Mary Lous Mandarin Salad Recipes

SWEET COOKIE SALAD WITH HOMEMADE COOKIES AND MANDARINS

Steps:

• For the pudding: Combine the granulated sugar, flour and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the egg yolks and then the cream over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it's thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Add the vanilla and almond extracts, pour into a heatsafe bowl and cover with plastic wrap touching the surface of the pudding. Refrigerate until cooled, about 1 hour or overnight.
• For the cookies: Combine the flour, confectioners' sugar and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. With the mixer running on low, add the vanilla and almond extracts and then gradually add the butter. Mix until the mixture comes together into a dough, slowly increasing the speed once you're confident that doing so won't result in flour flying everywhere. Divide the dough in half, press into discs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight. (If you're impatient, fine, skip this step.)
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1/8 inch by 1/4 inch thick. Cut out 2-inch circles with a biscuit cutter and then use a big piping tip to cut out 1/2-inch holes from the center. (Re-roll scraps as needed.) Place the cookies on baking sheets 1 inch apart. Bake until they're just starting to brown around the edges (start checking for doneness at 12 minutes). Let cool on the pans.
• Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in a microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each. Let it cool slightly and then pour into a piping bag. Snip off the tip and then pipe 4 thick chocolate stripes on each cookie. Let the chocolate harden at room temp or in the fridge.
• For the assembly: In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the cream and confectioners' sugar to stiff peaks.
• Fold together the whipped cream and pudding in a large bowl. Crush the cookies by hand or in a ziptop bag with a rolling pin or other blunt object (reserving 6 to 8 whole cookies for the topping) and fold them in. Drain and fold in the mandarin slices, reserving some for the topping too. Top with remaining cookies, mandarin slices and sprinkles. Refrigerate until you're ready to serve.

BETSY'S MANDARIN ORANGE SALAD

Steps:

• In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the oil, vinegar, sugar, parsley, salt and pepper. Cover and shake well. Refrigerate until use.
• In a medium saucepan over medium low heat, cook and stir the almonds and sugar until the sugar is melted and the almonds are coated. Remove from heat, cool, and break apart. Store at room temperature until ready to serve salad.
• In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, celery, oranges, almonds and dressing until evenly coated.

ROSA MARINA FRUIT SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook orzo in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, crushed pineapple, and maraschino cherries to orzo.
• Combine juice from mandarin oranges, juice from pineapple chunks, juice from crushed pineapple, sugar, eggs, and flour in a saucepan over low heat; cook, stirring often, until sauce is thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and cool, about 30 minutes.
• Pour cooled sauce over orzo mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate until flavors blend, 8 hours to overnight. Fold whipped topping into orzo mixture before serving.

ORANGE JELLO SALAD

Steps:

• Mix together 4 cups of water, orange jello mix, and vanilla pudding mix in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring the whole time to keep clumps from forming. Once it starts to boil, remove from heat. Pour into a heat-resistant container (I usually use a glass baking dish), cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for about four hours. Remove from fridge and break up the jello into chunks. Place in a large bowl. Add in the pineapple, mandarin oranges, and whipped cream and mix around until everything is combined. Keep refrigerated until you are ready to serve.

MINTED FRUIT SALAD

Steps:

• Place cut fruit in a large bowl. Mix lime juice and liqueur together and pour over fruit. Sprinkle with mint and toss well. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 1 day.

MANDARIN ORANGE SALAD WITH TOASTED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Place mixed greens in a bowl.
• Lightly toast almonds in a pan on low heat (until golden).
• Top mixed greens with oranges.
• Sprinkle almonds on salad.
• Whisk the first four ingredients together in a small bowl, or place in a small jar and shake.
• Chop green onions and add to dressing mixture.
• Pour dressing over salad when ready to serve, or serve on the side.
• Optional: top with chicken strips for a complete meal.

ROMAINE AND MANDARIN ORANGE SALAD WITH POPPY SEED DRESSING

Steps:

• Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
• Place vinegar, sugar, red onion, mustard powder, and salt into the bowl of a blender. Cover, and puree on high until smooth. Reduce blender speed to medium-low; slowly pour in the vegetable oil and blend until incorporated and the dressing is creamy. Stir in the poppy seeds and set aside.
• To serve, toss the romaine in a large bowl with the crumbled bacon, Mandarin oranges, and enough dressing to moisten. Place onto salad plates and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

LOU'S MEDITERRANEAN SALAD

Steps:

• Cook green beans tender-crisp, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Cook pasta per package directions.
• Drop garlic and lemon zest into a running food processor.
• Stop the processor and add salt, pepper, oregano, parsley and olive oil.
• Pulse chop.
• Add capers and briefly pulse chop.
• Combine pasta, tomatoes, green beans, olives, and peperoncini.
• Pour dressing over pasta and toss well.
• Top with Parmesan cheese.
• Let stand for 1 hour before serving at room temperature.

MARY LU'S OVERNIGHT CAULIFLOWER PEAS AND DILL SALAD

Steps:

• Note: You can use fat free, low fat or full fat for both the mayo and the yogurt. Your choice.
• In large bowl that can be covered, combine all ingredients and toss well.
• Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving.
• When peas have thawed the salad is ready to eat. Chilling overnight allows the flavor to develop.
• Based on 1 cup servings. If using with lots of other food [think picnic] and half cup servings it can serve up to 12.

CRAB LOUIS SALAD

Steps:

• 1. Combine mayonnaise, chili sauce, chopped green pepper, sweet pickle, onion, and lemon juice blend well. 2. Add crab meat, tossing lightly. Chill thoroughly. 3. At serving time, spoon salad onto lettuce. Garnish with tomatoes, green pepper slices, eggs and pimiento.

MARY LOU'S MANDARIN SALAD

Steps:

• Cook almonds and sugar over low heat stirring constantly until sugar in melted and almonds are coated (ML always needs more sugar) Cool and break apart. Store at room temp. ******* Shake and refrigerate next 6 ingredients for sweet & sour dressing. ******* Mix next 6 ingredients with almonds and dressing. You can substitute pineapple and water chestnuts for oranges or add an extra can of oranges if you want it to go further. Serves 5