Candied Walnut Salad

Another fabulous recipe found over at Our Best Bites. I LOVE every single recipe I have tried from over there! Check them out!



Ingredients:

2 heads of leafy greens; 1 can be a bag of spinach (I like 1 bag of spinach and a head of Romaine or just 2 heads of Romaine)

3/4 c. Craisins

2 crisp apples

Orange juice (enough to toss apples in to prevent browning and add a little flavor)

2 oz. blue cheese or Gorgonzola (I prefer Gorgonzola; it's milder, but harder to find and more expensive)

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

1/4 c. sugar

1 recipe Honey Red Wine Vinaigrette

1. Wash and chop lettuce. Set aside to drain.

2. To candy the nuts, combine walnuts and sugar in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly. After a few minutes, the sugar will look very fine and then a few minutes after that, it will start to liquefy. This is when you have to be absolutely vigilant about scraping the bottom of the skillet and making sure everything gets stirred around.
The syrup will begin to darken and will coat the nuts. When they reach a golden brown color, remove from heat. Stir occasionally as the nuts begin to cool. After a few minutes, spread candied nuts onto a greased piece of parchment or wax paper or a greased cookie sheet and allow to cool completely. Set aside.

3. Chop blue cheese or Gorgonzola very finely. You want crumbles, not chunks. If blue cheese absolutely gives you the ookies and you CANNOT handle the thought of it (the flavor in the salad will be very mild, I promise!), you can use another strong cheese like feta. But I really, really think you should use the real
thing... :)

4. Chop apples and toss in orange juice.

When ready to serve, toss lettuce, cranberries, walnuts, apples, and blue cheese in a large bowl. Add dressing if desired; it really is better all mixed together rather than on top, but the dressing will wilt any leftovers. So there we have it!

Chicken, Craisin, and Cashew Bow-Tie Pasta Salad or 3 C Salad

Thanks Evelyn for this yummy recipe! Sooo good!



4 cups cooked chicken breasts, diced (*Feeling lazy? Use an already-cooked rotisserie chicken from the store. Just pull off the meat and dice it.)
6 cups bow-tie pasta, cooked al-dente (*I think the trick to this salad is to make sure the pasta is really, truly al dente. Cook it until it seems to still have a bit of "crunch" to it in the middle. Trust me. It works!)
1 and 1/2 cups green grapes, sliced in half
1 and 1/2 cups red grapes, sliced in half
2 (5 ounce) cans water chestnuts, drained and quartered (*eh...I would leave this out.)
1 (10 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained (*Leave this out too. Or don't. Whatever.)
2 cups celery, thinly sliced
1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced (green onions)
2 cups cashews, whole and halves
2 cups craisins (dried cranberries)


Dressing

1 (16 ounce) bottle Hidden Valley brand coleslaw dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Miracle Whip

How to:

1. In a large bowl mix all salad ingredients together, except cashews and craisins

2. Whip together dressing ingredients.

3. Toss dressing with the mixture in the large bowl.

4. Mix in cashews and craisin right before serving.

Honey-Pecan Glazed Salmon Salad with Lemon Caper Vinaigrette Dressing

Just made this one for my mom's birthday dinner...everyone loved it!



For the Pecan Honey Glaze:
1 cup pecan halves or pieces
1 cup honey
3/4 cup butter, divided to taste

For the Salmon:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread pecans on a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until slightly browned. Stir 2 or 3 times to toast uniformly.

In a small saucepan over medium high heat, combine honey with half of the butter. Stir in toasted pecans, and cook for 8-10 minutes to infuse the flavors. Remove from heat, and keep warm.

Salmon:
Melt remaining butter with oil in a large skillet over high heat.

Season fish with salt and pepper. Arrange fillets in skillet, and cook until firm to the touch, about 4-5 minutes per side. salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork.

Dressing:
1 tsp minced shallot
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp honey
1 1/2 Tbs capers, with their liquid
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs vinegar
1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
Combine dressing ingredients in cruet or jar. Shake well to combine ingredients. This can be done in advance.

Divide salad greens into four dishes. Top with roma tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, and red onions.
Top with a salmon fillet and top salmon with Honey-Pecan Glaze.

Servings: 4

Easy Summer Pasta Salad

So simple and perfect for a summer potluck!



1 16 oz box tri-colored rotini pasta
1 large crown broccoli, chopped
2 thick slices Provalone cheese, cubed
2 thick slices hard salami, cubed
1 can large black olives, sliced
1 16 oz bottle Ken's Italian with Aged Romano salad dressing

Cook pasta till al dente. Rinse with cold water, drain, and pour into large serving bowl and add everything but the dressing. Chill till ready to serve(chill dressing separately). Take dressing bottle and do not shake. Pour off half the oil at the top of the bottle, then shake the rest and pour on pasta till well covered, about half a bottle. Add more dressing if necessary or on leftovers.

This is a very colorful dish and easy to pick stuff out or add stuff in.

Curried Chicken Fruit Salad

We served this at a baby shower today and it is SOOOOO good!! TRY it!!!

Dressing:

1 C Mayo

1 C Sour Cream

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp curry

*mix together, let sit overnight

Filling:

5 C chicken (shredded or cubed)

1 1/2 C grapes (halved)

1 1/2 C mandarin oranges

1 C finely diced celery

1 C tidbit pineapple

2/3 C cashews

handful chow mein noodles

Mix together, stir in dressing.

Serve in croissant (optional).

Cafe Rio {like} Salad

To make salads:

Cook flour tortillas on a griddle with a little vegetable oil until brown.

Put in bowl with meat (pork or chicken), rice, beans (black or pinto), lettuce, fresh diced tomato and top with a sprig of fresh cilantro and some parmesan cheese and avacado (optional).

Top with dressing. Enjoy!

*click on bold for recipes of each.

Grape and Cashew Chicken Salad

Dressing:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes

Salad:
1/2 cup roated and salted cashews
3 cups chicken meat, cooked and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cup seedless grapes, separated and rinsed

For Dressing:
In mixing bowl whisk together soy sauce, vegetable oil, honey, sesame oil and chile flakes until well combined.

For Salad:
Toss dressing with cashews, chicken, onions and grapes

Serving Suggestion: Pile on greens or fill a tortilla with shredded Napa cabbage, julienne carrots and this chicken salad for an Asian wrap.

Ham, Turkey and Avocado Chopped Salad

1/2 cup cubed baked ham (about 1/2 inch cubes)
1/2 cup cubed turkey breast
1/4 cup cubed longhorn or mild cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped cooked bacon
4 artichoke hearts, chopped
1 rib celery, peeled and chopped
1/2 small red onion, chopped
10 green, pimento-stuffed olives, chopped
1/2 small cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 medium-to-large tomato, cored and diced
2-3 sprigs fresh dill, minced OR basil leaves, sliced thin
1 large clove garlic, minced
1-2 cups chilled, chopped iceberg lettuce
1 cup chilled, chopped romaine lettuce OR field greens
1/2 cup washed and drained arugula
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Using a large bowl (even larger than you think you need to hold ingredients) toss together ham, turkey, cheese, bacon, artichoke hearts, celery, onion, olives, cucumber, tomato, dill or basil and garlic.
Set in refrigerator until ready to finish and serve.
At serving time, gently toss in the lettuce, romaine or field greens and arugula. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add olive oil and toss gently but thoroughly. Add vinegar and toss again.

Shrimp Chopped Salad with Cilantro-Mint Dressing

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

Salad:
1 pound cooked, cleaned shrimp, sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup canned garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup seedless green grapes, cut in half
1/2 cup drained and diced hearts of palm
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
1 bag spring mix salad greens OR 1 medium head romaine, washed, dried and torn into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips, fried and drained (or tortilla chips)

For Dressing:
Place oil, garlic, cilantro, mint, lemon juice, lime juice, and salt into bowl and whisk to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

For Salad:
In a large bowl, toss shrimp, cucumber, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, grapes, hearts of palm and scallions. Refrigerate this mix until ready to serve.

At serving time, add dressing, cheese and tortilla strips. Toss gently.

California Pizza Kitchen Chopped Salad

Dressing:
1 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
2 teaspoons minced fresh shallots
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/3 cups mild-flavored olive oil
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Salad:
12 leaves basil, chopped into fine strips
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup garbanzo beans
4 cups seeded and diced tomatoes
3 cups diced turkey breast
1/2 cup julienne-sliced Genoa salami
2 tablespoons chopped scallions
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, washed, drained and chilled until crisp. Then chopped into 1/8-inch wide strips
1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped into 1/8-inch wide strips

For Dressing:
Whisk together garlic, shallots, mustard, oregano, parsley, pepper, salt, wine vinegar, olive oil and cheese. Set aside.

For Salad:
In large bowl, toss together basil, mozzarella, beans, tomato, turkey, salami and scallions.
Put in refrigerator if not serving immediately.

Just before serving add sliced lettuces and dressing to the bowl. Toss gently but thoroughly and serve immediately on small plates. Serve more dressing on the side (if people want extra).

Santa Rosa Salad

I got this recipe from Heather White's blog...I made it last night and we all loved it! (Riley's portion was made w/o the chicken of course:)

1 box long grain wild rice (Uncle Ben's ORIGINAL)
3 chicken breasts, diced
4 green onions, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 oz. Chinese Pea Pods (Snow Peas), ends cut off and cut into thirds
1-2 medium avocados, diced
1/2-1 C. chopped pecans
Cook rice as directed and cool. Boil chicken breasts approximately 15 minutes or until cooked through. Dice the following into VERY SMALL pieces...chicken, green onions and red bell pepper. Cut ends off of Snow Peas and cut into thirds. Combine all ingredients (except avocado and pecans) and refrigerate overnight.

DRESSING:
2 cloves garlic, diced (or 1/4 tsp. garlic powder)
1 T. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/3 C. vegetable oil
1/3 C. Nakano's Seasoned Rice Vinegar (I used ORIGINAL)
Combine in BLENDER or beat well with hand mixer. Refrigerate overnight.


NEXT DAY:
Pour dressing over salad and mix well until coated. Refrigerate 2-4 hours before serving. Immediately before serving, add diced avocado and pecans - mix well.

Serve on lettuce leaf and with Parmesean Knots!!!!! YUMMM!
Oh and it is TOTALLY not just a "chick salad."

ENJOY!