Winter Salads

Here are some of my favorite winter salads to brighten up your menus.

This is a pretty winter salad – when your garden just isn’t producing yet.  Salads like this brighten up almost any meal – they carry well to pot-lucks or a cupful packed in your lunchbox would be good too.  I didn’t have green onion, but had a nice red onion, so I used it, sliced thinly.                   

                         Harvest Vegetable Salad

  3    cups  frozen cauliflower florets -- Thawed

  2    cups  frozen broccoli flowerets -- thawed

  15  ounces  canned kidney beans -- drained

  2    medium  carrots -- diagonally sliced

  1    cup  ripe olives -- pitted, drained and sliced

  2    each  green onion -- sliced

                        Dressing

   ¼  cup  red wine vinegar

  3    tablespoons  olive oil

  1    tablespoon  fresh parsley -- or cilantro, chopped

  1    teaspoon  garlic -- minced

  1    teaspoon  sugar

  ½   teaspoon  dried basil

If desired, cut large pieces of cauliflower in half.  In large bowl, combine all salad ingredients.  Make sure they are well-drained.

Combine dressing ingredients, pour over vegetables; toss to coat.  Marinate in refrigerator, covered, 1-4 hours, tossing occasionally.

  "Down Home Cooking and Baking "

Yield:  "7 cups"

Per 1 cup Serving: 155 Calories; 8g Fat (45.1% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 393mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

This is a beautiful addition to any special Sunday dinner or buffet.  It’s a good choice when grapes are on sale; I used “Holiday” red seedless grapes which we especially like.  I like the make-ahead – and it’s delicious with an easy lemony dressing.   Show it off in Grandma’s glass compote or any 2 quart glass dish. (I purchased this one for $6 at the What Cheer Flea Market this past fall - I often see them at thrift shops too.) 
The dressing didn’t need a double boiler to prepare it, but use medium heat and it really only took 5 minutes to thicken with constant stirring.    My store-brand oranges come in a 15 ounce can; I used all of it.          

                      Grandma's Winter Fruit Medley

  2      cups  Green Grapes -- seedless (11-12 ounces)

  2      cups  Red Grapes -- seedless (11-12 ounces)

  20    ounces  Pineapple Chunks in Juice -- Drained, reserve juice

  11    ounces  Mandarin Oranges -- drained, reserve juice

  2      medium  Bananas -- sliced 1/2" thick

                        Dressing

     ½  cup  Sugar

  1      tablespoon  Flour, All-purpose

  1      large  Egg

     ¾  cup  Reserved Fruit Juices

  1      tablespoon  Lemon Juice

Place fruit in large bowl.  In a 1 quart saucepan, stir together sugar, flour and egg, add remaining dressing ingredients.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until dressing is thickened, 3-5 minutes.

Let stand 5 minutes.  Pour dressing over fruit, toss to coat.  Chill 15 minutes or more.

2011 cost:  $9.00 or $1.13 per serving

Land O'Lakes Treasury of Country Recipes 1992 

Yield:  "2 quarts"

Per Serving: 185 Calories; 1g Fat (4.3% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 46g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 27mg Cholesterol; 11mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 2 Fruit; 0 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.