Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Salad Ingredients:

• 12 ounces dry pasta (I used farfalle)
• 1 English (hot house) cucumber, sliced and quartered
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 2/3 cup sliced kalamata olives
• 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• half of a medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• lemon-herb vinaigrette (see below)

Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup virgin olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano, minced
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 small garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoons freshly-cracked black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Whisk all ingredients together until combined.

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta al dente in a large stockpot of salted water according to package directions. Drain pasta, then rinse under cold water for about 20-30 seconds until no longer hot. Transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl.
2. Add cucumber, tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and red onion to the mixing bowl, then drizzle all the vinaigrette evenly on top.  Toss until all the ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
3. Serve immediately, garnished with extra feta and black pepper if desired.

Yield:  6-8 servings

Shared by Karren Mitchell (from:  gimmesomeoven.com)

Grandma Crosbie's Macaroni Salad

16 oz pkg medium shell macaroni, cooked, drained and rinsed
2 cups salad dressing
1/2 tsp mustard
2 Tbs sugar
1 tsp Salt (check -- may need more or less)
Cream to thin
1/2 cup chopped red onion
4-6 small stalks celery, diced
8 hard cooked eggs, chopped
Shrimp

 Mix salad dressing, mustard, sugar, and salt. Mix with enough cream to thin to a thick batter consistency. Add celery and onion. Mix with macaroni and refrigerate overnight. May need more dressing if too dry. Add eggs and shrimp just before serving.

Submitted by Karren Mitchell

CPK BBQ Chicken Salad

Ingredients

FRIED TORTILLA STRIPS
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
12 corn tortillas, cut in 1/4-inch strips
(or buy strips from Cafe Rio like I did)

GARDEN HERB RANCH DRESSING
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cold water
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 tablespoon thinly-sliced scallion including tops
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced fresh Italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon minced fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon minced dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh basil

GRILLED GARLIC BBQ CHICKEN
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons soy sauce
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (5 oz ea)
1/4 cup good-quality sweet-&-spicy barbecue sauce

SALAD
1/2 head iceberg lettuce (cored, rinsed and dried and cut into thin 1/8" strips)
1/2 head romaine lettuce leaves (separated, trimmed, rinsed, dried, and cut into thin strips)
12 large fresh basil leaves, cut into 1/8 inch strips
1 lb jicama, cut 1/4-inch by 1/4-inch by 3/4-inch strips
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned sweet white corn kernals, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 lbs fresh ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dices
1/2 cup good-quality sweet-&-spicy barbecue sauce

DIRECTIONS
1. To make the Fried Tortilla Strips: In a deep, heavy frying pan, heat several inches of vegetable oil to a temperature of 275 degrees. Working in batches to prevent overcrowding, carefully add the tortilla strips to the hot oil, submerging them with a metal skimmer or slotted spoon. Fry the tortilla strips until evenly golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully lift them out with the skimmer or slotted spoon and transfer them to paper towels to drain and cool. Set aside, uncovered. (Buy them at Cafe Rio -- sooooo much easier!!)

2. To Make the Garden Herb Ranch Dressing: In a mixing bowl, use a fork to stir together the mustard and cold water, forming a paste. Set aside for 10 minutes. Add the remaining dressing ingredients to the bowl and, using a handheld electric mixer at low speed or a whisk, blend together just until smooth, taking care not to incorporate too much air into the dressing. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. (Awesome, yummy dressing -- makes enough to use on other salads).

3. To Make the Grilled Garlic and BBQ Chicken: Preheat a stovetop grill or the broiler. In a mixing bowl, stir together the olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, and salt. Turn the chicken breasts in this marinade and leave to marinade at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Grill or broil the chicken breasts until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator. Cut the chicken breasts into 3/4-inch cubes and, in a bowl, toss with the barbecue sauce to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

4. To Make the Salad: In a large mixing bowl, toss together the lettuces, basil, jicama, Monterey Jack cheese, beans, corn, cilantro, dressing, and half of the Fried Tortilla Strips. Transfer the salads to chilled serving plates. Surround each salad with diced tomatoes and the remaining Fried Tortilla Strips. Top each salad with chunks of Grilled Garlic BBQ Chicken and drizzle the chicken with the barbecue sauce. Garnish with additional sliced scallion.

Chicken Sumi Salad

1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Flavor packet from ramen noodles
1/2 head of cabbage, shredded
4 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1 package ramen noodles, broken and uncooked
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Red seedless grapes, as desired
2 cups cooked chicken breast, cooled and shredded

Blend together the canola oil, sesame oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, and flavoring from the ramen noodles. Pour over the shredded cabbage. Add green onions and sesame seeds. Toss together. Just before serving, add ramen noodles, almonds, red grapes, and chicken.

Southwestern BBQ Chicken Salad

2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 cup BBQ sauce

1/2 head Romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 head Iceberg lettuce, chopped

1 can corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

4 Roma tomatoes, diced

2 Haas avocados, diced

shredded cheese, Mexican blend or cheddar

crispy tortilla strips

Stir shredded chicken in with the BBQ sauce until well coated. Of course you can use less or more sauce, it’s up to you! I like quite a bit since I love the smoky flavor of BBQ sauce in a salad. Toss together the lettuce, cilantro, corn, beans, and chopped veggies. Top with shredded chicken, cheese and crispy tortilla strips. Drizzle ranch or cilantro lime dressing over salad and enjoy!

*to make crispy tortilla strips simply slice about 10 corn tortillas in narrow strips and place on cookie sheet. Spray with vegetable oil cooking spray and sprinkle generously with salt. Place under the broiler and let bake until crispy and brown around the edges.

Bowtie Chicken Caesar Salad

2 bunches green leaf lettuce, chopped

1 bag Marie Calendars Fat Free Croutons
1 bag Almond Accents/ Roasted Garlic Caesar
2 Chicken Breasts, boiled with an onion and salt and pepper
2 cups bowtie pasta, cooked
4 - 6 oz. shredded parmesan cheese
Brianna’s Asiago Caesar Dressing

Toss all the above ingredients with Caesar dressing right before serving. Serves 20-25.

*I like Brianna's dressing because it is potent and you don't have to use a lot but you could substitute another quality Caesar dressing as well.

Yum-Yum Cherry Salad

This salad is so tasty it's more like a dessert...

1 - 20 oz. can cherry pie filling
1 - 20 oz. can drained crushed pineapple
1 1/2 Cups pecans (large pieces - whole or broken in half)
1 - 9 oz. carton of cool whip
1 pint sour cream
1 - 8-10 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Mix by hand (not mixer) until all ingredients are blended and refrigerate 4-6 hours before serving. Can make the night before.

Couscous Salad

This recipe is just a guideline, you can adjust it as you please. If I don't have the specific veggies it calls for I just use what I have available. It does not include meat but I like to include chicken, crab, or any other type of meat to make it more hearty.

2 C cooked Couscous - cooled to room temperature
1 Scallion sliced thin (If I don't have a scallion I like to use some sauted onion in it's place)
1 small Cucumber - peeled and diced
1 Tomato - diced
1 small Bell Pepper - seeded and diced
1/4 C Mozzarlla or Feta cheese crumbled/cubed
1 clove Garlic - minced or pressed
1 tblsp. Olive oil
2 tblsp. Red Wine or 1 tblsp. Balsamic Vinegar (I prefer the balsamic)
Basil, Oregano nd Pepper - to taste
Salt (optional) to taste
Roasted Red Peppers or Pimentos for garnish (optional) - I generally just add some crushed red pepper to the dressing

In a small bowl or cup, whisk together oil and vinegar. Mix in garlic and scallion and seasonings and set aside. Mix cooled couscous and vegetables. Add cheese and fold gently. Drizzle in dressing as you gently fold. Refrigerate until serving. Top with red peppers or pimentos for garnish.

Jeff and I really like this topped over lettuce or spinach. We line the bottom and sides of a bowl with lettuce and put the salad on top - creates a lettuce wrap feel and gives the dish an extra crunch. Enjoy!

Spinach Salad

1 bag spinach
1 bag salad greens with Red Leaf Romaine
1 small container feta cheese
1 small pkg slice almonds, candied in 2-4 Tbs of sugar
Craisins, about 1/2 bag
1 granny smith apple, diced
1/2 lb bacon, crumbled
1 bottle poppy seed dressing

Karren Mitchell

Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

1 package (12 oz) tricolor spiral pasta
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 can (3.8 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
1/2 cup fresh broccoli florets
1/2 cup fresh cauliflowerets
1/4 cup julienned yellow summer squash
1 bottle (12 oz) poppy seed salad dressing
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water.  Place in a large serving bowl; add the tomatoes, olives, broccoli, cauliflower and squash. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Just before serving, sprinkle with sunflower kernals.

Karren Mitchell