Another Mexican Salad

I swear I come up with these all the time, but here's another one we love!  Fresh and easy, and flavorful!

Torn lettuce (we mix spring greens and spinach)
Black beans, drained and rinsed
Hard boiled eggs, chopped
Tomatoes, diced
Corn (thaw some frozen!)
Avocados, diced
Bell peppers, orange and red, diced
Dressing of your choice (I'm fond of cottage cheese, as it turns out)

Combine all ingredients and drizzle with dressing.  Easy peasy, as they say at our preschool!

Veggie Pasta Salad

3 cups tricolor rotini pasta, cooked, drained and cooled
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (NOT the kind in the green can)
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup chopped cucumbers
1 cup chopped fresh broccoli
½ cup sliced black olives
½ cup Italian dressing

Combine all ingredients.

Grilled Chicken Salad

1 cup salsa
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
6 cups torn salad greens
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 medium oranges, peeled and sliced

Mix salsa, oil, lime juice and garlic. Set aside.

Sprinkle chicken with chili powder; brush with small amount of olive oil.

Grill chicken 15 minutes or until done, turning once. Slice chicken into strips.

Place salad greens on 4 plates. Top with chicken, beans and oranges. Drizzle salsa mixture over top.

Broccoli and Pasta Salad

Adapted from Atlanta Cooknotes.

1 bunch broccoli
8 ounces ziti or rigatoni pasta
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons butter
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, optional

Cut broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Steam about ten minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Heat olive oil, butter, garlic and red pepper. Toss broccoli in the oil mixture, then pour over cooked and drained pasta. Toss mixture with tomatoes and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve immediately.

* Can also add a few cooked, shredded chicken breasts to this if desired.

Poppyseed Salad

Spinach
Romaine lettuce
(enough of the two to fill a large salad bowl)
1 bag sliced almonds
2 cans mandarin oranges
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 bag oriental ramen noodles, broken into pieces
1 bottle poppyseed dressing

Toss all ingredients; serve.

Summer Poppyseed Salad

1 large head butter lettuce, torn
Equal amount spinach, torn
1 bag sliced almonds
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 bag oriental top ramen noodles, broken into pieces
poppyseed dressing

Toss all ingredients. Serve.

Mexican Salad

1 medium head Romaine lettuce, chopped
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1½ - 2 pounds grated cheddar cheese
2 avocados, cut into chunks
1 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large package Fritos

Combine all ingredients.

Toss with 1 bottle of Catalina dressing just before serving.

Fiesta Chicken Pasta Salad

1 package Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch dip mix
½ cup oil
½ cup vinegar

2-3 cooked, shredded chicken breast halves
3/4 box garden rotini
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
2 or 3 tomatoes, chopped
Frozen corn
½ cup salsa

Mix dressing mix, oil, and vinegar in small bowl and set aside. Combine chicken, cooked pasta, beans, olives, and tomatoes in large bowl. Add dressing, frozen corn and salsa about 20 minutes before serving. Toss just before serving.

Brown & Wild Rice Italian Chicken Salad

adapted from Picky Palate

2 cups uncooked brown rice
8 ounces cooked wild rice (buy pre-cooked at Trader Joe’s)
1½ cups cooked shredded chicken breasts
3½ ounces feta cheese
10 ounces grape tomatoes, quartered
10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
½ cup Italian dressing
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
Fresh baby spinach leaves

Cook brown rice according to package directions (use rice cooker, if available – much quicker). Let cool or refrigerate. Once cool, place all ingredients except spinach into a large bowl. Lightly toss to coat. Season with salt/pepper to taste. Serve over a bed of fresh baby spinach leaves. Drizzle with additional dressing if desired.

Sweet Pork Salad with Cilantro Dressing

2-4 lb pork roast
1½ Cups Coca Cola
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Seasoning Salt

Sauce:
1 cup Coca Cola
1 cup ketchup

Dressing:
1 jar Herdez Salsa Verde (mild tomatillo salsa)
Equal amount of prepared ranch dressing
1 bunch Cilantro (optional)

10 inch wheat or flour tortillas
Shredded green leaf lettuce
Black beans, I just used canned
Cilantro lime rice (steamed rice with chopped cilantro leaves and fresh lime juice, as much as desired)
Diced tomatoes, cheese, guacamole….etc
Crispy Tortilla Strips (flour tortillas cut into thin strips and fried in vegetable oil until browned)

1. Place roast in crockpot with Coke; season with salt, pepper and garlic seasoning. Cook on low overnight, until tender. Remove roast from crockpot, discard juices. Shred pork into bite size pieces and place back into pot on low.
2. Place cola and ketchup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Heat to a low boil. Pour over shredded roast. Cook on low until ready to serve.
3. For dressing, place equal parts salsa verde and ranch dressing into food processor or blender. Add Cilantro leaves and process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. To serve: Place tortilla onto a large bowl or plate. Layer with lettuce, beans, rice, pork, dressing and tomatoes, cheese and guacamole, etc.

Roasted Chicken Salad with Mango and Cashews

4 bone-in chicken breast halves
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
½ cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
2 ribs celery, diced
½ red or orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 mango, peeled and cut into cubes (or apple, peach, grapes, pears...)
½ cup cashews, coarsely chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking dish with foil or cookie sheet with parchment.

Place the chicken in the baking dish. Coat lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Rost for about 30-35 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside and cool.

In a large bowl, combine the mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, tarragon, mustard and lemon peel.

Remove the skin and bones from chicken and shred by hand into bite-sized pieces. Fold into dressing, along with the celery, bell pepper, mango, cashews, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve on bed of greens, or on a roll, pita or wrap. Enjoy!!

Asian Chicken Salad

1-2 packages (3 ounces each) oriental-flavor ramen noodle soup mix
½ cup pre-sliced almonds
¾ cup bottled red wine vinaigrette (or make your own following the simple recipe below)
½ package (16 ounces) coleslaw or broccoli slaw mix
1 package romaine lettuce
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Break up the ramen noodles with your hands and place them and the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the noodles and almonds turn light brown, 6 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the red wine vinaigrette into a measuring cup (or make your own with the recipe below) and stir in the packet of seasoning from the ramen noodle soup mix. Set the salad dressing aside. Place the slaw mix (I only use 1/2 bag), romaine lettuce, chicken, cilantro and scallions in a large serving bowl.
Toss to combine the ingredients well. Just before serving, pour the salad dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Scatter the toasted almonds and noodles on top and serve.

Serves 4 to 6 as a main course

Homemade Red Wine Vinaigrette
Whisk together:
¾ cup vegetable oil
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon black pepper
Ramen noodles seasoning packet