Salad ideas?

bex2211, Jan 10, 9:08pm
I'm putting on a Sunday birthday lunch for my 80 year old mum,planning on about 25-30 people, I need some ideas for different easy salads that are nice!

marie196, Jan 10, 9:10pm
potato salad, pasta salad, lettuce salad, 3 bean salad

bunny51, Jan 10, 9:24pm
I like letuce, halved cherry tomatoes, cucumber, spring onions, capsicum, and fetta cheese. (I have had it with olives in it too but I don't like olives so never put them in when I make it.)

shellz213, Jan 10, 10:09pm
I made a chicken, rice and mint salad on Xmas Day and it got rave reviews from my family.Is definitely not an "every day" salad however would be nice to go along with a birthday lunch.

800 grams chicken tenderloins
1 tbs olive oil
2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
2 tsp honey
salt and pepper, to taste
2 1/2 cups brown rice
2 cups red grapes, halved
1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2/3 cup blanched almonds, toasted
6 spring onions, thinly sliced

Lemon and Honey Mustard Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup honey
2 tbs Dijon mustard

Combine chicken, oil, rind and honey in a large bowl.Season with salt and pepper.Refrigerate, covered, for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook rice in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for about 30 minutes or until tender.Drain.Rinse under cold water, draining well.

To make dressing, combine ingredients in a screw-top jar.Season.Shake well.

Cook chicken in a heated, oiled grill pan, on both sides, until browned and cooked through.Chop.

To serve, combine chicken, rice, dressing and remaining ingredients in a large serving bowl.

** Prepare salad, omitting grapes and mint, up to a day in advance.Store, covered, in the fridge.Stir in grapes and mint to serve.Salad will absorb dressing overnight, so serve with lemon wedges.

ant_sonja, Jan 10, 10:22pm
Cesar Salad with Cos lettuce/bacon/Parmesan & cesar dressing. Add croutons if you like. Also nice is fresh basil, buffalo mozzarella and tomato dressed with olive oil and salt/pepper. Or spinach/feta/sun-dried tomato/red onion and olives - dressing of your choice.

bex2211, Jan 10, 10:37pm
This sounds nice, thanks.

gerry64, Jan 10, 10:47pm
orzo salad has fast become a winner in our household - used on of cookessentials recipes

davidt4, Jan 10, 11:06pm
The salad that got rave reviews for me this Christmas was this one.Very simple and keeps well in the fridge.

Potato & Kumara Salad

350 ml homemade mayonnaise (see below for recipe)
3 medium sized red kumara
3 medium sized potato.Agria and Jersey Benne are good varieties
6 - 10 good quality pickled onions, quartered
200g pickled gherkins
parsley, finely chopped.

Scrub and boil kumara and potato until just tender, cool and dice.Combine with other ingredients and chill for a few hours or longer.Bring to room temperature to serve.

Mayonnaise

3 egg yolks
300 ml extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 - 2 lemons
salt
freshly ground pepper (preferably white)

All ingredients need to be at room temperature.

Whisk the egg yolks (use a hand whisk, or an electric whisk or a small food processor) until well blended and starting to thicken.Very gradually trickle in the oil, keep whisking and when you have added about a third of the oil it should be starting to thicken.As it thickens you can increase the rate at which you add the oil.

When it gets very thick add the juice of one lemon, this will thin it down.Add salt and pepper, continue to add the oil until you have a very thick mayonnaise.

Taste and adjust with more seasoning or lemon juice if it needs it.If it tastes too eggy it needs more salt.

bex2211, Jan 11, 12:16am
Thanks for these, :-)

zappi, Jan 11, 1:40am
We made the annabelle langbein salad recipe for christmas.
6 cups salad greens, crumble over a block of blue vein cheese.Put some walnuts in the oven to roast.When cool toss thru the salad. Make up a mustard vineagrette dressing to drizzle over it.It was really yummy.

leebee35, Jan 11, 10:03am
I have a fab banana and kumara one. that has spring onions, lemon juice + chopped nuts.let me know if you want this and I'll hunt it out.

gerry64, Jan 11, 10:13am
yes please leebee

bex2211, Jan 11, 10:28am
And me too!

nzl99, Jan 11, 12:06pm
Quinoa, Feta, Walnut and Cranberry.
Pesto Pasta with Corgettes.
Israeli Couscous with a Greek salad slant.
Rice salad with tonnes of julienne carrots, red cabbage strips, spring onion rasins and a balsamic dressing.
Bacon, Kumera and Oranges with honey mustard dressing.
Capers, sundried toms, parmesan, olives mixed with cooked buckwheat.

Maybe a Ceaser (just use an aioli for the dressing if anchovies are going to scare people).

For larger salads, I'd generally use a bulking type ingredient to carry the flavours. and to fill people up.And. the advantage of making things other than a light leafy green salad is that they can be made hours or a day ahead of time without suffering too much.

leebee35, Jan 12, 8:05am
Hi Gerry64 & Bex2211.

Not sure why I said I would hunt this recipe. considering I dont even use it.I just make it up as I go because I've made it so many times.Big hit. kids love it too.

I double/ triple it.& sometimes use use both kumara white & yellow.

3 large Kumaras
2 Bananas
1/4 Cup chooped peanuts
2 spring onions

Dressing:
1 Tbsp lemon rind
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp polyunsaturated oil
1 Tbsp of raw sugar
Freshly ground black pepper.

Cook Kumara, cool + Bananas, nuts + Spring Onions + pour over dressing and serve!It's never fail.

Enjoy and do let me know that you loved it.While living overseas Friends think this is a traditional kiwi salad.lol.Struggle to get Kumara at times.

bex2211, Jan 12, 8:55am
Yum, thanks leebee, I'm doing the shopping tomorrow so good timing.

gerry64, Jan 12, 7:48pm
cheers leebe - will give it a go over the weekend

griffo4, Nov 15, 7:03am
Thank you davidt4 l have been hunting for a recipe to take to a party and this one fits the bill perfectly
Not sure when it was posted but thanks

nikkib90, Nov 15, 7:27am
Spinach and berry salad with poppyseed dressing.
It looks so pretty and strawberries are in season. You may have to google the dressing. Sprinkle the top with sliced almonds and it looks great!

gaspodetwd, Nov 15, 7:36am
Ripe tomatoes with good buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil torn over, plenty of black pepper and some salt and very good extra virgin olive oil.

Mesclun with raspberry vinaigrette - 2 parts sunflower oil,1 part walnut oil, 2 parts raspberry vinegar, salt fresh black pepper and 1/4tsp Dijon mustard.

nik12, Nov 15, 10:40am
Does anyone have a brocauli one! I've had a few lovely one's lately, but no where I could ask for the recipe!
I always do my plain pasta salad that everyone seems to like. pasta, spring onion, chopped up cheese (quite small but still cubes), hard boiled egg, ham or cooked bacon. and generally I use the old highlander dressing.Add more just before serving.