cool & refreshing.

as soon as summer rolls around i find myself less enthused to heat up the oven & cook. which is fine by me because i love a tasty salad... add some chicken (which i'll cook in the crock pot, or totally cheat & pick up a rotissere at the store), maybe some rolls & bam! you got yourself a meal. some of my all time favorite salad recipes are: grandma's chicken salad, a yummy bbq ranch chicken salad, taco salad, cafe rio pork salad, & a shepard's (otherwise known as greek) salad.

two more of my favorites involve spinach, popeye would be proud...

spinach salad
1 package spinach
3/4 lb. swiss cheese, grated
1 cup cottage cheese, small curd, washed & strained
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 purple onions, thinly sliced
1o mushrooms, sliced

mix & add the following dressing just before serving:

1 & 1/2 tb. poppy seeds
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 & 1/2 cups light salad oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 & 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. dry mustard

combine into jar; shake well & let sit.

sweet spinach salad
1/2 cup canola/olive oil blend
1/3 cup raspberry vinegar
2 tb. orange juice
sea salt, to taste
ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped

4 cups spinach leaves, washed & dried
1 pint strawberries, washed, hulled & quartered
1/2 cups sliced almonds, toasted or candided
1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles

combine oil, vinegar, orange juice, salt, pepper and chives, blending well with a whisk.

toss spinach, strawberries, almonds and feta in a bowl & toss with vinaigrette.

* making the salad your meal? simply add cooked chicken.

now that i've shared my favorite salads, it's your turn. what salad recipe do you love?

image via flickr.