Quick and Easy Salad Recipes - Tomato Mozzarella With Basil and Tangy Coleslaw

Take advantage of the fresh garden vegetables with these quick and easy recipes. Tomato Mozzarella Salad with Basil is perfect for the fresh tomatoes currently available in your garden, farmers markets and grocery produce sections. Is there anything better than fresh tomatoes paired with fresh mozzarella cheese and fresh basil, drizzled with a fresh dressing? The Tangy Coleslaw is a quick and easy recipe using a prepackaged slaw mix. When you use the Splenda instead of the sugar in this recipe, both recipes are diabetic friendly.

TOMATO MOZZARELLA SALAD WITH BASIL
Dressing:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Salad:
1 1/4 lbs tomatoes, sliced
4 oz mozzarella cheese, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
To make the dressing: In a bowl whisk the olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper together to mix well.
Arrange the sliced tomatoes on a serving platter. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the tomatoes, then sprinkle the basil over all. Drizzle the dressing over the salad.
Yield: 4 servings
QUICK AND EASY TANGY COLESLAW
1 pkg (16-oz) cabbage/carrot slaw mixture
1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
3 tbsp sugar or Splenda granular
1 tbsp + 1 tsp prepared horseradish
2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
Combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, sugar OR Splenda, prepared horseradish, dry mustard, and salt in a medium to large bowl. Add the slaw and toss together well. Cover and chill before serving.
Note: This makes a great dressing for pork sandwiches, wraps, etc.
Enjoy!

For more of Linda's quick and easy recipes, visit her blog at http://grandmasquickfixrecipes.blogspot.com
For more of her recipes and diabetic information visit http://diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com

Why Broccoli Salad is a Great Choice

Broccoli is a versatile vegetable. It is ideal in stir fries and you can also steam it, boil it, grill it, or roast it. Have you ever made a broccoli salad? Broccoli is just as tasty raw as it is cooked.
Perhaps you have tasted the popular Ruby Tuesday broccoli salad, in which broccoli is combined with cheese, bacon, mayonnaise and other flavorful ingredients. This is a healthy yet delicious dish and it is one of the best loved Ruby Tuesday recipes.

Health Benefits of Broccoli
Serve a broccoli salad as a side dish with any meat or fish or even as part of a buffet if you are having a party. You will love the flavor of it and also the nutritional value. Broccoli is a very healthy vegetable, as you probably already know, and is high in vitamin C, to aid the body's iron absorption, help with the symptoms of a cold, and prevent cataracts from developing.
Broccoli also contains folic acid, which is important for pregnant women, calcium to prevent osteoporosis and potassium to keep blood pressure at normal levels. It is also high in fiber.
Famous Broccoli Salad Recipes
There are copycat recipes available for pretty much any meal you can think of, so whether you are partial to KFC, fond of famous French onion soup or craving another famous dish, the odds are that you can find it online. You might like to do an internet search for broccoli salad or a recipe search by ingredient to find the perfect salad recipe.
Bear in mind though that not all copycat recipes are equal and some will not give you a good result at all so compare copycat recipes and read reviews of the dish, if they are available, to give you a better idea. Making copycat recipes can be a bit hit and miss sometimes but when do you find a great one, either print it out or bookmark it so you can find it again.
Also, you do not have to stick rigidly to a recipe that you find online if you want to tweak it a little. You can spice a recipe up, substitute one ingredient for another or tweak it to make it unique. Use existing recipes as a basis to develop your own recipes.
Some recipes are perfect just as they are though. It is difficult to improve on the famous Ruby Tuesday broccoli salad, for example!
Other Ways to Make a Broccoli Salad
You can combine broccoli with other vegetables such as zucchini, carrot, and cauliflower to make a raw vegetable salad. Add some mayonnaise and either mustard, ketchup or curry powder to give the salad a delicious flavor. The texture of the raw vegetables might seem unusual to you if you are used to eating cooked vegetables but raw broccoli or gently steamed broccoli is really good. Try it and see!
You might like to make a broccoli and macaroni salad or a broccoli and rice salad. Broccoli is delicious, nutritious, and versatile, making it a great choice for salad recipes as well as lots of other dishes.

Whether you enjoy stumbling across new, exciting recipes on food blogs or doing a more specific recipe search by ingredient to find exactly what you are looking for, there are lots of recipes to be found online, including the best restaurant copycat recipes.
RecipeDirectory.org Where the Web Searches for Recipe Sites

Tomato Salad Recipe: Two Great Tomato Salad Recipes

Are you looking for a tasty tomato salad recipe? If you look online, there many different tomato salad recipes available. Tomato salads are great, because they are very tasty, easy to make, and you can serve tomato salads with many different meals. You can serve it with many different dishes. You can serve it with burgers, steaks, chicken salad, roasted chicken. You can serve it with sandwiches, such as egg salad sandwiches, pork sandwiches, turkey sandwiches, steak sandwiches and many more. There are lots of different tomato salad recipes to choose from. Read this article for tomato salad recipes!

And how about different dressings for your salads? You can make a ton of different salad dressings, and they all taste great! You can dress it with just olive oil, or with a bit of lemon juice, or with olive oil and vinegar. There are tons of delicious dressings that you can make to dress your salad.
If you are looking for Tomato Mozzarella Salad Recipe, this is a very easy recipe that you can make fast and it will taste great. Just combine fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil. You can dress this salad very lightly and you are done!
Or, you can combine chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and dill, lightly dress it with some oil and vinegar and you will a delicious Tomato Cucumber Salad that you can serve.
For a great and very tasty tomato salad recipe, take a look these two great recipes:
1. Tomato Mozzarella Salad.
Check out this great looking and great tasting dish! Because this tomato mozzarella salad has red tomatoes, white mozzarella and green basil, the colors look great together, and the dish tastes great too. The combination of fresh mozzarella cheese, red tomatoes and green basil makes this dish great to look at, and it also makes the salad very tasty! Plus, when you are adding an herb such as basil, which add green color, you will make the salad even tastier and even more colorful.
This tomato salad is very easy to make. Just combine chopped tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese and basil. Use a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar to lightly dress this salad. Or, skip the vinegar and just use olive oil to dress it - it will still be very tasty.
2. Tomato Cucumber Salad.
Here is another very easy tomato cucumber salad that you can make. For this dish you will need cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and dill.
Here is how to make this tomato cucumber salad. Chop the cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and dill. Combine tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and dill and dress the salad lightly with some red wine vinegar and olive oil.

And here are step-by-step tomato salad recipes with all the information that you need to make them. Check out Tomato Mozzarella Salad and Tomato Cucumber Salad.

Creamy Macaroni Salad With Shredded Parmesan Cheese - An Updated American Classic

When I was growing up on Long Island, New York my mother often asked me to walk four blocks to the local deli and buy lunch meat or salad. The store owner knew me because his daughter was a friend of mine. "What would you like to taste?" he would ask. My answer was always the same -- macaroni salad. He would hand me a small dish of salad, a tiny spoon to eat with, and add "No charge."

Since I adored mayonnaise, and still do, I adored this salad of elbow macaroni, chopped tomatoes, green pepper, and a little celery. Many kids do not like celery because it has a strong flavor. The small amount of celery may be another reason I loved the salad so much. Of course, the friendliness of the store owner influenced my opinion.
The old, time-tested recipe for macaroni salad was pretty simple, noodles with lots of mayonnaise. There are dozens, maybe hundreds, of recipes on the Internet. The Southern Food website has posted a recipe that includes hard-cooked eggs. The Food Network website has posted a recipe for dressing made with sour cream. But these are not the recipes of my childhood. I wanted a healthier version of the creamy classic.
To learn more about macaroni salad I checked some of my cookbooks. In the original "Joy of Cooking" authors Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rambuer Becker say the exact proportions for the salad "are unimportant." This is true up to a point. Add too many vegetables to the recipe and you will be short on dressing. Salad that is stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days tend to absorb dressing and you may have to add more to moisten it.
Summer time makes me think of macaroni salad. In fact, I crave it. Could I come up with a healthier version of the American classic? Yes. Scan the recipe below and you will see it contains more veggies than pasta. Using multi-grain pasta, light mayonnaise and light Peppercorn Ranch dressing also saved on calories. Kids will devour this Creamy Macaroni Salad with Shredded Parmesan Cheese. They may even ask for more!
Ingredients
2 cups milti-grain elbow macaroni, cooked
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup green pepper, chopped
1 cup petite carrots (straight from package)
1/2 cup scallions (white and green parts), chopped
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 cup light mayonnaise (or fat-free mayonnaise substitute)
1/2 cup light Parmesan Peppercorn Ranch salad dressing
1 tablespoon fat-free half and half
Salt to taste
Method
Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions until it is al dente. Rinse with cold water, drain well, and transfer to a large bowl. Add grape tomatoes, green pepper, carrots, scallions, and Parmesan cheese. In a small bowl combine mayonnaise and Parmesan Peppercorn Ranch dressing. Thin with fat-free half and half. Pour dressing over salad and combine gently. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour. Makes 6 servings.
Copyright 2010 by Harriet Hodgson

http://www.harriethodgson.com
Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for decades. She is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Association of Health Care Journalists, and Association for Death Education and Counseling. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD is available from Amazon.
Centering Corporation has published her 26th book, "Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life" and a companion journal with 100 writing jump-starts. Hodgson is a monthly columnist for the new "Caregiving in America" magazine, which resumes publication in August. She is also a contributing writer for the Open to Hope Foundation website. Please visit Harriet's website and learn more about this busy author and grandmother.

Pasta Salad Recipe - Are You Tired of Rice and Potatoes?

Every cook seeks to add some variety to the side dish menu. So often potatoes and rice are the traditional sides appearing on the dinner plate. Why not serve up some delicious tasty pasta salad? This recipe is very easy, and you can alter it to incorporate ingredients you have on hand.

This dish is best served warm, but don't toss the leftovers. They are also good cold, or you can do a quick warm in the microwave. Don't warm too long, though, because you don't want to "cook" the mayonnaise. You can mix up different pastas, using some colored rotini for some flair.
I often mix together traditional "white" enriched pasta along with some whole grain or spinach varieties. My family will eat spinach and whole wheat pasta if it is not the only pasta in the dish, so just toss some of those along with the regular pasta, adjusting the ratios as desired.
This recipe is very flexible, allowing you to utilize leftovers and food you have on hand. Summer garden vegetables work great in this recipe. If you don't have the exact ingredients listed, feel free to substitute items you do have, using your culinary creativity.
Eight ounces of pasta makes about 4-6 side dish servings. You can increase or decrease quantities as needed.
Ingredients:
* 8 ounces of pasta (mix different pastas together such as elbow macaroni, piccolini, and colorful rotini)
* Red and/or yellow bell pepper
* Green onions
* Celery
* Black Olives
* Bacon (4-5 slices per 8 ounces pasta)
* Salt, Pepper, Italian Seasoning
* Mayonnaise
* Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
Directions:
1. Cook bacon and set aside to drain.
2. Dice all of the vegetables into small dice. Total of all vegetables is 1 cup per 8 ounces of pasta, no need to get too exact here.
3. Assemble the vegetables on a plate, sprinkle with Italian Seasoning (be generous), salt and pepper, and set aside. If you want to spice things up a little, add some crushed red pepper flakes.
4. This pasta dish is best served warm, so finish other dinner preparations.
5. About 15 minutes before dinner, cook pasta according to directions.
6. Drain pasta, DO NOT RINSE.
7. Add vegetables and crumbled bacon to pasta.
8. Add mayonnaise to pasta and stir, use about 1/2 cup per 8 ounces of pasta, or according to taste.
9. Stir gently with rubber spatula.
10. Add grated Parmesan Cheese to top and pepper again (fresh ground black pepper is best).
11. Serve immediately (again, best served WARM).
Be creative and add other ingredients you have on hand. You can add leftover meat, green olives, or small cheddar cheese squares. If you are a gardener, this is a great way to utilize your vegetable bounty. Hot peppers, yellow squash, zucchini, tomatoes, snow or English peas, and eggplant are delicious in this salad.

Click here to get Easy Printable pasta salad recipes and many more delicious recipe ideas at The Rancher's Daughter

Best Potato Salad Recipe - Delicious and Dangerous to Your Health!

I recommend potato salad as a wonderful side dish. Here I will share with you my preferred preparation of this classic potato recipe. But beware - my version is not for calorie counters and dieters! It is a rich, simple and delicious dish that might be considered dangerous to your health by the Surgeon General...don't say I didn't warn you, OK?

My Best Ever Easy Potato Salad Recipe
1. Boil 5 pounds of red potatoes (skin on) until cooked through but still firm; let cool a bit for easier handling. Peel or leave the skin on, whichever you prefer; cut in chunks or slices and place into a large bowl.
2. Chop 1 pound of smoked bacon into 1/8" strips and fry until medium brown; add 1 cup of diced onion and fry until the bacon is crispy and the onion is browned as well. During the last minute of frying, add 1 Tablespoon of finely-minced garlic and 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar to the bacon/onion mix.
3. Pour the hot bacon/onion mix (grease and all) over the potatoes in your bowl and toss a few times with a large spoon.
4. For the dressing, combine 3 cups of mayo, 1 cup of sour cream and 1/2 cup each mustard and yogurt; season to taste with a few pinches of salt and 1 teaspoon of freshly-ground black pepper; set aside.
5. Boil 6 eggs hard and set aside to cool in an ice bath; peel and chop coarsely.
6. Chop into medium dice: 1 green bell pepper, 1 bunch of scallions, 1 small can of pitted black olives (only the olives, not the can! :-) ), 1 large dill pickle, 1 small tomato and/or a small jar of roasted red bell pepper strips.
7. Add the egg and vegetables to your potatoes, pour the dressing over the whole thing and mix well to distribute all ingredients.
8. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let your piece of art marinate for 4-8 hours or overnight.

Depending on the number of football players or lumberjacks at your dining table, this recipe should yield 10-20 servings. In any case, it will vanish faster than you think!

How to make potato salad for a crowd? Simply double, triple, quadruple this recipe!
Is this a German potato salad recipe? No. Typically, you'll find a hot German potato salad recipe in the Old Country - made from boiled taters, onions, and a vinaigrette. (Me - don't like it.)

My homemade potato salad is a hybrid of mustard potato salad, sour cream potato salad, Bohemian recipes, my gluttonous mind, and a Southern potato salad recipe. It's rich and delicious, and it still has less calories than a slice of pizza.

Achim Thiemermann writes as "Chef Keem" about the unique foods of his German/Bavarian heritage on his culinary blog: http://kitchen.chefkeem.com
His latest project, http://bavarianbistro.com promotes the introduction of authentic German food to the fine people of Austin, Texas.

Classic Potato Salad Recipe and 2 More Delicious Salad Recipes

Every meal is made complete with a delicious salad. Autumn jewels gelatin salad, avocado with groundnut dressing and bacon avocado potato salad 3 delicious salad recipes that complete a meal.

You can try them out below:
1. Autumn Jewels Gelatin Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cranberries
- 2 apples
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 6 ounces red gelatin
- 15 ounces crushed pineapple
- 1 cup celery - diced
- 1/2 cup nuts - chopped
- 2 cups boiling water
Directions:
Use pecans, walnuts, or a mixture of both.
- Chop the cranberries, apples and celery into small pieces.
- Drain the pineapple and save juice.
- Combine cranberries, apples and sugar; cover and refrigerate while preparing rest of salad.
- Combine gelatin with boiling water and stir until dissolved.
- Add enough water or fruit juice (apricot nectar, strawberry nectar etc.) to pineapple juice to equal 1 cup.
- Add this to the gelatin mixture.
- Chill in refrigerator until slightly thickened.
- Combine the cranberry-apple mixture with celery, drained pineapple and nuts.
- Stir into gelatin mixture.
- Pour into lightly greased mold or into individual serving molds.
- Chill until firm.
- Unmold and serve on a bed of lettuce or garnish with sour cream or slightly sweetened whipped cream and a very light sprinkling of cinnamon.
Serving Ideas: Serve with your Thanksgiving meal
2. Avocado with Groundnut Dressing
Ingredients:
- 2 avocados - ripe
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons peanuts - shelled
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Cayenne
- Salt - to taste
- Fresh chives - to garnish
Directions:
- Peel the avocados; cut out the stone and cut into cubes.
- Sprinkle with lemon juice and set aside.
- Grind the peanuts roughly with a rolling pin or in a grinder for a few seconds.
- Mix the peanuts and spices well.
- Sprinkle over the avocados with finely chopped chives.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Bacon-Avocado Potato Salad
Ingredients:
- 6 medium boiling potatoes
- 2 avocados - cubed
- 8 slices bacon
- 1/2 cup chopped onions - chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar, salt, black pepper, paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley - chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro - chopped
Directions:
- Boil potatoes in their skins.
- While potatoes boil, cube avocados and toss with lime juice.
- Chop bacon into one inch pieces and fry until crisp in a large skillet.
- Remove bacon to paper towels to drain.
- In bacon fat, saute onions until golden.
- Remove pan from heat and stir in wine, vinegar, mustard, and salt, pepper, and paprika to taste.
- When potatoes are tender, drain, peel, and dice. While still warm, pour dressing over potatoes and toss.
- Allow to cool to room temperature.
- Fold in avocado, bacon, parsley, and cilantro.
Serve at room temperature or chill one hour or longer.

By the way..... if you want more delicious and easy to prepare recipes, you can visit the following website here: The Delicious Recipes Package
Recipes Source: http://those-recipes.information-guide.org/The_Recipes_Package.html

How to Make a Greek Salad

Greek salad is known for its bold flavors. Try to use the ripest tomatoes you can find, high quality Greek olive oil, creamy feta cheese, and delicious herbs to make this amazing salad. These details will bring out the best flavors in this salad. Use fresh herbs from your garden or farmer's market if possible. Fresh herbs are aromatic as well as delicious, making your salad smell as good as it looks.

Variety is the spice of life. It is nice to bring this quality to your Greek salad by cutting the ingredients into different sizes and shapes. It adds texture and interest to each serving. This salad should be rustic and full of flavor and interesting textures and colors. The ingredients in this salad are representative of the typical food items found in the Mediterranean diet, which has been used successfully to maintain weight and health. Olives have long been an important food in Greece. Olives and their oil offer a lot of healthy compounds when used in cooking.
Greek salad should be eaten as soon as possible. It does not keep well. Mix it up right before you are ready to sit down and eat. You want to be able to enjoy it at its best. Greek salad contains about 106 calories per 1 cup serving.
Recipe for Greek Salad
Greek Salad is a rustic country salad that everyone will love.
What You Need

• 1 medium ripe tomato
• 8 ripe cherry tomatoes
• 1 beefsteak tomato
• 1 medium red onion, peeled
• 1 cucumber
• 1 green pepper
• A handful of fresh dill
• A handful of fresh mint leaves
• A large handful of black olives, pitted
• Sea salt
• 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons good quality Greek extra virgin olive oil
• Small block of feta cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

How to Make ItCut the medium tomatoes into wedges. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Slice the beefsteak tomato into discs. Place all the tomatoes in a large salad bowl.
Slice the onion thinly. Add it to the tomatoes.
Take a fork and scratch down the sides of the cucumber, leaving grooves in the skin. Cut the cucumber into thick slices. Place in the salad bowl.
Deseed the green pepper and slice it into rings. Add it to the salad bowl.
Reserve a few of the smaller mint leaves for garnish. Set aside.
Rough chop all the dill and the remaining mint leaves. Add the herbs to the salad bowl. Gently squeeze your handful of olives over the vegetables and then drop them into the bowl.
Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the bowl. Add the vinegar and olive oil. Use your hands to quickly toss everything together. Adjust the flavors if needed.
Slice the feta cheese and serve on top of the salad. Sprinkle the oregano over the top and garnish with the small mint leaves. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top and serve immediately.
Serves 4.

Selecting easy party appetizers will make your job as host much less stressful. Choose some summer appetizer recipes that feature the bounty of the season for appetizers full of color and flavor. They will look as wonderful as they taste when you use fresh ingredients.
EasyAppetizerRecipes.net - You Make the Appetizers, We Help You Make Them Delicious

Caesar's Salad: The 'Emperor' Of Salads

Nothing beats the all time favorite salad-- the Caesar's salad. Contrary to what many people believe, the dish was not named after the emperor Julius Caesar. It was named after Caesar Cardini, who created it in his restaurant 'Ceasar's Palace Restaurant' in Tijuana, Mexico. Like other great discoveries, this classic salad was invented out of necessity. According to Cardini's daughter, her father created it on July 4, 1924 when the restaurant was running out of supplies in the kitchen and Cardini did not want to disappoint the customers. He creatively prepared the salad with the meager ingredients on hand and to add flair to the dish, he prepared it on a restaurant table.

Generally, a Caesar salad contains romaine lettuce and croutons dressed with parmesan cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, egg, worcestershire sauce, and black pepper. Now it has multiple variations including different kinds of lettuce, grilled chicken, meat, shellfish, fish, anchovies, bacon, etc. The original recipe however, did not contain anchovies as Cardini was opposed to using anchovies in his salad. The lettuce leaves were also served whole on the plate, because they were meant to be lifted by the stem and eaten with the fingers.
Many people claimed to have invented the recipe but failed. In 1948, the Cardini family obtained the trademark of the original Caesar salad. As the demand for the salad dressings increased, they saw an opportunity for a million-dollar business by selling Cardini's dressing in bottles. These ready-to-use dressings are still popular in restaurants worldwide.

Pollux Parker is an adventurer who loves discovering secret island getaways in each country he visits. Pollux also likes to collect Mexican flag and buy cheap Mexican flag.

Trying Out a New Egg Salad Recipe

Most people probably think that egg salad is egg salad, and pretty much the same where ever you get it. However, there are actually a number of different variations for this salad recipe. Simply searching for egg salad on a recipe website will give you an idea of what is around. Many recipes are very similar with slight variations, however, there are also some with more major variations.

A typical egg salad recipe usually starts with just a few ingredients, mainly eggs, mayonnaise, and mustard (yellow or Dijon). Onion, salt, dill, garlic, and pepper are some of the spices that might also be added. Celery and lemon juice are also common additions.
Less common ingredients for an this salad recipe include such things as cilantro, peas, mushrooms, pimento, shrimp, paprika, avocado, tomato, cayenne pepper, ginger, turmeric, jalapeno, pickles, olives, relish, cheese, red or green bell pepper, basil, cucumber, horseradish, bacon (bits, regular, or Canadian), and hot pepper sauce. As you can see, people tend to add whatever they like and think might taste good for their recipes.
Regular egg salad recipes can be a bit bland, so it is not surprising that some people like to add extra spices and condiments for more flavor. Adding vegetables helps to give it a bit of crunch, which many people like better than just a smooth mushy egg salad. Give it a try and experiment with the different flavors that you like. Those vegetables and foods that you would normally think of as eating with eggs (as a part of an omelet, or as part of your entire breakfast) are good places to start when recreating your recipe.
Although there are some egg salads that you would eat as a side dish on their own, many people use the basic recipe as a sandwich filling. Depending on which variation of this salad you like, you can either keep the additional ingredients chopped larger or smaller. Obviously you don't want huge chunks of things if you are using it for a sandwich filling, but bigger chunks are nice if you are eating your salad as a side or main dish.

Peter Winfield writes about Salad Recipes at:
SaladRecipe123.com.

Cucumber Salad Recipes

Cucumbers are a good source of vitamins' C, A and K. They are loaded with potassium and low in cholesterol, sodium and saturated fat. That's all the information you are going to get from me on that subject. These are my own home recipes and I wouldn't know where to start counting their calories.
This salad makes a great addition to your table at a family cookout, a Sunday dinner or an everyday meal.

Greek Salad
1 or 2 fresh-picked cucumbers
1 head of iceberg lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
3 medium sized fresh tomatoes, sliced
1 small red onion
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 pound Feta cheese
½ cup pitted Greek olives
½ cup pitted black olives
Italian herbal style dressing
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Crumble the Feta cheese evenly over the top of the salad and then add the olives on top of that. To keep the salad from wilting, don't add the dressing until you are ready to serve.
Makes 4 large or 8 small servings.
Simple Cucumber Salad
2 or 3 Fresh picked cucumbers, sliced
1/3 cup of red wine vinegar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Combine the vinegar and sugar in a medium sized bowl and mix until sugar is dissolved. Toss in the cucumbers and voila! This recipe can also be used with fresh tomatoes or for a real taste treat, use both together.
Enjoy this cucumber salad as a side dish at brunch, lunch or dinner!

Robin Svedi is the author of the Cabaret Squidoo Best Recipe Blog, where you will find more delicious recipes.

Spinach Salad Recipe - Two Fabulous Spinach Salad Recipes

Spinach is another great salad ingredient! If you want to make tasty food that is also good for you, you must check out these salads. Are you looking for a spinach salad recipe? There are lots of people who are looking for information on making salads with spinach and other great ingredients. There are lots of different salads to choose from. Read this article for tasty spinach salad recipes that are also good for you!

Spinach is another great cooking ingredient that is extremely versatile, and, as a result, can be used in many different dishes. It is great with fruits, such as peaches or strawberries. It is great with nuts, such as almonds. It is great with vegetables, such as onions as well. For example, you can combine spinach with strawberries and almonds, dress the salad with raspberry vinegar and olive oil, and you got a very tasty Strawberry Spinach Salad.
Or, you can combine it with red onions and peaches and dress with coriander, vinegar and olive oil, and you will get another delicious salad.
If you are looking for a great spinach salad recipe, check out these two great recipes - they look great and they taste great:
1. Strawberry Spinach Salad.
This is a great looking and great tasting, very colorful dish. The combination of green spinach and red strawberries makes this salad great to look at, and it also makes the salad very tasty!
Here is how to make this salad with strawberries and spinach. Chop the spinach. Slice the strawberries. Chop the almonds.
Combine spinach, strawberries and almonds in a salad bowl. Dress with a bit of raspberry vinegar and olive oil, and mix.
2. Spinach, Peaches And Red Onions Salad.
Here is another very easy salad that you can make. Just like the spinach strawberry salad, this one is also very colorful and it looks very nice. Green spinach, orange peaches and red onions look great together in this recipe.
Here is how to make this - chop spinach, peach and red onions. Make a tasty dressing for this salad with coriander, vinegar and olive oil. Combine the spinach, peach and red onions in a salad. Dress with the coriander dressing and mix.

And here are step-by-step spinach salad recipes, with all the ingredients and measurements! Check out Strawberry Spinach Salad and Spinach, Peaches and Red Onions Salad

Filling Low-Calorie Salads

Is your salad making you fat? Some people come away from the salad bar with more calories on their plate than a triple cheeseburger! Somewhere under all that dressing, cheese, croutons and other toppings is lettuce and maybe a few tomatoes. The key to a filling, low- calorie salad is to use a variety of low -calorie, high nutrient ingredients. Build your salad from the bottom up. Pile on the lettuce first, then three to four vegetable servings. A serving is one cup of leafy greens or a half a cup of lightly steamed vegetables. Choose from spinach, kale, arugula, romaine, broccoli, peppers, mushrooms, squash, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, celery or any of your favorite plain vegetables. Stay away from the iceberg lettuce. The darker green lettuces have 3 times for B vitamins in them which help your muscles repair themselves after a strenuous weight workout.

The salad dressing is where most people fail at making salads healthy and weight loss friendly. Dress your salad with one tablespoon of low-fat dressing and a sprinkle of cheese. Choose a cheese with tons of flavor like Parmesan, feta, goat or blue cheese. They add a rich amount of flavor with very little calories. Your body also needs monounsaturated fats to help absorb the key nutrients from the vegetables. One great option for a low-fat salad dressing is to use extra-virgin olive oil and vinegar, but instead of mixing half of each, use 2 parts vinegar to one part oil. You can also substitute the vinegar for fresh squeezed lemon juice. I know what you're thinking...how can it be a low-fat dressing with olive oil in it? Well, when you use the 2:1 ratio and then add only 1 tablespoon to your salad, you are not getting too much fat. And the fat you are getting is very healthy for your body.
Another personal favorite is this Honey Dijon dressing. Mix 1 cup of nonfat yogurt, 1 ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoon honey, and 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Shake and add 1 tablespoon to your salad.
Add 3 ounces of a lean protein to your salad. Choose from tuna, eggs, skinless chicken breast, lean turkey meat, grilled fish, tofu, seeds or beans. The added protein will make you feel satiated longer and help you build muscle.
Salad can be healthy and helpful when it comes to weight loss. It's what you put in it that matters, so make it count. Use low-fat, high nutrient ingredients to slim your waist line and drop a pant size or two!

To learn more about filling high fiber low calorie foods visit http://www.fillinglowcaloriefoods.com.

Tuna Salad Recipes - Deliciously Simple Tuna Salad

This is one of the classic tuna fish salad recipes that you can make in just a few minutes. Makes a family sized amount.
4 (6 oz.) cans tuna, drained
1 lemon, juiced (optional)
2 cups mayonnaise
4 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
In a bowl, combine the tuna, lemon juice, mayonnaise, celery and pickle relish. Mix together well and refrigerate until ready to serve.
=> Tuna Salad Recipe: Gourmet Tuna Salad
Here's a restaurant quality tuna recipe that is absolutely delicious for tuna salad sandwiches.
1 (7 oz.) can white tuna, drained and flaked
6 tablespoons mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1/8 teaspoon dried minced onion flakes
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 pinch garlic powder
Directions
In a medium bowl, stir together the tuna, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, and onion flakes. Add in the curry powder, parsley, dill weed and garlic powder.
Mix well and serve with crackers or as a sandwich.
=> Low Fat Tuna Salad: Fabulous Bean Tuna Salad
You can do a lot more with tuna salad than make sandwiches. This healthy recipe features albacore tuna, fresh green beans, Northern beans, black olives and hard boiled eggs.
3/4 pound green beans, trimmed and snapped in half
1 (12 oz.) can solid white albacore tuna, drained
1 (16 oz.) can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 (2.25 oz.) can sliced black olives, drained
1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste
4 large hard cooked eggs, peeled and quartered
Directions
Place green beans, 1/3 cup water and a large pinch of salt into a medium skillet. Cover, turn heat on high and bring water to a boil.
Once the beans start to steam, set the timer and cook until tender and crisp (about 5 minutes. Note: do not let the skillet run dry). Immediately dump the beans into a lipped cookie sheet that is lined with paper towels. Let cool.
In a bowl, combine the tuna, olives and onion.
In another bowl, whisk together the oregano, oil, lemon juice and zest. Pour over the tuna mixture; gently stirring. Add salt and pepper to taste. Arrange a portion of the tuna salad, green beans and hard cooked eggs onto 4 plates.

Mmmm . . . homemade bread bakes in the oven while you toss a healthy green salad with homemade dressing, and that soup sure smells good too. Get your free recipes here => [http://www.best-salad-recipes.com]

Yummy Bean Salad

If you love bean salads this is a must to try. It is very colorful and flavorful! Every time I make this salad it disappears quickly. It is very healthy and it is a very inexpensive, easy salad to make. This is a great salad to bring to a family get together or a church pot luck. If it is a large gathering of people, I would definitely recommend doubling or even tripling this recipe. This is also a gluten free recipe so if you have a sensitivity to gluten you can eat this without worry. Using a medium or hot salsa will also change up the flavor, but make sure everyone you are offering it to likes spicy!

What you will need:
1 can of Kroger Kidney Beans
1 can of Kroger Black Beans
1 can of Kroger Garbanzo Beans
1 can of Kroger Whole Kernel Corn
1 cup of chopped celery
1 cup of chopped sweet onion
1 cup of Kroger Mild Chunky Salsa or your favorite salsa
¼ cup of lime juice
½ tsp of cumin
1 tsp of chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
How to make it:
Drain all canned items and rinse well. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. I recommend refrigerating this salad over night in order to let all the flavors blend. You will want to serve this chilled. Obviously you do not have to use Kroger brand for everything, but I recommend it. It is very inexpensive and tastes just as good as the name brand.

http://www.blenderbreads.blogspot.com

German Potato Salad - 3 Tasty Recipes

If you like potato salad, or are tired of the same old thing, you should try German potato salad. It has a bite that normal potato salads just don't have, and is usually served warm. Here are 3 of my favorite German potato salad recipes for you to try.

German Potato Salad I
Ingredients:
2 or 3 pounds potatoes, cut in 1 inch pieces
1/2 pound bacon
1 small onion, chopped
4 medium sweet pickles, chopped fine
4 boiled eggs, chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoons vinegar (apple cider vinegar works best)
Preparation:
1. Peel potatoes and cut into 1" pieces. Cook in boiling water until done. Drain.
2. While potatoes are boiling, chop eggs, pickles and onions. Add salt, pepper, celery seed, sugar and vinegar. Mix well.
3. Slice bacon into small pieces and cook until well done, or slightly crisp. Drain off most of the fat.
4. Add potatoes and bacon to egg mixture. Mix gently to coat potatoes, being sure not to crush them. Serve warm or cold.
German Potato Salad II
Ingredients:
5 medium potatoes
4 hard boiled eggs, sliced
4 slices bacon
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour or cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup potato water
Preparation
1. Peel potatoes and slice in 1/4" thick slices. Cook in boiling water until done, but not soft. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup of the water.
2. Slice eggs and dice onion. Set aside.
3. Cut bacon into small pieces. In a large pan, cook bacon until done. Remove bacon, leaving drippings in pan.
4. To the drippings, add the flour, stirring well. Add salt, vinegar, sugar and potato water. Stir well and cook until slightly thickened.
5. Add potatoes, eggs, onion and bacon to thickened sauce. Mix until potatoes are covered in sauce. Serve warm.
Hot German Potato Salad
Ingredients:
9 medium potatoes, cut in 3/4 inch pieces
6 slices bacon, sliced small
1 medium onion, chopped onion
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 cup potato water
1/3 cup vinegar
Preparation:
1. Peel potatoes and cut into 3/4" pieces. Cook in boiling water until done. Drain, reserving 2/3 cup water.
2. In a large skillet or pan, fry bacon that has been cut into small pieces until crisp. Remove bacon from pan.
3. Cook chopped onion in bacon drippings until tender and golden brown. Stir in flour, sugar, salt, celery seed, and pepper. Cook over low heat and stir until bubbly.
4. Remove from heat and stir in potato water and vinegar. Stir until smooth. Return to heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Reduce heat to low.
5. Stir potatoes and bacon into hot mixture, being careful not to smash the potatoes. Heat through, stirring gently to coat potato slices. Serve hot.

K. Hupp enjoys cooking, gardening and unique collectibles. Visit a German Collectibles Haus to see the 2009 Steinbach Nutcrackers.

Very Hot Salad Dressing - Saladite, the Recipe

Saladite came to me by accident, like many great recipes do. I fancied something which was going to complement a finely chopped salad, comprising, iceburg lettuce, cucumber, radishes, spring onions, olives, celery, tomatoes and red peppers. Since this was an accompaniment to char-grilled Angus beef, I felt a very hot salad dressing would bring it all to life.

I noticed that the conventional salad dressing from the local supermarket was at the dregs stage, so I poured in some malt vinegar to thin it down. It looked quite appetizing with a kind of gold, creamy colour. OK - some extra virgin olive oil went in and I shook it for a couple of minutes. It was beginning to look like a serious bit of kit.
I just felt inspired to reach for some roughly ground, dried chili and I put loads in. This was going to need salt, so that went in, too. The rounding off was easy - some dried mixed herbs, a squeeze of tomato puree and that was it; a very hot salad dressing that was also mellow, tangy and left you wanting more.
The thing about Saladite is that you can permutate it to your own taste very easily. Use the dregs from Worcestershire sauce, brown sauce, tomato sauce or from the old pickle jar. Maybe don't put in quite so much chili if the rest of the family can't take volcanic heat. You can also add crushed garlic, lemon juice and shallots. I've even chopped fresh figs to give it a sweeter edge.
Experiment with your own versions; you'll soon land on a combination to suit your palate - and hopefully the taste buds of your friends and family, too.
This is a standard Saladite recipe for a wonderful 'very hot salad dressing'.
1) Quarter pint malt vinegar
2) Quarter pint virgin olive oil
3) 2 dessert spoons crushed, dried chili
4) Level teaspoon salt
5) 2 pinches dried herbs
6) Squeeze of tomato puree
Extras, to taste:
a) Crushed garlic
b) Finely chopped spring onions or shallots
c) Finely chopped fresh figs or dates
All you have to do now is shake vigorously and leave for about a week if you can wait that long. Always shake again before use. If you just want to ginger up a classic French dressing, just mix a teaspoon of Saladite in with the dressing. You are now the proud possessor of Throovest's legendary very hot salad dressing - Saladite!

You can visit http://www.hotsaladdressing.info to explore more about hot salad dressings and how easy it is to make them.
Arthur C Throovest ran an outside catering company, Big Triangle, which serviced Birmingham City Council for their premier, prestigious events. The Birmingham International Film Festival was the most demanding event for this co-operative, catering for 500 people for lunch and serving them all within 45 minutes; all with different tastes, too. Special cultural diets all had to be catered for and the whole operation took place out of doors in Birmingham City Centre.

Easy and Fast Chicken Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped celery
• 1 large egg, hard boiled, chopped
• 1 tablespoon dill pickle relish
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise, or as needed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place chicken and water in a large pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, skimming fat as needed.
2. Cook for 30 minutes, then drain and shred.
3. In a bowl, combine the chicken, onion, celery, and egg; toss to blend.
4. Add the relish, 1/3 cup of mayonnaise, salt, and pepper, blend well. Add more mayonnaise, if desired.
5. Enjoy!

This classic chicken salad recipe is easy and fast. It only takes around 35 minutes to prepare (includes 30 minutes cooking) and is healthy and low-fat as well. You can easily freeze the left-overs if you have any and store them for up to 3 months or longer.
You can also make this a seasonal dish if you like by adding cranberries in the winter or other fruits in the summer, like grapes, peaches, strawberries, or whatever you like.
You can scale this recipe up or down as you like with no problems as well, but remember that you can always add more salt but you can't take it away.
If you server this on a sandwich be sure to include a slice of fresh tomato as well, and maybe a pickle or two.

All of the best chicken recipes are at Best Chicken Recipes

Healthy Pasta Salad Recipes That Are Easy

You can use any kind of cooked pasta to make a pasta salad recipe - whole wheat pasta, pasta shells, spirals, macaroni or anything else you like. Pasta salad recipes tend to be very simple and you can combine various ingredients to make it.

Three Good Ideas for Pasta Salad
Combine cooked pasta with mayonnaise, tuna and sweetcorn kernels for a very easy tuna salad recipe. You might like to add salt and pepper to taste, as well as a tiny bit of ketchup or tomato puree to complement the fish flavor. Use low fat mayonnaise to make this recipe healthier. Alternatively, try sour cream, creme fraiche or yogurt.
Mix cooked pasta with creme fraiche or yogurt, chopped boiled egg, smoked salmon and capers for a gourmet style salad. Again, add salt and pepper to taste. You can also add a little curry powder to this one. If you are looking for starter recipes ideas, this might be unusual enough if you serve it in a lettuce leaf or on a chicory leaf. It is certainly tasty enough.
A third recipe would be to add creme fraiche with chopped frankfurters and tomatoes. This is a quick and easy salad recipe. Try adding some well drained pineapple chunks or broiled, chopped onion too.
Tips for Pasta Salad Recipes
The key to a good salad is to let your creativity loose. Throw in any ingredients you think would go nicely and season the salad accordingly. Use leftover chopped chicken or fish, as well as any vegetables past their prime which need to be used up.
You can even add fruit and nuts if you are going for an eastern style. Add some sour cream or yogurt instead of the mayonnaise to keep the calories and fat down, and add a pinch of curry powder and maybe also some chili powder or a little hot sauce. Remember, a little goes a long way when using strong spices and sauces.
Combine your homemade healthy pasta salad recipe with some lettuce and another salad - maybe an orange avocado salad, or something equally delicious, for a complete meal.
Salad is versatile and it can be a good starter recipe, lunch or dinner. Do not be afraid to use your imagination when making these recipes. Also, bear in mind that a colourful recipe is usually more tempting and appetizing than a boring one, so use plenty of colourful vegetables and other striking ingredients.

You can find plenty of wonderful salad inspiration and the best starter recipes at StarterRecipes.co.uk - recipes which suit every occasion and palate.

Famous Ceasar Salad Recipes

Ceasar Salad is undoubtedly the most popular of all the salads. Hence, the name fitted for royalty. It has gained popular acceptance mainly because it has the taste and texture you can actually enjoy. In other words, it does not taste like most healthy food should. Listed below are two amazing recipes and takes on the well-loved salad.

CEASAR SALAD (From Recipe Source.com)
4 ounces anchovies
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 ounces garlic -- chopped
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 quart olive oil
1 teaspoon black pepper
salt -- to taste
12 cups Romaine lettuce
croutons -- seasonings in recipe
STEP ONE: Prepare Croutons (Optional)
Cut a loaf of stale bread into 1/4-inch cubes. Season with melted butter, thyme, basil, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bake until crisp.
STEP TWO: Prepare Caesar Salad Dressing
In a large bowl, grind anchovies to a paste-like consistency. Stir in all remaining ingredients except Romaine lettuce.
STEP THREE:
Tear Romaine lettuce into large pieces and place in large bowl. Pour salad dressing over lettuce and toss salad. Serve immediately.
CEASAR SALAD WITH LEMONGRASS-SKWERED SHIMPS AND SCALLOPS (From Recipe Link.com)
CAESAR DRESSING:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, preferably Reggiano
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped (about 1 teaspoon)
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
About 1/3 cup water for thinning
16 large shrimp (about 1 pound), peeled and deveined (tails on)
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
16 medium sea scallops (about 1 pound), muscles removed
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
8 stalks lemongrass, cut into 10- to 12-inch skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
2 cups croutons
6 cups lightly packed mixed salad greens
6 cups lightly packed chopped hearts of romaine
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, preferably Reggiano
1. For the dressing, combine the mayonnaise, Parmesan, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, anchovy, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk until well incorporated. Whisk in the water to desired consistency. Refrigerate until chilled.
2. Preheat a grill to medium high or the oven to 450 degree F. Add the shrimp with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a bowl. In a separate bowl, gently toss the scallops with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Season the shrimp and scallops, on both sides, with kosher salt and pepper.
Thread 4 shrimp onto each of 4 lemongrass skewers, threading them through the head and tail so they will lie flat when cooking. Thread 4 scallops onto each of the remaining 4 lemongrass skewers, so they will also lie flat when cooking.
Cover the grill and cook for 8 minutes, rotating the skewers frequently, until the shrimp are pink and the scallops are opaque throughout. Or, place the skewers on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake for 8 to 10 minutes on the top rack of the oven.
3. Toss the croutons in a bowl with about 1/4-cup of the dressing. Add the greens and lettuce and Parmesan cheese. Add about 1/2-cup dressing. Season with more kosher salt and pepper to taste, if necessary. Divide among 4 serving plates. Criss-cross 2 seafood skewers on top of each salad portion.
4. The dressing can be made up to 1-week in advance and refrigerated. The seafood can be grilled or baked up to 8 hours in advance and refrigerated. (If precooked, be sure to cook the seafood on the rare side so as not to overcook it when reheated.) Reheat in a preheated 350-degree F oven, covered with aluminum foil, for about 5 minutes.

Low Jeremy maintains http://salad-making.articlesforreprint.com This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included.

How to Make a Refreshing Fruit Salad

Making of fresh fruit salad is one of the most easiest and rewarding thing you could think off. You don't have to be a qualified chef to impress your guests just do a neat job of cutting fruits.You can even practice cutting fruit in some shapes. You may serve it at dinner or at lunch or as an appetizer or a dessert, the choice is yours.It is a healthy source of vitamins, minerals and fiber. You can also choose from a variety of seasonal fruits available within your budget range throughout the year, but I would recommend to add at least one exotic fruit to make it interesting and to improve the taste. To avoid discoloration while using apples use lemon, and to take out juices from the fruit use sugar.

So get ready to impress your guests and family with your skills
Recipe
Bannas 6
apples 2
peaches 2
pears 2
grapes 250 grams
mango/guava/papaya 250 grams or two medium
lemon 2(juice)
mint leaves to garnish
sugar syrup made with 4 tsp and 1/4 cup of water
Cut all the fruit into one inch pieces. Mix in a large bowl add lemon,salt and sugar syrup. If you want to pull out a lot fruit juice then let it stand for at least an hour before serving. Garnish the refreshing fruit salad with fresh mint leaves this will not only give it a fresh look but also will enhance the flavor. Chill the salad and serve as and when you like.

Watercress - The Superfood to Boost Your Salad Health Rating

Watercress has been renowned for its healing properties through the centuries. It was especially popular as a natural remedy for digestive ailments and also used in the treatment of scurvy. Other ailments it is said to have cured included anaemia, eczema, intestinal parasites, circulation, sluggish menstruation, lack of energy, kidney and gall stones.

The Greeks believed that eating this peppery powerhouse would give them a clear mind; the Romans believed it prevented baldness and the Victorians believed it could cure a toothache. More recently watercress has become popular in it's use as a blood cleanser in fashionable detox diets and is sometimes recommended as a weight loss aid.
A study done at Ulster University found that eating 85 grams of watercress per day significantly reduced cancer damage to white blood cells and increased the body's levels of cancer-fighting antioxidants. This has led scientists to believe that the vegetable may hamper the growth of cancer cells, or even kill them.
Watercress is a little leaf that packs a lot of power. It has a peppery taste and adds great texture to salads. It's distinctive mustard flavour gives a new dimension to a number of cooked dishes.
Watercress can be eaten raw or cooked and makes a good substitute for spinach in soufflés, roulades and soups. In fact watercress soup is a well-known classic. In the East it is eaten sautéed or steamed like spinach.
Alfalfa sprouts, sunflower shoots and mustard cress are referred to as cress, landcress or cressy but are in fact the germinating shoots of seeds such as mustard, alfalfa, and pumpkin or the sprouts of legumes such as lentils, snow peas or mung beans. The high nutritional value of these shoots makes them a valuable addition to a healthy diet.
The stems and stalks of watercress can both be eaten. Rinse them under cold water in a sieve or colander and pat dry with kitchen towel. Watercress can be stored in an airtight container or plastic bag with a piece of damp paper towel in the refrigerator. Watercress will generally keep for 3 -4 days. To revive limp watercress, submerge the leaves in iced water.
Watercress Mayonnaise makes a superb accompaniment to cold summer salads.
Whizz together all of the following ingredients in your food processor until finely chopped:
100ml watercress
60ml parsley
40ml Basil leaves
20ml mint leaves
50ml lemon juice
250ml (1 cup) mayonnaise (best quality)
Watercress Mayonnaise is also wonderful served with poached salmon, steamed chicken breasts, rare roast beef, fish cakes and poached haddock or served as a dip for prawns and summer crudites.

For more information on eating raw foods and health matters visit Detox For Life. It was born out of a woman's concern for her family's well-being and health. You are invited to enjoy and benefit from the wealth of articles and information on all aspect of health managed and updated here by Katherine Oosthuis.

Six Easy Salad Dressing Recipes

It probably wouldn't occur to you to try to make your own salad dressings. You would be surprised at how many different types of salad dressings you can make from ingredients you already have on hand. They are easy to prepare, and you can't beat the taste. Try one of these recipes and you won't go back to store bought salad dressings again!

Creamy Garlic & Dill Dressing
1 cup milk
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp. dried dill weed
Salt and pepper
Blend milk, parsley, and garlic in a blender until smooth. Pour milk mixture into a bowl and add mayonnaise, dill weed, salt, and pepper. Whisk until blended.
Fresh Basil Dressing
1 3/4 cups olive oil
1 handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper
Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Oriental Dressing
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp. oriental sesame oil
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. sugar
Combine oils. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper
Blend ingredients, mixing well.
Ranch Dressing
2 tsp. onion, minced
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. dried parsley
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
In a medium-sized bowl, mix together mayonnaise and buttermilk. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Cucumber Dressing
3 medium cucumbers
2 small onions
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 quart mayonnaise
Process cucumbers and onions in a food processor. Stir in sugar, lemon juice, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce. In a medium-sized bowl, combine cucumber mixture and mayonnaise.

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, gardening, organizing tips, home decorating, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.

Salad Recipe Ideas

The best salad recipes are available for everyday and in almost every occasion. There are salad recipes if you want a light dinner, to bring to potluck parties, if you are on a diet, to use as side dish for school lunch meal or for a holiday party such as Christmas, Thanksgiving or Halloween.
Various salad recipes are available in different types which make it easy for you to narrow your choices. Some of these types are vegetable, greens, bound, fruit, entrée and dessert. When it comes to choosing the best salad recipes, it helps if you know what kind you want to eat or serve.

Green Salads:
If you are searching for a healthy and satisfying side dish or appetizer, nothing beats green salads. They are simple, easy and quick to prepare. For people who are on a weight loss program, green salads can become their main dish.
Vegetable Salads:
They contain all vegetables other than green and leafy such as lettuce and cabbage. Vegetable salads are low fat and healthy options. They are popular as side dishes but you can also opt to make them as appetizers or even as main dish.
Entrée Salads:
This type of salad is served as the main meal. Usually, they include meat, chicken, beef, seafood or fish. You can mix them with greens or vegetables. These salads are packed with nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates and vitamins. Some examples are chef salad, Caesar salad and cob salad.
Dessert Salads:
This type of salad is popular at large gatherings or potlucks. A perfect ending to a perfect meal. You can have recipes for cookie salad, fruit salads, salads with whipped or gelatin topping or any sweet versions.
Bound Salads:
Bound salads are usually made with thick sauce such as pasta salad, potato salad, macaroni salad, chicken salad. The most popular bound salad is pasta which takes many forms. Some have Italian flavor while others are Asian inspired. Pasta salads are very versatile that they can be served as your main dish, appetizer, side dish or even dessert.
Choosing the best salad recipes for a meal can be quiet difficult for the simple reason that there are so many available choices out there. That is why it helps to know the type of salad that is appropriate for the occasion or that will fit your budget and requirements. You can find some ideas online from Food Network, Paula Deen, Emeril or Rachael Ray.
For example, you can make a homemade angel hair pasta salad using whole cooked and peeled shrimp and chicken breast. Or you can substitute them with seafood or meats. For this type of salad, ranch dressing seems to be a good choice. However, you can use any bottled, homemade vinegar or creamy will do.
Other ingredients are 4 sliced green onions, chopped bell pepper, thinly sliced medium carrot, a can of sliced mushrooms, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, a teaspoon or oregano, cloves of garlic, salt and pepper.
Cook the pasta as directed in the package. Make sure that you follow instructions accordingly so as not to overcook the pasta. In a large bowl, combine and mix vegetables, cheese, chicken and spices. Add the pasta, mix, then pour in the dressing sparingly while mixing it into the salad. Add pepper and salt to taste. This salad is best served cold.

For more information concerning the Best Salad Recipes for your lunch, dinner or potluck, pay a visit to http://www.bestsaladrecipesonline.com.