Applesauce-Raspberry Salad Mold Recipe

This beauty can be served to 12 people in place of a salad.

Ingredients:
2 cups applesauce
1 large (6 oz.) pkg. raspberry gelatin
14 oz. lemon-lime carbonated beverage
1 large can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

V.S.P. Heat applesauce and add gelatin, stirring until dissolved. Cool to lukewarm. Stir in carbonated beverage. Drain pineapple and add along with pecans to gelatin mixture. Pour into mold and chill. Serve on lettuce.

Bing Cherry Salad Mold Recipe

This colorful molded salad will easily serve 12 people.

Ingredients:
3 cans (16 oz.) Bing cherries
3 (3 oz.) pkgs. black cherry gelatin
2-1/4 cups hot water
1-1/2 cups dry sherry
2-1/4 cups cherry syrup
1-1/2 cups sour cream
1-1/2 cups thinly sliced almonds, crumbled

V.S.P. Drain cherries, reserving 2-1/4 cups syrup. Dissolve gelatin in hot water. Add sherry and cherry syrup. Chill until slightly thickened. Add cherries, sour cream and almonds. Pour into a large mold and chill. Unmold on a bed of lettuce and serve.

Cucumber-Lime Salad Mold Recipe

This is just crammed with healthy stuff and will serve six.

Ingredients:
1 (3 oz.) pkg. lime gelatin
1 cup hot water
1 cup chopped celery
1 cucumber, partially peeled, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1 cup cottage cheese
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 T. lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

V.S.P. Dissolve gelatin in hot water. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well blended. Pour into small greased mold. Chill and serve.

Cranberry-Raspberry Salad Mold Recipe

This is usually popular with the grown-ups. Make this one a day or two in advance. We make it in a disposable angel food cake pan. Serves 12.

Ingredients:
1 large (6 oz.) pkg. raspberry gelatin
1 small (3 oz.) pkg. lemon gelatin
2 cups boiling water
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen raspberries
1 pint cranberry orange relish
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple

V.S.P. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add frozen raspberries and stir until melted. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into pan or mold. Chill until firm. Serve.

Orange Sherbet Salad Mold Recipe

This is very light, refreshing, delicious and easy to make. Serves ten.

Ingredients:
1 (6 oz.) pkg. orange gelatin
2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup orange juice
1 quart orange sherbet
1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained

V.S.P. Dissolve gelatin in water. Add orange juice; beat in sherbet with wire whisk. Refrigerate until partially set. Pour over oranges arranged in bottom of 6 cup mold. Chill until firm. Serve on lettuce.

North African Lemon Dressing Recipe

Serve with fruit salads and cottage cheese, or with a salad made by alternating slices of tomatoes, sweet onions, cucumbers and sweet pepper rings. Makes about one cup.

Ingredients:
Grated rind of 2 lemons
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 t. salt
1/8 t. red pepper flakes or Tabasco sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 to 3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 t. ground coriander
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. dry mustard
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. paprika

V.S.P. Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Refrigerate and shake well before using.

Lebanese Bean Salad Recipe

Made with our locally grown navy beans and some fresh mint from your garden. Serves six.

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups cooked dried navy beans
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 T. chopped fresh mint or 2 t. dried mint
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper

Step 1. Place beans, parsley, onion, mint, tomato and cucumber in serving bowl.

Step 2. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and beat well with a fork until creamy. Pour dressing over vegetables and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Mix again just before serving.

Old-Fashioned Cucumber Salad Recipe

This is a favored way to serve cucumbers in Northern Europe. Serves four.

Ingredients:
4 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
1-1/2 T. salt
1/2 cup vinegar
3 T. sugar
Pinch of white pepper
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

Step 1. Peel and thinly slice the cucumbers. Place in a glass or ceramic bowl, add salt and mix well. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.

Step 2. Rinse cucumber slices thoroughly in cold water and drain well.

Step 3. Mix vinegar, sugar and pepper. Pour over cucumbers and onion slices and chill for several hours. Serve.

Russian Salad Recipe

This French recipe is based on a Russian recipe. Serve it with some lettuce to six or seven people.

Ingredients:
1 lb. new potatoes, cooked and diced
1/2 lb. string beans, cooked and sliced
4 to 6 carrots, cooked and sliced
1/4 cup dried beans, cooked
1 cup peas, cooked
2 T. wine vinegar
2 T. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T. capers
1 T. chopped pickles
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
2 or 3 hard-cooked eggs
1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise

V.S.P. Combine vegetables, reserving a few of each for garnish. Moisten with wine vinegar and oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss and chill.

Add capers, chopped pickles and parsley, chopped egg whites and enough mayonnaise to bind mixture loosely. Toss ingredients and mound in salad bowl. Decorate top and sides with remaining mayonnaise and assorted vegetables. Sprinkle sieved egg yolks over top. Serve cold on bed of fresh lettuce.

Salad Days

Originally published June 25, 1984

Salads have an important place in our daily fare. The simple green salad is served at dinner, separating  the soup course and the meat course.

The important dinners call for a salad and a platter of assorted cheeses, especially if the dessert may take a while.

During the warmer months, many include a green salad at every meal and also enjoy salads which travel well for outings.

Today’s recipes:
Rice and Seafood Salad
Micheliner’s Rice Salad
Cabbage Salad
Mandarin-Walnut Toss
Spinach Salad
Niçoise Salad
Basic French Dressing
French Dressing II

Rice and Seafood Salad Recipe

This is a very French salad which we have been enjoying for years. Serves 6 to 8.

Ingredients:
18 oz. frozen salad shrimp
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 t. turmeric
2 cups chicken broth
10 black olives
Salt and pepper to taste
2 red pimentos
12 small fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup French dressing
Crisp lettuce for garnish

V.S.P. Fully defrost the shrimp. Cook the rice in the usual way, substituting the chicken broth for water and adding the turmeric. Cook rice until chicken broth is absorbed and rice is fluffy. Allow to cool.

Pit and slice the olives; cut pimentos in strips. Cook mushrooms and garlic in olive oil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Mix all ingredients lightly together, mixing in the oil and garlic the mushrooms were cooked in. Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream and French dressing, then mix into the salad. Chill in a round bowl 1-1/2 hours and then unmold and decorate with crisp lettuce. The turmeric gives the rice a yellow color and is especially attractive with the shrimp.

Micheliner’s Rice Salad Recipe

This very simple rice salad is from Paris. Inexpensive, good for everyone and all will enjoy it. Serves 5 or 6.

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
2 cups chicken broth
2 tomatoes, skinned and seeded
7 oz. can tuna
Black olives, pitted and halved
Salt and pepper to taste
2 or 3 T. olive oil
Lettuce for garnish

V.S.P. Cook the rice in the chicken broth, covered, until the liquid is absorbed. Allow to cool. Cut the tomatoes in rather small cubes. Lightly mix all the ingredients with the rice and moisten with the olive oil. Line a bowl with crisp lettuce. Fill it with the rice salad and serve cold.

Cabbage Salad Recipe

This is another great salad and certainly more attractive than everyday slaw. Serves 5 or 6.

Ingredients:
3 or 4 cups shredded cabbage
1-1/2 cups seedless grapes
1 large pear, sliced
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 t. anise seed
1 T. honey
2 T. lemon juice

V.S.P. Shred the cabbage quite fine on a disc shredder or with a sharp knife. For the dressing, mix the sour cream, anise seed, honey, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss the cabbage in a large bowl with the grapes, shredded carrots, sliced pear and moisten with the dressing. Serve cold.

Mandarin-Walnut Toss - Salad Recipe

A very refreshing salad. Serves 7 or 8.

Ingredients:
8 cups torn lettuce
2 cups Mandarin orange sections, drained
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup vinegar
2 T. water
1 medium onion, sliced
1 T. sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t. celery seeds
1/2 t. salt
Dash of pepper
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1 T. butter
1/4 t. salt

V.S.P. Place lettuce and mandarin orange sections in salad bowl; chill. Place olive oil, vinegar, water, onion, sugar, garlic, celery seeds, salt and pepper in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and chill. Just before serving, pour dressing over lettuce and mandarin orange sections; toss well. Sauté walnuts in butter and salt. Stir until walnuts are crisp and butter browned. Sprinkle over salad and serve.

Spinach Salad Recipe

This makes a beautiful salad for use at any time. Serves six.

Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh spinach
Salt
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 T. lemon juice
6 T. olive oil
Black pepper
2 hard-cooked eggs, cut into wedges
1 large ripe tomato, cut into wedges
1/2 red onion, sliced thin

Step 1. Wash the spinach well in plenty of clear water. Using scissors, cut away the rough stems and discard. Drain the spinach leaves and chill in a damp, clean cloth. Tear into bite-sized pieces.

Step 2. Sprinkle the bottom of a salad bowl with salt and rub with garlic. Add lemon juice and olive oil and chill the bowl. When ready to serve, add the spinach and sprinkle with pepper. Garnish with egg and tomato wedges and onion rings and toss lightly with a fork and spoon. Serve.

Niçoise Salad Recipe

Nicoise means "in the style of Nice (a french city). This salad is just as French as any salad can be. Serves six.

Ingredients:
1 head Boston lettuce
1/2 to 3/4 cup French dressing
2 cups French-cut green beans, cooked
2 cups cooked potatoes, cubed
1 cup canned tuna
2 or 3 tomatoes, peeled and quartered
2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
6 anchovies, cut in half
1 T. minced fresh parsley

V.S.P. Clean the lettuce and break into pieces, dry and put into a salad bowl. Sprinkle with a few tablespoons of the dressing. Arrange the beans, potatoes and tuna on top of the greens, and place the tomatoes here and there arouns the edge. Decorate with eggs and anchovies. Pour over the remaining dressing and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve.

Basic French Dressing

Makes one and a third cups.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup wine or cider vinegar
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 cup olive oil

V.S.P. Mix the vinegar, salt and pepper, and stir well. Add the oil slowly while beating. Serve.

French Dressing II

This is the usual choice of The Kitchen Mouse.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup wine vinegar
3/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 t. sugar
1/4 t. paprika
1/2 t. dry mustard
1 cup olive oil

V.S.P. Mix the vinegar with the seasonings. Mix in the olive oil slowly, beating constantly. This may be made with your favorite salad oil.

Herbed Barley with Brown Butter Recipe

In a heated serving dish toss three cups steamed barley while it is still hot with 3/4 cup each minced parsley and brown butter. Serve the barley with roasted meats or poultry.

Middle Eastern Barley Salad Recipe

In a small bowl combine three tablespoons lemon juice and one teaspoon salt. Add 1/2 cup olive oil in a small stream, beating the dressing until it is well combined. In a large bowl toss three cups steamed barley while it is still warm with the dressing. Add one large cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped, 3/4 cup each thinly sliced radish and fresh parsley, 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions and salt and pepper to taste. Chill the salad, covered, for one hour. Divide the salad among chilled salad plates lined with tender lettuce leaves. Serves 6.