Spinach & Bow Tie Salad

Salad:

1 11 oz can of mandarin oranges

one bag of baby spinach

slivered almonds to taste

sesame seeds to taste

chopped green onions

chopped red onions

1 bag of bow tie pasta

 

Boil the pasta following package directions and let cool.  Mix the spinach and pasta together and then layer toppings as desired.

Dressing:

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

 

Put all ingredients into a sauce pan and heat to a boil stirring.  Let boil, while stirring, for 2 mins.  Let cool completely.

Chicken Salad

¼ cup mayonnaise¼ cup buttermilk
1 TBL Dijon mustard
1 TBL fresh lemon juice
½ to 1 tsp hot-pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
4 cups shredded roasted chicken breast
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
½ small red onion, finely chopped
¼ cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Stir together mayonnaise, buttermilk, mustard, lemon juice and hot-pepper sauce. Stir in chicken, celery,
onion, and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Serve in a sandwich or over salad greens. Chicken salad
can be refrigerated up to 3 days in an airtight container.

CUCUMBER AND WATERMELON SALAD

1 English cucumber, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
1 small (or ½ large) seedless watermelon, cut into ½ inch cubes
3 TBL fresh lime juice (2 limes)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large bowl, toss cucumber and watermelon with lime juice, ¾ tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper (or to taste).
Serve immediately.

Asian Chicken Rice Bowls

(Like Hawaiian Haystacks, but with an Asian twist. Like the ones from Rumbi.)

1 bottle of Asian salad dressing
Seasonings: 1 tsp. ginger, 1 tsp. garlic powder
Chicken
2 cups dried rice, mixed with 4 cups water and cooked

You can cook the chicken any number of ways. My favorite way is to cook it in your crock pot. Pour 1/2 of the bottle of salad dressing and the seasonings into your crockpot. Add chicken. Cook 3-4 hours on high, 5-6 hours on low. When it is done, you can shred it and mix it with the sauce in the crockpot.

***You can also marinate the chicken in 1/2 bottle of dressing and then cook it-grill, bake, however you want to do it. Honestly, you can use whatever cooked meat you have on hand. This recipe is great for any leftover meat from another meal.

Spoon rice into bowls; spoon chicken mixture over the top. Top with pineapple and other toppings. Pour more salad dressing over the top for more flavor.

Toppings: Anything you typically put on a salad
Tomatoes, Shredded Cheese, Canned Pineapple, Green Onion
Other Optional Toppings: Soy sauce, Sweet Chili sauce, Avocado, Matchstick carrots, Zucchini - grated or cubed, cooked, Peppers (Jalapenos, sweet, or Serrano), Cucumbers, Sushi grade fish, Sushi ginger, Mushrooms, Peas (raw or cooked), Steamed asparagus, Green beans, Cilantro, Green Peppers, Chow Mein Noodles, Celery
Crushed Nuts - peanuts, almonds or cashews

Coconut-Lime Chicken with Slaw

1 cup water
3 Tbsp. fish sauce
2 tsp. Asian chili-garlic sauce
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 Tbsp. cream of coconut
5 Tbsp. juice from 3 limes
1/2 head Napa cabbage, halved, cored, and shredded
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 mango, pitted, peeled, and sliced thin
1/2 cup cashews, toasted and chopped

Bring water, 1 Tbsp. fish sauce, and 1 tsp. chili-garlic sauce to boil in large skillet. Add chicken and simmer, covered over medium-low heat until chicken registers 160 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through. Transfer chicken to plate and shred into bite-sized pieces.

Whisk cream of coconut, lime juice, remaining fish sauce, and remaining chili-garlic sauce in large bowl.

Toss chicken with 3 Tbsp. dressing in second bowl. Add cabbage, cilantro, and mango to bowl with remaining dressing and toss to combine. Transfer slaw to platter, top with chicken, and sprinkle with cashews. Serve.

Curry Chicken Salad

2 to 2 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I added pepper, salt, and chicken bullion to mine)
1 pound of pasta noodles
1/8 c. curry
2 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grapes, halved
1/2 cup chopped green onion
One can of diced pineapple, drained
1-2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Cook the pasta according to package directions and rinse in cold water. In a small bowl, combine spices with mayo. Place chicken and pasta in a large bowl together. Add grapes, green onion, pineapple, celery and almonds. Add mayo mixture. Mix everything together and serve.

BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad

1 Cup Ranch Dressing
1 Cup BBQ Sauce
2-3 Chicken Breasts - Grilled or boiled
1 Head Romaine Lettuce
2 Tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons Cilantro, chopped
1 Can Black Beans, drained
1 Can Corn, drained
¼ Cup Green Onions
¾ Cup Shredded Cheese
Tortilla Strips

Cook chicken and cut into bite size pieces. Mix the Ranch Dressing and BBQ sauce together, add chicken pieces (this can be done ahead of time and let set in the fridge for several hours).

Combine all other ingredients, except chips. Toss together with chicken and sauce. Add chips just before serving and toss again. You can also serve the salad & dressing mixture over the chips instead of tossing the chips with the salad.

Another option is to warm the chicken and sauce and serve warm or hot over the salad mixture.

Black Bean Chicken Taco Salad

2 limes, juiced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
Dash of salt
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
10 ounces cooked diced chicken breast
6 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 or 2 tomatoes, chopped
30 tortilla chips, crushed
½ avocado, chopped

Wisk together lime juice, oil, garlic and salt. Toss all ingredients together.

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

Romaine lettuce
Vegetables (i.e. carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms)
Parmesan cheese, grated
Grilled chicken strips
Croutons
Caesar dressing

Rinse and slice/shred Romaine lettuce and place in large bowl. Place any other vegetable you wish in the bowl. Add parmesan cheese, chicken (defrost and use cold or warmed) and your desired amount of croutons. Drizzle all with Caesar dressing. Use your own desired amount, but it doesn't usually take very much. Toss together. Serve immediately, as it will wilt quickly.

Another option is to do each individual serving and adjust to each person's liking.

Chinese Chicken Salad

1 head Cabbage, sliced and diced
3-6 Chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1-2 pkgs Top Roman noodles, chicken flavored
4-5 Green onions, chopped
4-6 oz Almonds, slivered

1/3 cup Rice vinegar
1/3 cup Olive oil
1/3 cup Sugar
1-2 pkgs Seasoning packets from Top Roman noodles

1. Boil chicken breasts. Once cooled, cube or shred and put into a large salad bowl.
2. Add diced cabbage, chopped green onions and slivered almonds.
3. Break up the Top Roman noodles and add to the salad.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, sugar and the chicken seasoning
packet(s) from the Top Roman package(s).
5. Pour dressing over salad and toss together until everything is coated well.
6. Salt & Pepper to taste
7. Let salad chill before serving. Bon Appetite!