Koppenhoefer Family German Potato Salad Recipe

Select either white or red potatoes for this delicious warm salad. Remove the skin of white potatoes after they cool a bit. If you choose red potatoes, leave the skin on. The picture here shows the salad made with white potatoes. If you buy russet potatoes, it will be tasty though a little less formed. Purchase small russets or you will have way too much salad!

Nutrition facts for 8 servings.

Ingredients:

6 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled, reserve the drippings

8 medium potatoes

1 C onion, chopped

2 t salt

1/8 t ground black pepper

1/2 t celery seed

1/2 C vinegar

2 T sugar

3 T water

1 egg, beaten

2 T parsley, chopped

Optional: more bacon and parsley for garnish

Rosemary's Tomato-Bocconcini Salad

More literary deliciousness from our friend, Rosemary!

How to Make a Tomato-Bocconcini Salad, by Rosemary Gretton

This salad is best served on a late summer evening, when tomatoes are at their ripest. Boccincini are nuggets of soft, creamy, fresh mozzarella cheese, about the size of a cherry tomato. In Italian, bocconcini means "small mouthfuls."

First, head outside to your vegetable garden, smiling as you savour the sight and smell of the warm, ripe Bella Rosa tomatoes, finally come to fruition. Pick four or five large tomatoes right off the vine.  Bring them in the house.  Wash the tomatoes well, and cut them into thick slices. Place the slices in a glass salad bowl.

Leela’s Squid Cucumber Salad

To make preparations for this dish even easier, ask if your fishmonger sells pre-packaged prepared squid. 

Leela’s Squid Cucumber Salad

Nutrition facts are set for four salads

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb cleaned squid, tubes cut into rings with tentacles left whole

2 T olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups greens, torn

2 cups your choice of fresh herbs - basil, parsley, chives, rosemary, oregano, thyme are all good, or use 2 T dried mixed herbs

1 cucumber, sliced

2 T lemon juice

2 pinches salt

1/2 t ground black pepper, or to taste

Optional: 2 tomatoes, chopped and 1 red pepper, chopped

Directions:

In a pan set over medium heat, sauté the garlic cloves in olive oil.

If you are using the optional tomatoes and red pepper, add them to the sauté pan now.

Stir in the torn greens and sauté for about 20 seconds.

Add the squid and turn the heat to high.

Mix in the herbs and cook approximately 7 minutes or until the squid is tender.

Plate, topped with cucumber slices, and sprinkled with lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Viviana's Chilean Curly Celery Salad

This Chilean salad is a family tradition for Viviana whenever a large meat course is the main event. It is especially wonderful alongside ham, roast turkey, or chicken. 

The nutrition facts were created at Calorie Count!

Viviana’s Chilean Curly Celery Salad

Serves two

Ingredients:

2 stalks celery

Pinch salt

1/8 t fresh cracked black pepper

2 t lemon juice, fresh squeezed is always best

2 t olive oil

1/4 cup black olives, cut into thick slices

Directions:

Cut the rinsed and dried celery into 2 inch lengths across the grain. Then slice each piece into three or four lengths cutting from top to bottom - do not cut all the way to the top. Place the slices in a bowl, cover with very cold water, add a few ice cubes, and allow to sit for about an hour or so until the celery pieces curl. The thinner the slices, the greater the curl.

Drain the celery and pat dry. Toss with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Add the olives and toss gently.

Janice's Light Waldorf Salad

This was the "fancy salad" that someone always brought to the nicer family gatherings. I was never a fan as I was in an anti-mayo phase for most of my youth. Now I just want to give a skip to the mayo for health reasons and this salad is one of my new favorites!

The nutrition facts were designed on Calorie Count! Enjoy

Waldorf Salad

serves four

Salad Ingredients:

1 cup celery, sliced

2 apples, Fuji, cut into chunks

2 T dried cranberries

1 T parsley, minced

2 T walnut pieces

4 lettuce leaves, such as Boston or Bibb

Dressing Ingredients:

2 T Greek Yogurt, 2%

2 T lemon juice, fresh squeezed

Pinch salt

1/8 t ground white pepper

1/8 t dried ground mustard

1 t honey

Directions:

Prepare all the salad ingredients, except the lettuce, and place in a bowl.

Mix the dressing, taste, and adjust the seasonings to suit you.

Add the dressing to the salad and toss gently to combine.

Divide the salad evenly on top of each of the four lettuce cups. Enjoy all by itself for lunch, or as a delectable addition to dinner. Eat with a fork. Or as a fun salad wrap!

Michael’s Poached Zucchini Salad

This salad is delightful as a lunch main dish or side dish at your next grill out. The nutrition facts were designed by Calorie Count! Michael says he will send a pic of the complete dish soon!

Poached Zucchini Salad

Ingredients:

1 med. to large zucchini, cut into 1-inch chunks

6 - 8 med. fresh button mushrooms (caps and stems), cut into chunks

1/2 cup of sweet onion, very coarsely chopped

1 medium red tomato, cut into 6 or 8 wedges

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

2 Tbsp. chicken or beef bouillon

1/2 cup hot water

1 Tbsp. dried oregano leaf

3 or 4 dashes of salt-free, all-purpose herb seasoning

1 small bay leaf

1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinaigrette dressing

fresh ground black pepper to taste

grated Parmesan/Romano cheese for garnish

Directions:

Dissolve the bouillon in the hot water.  Pour into a medium sized skillet or wok, and add onions, garlic powder, bay leaf and oil.  Bring the liquid just to a boil.  Add the zucchini chunks and cook until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes.  Raise the heat to keep a low boil going. 

Add the mushrooms, oregano, black pepper and herb seasoning, stirring to coat the mushrooms with liquid.  Cook for another 2 or 3 minutes, until the mushrooms are reducing and the zucchini chunks are tender.

Pour the entire mixture into a colander to drain the liquid.  Remove the bay leaf and quickly transfer the vegetables to a serving dish.  Add the fresh tomatoes and balsamic vinegar and toss.  Top with generous sprinkles of the grated cheese, and serve immediately.  Serves two generously

Serves 2 generously.

Crazypotato98's Ensalada de Nopales (Cactus Salad)

Crazypotato has been at it again with lovely cactus (nopales). Enjoy this delicious salad that she created after tasting a similar one in her local vegetarian restaurant!

The nutrition facts were created at Calorie Count!

Ensalada de Nopales (Cactus Salad)

Ingredients:

6 cups nopales
2 tomatoes, seeded, chopped
1/8 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tsp salt
5 tbsp lime juice
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/8 tsp oregano

Directions:

Boil nopales for 5 minutes or so. You may add a bit of garlic and onion to the water during boiling so as to give the nopales more flavor. You may also add salt to taste.

Remove nopales from heat; add a pinch of baking soda until all the cactus slime disappears. The soda will cause the water to fizz and bubble as it reacts with the acidic cactus slime. Rinse nopales and allow to cool enough to handle.

In a large bowl, combine cooked nopales with tomatoes, cilantro, onion, salt, and oregano. If possible, use fresh limes to squeeze the juice over the salad.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Serve cold with crackers.

Meganr’s Cucumber Salad

The BEST kind of cucumbers for this recipe are Armenian.  The next best are those long English style hot house cucumbers. The worst are the squishy regular ones and in fact don't bother if that's all you have. Get a great cucumber and make a great salad!

English Hot House Cucumber

Meganr’s Cucumber Salad

nutrition facts

Ingredients:

4 big cucumbers

½ Sweet Onion (such as Vidalia or Walla Walla)

1 red bell pepper

2 T rice vinegar

1 t thyme

Optional: red pepper flakes to taste

Directions:

Peel and thinly slice rounds of cucumber.  You can cut them in half if you want so you have smaller half-moon pieces. 

Thinly slice the onion - as thin as you can get it.

Thinly slice the red bell pepper into rounds and then cut the rounds in half.

Place the veggies in a bowl and add the rice vinegar – Meganr does not measure this. She just adds 3-4 hearty splashes.

Add the thyme OR if you prefer some perkiness, red pepper flakes. 

Toss gently and serve.

Laura’s Italian Chicken Breast Salad

The nutrition facts for this satisfyingly delicious salad were designed at Calorie Count.

Laura’s Italian Chicken Breast Salad

serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

2 small zucchini, sliced thin & cut into half moons

1 cup diced fresh mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

sea salt/cracked black pepper to taste

3 tsp dried oregano

1.5 tsp minced fresh rosemary

1.5 tsp garlic powder (avoid powder that has MSG!)

sea salt/cracked black pepper to taste

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (serving size: 4.5 ounces per person)

4 cups arugula

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions:

Combine the tomatoes, zucchini and cheese in a medium container.  Add the oil, vinegar, salt & pepper to taste, and mix well.  Cover and refrigerate until the chicken is ready.

In a small bowl, combine the oregano, rosemary, garlic powder, salt & pepper, and mix well.

Trim the fat off the chicken breasts.  Sprinkle the oregano mixture on both sides of the breasts.  Grill until done, OR:

        a. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat the pan with olive oil spray.

        b. Once the oil is hot, add the breasts, 2 at a time to avoid overcrowding.

        c. Cook each breast 4-6 minutes per side, or until the center is no longer pink.

Once the chicken is done, let it rest for 2 minutes to avoid releasing juices.  Then slice each breast on the diagonal, creating strips of chicken.

Mix arugula and basil with the tomato mixture; arrange on a platter or in 4 individual bowls/plates.

Top with sliced chicken.

Cook's note:

I personally think that an entire chicken breast is too much meat for a serving, especially since chicken breasts seem to be growing bigger and bigger. I cook only two-three breasts, depending on size, and split them between the four servings. If you can find the nice small chicken breasts, so much the better.

Suchit's Napa Cabbage Salad V1

Suchit brought this delicious salad to my house for dinner the other day. I managed to convince her that the left overs should remain with me. :D

The nutrition facts were made at Calorie Count.

Napa Cabbage Salad V1

Salad ingredients:

1 head Napa cabbage, chopped
1 daikon radish, sliced to 1 inch "fingers"
1 cup carrot, shredded
2 serrano pepper, red preferred, sliced thinly
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Dressing Ingredients:

10 cloves garlic, minced or ground with mortar and pestle
3 T good quality fish sauce
3 T fresh lime juice
1 T sugar

Directions:

Prepare and toss the salad ingredients in a large bowl.

Mix the dressing and toss with the salad.

4jskmmom's Bean Salad

I've listed some recommended amounts below in order to get the nutrition facts set for this delicious bean salad.  If you choose low or fat free dressing, the calories will be even lower. Feel free to change the proportions as you wish for anything in this very flexible recipe!

Bean Salad

Ingredients:

15 oz can black beans, rinse and drain

15 oz can black eyed peas, rinse and drain

12 oz white or yellow corn, drain

3 petite diced tomatoes

1/4 cup cilantro - chopped (if you don't like cilantro, can leave it out)

1 jalepeno, diced

1/4 cup Italian dressing

Directions:

combine and mix thoroughly - store in fridge.

*I make very large batches as it keeps a long time - but can adjust the ratio to however you like it. YUMM!

Caroline's Curried Tofu Spinach Salad

Slightly crispy warm tofu on a spinach almond salad with mango chutney dressing. Now, what is there not to love about that?! This dish will convince even the most hesitant member of your family to love tofu. The nutrition facts (set as a main dish for two) are at Calorie Count.

Caroline’s Curried Tofu Spinach Salad

Salad Ingredients:

1 tbs curry powder

2 tsp cornstarch

1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt to taste

12-oz firm tofu, cubed

1 tbs olive oil

1 pound chopped spinach

1/3 cup toasted almonds, chopped

Dressing Ingredients:

1/4 cup mango chutney

2 tbs lime juice

1 tbs olive oil

Directions:

Combine curry powder, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl.

Add cubed tofu and combine to coat.

Saute tofu in 1 tbsp. of olive oil until it is slightly crispy on the outside, about 8 minutes. While tofu is cooking, make the dressing.

When the tofu is done, serve it over chopped spinach and add dressing and chopped, toasted almonds.

Notes from Caroline: I like eating it while the tofu is still warm.

Janice's Pear and Feta Salad

Pear and Feta Salad

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Ingredients:

1 head (or bag) of your favorite lettuce, rinsed, dried and torn into pieces (Romain is fantastic, but you may prefer red leaf or a blend of lettuces)
1 - 2 red pears, cored and sliced
1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese (or Blue Cheese)
1/2 cup pecan halves (either plain toasted or praline pecans if your calories allow)
4 T your favorite dressing (most excellent indeed are: Raspberry vinaigrette, Champagne Dressing, or Poppy Seed)

Directions:

Toss together in a beautiful serving bowl.

Fancy, fabulously easy, and festive!

Bubbles Cauliflower Salad

Enjoy this wonderful cauliflower salad from Bubbles! The terrific nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Cauliflower Salad

Ingredients:

1 cauliflower cut into little florretts (about 4 cups)
4 little green onions, whites and greens chopped.
2 cups of snap peas, freash, chopped into about 3/8 to 1/2 inch segments

Dressing:

1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3/4 tbsp brown mustard
3/4 tbsp yellow curry

Directions:

Rinse, chop, and combine the veggies in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix the dressing ingredients and then toss with the veggies.


Also delicious with a fresh tomato on the side.

Janice's Salad Pizza

The nutrition facts for this fast to fix combination of bread and salad can be found at Calorie Count!

Janice's Artichoke Salad Pizza

makes 6 generous servings

Ingredients:

4-6 oz. container semi-soft cheese such as Neufchatel in your choice of herb or garlic (calories assumes 4 oz)
12 inch (16 oz.) pre-baked pizza shell
6 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts
3 cup shredded mixed greens (do not pack when you measure)
1/2 cup quartered or halved cherry tomatoes
2 slices bacon*, crisp cooked and crumbled 


Ingredient Note:


Make it vegetarian and lower the calories by skipping the bacon.

Directions:

Spread the semi-soft cheese over Italian bread shell. Drain and quarter the artichoke hearts over a small bowl, reserving the marinade.

Combine artichoke hearts, shredded greens, cherry tomatoes, and add as much of the reserved artichoke marinade (likely about 2 T) as you like in a large mixing bowl, toss lightly. Spread the salad onto the pizza shell.

Sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Cut into wedges to serve. 

Alternatives:

Toss just the lettuces with the marinade (about 2 T) and lay that down first, then a layer of artichoke hearts, then a layer of tomatoes, and finally the bacon - makes a more precise appearance.

Have room in your day for more calories or have people in the house that insist on a more visible presence of meat? Add a couple more slices of bacon and fool them all. You'll only add 65 calories to the entire meal, but it sure looks like there's more meat - that's what I did in the photo in this article.

Skip the artichoke hearts and make a BLT Pizza! Dressing is not at all required and double or triple the bacon.

Note: 

I've made this Salad Pizza for a very long time, since my adult children were very small. I thought I had it from the Boboli pre-made shell people, and visited their website in case they needed to be credited for it. While I did not find this recipe at their website, they do have a number of pretty great sounding easy pizza recipes, so you may want to check them out here!

Meganr's Beet Salad with Pomegranate Seeds

Roasted beets are nutritious, the latest foodie craze, and delightful in this salad from Meganr. The nutrition facts can be found at Calorie Count!

Beet Salad with Pomegranate Seeds

Serves four

Ingredients:

7  beets

¼ cup  pistachios, roughly chopped

½ cup  red onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup  red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon  grated orange peel

1 cup anils (pomegranate seeds)

 2 ounces  feta cheese

Directions:

Using your preferred method, cook the beets. You can either steam or roast them until fork tender. Let the beets cool, then peel and dice into 1/2 inch cubes.

Saute the onion on medium heat for 3 minutes, then add the vinegar and orange peel. Stirring often, let simmer until liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons, 5 to 7 minutes. Let the mixture cool to room temperature before adding to the beets. You can prepare this a day ahead of time, chilling in the refrigerator until ready.

Stir the vinegar reduction into the beets and add the pomegranate seeds and pistachios. You can serve as is or serve on top of salad greens. Lightly sprinkle with the feta cheese before serving.

Meganr's Tart Apple and Celery Salad with Walnuts

The nutrition facts for this refreshing salad can be found at Calorie Count!

Tart Apple and Celery Salad with Walnuts

Serves four

Ingredients:

1 large  tart apple, peeled and thinly sliced (Granny Smith variety is great with this)

3 stalks  celery, very thinly sliced

1/3 cup  walnuts, roughly chopped

1 tbsp  champagne vinegar

2 tbsp  lemon juice, about 1 lemon

1 ½ tbsp  mustard, Dijon style

1 tsp  honey

1 tbsp  extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp  freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Make sure to keep the celery leaves as you begin to prepare the celery, as they are added to the salad. Slice the celery in half lengthwise, and then very thinly slice into half moons.

Peel the apple, cut into eights and then create very thin slices.

Roughly chop the walnuts.

Chop the celery leaves and mix the celery and apple in a bowl. If you are preparing the salad ahead of time, put the celery and apple into a cold water bath and refrigerate until a few minutes before serving time, at which point you can drain the water, pat the celery and apple mostly dry, then add the vinaigrette and the walnuts.

In a separate small mixing bowl or cruet, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, honey, olive oil and pepper and mix well.

When ready to serve, add the vinaigrette and walnuts to the celery and apples and toss well.

Sharpshootinstar's Asparagus Bacon Salad

Every single thing a calorie counter eats does not have to be low calorie. The important thing is to know what the calories are so they can be counted. You can reduce the calories by about 30 per serving if you substitute turkey bacon. Another idea is to substitute prosciutto. You can use a bit less of this Italian bacon because it's flavor is more intense. On the other hand, when a family gathering or picnic is in the works, you can't go wrong with bacon!

The nutrition facts can be found at Calorie Count!

Asparagus Bacon Salad

Ingredients:

1 package thick cut bacon
1 lb of fresh asparagus, washed and cut into bite size pieces
1/3 cup vinegar
1/2  cup sliced almonds
4 cups salad greens
1/2 tsp ground mustard, 1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

Cook the bacon till crisp in a skillet, remove and drain on paper towel.  Drain all but 3-4 tablespoons of the drippings.

Saute the asparagus in the drippings until tender-crisp.  Add vinegar, spices, and bacon. Stir and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes.

In a big bowl, toss the salad greens with the almonds.  Add the asparagus bacon mixture and toss gently.  Serve immediately.

Notes:

If you will be transporting the salad, make it right before you leave (assuming you will use bacon) in order to maintain appearance.

Janice's Lemon Veggie Pasta Salad

The nutrition facts for this refreshingly different pasta salad can be found at Calorie Count!

Lemon Veggie Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

12 ounces penne pasta, cooked til al dente

2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 lemon, juiced

1/8 t salt

1/8 t fresh cracked black pepper

2 Zucchini, diced

½ pepper, sweet red, chopped
1/4 sweet onion, chopped

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

⅓ C parsley, minced

6 ounces, Feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:

Boil the pasta per package directions, drain and rinse in a colander with cool water to stop the cooking, then place in a serving bowl.

Mix with the olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon, then add salt and pepper to taste. Poor over pasta and mix well. I’m not much of a salter, but you may be, so taste when it’s done and increase the quantity as you like. 

Add zucchini, sweet red pepper, onion, tomatoes, parsley, and feta, and mix well. 

Taste and decide if you need more salt, pepper, lemon juice, olive oil, or feta.

Chill for a couple hours covered in a fridge.

Suly's Fruity Salad and Dressing

The nutrition facts for this delicious take along salad can be found at Calorie Count!

Fruity Salad and Dressing

serves four


Salad Ingredients:

4 cups spinach or romaine lettuce
1 orange peeled and sectioned
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup pecans (or almond slivers, or walnuts, sunflower seeds)
1/4 cup water chestnuts
2 large tomatoes cut into chunks

Directions:

tear lettuce and place in bowl with all the other ingredients. Toss with the dressing below.

Dressing

Blend a little fruit spread, such as Polaner's All Fruit or Smucker's Simply Fruit with a little fruit infused vinegar (I like Pomgranate vinegar) and either oil or applesauce and a little water. Blend thoroughly. Add a little salt and pepper. You can make it as low in calories as you like by adjusting ingredients. Experiment and taste as you go until it makes your taste buds sing!

Notes:

Yse any berry you like - either dried or fresh. Not a fan of pecans? Try almond slivers, or walnuts, or sunflower seeds. Salads are awesome because they are so easily personalized!