Orange-Citrus Vinaigrette

    1 Tbsp. lemon juice
    2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
    ½ tsp. salt
    Freshly ground black pepper
    1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
    1-2 Tbsp. diced red onion
    ¼ cup orange juice

     Mix all together and serve on bed of lettuce, red onions, tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers.

Wonton Chicken Salad

1 head of iceberg lettuce
1/2 lb. wonton wrappers (any brand is fine and you can buy these at a regular grocery store, often in the frozen section)
3 chicken breasts, cooked in water and shredded
4 green onions, chopped
2 tblsp. sesame seeds
1 tblsp. sugar
1 can chopped water chestnuts, cut into tiny pieces
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup canola oil
3 tblsp. white vinegar
2 tblsp. sesame oil

Wash and chop lettuce. Dry really well. Boil chicken breasts in water and shredded into small pieces. Fry wonton wrappers
in medium-heat oil on stove top until lightly browned. Set aside for later. I usually set them aside on a plate lined with a paper
towel to soak up excess oil. Don't get the oil too hot though or they will burn quickly. Mix all remaining ingredients and pour
over chicken and marinate at least 3 hours in fridge. When ready to serve, pour chicken mixture over lettuce and crumble
friend wonton wrappers and toss to coat. Serve immediately because it gets soggy fast! Yummy.....

This is a family favorite, and while it takes some time to prepare it, it is so worth it!

Burger de Ville Salad

Right down the street from us in Montreal was the best burger place called Burger de Ville.  It was so good we ate there usually once a week.  It opened a little over a year ago and within the 6 months was so popular there was always a line.  We started just ordering take out so we could avoid the line.  While their burgers were great, they also made a great salad.  I started making it myself when we wanted to have it with something other than burgers.  I also made a few changes to make it my own.

Here's my take on the BdV Salad:

Spring mix salad
Dried Cranberries
Red onions sliced
Pecan halves
4 oz goat cheese

Balsamic vinaigrette:
1/4 balsamic vinaigrette
3/4 EVOO
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic minced
Salt
Pepper
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.

Place salad greens in bowl, top with cranberries, pecans, red onions and toss.  Crumble goat cheese on top.  Serve with Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing.

Poppyseed Dressing

1 tblsp. poppyseeds
3 tblsp. sugar
1/3 cup oil
2 tblsp. red wine vinegar
4 tblsp. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. salt

Mix all together and pour over your salad and mix well!

Bodacious Broccoli Salad (from Allrecipes)

INGREDIENTS

• 8 slices bacon
• 2 heads fresh broccoli, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 large red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/8 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, and crumble.

2. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, cheese, bacon and onion.

3. Prepare the dressing in a small bowl by whisking together the red wine vinegar, sugar, pepper, salt, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Combine dressing with salad. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Don's Favorite Cranberry Salad

One year I spent Thanksgiving with my dear friend, Jenn's, family. They served this wonderful Cranberry Salad. It's been a part of my holidays ever since.

1 lb frozen cranberries
2 cups sugar
2 small boxes black cherry Jello*
2 cups boiling water
1 can undrained crushed pineapple
1 cup chopped pecans
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz cool whip

Grate frozen cranberries & add sugar. Dissolve Jello in boiling water. Add pineapple and pecans. Stir well and add to cranberry mixture. Pour half of cranberry mixture into bowl and put in fridge to set up. Mix well cream cheese & cool whip. Smooth cream cheese & cool whip on top of cranberry mixture. Add the remaining half to cranberry mixture on top of cream cheese mixture. Chill till firm.

*Sometimes it's hard to find Black Cherry Jello. I've substituted regular Cherry and Raspberry and Cranberry before. The last time I made this I found the Black Cherry in sugar-free only so I did one box of sugar-free and one regular Cherry.

Festive Cranberry Pineapple Salad

1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 box raspberry jello
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 medium apple, chopped (any kind of apple works)
2/3 cup walnuts, chopped

Add all ingredients (except raspberry jello) into the bowl you want to serve this dish in, and then cook the jello according to box directions. Pour the jello in the bowl and mix it. Refrigerate according to box directions. Done!

* I usually don't like jello salads, but this one was great!

Pesto Pasta Salad

This is a light Italian style pasta salad, which, in my opinion, is better at room temperature than chilled, but it is tasty either way!

8 oz. uncooked rotelle or spiral pasta
4 cups broccoli florets (I used frozen)
1 pkg. Knorr pesto pasta sauce mix
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese (4 oz)

Cook pasta w/ package directions; add broccoli in the last 5 minutes. (I gradually added the frozen broccoli so that the water still boiled.) Drain and rinse with cold water until cool.

In bowl, combine sauce mix, oil and vinegar. Add pasta with broccoli, tomoatoes, cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Toss.

Suggestions: add 1-1/2 c diced cooked chicken or 6 oz. cooked shrimp or 1 cup diced cooked ham.

**The hardest part of this recipe was finding th Knorr package. It is probably next to the pasta and pasta sauces.

Not your traditional pasta salad ...

This is my first reference to this woman's cooking, but she is quite possibly a genius(check out her own recipe for an all natural THIN MINT!) This pasta salad is light, delicious, and utterly non-scary as I have always found pasta salads to be. :)

Ravioli Pasta Salad

I used a ricotta-stuffed buckwheat pasta, but any standard cheese-stuffed ravioli will also work if that is what your store offers. Many of you might be able to locate a spinach pasta ravioli - this would be a good alternative as well. I came across some bright red spinach at the market this weekend (red orach German Mt. spinach), so I used 1/2 red and 1/2 standard baby spinach. Use whatever is available to you. I love the color the red spinach adds to the bowl, but the downside is it tends to stain the ravioli a bit (in the way rainbow chard or beets can).

1/2 pound ricotta-stuffed ravioli
1 bunch thin asparagus, cut on deep bias (angle)
10 ounce bag organic peas, thawed overnight in refrigerator
3 - 4 big handfuls baby spinach, washed (any stems removed - optional)
a couple splashes of extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
fine grain sea salt
Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Prep all of your ingredients ahead of time - cut asparaus, wash spinach, etc.
Into an extra-large pot of well-salted boiling water add the raviolis. After a few minutes, when a couple of the raviolis begin to float, add the asparagus and peas. Because the asparagus is thin and the peas aren't frozen, you'll need to cook them only for about a minute - really quick, just enough to brighten up the peas and give the asparagus a touch of tenderness.

Drain everything into a large colander. Immediately transfer to a large bowl, add the spinach and pine nuts, and gently toss with a couple big splashes of olive oil and a pinch or two of salt. Serve in a big bowl or on a simple platter with a bit shaved Parmesan crumbled on top.

Serves 4 to 6.

Thank you Heidi!

Mexican Salad

- lettuce of your choice
- fritos, crushed
- cherry tomatoes
- cubed cheese
- 1/2 lb. ground beef, browned
- 1 can ranch style beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
- Kraft Free Catalina dressing

I know that everyone has their own favorite version of this recipe; this is mine! I'd love to see what ideas you put into your favorite salads for the summer! :-)