Cherry Tomato & Asparagus Salad

This was part of my Mothers day 2014 menu.  I served Chicken Salad on Croissants, this salad, sweet potato chips and chocolate strawberries.  Both my mom and Erik's mom enjoyed the Mothers day brunch!


Source - MyRecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and halved
6 cups halved cherry, grape, and pear tomatoes in varied colors
1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

1 ripe avocado, cut into cubes 

1 cup sliced basil leaves 

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

1. Boil asparagus in a large pot of salted water for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Mix asparagus with remaining ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well to coat evenly with dressing.

Cooking Light Pasta Salad with Mint, Melon & Prosciutto

I just discovered a wonderful little Italian shop in Littleton, CO that specializes in homemade raviolis and also has all the staples of a good Italian deli including fabulous prosciutto!  For my local readers, the shop is called The Rav House Homemade Gourmet.  On the day I visited the owner had just pulled out a batch of scratch made cinnamon rolls that he was taking to his fellow shop owners and he gave me one straight out of the oven.  Heavenly!  Ok, back to the recipe, in a Cooking Light magazine they had several mix and match pasta salad recipes and this one was perfect since I had just brought home the Italian prosciutto!

Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients:
3 cups of your favorite cooked, chilled pasta with a tablespoon of olive oil
½ cup cubed fresh cantaloupe
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
1.5 ounces shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:
Mix and enjoy.  So easy!

Mostaccioli Salad

I made this for a wrestling team family cookout recently and I was so excited when one of the mom's asked for the recipe!  This is an old family recipe and I have an original with my mom's handwriting on my grandma's stationary.  I treasure those recipes!  This recipe is easy and I served it chilled.  The ingredients lend itself perfectly to sit out at a picnic.  This can also be made with penne or other pasta.  A random fact....mostaccioli means "little mustache" in Italian.  I thought that was fun!  Enjoy! 

Source: My Mom/Grandma

Ingredients & Instructions:

16 oz mostaccioli cooked al dente

1 cucumber

1 green bell pepper

1 sweet onion

(thinly slice cucumber, pepper and onion - I used a food processor)

Next combine the following for the dressing:

1 1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup white vinegar

1 cup water

1 tsp. salt

1 Tablespoon Parsley flakes

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1 Tablespoon prepared mustard

(I put them in a Tupperware and shake, until combined)

Then toss all ingredients together and enjoy. 

BBQ Chicken Salad

 



I snatched some BBQ chicken salad off of my mom's plate when we were eating at California Pizza Kitchen recently and enjoyed it so much I found my fork sneaking back over to her plate.  My family joked in the past that my mom needed a long fork to taste everyone's food and I appear to be following in her footsteps :)  Here is a copycat recipe that comes really close to the original!

Source: Figuring Out Dinner Blog

Ingredients:
 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, seasoned with Montreal Steak seasoning and grilled until cooked thoroughly, then cut into bite-sized pieces and smothered in BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)
2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 jicama, peeled and cut into 1/4 in. strips
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 can black beans
1 c. frozen corn, thawed
1 avocado, seeded, peeled, and cubed
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
3 tomatoes, diced
1/4 c. green onions, sliced
tortilla strips or chips (I used the crumbed chips at the bottom of the bag)
1 c. ranch dressing (I cut this in 1/2 from the original recipe)
1 Tblsp. green onions, thinly sliced
1 Tblsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp. dill weed, chopped
1/4 tsp. basil, chopped

Instructions:
1. For the dressing, put the 2 cups ranch dressing, green onions (1 tablespoon), parsley, dill weed, and basil in the blender and blend until smooth.  Set aside until ready to serve.
2. For the salad, put all of the ingredients into a large bowl and mix.  Serve with dressing and extra BBQ sauce for garnish.

Tomato, Walnut, Mint Salad

This salad is mirrored after one my cousin and I discovered at The Med restaurant in Boulder, CO.  We have been know to order this salad as an appetizer and again as a desert.  True statement.  It really is that delicious!

Ingredients:
1 ripe tomato chopped
1 teaspoon honey (add a bit more if you like it sweeter)
1 tablespoon crumbled goat cheese
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
6-8 mint leaves chopped

Instructions:
Just stir, let sit for about 20 min in the fridge to let the flavors combine and enjoy!

Bacon Ranch Potato Salad

Made this for a family BBQ and it was a hit!

Source: Food Network 50 Potato Salads

Ingredients:
2 pounds boiled cubed red potatoes
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 chopped scallions
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper
4-6 slices of cooked chopped bacon (I cheated and used bacon bits on top)

Instructions:
Mix all ingredients (except bacon) and refrigerate until ready to serve and put the bacon on top when you are ready to eat!