Orzo Salad

I tried this salad at my Aunt's house, and I died over the fresh ingredients. I recreated it at home, so there are no exact measurements but I don't think you can really go wrong. This recipe is more about the fresh produce than it is about the measurements anyway

Cook 1 package of Orzo pasta according to directions.

While the pasta is cooking wash some fresh spinach (I used a couple of generous handfuls of spinach) and place in the bottom of a mixing bowl large enough to fit the pasta.

Next, I chopped approx. 2 cups of heirloom cherry tomatoes in half (I love the colors of heirloom tomatoes, and mini ones are even better!)


Then chop some fresh basil (as much or as little as you like), and feel free to add in other ingredients. I think this would be good with fresh garlic, or feta cheese, some balsamic vinegar... you know what you like.

When the Orzo is cooked, drain and immediately put it in the bowl on top of the spinach and stir. The heat from the Orzo will wilt the spinach. Next add in your basil, tomatos, a little bit of olive oil, (whatever extra ingredients you would like), and salt and pepper to taste and a little bit of crushed red pepper if you want to add a little kick. Enjoy!

Bow-tie Pasta Salad

Yummy Chicken, Spinach, Bow-tie Pasta Salad!

Ingredients:
6 to 7 chicken breasts
Italian Dressing
3 to 4 boxes (1lb. boxes) of bow-tie pasta

Blend in blender for the marinate:
1 C. oil
2/3 C. Red Wine Vinegar
2/3 C. Teriyaki sauce
6 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt & pepper

for salad mix:
2 bags of Spinach (baby leaves)
red or green onions chopped
craisins
mandarin oranges
mushrooms
sliced almonds or nut of choice
mozzarella cheese

Directions:
marinate chicken breasts in Italian dressing the night before. Cook pasta night before and mix w/ marinate sauce overnight. Next day cook chicken and cut in strips or cubes.

You can add or take away from the above what you would like in your salad. The dressing comes from the marinate sauce from the pasta - yum!

Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Salad:

1 bag tender baby spinach

1/2 to 1 head iceberg lettuce, torn into bite size pieces

top with:

1/2  to 1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 to 1 cup sliced candied almonds

1/2 to 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

sliced mushrooms (opt.)

crumbled bacon (opt.)

Poppy Seed Dressing:

1 cup vegetable oil 

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried mustard

1/4 purple onion, diced

1 clove of garlic, minced

Combine ingredients in blender and blend thoroughly until all bits of onion and garlic are pretty much dissolved. Then add 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds and pulse quickly. Dressing will be slightly pink. Chill before serving. 

*This salad is DELICIOUS. The dressing one of my favorites. Sometimes I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil,  stevia/truvia instead of sugar, and slivered almonds instead of candied ones. 

Healthy Broccoli Salad

This recipe uses 1/2 C. plain yogurt and 1/2 C. mayonnaise for a healthier salad. You may also omit the mayonnaise and use 1 C. yogurt for a variation.


2 bunches broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1 small red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
10 slices bacon, cooked and cut into small pieces
1 C. raisins
1 C. roasted sunflower seeds

Dressing:
1/2 C. mayonnaise
1/2 C. plain yogurt
1/2 C. sugar
2 Tbsp. vinegar

Mix broccoli, onion, bacon, raisins and sunflower seeds, set aside. In separate bowl mix dressing. Add dressing to broccoli mixture just before serving.

Asian Chicken Salad

1 head green cabbage (sliced thinly/shredded)
3 green onions, chopped
1 can mandarin oranges (you can use a small or large can, depending on how much you want)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
4 cooked chicken breasts, chopped
1 pkg Oriental Ramen Soup
1 pkg frozen peas, thawed
1/2 C slivered almonds (optional)

Dressing (add just before serving)
1/2 C Sugar
2/3 C Oil
6 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 packet Oriental Soup Seasoning

Directions:
Combine all items for salad & toss. Just before serving, wisk together ingredients for dressing. Toss together & serve.

If you want to save some of the salad for another day, don't add all the dressing as the salad will get soggy (and you don't want that!) Also, if you want to add some crunch to the salad, top with some of the ramen noodles.

Quesadilla Explosion Salad

Whenever I go to Chili's I order this salad (right before I order the Chocolate Molten Cake that is! - Hey, does anyone have a recipe for that?) It is a really delicious salad, so I decided to make it from home and it was just as good. 

First, I marinated two chicken breasts in italian dressing for a few hours. 

Then, I made this salsa. 

Next, I grilled up the chicken and seasoned it with salt, pepper, cumin, lime juice and garlic powder.

Then , I chopped up some romaine and ice burg lettuce. I put the lettuce on a plate, sprinkled it with cheddar cheese, then loaded on some of the salsa. The sliced grilled chicken went on top. I cut up some quesadillas to put on the side, along with some tortilla chips. (at the restaurant they use tortilla strips, but I didn't want to go through the time and effort to make those when chips were just as good.) We ate it with Ranch Dressing, but next time I will attempt to find a good citrus-balsamic-vinagrette dressing (perhaps this one?)

YUM. This is a very SIMPLE, HEALTHY, EASY meal that I will be making often!

Spinach Pasta Salad

16 oz Bow Tie pasta, cooked al dente
1 (10oz) bag fresh spinach
1 (6 oz) bag Craisins
2 (11 oz) cans mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
6 oz honey roasted peanuts
Shredded parmesan cheese
2 cups cooked chicken, cut in bit size pieces

Dressing:
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
2/3 cup Teriyaki sauce
2/3 cup white wine or rice vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Blend dressing ingredients together in blender or in a bowl with a whisk. Pour over cooked pasta and marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Combine rest of salad ingredients with pasta mixture, toss and serve!

This is a little bit complicated and has lots of steps...but trust me its worth it! It is SO good and the hit of every party!

**I recommend cooking the pasta and mix in the dressing the day before.

**When I'm in a hurry I don't use chicken, parsley, or the sesame seeds.

Enjoy!

Cafe Rio Revealed

Thanks to the blog Cooking With Friends, I found all these great Cafe Rio Recipe's for 

Pork 

Cilantro-Lime Rice 

Black Beans, and

Cilantro Ranch Dressing

Enjoy!

Greek Salad

2 heads of Romaine lettuce
¼ lb. bacon-crumbled
¼ lb. feta cheese
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
2/3 cup slivered almonds (browned- I use a little bit of peanut oil)
1 package of sliced mushrooms
2-3 avocados
3-4 roma tomatoes

Dressing:
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
¾ cup vegetable oil
4 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 garlic cloves (minced)


*Note: wait to add the dressing until ready to serve
Add croûtons if desired

This salad is YUMO! Thanks for the recipe Tiff!

Patty's Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is great (and easy) for the 4th or any summer gathering. Everyone loves this. Even those who don't usually like pasta salads!

1 cup uncooked colorful spirals

1 cup bowtie

1 cup shells

1 cup penne or other pasta

Cook the noodles to al dente (overcooking will cause a soggy salad). When the noodles are done, rinse them under cold water for a few minutes to remove the starch. Let them drain while you chop whatever veggies you have. Here is a list. You can use any or all or anything you like.

cucumber

grape tomato (unchopped)

ripe olives (sliced or whole)

green, red, orange, yellow peppers

celery

green onion

purple onion

zucchini

baby peas

broccoli

cauliflower (strong, so use only a little if you use it)

Cubes cooked chicken makes it a nice dinner salad (serve it with a fruit cup!)

Toss chopped vegetables together and add to pasta in a large bowl. Add the dressing about 1/2 hour before you plan to serve it.

Dressing:

1 bottle Ranch dressing

1 bottle Italian dressing

1 cup sugar

It is helpful to make a full batch of dressing so you will have enough even if you have to sip it from time to time. Mmmmmmm

Enjoy!

Fresh Fruity Green Salad

Mixture of Romaine lettuce and Spinach

1 chopped red apple

1 chopped green apple

1/2 chopped purple onion

candied almonds

1 cup sliced purple and green grapes

1 or 2 small cans of mandarin oranges (or fresh orange, diced)

1/2 cup craisins

Dressing:

2 T sesame seeds

3 T sugar or honey

1 t. salt

pepper to taste

1/4 cup salad oil

2 T vinegar

*to candy nuts, put desired amount of nuts in a small non-stick sauce pan. Add 4 T to 1/2 cup sugar. Turn on high and stir as the sugar dissolves. Place nuts on tin foil or waxed paper and separate well. Allow to cool. 

-Ashley Haskin

Cookie Salad

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 small package of instant vanilla pudding

1 large container of cool whip

2 cans mandarin oranges

2 ripe bananas

1 apple

1 can pineapple chunks (optional)

1/2 package fudge striped cookies broken into a few pieces

*Stir pudding into buttermilk. Fold in Cool Whip. Stir drained fruit into mixture. Just before serving stir in cookie peices (to keep them from getting soft)

-Crystal Godwin

Lemon Chicken Salad

Combine:

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 T olive oil

2 T mayo

2 T grated lemon zest

1 T red wine vinegar

1/2 t. salt

1/8 t freshly ground black pepper

add:

3 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken

 1/2 cup finely diced celery

1/3 cup diced cucumber

1/3 cup finely diced red onion

slivered almonds (just before serving)

 

*Eat alone as a salad, or serve on crescent rolls 

-Ashley Haskin

Summer Berry salad

Romaine lettuce

Chicken, cooked & cubed

Raspberries

Strawberries

Blueberries

Blackberries

Almonds, toasted with cinnamon & sugar

Dressing:

3/4 C. white sugar

1 tsp. mustard powder

1 tsp. salt

1/3 C. cider vinegar

1 C. vegetable oil

1 T. poppy seeds

1-2 strawberries

cinnamon to taste

Blend together and serve over salad.

This is sooo Good!  It is similar to the Nuts & Berries salad from Zupas.  I couldn't find the dressing recipe that they use so I tried this dressing recipe and it works well with it.  Enjoy!

Artichoke Chicken Pasta Salad (from Cha's shower)

1 bag of bow tie pasta

1-2 cans of white chunk chicken

1 can of kidney beans drained

1 can of black beans drained

1 med. can of sliced olives 

3 stalks of celery chopped

1/2 green pepper chopped

3-4 roma tomatoes chopped

1 bottle of marinated artichoke hearts

2 cups of shredded parmesan cheese

Dressing - 2 packages of Good Seasons Italian dressing and mix with the liquid of just one

Mix all together and enjoy!!

Grilled Steak & Vegetable Salad

I made this amazingly simple main-dish salad tonight for our American Idol party and it was a hit!! This fabulous dish is colorfully beautiful, low-fat, low-calorie, and extremely flavorful!

*******

Prep Time: 15 min

Total Time: 25 min

Makes: 4 servings, one salad each

1/2 cup KRAFT Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing, divided

1 boneless beef sirloin steak (3/4 lb.), 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick

2 large yellow peppers, cut lengthwise in half

8 cups spring greens or torn mixed salad greens

2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onions

PREHEAT grill to medium-high heat. Reserve 1/3 cup of the dressing. Brush remaining dressing lightly onto one side of the steak and onto cut sides of peppers.

PLACE steak and peppers on grill, dressing-sides down. Grill steak 5 min. on each side or until medium doneness (160°F) and grill peppers 10 min. (Peppers do not need turning.) Meanwhile, cover four serving plates with greens; top with tomatoes and onions.

CUT steak across the grain into thin slices; cut peppers into strips. Arrange steak and peppers over salads. Drizzle with the reserved 1/3 cup dressing

*******

MY PERSONAL VARIATIONS

* I added in my own spices to taste
* I grilled ALL of my veggies
* I added in grilled pineapple
* I added in blue cheese (feta would be yummy too)
* I also gave the option of other vinaigrettes as well

Bev's Frog Eye Salad

1 ½ Cans tidbits pineapple (20 oz cans)
1 can crushed pineapple
2 20 oz cans of mandarin oranges

Drain all the juice, but save the pineapple juice

Wisk together
1 box instant vanilla Pudding
¼ cup pineapple juice
½ cup milk
½ cup sugar

Then mix in 8 oz thing of cool whip

Cook ½ box of peppe pasta (little tiny ball things) then drain and cool

Combine everything in a large bowl plus ½ a bag of marshmallows.

Refrigerate overnight.

RASPBERRY JELLO PRETZEL SALAD

1st layer:
2 cups pretzels (broken)
1 cube butter (melted)
3 T sugar

Mix and pour into a 9 X 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees seven to 15 minutes.

2nd layer:
1 cup sugar
1 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)

Beat together and spread over cooked pretzels.
Spread 18 ounces of Cool Whip over cream cheese.

3rd layer:
1 large raspberry Jello
2 cups pineapple juice
2-3 packages frozen raspberries

Dissolve Jello in hot pineapple juice. Add frozen raspberries until slightly set. Spread over Cool Whip. Refrigerate and enjoy!

Cafe Rio Pork

3 lb. pork roast
16 oz. salsa
1 can of Coca Cola
2 cups brown sugar
water

Fill your crock pot with just the roast, and fill it half way with just the water. Cook on high for 5 hours. Take the pork out after the 5 hours, and drain the liquid down the drain. Cut the roast into 3 or 4 sections and place back into the crock pot.

Puree the salsa in the blender and transfer to a bowl. Add the Coke and brown sugar and mix. Pour over the roast and cook on high for 3 more hours. Shred with a fork.

Delicious as a salad, burrito, or by itself.

Red Wine Vinegar Salad

This salad is always a hit! The dressing makes quite a bit... enough for at least 2 large bowls of salad.

Dressing:

• 1/4 C. red onion (chopped)
• 1 C. sugar
• 2 tsp. dry mustard seed
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 C. red wine vinegar
• 1 C. oil (I use Canola oil)

Blend ingredients together on high until mixture is completely smooth. Chill before serving.

Salad:

• 1 head green leaf lettuce
• 1/2 C. mozzarella cheese (shredded)
• 8 oz. pkg. broiled almonds (until golden brown)

Pour dressing over lettuce and mix together. Add cheese and almonds and mix again lightly.