Salad, As A cool Summer Meal

Ham Salad - My Mom's great recipe that I recall from my childhood.

• Ham, I like honey ham 
• Diced small onion 
• 2 Tablespoons pickle relish or piccalilli (mom made her own) 
• 4 Tablespoons mayo   
• 1 Teaspoon mustard, regular or dijon, this is optional

Instructions: In a food processor, or by hand like my mom did, grind the ham until you like its consistency. Making usually around 3 cups, in a large bowl mix the rest of the ingredients; I use 2 tablespoons of relish, often a teaspoon of mustard (I do not always use mustard and it's not in mom's recipe), 4 tablespoons mayo, and a small onion finely chopped and then add ham. You may have to adjust amounts, but careful not to make it too mushy or runny, so in a tiny bowl I start taste testing, you'll know what you and your family will like. Then chill and serve for sandwiches or on crackers.

Asian Oven Fried Chicken Salad

Oven fried chicken:
(You can use this set of ingredients)
Boneless skinless chicken breast halves (2 pounds)
1 c. flour
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. paprika

(or this set of ingredients)

Boneless skinless chicken breast halves (2 pounds)
2/3 cup Bisquick
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
 
Directions: Heat oven to 425 degrees, melt 1/2 cup butter in a deep oven pan, mix up ingredients and cover chicken all over and place in the melted butter. Bake 40 minutes. Turn chicken over and bake another 30 minutes or until done. When done remove from fat to drain.

Salad:
lettuce
green onion
(you can also use celery, carots, cabbage, peppers, whatever you and your family like)
chow mein noodles
sliced almonds
Shred up veggies in a bowl 

Dressing: I buy asian dressing but you can make it easily
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
In a small saucepan bring vegetable oil, sugar, and vinegar to boil for 1 minute. Cool. Add soy sauce.

Final Assembly: Once everything cools slice and add chicken to top of salad, then dressing, sprinkle with almonds and noodles. 

Leftover Roast Beef Salad
 
We call it “Leftover Roast Beef Salad”, but really it is leftover "anything" salad. We’ve used leftover chicken and turkey and even burgers or hot dogs.

Ingredients:

• My potato salad dressing, but leave out the mustard and oregano (salad dressing is the last recipe on this page). 
• Leftover roast beef (or almost any other meat, cubed to approx. 1/2 inch
• Onion, diced
• Bell pepper or celery, diced
• Handful of shredded cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Measure the volume of cubed meat you have and use an equivalent amount of vegetation. Mix everything in a large bowl. Refrigerate for an hour or overnight. Serve cold as a main dish or side dish.

Macaroni Salad with tuna. When I moved to the city I found that not many people eat macaroni salad this way, my husband said it sounded awful, but he really loved it. The secret is the dressing.

Ingredients:

• My Super Secret Salad Dressing, the last recipe in the article, at the bottom of the page
• 1 lb macaroni
• 1/2 small pkg of frozen peas
• 1 can of tuna drained

Directions:

Cook the macaroni according to its directions. Add drain tuna and partly cook the peas, don’t let them get soft. Add dressing and gently mix everything. Chill for several hours or overnight and serve cold.

My Super Secret Dressing is a closely guarded recipe (except for the millions of people who can access it here, LOL) for making the dressing that I use for potato salad and macaroni salad; and in my Leftover Roast Beef Salad (without the mustard or oregano). I refer to it as “Condiment Delight”.

Ingredients:

• Catsup
• Plain yellow mustard
• Miracle Whip
• Relish (regular not the fancy relishes)
• Horseradish
• Grey Pupon mustard or dark mustard
• Lg onion chopped
• Oregano
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Here we go with this incredibly precise recipe. Get a medium bowl, open the fridge and take out all the ingredients, or as many as you have. In the bowl put 3 or so heaping tbsp of the Miracle Whip, a tsp each of catsup, horseradish, and the mustards, and a heaping tbsp of the relish. Add the onion, and sprinkle with oregano and pepper. Then add the salt, if desired, so you can clearly see how much you are adding. Mix thoroughly and then add the mixture to the potatoes or macaroni or whatever and stir gently, chill. Serve cold. My friends love it!