Taco Salad

1 pound lean ground beef

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped or shredded

1 bunch romaine lettuce, chopped

3 large tomatoes, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 (4 oz.) can jalapeno peppers or 3 to 4 fresh ones, finely chopped

1 (15 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained

1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained

1 (12 oz.) bag shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

2 (14.5 oz.) bags corn tortilla chips, crushed

2 cups Miracle Whip

1 cup ketchup

1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix

Brown the beef, drain, season with chili powder and set aside to cool.

Prepare the dressing by whisking the Miracle Whip, ketchup and taco seasoning mix together in a small bowl. In a large bowl, combine iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, green pepper, red pepper, green onions, jalapeno peppers, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, half of the cheese, half of the crushed chips, dressing and cooled ground beef. Mix well, cover and refrigerate.

Just before serving, top the salad with the other half of the cheese and crushed chips. Serve with whole chips on the side.

Turkey Macaroni Salad

8 ounces fusilli pasta, uncooked
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup yogurt
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
3 cups (1 pound) cubed, cooked turkey
1 cup chopped celery

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, yogurt, onions, salt, and white pepper. Gently stir in turkey, pasta, and celery. Cover, and chill until serving time.

Mandarin Orange Salad

1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk
1/2 to 1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
pinch sugar
pinch ground white pepper
cayenne pepper to taste
3 large heads butter lettuce - torn, washed and dried
1 small Vidalia sweet onion, peeled and sliced into thin rings
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
6 ounces fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the dressing by whisking together the sour cream, mayonnaise, milk, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, white pepper and cayenne pepper. Store in an air-tight container and refrigerate. Prepare the salad in a large bowl by combining the lettuce, onion, oranges and mushrooms. Add enough dressing to coat and toss. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add croutons if desired.

Deli Potato Salad

6 to 10 potatoes, boiled, cooled and cut in chunks
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 lb. salami, ham, or other favorite deli meat, cut in chunks
3 dill pickles, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 apples, cored and chopped
3 tbsp. mayonnaise
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
paprika

Mix potatoes, pickles, eggs, apple and onion in a large bowl. Fry salami lightly and drain off excess fat, cool. Stir salami, mayonnaise and seasoning into potato mixture. Chill for 2 hours before serving. Garnish with slivered red and green sweet peppers.

Ham Salad with Hot Peanut Dressing

3/4 pound boneless ham
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 medium cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
6 cups romaine or curly endive, torn
1 head radiccio or Boston lettuce

Thinly slice ham and heat briefly in microwave or in skillet over medium heat. Set aside and keep warm. For dressing, combine vegetable oil, peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and sugar in a blender or food processor; blend well. Heat dressing in microwave in glass measuring cup or on stovetop in a small saucepan. Toss cucumber, red onion, romaine and endive together. Arrange salads on individual salad plates as follows: Line plates with radiccio or Boston lettuce, top with tossed vegetables, arrange ham slices atop and spoon over hot dressing.

Lentil Salad

1 cup dried lentils
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced red onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

In a saucepan combine lentils, carrots, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes or until lentils are tender but not mushy. Drain lentils and vegetables and remove bay leaf. Add olive oil, lemon juice, celery, parsley, salt and pepper. Toss to mix and serve at room temperature.

Chicken Pasta Salad

2 boneless chicken breasts
3/4 cup steak sauce
1 (12 ounce) package fussili or bowtie pasta
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 medium Vidalia onion, diced
2 avocados, peeled and diced
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup blue cheese or ranch salad dressing

Marinate chicken breasts in steak sauce for 15 to 60 minutes. Grill until done and chop into bite-size pieces. In a large pot of boiling water, add the bouillon cubes and cook pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. In a large bowl, combine chicken, pasta, onion, avocados and tomatoes. Add salad dressing, mix and refrigerate until chilled. Stir in additional salad dressing when ready to serve, if desired.

Greek Salad

1 head iceburg lettuce
1 head romaine lettuce
1 lb. plum (roma) tomatoes
6 oz. greek or black olives, sliced
4 oz. sliced radishes
4 oz. feta cheese
2 oz. anchovies (optional)

--- Dressing ---

3 oz. olive oil
3 oz. fresh (preferred) lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, minced

Wash and cut lettuce into 1 1/2" pieces. Slice tomatoes in quarters. Combine lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and radishes in large bowl. Mix dressing ingredients together and then toss with vegetables. Pour out into a shallow serving bowl. Crumble feta cheese over all, and arrange anchovy fillets on top (if desired).

Beef Fajita Salad

1 (8 ounce) bottle Italian dressing
1 teaspoon cumin
dash hot pepper sauce
1/2 pound beef for fajitas, strips or chuncks
1/2 cup corn kernels
1/2 cup cooked kidney beans
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tomato, chopped
6 to 8 cups salad greens
2 cups crushed tortilla chips

Combine the cumin, hot pepper sauce and Italian dressing in a small bowl and mix well. Reserve 1/2 cup of the dressing. In a separate bowl, add enough dressing to coat the beef and let marinate for 1 hour. In a hot skillet, fry the beef and cook until done. Allow the beef to cool. In a medium bowl combine the beef with the corn, beans, onions and 1/2 cup of the dressing. Refrigerate for several hours before serving. To serve, toss the beef and vegetable mixture with the salad greens, tomatoes and shredded cheese. Add extra dressing if necessary and top with the crushed tortilla chips.

Couscous Salad

1 cup cooked couscous
1 tablespoon butter
1 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds
1/2 cup canned chick peas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup creamy salad dressing
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Place 1 teaspoon butter in a saucepan and melt over medium-low heat. Add 1/2 cup couscous and stir until coated in butter. Add 1 cup water. Bring to boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until all water is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper, set aside to cool. In a salad bowl, combine the couscous, red onion, bell pepper, parsley, raisins, almonds and chick peas. Stir and mix well. Whisk together the salad dressing, yogurt, cumin, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over salad; stir until well blended, chill and serve.

Beet Salad

--- Roasted Beets ---

4 bunches of beets (trim root ends and remove tops)
2 Tablespoons of olive oil

Coat beets with oil. Roast in 450 degrees oven on a sheet pan for approximately 45 minutes or until tender. Cool, peel, and dice.

--- Dijon Honey Vinaigrette ---

1 Tablespoon of lemon juice

1 ounce white wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon honey

1 ounce dijon mustard

1 teaspoon dried thyme

4 ounces vegetable oil

salt & white pepper to taste

Combine first five ingredients in a blender. While blender is running slowly add oil. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

--- Salad Ingredients ---

1/4 pound French Feta cheese (crumbled)

1 pound of spring mix lettuce

2 heads Belgium endive

Place three endive leaves symmetrically on each plate. Toss spring mix with vinaigrette. Divide between plates, top with diced beets and feta cheese.

Antipasto Pasta Salad

1 pound shell, bowtie or elbow macaroni pasta
1/4 pound Genoa salami, chopped
1/4 pound pepperoni, chopped
1/2 pound Asiago or Italian sharp cheese, diced
1 (6 ounce) can black olives, drained and chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 (.6 ounce) Italian dressing mix (Good Seasons)
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
salt
ground black pepper

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and cool under cold water. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, salami, pepperoni, cheese, black olives, red bell pepper, green bell pepper and tomatoes. Sprinkle on the envelope of powdered dressing, mix thoroughly and refrigerate salad. To prepare the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, parsley, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Just before serving, pour dressing over the salad and mix well.