Salads: Toss a dish for all occassions -- and for all tastes

When you think of a luxurious dinner, a salad will be part of the lineup. But with a little thought and creativity, salad can be so much more than just a first course.

Salad can be just about any course in a meal -- including the main dish and dessert. The word salad conjures up images of leafy lettuce, ripe tomatoes and a dollop of rich dressing, but one's imagination is really the only limiting factor in terms of tasty salads.

Whether it be an antipasto salad, a fruit salad or a pasta salad, versatility is one of a salad's best features. If you are in a bind, you can cover nearly any course of a meal with a salad.

In the summer, pasta and potato salads are favorites, as picnics and parties are on the schedule. They are usually rather quick to whip together, and the ingredients list won't send you to the store in a panic, trying to find an obscure form of lettuce.

Dinner salads and chef salads are light alternatives to a heavy meal. With egg, ham and a healthy serving of lettuce, cheese and tomatoes, a chef salad can be a main course in itself.

If international cuisine is your thing, there is a salad to suit you. Mexican taco salads, Asian salads, Mediterranean salads and Italian primavera salads all bring the flavor of far-away places to your dinner table, without much hassle.

You can turn just about any food into a salad -- potatoes, beans, meats, cheeses, vegetables, pasta and nearly everything else sitting in the crisper in the refrigerator.

Try the recipes on this page for everything from a BLT salad to a unique Snickers dessert salad. Or better yet, spend a few minutes in the kitchen and come up with your own recipe for a one-of-a-kind salad creation.

Salad recipes:

BLT salad with croutons

1/2 pound bacon

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil

4 slices French bread, in 1/2 inch pieces

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 pound romaine lettuce -- rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces

1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside, reserving 2 tablespoons of the drippings. In a small bowl, whisk together the saved bacon drippings, mayonnaise, vinegar and basil and let dressing stand, covered, at room temperature. In a large skillet over medium heat, toss the bread pieces with the salt and pepper. Drizzle with the oil, continue tossing and cook over medium-low heat until golden brown. In a large bowl mix together the romaine, tomatoes, bacon and croutons.

Garlic croutons

4 tablespoons butter

1 clove garlic, minced

3 thick slices French bread, cut into 1 inch cubes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saute pan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in garlic; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add bread cubes, and toss to coat. Spread on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, or until crisp and dry. Check frequently.

Snicker salad

1 package instant vanilla pudding mix

1 cup milk

1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

6 apples -- peeled, cored, and chopped

6 Snickers bars, chilled and sliced

1/4 cup seedless grapes (optional)

Prepare the pudding using 1 cup of milk; blend together with whipped topping. Add the apples, candy bars and grapes. Mix together and refrigerate until chilled.

Asian salad

2 packages ramen noodles, crushed

1 cup blanched slivered almonds

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 head napa cabbage, shredded

1 bunch green onions, chopped

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup distilled white vinegar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

In a medium skillet over low heat brown ramen noodles, almonds and sesame seeds with melted butter or margarine. Once browned, take off heat and cool. In large bowl add shredded napa cabbage and chopped green onions. In a small saucepan bring vegetable oil, sugar and vinegar to boil for 1 minute. Cool. Add soy sauce. To the large bowl add the noodle and soy sauce mixture. Toss to coat. Serve.