Recipe: Fruited Wild Rice Salad, Melon, Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Mint Dressing, Yvonne's Macaroni Salad, Chicken Pecan Salad, Nutty Couscous Salad

Fruited Wild Rice Salad

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
1/3 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons honey

Salad:
1 cup uncooked wild rice
2 Golden Delicious apples, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
2 Tablespoons each minced fresh mint, parsley and chives
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup pecan halves

Combine dressing ingredients; set aside. Cook rice according to package directions; drain if needed and allow to cool. In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice. Add raisins, grapes, mint, parsley, chives and rice. Add dressing and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill several hours or overnight. Just before serving, add pecans and toss lightly. Yield: 8-10 servings.

Melon, Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Mint Dressing

1 honeydew melon
1 lb. fresh tomatoes
1 cucumber

Mint Dressing:
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons salad oil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 teaspoons chopped chives
2 teaspoons chopped mint
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cut melon into 1-inch cubes or make melon balls with a melon baller. Place melon in a large bowl. To peel tomatoes, bring a pan of water to a boil. Dip each tomato into the boiling water, count to 8 and remove. This allows you to slip the skin off the tomato almost effortlessly. Repeat with remaining tomatoes. Quarter the tomatoes and remove and discard seed and juice. Cut wedges in half again. Add to melon. Peel cucumber. Cut into 1-inch cubes. Combine with the melon and tomatoes. Combine all dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process or blend until combined. Pour over salad and toss gently to distribute dressing evenly. Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving. Mixture should be icy cold. Serves 8.

Yvonne's Macaroni Salad

1 lb. macaroni (spiral) cooked
2 cups Hellman?s Mayo ( it has to be Hellman?s)
1/2 cup sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup vinegar
1 cup celery
4 carrots, grated
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Combine all together. Keeps for 2 weeks in refrigerator.

Chicken Pecan Salad

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
Seasoned salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups skinned, cooked (roasted or grilled) chicken breast strips
3 cups thin diagonal slices celery
1 cup julienned strips fresh blanched pea pods
3/4 cup bite-size radicchio pieces
1/3 cup thinly sliced and coarsely chopped red onions
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1 cup toasted pecan halves
1/2 cup dried cranberries (Corner Bakery uses Craisins) OR cherries
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil and salt and pepper to taste.

In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients; mix well. Add dressing and toss to coat completely. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Refrigerate at least 1 hour prior to serving. Served on lettuce leaves, if desired.
Makes 2 to 3 servings.

Nutty Couscous Salad

1 (10-oz.) pkg. couscous
1/2 cp. pitted dates, diced
1 bunch parsley
1 large orange
2 Tbl. olive or salad oil
2 Tbl. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup dried currants or dark seedless raisins
2 Tbl. coarsley chopped crystallized ginger
1 (6-oz.) can salted cashews

Prepare couscous as label directs. Chop parsley to measure 3 Tbl. (reserve rest for garnish). Grate peel & squeeze juice from orange. In large bowl, with fork, mix orange peel, orange juice, oil, vinegar, sugar & salt. Add couscous, dates, chopped parsley, currants, ginger & cashews; toss to mix well. Garnish with parsley sprigs. Cover & chill if not using right away.

Makes 4 main-dish or 8 side-dish servings.