FAMILY SALAD RECIPES

AUNT SUSIE'S PRETZEL JELLO SALAD (Long story, but had to include it)

2 Cups crushed pretzels

¾ Cup butter,melted

3 Tablespoons sugar

8 oz cream cheese

1 Cup sugar

8 oz cool whip

2 (3oz) red jellos

2 Cups boiling water

2 (10oz) frozen strawberries

Mix pretzels, butter and sugar. Grease a 9x13 inch casserole and place pretzel mixture in bottom. Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Cool completely and loosen in pan with a metal spatula, but keep in pan. In bowl, combine cheese, sugar, and cool whip. Spread over cooled pretzels. Dissolve jellos in boiling water. Stir in frozen strawberries (still frozen). Stir until it sets and spread over mixture. Chill until set.

Avocado Zucchini Salad

(From The Zucchini Houdini)

2 cups cubed zucchini

1 Haas avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed.

¼ cup oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 clove garlic, crushed

¼ teaspoon salt

Steam the zucchini for about 4 minutes or until tender. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Serve well chilled.


CAFE RIO CHICKEN (chicken, dressing, and salad)

1 bottle Zesty Italian Dressing
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
5 pounds chicken breasts
3 cloves garlic

Cook all together in a crock pot for 4 hours. Shred meat and cook one additional hour.

Cafe Rio Rice

3 cups water
4 teaspoons chicken bouillon
1 can green chilies
1 Tablespoon butter
3 cups minute rice
4 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup onion

Blend cilantro, green chilies, and onion together in a food processor or blender. Bring water to boil and add all ingredients. Simmer cover until rice is done. (You can put it all in your rice cooker and it works fine.)

Cafe Rio Dressing

1 ranch dressing packet (Make as instructed)
2 tomatillos
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (take most of the seeds out)

Use food processor or blender to blend all the ingredients well. Refrigerate.

SALAD-
Serve with tortillas. Top with beans, rice, meat, lettuce, cheese, guacamole, salsa, and dressing.


Burrito/Enchilada Sauce-
(Green Sauce)
3 lbs tomatillos (husks off)
1/2 onion
3 cloves garlic
put in sauce pan, cover with water, boil until soft.
Put in blender until smooth.
Put in pot, add 3 Tbls chicken base (not bouillon)
can add chilies, jalapenos, or can of green chilies.

CRANBERRY JELLO SALAD

(shared by Diane Hirst after Nicole’s Shasta High band picnic in 1999)

Red Jello (8 servings size)
2 Cups boiling water
16oz whole cranberry sauce
20 oz crushed pineapple
½ Cup chopped walnuts
½ Cups sour cream
4 oz cream cheese
1 teaspoon sugar


Mix jello, boiling water, cranberries, pineapple and walnuts. Pour into 9 x 13 inch casserole. Chill until set. In bowl, mix sour cream, cheese, and sugar. Blend well and spread over red jello. Chill again.

CEVICHE (Citrus marinaded seafood salad) 
country of origin: Costa Rica 


1 lb (450 gr) firm white fish 
1 small Onion 
1 clove garlic 
4 or 5 sprigs of cilantro (coriander leaf) 
1 small (¾", 2 cm) hot chili 
about 8 limes (enough for at least ¾ cup of juice) 
¼ teaspoon salt, 
and pepper to taste 

Cut fish into ½" (1 cm) cubes. Mince the Onion, garlic, and chili coarsely. Chop the cilantro very finely. Juice the limes and strain to remove the pulp and seeds. Shrimp (or for the very daring clams) can be substituted for the fish. Mix all of the ingredients and refrigerate tightly covered for at least 3 hours. Serve with corn tortillas, tortilla chips, or crackers. 

ENSALADA DE FRUTA Y YOGURT (Frozen Yogurt Fruit Salad) 
Country of origin: Argentina 



3 Tablespoons honey 
3 Tablespoons lemon juice 
1 medium apple, cored and chopped 
1 medium plum, pitted and sliced 
1 large orange, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch rounds 
1 large grapefruit, peeled and sectioned 
1 medium banana, peeled and sliced into rounds 
1 quart frozen vanilla yogurt 
In a large bowl, whisk together the honey and lemon juice. Stir in the fruit, and serve topped with a scoop of frozen yogurt. On Christmas Eve, celebrated on December 24, Argentines eat a late meal of cold beef, chicken, or turkey, and fruit salad. Because Christmas occurs during summertime in South America, Argentines often eat the meal outside on decorated tables. After dinner, they eat almonds, dried fruits, and pan dulce, a sweet bread that is similar to fruitcake but has fewer fruits and nuts. 

ENSALADA DE NOCHEBUENA

(Tia Lico used to always make this at Christmastime when I was a young girl.)



1 can beets
1 red apple
2 bananas
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 head romaine lettuce
1 small jícama
2 oranges
½ cup chopped peanuts
½ cup orange juice

Drain and rinse beets in cold water. Dip the thinly sliced apple and banana in the lime juice to prevent discoloration. Do not peel apple. Line a shallow salad bowl with six lettuce leaves. Shred the remaining lettuce and place on top of the leaves. Arrange the beet slices, peeled and sliced jícama, orange sections, apples and bananas in a decorative pattern over the lettuce. Sprinkle with the peanuts. Just before serving, drizzle orange juice over the salad.



ENSALADA RUSA (called Russian Salad - potato salad from Argentina)
Had this at Nicole's apartment when we had a pot luck. Her roommate's family, the Hazembuller's brought it.



2 cups boiled potatoes, diced small*
1/2 cup cooked peas
1/2 cup cooked carrots, diced small
Mayonnaise
Salt to taste if needed
Variations: 1 can tuna, 4 hard boiled eggs,
garnish with Spanish olives

Cook the potatoes however you like but I prefer to keep them whole with the skins on while boiling. Then when cooled, peel and dice them. In a large bowl, add potatoes, carrots, and peas. Gently fold in mayonnaise spoonful by spoonful, so as not to break up the potatoes, until the vegetables are lightly coated or whatever consistency you prefer. Don’t go overboard since some cringe when they see too much mayonnaise. You can always place extra mayonnaise on the table at serving time for those who like their salads heavy. This basic recipe has variations with additional ingredients, according to family traditions and tastes, just as you might have Grandma's original recipe for potato salad.

ENSALADA DE NOPALITOS (Cactus Salad) 
from the kitchen of Nicole Burris 


1 jar nopalitos (cactus) 
3 tomatoes 
1 onion 
cilantro 
Cotija cheese 
Drain, rinse, and dice nopalitos. Dice tomatoes, onion and cilantro. Mix together. Crumble cheese and add to nopalitos mix. Salt to taste. Serve with chips. 









ENSALADA TROPICAL (fruit salad) 
Country of origin: Costa Rica 



1 cup shredded coconut 
3 bananas 
1/2 head of cabbage 
1 can pineapple cubes (drain) 
1 cup mayonnaise 

Peel and slice bananas into bowl. Shred cabbage thinly. Drain pineapple before mixing all ingredients together. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. May add other fruits available. 

MAMACITA’S GREEN JELLO SALAD

Every Thanksgiving my mother made this jello. It became a family tradition. She got this recipe from a cookbook compiled by our congregation at the Methodist Church.

2 cups hot water
3 oz lemon Jello
3 oz lime Jello
20 oz crushed pineapple
16 oz cottage cheese
12 oz sweetened condensed milk
1 Cup mayonnaise
1 Cup chopped walnuts

Dissolve jellos in hot water. Add all the other ingredients, (I think you drain the pineapple). Stir and chill in refrigerator until set.





PASTA SALAD



16 oz pasta
1/2 bl bacon
3 cups dice ham
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 c parsley
1/4 c basil
1/2 C olives
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 T Italian seasoning spice
Italian dressing
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese


Fry and drain bacon, add egg and spices. Meanwhile, boil pasta for 5-7 minutes. Drain pasta and stir in Italian dressing just enough to wet pasta. Toss with remaining ingredients. Stir in Parmesan just before serving.





PICO DE GALLO (Tia Raquel's recipe for fresh cut salsa)






10 tomatoes
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1 yellow onion
1 cucumber
1 jalapeño
10 slices of carrots pickled with jalapeños.
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt



Dice all vegetables and cilantro, pour lemon juice over them and mix. Stir in finely chopped cilantro and spices. Cover and refrigerate at least over night, preferably several days to allow the flavors to absorb.




SWEET CHICKEN SALAD



1 (5 oz) can chunk chicken, drained and flaked
2 tablespoons creamy salad dressing
1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish
1 large apple, cored and diced
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 stalk celery, chopped (optional)
2/3 cup raisins
salt and pepper to taste
In a large bowl, mix the chicken, creamy salad dressing, pickle relish, apple, pecans, celery, and raisins. Season with salt and pepper. Chill until serving.