taste of tuesday: chinese chicken salad

school may be starting in a week but summer temps are still above 100* and my desire to cook is close to nonexistent. we were at the pool last week and my girlfriend told me about her recipe for this salad. sounded so good I went straight from the pool to the store to pick up the ingredients. so simple. and tasty. Jack LOVED it. Chinese Chicken Salad
(Kelly Morter)

Ingredients:
for salad (add or subtract what you'd like)

• 1 head of cabbage of iceberg lettuce
• 1/4 c. cilantro
• 3-4 green onions
• 2 pkgs of top ramen noodles
• 1/2 c. sesame seeds
• 1/2 c. slivered almonds
• 2 c. cooked chicken (I made it easy and used a rotisserie chicken)
• 3 Tbs. sunflower seeds
• 1 can mandarin oranges (my addition)

for dressing:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 5 Tbs. rice vinegar
• 1 Tbs. sesame oil
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1/4 tsp/ pepper
• 1 Tbs. soy sauce
• 2 flavoring packets from top ramen (original recipe calls for chicken flavor but I prefer oriental)

Directions:

Mix all dressing ingredients together. Set aside.

Toast nuts and noddles @ 325*. (I skipped this step and just used them as is-was just as tasty. Also, I didn't have any sesame or sunflower seeds when I made it but I'm sure it would be a good addition). Toss all ingredients + dressing. Enjoy!

taste of tuesday: pretzel jello salad

Valentine's day is not a big holiday in our house. I always laugh at the crowds of people at the "one day only" roadside stands on the 14th of February with their stash of overly priced (and limp) flowers, stuffed animals, and half-deflated balloons. All a waste. But I'm always game for our annual couples date with uninterrupted adult conversation over dinner and a movie. And I like the cute little valentine's exchanged b/n the young'ins (minus all the sugar). And I like it when my husband surprises me with PS CS5. But usually, we are chill on love day and make it more of a family holiday rather than a day to sulk b/c you have no valentine. I liked how this tradition focused on family (I could do without the brother escorts. I also like this tradition even though I am not a fan of receiving flowers). Our dinner usually consists of fondue, heart shaped pizzas, sparkling cider and new this year, this salad. We usually read our love notes at our dinner, but this year I failed to get our box of chocolates.

I knew this salad would be a favorite when I saw the ingredients. Pretzels are another food group in our house. My kids inhale a bag a week. And they must be stick pretzels; they turn their noses up at anything that twists and bends. I was pleasantly surprised with this dish and will add it to my "mormon jello salads" file. Pretzel Jello Salad

(our recipe club)

Ingredients:

• 2 c. crushed pretzels
• 3/4 c. melted butter
• 2 tbsp. powdered sugar
• 1 (8 oz.) cream cheese
• 8 oz. Cool Whip
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1 lg. box raspberry or strawberry Jello
• 2 cups frozen berries of your choice

Directions:

1. Mix together pretzels, melted butter and the 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar. press in 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool. (if the pretzels aren't sticking together, you can use more butter or crush them up better)

2. While pretzel crust cools, dissolve packet of jello in 2 cups of boiling water. Add 2 cups of frozen berries of your choice. Refrigerate and allow to partially set up so it doesn't leak through the cream cheese layer and make the pretzels soggy.

2. Mix cream cheese, Cool Whip and 1 cup of powdered sugar; pour over COOLED pretzel crust. Pour jello over cream cheese layer and chill for a few hours.

taste of tuesday: dinah's asian noodle salad

with the temperature reaching into the 90's last week, I had no desire to make a hot meal. I planned a menu of no baking/minimal baking/crockpot items. it just so happened, the day I made this salad, the temperature had dropped 30* and I was wearing long sleeves and socks. my mom ate this at a wedding shower and emailed me the recipe (from my YW president). must try it if mom tho't it was good enough to pass along. I don't know who Dinah is (maybe a restaurant in CA?), but they make a tasty salad. love the cilantro. didn't love the smell of cooking sesame oil. Dinah’s Asian Noodle Salad
(Carla Coonradt)

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. angel hair pasta (you can use spaghetti, fettuccine. I used linguine)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 Tbl. Sesame oil
• ¾ tsp red pepper flakes
• 4 Tbl soy sauce
• 3 Tbl honey
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup peanuts – chopped (1/2 c. is more than enough)
• 1 bunch green onions sliced--reserve 2 Tbl for top of salad as garnish (optional)
• ½ cup cilantro – chopped
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• ½ English cucumber – seeded and chopped, not peeled
• ¼ cup sesame seeds – toasted
• Grilled chicken – chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta. Rinse in cold water, drain.
2. Heat oil and red pepper flakes until warm. Remove from heat and add soy, honey and salt. Pour over pasta. Refrigerate for several hours. An hour before serving combine all other ingredients. Stir well.

a great mayo-free salad for your summertime BBQ

* * * * *

another salad for a hot summer day: Asian Chicken Salad. brings me right back to high school, hanging out at JJ's house. (toss together: iceberg lettuce or cabbage, 1 pkg top ramen (crushed, uncooked noodles), sliced almonds, 1 can mandarin oranges, chicken (cooked and cubed), & Paul Newman's sesame ginger dressing).

taste of tuesday: mediterranean couscous salad

...

It's that kind of day...stay in your pj's (which are 2 sizes too small) until noon...run around in your underwear...pull out every toy you own b/c mom is too sick to care. I took off last Wednesday for a girls trip and have been sick since my return on Sunday. the kiddos are also sick--each has an ear infection, cough/cold, and kate is cutting 2 new teeth. welcome home me! so, I don't have a 'new' recipe for you today. I don't post recipes I haven't tried, but I felt the need to put up something new today. and something that wasn't a dessert. I figure if I post it, it will be in my virtual cookbook index and I will be more inclined to try it.

I saw this recipe and have wanted to try it for awhile. if I start feeling better and the weather gets warmer, I may whip up a batch and have a picnic at the park one evening. give it a try and let me know what you think.

hope everyone is healthy at your house.

Whole Foods Mediterranean Couscous Salad
(Picky Palate)

Ingredients:

• 1 box Near East couscous, cooked according to package
• 3/4 Cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 Cup yellow bell pepper, diced
• 4 oz container crumbled Feta Cheese
• 3/4 Cup Kalamata Olives, sliced
• 1 Tablespoon fresh minced garlic
• 1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Pinch of salt and fresh black pepper
• 1/2 Cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Place cooked couscous into a large bowl. Let cool (put in the fridge to speed up the process). Add the bell peppers, feta cheese, olives and garlic to the couscous. Mix to combine.

2. In a separate bowl whisk the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper until well combined. Pour over couscous and mix to combine. Stir in fresh parsley and serve! Refrigerate leftovers.

this version also sounds tasty

p.s. what are your feelings about Sponge Bob? Jack knows nothing of "Mr. Bob" other than his BK happy meal watch he got yesterday (another sign mom is not feeling well)

taste of tuesday: pomegranate salad

Brother Dave & Cate

the holidays are over, but I wanted to share the salad we had for Christmas dinner. everyone was kind enough to hold off the traditional lasagna dinner by candlelight until the Sunday after Christmas so we could be there. Instead of the usual strawberry and spinach salad, I tried out a new holiday salad. Pomegranates remind me of the holidays and I love to eat them, but hate the mess of seeding them. Insert Cate (isn't she beautiful?). She is currently dating my brother and is by far my favorite. First thing she did when she walked in the door was take over baby care for Ryan and Kate. She even volunteered to help change Kate's diaper and dress her for church. Bonus points for her. She taught me an easy way to seed a pomegranate: quarter it, then soak it in a bowl of water for approx 5 minutes. this makes it easier to remove the seeds. genius.

Love the crunch of the almonds and the seeds, mixed with the avocado and feta, and the light and flavorful citrus dressing. Give this a try at your next dinner party. It is very colorful and is sure to impress.
Pomegranate Salad
(wire whisk)
Ingredients:
Salad:

• 2 bunches red leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces (or any type of lettuce you prefer. I had iceberg and a bag of spring mix on hand)
• 2 avocados cut into ½ inch chunks
• 1 large pomegranate (seeds only)
• 2 pears, peeled and cut into ½ inch chunks
• 1 large red onion, sliced into thin rings (optional. dad hates raw onion so I left this out)
• 1 block of Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (I used feta instead and it was great)
• 1 bag almond slivers, toasted on low with butter and 1 heaping tsp. of sugar
• 2 cans mandarin oranges, drained
  

Dressing:

• ½ t grated orange peel
• 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 T red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 T sugar
• 1 T Good Seasons dry Italian dressing mix

Directions:

Mix the dressing ingredients and chill before mixing with the salad. Toss immediately before serving

taste of tuesday: broccoli salad

and one more broccoli recipe...

this recipe is from my sister's mother-in-law. it's a great salad for a BBQ or baby shower. just make sure you provide mints as the onion is very powerful. I enjoy it, but it reminds me of the early days of this pregnancy when everything made me nauseous, so I haven't made it in a long time.

photo from taste of home

Broccoli Salad
Ingredients:

• 2 bunches of broccoli, cut into flowerets
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 pd. bacon, cooked and crumbled (use microwave bacon-so much easier and no grease burns involved)
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
• (optional add-ins: raisins, sliced almonds)

for the dressing:

• 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 TBS vinegar
• 1 c. mayonnaise

Directions:

1. combine broccoli, onion, bacon and cheese in large bowl. add dressing and toss. chill. (tastes better when it has sat for a few hours in the fridge)

taste of tuesday: another summer salad

summer is ending and produce was on sale, thus the inspiration for our Sunday meal. we had chicken salad sandwiches, corn on the cob with lime and chili , and this delicious salad. got our daily recommended intake of fruits and vegetables in just one meal.
Berry and Avocado Salad
Ingredients:

• fresh blueberries
• strawberries, sliced
• avocado, sliced
• sliced almonds
• lettuce (green leaf, red leaf, spring mix, spinach...whatever you like)
• Briana's Blush Wine Vinaigrette

Directions:

toss all ingredients together. add dressing just before serving.

and on a side note: I'm driving to L.A. for the day to see the finale of SYTYCD with 3 of my crazy friends! what are we thinking trying to pretend we are 20-something and have no kids or responsibilities. I'll be kicking myself tomorrow after only getting a few hours of sleep. thanks to the hubby for taking the day off to play Mr. Mom so I can go on a quick road trip.

taste of tuesday: summer pasta salad with citrus herb dressing

I have referenced this salad many times and have received many request for the recipe (which originally came from Brit), but I don't have it written down anywhere. I realized this yesterday when I went to make it for our Memorial Day BBQ. So, I tho't I'd share it and get it on paper (and ready for print) so I can easily find it next time I want to make it.

Summer Pasta Salad with Citrus Herb Dressing

Ingredients:

Salad:

• 1 package pasta, any kind, cooked, drained & cooled (I like to use the tri-color spiral pasta)
• matchstick carrots
• red bell pepper, chopped
• cauliflower, chopped
• cherry tomatoes
• broccoli, chopped
• black olives
• fresh basil, chopped
• cucumbers, peeled & diced
• baby spinach
• feta cheese

*all veggie amounts are as desired and are optional (I've never used the fresh basil or cucumbers b/c there is SO much in this salad already)

Dressing (mix in quart jar)

• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup GOOD orange juice
• 1 1/2 TBSP onion salt
• 1 TBSP garlic salt
• 1 TBSP thyme
• 1/2 TBSP rosemary (I don't use this-not a huge fan)
• 1/2 TBSP basil
• 1/2 tsp. dill seed

shake until sugar is dissolved. add enough olive oil to fill quart jar. (this makes A LOT and you don't need it all for the salad-use leftovers for a spinach salad or marinade)

Directions:

Mix all salad ingredients except fresh basil, cucumbers, spinach and feta cheese. toss with dressing, adding a little at a time. I do this a few hours before I serve it b/c I find it soaks in the flavor of the delicious dressing. add the last 4 ingredients just before serving.

taste of tuesday: last summer salad

I have more interesting things to post about...trunk-or-treat, our trip to the orchard, photo shoot at Blue Diamond...but I still don't feel good and my mind is currently occupied with food. Maybe it's b/c I finally stocked my fridge for the first time in 16 days. I was conducting a little experiment to see how long we could go without going to the store and how I could incorporate some of our food storage with my every day cooking (with the exception of milk). Surprisingly, it was pretty easy and we managed to survive with some tasty meals. But, I did miss having fresh produce.

Today, my calendar tells me Halloween is only 3 days away, but it still feels like summer here. Yesterday we reached 91* and it was a perfect day at for a picnic at the park with my boys (Aaron had a nice long 4-day weekend!). I even got a little sunburn on our outing. In memory of summer's passing, last night I made my favorite summer salad to accompany our dinner of stuffed peppers.


Strawberry Spinach Salad
(from my mom)
I love this salad. It is so colorful and the folic acid and vitamin C are good for you.

Ingredients:
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. rice vinegar
1 tsp grated onion (optional)
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds

1 lb. baby spinach
strawberries
sliced almonds (optional)

Directions:
1. Combine sugar and vinegar in small saucepan over heat until sugar is dissolved.
2. Add onion, dry mustard and salt.
3. Turn off heat and add oil and poppy seeds.
4. Cover and cool in refrigerator.

Pour over spinach, strawberries and almonds just before serving. This makes enough for a couple of salads.

I also like use this dressing for other salad mixtures:

• spinach, granny smith apples, pine nuts and blue cheese crumbles
• mixed greens, strawberries, avocado and sliced almonds

I try to serve a salad with every dinner, so if you have any other favorites, please share.

chicken grape salad sandwich

photo courtesy of flickr

I got this recipe from my sister who got it from Body for Life, which I have modified to my liking. I'm not a huge fan of tuna/chicken/potato salad sandwiches, mainly b/c of my aversion to mayo. But this recipe calls for a small amount of light mayo and is really good. It's so easy to make and is a hit at baby/wedding showers I've thrown. You can prep it the night before, chill, and serve the next day. It allows he flavors to marry and tastes better 24 hours later.

Chilled Grape Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• 6-7 chicken tenders, cubed and cooked with salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup seedless red grapes, chilled, halved
• 1/2 cup seedless green grapes, chilled, halved
• 1 apple, cored and diced
• 1/2 cup LIGHT mayonnaise (do not use regular...it doesn't taste the same)
• 2 lemon, halved
• zest of 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• pita pockets or croissants
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

once the chicken has been cooked, mix all ingredients together. Simple as that. You can also add romaine or spinach leaves to your croissant/pita pocket if you like. Serve with a slice of melon and sweet potato fries or Kettle Chips: Salt and Pepper flavor (I couldn't get enough of those when I was pregnant with Jack).