Fiesta green salad

*this salad can be served as a side, or add grilled chicken or steak for a meal*

Salad dressing:
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup cilantro

Salad:
1 can corn (I use fresh)
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1 lb mixed greens
1 avacado, cubed
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 cup shredded jack cheese
Fresh lime wedges

Directions:

For salad dressing combine all ingredients but canola oil and cilantro in a blender. Once combined, add oil and blend and then cilantro.
Next combine all salad ingredients and toss with dressing. If using meat, slice and place on top of salad. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing.

Antipasto pasta salad

This recipe is from allrecipes, with some alterations. Really, you could do so many combinations and still come out with a delicious salad.

Ingredients:

1 lb pasta
1/4 lb salami, chopped
1/4 lb pepperoni, chopped
1/2 lb Asiago cheese, diced
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 large cucumber, chopped
1 package cherry tomatoes sliced in half
1 (0.7 oz) package dry Italian salad dressing mix
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried parsley
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta to al dente, drain and set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. In a large bowl combine: pasta, salami, pepperoni, Asiago cheese, peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes. Stir in salad dressing mix and Parmesan cheese. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
3. For salad dressing whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir into salad. I served this after about 5 hours in the fridge. However, all the reviewers said it's really best to let it sit overnight. It may need a touch more vinegar right before serving.

Carne asada style steak salad

When Mainstreet grill was open (for the second time) they had the most delicious steak salad. After they closed I went into mourning over the loss of that salad. This is my attempt at making my own version.

Steak:
1-2 lb Flank steak (I normally buy one and cut it in half and freeze the other half, it's too big for just two people)

For the rub:
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp lime juice

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and rub on the steak. Let sit in the refrigerator for 30 min to 1 hour. Next, grill steak to desired doneness.


Cilantro-Lime vinaigrette (taken from our best bites) 
*This makes a lot of dressing,  I always cut it in at least 1/2
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp sugar
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup finely chopped cilatro
2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped

1. Place ingredients in a jar (I use my little blender so I don't have to chop the cilantro) and mix well.

Salsa:
*You could really use any fresh, chunky salsa recipe or store purchased one.

1 container cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/8 cup red onion, diced
1 avocado cut into chunks
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
Cilantro, as desired
1 tsp salt
Juice of one lime

*To assemble salad first place your lettuce (I use spinach, but romaine or spring mix would also be good) on the plate. Next add some freshly grated cheese, salsa, tortilla strips and sliced steak and dressing.

Chicken bowtie pasta

*recipe courtesy of studio 5

• 10oz. Bowtie pasta, boiled until tender
• 3 large chicken breasts, boiled till cooked, cut into bite size pieces.
• 2 cans mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 cups water chestnuts, drained
• 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• ½ cup honey roasted peanuts
• 5-10oz. spinach (add spinach before serving)
• Dressing
• 1/2cup oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Method:

Whisk all dressing ingredients together, set aside. Combine all ingredients except spinach. Add half the dressing, store the rest in the refrigerator. Place overnight in refrigerator in zip-lock bag. Just before serving add spinach and remaining dressing. 

*serves 12-15

Thai-Style Chicken Salad

(Yes, this is my veryown picture, although the store was out of bean sprouts.)

It's just too darn hot to turn on the oven, especially in my non-airconditioned home.  Thus I am getting creative with my cooking-- veering away from the five things I usually cook.  This recipe is from Great Food Fast (Martha Stewart Living) and I found it to be very refreshing.  Patrick wasn't too fond of the mint, which he found overpowering, but the marinade/dressing is delicious.

1/2 c. fresh lime juice (fresh orange juice would also be delicious, but obviously, omit the sugar)
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. sugar
6 T. veg. oil (I used olive)
1/4-1/2 t. red pepper flakes
2 boneless rib-eye steakes (8 oz. and 1/4 inch thick)
3-4 medium carrots (I used 1)
1 med. head romaine lettuce, cut
1 c. fresh bean sprouts. 
1/2 c. mint leaves (parsley would also be good)
1/2 c. salted peanuts, chopped

Make marinade in a medum bowl, wisk together lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes, and oil.  Season steakes generously with salt and pepper and place in baking dish (or plastic ziploc bag-- they work wonderfully for marinating). Pour 1/2 of marinade over steaks and reserve the rest to use as a dressing.  Let them marinate for 30 min.

In a large skillet, cook the steaks and medium high heat, turning every 2-3 min (I let the marinade start to caramelize and oh my, so delicious).  Steaks will be medium rare.  Transfer to aluminum foil and let sit for 5-10 min before cutting into strips.   Cut carrots into long ribbons using a vegetable peeler.  (The recipe suggests tossing all ingredients in a big bowl, but I made each salad individually.  My brother David claims that when the dressing is pre-tossed into the salad it "takes away his freedom to choose".)

Raspberry Jello Salad

I'm going to start posting our traditional Christmas foods. So, in no particular order:

Grandma Johnson's Raspberry Jello Salad
1- 6 oz pkg sugar-free raspberry Jello
1 pkg frozen unsweetened raspberries
1 can crushed pineapple
2 bananas, sliced in circles

Make Jello according to package directions. Mex raspberries and pineapple and refridgerate. Add sliced bananas before Jello solidifies (otherwise they will sink to the bottom).

CITRUS SALAD

Dressing:

1/3 cup oil (I use olive)

Juice of 2 limes

2 Tbsp orange juice

2 Tbsp sugar

Zest from 2 limes

Zest from 1 orange

Salad:

8 Cups torn lettuce (I have used Romaine, Spinach or Spring mix. All good)

1/4 red onion, finely chopped

Strawberries

1 large orange

3-4 kiwis

1/2 cup pomegranite

1/4 cup dries cranberries or golden raisins

Combine ingredients, add salad dressing and toss until well distributed.

Caribbean Chicken Salad

This salad is reminiscent of Chili's Caribbean Salad. I like this recipe very much. The dijon in the salad dressing does make it a bit spicy. Also beware of putting too much onion in the salsa. I made this for a lunch group and let the ladies build their own salads.

Chicken
2-4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, pounded
1/2 cup teriyaki marinade sauce
Seal chicken in plastic bag, cover with marinade and let sit for at least 2 hours (mine sat over night). Just before serving, grill chicken breasts to perfection and slice in strips.

Salsa
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped (could use more)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced jalapeno pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1/2 Lime

In a small bowl mix the tomatoes, onion, jalapeno pepper, lime, and cilantro. Cover salsa, and refrigerate.

Dressing

1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar (I used Splenda)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice

In a small bowl, mix the mustard, honey, sugar, oil, vinegar, and lime juice. Cover dressing, and refrigerate.

3/4 pound mixed salad greens (I used 3 hearts of romaine)
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained
4 cups corn tortilla chips

Arrange mixed salad greens on plates. Spoon some of the salsa over each salad, and sprinkle with 1/4 of the pineapple chunks. Break tortilla chips into large chunks, and sprinkle over salads. Lay some of the grilled chicken strips on each salad. Finally, drizzle dressing over each salad, and serve.