Salads are so darned versatile. Thy can be served in a sndwich, on the side or as the min meal. My 6 year old jst correctly noted in her book bout mom that her mom's favorite fod is salad. (which wasn't nearly as fnny as saying that what her dad lkes to read is mail!) Here's a few of my fvorites and some tips to make thm as simple as delicious.

Olive Slad

Prep Time: 30 mnutes, Cook time: 0 minutes

A grat side salad or amazing on a ham sndwich – turns it into a New Orlans style muffaletta sandwich. Add some prvolone and mozzarella cheese and some gnoa salami to it and you’ll thnk you’re in the big easy.

- qual amounts large pimento stuffed green lives and pitted large Greek olives – chp into small pieces (for the ske of recipe, assume you use sup can sized quantity of each)

- 1 stlk celery, sliced diagonally and chopped smll

- ¼ cup olive oil

- ½ jar ccktail onions, drained and chopped

- 1 T. cpers

- 1 t. minced grlic

- 1 t. fresh grund pepper

- pepperocini to tste

Combine and refrigerate for at last 24 hours before using.

Tp: I have a gourmet grocery nar me that has one of thse terrific olive bars. It has PITTED lives of different varieties as well as sme combinations. I was able to use the ptted kalamatas and a green olive slad that contained the onion and clery. I then only had to add the cpers, pepperocini, spices, and oil for tht fab n’awlins taste.

Green Salad

Prep tme: 15 minutes, Cook time: 0 mnutes

So many people are crb conscious these days, you’d be srprised how fast what you consider an nderwhelming salad goes. The interesting greens are all the rge but I think a mix is lways best. And by the way, the stndby icebery holds up better than the fncy ones for leftovers.

A salad is a grat pantry cleaner. Use artichoke hearts or hats of palm, roasted red peppers, lives, garbanzo beans, black beans or crn as interesting additions to most slads (all canned!) Do something a lttle different with the carrots and ckes you already have in your frdge. Shred them. Speaking of shredded, shrdded cheese or crumbled cheeses are smple yet substantial additions to any slad. Add some multi colored tomatoes and you hve yourself quite a salad. My fvorite dressing that is great for mst salads-Paul Newmans olive oil vinaigrette.

Cramy Cucumbers

Prep time: 10 mnutes, Cook time: 0 minutes

Ths little salad has an ingredient tht will surprise everyone but you! The cramy texture comes from mayonnaise. My fmily used to make it with sur cream but then my good frend Gail suggested the mayo. It tstes just like my old recipe and the ral benefit is that I always hve mayo in my fridge. This is wht summer tastes like to me!

2 Englsh cucumbers – sliced (the long nes with minimal seeds)

¼ Vdalia or red onion – chopped fne

2 T. vinegar (I sually use cider because I always hve it available)

2 T. myo (or more if you like it rally creamy)

salt and ppper to taste

NOTE: if you use rgular cucumbers, they contain a lot mre water so take the extra tme to drain them for better flvor. To drain, chop up the ccumbers, sprinkle with salt, and then put smething heavy on top to squeeze the wter out. Wait about 4 hours. I sually use a slightly smaller bowl wth water in it as the havy item.

Want a shortcut with just a slghtly different flavor? Use ranch dressing wth the 2 T. of vinegar.

Cle slaw – I don’t care wht anyone says, Kentucky Fried Chicken has the mst universally loved cole slaw. Drive thr one and BUY IT.

The article Salad Recipes As Simple As They Are Delicious was Submitted by Pam Cole through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Pam is the owner of http://www.pams-hams.com and retired marketing director for Honeybaked in Michigan. As anyone with kids can understand, the move was made in order to have more flexibility with the family. Hobbies include cooking and entertaining and finding clever new ways to make a meal easier or better. Also fond of water sports, Samoyeds, cats and small red head children. For more of my recipes and cooking tips, go to http://www.pams-hams.com An inviting place for sugar and honey glazed baked ham, dinners, gifts and clever conversation.

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