Salad in the hope of summer coming soon

With the arrival of the time change, longer days and warmer temperatures are on the way. Let's sure hope so. I never dreamed we would have such a rough winter with so much precipitation. With that said, I thought some good salad recipes might remind us of the promise of spring.

Antipasto Vegetables

1 head cauliflower, broken into florets

1 (16-ounce) package baby carrots

1 (16-ounce) jar baby dill pickles, drained

1 (14-ounce) jar stuffed green olives, drained

2 (6-ounce) cans pitted black olives, drained

1 (8-ounce) jar cocktail onions, drained

1 (16-ounce) bottle Italian dressing

Combine all ingredients, except dressing, into a large container with a lid. Pour dressing over vegetables. Cover and refrigerate, turning occasionally to marinate vegetables.

Apple Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

1/4 cup reduced-calorie mayonnaise

2 tablespoons thawed, frozen lemonade concentrate, undiluted

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

2 medium apples, sliced

1/2 cup blueberries

1 cup cantaloupe balls or chunks

Leaf, Boston or Bibb lettuce

Combine mayonnaise, lemonade concentrate, sugar and poppy seeds; refrigerate. Arrange apples and fruit on lettuce. Drizzle with lemon dressing before serving. Suggested apples to use include Empire, Gala, Ida Red, Jonagold, Jonathan, McIntosh, Red Delicious or Rome.

Makes 4 servings.

Blueberry Salad

2 (3-ounce) packages grape gelatin

2 cups boiling water

1 small can drained, crushed pineapple

1 can blueberry pie filling

Topping:

1 pint sour cream

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water; add drained pineapple and blueberry pie filling. Put in refrigerator and let set until firm. Topping: blend sour cream, softened cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Pour over gelatin mixture. Refrigerate until serving time.

Favorite Cabbage Slaw

1 medium head cabbage

1 onion, sliced thin or chopped fine

1 or 2 carrots, diced fine or shredded

1 cup sugar

1 cup vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 cup salad oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon celery seed

Shred cabbage. Alternate layers of cabbage, carrots and onions. Top with 1 cup of sugar. Boil vinegar, 2 teaspoons sugar, salad oil, salt, dry mustard and celery seed. Pour over cabbage while hot. Cover and let stand 4 to 6 hours. Store in refrigerator. This is better after it sits 2 or 3 days. It will keep for 2 or 3 weeks.

Hot Seafood Brunch Salad

2 cups sliced celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 medium green pepper, finely chopped

1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained

1 (6 1/2-ounce) can crab meat, drained and flaked

1 (4 1/2-ounce) can tiny shrimp, drained

1 (2 1/2-ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained

1 cup mayonnaise

4 hard-cooked eggs, diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 cup buttered bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, except bread crumbs. Mix lightly. Pour into a 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle bread crumbs over top. Bake 30 minutes or until hot.

Makes 6 servings.

Parmesan Spinach Salad

2/3 cup prepared buttermilk ranch dressing

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 (8-ounce) package frozen egg noodles

4 cups fresh spinach

1 1/2 cups diced ham

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup chopped red pepper, optional

Stir together dressing and Parmesan cheese. Set aside. Cook noodles, uncovered in boiling salted water, until tender. Rinse in cold water and drain thoroughly. Place in a large salad bowl. Stir in 1/3 cup dressing. Put 1/2 of ham and cheese over noodles. Add spinach. Top with remaining ham, cheese and peppers. Spoon remaining dressing evenly over all. Cover. Chill 2 to 3 hours. Toss before serving.

Fresh Spring Salad

1 pound fresh spinach, cleaned and torn into bite-sized pieces

1/2 pound green-leaf or red-leaf lettuce, cleaned, and torn into bite-sized pieces

1 pint strawberries, cleaned and sliced

2 small cans mandarin oranges, drained

1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons minced onion, fresh or dried

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Arrange spinach, strawberries and oranges in bowl. Put sugar, poppy seeds and minced onions in cruet. Add oil and vinegar. Mix well and chill. Right before serving salad, shake well and pour over salad. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and toss salad.

My sister gives me her Illinois Country Living magazine every month, and this month there was a recipe that caught my eye. I have seen cola chicken recipes, but don't recall ever seeing root beer chicken. As much as my husband and son like root beer, I think I will give it a try.

Root Beer BBQ Chicken

1 (18- to 24-ounce) bottle Kansas City-style barbecue sauce

1 (12-ounce) can or bottle root beer

2 pounds chicken leg quarters

In a small saucepan, combine barbecue sauce and root beer. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced to 2 cups, about 25 minutes. Place chicken on a grill over medium heat. Cover and grill for 40 to 50 minutes, turning occasionally and basting with sauce during the last 15 minutes, until internal temperature of thigh registers 180 degrees.

Makes 4 servings.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.