Looking for a salad side dish to take along with you for Easter? These recipes are delicious and easy to prepare. The spinach can be opted out for romaine, or any other type of lettuce you like. I've included simple dressing recipes. Homemade dressings taste so fresh, and don't have all of those "extra" ingredients in them. You can go a step further and make homemade croutons... Give them a try and you will receive rave reviews from family and friends!
Spinach Salad with Onions, Apples, and Glazed Pecans Recipe
http://www.divinedinnerparty.com/perfect-picnic-menu.html
Ingredients:
Salad:
1 golden delicious or fuji apple, thinly sliced
1/4 C. red onion, halved and thinly sliced
3/4 lb. fresh baby spinach, washed
1/2 C. pecans
1 tbsp. sugar
Dressing
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
1. First glaze the pecans. Toss sugar and pecans together in a non-stick frying pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes, until the sugar melts to the pecans. Pour the nuts out on parchment paper (or waxed paper) in a single layer, making sure they're all separated.
2. To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, vinegar, dijon mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Whisk until well-combined and thickened.
3. To assemble the salad, place the dressing in the bottom of a large salad bowl. Place apple and onion on top. Mound spinach on top of apple, onion, and dressing. Sprinkle pecans over spinach.
4. Can be assembled and refrigerated a few hours in advance. Toss the salad together right before serving.
Honey Mustard Dressing II
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Honey-Mustard-Dressing-II/Detail.aspx
Ingredients
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions
1.In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, honey, and lemon juice. Store covered in the refrigerator.
Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe
This classic balsamic vinaigrette is perfect for even the most basic green salad. For a special treat, try it with a simple salad of sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil leaves.
http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/oilvinegardressings/r/Balsamic-Vinaigrette-Recipe.htm
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
•¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
•2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
•2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
•¼ tsp Dijon mustard
•1 tsp minced fresh herbs (e.g. parsley, chives, tarragon)
•Kosher salt and ground white pepper (or freshly ground black pepper), to taste
Preparation:
1.Combine the mustard, vinegars and fresh herbs in a glass bowl and whisk them together briefly.
2.Slowly whisk in the oil until fully combined.
3.Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4.Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld. Give the dressing a good whisk immediately before serving.
Makes 1 cup of balsamic vinaigrette.
Homemade Thousand Island Dressing
http://livegreatonless.com/homemade-salad-dressing-recipe/
Yields: 1 1/3 Cups
Ingredients
3/4 cup of mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon of sweet pickle relish or finely chopped sweet pickle
2 Tablespoons of chili sauce of ketchup
2 Tablespoons of finely chopped green bell pepper
2 Tablespoons of finely chopped onion
1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
1/2 Teaspoon of granulated sugar
1/3 Teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 hard-cooked egg (chopped)
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl except the egg. Stir in the chopped egg last. Refrigerate.
Healthy Ranch Dressing
http://www.bethenny.com/2010/06/06/healthy-ranch-dressing/
Dress up salads and veggies with this healthy ranch dressing.
Ingredients
•1 tsp. vinegar
•1 tsp. garlic salt
•½ tsp. salt
•1 tsp. fresh pepper
•1 tsp. lemon juice
•1 cup Greek yogurt
•½ tsp. mayonnaise
•1 tsp. fresh parsley
•2 tbsp. grated Parmesan
•1 tsp. water
•½ tsp. lemon zest
•½ tsp. Dijon mustard
Directions
1.Combine all ingredients and chill before serving.
How to Make Croutons
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_croutons/
Ingredients
French or Italian loaf bread, or a French baguette
3 to 4 Tbsp butter
Directions
1. Cut the bread into even-sized cubes, about 3/4-inch to an inch wide. A loaf will yield about 8 cups of cubed bread (give or take a couple cups, depending on the size of the loaf).
2. The bread should be a little dry, at least a day old if you are using French or Italian loaf or a baguette. If the bread isn't just a little dry, spread the cubes out on a baking sheet and put them in a warm oven for about 10 minutes. You don't want them to be all dried out, just a little dry on the surface so that they brown better, and they hold up better when tossed in a salad or baked in a stuffing.
3. Melt butter on medium high heat in a large sauté pan. Add the croutons and mix them up in the butter so they get lightly coated. Spread the croutons out in a single layer in the pan. Then don't stir them until they start to brown on one side. Once they start to brown, use a metal spatula to lift them up and turn them over, so more sides brown. When the croutons are at least a little toasted on a couple of sides, remove from heat.
If storing, let cool completely before putting in an airtight container. Otherwise the steam released from the warm croutons will take away their crunch.
