Great salad recipe, any type (vegetable, pasta, fruit, etc.)?

I am looking for a classier salad, that i could bring to a party i am going to. Its a little more formal, kind of professional, so I am looking for something that I can really jazz up and make really fancy, but i also want it to taste really good. Does anyone have some sort of recipe like this, sort of like the dishes that you bring and their gone in 10 minutes?


sorry, I know that its kind of a difficult question, any help is appreciated. Thanks so much!Great salad recipe, any type (vegetable, pasta, fruit, etc.)?
Here's a delicious salad that all my friends like and have gotten the recipe from me so they can make it themselves.





Almond-Orange Salad


Dressing:


1/4 cup salad oil


2 Tbs. sugar


2 Tbs. white wine vinegar


1/4 tsp. almond extract


Put all dressing ingredients in small jar and shake to combine.





Salad Ingredients:


6 cups torn greens - we like leaf or bibb lettuce best


2 medium oranges - sectioned (or use canned mandarin oranges)


1 cup sliced celery - it's prettier if cut on diaganol


3 Tbs. chopped green onion or chives


1/3 cup toasted blanched almonds





Toss all salad ingredients together and then toss lightly with dressing.Great salad recipe, any type (vegetable, pasta, fruit, etc.)?
Lime Jell-O Mold





1 large box Lime Jell-O


8 ounces Cream Cheese - room temperature


1 can Crushed Pineapple - chilled


8 ounce container of Cool Whip





Drain pineapple saving liquid to use in Jell-O. Make Jell-O using the quick-set instructions replacing some of the cold water with the pineapple juice. Make sure gelatin is well dissolved. Place in fridge until semi-set. In a blender combine cream cheese and pineapple until well blended. Mix into semi-set Jell-O than fold in Cool Whip. Pour into a gelatin mold and refrigerate until set or over night. To serve, unmold onto a plate large enough for the mold.





Potluck Pasta Salad Prep: 30 minutes


Chill: 2 to 24 hours


Ingredients


3 cups dried wagon wheel macaroni, rotini or other desired pasta (8 ounces)


2 cups yellow summer squash or zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced (1 medium)


1 cup frozen peas, thawed; shelled fresh peas, cooked and cooled (page 000); or frozen whole kernel corn, thawed


1 medium red sweet pepper, cut into strips (about 1/2 cup)


8 ounces smoked cheddar cheese or cheddar cheese, cubed (2 cups)


1 6-ounce can pitted ripe olives, drained and coarsely chopped


1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved


1/2 cup chopped red onion (1 medium)


2 tablespoons snipped fresh oregano or basil or 2 teaspoons dried oregano or basil, crushed


1 cup bottled balsamic vinaigrette or red wine vinaigrette salad dressing





Directions


1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again.





2. In a large bowl combine pasta, squash, peas, sweet pepper, cheese, olives, tomatoes, onion, and oregano. Add dressing to pasta mixture; toss gently to coat. Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours.





3. Makes 16 side-dish servings





Pasta Salad with Orange Dressing


Prep: 30 minutes


Chill: 2 to 24 hours





Ingredients


6 oz. dried whole grain or plain pasta, such as penne or bow tie (1-1/2 cups)


1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained


1 cup chopped cooked chicken


1/2 a large green sweet pepper, seeded and cut into thin bite-size strips


1/2 cup thin wedges of red onion


1 orange


1 8-oz. carton light dairy sour cream


1/4 tsp. salt


1/4 tsp. ground black pepper


Milk


1-1/2 cups lightly packed arugula leaves, coarsely shredded


3 Tbsp. snipped fresh cilantro





Directions


1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta, rinse with cold water; drain again. Transfer to bowl. Add black beans, chicken, sweet pepper, and red onion; set aside.





2. Finely shred enough peel of the orange to get 1-1/2 teaspoons. Place shredded peel in bowl; stir in sour cream, salt, and pepper. Juice orange. Add 3 tablespoons orange juice to sour cream mixture.





3. Add sour cream mixture to pasta mixture; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate 2 to 24 hours. Before serving, stir in enough milk (1 to 2 tablespoons) until salad is desired consistency. Stir in arugula and cilantro. Makes 4 servings.





Fruit Salad with Cranberry Dressing


Prep: 25 minutes


Chill: 2 hours





Ingredients


2 cups cranberries


1/3 cup water


1 cup sugar


1/4 cup orange juice


Bibb lettuce leaves


2 large oranges, peeled and sectioned (2 cups)


1/2 large pineapple, peeled, cored, sliced, and cut into wedges


2 large ripe pears, cored and sliced into wedges* (2 cups)


2 kiwifruit and/or golden kiwifruit, peeled and sliced lengthwise into wedges (1 cup)





Directions


1. For dressing, in a medium saucepan combine cranberries and water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 4 to 5 minutes or until berries just begin to pop. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in sugar and orange juice. When cool, press mixture through a sieve. Discard cranberry skins. Cover and chill the dressing about 2 hours or until thoroughly chilled. (The dressing will thicken slightly as it chills.)





2. To serve, line 6 small bowls or plates with lettuce leaves. Arrange fruit on lettuce leaves. Drizzle with dressing.





3. Makes 6 side-dish servings





4. *Note: To prevent pears from darkening, brush cut edges with lemon juice.
Hey girl I have just the recepie for you. In india it is called ANAR RAITA or simply pomogranate with yoghurt.





Take some yoghurt and put pomogranate all over and mix it well. Take some more pomogranate and crush them in the Yoghurt, ie. put some of its juice in it. If needed add some sugar or salt. Quick and easy does the trick.
HAM, PECAN AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD





4 oz. fully cooked ham, cut into thin strips


1 c. broken pecans


3/4 c. (3 oz.) crumbled blue cheese


1/3 c. snipped parsley


1/3 c. olive oil or salad oil


2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed


1/2 tsp. coarse ground pepper


1/4 tsp. garlic powder


8 oz. bow tie macaroni, uncooked


Grated fresh Parmesan cheese





In a large salad bowl, combine first eight ingredients. cover and let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain; toss with ham mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve warm or at room temperature. Cover and chill any leftovers. To reheat leftovers, place 3 to 4 cups of the salad in a microwave safe bowl. Cook, covered on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until warm, stirring once.





HOLIDAY SPINACH AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD





20 oz. fresh spinach (crinkled leaf variety preferred)


4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled


1 jar (2 oz.) diced or sliced pimientos, drained


2 tbsp. butter


1/2 c. diced onion


2 eggs


3/4 c. vegetable oil


1/4 c. red wine vinegar


Salt to taste


Coarsely ground black pepper to taste


1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled





Wash spinach well under cold running water; drain and dry. Remove coarse stems and tear leaves into large bite-size pieces. Put spinach pieces in a large salad bowl. Top with cheese and pimientos. Cover bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.


Just before serving, make dressing: Melt butter in a medium size skillet. Add onion and saute until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, put eggs, oil and vinegar in a small bowl and beat with a fork until ingredients are blended. When onion is tender, reduce heat to low. Add egg mixture to onion in skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.





Distribute bacon and dressing over top of spinach. Toss well and serve immediately. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.
Potato salad always goes down well. cube potatoes and boil till slightly tender add mayonnaise sour cream shallots salt and freshly ground pepper
Sometimes simpler is better! I like to make a fresh fruit salad with strawberries, pineapple, pink grapefruit, papaya, peaches, apples, melon. Whatever is fresh and in season. Make it the night before so the fruit marinates in its' own juices. It can be served with whipped cream (on the side) or some like to put a little liquer (I don't) over it.
My faveorite pasta salad


Take some of your favorite pasta boiled and drained. add a can of six bean mixed beans. Add a can of flaked tuna,some radishes thinly sliced,some celery chopped up,some red pepper chopped small,some feta cheese crumbled, some extra old cheddar cubed,some Parmesan cheese.some salt some pepper, some garlic powder, And of course some mayo. (i like to add a little ranch dressing to my mayo.)





oh and add the beans last so they don't get all crushed up when you mix the salade and fold everything together gently.