Bowtie Pasta Salad

 We are trying to make a conscience effort at our house to eat better. I found a this yummy recipe in Runner's World and changed a few ingredients and a few other things and came up with this yummy pasta salad great for a light summer timer meal.  My boys even tired some of it and thought it was ok.

2 T Olive Oil
1 small red onion chopped
1 T minced garlic
1 c mixed olives pitted(I used a bag of salad olives that I found in the produce department)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 c cherry tomatoes
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
1 box bow tie pasta cooked and drained
1 c spinach

Put oil in skillet over medium heat add onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes.  Stir in olives, lemon juice and tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook until heated and then let cool.   Put pasta in a large bowl and add cooled mixture, feta and spinach. Enjoy!!

Sarah's Salad

I made this salad for a family party and was asked for the recipe.  Sorry the picture is not the best this was taken after most of the salad was eaten!

1 head iceberg lettuce
3 strips of bacon
1/2 10 ounce pkg frozen peas
1/4 t sugar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 c shredded Swiss cheese or cut 2 1/2 ounces in strips
2/3 c. chopped green onion
1/4 c mayonnaise
1/4 c salad dressing

Wash an drain lettuce.  Dry thoroughly. Dice bacon and saute until crisp; drain on paper towels.  Run hot water over frozen peas and drain. Tear lettuce into bite-sized pieces into salad bowl.  Sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper.  Add peas, cheese, onion, mayonnaise and salad dressing. (These ingredients by be layered, if desired, with mayonnaise spread on last. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.) Chill.  Toss when ready to serve and garnish with bacon.

Chicken Pasta Salad

6 oz Rotel Pasta
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. oil
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/3 c. vinegar
3 T. sugar
1/4 t. salt and pepper

Cook pasta.  Mix dressing and add to pasta with 3 c. shredded chicken.  Marinate all together overnight.  Just before serving add spinach pieces and chopped green onions.

Flank Steak Salad and Dressing

Marinade

1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. red wine
3 cloves of garlice minced
1/4 t. rosemary
1/4 t. chili powder
1/2 t. pepper

Mix all ingredients and marinate over night and grill to desired doness.

Salad Ingredients

Romaine Lettuce
Cucumber
Red Onion
Blu or Feta Cheese
Tomatoes

Dressing

Juice from 1 lemon
3 cloves of garlic crushed
1/4 to 1/2 c. oil
1 t. salt
1/2 t pepper

Mix juice, garlic, salt and pepper while adding oil.   Beat with whisk briskly.  Cover and put in fridge for at least 3 hours.

Pear and Pecan Salad

This a really yummy salad especially for the holidays.  I got this recipe from our Relief Society Christmas dinner.  I have taken it to 2 parties since and it has been a HUGE hit!

Red Wine Dressing
1/2 c red wine vinegar
2 t poppy seeds
1 T minced red onion
3/4 c. salad oil
4 T sugar
1 t salt

Pour vinegar and oil in blender or shaker and then add all other ingredients then blend or shake.

Salad
I used romaine lettuce and spinach and added 2 red pears, crasins, candied pecans, red onion and Feta cheese.  Mix all together and add dressing right before serving.

Spring Salad

I absolutely love this salad! It has become our new family favorite and I prepared it for Prom and it seemed to be a hit. It's just a fresh spring salad with a tangy dressing.




Salad:
Spring Lettuce Mix
2 mangos - diced
1 bunch strawberries - sliced long way
1/2 c dried cranberries (if wanted, I usually leave these out)
2 kiwi
1 c toasted slivered almonds candied in skillet with 1/2 c sugar

Dressing:
1/2 c Red Raspberry vinegar (can substitute Red Wine vinegar)
1/2 c olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 c sugar

Broccoli Salad

This salad is a family favorite and is easy to make and full of lots of yummy things. (This picture is minus the dressing. )

1.5 lbs of broccoli tops
2-3 c cabbage chopped
1 small red onion chopped
1 c raisins or crasins
10 strips of cooked bacon crumbled
1 c. sunflower seeds (optional)

Combine all the above ingredients in a bowl and stir together. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Dressing

1.c  mayo
1/4c. sugar
1 T vinegar

Stir together and add to salad right before serving.

Mandarin Salad

Janae made this recipe for my family on my birthday and has since become I one our favorite salads. Even my kids will eat it. It comes from the Lion House cookbook.



2 quarts salad greens torn into pieces
2-3 ribs celery cut on diagonal
1 can Mandarin oranges drained
2-3 green onions cut on diagonal
1 c grapes (either green or red)
1/2 c pecans coarsely cut

Clean and dry greens thoroughly. Add remaining ingredients. Toss to mix well. Just before serving toss with dressing using enough to moisten lightly.

Dressing

2 T sesame seeds toasted( place in a pie tin in a 350 degree oven and brown for about 5- 10 minutes)
3 T sugar
1 t salt
pepper
1/4 c salad oil
2 T vinegar ( I use apple cider vinegar)

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Dressing may be stored in fridge. Shake well before using.

Leslie's Orange Salad

1 large head red leaf lettuce/ or 1 bag baby spinach

1 small red onion sliced in rings

2 oranges peeled and sliced

1 jicama sliced

sugared almonds

chopped fresh cilantro to taste

Dressing

3T. orange zest

1/3 c. orange juice

3 T. sugar

2 T. red wine vinegar

1/2 oil

3 T. good seasonings dry italian dressing

combine all dressing ingredients.  Toss on salad just before serving.  enjoy!

apey's chicken salad

we have a guest chef today, my sister in law apey who is such a good cook that i'm sure this will be her first of many guest appearances on our cooking blog. do you know that she has been published in martha stewart's every day food magazine?! now you're paying attention! allie i guess is also a guest chef, one of her favorite things is cooking with apey. this chicken salad is one of my favorite apey recipes, whenever she makes it she always brings me a small container of it because she loves me. when i asked her for the recipe she said it changes every time, a little of this a little of that, however much you like of each thing...so the recipe is really more just a list of ingredients.

chicken - thawed, cut into strips, cooked in EVOO, salt & pepper and then chopped

mayo - apey doesn't believe in miracle whip, only best foods will do

red grapes - halved

tabasco sauce - just a dash

lemon juice - small amount

red onion - finely chopped

celery - finally chopped

maybe salt and pepper if you want mix ingredients together and serve on sandwiches, lettuce wrapes, tortillas or rolls - great for showers!