Broccoli Salad

This salad is a crowd pleaser and can be made ahead, the day before the dinner party. Combine the main ingredients with the dressing just before serving time. This salad is a favourite to take to a friends place for a buffet.

3 large stems of broccoli

1 small red onion

¾ cup/175 ml raisins, soaked

1 cup/250 ml sunflower seeds

1 cup/250 ml bacon bits, fried and crumbled

Dressing:

1 cup/250 ml salad dressing

½ cup/125 ml sugar

2 Tbsp/30 ml red wine vinegar

Wash and cut the broccoli into small bite sized pieces. Cut up the red onion into small chunks and combine with the broccoli in a large bowl. Soak the raisins, toast the sunflower seeds in the oven and crumble the fried bacon. These can be prepared a day ahead. Cover combined ingredients in a bowl and place in refrigerator until serving time. In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients and refrigerate as well. Just before serving, combine the salad with the dressing and enjoy. Serves 10 – 12.

Seven Layered Salad

When company was coming, our mother would occasionally make this salad for a special dinner. This is an excellent salad for a buffet or barbecue and should be made a day ahead. My sister-in-law took my cookbook, ‘From Oma’s Kitchen’, to the Mennonite village of Waltheim in Russia. The women there made the salad from the picture displayed because they could not read English. It was a real hit.

3 cups/750 ml shredded iceberg lettuce (Washed and chilled)

3 green onions (chopped)

1 medium zucchini (thinly sliced)

2 carrots (shredded)

2 cups/500 ml sliced mushrooms

1 cup/250 ml chopped celery

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1 cup/250 ml shredded cheddar cheese

½ cup/125 ml bacon bits

1 green onion (chopped)

Dressing:

1 cup/250 ml creamed cottage cheese

½ cup/125 ml sour cream

4 Tbsp/60 ml salad dressing

½ tsp/2 ml salt

1 tsp/5 ml prepared mustard

1 Tbsp/15 ml lemon juice

Prepare all ingredients. Layer the first seven ingredients in a clear, straight - sided large glass bowl, in the order that they appear in the recipe. Mix ingredients for the dressing and cover the salad ingredients. Garnish with the cheese, bacon, and one green onion. Refrigerate overnight – or at least 4 hours. Serves 8 - 10 people Enjoy!