Christmas Salads

[Cindy]

Well I realize that lots of you have hot meals at Christmas but  the land down under is quite warm at Christmas. We usually have Turkey and salads and seafood. All nice.

But my salad ideas seem to be running out. I'd like something totally different. My sister in law is vegetarian so it needs to be good for her.

Any Ideas, I will need to make it three days before as I'm working and on call etc.

Cindy

[Felix]

By "quite warm," do you mean hot? Where I grew up it got pretty killer hot, and we used to make a really simple and honestly unimpressive dish we referred to as summer salad. We often grew the vegetables for it in our yard, but they're cheap and it really doesn't matter where you find them, unless they don't grow in Australia. Summer salad was pure wt, maybe 5 parts elbow noodles to 1 part chopped up tomatoes and 1 part chopped up cucumbers, and some salt and pepper and balsamic vinegar. We'd keep it cold and eat it like it was going out of style when the weather got too oppressive for us to eat normal food.

We also ate a lot of watermelon and drank a lot of tea, but those things aren't salad.

Also, the idea of "Christmas" going along with "salad" is pretty foreign to me, so I don't have anything special to suggest, just dogday stuff that's easy and feels good.

[Cindy]

30-40C warm. Then we start to heat up. Sounds a good recipe keep that one in mind, hadn't thought of noodles, good idea.


Ah! we also have Christmas cards with snow on them. I'l be wearing a short skirt and T, or a cute dress and sandals. The first thing the rellies usually say is. Is the airconditioner on? Lots of people have Christmas dinner on the beach.

It is quite foreign to the Northern Hemisphere concept of Christmas. When I came from the UK I was quite taken by the difference. It can be weird, to be polite

Cindy

[kelly_aus]

Hmm..  needing to be made 3 days in advance is a problem..

But here's an idea or 3...
Pasta Salad..
Potato Salad.. (You can leave out the bacon..)
A rough cut salsa-type deal..
Tabouleh

Grab a bag of mixed lettuce and on the day chop some tomato and avocado and mix with the lettuce.. Add a little dressing..

I'll add to the list as things come to mind..

[V M]

Hmm..  needing to be made 3 days in advance is a problem..

Yes, this is what has me stumped    Salads made three days in advance usually don't fair well

I would suggest a fruit salad with whipped cream... Quick and easy to go in 5-10 minutes...

Drain juice from 2-3 cans of mandarin oranges and 1-2 cans of diced pineapple and toss into bowl... Slice up 2-3 apples, 2-3 bananas, toss in bowl... Add bag of unsalted walnuts, bag of shredded coconut and bag of mini marshmallows... Take 1-2 containers of whipped cream and toss in bowl

Or there are all kinds of fruits you can make a salad with and you don't necessarily have to add whipped cream 

Mix and serve

[Padma]

If you can get the ingredients: avocado, strawberries, and ground black pepper. Damn fine.

[lilacwoman]

Somehow here in chilly UK salads at Xmas seems wrong because until 30-40 years ago salads were unaffordable in winter.
so we are quite happy to load up on the traditional roasts and sweet stuff. unfortunately these last couple of years I find sweet pastries and cakes give me heartburn.

[Jennifer]

Wow that's hot!   30c to 40c equals 86f to 104f. Right now it is 20f or about 23c at my house! Let it snow!

Jennifer

[Felix]

You couldn't prepare this 3 days in advance, but maybe you could get the ingredients separated into proper proportions and then bowl it up the day of. *trying to remember*

spinach leaves, slivered almonds, dried cranberries, matchstick carrots, and for everybody but me, crumbled blue cheese on top.
I think that's everything.

Last time we made this I did it with miner's lettuce instead of spinach, and it was good.

[V M]

Not sure what the grocer in your area has, But I was noticing that the grocery store here has a deli that has all kinds of salads and other things that are ready made that day    Don't want to show up with something from the market? Put your own bowl(s) and spoon(s) in the back seat beforehand 

[lilacwoman]

http://cooking.sofeminine.co.uk/w/recipe/r134/spicy-potato-salad.html


so feminine has lots of women stuff