Watergate Salad

I have no idea where my mother got this recipe. It may have been in the era of Watergate and she was just being funny. But it is a salad we had often. Usually at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Maybe because of the color? It is an easy salad I make in the summer. It is cool, sweet and fast. It is a great “take along” dish for an outdoor picnic. You can make it the night before to allow it to set up, but it should be set on pan of ice to keep cool once you arrive.

I Cup Nuts (coarsely chopped)

1 Cup Mini Marshmallows

1 Large Can Crushed Pineapple (Juice & All)

1 Pkg Pistachio Pudding Mix (dry)

1 – 9 oz. Cool Whip

Mix all ingredients together with a spoon.

Do not use a mixer

Put into a Jello mold dish and set in fridge overnight.

Turn mold out of dish onto plate and garnish with maraschino cherries.

Ginger Carrot Salad

In this recipe, it calls for fresh, minced ginger. You can find ginger in the produce section of your grocery store. It should be peeled before it is added to your salad. The easiest way to peel ginger is to use a spoon and scrape off the outer coating. You will also need to grate your carrots. You can do this by putting them into a food processor or using a box grater after peeling them and removing the ends.

2 cups unsweetened, crushed pineapple (drain, but reserve juice)

3 1/2 cups grated carrots

1 cup raisins (you can use golden or regular)

3/4 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 1/2 cup plain, fat-free yogurt

2 tsp. minced fresh gingerroot

Combined drained pineapple, carrots, raisins, coconut and walnuts. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, minced ginger and 3 tablespoons of the pineapple juice. Stir into carrot mixture. Chill for at least one hour in a covered container.

This will serve 6 people.

Shrimp and Noodle Bowl

This is a summer salad that is great on those hot days. I do not care for cilantro, so I leave it out. You could substitute Fresh parsley or basil if you prefer. If you use scallions, use the stems in place of the cilantro.

8 ounces of uncooked angel hair pasta

1 lb. cooked small shrimp

2 cups broccoli coleslaw mix

6 scallions sliced thin

1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

2/3 cup reduced-fat sesame ginger salad dressing.

Cook pasta according to package. drain and rinse in cold water. Transfer this to a large bowl. Add the cooked shrimp, broccoli coleslaw mix, green onions and cilantro. Drizzle with salad dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Using wheat pasta is a good dietary choice. Also, you can change up the dressing. Sweet Onion dressing is very good. And, you can buy the shrimp in your freezer section of your grocer. Just be sure to thaw before adding to salad as they tend to have some water in them.