Category Archives: Salad

July 20, 2010 · 7:54 pm

Summer Corn Salad

Easy and great with either corn from the cob or canned corn…

Ingredients:
2 cans of corn or 5 ears of corn (either boiled or grilled)
3 T olive oil
1 tomato, diced
Fresh cilantro, to taste
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lime, juiced

Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir well. You may want to place in the frig for a while to let the flavors mix or you can serve it right away.

What did the family think? Hubby and I liked it…very summery and fresh. Kiddos were not impressed.

from Food Network

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Filed under Salad, Super Easy to Make

July 16, 2010 · 11:36 pm

Coucous Salad with Black Beans, Chicken and Corn

This is one of those recipes that is good the first day and even better the next….

2 T olive oil
1 cup Israeli coucous or just regular coucous
Salt and pepper to taste
4 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1 can corn
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 T lime juice
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
1 large chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and sliced

1. Cook couscous according to package directions. You can also use orzo if you don’t have couscous.

2. In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add scallions and corn to the skillet, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine couscous, black beans, lime juice, jalapeno, chicken, and scallion mixture and toss to combine. Divide among for bowls and top with avocado.

Did I change anything? This recipe originally called for 1/2 lb. mushrooms to be sauteed and added to the scallions. My hubby does not so mushrooms especially not 1/2 lb. of them, so I added chicken instead. I also added 1/2 of a chopped red bell pepper.

What did the family think? Everyone liked it, but me. It didn’t seem to have a lot of taste, but I figured out how to fix it. We had some leftovers that I decided to eat for lunch the next day. I added some Trader Joe’s Tuscan salad dressing to the leftovers and it was DELICIOUS!!! I think Greek dressing would taste good with this too. Maybe add a little feta…yum!

from Everyday Food

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Filed under Chicken, Everybody Ate It, Salad

July 5, 2010 · 11:07 pm

Ranch Potato Salad

This was a hit at our 4th of July dinner…a little twist on the original and easy to make, too.

Ingredients:
7 small boiling potatoes
4 slices of crisp bacon, crumbled
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
3/4 cup ranch dressing (more or less depending on how saucy you want it)

Instructions:
Place potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain, let cool and then cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces.

In a large mixing bowl, combine potatoes with the remaining ingredients. Gently toss and place in frig for at least and hour or so.

What did the family think? Hubby and I really liked this with the ranch dressing. Yum! The boys aren’t big ranch dressing fans or potato fans so….

from ABC News

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Filed under Salad, Side Dish, Six Ingredients or Less

June 29, 2010 · 11:30 pm

Chicken and Lentil Balsamic Salad

My new favorite salad!

Ingredients:
1 cup dry lentils
3 T balsamic vinegar, divided
2 chicken breasts
1 small garlic clove
2 T olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
Fresh baby spinach
Feta

Instructions:
Combine 4 cups of water with 1 cup dried lentils. Boil for 5 minutes, then reduce to a simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Do NOT add salt to the water. Drain lentils when done cooking.

Combine cooked lentils with 2 T balsamic vinegar. Stir and chill in frig for at least an hour.

Boil chicken breasts until cooked through. When they are done, shred with a fork so it resembles pulled pork. Place in frig so it begins to cool.

To make vinaigrette: 1 T balsamic vinegar, garlic clove, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Assemble salads: place spinach in the bottom of each salad bowl, add lentils, tomatoes, chicken, tomatoes, onions, chickpeas and feta. (I had A LOT of lentils left over.) Add dressing to each salad.

Did I change anything? I ended up making twice as much dressing. It was quick and easy so it wasn’t a big deal.

What did the family think? Everyone ate it! The boys’ salads did not have lentils, tomatoes or red onions and I let them eat it with a different salad dressing, but they ate it an no one complained. They have discovered the yumminess of feta, so that helped. 🙂

from Cookie Magazine

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Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Salad

May 31, 2010 · 10:07 pm

Black Bean and Chicken Salad with Brown Rice

I got this recipe from someone I used to only know via our blogs until we ran into each other at the library one day. Anyhow, she posted this recipe on her blog the other day. It sounded awesome and right up our alley, so I made it tonight. I really loved it…I think what I loved about it the most, besides that it tasted great, is that it’s so colorful. 🙂

Ingredients:
Dressing:
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of 1 1/2 limes
1/4 tspn. chili powder
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

Salad:
1 c. canned corn
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
2 large chicken breasts, already cooked and cut into bite-size pieces or shredded

Rice (brown or white) whichever you prefer

Directions:
Cook rice according to directions on package.

For salad:
Cook the bell pepper, onion, and corn in the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until the onions have started to soften.

Add the beans and heat through for a few minutes.

In a large bowl, stir together the bean mixture and the chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir.

Gently fold in the avocado, tomatoes and cilantro.

For dressing…place all ingredients in a Mason jar. Put the lid on the jar and shake until everything is blended. Pour over salad and then gently mix it all together.

Place a serving of rice in the bottom of each person’s bowl and then spoon the yummy salad on top. Enjoy!

I am so excited that we have leftovers of this. One, we hardly ever, ever have leftovers. Two, I think this salad will taste even better tomorrow once all of the flavors have had time to blend together a little bit.

What did the family think? Hubby and I really, really liked it. Our oldest tolerated it. He ate everything, but tomatoes just aren’t his thing. The youngest ate the chicken and the rice.

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Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Salad

May 17, 2010 · 10:30 pm

Singapore Slaw

This is the perfect meal for a hot summer day. I think it would be a nice addition to a picnic lunch, too.

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
8 oz. bag of shredded cabbage with carrots
1 small can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 small can mandarin oranges, drained
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 small red onion, chopped
2 T fresh cilantro
2 T peanut oil
4 tspn. rice vinegar
1 T sugar
1 tspn. sesame oil
1 tspn. soy sauce
1/4 tspn. dry mustard

Directions:
Combine chicken, cabbage, water chestnuts, oranges, bell pepper, red onion and cilantro in a large bowl.

For dressing, in a screw-top jar combine peanut oil, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce and dry mustard. Cover and shake well.

Pour dressing over salad and stir well. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.

Did I change anything? The original recipe called for jicama. The only jicama they had at the grocery store was huge, so I opted for water chestnuts instead. I also left out the peanuts and the sesame seeds that the original recipe called for. I added the chicken so it was more of a meal instead of just a salad. Also, in the recipe above I listed the quantities that were listed in the original recipe for the dressing, but I actually doubled it.

What did the family think? Hubby and I loved it. It is really great and there are so many flavors all mixed together in there. Our oldest liked it and our youngest liked it a lot more than he thought he would. They both had water chestnuts for the first time tonight and they liked them.

original recipe from Tarah’s Food Reviews

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Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Salad

May 14, 2010 · 10:35 pm

Asian Chicken and Orzo Salad

I think people either really like Paula Dean or they don’t…I am not her biggest fan. This recipe isn’t typical of her recipes and I think that’s why I like it so much.

Ingredients:
9 oz. package frozen sugar snap peas
16 oz. package orzo, cooked and drained
3 c. diced, cooked chicken
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 T rice wine vinegar
2 T soy sauce
2 tspn. hoisin sauce
2 oz. package slivered almonds, toasted

Directions:
Cook sugar snap peas according to the directions on the package. Drain well.

In a large bowl combine sugar snap peas, orzo, chicken and green onions.

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, hoisin sauce and soy sauce. Pour over orzo mixture tossing gently to coat.

Stir in toasted almonds.

Did I change anything? This recipe called for a can of drained and chopped water chestnuts and a diced red bell pepper which I left out. It also says to serve this salad cold which I haven’t done either.

What does the family think? I really like it. It is different, but good. It is not hubby’s favorite and the boys will eat the chicken out of it.

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April 20, 2010 · 5:37 am

The Best Pasta Salad

According to Jaime Oliver this is “the best pasta salad.” I beg to differ. It was good, but definitely not the best. However, I LOVE all the fresh veggies and herbs that go into it. It is a very colorful, fresh and healthy pasta salad.

Ingredients:
11 oz. small shaped pasta
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
9 oz. red cherry tomatoes
9 oz. yellow cherry tomatoes
1 handful of fresh basil
1/2 cucumber
4 T white wine vinegar
7 T Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta per the directions on the box. Drain, rinse with cool water and place in a large bowl.

Chop tomatoes, cucumber, chives and basil into pieces smaller than the pasta and add them to the bowl with the pasta.

In a small bowl, mix the garlic, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Pour this over the pasta and toss.

Next time: I didn’t prepare the garlic like Jaime’s original recipe. I will definitely do that next time. I also didn’t put olives in mine like his recipe calls for. I might add those as well. Also, I served this as a side dish, but next time I might add some shredded chicken to it and make it a main dish. I might need to make a little more dressing, but I think it would be good that way.

What does the family think? Everyone was just sort of so-so on this dish. I am going to give it another go though and prepare it the way Jaime actually says to make it instead of doing it with all of my little shortcuts.

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Filed under Chicken, Make Ahead of Time, Salad

April 19, 2010 · 5:01 am

Asian Chicken Salad

This is a great, fast meal on a hot spring/summer day when you don’t want to turn on the oven. I have been making this salad for years, but I think I originally got the idea from one of those Kraft cookbook magazines.

Ingredients:
Lettuce greens, rinsed and dried
2 already cooked chicken breasts, shredded
11 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
Asian sesame dressing
Chow Mein Noodles, a sprinkle of top of each salad

Directions:
Divide lettuce greens between four bowls.

Divide the shredded chicken breast between the four bowls and place on top of the lettuce greens.

Divide the mandarin oranges between the four bowl and place on top of the chicken.

Wait to put chow mein noodles and the salad dressing on right before being served.

Enjoy!!!

What does my family think? My hubby and I both really like this salad. Our children will eat it as long as they don’t have to eat the Asian dressing with it.

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Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Salad, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make

April 14, 2010 · 8:55 pm

Curried Chicken Salad

If you love chicken salad then you will love this one with a twist, unless you don’t like curry, of course. It is a good dish to fix in the summer when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen. It’s also a great dish to make ahead of time.

Ingredients:
2-3 already cooked boneless chicken breasts,
2 stalks of celery
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup real mayonnaise
1/4 c. onion, finely minced
1 tspn. curry powder
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Pita bread (at room temperature)
lettuce
tomatoes, sliced

Directions:
Shred chicken in a medium mixing bowl. Add celery, cilantro, mayo, onion, curry and garlic and mix well. This would be a good time to put it in the frig to chill unless you don’t have time then it’s okay to just go ahead and serve it.

Place lettuce in pita halves with slices of tomato and then add the chicken salad. Be careful not to add too much or the pita bread will break.

Next time: I have made this several times and this time it didn’t seem like there was enough curry in it. Next time I will taste it before I serve it to make sure that we can really taste the curry.

What did the family think? Hubby and I like this dish. The boys did NOT. Usually our older one will suffer through whatever I have put in front of him at the dinner table, but he just couldn’t do it. Our youngest went and got the salad dressing from the frig, tore open and ate the pita bread and poured salad dressing on the lettuce that was in the pita. At least he ate the lettuce. 🙂

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Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Make Ahead of Time, Salad