Asian Noodle Salad

I love this salad when I'm tired of eating winter foods and I want a good dose of fresh produce! It's a huge recipe and it's great to make for company on a hot day. I got this recipe from The Pioneer Woman. Here's the link to hers, which is complete with photos and everything. Be sure to check it out!

• SALAD INGREDIENTS:
• 1 package Linguine Noodles, Cooked, Rinsed, And Cooled
• 1/2 head Sliced Napa Cabbage, Or More To Taste
• 1/2 head Sliced Purple Cabbage, Or More To Taste
• 1/2 bag Baby Spinach, Or More To Taste
• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin
• 1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin
• 1 whole Orange Bell Pepper, Thinly Sliced
• 1 bag Bean Sprouts (also Called Mung Bean Sprouts)
• Chopped Cilantro, Up To 1 Bunch, To Taste
• 3 whole Scallions, Sliced
• 3 whole Cucumbers Peeled And Sliced
• 1 can (about 10 Oz.) Whole Cashews, Lightly Toasted In Skillet
• FOR THE DRESSING:
• 1 whole Lime, Juiced
• 8 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 8 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons (up To 3 Tablespoons) Sesame Oil
• 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger Chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic Chopped
• 2 whole Hot Peppers Or Jalapenos, Chopped
• Chopped Cilantro

Mix salad ingredients together. Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Mix with tongs or hands and serve on a platter.

Note: dressing keeps for up to three days before serving, without cilantro.

Quinoa, Apple & Walnut Salad with Sausage

1 cup water
1/2 cup quinoa
8 oz. sausage (turkey is the best)
2 cups diced apple (skin on)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
6 cups fresh spinach

Bring water to a boil in a small pot on high heat. Add quinoa. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside to cool. Cook sausage in a large pot of simmering water for 10-20 minutes, depending on the thickness. Remove from water and preheat a nonstick pan on medium heat. Lightly coat with spray and add sausage. Saute sausage until lightly browned all around. Set aside to cool, then slice into medallions. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle your favorite dressing on the salad. (Spicy Apple Vinaigrette is best.)

Bulgarian Potato Salad

This recipe was served to us by a special friend who comes from Bulgaria. It was so delicious! I think it is my favorite potato dish! Here is her version of the recipe:

Potatoes (as many as you like)
Salt
Oil (Sunflower oil is best)
Vinegar (Red wine vinegar is preferable)
Sliced onion
Minced garlic

Peel the potatoes and cut them into medium-sized chunks. Cook them until tender. While they are still warm, toss all the other ingredients in with the potatoes. You can make the dressing separately, if you desire.  Let it sit for about 4-5 minutes. Taste it before serving and adjust ingredients, as needed. Sometimes the potatoes tend to "drink" all the vinegar and oil and you just need to add a bit more at this point. You can also use mayonnaise instead of oil, but you should wait until the potatoes are cool, if you choose this substitution.

Jiffy Salad

1 small head lettuce
2 to 3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup oil
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Shred the lettuce, top with hard-cooked eggs, and toss with the other ingredients whisked together for dressing.

Mexican Style Bean Salad

A truly frugal salad, filling enough to be the main dish for a lunch. Even cheaper when you use beans you have cooked from dried!

1 can (or 19oz.) black or kidney beans
1 can (or 19oz.) romano beans or chickpeas
1 cup cooked corn kernels
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1/2 sweet red pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Drain and rinse beans and place in a bowl. Add corn, onion, and red pepper.

1/3 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
Pinch salt
Pinch pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour over bean mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro; toss to coat.

Colorful Tossed Salad

Parmesan Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp milk
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp lemon pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder

Salad:
1 medium head of lettuce, cut up
6-8 radishes, thinly sliced
3-5 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup diced medium or sharp Cheddar cheese
2 medium tomatoes, halved, seeded and diced

Parmesan Dressing: Stir all ingredients well in jar. Chill until needed.

Salad: Combine first 4 ingredients in large bowl. When ready to serve, drain tomato and add to lettuce mixture. Add dressing as needed. Toss to coat. Serves 8 to 10.

Summer Bean Salad

3 cups edamame
2-1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1/3 cup red onion, diced
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a microwaveable dish. Heat on high in microwave for 4-5 minutes. Also good cold.

My Favorite Salad

In summer, I eat some variation of this salad on an almost-daily basis. I simply cannot get enough of it. It's filling, completely healthy, and refreshing. It's cheap, too!

1 cucumber, quartered lengthwise and then cut into small slices or pieces
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 15oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (Or your own cooked chickpeas)
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp lemon juice (fresh is best)
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup fresh parsley (optional)
Sprinkle of dried oregano (optional)

Combine all ingredients and toss well. Keeps for a few days in the fridge. You can omit whichever ingredients you don't want or don't have on hand. You can also substitute other veggies. I sometimes make this without the chickpeas and use a head of romaine lettuce to use this as a side salad for a meal. If I make it as written above, it's the entire meal for me.

Waldorf Salad

2 medium apples, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, broken
1/4 cup raisins

Combine and serve with Sweet Dressing.

Three Bean Salad

This salad keeps for quite awhile in the fridge. It is hearty and satisfying as a main dish and makes a quick lunch when you have it waiting ready in the fridge. It’s also a perfect accompaniment to Roasted Root Vegetables along with a bread or bun of some sort for a great meal!

Prepare marinade:
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried parsley flakes)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Blend well, either in a blender, or with a whisk, or shake it vigorously in a tightly closed jar.

2 cups cut green beans (fresh or frozen cooked, chilled)
1 cup kidney beans
1 cup chickpeas
1/2 red onion, chopped

Toss with desired amount of marinade.

Orange Tossed Salad

2 cups iceberg lettuce
2 cups leafy lettuce
1 rib celery
1 medium orange, peeled, chopped
1 medium banana, peeled, sliced
apple, chopped (optional)
carrot, grated (optional)

Toss all together with Sweet Dressing.

Fresh Kimchi

This is in my Top 5 Salads list. I cannot get enough of this. And it has all the benefits of the Fresh Cabbage Salad but with more flavor and much less sugar!!!! While it keeps in the fridge for a few days, be warned that the longer it sits, the spicier it gets! My kids can’t seem to handle it after the first day.

1/2 a head of Chinese cabbage, cored and slivered
2 green onions, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp sesame oil (Use any other mild-flavored oil if you don’t have sesame. You won’t get the same flavor, but it will still be good.)
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp white or rice vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar or honey
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste (I use 1 tsp and it’s almost too hot for us!)

Combine cabbage and green onions in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients until sugar dissolves. Pour over salad and toss until well coated.

Fresh Cabbage Salad

It’s surprising how such a simple recipe could add so much to a meal. We absolutely love this salad. My husband is not a fan of coleslaw at all, but this salad was not a problem for him to eat! And it’s also probably the cheapest salad you’ll make for a family. An added bonus is that this salad will keep for several days in the fridge, greatly adding to the economical value. No wasted fresh vegetables!

1/2 a head of green cabbage, cored and slivered
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 sugar or honey
2 Tbsp olive oil

Combine cabbage and carrot in a medium bowl. Whisk remaining ingredients together in a small bowl until sugar dissolves. Pour over salad and toss until well coated.

Energy Salad

This salad is a good example of a truly healthy dish that really doesn’t have to cost much. It’s raw. It’s sugar-free. It’s delicious. And my kids have loved it since they were toddlers. (Girls especially like the “pink” from the beets.)

1 raw beet
1 apple, grated
1 carrot, grated
1/2 cup cabbage, finely sliced
2 Tbsp sunflower seeds (I don’t always add these because I don’t often have them on hand.)
Small handful raisins (or other dried fruit)
2 tsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice or orange juice
1 tsp honey

Combine grated beet, apple, carrot, and cabbage in bowl. Mix in sunflower seeds and dried fruit. In separate bowl, mix oil, juice and honey together until well blended. Pour mixture over salad and toss until salad is evenly coated.

Chinese Chicken Salad

This salad is a great warm-weather meal. Making it ahead of time makes it a convenient meal for a picnic or for a company meal. Sesame oil really adds to the flavor, but if it doesn’t fit into your budget, you can use regular oil instead.

Marinade:
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sesame oil (or regular cooking oil)
1/2 cup rice vinegar or 1/3 cup white vinegar
2 ramen noodle seasoning packets
1 Tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups cubed chicken breasts or thighs

Whisk together marinade ingredients and toss 1/4 cup of it with the chicken breasts. Set aside the rest of the marinade. Let the chicken marinate for 1 hour.

Salad:
1 Tbsp sesame or cooking oil
1 head Napa cabbage, cut into very thin slivers
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
2 Tbsp sesame seeds (toast them if you prefer that)
Three 3oz. packages oriental or chicken flavored ramen noodles, broken

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook it until no longer pink in the center. Transfer cooked chicken to a large bowl and add remaining salad ingredients. Toss to combine. Pour remaining marinade over salad and toss until everything is well coated. Cover and refrigerate for several hours, or overnight.

Carrot Raisin Salad

1/2 lb. carrots, peeled and shredded
1/3 cup raisins, washed and drained
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp honey
Dash of cinnamon, optional

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Let it sit for several hours, or overnight. This is a very small recipe, so you might want to double or triple it.

Apple Nut Salad

1 cup chopped fresh apple
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, or other nut or seeds of your choice
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp poppy seeds, toasted (optional)
honey, to taste (optional)

Combine apple, celery and nuts in a bowl; mix well. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well. Pour over apple mixture and toss to combine. Serve immediately. Apples will become mushy if you make it too far ahead of time.