Research shows salads have been around for much longer than any of us can remember.
In fact the Oxford Dictionary of Food and Drink in America says the finest vegetable creation was enjoyed way back in the Roman Empire. It first appeared in the form of raw leafy vegetables covered in salty, oily dressing. The word salad comes from sal, the Latin word for salt.
Despite the unfavourable feelings of some diners towards salads, this part of the menu comes in many different combinations, some meant as a main course while others could be considered a dessert course.
This week’s recipes come from the cookbook, The Heart of Our Home, the Walters Family Cookbook, published by friends of our family.
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Spicy Taco Salad
1 lb. ground beef
1 head lettuce, shredded
1-15 1/2 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
3 tomatoes sliced
4 green onions, chopped
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 avocados, mashed
1/4 cup oil
1 cup sour cream
1 tbsp. chili powder
2 tbsps. lemon juice
1 tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. hot pepper sauce
10 oz. pkg. tortilla chips
salt and pepper to taste
Brown and cook ground beef in a large skillet. Drain and cool.
Toss together beef, lettuce, beans, olives, tomatoes, onions and cheese. Set aside.
Combine avocados, oil, sour cream, chili powder, lemon juice, sugar, pepper sauce and salt and pepper. Mix well then toss with ground beef mixture. Add chips and toss lightly. Serve immediately. Serves four.
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Pretzel Salad
Bottom layer:
2 cups broken pretzels
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 tbsp. sugar
Middle layer:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
12 oz. tub Cool Whip
1 cup sugar
Top layer:
2 small pkgs. strawberry Jello powder
2 cups boiling water
20 oz. pkg. frozen sliced strawberries
For the bottom, mix together the pretzels, melted butter and sugar. Pat into the bottom of a 9x13 inch cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 8 minutes. Cool.
For the middle layer, mix the cream cheese, Cool Whip and sugar together until creamy then spread over the cooled pretzel crust.
For the top, add boiling water to the Jello powder and stir until Jello is dissolved. Add the frozen strawberries and stir. Refrigerate just until Jello begins to gel. Do not allow it to solidify. Pour over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until completely set. Serve on lettuce leaves.
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Rice Salad/Dessert
2 cups cooked rice
2 cups pineapple chunks
2 cups whipped cream
1/2 cup sugar
maraschino cherries
Add pineapple chunks to the cooked rice and mix in the sugar. Fold in the whipped cream and mix until combined with rice and pineapple. Top with cherries and chill.
Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
