Black-Bean Salad
Courtesy of Food Network Magazine

Directions
Heat 2 smashed garlic cloves
1 diced jalapeno
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
In a skillet with olive oil over low heat, 5 minutes. Toss a 15-ounce can of black beans, 1 1/2 cups each diced cucumber and halved grape tomatoes, 4 chopped scallions, a squeeze of lime juice and some chopped cilantro in a bowl. Mash the hot garlic mixture and add to the beans. Season with salt and toss with watercress.

Macaroni & Chick Pea Salad

Ingredients
Dressing:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Salad:
8 ounces uncooked large elbow macaroni
2/3 cup fresh green peas
2/3 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 lower-sodium bacon slices or turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled



Directions
To prepare dressing, combine all the dressing ingredients in a food processor, and process until smooth. Cover and chill.

To prepare salad, cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; add peas during the last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain; rinse with cold water. Drain. Combine the dressing, pasta and the remaining salad ingredients. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Greek Salad

Ingredients
1 head Romaine Lettuce, Chopped
4 whole Ripe Tomatoes, Cut Into Six Wedges Each, Then Each Wedge Cut In Half
1 whole (large) Cucumber, Peeled, Cut Into Fourths Lengthwise, And Diced Into Large Chunks
½ whole Red Onion, Sliced Very Thin
30 whole Pitted Kalamata Olives, Cut In Half Lengthwise
6 ounces, weight Crumbled Feta Cheese
Fresh Parsley, Roughly Chopped
¼ cups Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon Sugar (more To Taste)
1 clove Garlic, Minced
6 whole Kalamata Olives (extra), Chopped Fine
¼ teaspoons Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 whole Lemon, For Squeezing

Preparation Instructions
Add chopped lettuce, tomato wedges, cucumber chunks, onion slices, halved Kalamata olives, half the feta, and parsley to a large bowl.
Combine olive oil, vinegar, sugar, garlic, salt, pepper, and chopped olives in a bowl. Whisk together until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings (I almost always add a little sugar.)
Pour dressing over salad ingredients, then add salt and pepper. Toss with tongs or clean hands. Just before serving, top with additional feta and squeeze a little lemon juice over the top.

Layered Salad

Ingredients
SALAD:
2 heads Iceberg Lettuce, Chopped
8 ounces, fluid Baby Spinach, Washed And Dried
Salt And Pepper, to taste
8 whole Hard Boiled Eggs, Chopped
16 ounces, weight Bacon, Cooked And Chopped
4 whole Tomatoes, Chopped
1 bunch Green Onions, Thinly Sliced
8 ounces, weight Cheddar Cheese, Grated
1 bag (10 Ounce) Frozen Peas, Partially Thawed
FOR THE DRESSING:
½ cups (Real) Mayonnaise
½ cups Sour Cream
1 Tablespoon Sugar (more To Taste)

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/10/big-steak-salad/

2 whole Rib-eye Or Strip Steaks, Extra Fat Trimmed
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FOR THE DRESSING/MARINADE:
¾ cups Canola Oil
3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon (additional) Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
2 Tablespoons Sugar
3 cloves Garlic, Peeled
1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger
½ teaspoons Hot Chili Oil
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Lots Of Freshly Ground Black Pepper
_____
FOR THE ONION STRINGS:
2 whole Onions, Sliced As Thin As Possible
2 cups Buttermilk
2 cups Flour
1 Tablespoon Salt
½ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
1 quart Canola Oil
Black Pepper To Taste
_____
FOR THE CANDIED PECAN BITS:
½ cups Pecans, Chopped
1 cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Water
_____
FOR THE SALAD:
Lettuce Mix: Romaine, Arugula, Watercress, Raddiccio, Etc.
Small Grape Tomatoes
¾ cups Crumbled Blue Cheese
Preparation Instructions
To make the dressing/marinade, combine all ingredients in a mason jar with the lid. Shake vigorously to combine; taste and adjust seasonings to taste.
Place steak in a plastic zipper bag. Pour in half the marinade and seal. Refrigerate and marinate for at least two hours.
Prepare the onion strings: Slice onion very thin. Place in a baking dish and cover with buttermilk and soak for at least an hour.
Make the candied pecans: Spread pecans on a baking mat or sheet of waxed paper. Add sugar and water to a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Cook to 280 degrees, or until dark and clear amber in color, about 5 to 6 minutes. Pour mixture over pecans (may not need all of mixture) and quickly stir/poke with a fork to evenly distribute mixture all over pecans. Allow to cool completely.

Make the onion strings: Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Heat oil to 375 degrees. Grab a handful of onions, throw into the flour mixture, tap to shake off excess, and PLUNGE into hot oil. Fry for a few minutes and remove to a paper towel-lined plate as soon as they are golden brown. Repeat until onions are gone.
Grill (or sautee) the steak over medium-high heat until medium rare, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and allow to rest. Slice steak against the grain in thin slices.
In a large bowl, add lettuce mix, blue cheese, and cherry tomatoes. Add a little dressing and toss to combine. Add more if needed. Add candied pecans at the end and toss to combine.
Heap salad on a plate, making sure to get plenty of blue cheese, tomatoes, and pecans on each plate. Add half a steak to the top of each plate, then top the steak with onion strings.
Serve immediately. Yum!

Pineapple Coconut Salad

HEALTHY PINEAPPLE COCONUT SALAD



Great salads to serve with BBQ or oriental flavored foods.

If you’re not familiar with Coconut Secret products, I bet you’ll thank me for introducing you to them! All of their products are ONE INGREDIENT products — coconut!! Amazing!
Raw Coconut Crystals: First of all, the raw coconut crystals are a low glycemic sweetener. I don’t even feel guilty using this palm sugar in my recipes because it actually has a very low glycemic index of just 35 (compared to honey with a GI of 55-83, and sugar with a GI of 65-100) and it has a wonderful brown sugar flavor.
Raw Coconut Flour: And then the Coconut flour is a great thickener (yes, you can use it in gravies and baking, too), it’s adds fiber to your diet. rivaling other fiber sources such as psyllium, wheat bran, oat bran, and rice bran. Coconut supplies an impressive 61% dietary fiber! Foods contain two types of carbohydrates – digestible and non-digestible. Digestible carbohydrates (soluble fiber) consists of starch and sugar and promote calories. Non-digestible carbohydrates (insoluble fiber) contains NO calories. Since the body cannot digest the dietary fiber in coconut, no calories are derived from it and it has no effect on blood sugar.
Here’s the skinny — Coconut flour is gluten-free, very low carb, actually lowers the calorie content of food, contains 40% dietary fiber, promotes lipid oxidation (helps burn fat), aids in digestive health, and helps balance blood sugar levels.

Recipe
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes

15 oz pineapple (fresh or canned), in chunks (doesn’t need to be organic due to the thick shell)
1/3 – 1/2 cup organic shredded unsweetened dried coconut
1/2 cup organic sour cream (yogurt if preferred)
1 – 2 tablespoons organic Coconut Secret Raw Coconut Crystals (Palm Sugar Crystals — to taste) 1 teaspoon organic vanilla
1 tablespoon organic Coconut Secret Raw Coconut Flour (thicker — can substitute with arrowroot)
Pecans (optional)

Place pineapple chunks in a bowl (drain off extra juice) and add shredded coconut. Mix the sour cream (or yogurt), Coconut Secret Raw Coconut Crystals, vanilla, and Coconut Secret Raw Coconut Flour together and pour over the pineapple and coconut mixture. Mix thoroughly.

Marinate in refrigerator to moisten the coconut and allow the flavors to blend. Sprinkle with chopped pecans just before serving if desired.

Tropical Fruit Slaw

This is fantastic for a potluck or a summer lunch.
Speed preparation by buying pre-shredded cabbage.

INGREDIENTS
2 medium oranges, peeled
1 medium banana, sliced
1 8-ounce can pineapple chunks (juice pack), drained
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1 8-ounce carton orange yogurt (I like to use fat-free)

PREPARATION
Section oranges over a small bowl, reserving juice. Halve sections, if desired.
Toss sliced bananas in orange juice, drain.
In a large mixing bowl combine orange sections, sliced banana, pineapple, cabbage, and celery. Add yogurt; toss lightly to coat.
Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 3 hours. Serves 8 to 10.
YIELD: 8 to 10 servings
CALORIES: 75 / FAT: 1 g / CARBS: 17 g / PROTEIN: 2 g




LOW FAT FRUIT AND PASTA SALAD




Ingredients
1 medium orange
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon sugar
Dash salt
1/4 cup tiny bow tie pasta, cooked and drained
2 medium apples, cored and chopped
2 tablespoons sliced green onions
Directions
Finely shred enough orange peel to make 1/2 teaspoon; set aside. Remove the remaining peel from orange and section orange over a bowl to catch juice. Measure 2 tablespoons of the juice. Set the sections aside.
In a medium mixing bowl stir together orange peel, the 2 tablespoons juice, the yogurt, sugar, and salt. Mix well. Add cooked pasta, chopped apples, and sliced green onions; toss to coat. Gently stir in orange sections.
Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours.
Makes 6 servings.
Nutrition Facts
YIELD: 6 servings
CALORIES: 65 / FAT: 0 g / CARBS: 18 g / PROTEIN: 1 g




WHEAT BERRY SALAD WITH PECANS AND CRAISINS


I’m sure you know by now that eating whole wheat is a smart dietary choice and eating wheat berries is as whole as the wheat comes. In case you didn’t know, wheat berries are what all wheat products come from and they’re delicious!
Wheat berries are loaded with nutrients and are as easy as rice to prepare — perfect for a meal any time of year. Contrary to popular belief, wheat berries do not require an overnight soak before cooking. Simply boil them for 1 hour to soften the kernels, which will produce their characteristically chewy, nutty texture.

This salad is clean, fresh and delicious! Every ingredient pops with vibrancy
Servings: 8
INGREDIENTS
1 cup wheat berries (rinsed)
4 cups water
1 cup finely diced green onion
2 stalks celery, small dice
1 cup pecans, rough chop
1 cup dried cranberries, rough chop
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1 sprig rosemary, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 limes, juiced
salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste

PREPARATION
Bring water to a boil; add rinsed wheat berries and simmer in covered pot for about 1 hour or until grains are tender but a little chewy. When done, drain off water.
Prep green onion, celery, pecans, cranberries, ginger and rosemary; add to medium bowl.
Combine wheat berries with above ingredients, add olive oil, lime juice and mix well. Salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken Salad Croissant

Serves 6-8

3 c. cooked, cubed chicken
1 c. diced celery
¼ c. slivered almonds or cashews
½ c. mayonnaise
½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. minced green onions

Cook chicken breasts; cool and cube.
Place in large bowl with celery, grapes, and almonds; refrigerate.
In another bowl, combine mayonnaise, salt, pepper, lemon juice and green onions; blend thoroughly.
Add dressing to chicken mixture just before serving.

Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad Dressing

-1 teaspoon Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
-1/8 teaspoon Sesame Oil
-1 1/2 teaspoon Rice Wine Vinegar
-1/4 cup Mayonnaise
-3 Tablespoons Honey

-Blend together all ingredients for dressing in a small bowl with an electric mixer. Put dressing in refrigerator to chill while you prepare the salad.

Snicker Salad

-6-8 Snicker candy bars
-6-8 Granny smith apples (green sour)
-Tub of cool whip

-Core apples leaving skin on and cut into bite size chunks. Cut snicker candy bars into bite size chunks. Mix apples, snickers, and cool whip together. (you can add 3 oz cream cheese to cool whip to add thickness)

This is so yummy and quite sinful.....But it's gotta be healthy cuz there is apples in it... :)