Ugly Salad

This is one of my mom's favorites.  A good salad to serve for a crowd and the leftovers get better tasting over the next couple of days.

• 1 head lettuce (or two bags)
  
• 1 small onion or 5 green onions
  
• 1 can tiny green peas
  
• 8 slices deli-style Swiss cheese
  
• mayonnaise
  
• sugar
  
• salt 
  
• pepper
  

Tear lettuce into bits, place one layer in bottom of serving bowl. Slice onion thin and separate into rings, place 1/3 on top of lettuce layer. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons peas over onion.  Slice cheese into thin strips and put on top of peas.  Put 4-5 spoonful-sized dollops of mayo on top of cheese layer, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon sugar and a dash of salt and pepper on each dollop. Do not stir. Repeat lettuce, onion, pea, cheese and mayo layers twice more.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight. Toss just before serving.

Thai Turkey Salad

A low-calorie recipe, adapted from Sparkpeople. I tried it today and predict it will become a post-Thanksgiving specialty. Less than 200 calories per serving. Increase the ginger and hot sauce if you like it spicier.
Dressing:

• 1/4 cup nonfat yogurt
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1.5 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon

Salad:

• 1 pound cooked turkey, chopped
• 1/2 red pepper
• 2 green onions
• 1 large celery stalk
• 1 package salad greens
  

Combine dressing ingredients until well blended. Warm in microwave 1-2 minutes, stir and cool. Chop pepper, onions and celery in food processor. Mix with turkey, poor dressing over all and stir to coat. Chill. Serve 1/2 cup over a bed of salad greens. Makes 8 servings.

Black Bean Corn Quinoa Salad

A combination of a Cooking Light recipe and a quinoa salad recipe my mom clipped from the paper. If you've never tried quinoa (a wonderful and healthful South American grain), this is a great place to start. I initially tried the recipe because of its low-calorie nature, but have stuck with it for the taste. When I brought it to a church supper, several non-dieters asked for the recipe. With or without the quinoa, it's a high protein and great for a vegetarian meal. It's a flexible recipe; good with shredded chicken and tomatoes added.

• 1 pound dried black beans.
• 2 cans corn, drained
• 2 sweet peppers (red, yellow or green)
• 1 large vidalia onion
• 1-2 cups cooked quinoa, optional

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 2 tbsp green salsa
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1.5 tsp ground cumin
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro

Soak black beans overnight, then cook according to package directions. Drain and cool.
Chop onion and peppers, add to beans along with canned corn and quinoa.
Mix lime juice, olive oil and salsa with spices in jar, cover and shake until blended. Pour over salad and chill in refrigerator several hours or overnight.
Serve as a salad, stuffed into tomatoes or peppers, wrapped in tortillas or as a dip with chips.