Spinach, Arugula and Apple Salad With Soy Sauce Toasted Pecans

With the summery weather here in Texas, I am increasing more salads in our menu.  Salads do not have to be so boring, especially with the availability of so many different salad greens in the markets.  One of my favorite combination of salad greens is spinach and arugula.  This Spinach Arugula Salad tossed together with thinly sliced apples and Soy Sauce Toasted Pecans explodes in your mouth with the saltiness of the pecans and sweetness of the apples.  My mouth is watering just sitting here typing the recipe.  Are you ready to enjoy this wonderful salad --or are you willing to take it to a main course, serving it with some wonderful grilled chicken?

Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad

Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad, a flavorful side dish for any inspired Asian dishes.  Crisp sliced cucumbers tossed in a spicy and sweet dressing. This is an easy and quick Asian Cucumber Salad , that I found to be very refreshing with these lingering high temperatures here in East Texas. It is sweet, sour, hot and salty--all of the components of the fours tastes of an umami explosion!

Strawberry Bacon Spinach Salad

In the perfect world, I think Strawberry Bacon Spinach Salad would be right up there at the top with the combination of the sweetness of the strawberries and the crispy, salty taste of  the bacon.  Ever since the strawberries have been plentiful in the grocery stores, I have been planning on making this salad, and each time I get ready to make it, we have eaten all the strawberries.  You see, my husband is a big fan of strawberries, and one of his favorite ways to eat them, is to slice them up, put sugar on them, and then let them sit in refrigerator until they make that wonderful juice in the bottom of the bowl.  Now-- that is not all , then he tops them off  with a big dollop of whip cream.  This is his perfect World! The first time I ate a Spinach Salad was in my high school Home Economics Class.  It was actually a Wilted Spinach Salad with the salad dressing being the bacon grease and a little cider vinegar drizzled on top.  Wow!  That was a long time ago. Besides co

Creamy Fruit Salad

Granny's Creamy Fruit Salad With Pudding is an old-fashioned classic that will quickly become a favorite in your family.  Creamy Fruit Salad with Pudding {Granny's Recipe} This fruit salad is packed with sweet and juicy seasonal fruits like oranges, apples, grapes, and bananas and is topped with a creamy pudding dressing that makes it a perfect accompaniment to any meal. With its simple ingredients and easy instructions, you'll be whipping up this delicious salad in no time! He is such a fan of fruit and always puts his request in for me to make this.   It was no different this Easter, and again my husband enjoyed it more as a dessert than a salad. It has a lot of refreshing fruits combined with a creamy sauce that can be made with regular pudding.   Also, you can substitute sugar free pudding. Either way, it is a wholesome, healthy fruit salad or a dessert! Creamy Fruit Salad  has been a great hit at all our family gatherings for as long as I can

Macaroni Salad Recipe

If you're looking for a macaroni salad recipe that is sure to satisfy any crowd, you've found it! Our famous macaroni salad recipe has been making waves in the culinary world for years. Why Our Macaroni Salad Is Famous With its perfect blend of creamy dressing, crunchy vegetables, and al dente macaroni, this delicious side dish is truly a recipe for success. Try it yourself and discover why our macaroni salad recipe is famous! Growing up in the '60s,  I loved visiting my Aunt Max's for a weekend visit.  She was my Mother's younger sister and an excellent cook.

Spicy Cajun Potato Salad {A Different Twist on Potato Salad}

Spicy Cajun Potato Salad is very easy to make and taste better when made the day before.  It has the perfect spicy kick but not too spicy with a secret ingredient. This recipe for Spicy Cajun Potato Salad came about from needing to use up some Yukon golden potatoes and green onions before they go bad.

Southwestern Mango Fruit Salad, {What Do You Think Makes This Salad Southwestern?}

Southwestern Fruit Salad came about from trying to come up with a fruit salad to go with a Southwestern Cornbread Salad that I was serving at r our church gathering.    I just started with the lusciousness of fresh mangoes and went from there. For the dressing, I mix two parts lime juice with one part agave and added a little cayenne pepper to give it a little kick.

7 Layered Salad, {Granny's Recipe}

A classic 70's dish, 7-Layer Salad can be made a day ahead, easy to carry to gatherings, lovely to look at when assembled in a glass bowl.  It is certainly a crowd pleaser.  The 7 Layered Salad has been around for a long time even though as a newlywed in the 70's, I thought that it was my Mother's original creation (smiles).

Simple Peach Salad {Granny's Recipe}

Individual Peach Salads nestled in iceberg lettuce bring so many memories of my Mother serving them. My Mother was such a creative and frugal cook.  She could take whatever we had in the refrigerator or pantry and served a fantastic meal that was her crown of glory. Priceless . 

Mediterranean Style Tuna Salad

Mediterranean Style Tuna Salad is my new favorite dish!  Sometimes I just want to eat tuna salad that is with your classic traditional ingredients--onions, pickle relish, mayonnaise, and eggs. But this time, I want something that is so non-traditional for me.

Pear Salad {Granny's Recipe}

Pear Salad  is   a vintage recipe going way back.  Pears are filled with mayonnaise and freshly grated cheddar cheese, then topped with a cherry. This recipe is a childhood favorite of mine. My mother would always make Pear Salad with canned pear halves, as none the difference from fresh pears.

Waldorf Salad with Dried Cherries

This  Waldorf Salad with Dried Cherries  is a very easy and simple salad with my take on the original Waldorf Astoria Salad which has a long, rich history. The original Waldorf Astoria Salad was created in the 1890s at New York's Waldorf-Astoria hotel by maître d' Oscar Tschirky. The original salad contained only mayonnaise, red apples, and celery, and was usually served on a bed of lettuce. In later years as is today, it is generally served with walnuts and other ingredients. Mayonnaise, red apples, celery, and walnuts are the way I remember my mother making her Waldorf Salad. In this recipe, I have combined a tart Granny Smith apple with a sweet Gala apple, and for that additional tart and sweet taste, I added dried cherries and toasted walnuts. From the days of my childhood, the recipe may have changed, but not the taste of the crispness of the apples, celery, and walnuts mix together with that wonderful mayonnaise dressing. Waldorf Salad with

Insalata Caprese Salad

Insalata Caprese  is one of the simplest and most delicious of salads.  I think I could eat one every day, and did this summer with the abundance of tomatoes from our garden. Traditionally, it is best to make this salad with vine ripe tomatoes that are not refrigerated. Insalata Caprese Salad 4-5 ripe Roma tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick 1/4-1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced 1/4-inch thick 1/4 c. small fresh basil leaves 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground Salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground Black Pepper 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil Assemble the salad in the middle of the plate by layering in sequence tomato and mozzarella cheese. Tear fresh basil leaves and sprinkle liberally over the slices. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Just before serving, drizzle on some excellent extra-virgin olive oil. Cook's Note: Insalata Caprese should never be allowed to sit in oil for any length of time and become soggy, and no vinegar of any kind goes on Insalata Cap

Mama's Southern Style Potato Salad {Granny's Recipe}

Southern Potato Salad ,  family gatherings are not the same without Mama's potato salad, cubed potatoes, chopped onions, chopped dill pickles, chopped boiled eggs, and mayonnaise with a little mustard.   The secret to my Mom's potato salad is in how you cook the potatoes.  She always said you have to cook them with a tablespoon of salt in the water. She told me you can never get the right flavor in the potatoes if you don't. She is correct.  It makes all the difference in the overall flavor of the potato salad.