Grigg's Mexican Cole Slaw

This recipe for a very different cole slaw comes from one of my favorite restaurants in Texas. The restaurants were family owned over several generations, we knew the daughter who ran it last, but Mr Griggs was always there to greet the patrons. This recipe is from their cookbook penned by her mother in 1968. It is a wonderful accompaniment to enchiladas or tacos.

1 small head green cabbage or 2 cups shredded (I use the shredded cabbage in a bag)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 TBS white vinegar
1 tsp salt
1-2 tsp course ground black pepper (I like more since it is key to the taste)

After cabbage is shredded, mix remaining ingredients together. Add to slaw, mix well, and chill well before serving. May be made several hours before, as is gives the flavors time to enhance.

Tomato Salad

This must be made with ripe, red tomatoes - the kind you buy at the farmer's market. It absolutely doesn't work with the hard, pink tomatoes from the regular grocery store. Which means you can only make it in summertime.

6 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup drained black olives, sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
6 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and marinate for 2 hours. Serve at room temperature.

Cool Chick Salad

A very easy version of my favorite salad from The Red Onion in Vancouver, BC.

This is super easy because if you don't want to cook anything, just buy a store-roasted chicken and remove the skin + fat.

The combination of these ingredients is what makes this salad so good. It just isn't a "Cool Chick" without the noodles and the Catalina dressing.

You will need the following:

3-4 skinless boneless chicken breasts or 1 store-roasted chicken (omit the lemon + pepper if use)
2 lemons or limes
black pepper

1 pkg washed spring greens
1 pkg washed hearts of romaine
1/2 of a small red onion, sliced into thin rings, then sliced in half
1 jar of mandarin oranges, drained
3-4 firm roma tomatoes, cut into wedges and then cut again (or whole grape tomatoes)
2 avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped into 1/2in chunks
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
2 cups crispy Chow Main noodles
1 jar of fat free Catalina dressing

Line cookie sheet with foil, place chicken breasts on foil, cover chicken with juice from the 2 lemons/limes, slice lemons/lime and also place on top, sprinkle with pepper. Wrap with foil to seal the breasts. Bake at 325 until chicken is cooked and tender. Shred chicken.

Layer the salad as follows:

bed of mixed lettuces
tomatoes
oranges
avocados
cranberries
chicken
noodles
pecans
onion slices
drizzle Catalina dressing on top

Spinach Strawberry Salad

This is a quick and easy salad that most people love.

1 1lb. bag of baby spinach
1 C. sliced strawberries
1/2 C. sliced almonds

Dressing:

1/3 C. white sugar
1/3 C. brown sugar
1/3 C. white vinegar


Mix together the sugars and vinegar in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil making sure all the sugar is dissolved and then remove from heat. Cool before pouring over salad.

Dump spinach in a salad bowl. Toss in 3/4 of strawberries and 3/4 almonds reserving the rest for the top of the salad (to try and make it look pretty). Toss to evenly distribute. Place remaining strawberries and almonds over the top of the salad.

Right before serving, pour cooled dressing over salad and toss.

When making this recipe I tend to up the amount of strawberries and almonds because the family likes it with more. And should you double up on this recipe to feed a lot of people, there is no reason to double the dressing. There is plenty. If it is not strawberry season, you can substitute mandarin oranges instead.