Cranberry Spinach Salad

Ingredients


1 tablespoon butter

3/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

1 pound spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces

1 cup dried cranberries

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1/2 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons minced onion

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions

1.In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook and stir almonds in butter until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and let cool.

2.In a large bowl, combine the spinach with the toasted almonds and cranberries.

3.In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, onion, paprika, white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, and vegetable oil. Toss with spinach just before serving.

Frozen Fruit Salad

1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar

Blend well.

Add:

1 (12 oz) container Cool Whip
2 bananas, sliced
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 pkg. frozen raspberries

Mix and freeze in a 9x13 inch pan.

(Optional: Strawberries could be added if desired.)

Strawberry Nut Salad

1 head Romaine lettuce
1 small carton mushroom, sliced
1 pint strawberries, sliced
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 bag Ocean Spray Craisins

Toss.

Top with:

1 cup mozzarella cheese
candied almonds (1 small package of sliced almonds, 1/4 cup sugar. Heat in skillet until sugar melts, stirring constantly. Pour onto plate until cool, crumble nuts)

Serve with Brianna's Home Style Poppy Seed Dressing.

Pasta Taco Salad

1 pkg. Tri-color pasta Rigatoni, cooked, drained and cooled
1 pkg. frozen corn, cooked and cool
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can small red beans
1 can black beans
1 bunch green onions
1 small can sliced olives
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
2 pkg. taco seasoning
sharp cheddar cheese
4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

After chicken is cooked, place in a baggie and add 1 package of taco seasoning. Mix.

Add all other ingredients except- olives, tomatoes and cheese. Mix. Just before serving add olives, tomatoes and cheese.

Toss with dressing.

Dressing:

2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 pkg. taco seasoning
1 cup buttermilk

Serve with tortilla chips.

Makes a large amount. Great for parties and showers.

Crunchy Coleslaw Salad

From Kristi Hamilton

1 bag shredded coleslaw
1/2 can cashews
1 can rice noodles
1-2 apples, unpeeled and diced
3-5 green onions, diced
1 bottle Brianna's Home Style Poppy Seed Dressing.

Mix all ingredients just before serving.

Chicken Rice Salad

Mix in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight:

2 Tb. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 Tb. oil
1 Tb. vinegar
3 cups cooked rice, no salt
4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 can well-drained crushed pineapple

Next day, add:

1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup green bell pepper
1/4 cup red bell pepper
3/4 cup green grapes
1 can mandarin oranges (drained)
3/4 cup cashews
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Makes a large amount. Great for parties and showers.

Grandma Nance's Macaroni Salad

1 bag salad roni, (or macaroni pasta) cooked, rinsed and then sprinkled with salt
3 can tuna fish, drained
3 stalks celery, chopped
2-3 grated carrots
1/2 jar miracle whip

Mix and refrigerate overnight.

Before serving, mix 1/4 jar miracle whip and 3 golden delicious apples, peeled and chopped.

Cottage Cheese Orange Salad

4 cups cottage cheese
1 lg pkg. orange jello
2 cans mandarin oranges, drained
16 oz. Cool Whip

Mix cottage cheese, jello and oranges. Fold into Cool Whip. Refrigerate.

Japanese Salad

1 lg head iceberg lettuce
4 stalk celery, chopped
2 oz. slivered almonds
1 med. size can of chow mein noodles
4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
4 green onion, chopped
2 Tb. sesame seeds

Mix and add noodles just before serving. Toss with dressing.

Dressing:

6 Tb. vinegar
4 Tb. sugar
2 tsp. accent
1/2 cup oil
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Mix and shake. Add just before serving.

Bacon and Mushroom Spinach Salad

2 bunches spinach
1 head lettuce
1 lb. Swiss or mozzarella cheese
1 lb. bacon cooked and crumbled
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 red onion, sliced

Toss with dressing.

Dressing:

3/4 cup oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tb. grated onion
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1 Tb. poppy seeds
1/3 cup red wine vinegar

Place in blender and puree.

Spinach Salad

1 bag fresh spinach
1 pint strawberries, sliced
4-5 slices of bacon, crumbled
1 granny smith apple, diced
2 oz. candied almonds

Toss.

Dressing:

1/3 cup oil
2 Tb. apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 red onion

Blend in blender until smooth.

Asian Salad

From Jen Gladwell

1 head cabbage diced small
3 green onion
1 pk. chicken flavor ramen noodles
2.5 oz. silvered almonds, broiled
chicken, cooked and chopped

Dressing:

1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
2-3 Tb. red wine vinegar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 packet chicken ramon noodle spices

Christmas Raspberry Crunch

2 cups crushed pretzels
3 Tb. sugar
1/2 cup margarine
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 12 oz. carton Cool Whip
1 16 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained and pat dry
1 6 oz. pkg. raspberry jello
3 cups boiling water
1 10 oz. pkg. frozen raspberries

Preheat oven to 400. Crush pretzels with rolling pin. Mix with sugar and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake 5 min. Cool.

Beat cream cheese and sugar til fluffy. Mix in Cool Whip topping. Fold in drained pineapple.
Spread mixture onto cooled pretzel crust.

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Mix in frozen raspberries. Place in refrigerator until syrupy. Pour over cream cheese layer.

Refrigerate until set.

Blueberry Salad

6 oz. raspberry jello
2 cup boling water

Mix.

Add:

1 1/2- 2 cups frozen blueberries
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup crushed pineapple with juice
1 cup broken pecans (toasted)

Let jello set til jelled. Layer jello and 1 container of Cool Whip in a glass bowl. Refrigerate. (Best eaten right after it's made so the nuts don't get soggy.)

Cafe Rio Dressing

3 tomatillos, quartered
1 bunch cilantro
3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 pkg. buttermilk ranch packet
1/4 tsp. crushed cayenne pepper

Blend in blender until smooth.

Vanilla Fruit Salad

1 large pkg. sugar free vanilla instant pudding
2 cups buttermilk

Whisk together and let set. Pudding with be very thick.

Add:

1 8 oz. tub Cool Whip.

Fold in.

Add:

2 bananas, sliced
1 apple, diced
1 orange, peeled and chopped
1/2 bag frozen fruit (I usually use pineapple, grapes, peach and strawberry mix)

Mix and refrigerate until served.

Note: After frozen fruit melts, the salad becomes a bit watery. Best to use when fresh. It does not save well.

Red Wine Vinegar Poppy Seed Dressing

3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 green bell pepper, cut in quarters
1 Tb. poppy seeds
1 tsp. dry mustard

Put all ingredients in a blender and puree.

Crasin Spinach Salad

1 bag spinach
1 small container mushrooms, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
3 Roma tomatoes, cut into eights
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 bag Ocean Spray Craisins

Toss spinach and vegetables. Place cheese and craisins on top.

Serve with Red Wine Vinegar Poppy Seed Dressing:

Red Wine Poppy Seed Dressing:

3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 green bell pepper, cut in quarters
1 Tb. poppy seeds
1 tsp. dry mustard

Put all ingredients in a blender and puree.