GZ Tai-Tai

White Bean and Tuna Salad

Many recipes I have seen call for Tuna in oil. I control the amount of oil by using tuna packed in water and adding my own oil in the recipe.  This can be a meal in itself just by adding some salad greens or you can stuff a hollowed out tomato with this salad as another meal idea.

White Bean and Tuna Salad

2 6oz. cans tuna packed in water, drained

2 - 3 Tbsp olive oil

1/2  tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 15 oz cans cannellini beans, drain and rinse the starch off beans

1  medium red onion, sliced thinly

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

In a large bowl  break up the tuna, add the salt and pepper, beans, onions, olive oil and vinegar. Toss gently to mix ingredients. Just before serving taste, add a little more oil, vinegar and salt and pepper, if needed.

 

Cucumber Salad

I always loved cucumber salad as a kid. My mom made one with a vinegar base when I was a child. When we had cucumbers I always asked for that salad. At the church potlucks there was usually a cucumber salad with sour cream on the table I loved to eat that variety too.  This salad that Karla made was very similar to the one I enjoyed at the church potlucks.

Cucumber Salad

 

Dressing

¼ of an onion, chopped

3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

Salt and Pepper

2 Tbsp. Olive oil

3 tsp. Sugar or Honey

 Mix together taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

5 Tbsp cream or sour cream

Then add the cream or sour cream, and mix, so that all the dressing ingredients are well combined.

 

For the salad:

2 lg. Cucumbers

Slice the cucumbers thinly so they look like circles, using a mandolin if you have one.  Aiyees do this job well too. ; )

Add the dressing to the sliced cucumbers and mix. Taste; adjust any of the seasonings if needed.

 

Optional  

Add chives or dill that has been cut into small pieces as a garnish.

 

 

Karla's Potato Salad

The thing I love about this potato salad is there is no mayonnaise. I was never a huge fan of mayonnaise growing up, and then living in a warm climate and having had the consequences of mayonnaise laced chicken sandwiches from Mc D, a few too many times. I tend to avoid anything with mayonnaise, if, I do not know it has been stored at a proper temperature. This salad as I said, has no mayonnaise so, it is a great one to take on a picnic since you do not need to worry about spoilage.

Potato Salad

10-12 Potatoes

Boil the potatoes the day before. Cool.  Peel and cut the potatoes the next day.

 1 Onion, chopped

 200-250g Bacon (1 package)

Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry, remove the fat and add onion and fry until cooked.  Add the fried bacon and onion to the potatoes.

 Dressing:

Salt

Pepper

75ml White Wine Vinegar

75ml Water

 ¾ of an Onion, chopped

Sugar

5 Tbsp. Olive oil

Put the dressing ingredients in a bowl taste for flavor a sweet/sour taste, then microwave the dressing to soften the onion, 1-3 minutes depending on your microwave.  Add warm dressing to the potatoes then add 5 TBSP olive oil.  Mix to combine the dressing into the potatoes.

 

 

Tabbouleh

 One of my favorites so fresh tasting and lively for the tongue. No photo.

Tabbouleh

1 cup bulgur cracked wheat

3 spring onions, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped

½ bunch mint, finely chopped

3 tomatoes chopped into small cubes

2-3 lemons the juice of

3 Tbsp olive oil

salt & pepper, to taste

 

Put the bulgur, into a bowl and cover with cold water, soak for 30 minutes.

Drain the bulgur and squeeze out excess water.

Place the bulgur into a bowl with.. both types of onions, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper (to taste) and mix well with a spoon.

Add parsley & mint mix lightly.

Just before serving fold in the tomatoes.

 

Macaroni Salad

We had a beautiful day today the weather was perfect for grilling burgers. When I asked Hubby what he wanted with his burger, he requested Macaroni Salad. Here is my very basic Macaroni Salad, feel free to dress it up if you want, with some chopped pickle,capers, cheese, bell pepper or even some tuna.

Macaroni Salad

4 cups macaroni cooked,drained, and cooled
1/4 of a medium onion chopped finely  about 4Tbsp
2 stalks celery chopped small
6 hard-boiled eggs chopped
3 Tbsp heaped, mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard  or American mustard like French's
cayenne pepper or paprika, garnish

Mix well to coat all ingredients well, sprinkle with cayenne pepper or paprika for garnish.

Layered Salad

Layered Salad

1 large head lettuce

¼ cup sliced onion

½ cup chopped celery

1 6oz can water chestnuts sliced

1 pkg. frozen peas not thawed (today we will use thawed peas)

2 cups mayonnaise

3 tsp sugar

Grated parmesan

½ lb. bacon cooked crisp and crumbled ( can use bacon bits )

3 or 4 tomatoes cut in wedges

Hard boiled eggs-sliced

 

Layer in a large bowl:

Lettuce, onions, celery, water chestnuts,peas.  Then spread mayonnaise over peas and seal to edge of bowl. Sprinkle sugar on mayonnaise, then sprinkle cheese, and bacon on top with tomatoes and eggs.

Let stand several hours or overnight.

Taco salad and dressing

                                                                                 

 

1 head Iceberg lettuce                                                            

1 onion chopped

1 pkt of Taco Seasoning

4 tomatoes chopped

1 avocado peeled and sliced (optional)

½ lb. Cheddar cheese shredded

1 lb. Ground beef, cooked

1 15-oz. Can kidney beans

Black olives sliced (optional)

1 9-oz. Bag Doritos – crushed, you can crush part of the bag and leave the remaining chips whole

1 bottle of Kraft French salad dressing or the dressing recipe below.

 

Dressing:

1 10-½ oz can tomato soup

¾ cup vinegar

2 Tbsp. chopped onion

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. celery salt

1tsp paprika

1 cup salad oil

¾ cup granulated sugar.

 

Combine all the dressing ingredients and blend in blender.

 

Salad Assembly:

Brown the ground beef and onion with one packet of Taco Seasoning. Let the beef cool before assembling salad.

Tear lettuce into bite size pieces and put in large bowl. Add tomatoes, avocado, cheese ground beef, olives and kidney beans. Pour half of the dressing over salad to lightly coat. Add more to taste. Toss. Top with Doritos. Toss break up Doritos as you toss the salad.

Five Cup Fruit Salad

Five Cup Fruit Salad

1 cup sour cream

1 cup crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup mandarin oranges, drained

1 cup sweet coconut

1 cup mini marshmallows

 

Mix  all together and refrigerate before serving.

 

We blended pineapple slices to make crushed pineapple.

 

Autumn Salad in the Spring

The colors remind me of Autumn and the Northwest but it is Spring here in Southern China. This salad is good enough to eat by itself or you can serve before the main course. We had a nice grilled steak with this salad the other night.

Spinach, Mango and Banana Salad

Over the weekend I made this simple salad to have with our grilled prawns.