Bacon Greens Salad

I started out making out trying to make Jamie Oliver's Herby Salad but had a very difficult time finding all my "herbs" for it in my small town grocery store so on the fly I modified it to this lovely salad. Essentially it's very much like the Warm Rocket Salad, but the dressing is different a bit tangier. Obviously anything with bacon and balsamic vinegar has to be good on greens.

Ingredients:

8 rashers (strips) of pancetta or streaky bacon

1 clove garlic, minced

handful of pine nuts

1 package prewashed rocket/arugula (100g)

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 lemon

Method:

Make dressing:

Mix together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pinch of salt and pepper, and juice from half the lemon in a small jug. Set on table until ready to eat.

Dice up bacon/pancetta and fry on a medium heat. Add in garlic and pine nuts. Fry until bacon is crispy and pine nuts are toasted. Pour on to paper towels to soak up extra grease.

Put greens into shallow serving bowl or individual salad bowls. Sprinkle bacon/pine nuts over the top of the greens. Bring to the table and dress with the vinaigrette just before eating.

Just Like KFC Cole Slaw

If you like Kentucky Fried Chicken's cole slaw, you will LOVE this recipe. It's pretty darn close to the same thing and relatively easy to make. You can buy the preshredded coleslaw mix to make it super easy on yourself but if you want to shred up your own cabbage it's not that hard either. It's super easy with a food processor, but if you're like me and don't have one you can go to town with a 1/2 of the head on a hand grater. I usually cut the recipe in half for my family to eat some for two meals worth.

Ingredients:

8 cups shredded cabbage

1/4 cup shredded carrots

2 Tbsp mined onion

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 Tbsp white vinegar

2 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

Method:

Combine cabbage, carrot and onion together in large bowl. Mix together the rest of the ingredients to make the dressing. Add dressing and mix well. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready.

Brilliant Broccoli Salad

What an amazing salad for summer time or anytime. I mean anything with bacon in it has to be good, right? Honestly though the sweet and sour components totally make this salad a truly tastey treat. My husband has actually asked me to stop making this so much because it's soooo good that he'll sit and eat the entire bowl in one sitting if I let him. If you are like him, you can lighten it up a bit by using turkey bacon instead of real bacon, and then using a light mayo with Splenda instead of real sugar. Make up a big batch before you go to bed at night and enjoy it all the next day!!!

Ingredients:

1 head broccoli

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup sunflower seeds (shelled)

1/2 lb (225g) bacon (fried crisp and well drained)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tblsp white vinegar

Method:

Separate broccoli into small flowerettes. Mix broccoli, onion, raisins and sunflower seeds together.

Cut bacon into small pieces.

Mix bacon, mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar together.

Stir into other ingredients. Cover and chill overnight or for at least 6-8 hours.

Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

I discovered yet another salad that I absolutely love. Normally this side is served with thick cut slices of fresh mozzarella and tomato slices, but I chopped it up instead (mainly because I only had tiny plum tomatoes in my fridge at the time). It takes hardly any time to make and it's a great addition to any meal, not just Italian dishes.

Ingredients:

fresh mozzarella cheese

4 fresh basil leaves

15-20 cherry tomatoes

olive oil

salt and pepper

balsamic vinegar

Method:

Chop the cherry tomatoes into fourths.

Cube the mozzarella into 1/2" square pieces.

Roll up the basil leaves and slice them.

Gently mix mozzarella and tomatoes together on a serving dish. Sprinkle on fresh basil, then drizzle with olive oil and finally sprinkle on salt and pepper. If you want that extra kick for this dish, drizzle on a few glugs of balsamic vinegar.

Warm Rocket Salad

I am one of those crazy people who don't really like salads, but this not your normal salad. I absolutely love this salad to the point that my husband and I fight over who gets to eat the last little bits left in the bowl. It comes from one of my favorite English cooks - the Naked Chef himself - Jamie Oliver. The whole combination of the salty bacon, the savory pine nuts, the sweet caramelized onions and the tangy balsamic vinegar makes this the ultimate salad. I first tried it with plain rocket or arugula, but then I've mixed it up with a rocket/spinach/cress mixture for a little variety.

Ingredients:
2 medium red onions
8 whole slices of pancetta or smoked streaky bacon
olive oil
4 sprigs fresh thyme
plentiful handful of pine nuts (1/3 cup)
4 big handfuls of rocket (arugula) or any other nice salad leaves
Balsamic vinegar
piece of Parmesan, for shaving

Method:

Peel, halve, and quarter the onions then quarter again, to give you 8 pieces from each onion.

Heat a frying pan and fry off the rashers of pancetta until crisp. Add a couple of lugs of olive oil to the pan, and add the sprigs of thyme, the onions, and pine nuts with a pinch of salt. Toss around and fry on medium heat for about 5-10 minutes until caramelized and sweet (not black).

Put your rocket/arugala in a big bowl or if you like to serve it in individual bowls like I do, put a big handful in smaller bowls. Divide up the bacon/onion mix and top the greens.

Drizzle generously with balsamic vinegar (this is an amazing dressing as it mixes with the olive oil). Serve with some shaved Parmesan over the top. You can use a potato peeler to do this.

Creamy Potato Salad

One of my favorite things about summer time is getting to make and eat loads of potato salad. I've had all different kinds but this is my all-time favorite recipe because its creamy and I just can't stop eating it. For those of you from my hometown, you make recognize this as the Traditional Potato Salad that you can buy at the local grocery store...I nicked the recipe before I graduated high school....shhhh!!!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs (1 kg) new potatoes, cooked, peeled, and diced

3 hard boiled eggs, diced

1/4 cup onion, chopped

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 Tbsp mustard

1 Tbsp sugar

1 1/2 cups Miracle Whip (can use mayonnaise but it will taste a little different)

1/3 cup half 'n half/single cream

Method:

Mix together Miracle Whip, mustard, sugar, salt, and half 'n half (cream).

Add diced onions, hard boiled eggs, and potatoes.

Mix together well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving so that it is cool all the way through.

***Note: If I am going to bring this salad to a picnic or get together, I like to dress it up with a sliced hard boiled egg garnish on top and sprinkle it with paprika.

Snickers Salad

This dessert is sooooooo good. The tartness of the Granny Smith apples and the sweetness of the pudding are accented well by the sweet and crunchy taste of the Snickers chunks. It's a great spring or summer treat and perfect for Easter!!!

Ingredients:

7 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced

6 regular Snickers candy bars, cut in small pieces

1 - 8 oz tub Cool Whip (2 cups of sweetened whipped cream)

2 small boxes (3.5 oz) of vanilla instant pudding or 2 packets Vanilla Angel Delight

2 cups milk

Method:

Prep your ingredients but cutting up the Snickers bars, peeling and dicing the apples and having your cream whipped.

Mix pudding with milk. Add in Cool Whip/whipped cream and pour over apples. Mix until coated.

Stir in Snickers and refrigerate for at least an hour or so.

Grandma Lynn's Cranberry Salad

This recipe comes from the "north country" of northern Wisconsin near to where I was born and home of cranberry country. This is a nice refreshing jello salad to incorporate "must-have" cranberries for your Thanksgiving dinner.

Ingredients:

1 - 3 oz cherry Jello packet

1 - 3 oz orange Jello packet

1 cup sugar

2 cups boiling water

1 package of fresh cranberries, grind up or chop finely with food chopper

4 large Granny Smith apples, grind up or chop finely with food chopper

1 - 20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained

Method:

Dissolve Jello and sugar in boiling water. Stir in ground up cranberries, apples, and pineapple. Mix well, pour into serving bowl and refrigerate until firm.

Crab Salad

This is a salad that my mother-in-law makes all the time when we get together and it's wonderful. It tastes best when it's sat in the fridge for a few hours and all the veggies have soaked up the dressing. You could make it without the pasta, but it can help fill out the salad if you don't have a lot of veggies.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups broccoli, chopped small

1 1/2 cups cauliflower, chopped small

1 cup carrots, chopped small

1 cup imitation crab meat, chopped

1 cup cooked small shell pasta

1/2 cup Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing

1/2 cup Miracle Whip

Method:

Cut up and combine broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, crab and pasta in a bowl.

Mix together Miracle Whip and Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing. Add dressing and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Can make this salad night before as well.

Watergate Salad

This is one of my favorite sweet fruity salads. It's a special treat to have while we live overseas because I have to import the pistachio pudding.

Ingredients:

1 - 8 oz container Cool Whip or 2 cups of whipped cream

1 - 3 oz package of pistachio pudding mix

20 oz can of crushed pineapple

1 cup mini marshmallows

Method:

Mix pistachio pudding in with Cool Whip. Add pineapple and then marshmallows. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Oriental Cabbage Salad

I'm not much of a lettuce eater so salads haven't always been my cup of tea but my friend Lana made this cabbage-based salad one time for lunch and I LOVE it!!! It's great to have alone or as a side to lighten up a meal.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

4 cups shredded cabbage (200 g)

2 cups diced, cooked chicken

1 package chicken flavored Ramen noodles

4 green onions, chopped

2 Tbsp seasame seeds

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup salad oil

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 flavoring packet from Ramen noodles

1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds (opt)

Method:

Place the chicken and cabbage in a mixing bowl.

Break noodles up and place in colander. Pour boiling water over to soften slightly.

Add to cabbage with green onions and sesame seeds.

Combine vinegar, salad oil, sugar, salt and contents in flavoring packet.

Pour over cabbage, mixing well.

Cover and refrigerate overnight or for several hours. Just before serving, stir in the almonds if you would like.

***Note: I like to use the pre-packaged mixed cabbage pack that slices the cabbage in 1/4 inch slices and is a combination of green cabbage and savoy cabbage. I've also seen this made with the really fine shredded cole slaw mixes as well.

German Potato Salad

An old Schafbuch family favorite...this warm side salad is great and is very German!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb or 500 g bacon, diced

1/4 cup diced onion

4 cup potatoes, cooked, peeled and diced

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup vinegar

1 Tbsp corn flour/corn starch

1/2 cup water

Method:

Fry bacon and onion in saucepan. Add cooked cubed potatoes. In separate sauce pan, mix together sugar, corn starch, vinegar and water. Cook over medium heat until clear and thickened. Pour over bacon, onion, and potato mixture. Heat through and serve.