Chipotle Sausage Salad

This is a variation of the New 'awlins Sausage Salad, born out of desperation for the taste of that delectable delight, but at a time when I was missing some of the key ingredients.

Shape 2 cups sausage into 1/2-inch balls. Cook sausage balls with 1 cup chopped onion over medium heat until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes, stirring or shaking occasionally so that all sides are browned. Alternatively you could cook large sausage patties, then cut them into 1/2 inch squares.

While sausage is browning assemble in large bowl

1 cup julienned celery

2 stalks green onion, sliced

1 cup julienned jicima

When sausage is cooled enough to touch add to salad bowl and toss with

1 teaspoon canned chipotle in adobe sauce or 2 teaspoons reconstituted dried chipotle

1/4 cup mayonnaise

Taste and add sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Bourbon Chipotle Hot Sauce
If you like it hot, then use this sauce in place of the chipotle in adobe sauce. Bourbon heightens the chili pepper's heat. So, although the smoking process lowers the heat of the jalapeno, this sauce has a nice kick along with the smokiness of chipotles.

New 'awlins Sausage Salad

This salad is great as a main dish with a side of Perfectly Neutral Mashed "Potatoes".

Serves 4 as a side dish, 2 as a main dish.

In a food processor pulse until roughly chopped

1 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, stems removed

Add and continue pulsing until finely chopped

1 green, red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, chopped

4 stalks green onion, trimmed and sliced in 1/4-inch long pieces

You'll have more of this garnish than you'll need for the salad. Use leftovers to garnish other salads, soups and casseroles. It will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge. It's great stirred into mayo and used to spread on bread for a sandwich.

Scrape mixture out into small airtight container.

As you prepare each of the ingredients below place them in a medium serving bowl:

4 hard boiled eggs, chopped

4 large link sausages, casings removed, cooked and chopped

2 cups chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped peeled jicima

1/2 cup cooked, chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped dill pickle

1/4 cup bell pepper mixture

Toss with your favorite creamy salad dressing. Go light on the dressing as this salad is very flavorful. This salad can be kept in the refrigerator for a day or so - keep leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Rome Zucchini Salad

I was trying to fix the New 'awlins Sausage Salad for a friend at her house without making a trip to the grocery store and so came up with the following version. This salad is great as a main dish with a side of Perfectly Neutral Mashed "Potatoes" topped with a little pesto or parmesan cheese.

In a food processor pulse until roughly chopped

1/2 bunch fresh basil, large leaves torn

4-8 sprigs fresh flat leaf parsley, stems removed

Add and continue pulsing until finely chopped

2 stalks green onion, trimmed and sliced in 1/4-inch long pieces

Scrape into medium salad bowl and add

4 hard boiled eggs, chopped

4 large link sausages, casings removed, sliced and cooked

2 cups chopped zucchini

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup cooked, chopped onion

1/4 cup freshly shredded parmesan (use grated only if you don't have shredded on hand)

(1/4 teaspoon sea salt)

(1/4 teaspoon black pepper)

Toss with your favorite creamy salad dressing, preferably a garlic or tomato dressing. Go light as this salad is very flavorful. Garnish with toasted pecans.

Dilled Egg Salad

Adapted from "Vegetarian Sandwiches"

You can use this salad on Protein bread when you make it with eggs. Make the tofu version if you're going to be having this on whole grain bread or bagels.

Mix dressing in small bowl

2 tablespoons drained yogurt or mayonnaise

2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill or 1/4 teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

(1/4 teaspoon honey)

1/2 clove garlic, minced or 1 clove roasted

sea salt and black pepper to taste

In medium bowl roughly mash with fork

2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped, or 1/2 cup extra-firm tofu (not silken)

Stir in

3 tablespoons minced bell pepper

2 tablespoons minced celery

1 tablespoon minced red onion

1 tablespoon drained, chopped capers

2 tablespoons, minced dill pickle

2 tablespoons minced, jicima

Layer onto a slice of Protein bread: a tomato slice, mayo, shredded lettuce or sprouts, egg salad. Serve open faced or topped with another slice of Protein bread. An alternative to Protein bread would be to stuff celery sticks or cherry tomatoes, roll up in a lettuce leaf with deli-sliced meat, or top tomato or cucumber slices.

If using the tofu version make sandwich as above using whole grain bread or bagel in place of Protein bread.

Basil Omelette Salad

This is one of those dishes I conjured up when it was cold outside, there wasn't much in the fridge and I was feeling guilty for not eating enough vegetables that day. I wasn't up to a bowl of cold lettuce so this crepe-thin omelette with piles of tomato and basil was the perfect solution.

Stir 1 tablespoon basil pesto, (1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil), into 1/4 cup Egg Beaters (2 whites & one yolk). Season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Pour into heated, lightly oiled or buttered pan. Tilt to coat bottom of pan. When top of omelet is almost dry carefully loosen omelette from pan and flip over. Tear one slice mozzarella or non-dairy cheese into pieces and place on top of omelet. Cover and turn off heat.

While cheese is melting prepare salad. Chop & toss 1 tomato (add 1/4 avocado, 2 - 4 tablespoons red bell pepper, 1 - 2 tablespoons red onion) with basil pesto, seasoning with sea salt and pepper:

Slide omelette onto plate. Spoon half the salad on half the omelette, fold omelette over salad. Top with rest of salad.

Green Chicken Salad

The herbs are the key to this salad. The flavor will change drastically depending on what herbs you choose. Try cilantro, parsley, or basil alone in the salad. Herbs such as rosemary, tarragon, or sage are too strong tasting to use more than 1/4 cup, but you can mix them with other herbs to make 2 cups. Lime juice works especially well with cilantro, orange juice is wonderful with rosemary, lemon goes with everything.

Use a food processor to finely dice each set of ingredients. Dump ingredients into a medium bowl as you go along.

4 cups cooked chicken, chopped and 1 clove garlic or 2 cloves roasted garlic

2 cups fresh herbs and 2 cups lettuce

1 cup leaves and inner celery stalks (taste to make sure they aren't bitter) and 1/2 cup red onion and/or green onion

1/4 to 1/2 cup radish, cut into quarters (squeeze diced radish in your hands to release as much moisture as possible before adding to mixing bowl)

Dress lightly with mayo. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper, and a little fresh lemon, orange, or lime juice if you like. Not too much juice though; you don't want to thin the dressing.

Serve:

• on top of a bed of lettuce lightly dressed with an oil and vinegar dressing
• spooned onto cucumber slices (taste wonderful lightly salted or sprinkled with citrus juice)
• stuffed into celery sticks
• spooned onto radish slices (don't use radish in the salad itself)
• rolled up inside lettuce leaves

Pesto Cottage Cheese Salad Dressing

Puree until smooth

1 cup lowfat cottage cheese

1 cup mayo

1/4 cup pesto

Taste and add sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Feta Tarragon Salad Dressing

Let this dressing rest for at least 30 minutes before serving to give the flavors the chance to develop.

Puree in blender until smooth

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon, 1 teaspoon dried

1 cup feta cheese

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon finely ground flaxseed (if you need to grind the seed, do it in the blender before adding other ingredients)

With blender running slowly pour in

1/2 cup soymilk

Tuna Carrot Slaw

This very simple salad doesn't look as good on the page as it tastes when made. It's become one of my new favorites. I'm giving the recipe for one serving since I love to have this for lunch, but if you want to serve it for dinner, just use the amounts in brackets to serve four. Make it up at least thirty minutes before serving to give the flavors time to meld.

Stir together in small (medium) bowl

1/4 cup mayo [1 cup]

1 - 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice [1 -2 tablespoons]

1 teaspoon dried dill, 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped [1 tablespoon dried, 1/4 cup fresh]

dash or two of cayenne [1/8 teaspoons]

small pinch of black pepper [1/4 teaspoon]

Add to bowl and stir until well coated with dressing

2 large carrots, shredded [8]

2 tablespoons (chopped red or green onion) [1/2 cup]

1 handful water-packed tuna, squeeze in your hands until very well drained [1 cup]

2 - 4 tablespoons cashews, chopped [1/2 - 1 cup]

Prosciutto Melon Salad

Remove the seeds from 1 cantaloupe. With a spoon or melon baller scoop out the flesh to form bite-size pieces. Cut a small section from the end of each cantaloupe half and set aside the cantaloupe shells. In a medium bowl add to cantaloupe and toss until well mixed

2 cups torn lettuce

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Scoop salad into melon halves. Garnish with thinly sliced prosciutto and grated or thinly sliced Parmesan.

Reuben Salad

Arrange on a bed of lettuce

corned beef, diced or cut into large chunks

swiss cheese, shredded or cut into small cubes

sauerkraut or sauteed, shredded cabbage

Drizzle with dressing.

Dressing

extra-virgin olive oil

balsamic or unfiltered, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar

Dijon mustard

sea salt

black pepper

Basic Protein Salad

I was never a salad eater before the UnDiet. Even though this salad is pretty simple - it makes all the difference. My mouth is watering just writing this down. This salad is an entire meal, and often is in my house!

To a bowl of lettuce add any of the following:

• bite-sized chunks or shredded cheese
• sausage
• pepperoni
• ham
• turkey
• chicken
• corned beef
• roast beef
• shrimp
• lobster
• crab
• ham, turkey, or chicken salad made with sugar-free mayo
• hard-boiled eggs

Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Dress with mayo thinned with fresh lemon or lime juice, or just drizzle on a little extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Mexican Caesar Salad Protein, Neutral if not using feta cheese

Puree

1/2 box soft tofu (not silken tofu)

2 cloves garlic, minced or 1 head roasted garlic

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, 2 tablespoons dried

1/8 teaspoon chipotle in adobe sauce

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon each sea salt and ground black pepper

With blender running drizzle in 1/4 extra-virgin olive oil.

Break 8 cups romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Toss with enough dressing to evenly coat. Garnish with 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds & (3 tablespoons feta cheese).

Egg Salad Salad

Please forgive me that the measurements here are not exact but they don't need to be. You can make this salad with small amounts of leftovers and adjust the amounts according to what you have.

Pulse in food processor until finely diced, but not pureed

1/2-1 cucumber, seeded and peeled (if the skins aren't waxed then you can leave the peel on)

a pinch of sea salt

Dump from processor bowl into strainer and allow to drain for 30 minutes

Pulse in food processor until very finely diced, but not pureed

4-8 hardboiled eggs

sea salt and black pepper to taste

2-6 stalks celery

1 tablespoon-1/4 cup onion

(green cabbage)

(jicima)

(water chestnuts)

(green beans)

(choose only one: sesame seed oil, dill, or tarragon to taste)

Add cucumber and pulse just until thoroughly mixed into the salad.

Serve on top of:

• Protein Bread
• cucumber rounds
• zucchini rounds, raw or cooked
• thinly pounded and cooked chicken breasts

or wrapped up in:

• lettuce leaves
• slices of corned beef, ham, or any spiced ham such as prosciutto

Perfect Potluck Picnic Pea Salad

This can be served in a large bowl or mounded on a platter lined with lettuce leaves.

Combine

2  ~ 10 ounce packages frozen peas, thawed

1 cup cheese, cubed (cheddar, Edam, jack, mozzarella - choose one, don't mix cheeses)

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

sea salt and pepper to taste

BLT Salad

Mix in salad bowl and set aside 1/2

1 cup mayo

(1/4 cup creme fraiche, yogurt, or sour cream)

fresh lemon or lime juice, just enough to thin the mayo to pourable consistency

2-3 cloves roasted garlic

(1 teaspoon Dijon mustard)

(1/4 teaspoon horseradish)

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Add to bowl

Romaine lettuce

bacon, crumbled or cut into bite-size pieces

tomato, chopped or sliced

(cheese: cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, jack)

If you need to add some of the reserved dressing do so. Leftover dressing can be used on any other salad.

Broccoflower Salad

This is a very large salad which is good for potlucks. You can cut the recipe in half to serve to your family or make the entire recipe and use the suggestion below for leftovers. If you only have 1/2 a head of cauliflower or broccoli just use more bell pepper, celery, or tomato.

A couple of hours before serving mix in large bowl

3/4 cup sugar-free bottled Ranch dressing and 1/4 cup mayo or

1 cup mayo

2 cloves roasted garlic

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

juice from 1/2 lime

1 teaspoon dried cilantro or parsley, 1 tablespoon fresh

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Scoop out 1/2 the dressing and set aside to drizzle over assembled salad. Add to bowl

1 head broccoli florets, slice each head lengthwise into bite-size pieces

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces

2-3 stalks celery, diced

1/2 bell pepper, julienned

1 cup olives, sliced or diced

1 cup cheese, cut into cubes (Mozzarella, Gouda , Provolone, or Edam)

1 large tomato, with seeds removed and chopped- if you think you'll have leftovers use the tomatoes as a garnish so you don't have to pick them out before cooking up the casserole below.

Broccoflower Casserole

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place leftover Broccoflower Salad in oiled baking dish. Pour a little heavy cream over veggies, sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. (Drizzle or dot with butter.) If there's not much cheese in the leftovers add some cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until veggies are just tender.