Nothing is prettier at a summer picnic than a layered salad.  This southern favorite not only looks great , but it  tastes fresh and fabulous.  You’ll love the blend of  lettuce, tomatoes, black beans, olives, corn, onions, and bell peppers combined with cheese and cornbread-  Yum, that’s a lot of fresh taste going on!

There is just nothing boring about this salad; and to make it more fun there are no rules to making it!  Change up the layers according to your favs or what’s in your garden.

To top off this fresh summer salad, I recommend our Chipotle Ranch Dressing or our Peppercorn Ranch Dressing.  A homemade ranch will keep the fresh flavor of your salad.; it’s easy to make and so worth the little extra effort.  I promise, it will make all the difference in this salad.

Southwest Cornbread Salad Recipe

Ingredients

1 8×8 pan of Cornbread, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped

2 (2.25 oz) cans sliced olives

1 (15 oz) can sweet corn, drained

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, diced

1/2 -1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded

1 cup Chipotle Ranch Dressing or Peppercorn Ranch Dressing

Directions

In a large clear bowl or trifle dish (2-3 quart) , layer half the pan of cornbread followed  by black beans, tomatoes, and lettuce.  Pour 1/2 cup of dressing over the center of the salad (Keep it in the center so it doesn’t run down the sides of the bowl).  Continue layering olives, corn, onion, bell pepper, and cheese.   Pour the remaining 1/2 cup of dressing on the center of the salad.  Top with a layer of crumbled cornbread.  (You may have some extra cornbread depending on the size of your bowl).  Garnish with a few leftover tomatoes or veggies.  Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving.

 
Fresh asparagus is always a delicious addition to your table;  this recipe lets the asparagus  take center stage as an incredible fresh and healthy salad that will work with just about any meal.  Crisp fresh asparagus mixed with yellow squash, tomatoes, and seasoned with olive oil,  fresh basil, lemon and parmesan.   The beautiful bright colors make it pretty enough to use as the centerpiece for your table!

This fresh and delicious asparagus salad would be a beautiful addition to your Mother’s Day menu if you are cooking for Mom.  A couple other good asparagus choices to consider:   Roasted Asparagus and Goat Cheese Tarts or Shrimp Pasta Salad with Asparagus.  If you need more Mother’s Day Menu inspiration, we recently put together a list of 101 Easter Recipes that would all be perfect for your Mother’s Day celebration.

Asparagus Spring Salad

Ingredients

Asparagus, cut into 3-4″ lengths
yellow squash, seeded and cut into 1 inch chunks
tomatoes, sliced
olive oil
garlic, minced
fresh basil, chopped
lemon zest
sea salt
lemon pepper
parmesan cheese, shaved

Instructions

Blanch (place in a pot of boiling water) or steam the asparagus and squash – until just a little tender, but not overcooked (2-3 minutes).  Remove to cold ice water to stop cooking and then drain thoroughly.

When ready to serve, add sliced tomatoes to asparagus and squash.  Toss with a drizzle of olive oil,  then stir in a little minced garlic, some fresh basil, and lemon zest.  Season with salt and lemon pepper to taste.  Serve with fresh grated parmesan cheese.

Yes, it is a green salad with bowtie pasta mixed right in.   You read it correctly.  The pasta works perfectly here, not only does it taste great, but it adds a little more substance to the salad.  It is a little more filling.  This is a perfect lunch or dinner salad, if you ask me.  I have eaten it a few times in the last week or so.

Chicken Caesar Salad with Pasta

Ingredients:

Romaine Lettuce, chopped

Bowtie Pasta, cooked {or your favorite}

Cooked Chicken {I like to use a leftover Rotiserie Chicken, but any cooked chicken breasts will work}

Croutons

Parmesan, shredded

Caesar Salad Dressing

Directions:

Toss together the Lettuce, chicken, pasta, croutons and parmesan.  The ratios will depend totally on your prefrences.  The more pasta you add the more filling it will be.  Toss the salad with the caesar dressing and serve immediately.

 
Since I gave you a fabulous pulled pork recipe yesterday, it is only fitting that you have a coleslaw recipe handy to make for those pulled pork sandwiches.

Coleslaw is a favorite at summer picnics and barbecues.    It’ the perfect pairing for hot dogs, hamburgers, even fish, and of course it’s somewhat of an essential for anything with barbecue sauce.

This recipe is  a creamy, tangy, basic coleslaw recipe.  My husband’s favorite is to add some chopped apples for even more delicious crunch.

Coleslaw Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon +1 teaspoon cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon celery seed (be generous)
fresh ground pepper to taste
1 medium cabbage, shredded (or a 1 pound bag of coleslaw mix)
1  grated carrot
1/2 – 1 cup red cabbage (optional)
2 tablespoons grated onion (more, less or none to taste)

Stir together first five ingredients in a bowl until smooth.  Add dressing to cabbage and carrot mix a little at a time until well coated (amount of sauce will vary according to how much cabbage you have and how dry/wet you like it). Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Serves 10-12

If I had to choose one word to describe this salad it would be so simple – “Fresh” says it all.   Shrimp, pasta, fresh asparagus, fresh tomatoes and parmesan tossed with Italian dressing, lemon zest and fresh basil . . . Add it all together and you have one very fresh and delicious salad.

This pasta salad is perfect as a side dish, especially with grilled favorites, or just add a baguette to serve as a light summer supper.

Pasta Shrimp Salad Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups farfalle (bow tie) pasta

1 pound fresh asparagus, cut into 2 inch lengths

1/2 -1 cup zesty Italian dressing (I use Olive Garden)

1 tablespoon fresh basil

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 pound cooked large fresh shrimp (frozen works also)

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

1 cup shaved parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook pasta as directed on package, adding asparagus to the pasta for the last 3 minutes of cooking.  Rinse pasta and asparagus with cold water; drain well.

In a large bowl, combine the pasta with 1/2 cup dressing (more if needed), basil, and lemon peel.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.  You want to let the pasta soak up the Italian flavors.  {If you want less basil flavor, add it with the shrimp before serving.}

When ready to serve add additional Italian dressing as needed; toss with shrimp, tomatoes and cheese.  Garnish with additional cheese and basil if desired.

Serves 12 as a side dish or 4-6 as a main dish.