Caesar Dressing

1/2 cup mayo

2 tsp dijon mustard

2 tsp worcestershire

2 garlic cloves

3 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 cup extra light tasting olive oil

1/2 cup grated parmesan

Add mayo, dijon, worcestershire, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to a food processor and blend until smooth. With food processor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Add parmesan and give it a few pulses. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

Arugula and Tomato Salad

1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut lengthwise

Salt and pepper

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

1 package baby arugula

In a small bowl combine tomatoes and a big pinch of salt. Toss to coat well. Add olive oil, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, and pepper. Toss to combine. Let stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes begin to macerate and release their juice.

Place arugula in a large bowl. Spoon out the tomatoes from the dressing and add to the greens, lightly tossing. Add dressing by the spoonful to taste, until the arugula is lightly dressed. Add more salt and pepper if desired.

This is my favorite simple, fresh salad ever!

{From Rachel Ray}

Healthy Chicken Salad

4 cups cooked chicken
1 cup diced celery (about 4 large stalks)
1/2 cup diced red onion (about 1/3 medium onion)
1 cup halved grapes or diced apples
2 handfuls cashews (or almonds or walnuts)
1 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp white vinegar (or other light vinegar)
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper, garlic powder, and dill to taste

Combine chicken, celery, onion, and grapes in a large bowl. In a separate, smaller bowl stir together yogurt, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dill. Taste dressing and make any adjustments. Add dressing to the chicken bowl and stir to combine. If your chicken is warm from cooking, refrigerate salad for an hour or two to chill. Stir in cashews or other nuts before serving. Serve with quinoa (optional) on salad greens, or make sandwiches.

Serves 4 as salad, or 6 as sandwiches.

Greek Pasta Salad

For the salad:
1-1.5 cup uncooked short whole wheat pasta (rotini, penne, etc.)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved if large
1 cucumber, peeled and cubed
1 bell pepper (not green), chopped
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (optional)
1 jar kalamata olives, drained
1/2 cup crumbled feta

For the dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1 tsp dried oregano
3 pinches salt
black pepper to taste
honey to taste

Oregano chicken (optional):
1 lemon, juiced
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
couple pinches of salt
black pepper to taste
4 chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)

Cook the pasta al dente per package directions, drain, rinse thoroughly in cold water to cool. Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl. In a jar or bowl, shake or whisk together all dressing ingredients. Add dressing to the salad and toss well. Serve at room temperature. Leftovers keep for a few days.

Optional chicken: Mix marinade ingredients together. Place marinade with chicken in a shallow dish and let sit in the fridge for up to 4 hours. Grill (or bake) and slice or cube. Chill and add to salad.

Serves 8-10 as a side, or 4-6 as a main dish.

Notes: Dressing and salad can be made up to two days ahead. Store separately in fridge. Let dressing sit on the counter to liquify for half an hour. Mix dressing into salad about half an hour before serving and let sit at room temp.

Pasta can be omitted to make this gluten-free, or gluten-free pasta can be substituted. Romaine can be added if desired.

{Recipe adapted from Food Network}

Thai Veggie & Quinoa Salad

Salad:
1 cup uncooked quinoa, prepared
2 stalks of broccoli, florets chopped into small pieces

2 large green onions, sliced

1 red pepper, diced

1 red onion, diced

2 handfuls of shredded carrots (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup peanuts (optional but recommended)

Handful of cilantro, chopped

Dressing:

3 limes, zest and juice

3 tsp sesame seeds

3 Tbsp soy sauce (or gluten free tamari)

3 Tbsp sesame oil

3 Tbsp rice vinegar

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and minced

Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl or mason jar, whisk or shake together all dressing ingredients. Slowly add dressing to salad, tasting as you go, until it tastes how you like it.

Serves 8 as a side.

{recipe adapted from Avocado Pesto}

Cowboy Caviar

Salad:
1 can black eyed peas
1 can black beans
1 can chickpeas
1 can diced tomatoes w/ basil
1.5 c frozen corn, thawed
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
Handful of cilantro, chopped

Dressing:
1/3 c olive oil (or other light tasting oil - not EVOO)
1/4 c red wine vinegar
2 limes, juiced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp honey
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp basil
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Sprinkling of cayenne to taste (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste

Mix all salad ingredients together. In a separate bowl whisk together all dressing ingredients. Mix dressing into salad.

Serves 8 as a side.

Moroccan Carrot and Chickpea Salad

4 cups grated carrots
1 15oz can cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
7 dates, pitted and chopped
4 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons olive oil
Zest and juice of 2 limes
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup shelled roasted pistachios
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1) Add the carrots, chickpeas, dates, scallions, and cilantro to a large bowl.

2) In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime zest and juice, cumin, nutmeg, turmeric, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

3) Pour the dressing over the carrot mixture and toss to coat. Sprinkle in the pistachios and feta cheese and toss gently.

4) Serve or cover and chill in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Serves 6-8 as a side.

{from POPSUGAR}

Carolina Slaw

1/2 head of cabbage, shredded

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, grated

Dressing:

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp celery seed

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup cider vinegar

Combine coleslaw vegetable ingredients: cabbage, pepper, onion, and carrots in a large serving bowl.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring, until sugar is dissolved; pour over vegetables and toss well. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

10 servings. Delicious with pulled pork!

Fresh Corn Salad

28 oz bag frozen corn (or 5 cobs fresh corn)

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

1 orange bell pepper, diced

1 green pepper, diced

1/2 red onion, sliced into thin half moons

1 can black beans (optional)

1 package feta (or 1 block white cheese, cubed)

3 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

Thaw corn in a colander under cool running water and drain well. Put corn into a large bowl and add tomatoes, peppers, onion, beans (if using), cheese, and basil. Add red wine vinegar and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.

If using corn on the cob:

Preheat grill to medium. Soak corn (in husks) in water for 10-20 minutes. Grill corn for 15 minutes, turning frequently. (The husks will get dry, brittle, and black in places - check often to make sure they don't catch fire!) Remove from grill, remove husks, and cut corn off the cob into a large bowl. You can boil the corn instead of grill it if you'd like.

Serves 8+ as a side dish.

Southwestern Chopped Salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

Salad:
Romaine - 1 large head
Black beans - 1 can
Orange bell pepper - 1
Red bell pepper - 1
Cherry tomatoes - 1 pint
Frozen corn - 2 cups
Green onions - 5
Red onion - 1/2

Dressing:
Cilantro - 1 cup chopped
Non-fat plain greek yogurt - 1/2 cup
Lime juice - 2 Tbsp
Olive oil - 1/4 cup
White vinegar - 1 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/8 tsp
Garlic - 2 cloves
Jalapeño - 1 minced (optional)

Whisk or stir together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Finely chop and combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with dressing.

Serves 12 as a side.

Per Serving: 122 Calories; 17g Carbohydrates; 5g Fat; 5g Protein; 5g Calcium; 4g Fiber

{modified from The Garden Grazer}

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup vegetable stock

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

vinaigrette
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon, apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

1 green onion, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons sliced toasted almonds
small handful of dried cranberries
feta cheese crumbles

Bring vegetable stock to a boil and add in quinoa. Cover and simmer over medium heat until tender and mostly absorbed. Drain, fluff with a fork and set aside.

Meanwhile, toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, cumin, chili powder and cayenne and bake in a 400F oven for about 20 minutes or until tender.

In a small serving dish, toss together the quinoa and potatoes. Combine the vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar (tasteand adjust seasonings, if necessary) and pour over salad. Add in green onions, almonds, cranberries and feta and combine.

Serves at least 8 as a side.

{from Poppytalk}

Endive, Apple and Goat Cheese Salad

Salad:3 large endives, unblemished
1 medium Honey Crisp or Braeburn apple
3/4 cup walnut halves, toasted and roughly chopped
3oz goat cheese, crumbled

Apple-Cider Vinaigrette:
1/2 apple, cored and chopped
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
2 tsp mustard
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup parsley leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice

For Salad, slice the endive in 1/2-1" pieces and put in a bowl of ice water for 5 min. Drain, sprin and throughly air-dry. Quater, core and thinly slice apple. Toss with lemon juice to prevent browning.

For vinegairette, put all ingredients except for the oil and lemon juice into a food processor or blender. Puree. Add oil slowly and allow to throughly blend. Just before serving, mix in lemon juice.

Toss endive, apple, goat cheese and walnuts with 4-6 Tbs of the dressing (or to taste) in a bowl.

{notes} This salad serves 4-6 people as a side. You can double the endive and apple to make it go further (with no need to increase the other ingredients). Add more dressing if you do that. The dressing makes a boat-load; several times what you actually need, so feel free to scale down. The recipe says you can keep the dressing up to 8 hours in the fridge, but I'd give it a week, probably.

Curried Lentil Salad

DRESSING:
1/4 cup+ corn oil (or any other light oil, I used grapeseed oil)
1/4 cup+ wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon mace (I haven't been able to find this so I just omit it)
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

SALAD:
1 pound dried lentils
1 cup dried currants (I soaked mine to soften them up)
1/3 cup capers
1 finely chopped red onion

In a large bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients and set aside.

Wash lentils. Cook them in boiling water for 5-6 minutes or until just tender (test after 2 minutes). Rinse and drain well, combine with the dressing and let sit overnight. Add a bit more oil and vinegar if it seems dry. At least 2 hours before serving, add the currants, capers and onions to the lentils. Let marinate for several hours.

Broccoli and Tortellni Salad

6 slices of bacon
20oz fresh cheese tortellini
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp cider vinegar
3 heads fresh broccoli, cut into florets
1 cup raisins
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 red onion, finely chopped

Cook bacon, drain, crumble and set aside.

Cook tortellini in lightly salted water for 8-10 min or until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water.

In a small bowl, combine mayo, sugar and vinegar to make dressing.

In a large bowl, combine broccoli, tortellini, bacon, raisins, sunflower seeds and red onion. Pour dressing over salad and toss.

Three-Bean Salad

1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame (8 ounces)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 cups thinly sliced celery
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
cayenne pepper to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cook edamame in a 1 1/2 - to 2-quart saucepan of boiling salted water, uncovered, 4 minutes. Drain in a colander, then rinse under cold water to stop cooking.

Heat oil in a small heavy skillet over moderately low heat until hot but not smoking, then cook cumin, stirring, until fragrant and a shade darker, about 30 seconds or less. Pour into a large heatproof bowl.

Add edamame and remaining ingredients to cumin oil and toss to coat. Let stand 10 minutes for flavors to blend.

Yield: Makes 6-8 (side dish) servings
Active time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min

Simple Orange Vinaigrette

1/4 cup frozen orange juice (from concentrate, undiluted)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil

Shake it all up in a mason jar and pour. Save the rest in the fridge. Tangy and absolutely delicious. From Becca.

Greek Style Garbanzo Salad

1.5 cups cooked garbanzo beans (1 can), drained
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
3 Tbs rice vinegar or ceider vinegar
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil
2 Tbs minced garlic
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. Let marinate at room temperature or several hours, then refrigerate.

5 servings
130 cal (35 cal from fat)

4g fat
1g saturated fat
0g trans fat
0mg cholesterol
65mg sodium
19g carbohydrates
4g fiber
4g sugar
5g protein

6% vit A
35% vit C
4% calcium
10% iron

Broccoli Crunch

4 -5 cups tiny broccoli florets (and chopped stalks if you like)

1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/4 cup almond butter
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons hot water

2 small crisp apples, cut into bit-sized pieces (if you aren't going to use the apples immediately, let them sit in a bowl of water with the juice of 1/2 a lemon)

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup toasted or candied walnuts or almonds
1/3 cup pan-fried crunchy shallots *(see note)
chives (optional)

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt as you would pasta water. Boil the broccoli just long enough to take the raw edge of - 10 or 15 seconds. Drain and immerse it in cold water (or let cold water run over it). At this point, I like to spin the broccoli in a salad spinner to get the water off, but a few good knocks against the sink in a strainer can do the trick pretty well. Set aside.

Make the dressing by sprinkling the salt over the clove of garlic. Smash the clove and chop, smash and chop - turning it into a paste. In a small bowl whisk the salty garlic paste with the almond butter, lemon juice, honey and olive oil. Add the hot water and whisk until light and creamy. Taste, make any adjustments and set aside.

In a large bowl gently toss the broccoli, apples, red onion, most of the shallots and nuts with a generous drizzle of the almond dressing. Turn out onto a platter and finish with the rest of the shallots and chives if you like. Serve family style.

Serves 4.

*Stir together the shallots, a splash of clarified butter (or olive oil) and big pinch of salt In a large skillet over medium heat. Stir every few minutes, you want the shallots to slowly brown over about fifteen minutes. Let them get dark, dark brown (but not burn), and if needed turn down the heat. Remove from skillet and onto a paper towel to cool in a single layer where they will crisp up a bit.

{From 101 Cookbooks}

Lemon-scented Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 can garbanzo beans, or dried equivalent
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped

Tahini Dressing:
1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped
1/4 cup tahini
zest of one lemon
scant 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons hot water
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Rinse the quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer. In a medium saucepan heat the quinoa and water until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa fluffs up, about 15 minutes. Quinoa is done when you can see the curlique in each grain, and it is tender with a bit of pop to each bite. Drain any extra water and set aside.

While the quinoa is cooking make the dressing. Whisk together the garlic, tahini, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil. Add the hot water to thin a bit and then the salt.

Toss the cooked quinoa, beans, cilantro, red onion, and half of the dressing. Add more dressing if you like and season with more salt to taste. Serve garnished with a bit of cilantro.

Serves 4.

{From 101 Cookbooks}

Napa Cabbage Salad

Dressing
2 tbs lime juice
1 tbs tamari
1 tea olive or grape seed oil
1/2 tea grated, peeled fresh ginger
dash of ground red pepper

Slaw
4 cups (1/4 inch) slices napa cabbage
1/2 cup snow peas, trimmed and cut lengthwise into thin strips
1/2 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/2 cup julienne-cut peeled jicama
1/4 cup julienne-cut red bell pepper
2 tbs thinly sliced green onions
2 tbs finely chopped cilantro

Combine dressing ingredients, stir with whisk
Mix veggies and stir in dressing.  Chill 30 minutes

Alternate dressing
2 tea grated orange rind
3 tbs orange juice
1 tbs mirin or slightly sweet white wine (Riesling?)
1 tbs cilantro
1 tea minced, peeled fresh ginger
2 tea rice vinegar
1 1/2 tea dark sesame oil (I used grape seed oil because it's what I had.  walnut oil might not be bad either)
1 tea tamari
1/4 tea salt.

Note: My personal favorite of the dressings is the alternate one. I also just rounded up on the veggies because I don't like having half a pepper left or whatever. You can always make more dressing, if you need to.