Andrea Howard's Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Pecans

2 cups (8 oz.) diced cooked chicken (or turkey) breast
1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
3 tbs. dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
2 tbs. chopped pecans
11 oz. mandarin orange sections, drained and cut into small sections
¼ cup fat-free plain yogurt
1 tbs. reduced-fat mayo
1 ½ tsp. brown mustard
½ tsp. salt
Ground black pepper
8 Boston lettuce leaves

Combine chicken, apples, cranberries and pecans. Add orange sections, set aside.
Whisk together yogurt, mayo and mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Drizzle dressing over chicken mixture while using a fork to gently mix in.
Arrange 2 lettuce leaves on each of 4 salad plates. Mound ¼ of salad on top of lettuce
and serve immediately, accompanied with whole-grain crackers.

Myrtle's Cornbread Salad

At a recent family reunion, I met Myrtle. She is married to a first cousin of my husband's mother (got that?). She prepared this salad that tasted so good! I had never had this dish before and it was imperative that I have the recipe before I left the reunion. It thrilled me that Myrtle was willing to share it with me.

1 Jiffy cornbread mix
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
bacon


Sauce:
1 c. of mayonnaise
1/3 c. sweet pickle juice

Bake cornbread mix as directed. Crumble half of it in a round casserole dish. Layer with half of the vegetables. Pour half of sauce over the layer then repeat the layers.

Best if made 12-24 hours ahead. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon before serving.

Six Day Slaw

This recipe came from my friend, Lynn. Its a yummy slaw that doesn't use mayo and thus is more diet friendly.

Mix together:

1 head cabbage, shredded or grated

1 carrot, grated

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/4 cup green onion, chopped

2 t. celery seed

1/2 scant cup of sugar

2 t. salt

Boil 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup salad vinegar. Pour over cabbage. Stir together. Pour off liquid at time of serving. It’s supposed to last 6 days but I’ve never waited that long. Even if you use a large head of cabbage, the seasoning and dressing are sufficient.

Ceaser Salad Dressing Recipe

here

Mom's Cookin': Fruited Spinach Salad

1 can (11 oz) mandarine oranges
1/4 c. olive or vegetable oil
3 T. raspberry jam
1 T. red wine vinegar
1 pkg (10 oz) fresh spinach, torn
1 red apple, chopped
1 c. pecans, toasted and chopped

Drain oranges, reserving 1/2 c. juice. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine oil, jam, vinegar and reserved juice; shake well. In a large salad bowl, toss oranges, spinach, apple and pecans. Serve with the dressing.
Serves 6-8

Mom's Cookin': Summer Vegetables with Parsley Sauce

4 new potatoes
2 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 zucchini, cut into 1/3 inch pieces
8 oz. sugar snap peas
1/4 c. snipped fresh parsley or 4 t. dried
1/4 c. chopped scallions
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. lemon juice
1 t. minced capers or stuffed olives
1/2 t. black pepper
1 t. olive oil

In large saucepan, steam (or simmer) the potatoes and carrots until they are almost tender, about 15 minutes. Add the squash and peas. Continue cooking until all the vegetables are tender- 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm. Meanwhile in a small saucepan over low heat, cook the parsley, scallions, garlic, lemon juice, capers, pepper and oil until hot - 3 to 4 minutes. Spoon over the vegetables and toss gently to coat. Serves 4.

Nutritional info:
calories: 117
fat: 1.5 g
cholesterol: 0 mg
sodium: 55 mg

Spinach Salad

This is one of the items on our Easter menu:

Diabetic Fruit Salad

My mother introduced me to this salad. None of us are diabetic, but we look for ways to cut back on sugar.

1 (15 oz) can fruit mix, well drained
1 c. seedless green grapes, halved
1 c. seedless orange, peeled and cubed
1 c. heavy whipping cream
2 T sugar substitute (I use Splenda)
1/2 t. vanilla

In medium bowl, combine fruit. Mix lightly, cover, refrigerate until serving time.

In chilled bowl, beat cream at high speed, scraping sides of bowl often until soft peaks form (1 min). Gradually add sugar substitute and vanilla. Continue beating until peaks form (1 min). Cover. Refrigerate until serving time.

To serve: Combine chilled fruit and whipping cream. Mix lightly.

Chicken Ramen Salad

This recipe was given to me by my friend, Lynn. I'm trying to convince her to start her own recipe blog. She has a lot of great ones! In the meantime, I'll post this one for her.

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1/2 cabbage head, shredded
1/2 c. sliced almonds
1/8 c. sesame seeds
1 pkg. oriental ramen noodles

Dressing:
1/3 c. oil
2 T. sugar
3 T. salad vinegar
1 packet ramen noodle seasoning

Broil almonds and sesame seeds until light brown. Crush ramen noodles with rolling pin. Just before serving, mix the cabbage, chicken, almonds, sesame seeds and noodles. Add the dressing last. Serve immediately.

It is recommended to chill everything before mixing so the salad is refreshingly cool.

Spinach Salad

This salad is one my Aunt Melanie made for all our family gatherings. I love how it tastes and the memories it provides.

2- 1 lb. fresh spinach
8 slices of bacon- fried crisped and crumbled
4 hard boiled eggs, sliced
3 or 4 chopped green onions
1-5 oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained
alternative, 1-16 oz. can bean sprouts, drained

Dressing:
1 cup salad oil
1 cup vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tsp. salt

I like to use Olive Oil, and I don't pour the dressing on until just before serving. This is a large salad. If you cut the salad recipe in half, be sure to cut the dressing in half too.