What's Cooking: Colorful, springtime salads to enjoy on a rainy day in April
By Marilyn Block | What's Cooking

Spring is finally here, but wait, it is getting cloudy and it looks like rain. People always say April showers bring May flowers, so it cannot be too long before tulips and crocuses pop out of the ground to brighten our days. While we are waiting for spring, some colorful and meal-pleasing salads will help keep our mind off the weather.

Cauliflower Shrimp Salad
1 cup mayonnaise (not salad dressing)

3/4 cup bottled creamy Italian-style salad dressing

1 head cauliflower, thinly sliced

1 pound salad shrimp, thawed and rinsed

1 cup green onions, chopped

3 hard-boiled eggs, diced

1 4-ounce can black olives, sliced and drained

1 small jar pimentos, diced and drained

Whisk together mayonnaise and salad dressing. Toss remaining ingredients into large bowl. Pour dressing over all and fold together until well coated. Chill until ready to serve.

Ramen Noodle/Chicken/Cabbage Salad

1 package Oriental flavor ramen noodles

2 chicken breasts, cooked, cooled and diced

2 heads Napa cabbage, shredded

1 11-ounce can Mandarin oranges, drained

1 bunch green onions, sliced fine

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup cashew pieces

1 cup canola oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 cup white sugar

Break noodles into small pieces and spread onto a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with seasoning packet from noodle package. Bake at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes or until light brown. Cool. Toss together into large bowl the cabbage, chicken, onions, oranges and nuts. Whisk together oil, vinegar, soy sauce and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Pour over cabbage mixture. Chill until ready to serve. Add noodles just long enough before serving to let them soften slightly. Serves 6 to 8.

Bowtie Chicken Salad

1 small box bowtie pasta, cooked and drained

3 cups chicken breast, cooked and diced

1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup red or yellow bell pepper, diced

3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 cup bottled Ranch dressing

Dash black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Chill.

Hungry Man Salad

1 12-ounce package rotini pasta

1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced

1/4 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup ham, cooked and diced

1 cup salami, cooked and diced

10 slices pepperoni

1 cup colby cheese, diced

1 cup Provolone cheese, diced

1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced (or more if desired)

Italian dressing to mix salad until desired texture

Combine all ingredients; toss until all is well mixed. Chill at least 4 hours before serving to allow flavors to blend.

Pineapple/Apple/Apricot Salad

4 medium apples, peeled and diced

1 8-ounce can pineapple tidbits, drain and save juice

1/2 cup dried apricots, diced

1 8-ounce carton vanilla yogurt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup coconut, toasted

Fold apricot pieces into pineapple juice and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain. Combine all fruits, yogurt and sugar; mix well. Sprinkle coconut on top and chill until ready to serve.

Special Fruit Salad

1 8-ounce cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 8-ounce carton whipped topping

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced

2 large bananas, sliced

1 cup halved seedless grapes

1 11-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 plain chocolate Hersey candy bar, grated

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until creamy. Fold in whipped topping. Fold in fruits. Fold in chocolate and pecans. Chill until ready to serve. Serves 8.

Note: In place of chocolate and pecans, I have finely crushed a 6-ounce package of toffee bits.

Cantaloupe Chicken Salad

2 chicken breasts, cooked, cooled and diced

1/2 cantaloupe, diced

2 stalks (ribs) celery, sliced thin

1/2 pound red seedless grapes, halved

1/2 to 1 cup almonds, toasted and slivered

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon curry powder

Mix together mayonnaise, lemon juice and curry powder. Toss fruits and chicken into a large bowl. Pour dressing over all and toss to coat well. Chill at least 2 hours before serving. Sprinkle almonds on top just before serving. Serves 4.

Pineapple Cranberry Salad

1 6-ounce package raspberry flavored gelatin mix

1 16-ounce can whole cranberry sauce

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel

1/3 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 20-ounce can pineapple tidbits, drained and save juice

1 cup celery, thinly sliced

Add enough water to pineapple juice to equal 1 cup. Bring to a boil. Add gelatin mix and stir until dissolved. Add cranberry sauce, orange peel, orange and lemon juices. Mix well and chill until almost set. Fold in pineapple and celery. Pour into desired mold and chill until firm. Serves 10.

Advertisement