Pina Colada Salad

Once a month, our neighbor offers a cooking class. Not only is she an excellent cook, but the evening is quit entertaining. It's always fun to go, not to mention tasty. Sometimes she has a recipe that just has to be shared and this is one of them. The combination may seem strange, try it you will be surprised, and it looks so pretty.

1 cup cashews (salted or raw, try it bot ways)
2 cups dried cranberries (I have used cherry flavored craisins, just make them fresh)
1 cup diced celery
2 cups diced FRESH pineapple (canned may be used but it won't be quite as good)

Pina Colada Dressing:
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup pina colada drink mix (usually found in the liqueur aisle)
1 1/2 cup sour cream (or be healthy and use plain yogurt)

Mix the cashews, cranberries, celery and pineapple together. Whisk the sugar, pina colada drink mix and sour cream together and pour over the salad. Mix well. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

If serving immediately you could also try chopped apples in it.

Fruit and Pasta Salad

This is a bit unusual, the combination of orange and pasta, but so very tasty. Of course as with most recipes there is a real recipe and then the way I make it. I will try to share them both.

1 pkg small bowtie pasta, cooked and drained.
2 oranges
2 medium apples, cored and chopped
1/2 c plain low-fat yogurt
1 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp sliced green onions
2 tbsp orange juice (I use concentrate, it makes the orange taste just a little stronger)

Directions:
1. Finely shred enough orange peel to make 1 tsp; set aside. Remove the remaining peel from orange and section and/slice.
2 Mix together orange peel, orange juice, yogurt, sugar and salt. Add cooked pasta, chopped apples and sliced green onions, toss to coat. Gently stir in orange sections.
3. Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours.

We find the green onions can overpower the flavor, so we wait until just before serving to add them. Also, if it chills for 24 hours the pasta soaks up the sauce, so we double the amount; then just before serving, we stir in the second half. I have also added more orange juice and sugar till I like the taste.
If you make it and make changes that you find make it better let me know, I would love to try it also.

Apple Salad

This is similar to a Waldorf salad. It's a bit unusual but so very simple and tasty.

2 red or green apples, cored and chopped, (leave the skin on for color)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 c. chopped nuts, almonds, walnuts, cashews or pecans, whatever you have

Dressing:
3/4 c. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp powdered sugar (use more or less to taste)
Mix p. sugar with mayonnaise one tbsp at a time, so it's to your taste.