Give one of these quick and easy salads a try as a great first course or a light dinner.
By Janet Groene, F47166
September 2013
We received a pair of salad recipes from FMCA member Iris Ohman, F153399, who said she Always Gets Recipe Requests After Folks Try These Salads At A Campground Gathering. Put Them At The Top Of Your Recipe List For Late Summer Or Early Fall Gatherings.
Iris Ohman’s Corn Salad
Several variations of this recipe are going around the campground potluck circuit. In the recipe Iris submitted, she does not specify the amount of Fritos-brand corn chips to use, but she did indicate she uses the Chili Cheese flavor chips. I prefer the regular flavor chips and suggest using approximately two cups.
1 red sweet pepper
1 green sweet pepper
1 red onion
2 15-ounce cans whole-kernel corn, drained
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups Fritos Chili Cheese-flavored corn chips
Dice the peppers and onion and combine with the corn. Fold in the mayonnaise and cheese. At this point, the mixture can be chilled. Don’t fold in the Fritos until just before serving.
Iris Ohman’s Gingered Apple Salad
½ cup vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 to ½ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 medium apples, peel on, cored and chopped
1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
½ cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons crystallized ginger, chopped
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
In a large bowl, whisk the yogurt, mayonnaise, ground ginger, and salt. Mix in the apples, water chestnuts, celery, dried cranberries, and crystallized ginger. Chill. Sprinkle with pecans just before serving.
Blushing Beet Salad
If you can’t find julienne beets, drain sliced beets and cut them in matchsticks.
½ cup bottled red wine vinaigrette
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 15-ounce can julienne beets, drained
1 medium head of romaine lettuce, cut in bite-size pieces
2 medium heads of Belgian endive, sliced in bite-size pieces
4 hard-cooked eggs, quartered
Mix the vinaigrette and horseradish in a bowl. Fold in the beets, lettuce, and endive. Divide among salad plates and garnish with the quartered eggs. This recipe makes four main dish servings.
Corn Chip Salad
Here is another way to create a salad using corn chips such as Fritos or tortilla chips. Unless you’re using low-sodium corn chips, don’t add salt to the sauce. By using the tomato sauce instead of a thick cheese sauce, you get the “nacho” effect without the fat.
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 can water
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 large onion, diced (approximately 2 cups)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon sugar
1 5-ounce package of corn chips (or more to taste)
Shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded lettuce (or more to taste)
Mix the tomato sauce, water, vinegar, onion, garlic, pepper, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat; and simmer until the onion is very tender. Arrange the corn chips on four plates and spoon the tomato mixture over them. Crown the arrangement with generous tufts of regular or low-fat shredded cheese. Top with shredded lettuce. Serve immediately. This recipe makes four portions.
Main Dish Potato Salad
Eggs and cheese turn this salad into a meatless main dish. It’s helpful to have hard-cooked eggs on hand for RV travel. Vary the salad by trying different cheeses such as Swiss, caraway, Monterey Jack, smoked Gouda, or bleu cheese; or, try low-fat cottage cheese.
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 hard-cooked eggs, diced
1 small sweet onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, diced
1 ½ cups diced cheese
Cook the diced potatoes until just tender. Drain and mix with the mayonnaise while the potatoes are hot. Let stand for 10 minutes while the potatoes absorb the flavor. Fold in the eggs, onion, celery, and cheese. Serve immediately or chill. This recipe serves four to six.
Spaghetti Salad
This is another main dish salad that can be varied by using different types of protein such as diced ham, cut-up lunchmeat, various cheeses, or tofu.
1 12-ounce box of spaghetti, cooked in salted water
½ cup Italian dressing
4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped (or 1 cup chopped meat, fish, or tofu)
1/4 cup pickle relish
1 8-ounce package of shredded cheese
Drain the spaghetti well and, while it’s warm, stir in the dressing. Fold in the eggs or other optional ingredients with the pickle relish. Fold in the cheese and serve either warm, at room temperature, or chilled. This recipe makes six servings.
Faux Salmon Salad
½ cup lemon yogurt
½ cup sour cream
1 16-ounce package shredded carrots
1 rib celery, finely diced
2 hard-cooked eggs, diced
8 saltine crackers, crumbled
4 to 8 strips of anchovies (optional and to taste)
In a bowl whisk together the yogurt and sour cream, Fold in the carrots, celery, eggs, and saltines. Arrange on plates (with lettuce, if you like) and garnish with anchovies. Serve at once. If you chill the salad to serve later, fold in the crackers just before serving. This recipe makes four servings.
Tuscan Macaroni Salad
3 cups cooked small pasta, such as macaroni
½ cup Italian dressing
1 small can of sliced black olives, well drained
1 cup salad olives (sliced stuffed green olives)
2 large ribs celery, chopped
1/4 cup pickle relish
Shredded lettuce or lettuce leaf (optional for serving)
Sliced scallions (optional)
Drain the pasta and stir in the dressing. Fold in the olives, celery, and relish. Serve as is, on lettuce leaves, or on plates lined with shredded lettuce. Top with scallions if you wish. This recipe makes six servings.
Chopsticks Tuna Salad
1 8-ounce carton lemon yogurt
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 10-ounce can solid pack tuna, drained and broken up
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 cup fresh carrots, cut into matchstick-size pieces
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 small can (approximately 1½ cups) crisp shoestring potatoes
In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt and mayonnaise. Mix in the tuna, celery, carrots, and peas. Chill if you wish. Just before serving, fold in the shoestring potatoes. This recipe makes four to six servings.
Bombay Chicken Salad
1/3 cup mango chutney
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups diced, cooked chicken
1 8.8-ounce pouch of ready-to-serve brown rice
1 cup shredded coconut
Stir together the chutney and mayonnaise with the juice from the pineapple. Stir in the pineapple, chicken, rice, and coconut. Serve as is or on lettuce-lined plates. This recipe makes four to six servings.
Jiggly Dessert Salad
1 package red gelatin dessert mix (regular or sugar-free)
1 cup boiling water
1 8-ounce can of crushed pineapple, drained
½ cup of pineapple juice plus water
1 cup ready-to-serve rice
½ cup heavy cream
Dissolve the gelatin in boiling water. Drain the pineapple and add enough water to the drained pineapple juice to make ½-cup liquid. Stir the liquid, pineapple, and rice into the dissolved gelatin. Stir in the heavy cream and chill until it is firm. This recipe makes six dessert portions.
Bite’O Bitters Salad Dressing
Don’t think of aromatic bitters as just a cocktail ingredient. The pungent taste adds flavor to many hot and cold dishes, including this one.
Juice of three lemons (3/4 cup)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon bitters
Shake everything together in a jar and spoon the mixture over hot vegetables or cold salads.
V-8 “Tomatoes”
1 3/4 cups vegetable juice cocktail such as V-8
1 packet lemon gelatin dessert, regular or sugar-free
Wash and save cans that can be opened at both ends with a can opener (such as tomato paste cans) and use them as molds for this aspic. Heat a cup of the cocktail juice to boiling and dissolve the gelatin into the juice. Stir in the remaining juice; pour into cans; and chill. When the gelatin sets, open the bottom end of the can and push out the aspic. Slice and serve as a garnish on any cold plate.
Books For Cooks
Ella’s Kitchen is a brand of organic foods for babies and toddlers. Now the company has produced a delightful cookbook that may also become your child’s favorite bedtime story. Many cookbooks have fabulous photos, but this book goes further by showing adorable, pint-size models preparing or eating irresistible dishes that are easy enough for the home or RV. Ella’s Kitchen: The Cook Book ($19.99, Hamlyn) is a sturdy hardcover filled with recipes, ideas, and suggestions for playful presentations. The reading level is adult, and adult supervision is definitely needed. In fact, grownups do most of the work while the book smartly suggests ways little ones can help.
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