Tag: Summer Salads

Daily Thoughts · Salads · Starches · Uncategorized

Pasta Salad

Chocolate Castles2 Comments

Today I was going to post the Spanish Rice I made for dinner night before last, but first I wanted to post this really easy and yummy pasta salad. Isn’t it hard to think of new lunch items to make after 4 months of trying to stay home and thus, the 21 meals a week are getting a little more creative of, “what foods left over in the fridge can we put together that will keep us from having to go out into the virus laden world?” Well, ladies and gentlemen, is a really good lunch treat that took me all of 10 minutes to put together (why am I in a hurry when I have no where to go right now) and tastes so good.

Because I didn’t have any cutesy shaped pasta right now, I just remembered eating a spaghetti salad at a steak house in West Texas one year so I used the spaghetti in the pantry. Because back in March when we were hoarding any pasta, toilet paper and canned anything we could get our hands on, I have boxes of pasta just sitting here waiting to be used.

Well, here are the simple instructions:

Boil as much spaghetti as you like. I used enough to make about 4 cups of pasta salad. (now you can go figure out how much raw pasta that is because I forget to measure it)
I add some chicken bouillon to the water when boiling pasta because it gives it a little more flavor so I don’t have to add as much oil or butter.
When pasta is done, drain and allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Place drained pasta in large mixing bowl and add enough Italian Salad Dressing as you like. I was so excited because I had splurged one day at the store and bought Olive Garden Salad Dressing so I used what I had left of that. Sprinkle in some Parmesan cheese (but be sure pasta is cooled enough so the cheese doesn’t melt on the pasta.
Next cut up the proscuito/cheese roll that you buy in the refrigerated deli department. I used 4 rolls of them. Open a jar of chopped green olives and spoon about 2 tables into the pasta. Next cut up about 6-7 marinated artichoke hearts into the pasta. I also added about 1 tables of the marinade from the artichokes. If you like more cheese add about 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese to the pasta before serving!
Cut up green onions or 1/4 cup purple onion and add to the mix. Sprinkle Italian Seasoning, garlic powder and pepper to the pasta and mix well.

Place covered bowl of pasta in the fridge and let chill for about 2 hours before serving. This will be our lunch today along with Peanut M&M’s for dessert. I wasn’t kidding when I said I need to go to the store.

Daily Thoughts · Salads · Starches · Uncategorized

Zipppity Do Da Pasta Salad

Chocolate Castles2 Comments

Since I am in a most supercalifragilistic kind of mood today, I have that old song, “Zippity Do Da” going over and over in my mind today. Just coming home from Phoenix where I went to visit our daughter and family for a few days. Then last night returning home to Randy taking me out for Mexican food, how can I not be in a great mood?

This morning, I was to meet a new friend for coffee at 9. Because it was my first morning back in town, I began to think, “why did I accept this invite, when I wish I had made it for another day and could just stay home and bake.” But after meeting with her, well, all I can say is that I met a kindred spirit and it just made my day. Felt like I could have sat and talked to her for hours. Isn’t it always like that? When we least expect it, God puts someone in our lives that seems like such a gift. Was so thankful I kept the appointment. We began to share some of the things in our lives that have led up this point and it was apparent that we have so much in common. AND…….we both love white bakery cake!

But back to the pasta salad. As I sat there and began to tell her about the blog, I remembered that I had never posted the pasta salad that many have requested the recipe. So here it is….trust me on this one. It is just so simple, yet it is so so different from most pasta salads and everyone who tried it loved it. So get those salad forks ready and get ready to put this recipe on your “favorite recipe lists for bridal luncheons, Mother’s Day luncheons, and any Spring or Summer day you want something wonderful to eat besides chicken salad.”

Ingredients

1 bag or box of bow tie pasta

1/2 purple onion finely diced

one small jar of chopped pimentos, drained

1 cup finely grated parmesan or mozzarella cheese, (or a combo of both which is what I did)

1 8 or 12 oz jar of olive tapenade. (One jar I bought was 8 oz and another was 12 oz, but because I was making salad for 25, I used 3 jars and 3 boxes of pasta)

1 bottle of Kraft Roasted Red Pepper dressing

*opt if you want to add some cut up pepperoni or dry salami, it goes well with this recipe also, just add the amount you desire to the pasta once you have added rest of ingredients.

Directions

Cook pasta according to directions on box. Drain and cool.

Add all ingredients except the dressing and stir. Add salt and pepper to your liking.

Depending on what brand of olive tapenade you use, will depend on how much of the dressing you will need. If the brand you use has quite a bit of the olive oil in it, you might want to drain some of the olive oil off so that you would need more of the roasted bell pepper dressing.

After you have added the ingredients you want in the pasta, add enough of the dressing to make it moist.  Keep covered in fridge. Right before serving, you might want to add a little more dressing if it has soaked in too much into the pasta. Sprinkle some extra grated cheese on top and serve.

Salads

Three Sisters Salad

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During our vacation in California these past 4 weeks, I had time to go through a friends stack of cooking magazines (which is one of my favorite things to do) and ended up taking a armload of them to make copies! So I came home with lots of new recipes that are on my “to make” lists. Thanks Dee for all the new recipes! This one came in a book from Southern Living: New Fall Recipes

1 (2 lb) butternut squash (about 2 cups chopped, which I now see at Trader Joe’s and other grocery stores already cubed in a bag)

2 tables olive oil

1 (15.5 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups fresh corn kernels

1/3 small red onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

3 cups loosely packed arugula

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Preheat oven to 400. Peel and seed butternut squash and cut into 3/4″ cubes. Toss squash with olive oil to coat. Place in a single layer in a lightly greased aluminum foil-lined jelly roll pan. Bake 20 minutes or until squash is just tender and begins to brown. Do not overcook, stirring once after 10 minutes. Cool completely after baking 20 minutes, total.

Toss together cannellini beans and next 3 ingredients with squash in a large bowl. Add the Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing and cover and chill about 2-4 hours. Toss with arugula just before serving.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Whish together 2 tables balsamic vinegar, 1 large shallot, minced. Add 1 teas minced garlic, 1/2 Tables light brown sugar, 1/4 teas sea salt and 1/4 teas seasoned pepper. Gradually add 1/4 cup canola or olive oil in a slow steady stream. Whisking until well blended. This can be made a day ahead and allowed to stand, covered in fridge.

appetizers · Fish · Salads

Shrimp Salad

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Yesterday I wrote that I would post the Shrimp salad if the ladies liked it. It was a success. In fact, it really was such a hit that one of the ladies took the rest of it home.

I ended up serving it in hollowed out avocado and it was such a refreshing summer salad.

1 lb of large shrimp, cleaned, deveined and peeled, cut into pieces

2 tables mayo

1/3 cup sour cream

1/4 cup celery, finely diced

1/2 small red bell pepper

3 green onions, green stalks included

4 large avocado, halved and seed removed

McCormick Lemon Pepper

Seasoned Pepper, Onion powder and dill

After shrimp has cooked and cooled, I cut each shrimp into about 3 pieces.

Mix your mayo, sour cream, and seasonings, Add to the cut up shrimp and place in fridge for at least 4 hours. I mixed it up the night before giving the flavors a chance to blend.

Use the lemon pepper, dill, and onion powder to your liking. I love to add a little more dill and lemon pepper.

This would actually fill about 5 avocado which have been cut in half!

Salads

Veggie Lovers Combo Salad

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Summer time, summer time, sum sum summertime! Salads are made for the summer!

This is taken from Taste of Home and is a great way to use the summer bounty of fresh veggies.

2 cups cut fresh green beans

2 cups fresh or frozen peas, thawed

2 medium sweet red or yellow peppers, chopped

2 plum tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil or (Italian parsley leaves)

2 tables red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, quartered

Optional toppings; chopped cashews, chopped pecans, toasted sesame seeds and cooked and crumbled bacon

In a saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Add green beans; cook, uncovered 2-3 minutes or just until crisp-tender.

Remove beans and immediately drop into ice water. Drain beans and pat dry; place in a large bowl. Add peas, peppers, tomatoes and onion.

Place mayo, basil, vinegar and garlic in a food processor; process until blended. Add to veggies and toss to coat.

Refrigerate,covered for at least 1 hour before serving.

just before serving sprinkle with additional toppings as desired.

Serves about 8-10

Salads

Summer Salad

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Why am I obsessed with pasta salads? While at my daughter’s house in Phoenix, babysitting the precious little darlings, I had about 2 minutes to sit down one night before I fell asleep and found this in a Better Homes & Garden. I couldn’t wait to get home to make it.

1/2 cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 (12 oz) package spaghetti, broken in half

3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

1 medium zucchini, ends trimmed

1 medium yellow summer squash, ends trimmed

6 sticks string cheese

4 cups cherry tomatoes, chopped

1 large purple onion (about 1 cup)

1 cup chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted

Heat 2 Tables of the oil in a 12″ skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; stir 1 min. Add pasta; toss to combine. Add broth. Cook, uncovered over medium heat 10 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Let cool 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Meanwhile, using a spiral vegetable slicer, cut zucchini and yellow squash  into strands; snip into shorter lengths, if desired. Add to spaghetti. Let cool completely. Pull cheese into thin strands, chill until read to serve and then pour dressing over before serving. *Dressing is below*

In a small bowl, combine the rest of the olive oil, the red wine vinegar, parsley, tomatoes, onion and walnut halves. Stir to combine and pour over spaghetti right before serving.

Daily Thoughts · Salads

Dole Chipolte Cheddar Salad

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2015-03-20 15.05.42Am making dinner tonight for some new friends, parmesan chicken, rice pilaf, green beans, salad, Sister Schubert Rolls, of course, and lemon delight for dessert. On Wednesday I catered a luncheon for 9 ladies and served a salad that each time I serve it, people want to know what it is. So I thought I would tell you about it.

I love salads, but I don’t like to make them. Much more fun to make a cake. But I know that salads make the meals seem complete. I have happened upon a premixed salad in a bag. (before you turn up your nose, I have never liked bagged salads, it seems that I can always taste all the preservatives in them and why did I ever even pick up one of these bagged salads in the first place, but am so glad that I did.)

The salad is Chipolte Cheddar by Dole and it is truly a great salad. I have served it to about 4 different groups of people and even my oldest son, who is truly a food snob (sorry Jason) told me how good it was and where I got it. It has the dressing included and it is just a great salad. I served it with Green Chile Chicken stew on Wed and all the ladies raved about it. So next time you hop (it’s almost Easter, I have to hop) over to the grocery store, do yourself a favor and pick up a bag of Dole Chipolte Cheddar. You will be a fan, I promise.