thai version of what is called Fleischsalat but I am not using German Bologna, just regular bologna from Tesco, and adding some items that my Thai step daughter would like. There is two dressings listed as well, a Thai dressing and mayo, use either one per your preference.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine Asian
Servings servings

Ingredients
  

  • 115 grams bologna, (~4 oz), German Bologna if you have it
  • 85 grams Swiss cheese, (~3 oz)
  • 85 grams Vietnamese sausage, cha lua (plain) or cha hue (pepper and garlic), (~3 oz)
  • 85 grams smoked ham, (~3 oz)
  • 85 grams imitation crab sticks, (~3 oz)

For the Thai Dressing

  • light soy sauce, as needed
  • lime juice, as needed

For the Mayo Dressing

  • mayo, as needed

Instructions
 

  • Stack the bologna and ham, slice into 1/4 inch wide strips. Slice the cheese into long thin slices, then stack and slice those into 1/4 inch wide strips. Slice the pickles, you guessed it, into 1/4 inch wide pieces. Remove the casings on the crab sticks and Vietnamese sausage, slice into 1/4 inch strips.
  • Place the sliced items into a mixing bowl, add 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of lime juice, toss to mix together, adjust the soy sauce and lime juice as needed to fully coat everything.
  • Or place the sliced items into a mixing bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons mayo, toss to coat, adding more as needed, goal is coated, not dripping in mayo.
  • Cover and place in the fridge to chill for 2-3 hours.
  • Serve as is or on a bed of lettuce. Enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Inspired from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: THAI,Sides - Salads
Mediterranean Tuna Pasta
March 21, 2019 Lee
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Mediterranean Tuna Pasta

This recipe for Mediterranean Tuna Pasta is from Simply Recipes.
This is a tasty, and easy to assemble, pasta salad.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Dish, Side
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings servings

Ingredients
  

  • 340 grams dry spiral pasta, or any bite size pasta, (12 oz)
  • 2 cans tuna in olive oil, (about 185 g / 5 oz each)
  • 1 cup tomato, drained of juice, chopped
  • ¼ cup pitted green olives, sliced, or black olives
  • ¼ cup red onion, diced, or brown onion
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon capers, coarsely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons if using tuna packed in water
  • 1½ cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded, or as desired
  • salt and pepper, to taste, as desired

Instructions
 

  • Heat a pot of salted water to boiling, then add the pasta and cook until tender, drain. (I used small shell pasta.)
  • While the water is heating for the pasta, let's prepare the rest of the salad. If the canned tuna in olive oil is good quality, no need to drain the oil, just add the tuna and oil into a large mixing bowl and omit adding the olive oil listed in the ingredients. If the tuna you are using is not good quality olive oil, or packed in soybean oil or water, drain those add the tuna to a large mixing bowl. Break up the large pieces with a fork. (I used 3 cans, 165 g / 5¾ oz each, I like a lot of tuna in a salad.)
  • To the same mixing bowl, add the tomato, olives, onion, parsley, and capers.
  • Mix together, this makes it easier to mix in the pasta.
  • Add the pasta, cheese, olive oil, and lemon or lime juice. Gently mix together. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. At this point you can serve this warm as a side dish, I however decided to cover and place in the fridge for a few hours to chill to serve as a main dish.
  • Serve as a side dish or as a main dish. Enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving as a main dish as this makes a lot.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: MEDITERRANEAN,Salads - Main Dish,Salads - Pasta,Sides - Salads
Corn Tomato Salad
March 19, 2019 Lee
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Corn Tomato Salad

Sounds interesting as I have never heard of this before. On my to make and taste list. There is a Shortcut in the Recipe Notes if you want to pressure the corn.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine American
Servings servings

Ingredients
  

  • 6 ears corn, husked and cleaned
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 1 medium tomato, diced
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or as desired
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, or as desired
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • black pepper, as desired, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Place the corn in a large and add water to cover, bring to a boil and cook for 5-10 minutes, until the corn is crisp yet tender. Drain and allow the corn to cool enough to handle, then cut the corn off the cobs and place the corn in a large mixing bowl. OR cook the corn in any manner you prefer. I will use my pressure cooker.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add the remaining ingredients, except the black pepper, to the mixing bowl, and toss together. Taste and season with black pepper as desired.
  • Cover and place in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes. When ready to serve, simply toss again. Serve with any main meal, like at a BBQ.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: Fresh Corn I (Pressure Cooker).
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,SIDES,Sides - Salads
Cucumber & Onion Salad
March 13, 2019 Lee
4 Comments

Cucumber & Onion Salad

This recipe comes from a good friend. This is an old school salad that was made through the summer months, as you take cucumber and onion out, simply add more back, as easy as that.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine American
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups cold water
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/8 teaspoon celery salt
  • 2-3 fresh cucumbers, peeled and sliced, use 2 first and go from there
  • 1 small onion, sliced and separated into rings

Instructions
 

  • Prep the cucumbers and onion, gather the rest of the ingredients.
  • Add the cold water, sugar, and vinegar to a container and stir until the sugar is dissolved, add the onion, cucumber, and celery salt, stir to mix together.
  • Cover with a lid and place in the fridge for at least two hours before serving. As the contents are used, simply add more cucumber and onion as needed. Serve as a side with any main dish.

Notes

Low cost.
Variants: 1. Use white vinegar in place of apple cider vinegar. 2. Use celery seed in place of celery salt. 3. Add a small amount of fresh chopped dill.
Recipe adapted from Just A Pinch Recipe Club, Amy Herald, and the original recipe is here.
United States.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Sides - Salads
Crab Pasta Salad
February 10, 2019 Lee
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Crab Pasta Salad

Lee
I like pasta salads as they are easy to make and can be dressed up any way you like. This is something I just threw together and it was well liked.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Passive Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish, Side
Cuisine American
Servings servings

Ingredients
  

  • 250 grams dry spiral pasta, or any bite size pasta you like, (8 oz)
  • 500 grams imitation crab, cut into bite size pieces, (1 lb)
  • 4-5 spring onions, chopped
  • 1 handful fresh dill, chopped
  • mayo, as needed
  • black pepper, as desired, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and then add the pasta. Cook until tender. Drain and run under cold water, drain and let set in the colander for a few minutes to drain very well. Place in a large mixing bowl.
  • Add the crab, spring onion, and dill.
  • Ad 2 big spoonfuls of mayo and gently mix into the salad to coat everything in mayo, add more as needed to get the consistency you desire. Goal is well coated, not dripping, in mayo. Season with black pepper as desired. Cover and place in the fridge to chill for several hours, serve with any main dish or as is for a light meal.

Notes

The imitation crab will cost 52 Baht/250 grams, 104 for 500 grams. The pasta I used was Fusilli (spiral) from Italy for 35 Baht/250 grams. For 6 servings, this is about 72 cents per serving.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,PASTA,SEAFOOD - ALL,Seafood - Crab - Imitation,Sides - Salads
Pea Salad III
January 26, 2019 Lee
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Pea Salad III

Sounds like an excellent salad. There is three shortcuts to make Ranch Dressing if you would like to make your own, or use own preferred brand of Ranch Dressing. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine American
Servings servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups frozen peas, about 500 grams / 16 oz, thawed
  • 1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 cup Ranch dressing, (Shortcut)
  • 1/3 cup red onion, diced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 slices smoked bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients, except the bacon, to a large mixing bowl, toss together to mix. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
  • Stir in the bacon just before serving, enjoy.

Notes

Low cost.
Shortcuts: Ranch Dressing I, Ranch Dressing II, Brian's Ranch Dressing.
Variants: 1. Cube the cheese instead of shredding. 2. Use other types of cheese you prefer. 3. Go heavy handed with the cheese and or bacon.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Sides - Salads
Quick & Easy White Bean Salad
January 24, 2019 Lee
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Quick & Easy White Bean Salad

A great sounding white bean salad recipe from a good friend, and it sounds delicious, and can be varied in many ways. On my to make and taste list. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine American
Servings servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 can Great Northern Beans, 15 oz can, or 2 cups fresh cooked,
  • 2 tablespoons red onion, diced
  • lemon or lime juice, as needed
  • 2 teaspoons wine vinegar, red, white, or even rice
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried Herbs de Provence
  • salt and black pepper, to taste, as desired

Instructions
 

  • Dice the onion and add to a mixing bowl, sprinkle in about 1-2 teaspoons of lemon or lime juice, this will take off the strong taste of the onion. Toss to mix together.
  • If using a can of beans, open and drain but do not rinse. If using fresh cooked beans, drain, do not rinse. Add beans to the mixing bowl.
  • Add the vinegar, olive oil, and herbs. Toss to combine. Taste and season with lemon or lime juice, salt and pepper, as desired.
  • Cover and place in the fridge to chill for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve as a side salad with any dish. Enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Low cost per serving.
Shortcuts: Great Northern Beans (Pressure Cooker), Chickpeas (Pressure Cooker).
Variants: 1. Use chickpeas in place of Great Northern beans. 2. Add diced green or red bell pepper. 3. Add chopped cilantro. 4. Add halved cherry or grape tomatoes. 5. Add capers, drained.
Inspired by Spend With Pennies and the link to this recipe is here.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Sides - Salads
White Bean & Tuna Salad
January 23, 2019 Lee
1 Comment

White Bean & Tuna Salad

Simply Recipes, Elise Bauer, United States.
This comes from a good friend and is delicious. Common ingredients and takes just minutes to put together. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Notes section.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish, Side
Cuisine American
Servings servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup red onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice, and as needed, plus the zest from 1-2 limes
  • 2 cans tuna in olive oil, see Step 1, (Shortcut)
  • 2 cans Great Northern Beans, 15 oz cans, or 4 cups fresh cooked, Shortcut
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped, loosely packed
  • 1-2 dashes tabasco sauce, or a pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • salt, as desired, to taste
  • olive oil, as needed

Instructions
 

  • For the tuna, if using canned in olive oil, 185 grams each can (5-6 oz each can) or 250 grams fresh cooked.
  • Dice the onion and splash just a bit of the lime juice on them and toss together, this will cut back on some of the strong flavor of the onion. Set aside.
  • Drain the cans of tuna, or drain fresh cooked if needed. Add the tuna to a large mixing bowl, add drained beans, and add remaining ingredients. (I used chickpeas this time that I cooked in a pressure cooker.)
  • Gently mix together.
  • Taste, if dry, mix in some olive oil to get the desired consistency. Season with salt, Tabasco or red pepper flakes as desired.
  • Cover tightly and place in the fridge to chill and to allow the flavors to blend.
  • Serve as a light meal for lunch or dinner or as a side dish. Enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Shortcuts: Great Northern Beans (Pressure Cooker), Fresh Tuna, Chickpeas (Pressure Cooker).
Variant: 1. Use chickpeas in place if Great Northern beans.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,FISH - ALL,Fish - Tuna,Sides - Salads
Russian Red Radish Salad
January 10, 2019 Lee
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Russian Red Radish Salad

Just a Pinch Recipe Club, Beth Renzetti.
This to me sounds very good, only 4 ingredients, and one you can make yourself as a shortcut. On my to make and taste list. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine Russian
Servings servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 bunch red radishes
  • 1-2 spring onions, sliced, white and green parts
  • salt, to taste, as desired
  • sour cream, as needed, Shortcut

Instructions
 

  • Trim both ends of the radishes, wash well to remove any grit. Dry with paper towels then cut in half lengthwise, then slice each piece into half moons, thickness is up to you. not to thick and not to thin. Add the sliced radishes to a mixing bowl. Slice the spring onions, add the white parts and some of the green to the mixing bowl, reserve some of the green parts for garnish.
  • Add sour cream, say a spoonful at a time and mix into the radishes, goal is a creamy texture without the radishes dripping in sour cream. Taste and season with salt as desired.
  • Sprinkle the salad with the remaining green part of the spring onion and serve immediately before the water from the radishes leach out. Enjoy.

Notes

Shortcut: Sour Cream.
5 Ingredients or Less,: RUSSIAN,Sides - Salads
Tomato Chickpea Salad
January 2, 2019 Lee
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Tomato Chickpea Salad

Sounds like a nice salad, and the toasting of the chickpeas sounds like a good method as well. On my to cook and taste list. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine American
Servings servings

Ingredients
  

For the Salad

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 can chickpeas, 15 oz, drained, rinsed, or 2 cups cooked, (Shortcut)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes, (4 cups), sliced in half
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
  • salt, to taste, as desired

For the Dressing

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, or a lesser amount of white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon shallot, minced
  • salt and pepper, to taste, as desired

Instructions
 

For the Salad

  • Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan on medium heat, when hot, add the chickpeas and spread them out so there is a single layer. Let them cook for a few minutes until they are browned on the bottom.
  • Stir the chickpeas and season with a pinch of salt and spread them out into a single layer again, cook for 2 minutes, stir, and spread them out again, goal is golden brown on all sides, this only takes 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Remove the pan from heat, sprinkle in the cumin and stir to mix into the chickpeas. Set this aside.

For the Dressing

  • In a large mixing bowl, add the oil, vinegar, shallot, a pinch of salt and pepper and whisk together.
  • Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, and parsley and gently mix to coat with the dressing. Taste test and season with additional salt and pepper as desired.
  • Serve as a side with any main dish. Enjoy.

Notes

Low cost.
Shortcut: Chickpeas (Pressure Cooker).
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Sides - Salads