Easy Cucumber Salad

This salad keeps amazingly well. We love it!

2 English cucumbers, thinly sliced

1 tsp salt

1 med red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup white vinegar

½ cup water

½ cup sugar

2 Tbs minced fresh dill

Season cukes with salt in a large bowl, and let sweat for one hour. Drain liquids, but do not rinse. Toss cukes with onions.

In a small saucepan over high heat, combine vinegar, water, and sugar. Stir just until sugar melts and liquid turns clear, 3-5 min. Pour over cakes and onions. Stir in minced fresh dill. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour. Serve cold or at room temp.

Marinated Bean Salad With Corn

This is a really good bean salad, using five different beans and corn. It's my favorite.

1 can cut green beans

1 can white or cannelini beans

1 can dark red kidney beans

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

1 can yellow wax beans

1 can white shoepeg corn

2 or 3 stalks celery, chopped

1 med red onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

For The Marinade:

1¾ cups sugar

1¼ cup white vinegar

¼ cup oil (recipe called for canola, but I recently found out it is the absolute worst oil)

2 Tbs water

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Drain all canned items. Rinse white beans, kidney beans, and garbanzo beans, and put them in a large bowl.

Combine the marinade ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Immediately pour hot marinade over bean mixture. Stir to coat all beans. Add drained corn, chopped onion and green pepper, and chopped celery. Add salt and pepper; stir to combine all ingredients.

Refrigerate several hours or overnight (best) before serving. This salad keeps well for most of the week, but it won't last that long! 

Fruity Broccoli Salad

You will need to go easy on the seasonings, and taste as you go. I changed all of them from the original recipe, as it was too sour and needed more ginger. This salad actually tastes better the second day.

2 crowns fresh broccoli

½ sweet onion, chopped

1 bag shredded carrots

1 red apple, diced

Sliced seedless red grapes

3/4 cup dried cranberries

½ – ¾ cup slivered almonds

2 Tbs sugar

10 oz. plain, non-fat Greek yogurt

1/3 to ½ cup mayonnaise

¼ tsp ground ginger (scant), or to taste

2 pinches of black pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until well combined.

Pack in an air-tight container and keep refrigerated up to one week.

Fire and Ice Salad

    2 whole Tomatoes, Chopped

    2 whole Cucumbers Peeled and Sliced

    1 whole Purple Onion, Chopped

    1 cup Distilled White Vinegar

    1 cup water

    1 cup Sugar

Cut up your tomatoes. You can cut them in slices, chunks or dice them. I prefer thin slices.

Peel and cut cucumbers.

Cut up your onion. I slice mine and then cut them in half so that you have fairly large slices.

Combine all your vegetables in a bowl.

To make your dressing, combine 1 cup water, vinegar and sugar and stir well.

You can add equal amounts of all if you would like, but this combination of 1 cup of all of them works fine for me.

The sugar will not completely dissolve but that is okay because it is going to sit in the fridge for a while and marinate before you eat it.

Pour dressing over the vegetables and stir well.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours but more if you prefer.

It will make more dressing as it sits there. I recommend stirring it after an hour.

Marinated Fresh Vegetables

Cut the marinade recipe in half, or else use lots of vegetables.

Broccoli heads
Whole mushrooms
Green pepper chunks
3 stalks celery, cut into 1" chunks
Cauliflower

MARINADE:
1 cup sugar
2 tsp dry mustard (or Dijon)
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup vinegar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
Poppy seeds

Mix marinade and pour over the vegetables. Chill for several hours.

Can also serve with toothpicks as an appetizer.

Kidney Bean Salad

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup minced onion
1/3 cup chopped sweet pickle (or pickle relish)
1/4 cup Miracle Whip (not mayonnaise)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs sugar

Combine all the ingredients, gently stirring. Chill at least one hour before serving.

Corn Salad

This recipe came from one of my customers in my beauty salon. A great way to use up some left-over corn on the cob.

1 can corn, drained
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1 tsp onion, minced
Miracle Whip (preferred over mayonnaise) to blend
Parsley
Dill weed

Mix corn, cuke, onion, and tomato. Add enough Miracle Whip to blend together. Sprinkle with a little dried parsley and dill weed; blend in. Chill 3-4 hours before serving.

If you only have mayonnaise on hand, add a little sugar . . . maybe 1 tsp . . . to reduce the tang.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad

This is a recipe that's easy to substitute things that you don't like. It is also better the longer it sits. Serve black eyed peas on New Years Day, for health and wealth in the new year.

1 yellow bell pepper finely chopped

1 red bell pepper finely chopped

1/2 onion finely chopped

2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped

4 15 ounce cans black-eyed peas drained and rinsed

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 garlic clove minced

1/2 c red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 c olive oil

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

4 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled

Mix the yellow and red peppers, onion, jalapeno chilies, black-eyed peas, parsley, and garlic together in a large bowl.

Whisk the red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar together in a small bowl. Gradually add the olive oil, whisking constantly to thoroughly blend with the vinegars. Stir in the cumin, salt, and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the vegetable mixture, tossing to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate 3 to 4 hours.

Just before serving, stir in the crumbled bacon.

Cucumbers and Tomatoes

This is especially good in the summer, when the tomatoes are oh-so-good.


2  cucumbers
1/2  med  sweet onion 
2  tomatoes, cut into large chunks
1/2  cup  white vinegar, or rice vinegar
2  Tbs  water
4  packets  Sweet n' Low sweetener
2  Tbs  sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel cukes and cut them into thick (1/4") slices. Quarter the onion and cut into slices. Add to cukes, along with the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine vinegar, water, sweetener, and sugar. Pour over cukes. Cover a marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.

Note: 
You can use Equal sweetener, but you may need a bit more of it. Splenda just doesn't work well in this recipe. Also, I prefer the plain old white vinegar. You can bump up the tomatoes and cukes, but the dressing will remain the same amounts given.

Mixed Vegetable Salad

This recipe came from May-Britt Larson, up in Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin.


1  lb  frozen mixed vegetables
16  oz  canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1  med  onion, chopped
1  green pepper, chopped
1  cup  celery, chopped
Optional: Shredded cheddar cheese for topping

DRESSING:
1/2  cup  sugar
1/2  cup  vinegar
1  Tbs  prepared mustard
1  Tbs  flour

Slightly under-cook the vegetables; drain and cool. Combine with the kidney beans, onion, green pepper, and celery. Set aside.

In a saucepan, combine sugar and flour. Stir in vinegar and mustard. Cook until thickened. Cool. Combine with vegetables and chill overnight. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.

Corn Salad

This is a great way to use up a few left-over ears of sweet corn in the summer. If you are cooking fresh or frozen corn, add a little sugar to the milk. Makes the sweet corn oh-so-sweet.


1  can of corn, drained, OR fresh or frozen corn, cooked in milk; drained
1  tomato, seeded, chopped
1  tsp  minced fresh onion
Small amount cucumber, chopped
Dill weed and dried parsley
Sour cream
Miracle Whip, optional

Blend together with enough sour cream to blend the mixture together. (You can use half sour cream and half Miracle Whip, or all Miracle Whip.)

Broccoli Salad with Craisins and Cashews

Another great broccoli salad. This keeps well.


4  cups  broccoli, cut into small pieces
1  cup  red or green seedless grapes, halved
1  cup  sunflower seeds
1  cup  dried cranberries
1/4  cup  red onion, diced
1  lb  bacon
1  cup  cashews


DRESSING:
1  cup  mayonnaise
1  cup  sour cream
1/2  cup  sugar
2  Tbs  vinegar

Fry the bacon until crisp, and then crumble. Simply combine everything, and add enough dressing to coat well.

Broccoli Pecan Salad

3  cups  chopped broccoli
1  cup  chopped pecans
1  cup   chopped celery
Miracle Whip salad dressing
1/2  cup  chopped green onions
3  hard boiled eggs, chopped
1  cup  chopped zucchini
Salt and pepper to taste

All ingredients should be chopped in small pieces. Add Miracle Whip generously as salad dressing. If you use mayonnaise instead of Miracle Whip, add some sugar to sweeten it up. 


Miracle Whip is preferred over mayonnaise in this recipe.

Broccoli and Almond Salad

This salad keeps very well for several days. Using grapes, it is much tastier than the broccoli salad recipes calling for raisins. This is my favorite and always gets rave reviews.


8  slices bacon
1  cup  mayonnaise
1/3  cup  sugar
1  Tbs  vinegar
4  cups  broccoli florets and peeled stems
1  cup  chopped celery
2/3  cup  slivered almonds, toasted
1  cup  seedless red grape halves
1  cup  seedless green grape halves
1/2  cup  chopped green onions 

Fry the bacon until crisp; drain and crumble. Mix the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar in a bowl and set aside. Combine the broccoli, celery, almonds, grapes, and green onions. Add the mayonnaise mixture and mix well. Top with crumbled bacon

Beet and Feta Cheese Salad

This salad is healthy and absolutely delicious. Use only fresh beets, and bake them. Baked beets are really good. Use as much of the ingredients as you want. There are no set amounts.

Romaine lettuce, torn
Fresh beets
Red onion, sliced thin
Avocado, peeled and chunked
1  can  yellow and white corn, drained
Feta cheese, crumbled
2  parts  balsamic vinegar
1/2  part  canola oil or other vegetable oil
1/2  part  olive oil
Sweet & Low sweetener, to taste
Salt and black pepper

Prepare the dressing by combining about two parts of balsamic vinegar and one part of the oil combination. (You can use all of one type oil, but the mixture is best.) Use enough sweetener to taste. (I use less than one packet of Sweet n' Low brand.) Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cut the stems off fresh beets, leaving about 1" of stems on beets. Bake @425° for about one hour. When cool, peel and chunk. Toss a small amount of dressing on the beets, just enough to coat them. Set aside.

Combine remaining salad ingredients. Toss with dressing before adding the beets. The beets will discolor the entire salad, so adding them after the salad is tossed will help avoid this.