Salads are ideal for entertaining  – whether you decide to make a simple tossed salad or a sensational composition of different ingredients. Make-ahead salads are perfect time-savers for hot and busy days. And it gets even better if you consider making overnight vegetable salad by using your favourite vinaigrette dressing. Or you can prepare your Caeser dressing ahead of time and add it to your greens just before serving.

Here are some of my favourite salad recipes:

Overnight Vegetable Salad:

Ingredients:

• 2 small zucchini, sliced
• 2 medium carrots, cut into julienne stripes
• 4 cups of cauliflower florets
• 4 cups of broccoli florets
• 2 stalks of celery, sliced
• 2 cups of small mushrooms
• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 cups of cherry tomatoes

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup of vinegar
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon of each basil,oregano.dry mustard and salt
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cups of oil

Directions:

1. In large plastic bag, combine zucchini, carrots. cauliflower, broccoli, celery, mushrooms and onion.
2. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, garlic, basil,oregano,dry mustard,salt,sugar and pepper.
3. Whisk in oil with a fork or whisk, mixing well. Pour over vegetables; seal bag and refrigerate  overnight, turning often.
4. Before serving, toss in halved cherry tomatoes.
5. Serve on a platter or in a salad bowl.

Easy Caesar Salad:

Ingredients:

1 head of Romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

1 cup of croutons

Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of anchovy paste
• 1/2 teaspoon of each dry mustard,salt and Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup of grated parmesan Cheese
• freshly ground balck pepper

Directions:

1. Place lettuce in a large salad bowl and sprinkle with croutons. Set aside.
2. To make dressing, place all ingredinets into a jar and shake vigorously to mix well.
3. Pour over salad just before serving and toss well.

Creamy Shrimp and Pasta Salad:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of small pasta shapes or macaroni
• 2 cup of chopped celery
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 4 oz can of shrimp, drained
• 1/4 cup of mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup of sour cream or yogurt
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, cook pasta in boiling salt water until done to just tender.
2. Drain and rinse under cold running water; drain well.
3. In a large bowl, combine pastam celery, onion,red pepper and shrimp
4. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, dry mustard, salt and pepper.
5. Toss well with pasta mixture to coat all ingredients.
6. Chill thoroughly for at least 2 hours before serving.

Thai Noodle Salad:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. of Thai noodles
• 1 cup of blanched snow peas
• 1 cup of fresh sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 sweet red or yellow pepper, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup of chopped, unsalted peanuts

Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons of rice (or regular) vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 2 teaspoons of minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon of sugar
• dash of red hot sauce

Directions:

1. In a large sauce, cook noodles until done – just tender – no more than 5 minutes.
2. Drain and rinse under cold, running water
3. Drain well
4. Place in a large bowl, add snow peas,mushrooms and peppers.
5. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.
6. Pour over noodles and vegetables, toss to coat.
7. Sprinkle with peanuts and serve.

Hope you enjoy these recipes and will send in your comments, suggestions and experineces. Your input is always welcomed and very much appreciated!

Here are a few creative recipes that will make your green beans a sure hit! To speed up weeknight meals,you can cook the beans ahead and refrigerate them to use cold in salads, ir reheat them later for hot side dishes. All of the following recipes are great whether you use green or yellow beans and a mix of both!

First - How to Cook Green Beans:

• Count on 1 lb. of beans to serve four people
• Trim stem ends off green or yellow beans. Leave the rest whole or cut into smaller pieces
• In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cover and cook the beans until tender-crisp – that will take about 3-6 minutes. Drain well. You can also place the beans on a rack or into a steamer above the boiling water in large saucepan, cover and steam until tender-crisp.
• If you are making your beans ahead for later use, drain cooked beans and chill them slightly under cold water until cooled and drain well. Wrap in paper towel and place in plastic bag; refrigerate up to 48 hours.

Recipes for Green Beans:

Green Bean Salad with Dill Vinaigrette:

¼ cup of pine nuts or slivered almonds

3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill

1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar

½ teaspoon of grated orange rind

1 tablespoon of orange juice

1 clove of garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon of each salt and pepper

1 lb. of green beans, cooked

In a skillet over medium heat, toast pine nuts or almonds, shaking pan occasionally, until golden (about 3 minutes) Let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together oil dill, vinegar, orange rind and juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Aff beans, turn to coat. Sprinkle with nuts.

Green Beans Salads:

Green Bean Composed Salad: Arranged, rather than tossed, this salad will make an attractive eay to serve beans. It combines hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes and black olives that surround the dressed green beans. (Add link)

Green Beans and Feta Salad with Tomato Dressing: Refreshing, crunchy green beans pair well with a sharp, salty flavour of feta cheese. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the tasty dressing.(Add link)

Quick Pickled Beans with Hot Peppers: The refrigerated pickles make a refreshing accompaniment to grilled meat, a crunchy garnish for Bloody Marys or Ceasars or a great addition to pickle tray. (Add link)

Green beans with Yellow Pepper and Tomato: A quick sauté of yellow pepper with tomato, garlic and oregano adds colour and tasty crunch to beans (add link)

Green beans with Prosciutto and Garlic: Salty, crisp strips of thick-cut prosciutto partner with garlic in this simple side dish (Add link)

Balsamic green Beans: A vinegar sauce sounds like it could be too tart for beans, but because balsamic vinegar is naturally sweeter, it adds a caramel note and a glossy glaze to the beans. (Add link)

Bean and Potato Pockets: What better way to minimize your grill time and skip doing extra dishes, than to cook a vegetable side dish while grilling the main course? (Add link)

Ginger Sesame Green Beans: Cooking the beans right in the skillet with the sauce not only saves a pan but also infuses the beans with the wonderful zing of ginger. (add link)

Bonus Tips – Quick green bean Tosses:

These ultrafast, ultraeasy tosses offer even more delicious ways to serve beans.

Toss 1 lb. of cooked green beans – still hot – with 1 tablespoon of butter, melted, or extra virgin olive oil; pinch of each salt and pepper and one of the following:

• 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan or Romano cheese and 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme
• ¼ cup of finely chopped red peppers
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and 1 chopped green onion
• ¼ cup of finely chopped walnuts and 1 teaspoon of grated lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons of chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes and 2 cloves of garlic, minced

Hope you enjoy these recipes – remember that your comments, suggestions and experiences are always welcomed!

Salad Dressings

Homemade Mayonnaise:

¼ teaspoon of dry mustard

½ teaspoon of salt

Few grains of pepper

1/8 teaspoon of paprika

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice

1 cup of salad oil

Mix mustard, salt, pepper and paprika together. Add egg yolk and mix well. Stir in 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Add salad oil, a few drops at a time, beating constantly. As mixture thickens, oil can be added more quickly. Add remaining vinegar or lemon juice and mix in.

French Dressing: to 1 cup of mayonnaise, stir in ½ cup of chilli sauce and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Chill.

Blue Cheese Dressing: To ½ cup of mayonnaise, stir in 4 oz softened cream cheese, ½ cup of crumbled blue cheese, ½ cup of light cream and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

Herb Dressing: To 1 cup of mayonnaise, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/3 cup of finely chopped onion, ½ teaspoon of grated lemon rind, 1 clove of garlic (minced), 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce and a teaspoon of dried mixed herbs. Chill.

Thousand Island Dressing: To 1 cup of mayonnaise, add ¼ cup of chilli sauce, 2 tablespoons of finely chopped green pepper, 1 chopped hard-cooked egg and 2 tablespoons of finely chopped black olives. Chill.

Please let me know how these dressing turned out for you – your comments and suggestions are always very much appreciated!

Old Fashioned Homemade Coleslaw:

1/4 cup of prepared mustard

3/4 cup of cider vinegar

1/2 cup of sour cream

1/2 cup of ketchup

1/4 cup of mayonnaise

1 tablespoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

1-1/4 cups of sugar

2 medium heads of cabbage (about 4 lbs.) ,shredded

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 large carrot, shredded

1 celery rib, finely chopped

6-8 radishes, chopped into small pieces

• For dressing, in a bowl, combine the mustard, vinegar, sour cream, ketchup, mayonnaise, salt and cayenne pepper, Stir in the sugar.
• In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, onion, green pepper, carrot and celery.
• Add desired amount of dressing and toss until well coated. Refrigerate until serving and also refrigerate any leftovers.

Hope you like this one – and as always, your comments and suggestions are very welcomed and appreciated!

The basic rule is to pick ingredients that you know your guy and your guests will enjoy.

Here are suggestions for seven of them, but please use your imagination and experience as well!

Seven Layer Salad:

1. Romaine lettuce – torn into bite size pieces
2. Spring greens – small size leaves
3. Hard-boiled eggs – sliced
4. Cherry tomatoes
5. Fresh Sweet peas
6. Bacon pieces
7. Shredded Cheddar cheese

Prepare ingredients ahead of time – and package in ziplock bags until ready to assemble the salad. Romaine and spring green, as well as bacon pieces and hard-boiled eggs should not be prepared too far ahead – my suggestion would be a day ahead at the best.

Two-cabbage Slaw:

http://www.mama-knows.com/recipes/two-cabbage-slaw.html

Ham with Peach Chutney:

http://www.mama-knows.com/recipes/ham-with-peach-chutney.html

Rice stuffed Cornish Hens:

http://www.mama-knows.com/uncategorized/rice-stuffed-cornish-hens.ht

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Roasted Potato Salad:

http://www.mama-knows.com/recipes/roasted-potato-salad.html

Homemade Pecan Pie:

http://www.mama-knows.com/recipes/homemade-pecan-pie.html

Roasted Potato Salad:

1/2 lb. of green beans. cut into 1 inch pieces

1 large whole garlic bulb

2 lbs. of small red potatoes,quartered

2 medium sweet red peppers, cut into larger chunks

2 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup of chicken broth

1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 teaspoons of sugar

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large saucepan, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add beans;bring to a boil.Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately place beans in ice water – drain and pat dry.

Remove outery skin from garlic – do not peel or separate cloves. Cut top off garlic bulb. Place side up on a greased 15 x 10 x 1 baking pan. Add potatoes, red peppers, onions and beans,drizzle with broth. Bake – uncovered at 400F for 30-40 minutes or until garlic is softened. Remove garlic, set aside. Bake vegetables 30-35 minutes longer or until tender. Cool for 10-15 minutes.

Squeeze softened garlic into a large bowl, stir in the vinegar, oil sugar, rosemary and salt. Add vegetables and toss to coat.

Serve warm or cold.

Two-cabbage Slaw:

4 cups of shredded green cabbage

1 cup of shredded red cabbage

I medium green pepper, chopped

1 medium sweet redpepper, chopped

4 green onions – finaly chopped

Dressing:

1 cup of reduced fat sour cream

3 tablespoonms of tarragon vinegar or cider vinegar

1 tablespoon of sugar

1 taespoon of salt

3/4 teaspoon of celery salt

1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper

In a large bowl, combine first five ingredients. In a small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients together. Pour over cabbage mixture and stir to coat. Cover and save in cool palce until ready to serve.