Blackened Salmon Salad

OK, so I'm slightly obsessed with blackened SALMON, especially when combined with my FAVORITE basil dressing. (Just check out previous posts!) Sooooo, simply put, this SALAD is to die for. And that's ALL I'm sayin'!

Blackened Salmon Salad
Blackened Salmon (just follow salmon prep)
Leafy green lettuce, chopped
Iceberg lettuce, chopped
Cucumber, quartered and sliced
Red bell pepper, chopped
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Sunflower seeds
Green onions, sliced

Creamy Basil Dressing
1/2 cup light mayo or nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white vinegar (I like apple cider vinegar with the Greek yogurt)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh basil
Dash of dried oregano, parsley, and garlic powder

Prepare the salmon as directed; break into small pieces. Layer all salad ingredients on a plate and top with the dressing. Enjoy!

TIP: The bell pepper could be replaced with tomato if you prefer! I love sunflower seeds on a salad, but some chopped cashews or chopped dry roasted almonds would also be nice. And, I prefer the dressing with the yogurt—it definitely cuts calories that way and I can hardly tell the difference!

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes Salad

I've posted this recipe before, but since all of the FOURTH OF JULY feasts are starting 

this week,  this is one salad you won't want to miss! This recipe is from my sister-in-law, 

and it is so AMAZINGLY good and refreshing! The dressing is SPECTACULAR and 

just bursts with flavor in your mouth. Speaking of which, mine is watering right now!

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes Salad

Creamy Basil Dressing

1/2 cup mayo (I used light)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup oil (I used the oil from the marinated mozzarella)

1/3 cup white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh basil (plus more for salad)

Spring mix salad

Cherry tomatoes, halved

Marinated mozzarella balls (from Costco)

Fresh basil, chiffonade

Blend all of the dressing ingredients together until smooth. Taste and adjust as necessary.

Lay some salad mix on a large platter, top with the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Drizzle
dressing over top as desired.

TIP: I made this recently with some cold chopped up rotisserie chicken layered on top as
well so it could be our main course for dinner. It was delicious that way too!

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes Salad

We FEASTED on this fine salad at my sister-in-law's house a few weeks ago. It was so AMAZINGLY good and refreshing! I'm not sure where she got the RECIPE, so I hope whoever created it will FORGIVE me for passing it on to you!

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes Salad
Creamy Basil Dressing
1/2 cup mayo (I used light)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup oil (I used the oil from the marinated mozzarella)
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh basil

Spring Mix salad
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Marinated mozzarella balls (from Costco)
Fresh basil, chiffonade

Blend all of the dressing ingredients together until smooth. Taste and adjust as necessary.

Lay some salad mix on a large platter, top with the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Drizzle dressing over top as desired.

TIP: I made this recently with some cold chopped up rotisserie chicken layered on top as well so it could be our main course for dinner. It was delicious that way too!

Jo's Chicken Wonton Salad

This is such a refreshing, CRISPY salad, it's super hard to stop eating. It has a slight Oriental TASTE due to the sesame oil in the dressing, and it's FABULOUS! Thanks so much to my husband's aunt JOANN for sharing this yummy recipe with me.

Jo's Chicken Wonton Salad
3 to 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (or shredded)
1 head iceberg lettuce, torn or cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups chopped celery
5 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup toasted sliced or slivered almonds
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
12 to 14 wonton wrappers, fried in oil and broken up

Dressing
6 to 7 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried mustard
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 to 5 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Toss all salad ingredients together except wontons in a large bowl. Combine dressing ingredients and toss onto salad (but don't saturate) just before serving. Add wontons. Makes 4 to 6 main dish servings.

TIP: This makes a big salad, so for just me and my hubby, I only use half of the salad mixture, wontons, and dressing. Then we make the other half the next night for dinner too, or sometimes for a big lunch. That way it doesn't get soggy. Try serving with your favorite bread on the side.

Apple-Pear Salad

This salad is from my book 101 Things to do with Salad and is the perfect recipe for FALL. Apples, pears, and a LIGHT lemony dressing make the perfect combination. And BELIEVE me, you'll want seconds for sure!

Apple-Pear Salad

Dressing

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 to 6 tablespoons sugar

2/3 cup light olive oil

1 tablespoon poppyseeds

2 pears, peeled and diced

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced

1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

1 1/2 cups grated Swiss cheese

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup cashew halves

Combine dressing ingredients together in a bowl. Add pears and apples to keep from browning; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine remaining salad ingredients. When ready to serve, pour dressing over top and toss until completely covered. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

TIP: I do lots of variations of this recipe. For example, sometimes I just grab a bag of the already prepared romaine lettuce and combine it with a bag of spring mix salad. It's a good combo! Also, I don't usually peel the fruit just because it saves me time, and I think the color looks pretty. Finally, I like to try different cheeses (my obsession again!), so in the photo above, I used a nice extra sharp white cheddar that I cut into cubes. It was so yummy! Another favorite of mine in this salad is bacon . . .

Red Wine Vinaigrette

So it might seem SILLY to post such an easy salad dressing, but I sometimes forget about this little GEM of a recipe! This dressing is so YUMMY and super fast to make. And, it TASTES good on just about any SALAD, especially my favorite with pears, candied pecans, and gorgonzola! (Hmmm, maybe I'll post that recipe a little later . . . )

Red Wine Vinaigrette
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4–1/2 cup sugar (to taste, but start with 1/4!)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2  teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients in a jar with a screw-on lid. Shake vigorously and serve over your favorite salad.

TIP: I found a recipe once very similar to this one that used raspberry wine vinegar instead of red wine. I'm sure you could experiment with all sorts of different vinegars and get some very tasty variations!

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

This recipe is a FAVORITE among the folks in my family (and neighborhood!) because it's just LIKE the dressing they serve at this local super YUMMY restaurant—Cafe Rio. This is by far the BEST copycat recipe I've tasted.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
3 to 4 fresh tomatillos (or 1 can whole tomatillos if you can find them!)
2 to 3 jalapeños (seeded or not)
Juice of 1 lime

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Soooooo yummy!!!

TIP: Serve it over shredded pork, chicken, or beef tacos, enchiladas, or any sort of Mexican-type salad. It's also great on the side of some cheesy quesadillas for dipping!