I just made this salad for Easter. It went over pretty well.
Wild Rice, Corn, and Broccoli Salad
2 scallions, sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 can whole corn kernels, drained
2 cups cooked wild rice, cooled
2 c. broccoli florets, steamed till tender
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 T. olive oil
2 T. lemon juice
1/4 t. pepper
1 t. dry basil
Toss first six ingredients. Mix remaining ingredients and stir into veggie mixture.
You can sub lots of things in this salad, of course. I didn't have scallions, so I used some red onion instead. I was too lazy to steam broccoli, so I drained a can of cut green beans and used those. I didn't have any cooked wild rice in the freezer, so I subbed a gourmet rice blend I had ready. Use whatever rice you like. I didn't have fresh parsley, so I skipped that. I was going to add some diced cooked bacon, but I forgot. I also used lime juice instead of lemon. The salad was a hit.
I consider recipes to be simply polite suggestions. Some of them beg to be tinkered with and bean and rice salads are ripe for experimentation.
We like seven-layer salads quite a bit too. Start with a layer of lettuce, cut small. Add whatever fresh veggies sound good like a layer of sliced cauliflower, sliced radishes, sliced celery, diced bell peppers, green onion, halved cherry tomatoes, etc. Use what's in the fridge. If you end up with more or less than seven layers, that's fine. Toward the top of the salad, slather on a layer of mayo, or mayo mixed half and half with sour cream or plain yogurt, like frosting a cake. Top that with a little shredded cheese of your choice and maybe some sliced olives, ripe or green. This is pretty in a clear glass bowl, especially if you choose veggies with a lot of color. To serve, scoop out a portion and make sure you get all the way to the bottom so you get every veggie.
