If you are serving an entrée that is not too heavy, start your simple celebration with this delicious, fresh-tasting shrimp salad. Serve with our one-ingredient parmesan crisps and enjoy!
Shrimp Salad Starter
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup multi-colored cherry tomatoes quartered
- 1/2 pound cooked shrimp cut in large pieces
- 1/2 jalapeño diced
- 1/3 cup red onion diced
- 1/3 cup fresh basil sliced
- 1 avocado diced
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 parmesan crisps*
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together and divide among four salad bowls.
Notes
For parmesan crisp recipe, click here One Ingredient, Delicious Parmesan Crisps
This is one of those salads that you could make three days in a row and never grow tired of. The dates have a sweet flavor which is complemented by the tangy balsamic glaze. This salad can easily be a meal by adding grilled shrimp or chicken.
Arugula, Date, and Apple Salad
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup walnut oil
- 3 Tbsp aged white wine vinegar
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 5 ounces arugula
- 1/2 cup praline pecans chopped
- 2 Fuji apples cored and thinly sliced
- 1 ⅓ cup Medjool dates pitted and sliced
- 6 ounce shaved Manchego cheese
- balsamic glaze
Instructions
- To make dressing, whisk walnut oil with white wine vinegar.
- Add kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Set aside.
- Place all salad ingredients, except Manchego cheese, dressing and balsamic glaze in a large bowl.
- Toss with enough dressing to just coat leaves.
- Place salad on 8 salad plates. Top with cheese and drizzle balsamic glaze over each salad.
Notes
Serve with remaining dressing on the side.
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Red Grapefruit, Arugula and Parmesan Flatbread Salad
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 5 ounces arugula
- 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 red grapefruits peeled and segmented (all pith removed)
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese
- black pepper to taste
- 2 flatbreads
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese finely grated
- 2 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Combine arugula, balsamic vinegar, grapefruit, parmesan shavings and pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
- Cut the flatbread into 16 equal crosswise slices.
- Combine grated parmesan and oil and brush over one side of bread strips.
- Broil for 35-45 seconds or until golden.
- Turn bread and brush with parmesan mixture and broil one more minute.
- Cross 4 bread strips on each serving plate. Top with arugula mixture and serve.
Here’s a tasty recipe that will have lunch or dinner on the table in no time. We ate it for lunch yesterday and it was delicious. Also, this meal is very economical; for about $20.00, you can feed a family of four.
Asian Chicken Salad
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1-2 cups fresh basil or cilantro
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup walnut oil
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- kosher salt
- fresh ground pepper
- rotisserie chicken - skinned boned and torn in bite-size pieces
- 1/4 medium red cabbage thinly sliced
- 1 red or orange bell pepper thinly sliced
- 3 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 package baby romaine lettuce
- 1/3 cup peanuts chopped
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor, puree the basil, oils and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- In one large bowl, combine chicken, cabbage, pepper and green onions. Season with salt & pepper. Set aside.
- In another bowl toss the lettuce with enough dressing to moisten (put remaining dressing in gravy boat to pass).
- Place lettuce on four plates.
- Top with chicken mixture and nuts and pass the remaining dressing.
Notes
Serves four dinner servings or eight first-course servings.
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What is more refreshing on a hot summer day than watermelon? This salad made with watermelon, feta, arugula and a drizzle of balsamic glaze is refreshing and tasty. Don’t skip the balsamic glaze, it is the secret to this salad’s success!
Watermelon and Arugula Salad
Servings 12
Ingredients
- 1 medium-size seedless watermelon cut in 1/2 inch cubes - about 8 to 10 cups
- 8 ounces Greek feta cheese cubed
- 8 - 10 ounces arugula
- balsamic glaze
Instructions
- If you are taking this on a picnic, transport the cubed melon and cheese in separate containers as well as the arugula.
- Once you are ready to serve, place arugula on a plastic platter. Mix melon and cheese together and place on arugula.
- Drizzle balsamic glaze on top.
The mango is often called the “king of fruits.” It has many health benefits – helps lower cholesterol, prevent certain cancers, promotes eye health, clears skin, improves digestion and boosts the immune system. Wow – we could all benefit from putting a little mango in our diets! Here’s a recipe that will help you do just that:
Green Mango Salad with Chicken and Shrimp
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 2 mangoes green, unripened, hard mangoes*
- 1 cup onion sliced very fine
- 1 cup fresh mint chopped
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp plus 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
- sesame oil several drops
- 1/2 pound poached chicken shredded
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 pinch fresh ground pepper
- 1 tsp sweet Thai chili sauce
- 1/2 pound cooked shrimp sliced
- 2 Tbsp fried shallots
Instructions
- Cut the mango into thin julienned slices. Put in a bowl along with onion, mint, and 1 tsp sesame seeds.
- Whisk together vegetable oil, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil.
- Pour over mango mixture and stir.
- In a separate bowl, put chicken, salt, pepper and chili sauce. Stir to combine. Add to mango mixture along with shrimp and stir.
- Heat 1/2 T. vegetable oil and cook shallots until crispy.
- Top with remaining sesame seeds and fried shallots.
Notes
*If you have an allergy to latex, a reaction is possible when consuming green mangoes due to the anacardic acid.
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A great first course to any Asian dinner, this crunchy salad is full of flavor. A word of caution – take our suggestion of breaking up the Ramen noodles in a bowl to heart. They are very brittle will literally fly all over your kitchen if you’re not careful!
Crunchy Almond Spinach Salad
Servings 6
Ingredients
Dressing
- 6 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
Salad
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 ounces package asian soup noodles Top Ramen - without season packet, coarsely broken. Do this in a bowl!
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 10 ounces package baby spinach
- 4 green onions sliced
Instructions
- Whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat 2 T. olive oil in a medium non-stick pan over medium heat. Add noodles, almonds and sesame seeds and sauté until golden and toasted - just a few minutes. Put in a bowl to cool.
- Place spinach and green onion in a large salad bowl. Add noodle mixture and enough dressing to coat. Toss. Pass additional dressing in a separate bowl.
Notes
Add grilled chicken or shrimp to turn this salad into a meal.
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This salad is often featured on Italian restaurant menus as a Caprese salad. However, you can substitute the mozzarella with other types of cheese to suit your taste. The key to this salad is to serve ripe and flavorful tomatoes (which sometimes are a challenge to find in sunny Florida for reasons beyond comprehension). If you are not a mozzarella fan, substitute Parmesan sliced thin with a vegetable peeler, use cubed feta, or sprinkle crumbled blue cheese. You can also line your platter with romaine lettuce leaves, add grilled chicken or shrimp, and turn this salad into a complete meal.
Colorful Tomato and Cheese Salad
Servings 6
Ingredients
- vine-ripened tomatoes look for Kumato
- 8 ounces cheese mozzarella, feta, blue or Parmesan
- one package fresh basil
- good-quality olive oil
- good-quality balsamic vinegar
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper
- pitted Kalamata olives optional
Instructions
- Thick slice the tomatoes.
- Slice, cube, or crumble your cheese of choice.
- Arrange tomatoes on attractive platter and alternate with mozzarella or Parmesan, or cover with feta or blue cheese. This can be done several hours in advance and refrigerated.
- Take out of refrigerator a half-hour prior to serving.
- Slice basil with a kitchen scissor and scatter over the tomatoes and cheese.
- Right before serving, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
- Top with olives if using.
This recipe is more than easy to follow and is a one-dish, healthy and colorful meal.
Easy Fettuccine Salad with Arugula and Prosciutto
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup good quality olive oil
- 3 Tbsp champagne or white wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 1/3 pound prosciutto thinly sliced
- 8 ounces fettucine
- 4 ounces arugula
- 1/2 cup roasted red pepper sliced
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 6 hard-boiled eggs roughly chopped
- 1 avocado sliced
- kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Vinaigrette
- Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt and fresh ground pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
Salad
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place prosciutto in a single layer and bake until crisp. Break into medium-sized pieces.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to directions, drain.
- Return the pasta to the pot and mix in 7 Tbsp of the vinaigrette.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and stir.
- Add the arugula, red pepper and Parmesan cheese to the pasta and stir.
- Add 1/2 the eggs and 1/2 the prosciutto and mix thoroughly.
- Place the salad on 4-6 dinner plates and top with the remaining eggs, prosciutto, avocado and freshly ground pepper.
- Serve remaining vinaigrette in a gravy bowl.
You will love serving this salad at your next simple celebration. Feel free to substitute shrimp or sliced flank steak for the chicken. These ingredients are per plate/person.
Salad for 2 or 20
Servings 1
Ingredients
- spring mix
- 6 strips roasted red peppers
- 1/4 avocado cut into 3 to 4 slices
- 1 deviled egg cut in half - see recipe link below
- candied nuts
- brie cheese small wedge
- Manchego cheese small wedge
- 1/2 grilled chicken breast grill seasoned with salt and pepper or poultry season mix
- Champagne or Pinot Gris vinegar
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Fill each plate with spring mix lettuce.
- Group other ingredients, except chicken on plate.
- Slice chicken breast and place in the middle of the plate.
- Whisk together the vinegar and olive oil (oil should be 4 times the amount of vinegar.)
- Season with salt & pepper.
Notes
Here is our deviled egg recipe: Foolproof Deviled Eggs