A couple of weeks ago, I asked for great cookie recipes and you guys really came through for me, so now I'm back.
We are hosting a party on New Year's Eve and I'm looking for a great salad to make, as well as another side dish or two. We'll have 8-10 adults and 8-9 kids.
The food needs to be dairy free and nut free, so no cheese, walnuts, etc. If the side dish has milk, I can probably substitute with soy milk, but salads with cheese sprinkled in them won't work.
Thanks! Can't wait to try some great new dishes. Oh, we are making pulled pork as the main dish.
How about blackened corn salsa or baked beans? Pineapple slaw? For a taste from the Mediterranean try mujadderah (lentils and rice topped with carmelized onions).
When I serve pulled pork at a party, I almost always make Chinese chicken salad to serve on the side. You can look on all recipe.com to see different ones that work for you, but the main ingredient is shredded cabbage, which goes really well with pulled pork. I make mine with chicken ramen packages, vegetable oil and rice vinegar, along with rotesseri chicken, but there are literally hundred of versions so you can pick the one that meets your dietary needs. Good luck!
Here's an unusual one: Israeli couscous. It's also called pearl couscous and you can find it with the rice, with the natural foods, or in the kosher section. (Sometimes small plastic bag, sometimes box, sometimes jar - so look around.) It has larger grains than regular couscous. It cooks in 10 minutes, and you can use plain water or add in some vegetable broth, or chicken if it doesn't need to be vegetarian. Drain and mix with olive oil so the grains don't stick together while you prepare the other ingredients. Then add in any of the following in any proportions, as you would for a standard pasta salad (go for color and crunch): celery, carrots, cucumbers, onions, green or red bell pepper, tomato (I use grape ones - fewer seeds and liquid), etc. You can add drained chickpeas if you like. Season with salt, pepper, parsley, and rice wine vinegar. There's no mayo as with standard pasta salads so it keeps really well on a buffet table and even at a summer picnic. Traditional Israeli couscous salads have mint with cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, but you can do anything you have on hand.
You can make this ahead of time, even the day before. The trick is to get the olive oil (with or without the rice wine vinegar at the start) in with the cooked couscous so you don't have a big sticky mess. You can served it chilled or room temp.
Hi Kase,
I was going to post my favorite salad recipe until I read the dietary restrictions and then....well....not so much. LOL. try epicurious.com. I have a friend who is a personal chef and she loves that site. I would also search foodnetwork.com.
have fun at the party. :-) S.
I like an Arugula and fresh mandarin salad, it's always a hit at our place.. for the dressing, I use balsamic,olive oil, squeeze of fresh lemon, salt/pepper, a dash of cider vinegar, and 1 tsp german mustard... I add all ingredients to taste.. you can make it a day before.. then SHAKE it up.. taste it, see if it taste right to you and BAM... yummy.. the flavors all go so well with the spicy/nutty tasting arugula and the mandarins.. get the mandarins that look really beat up on the outside, those are actually the best..
Id make the test kitchens black bean salad-Google it- and the raw chefs chopped salad-leaving out the nuts. I'd put links but I'm typing on a shattered iPad screen.
More of a dessert I guess but I've made Rainbow jello a few times and it's very festive.
http://musthavemom.com/2013/04/rainbow-jello-recipe-instr...
I make a salad that's really colorful and is always enjoyed.
There's no real "recipe", just a list of ingredients to combine.
Cook pearl couscous (Israeli couscous) according to package directions. For a group that size, you'll need a couple of cups (cooked quantity).
In a large bowl, combine big handfuls of baby spinach leaves (washed and dried), a box of dried cranberries, the couscous, plenty of mandarin orange segments (I buy them in 100% juice, not in a sugary syrup; you can also segment and chop up fresh oranges), cooked shelled edamame (not in the pods, but just the beans inside), and if you'd like, pomegranate seeds. I usually add chopped nuts, but you can omit those. Something crunchy would be nice, though, so consider pumpkin seeds or pine nuts if those are allowed for the person who's allergic to nuts. Just use your judgment about the quantities. The fruits and bright green edamame should be plentiful and vibrant.
For the dressing, I combine a little olive oil and red wine vinegar, and then add pure pomegranate juice, or you could purchase a raspberry vinaigrette dressing or a pomegranate dressing.
It's bright, and pretty, and delicious.
Here's a salsa that is different and tastes amazing.
http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/cranberry-salsa-with-cil...
Every time I serve it, it gets rave reviews. I have never made it with pumpkin seed oil, though, because I either can't find it or can't afford it. I just use walnut oil or good olive oil. Serve it with tortilla chips for dipping.
