Mediterranean Pasta Salad

This salad is SO delicious. It is kind of a mix of tastes and so heavenly!

You can add the following ingredients to taste.

1 pkg. penne/bowtie pasta.

Grape/Baby Tomatos

Calmatta Olives/OR Reg. Black Olives

Feta

Artichoke Hearts

Parmesean Cheese

Capers
Red Onion

Salt and Pepper

Shredded/Chopped Grilled Chicken

Dressing:

1/2 c. olive oil

1/2 c. red vinegar

1/2 t. dried mustard

1 t. dried basil

1 t. oregano

1/2 t. garlic powder

3/4 t. sugar

Mix and pour over salad and chill for several hours.

Chicken Salad

I have been using this recipe since we first got married 5 years ago and still love it more than others I've tried. The texture is fantastic and it works on croissants, pita bread, lettuce, crackers...pretty much anything. I forgot to take a picture when I recently served it at a baby shower, but all who tried loved it and ate another. Often I leave out the pecans because I don't have them on hand usually, and I have left out the peppers before too and it still tasted great.

Ingredients
4 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 cup chopped celery
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup minced green bell pepper
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise with paprika and seasoned salt. Blend in dried cranberries, celery, bell pepper, onion, and nuts. Add chopped chicken, and mix well. Season with black pepper to taste. Chill 1 hour

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

I know I have been terrible about posting lately and I've made so many new things these past couple months and forgot to take pictures of them all, so I'll try to remember to post as many as I can in the next few days.

This can be a dessert or a fruit salad and is a treat either way. You can also vary the amounts of each layer. Sometimes I make the cream layer with two packets of cream cheese, sometimes one. Sometimes I add another cup of water and an additional small package of strawberry jello to make the jello layer thicker. So anyhow below is the basic version. Any way you make it people will eat it quickly. :)

Crust:

1 1/2 c. crushed pretzels

1/3 c. sugar

1/2 c. melted butter

Combine and press into 9x13 pan and bake for 8 mins at 350. Cool

Filling:

8 oz pkg cream cheese

8 oz cool whip

2/3 c. sugar

Combine until soft peaks and spread on crust.

Topping:

6 oz. strawberry jello

2 c. boiling water

20 oz. frozen strawberries

Stir until starts to thicken and pour on top of filling. Refrigerate until stiff.

Cucumber Salad

Cucumbers have been cheap here--less than lettuce. When we grew cucumbers in our garden growing up my mom and dad would always whip up a cucumber salad. You can prepare them any way you like. This is just one way. I don't measure, so these are guesses, but you really can't mess up. Often I just leave out the dill and go heavy on the pepper.

2 cucumbers

1/4 onion, sliced

1-2 tomatoes

1/2-3/4 c. sugar

3/4-1 c. white vinegar

1/2 c. water

few dashes of dill

pepper to taste

Mix and chill.

Peppery Bean Salad

This is probably my personal all-time favorite recipe. Whenever I smell it I start salivating like Pavlov's dog. The smell of onions, tomatos, avocados and beans is heavenly! I personally LOVE beans and put them on/in everything. My kids really like them too and always love this salad even though it is a bit spicy. Beans are a wonderful source of fiber and protein and are low in fat and calories--the perfect food. (Your body eventually gets used to the extra fiber :)) Enjoy!

1 can chick peas (garbonzo beans)
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 can kidney beans
1/2 red onion, chopped finely
2 tomatoes, chopped finely
1 green pepper (opt.)
2 avocados, chopped

Open cans and rinse under cold water. Shake off excess water, add veggies.

DRESSING:
1 t. cumin
1 T. ketchup
2 T. olive oil
1 T. white wine/cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground pepper
5 drops of hot pepper sauce

Mix together and pour over bean mixture; chill for an hour to allow flavors to mix.

HINT: Add avocados right before serving because they become mushy. They're still delicious, just brown after refrigerated in the bean mix.

Spinach Salad

This is a terrific spinach salad with a spicy and sweet taste. Sometimes I half the dressing because it makes so much and I don't like it to be soggy.

Spinach Salad

1 head lettuce (I use romaine)
1 bunch spinach
3/4 lb. grated swiss cheese
1 red onion, sliced
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled (I sometimes use the Hormel in a bag bacon from Costco)

Dressing:
3/4 T. poppy seed
1/3 C. white vinegar
3/4 c. oil
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. grated onion
3/4 t. salt
2 tsp. prepared mustard

Toss together lettuce, spinach, cheese, onion, and bacon. Mix together rest of dressing ingredients and pour over spinach.