Apple Pecan Chicken Salad

 2/3 of a Costco rotisserie chicken-cut into 1/2 pieces
1 peeled and chopped apple
3/4 c. chopped pecans
3 stalks celery-diced 
1/3 c. mayonaise
1/4 c. greek yogurt
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 t. mustard

Put your chicken into a bowl.  In a separate bowl mix your mayonnaise, yogurt, apple cider vinegar and mustard. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix together.  This salad is great with croissants, toasted sour dough, or other bread, or eaten as a salad.  It will keep nicely in the fridge for several days.

*This is an adapted recipe of Annie's Chicken Salad

Pina Colada Salad

 My friend made this salad for dinner when we were at their house and I LOVED it and have made it for so many of my family and friends. 

1-2 heads green leaf or Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 1/2 c. fresh pineapple, cut in chunks
1 container blueberries
1 c. strawberries, sliced
1 c. toasted coconut
1/2 c. macadamia nuts, chopped 
Assemble salad in a large bowl. 
Vinaigrette:
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. pina colada drink mix
1/3 c. apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 t. dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/4 c. vegetable oil

In a blender combine all ingredients except oil, after blended, slowly add oil until well incorporated. 

Add vinaigrette to salad and toss to combine or serve vinaigrette on the side.

*You can always add or subtract things from this recipe. I don't always add both strawberries and blueberries, sometimes just one, but always fresh pineapple. It's also good to substitute raspberries, blackberries, or sliced almonds.

Coleslaw

Here is an old favorite recipe from my childhood.  Every Sunday before church my mom (Nell Andersen) would have each of us kids make something for dinner. It was so easy because everyone did their part and our Sunday dinners were the best!  This was one of our Sunday dinner favorites.  I just found it in a pile of papers and had to post it.  I will be making it soon and post a picture.

1/2 head grated green cabbage
1 small can crushed pineapple-drained
2-3 bananas cut up

Dressing:
1/2 c. salad dressing
1 c. cream or milk
2 T. Sugar

Mix well and pour over salad and stir.

Cafe Rio Chicken

My good friend, Kandas, shared this yummy copycat Cafe Rio chicken recipe that we loved.  We usually get the pork when we go, but now I think I might like the chicken better. 

1/4 cup Olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
juice from two limes
1 1/2 t. black pepper
6 T. soy sauce
6 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. salt
2 cloves of garlic, minced
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Blend all ingredients in a large resealable bag.  Place the chicken in and shake.  Marinade for 6 hours, but no longer, or the citrus juice will toughen the chicken.  Rotate the bag to get complete sides of chicken.  Grill.  Cut into strips.  Serve in burritos topped with rice, beans, cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo, and lime juice or over salads with Romaine lettuce and the previous toppings. 

Cafe Rio Dressing

Dressing

1 ranch dressing packet
½ C. buttermilk
½ C. Sour Cream
1C. Mayo
2 Tomatillos
1jalapeno I took the seeds out first
½ bunch cilantro
1-3 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lime

Mix in blender and refrigerate 1 hour

California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chicken Salad

Grilled BBQ Chicken

½ T. olive oil

½ T. minced garlic

2 t. soy sauce

2 t. salt

4 boneless chicken breasts

¼ c. Winger’s bbq sauce or bbq sauce (recipe below)

Combine olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, salt.  Place with chicken breasts in a gallon zip loc bag and marinate at least 15 minutes.  Grill chicken and cut into ¾ inch chunks.  Toss with bbq sauce.  Refrigerate.

BBQ Sauce

1 c. brown sugar

½ c. Franks Hot Sauce

Stir while heating on stove until sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool.

Salad

½ head iceberg lettuce

½ head romaine lettuce

12 large basil leaves—cut in ¼  inch strips.

1 lb jicama—cut in ¼ by ¼ by ¾ inch strips

3 T. chopped cilantro

2 lbs fresh tomatoes—cut into ½ inch chunks

2 c. shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

1 can black beans—drained

1 can sweet white corn kernels—drained

½ c. bbq sauce (recipe above)

1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing—made according to pkg. directions
Tortilla Strips (Usually found near the croutons)

In a large salad bowl combine iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, basil, jicama, cilantro.  Serve with tomatoes, cheese, beans, corn and fried tortilla strips.  Drizzle with  sauce, ranch dressing, and tortilla strips.

Oriental Chicken Salad

My mom used to make this when I was younger and I loved it. Every time I make it I wonder why I don't make it more. So good! You can make this recipe according to the size of your family. This is really easy to throw together on a weeknight.

baby spinach
mandarin oranges
sliced almonds, toasted or untoasted
grilled chicken
chow mien noodles
Girard's Oriental salad dressing, usually found at WinCo or since I don't have a WinCo here I make the recipe found below.
Combine ingredients and drizzle dressing over top.

Oriental Dressing
1 c. vegetable or canola oil
2/3 c. rice vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
1/2 t. garlic powder
2 t. salt
1/2 c. sugar
Combine and mix well. I like to pour into a bottle so that you can shake it up easily when you're ready to serve.
Yield: 6 servings for dressing
dressing recipe from: www.makeit-loveit.com

copycat PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps

This recipe does take a little bit of time, but the results are pretty amazing and so close to the flavor of the PF Chang’s lettuce wraps.

pouring sauce:

•      ½ cup warm water

•      ¼ cup sugar

•      2 tablespoons soy sauce

•      2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

•      2 tablespoons ketchup

•      1 tablespoon lemon juice

•      1/8 teaspoon sesame oil

•      1 teaspoon hot water

•      1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

•      2 cloves garlic, minced

•      2 tablespoons soy sauce

•      2 tablespoons brown sugar

•      ½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar

•      2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

•      2 tablespoons sesame oil

•      2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed to ½″

•      1 – 8oz can sliced water chestnuts, minced to the size of corn kernels

•      ½ cup mushrooms, minced to the size of corn kernels

•      ½ onion, chopped fine

•      3 cloves garlic, minced fine

•      1-2 heads iceberg lettuce, pull off leaves of lettuce

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in ½ cup warm water, then add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil. Mix well and throw in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.

Just before serving, combine 1 teaspoons hot water with Dijon mustard and garlic and mix in small bowl. Add to the pouring sauce, ½ a teaspoon at time to taste.

stir-fry sauce:

Prep the stir-fry sauce by mixing soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar in a small bowl.

stir-fry:

Combine oils and add to wok or large frying pan. Heat oil over high heat until it glistens, about one minute. Add chicken and sauté until mostly cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Turn the heat under the wok down to medium-high. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, wait one minute, and then add garlic, onions, water chestnuts, mushrooms, and the stir-fry sauce you prepared earlier. Stir-fry everything until the mushrooms have cooked through, about 4 minutes, and remove to a serving dish.

Serve stir-fry with iceberg lettuce or Napa cabbage leaf wraps and top with pouring sauce.

Recipe from: www.wasabimon.com

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Pear & Pomegranate Christmas Salad

Several years ago, my husband and I went to a fancy dinner where they served a delicious spinach salad with pears on it. I LOVED IT! I found this recipe for a Christmas salad (red and green from the pomegranates and pears). I made this salad for a couple of Christmas dinners this year. We loved it!

1 bag Spinach
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
2 whole green pears, thinly sliced
1/4 c bleu cheese, crumbled
arils from one pomegranate
2 Tablespoons candied nuts (almonds, pecans, or walnuts) roughly chopped

Combine ingredients. Serve with your favorite vinaigrette. We used Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette, but it would also be good with raspberry or pomegranate vinaigrette.

Recipe modified from Tasty Kitchen

Grape Salad

This is a great recipe from my book club friend, Davyne. I have tried several grape salads and this is by far my favorite.

2 lbs. each red and green seedless grapes (wash and then dry) (made only with red grapes in the picture seen above)

8 oz. sour cream

8 oz. cream cheese

1/3 C. powdered Sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3 Tbl. Brown sugar

chopped pecans

Mix together the sour cream and cream cheese. Then add 1/3 cup powdered sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla. Continue mixing until nice and smooth

Fold in the grapes and chill. Right before serving sprinkle the brown sugar over the top and then sprinkle with the chopped pecans.

Spinach Mandarin Poppy Seed Salad

While I was going to school, I had a salad very similar to this at various activities because the school's catering service makes it. I adapted a recipe I found from Our Best Bites to come up with this great salad.
6-8 oz. bag of baby spinach

1 bag Romaine lettuce, chopped

1/4 thinly sliced small red onion

8 oz. mozzarella, freshly shredded

8-10 oz. Hormel Real Crumbled Bacon (found at most grocery stores and big bags found at Sam's Club.)

1 large can Mandarin oranges, drained

3/4 c. candied walnuts

poppy seed dressing to taste

Combine all ingredients except dressing in a large bowl. When ready to serve, toss with desired amount of salad dressing and serve immediately. If you anticipate leftovers, just let your eaters dress their own salads because the dressing will make the salad wilt.

Poppy Seed Dressing

1/3 c. white vinegar

1 t. Kosher salt

A few turns of freshly ground black pepper

3/4 c. sugar

1 t. mustard

1 green onion, both ends removed

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1 t. poppy seeds

In a blender, combine vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, and mustard. While the blender is running, add the green onion, Continue running the blender and add the oil. Whisk in the poppy seeds. Serve over salad.

Chinese Chicken Salad

I have always loved this salad, and everyone that tries it loves it too.
Marinade 2 cut up cooked chicken breasts in:
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup soy sauce
*I marinaded mine for a few hours and it was perfect.

Dressing:
1 cup vegetable oil
3 T. sugar
6 T. rice vinegar
1 t. pepper
2 t. salt
2 t. Accent
Mix dressing ingredients together.

1 head cabbage-chopped
1/2 cup slices almonds
green onions-just use as many as you like, but not too many or it will be very strong.
1/4 cup sesame seeds (optional)
2 pkg. dry ramen noodles (without seasoning packet
Mix all ingredients together. If you're making this salad a day before serving, add the noodles the day of so that they will be crunchier. Yum!

Cafe Rio Pork Barbicoa

Sweet Pork

3 lbs rump roast
1 C dark br. Sugar
1 C. Worcestershire Sauce
1tsp. Oregano
1tsp. Powdered ginger
1tsp. salt
1tsp. chili powder
1tsp. garlic powder
2Tbsp minced onions

Cook in a crock pot all day on low. 1 hour before serving shred pork and discard juice.
Add:
1 c dark brown sugar
1 C. red enchilada sauce


Lime Rice

1C. rice
2C. chicken broth
1Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 Tbs. garlic powder
1Tbs. minced onion

Bring to a boil and then simmer covered for 15 minutes or until rice is
done.


Dressing

1 ranch dressing packet
½ C. buttermilk
½ C. Sour Cream
1C. Mayo
2 Tomatillos
1jalapeno I took the seeds out first
½ bunch cilantro
1-3 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lime

Mix in blender and refrigerate 1 hour


Put together like burritos with black beans, rice, meat, romaine lettuce,
tortilla strips, sauce wrapped in flour tortillas
--or--
Serve as a salad.

This freezes really well.

Grandma's Strawberry Spinach Salad

Strawberries
Spinach
Poppy seeds
Slivered almonds

Serve with poppyseed dressing.  You could try our recipe included here:
Poppyseed Dressing

CHICKEN PASTA SALAD

2 to 3 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 to 3 carrots, cut into thin strips
2 (10 to 12 oz) bags multi-colored spiral pasta, cooked, drained, and cooled
1 can large olives, sliced
8 oz Zest Italian salad dressing
Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Mix chicken breasts, carrots, pasta, and olives together in large salad bowl. Add salad dressing. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Best if allowed to refrigerate before serving.