Asian Chicken Salad

I LOVE this salad!  The dressing is so sweet and the almonds and Ramen noodles give it a great crunch.  I made a huge batch of cooked chicken one day to use in different recipes, so it really only took me like 5 minutes to throw this all together.

I have actually made this a few times, but had never posted it before.  My son came home from football practice and said "Oh great.  Mom's taking pictures of our dinner, that means it's something new."  (And he didn't say it in a good way. Punk.) haha :) 

However, we all had like 3 helpings, so it really is an excellent salad.

Recipe from My Kitchen Cafe
Ingredients:
1-2 pkg oriental-flavor Ramen noodle soup
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 bag (16 oz) broccoli slaw
1 bag romaine lettuce
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1-2 green onions, chopped
3/4 cup red wine vinaigrette (or make the recipe below)

Red Wine Vinaigrette
Whisk together:
3/4 cup canola or olive oil
6 TBS red wine vinegar
4 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
Ramen noodle seasoning packet

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F - break up Ramen noodles and place them on a rimmed baking sheet along with the sliced almonds.  Bake until noodles and almonds turn light brown.  (About 6-7 minutes.)

Make the vinaigrette, and set aside.

Place broccoli slaw, romaine lettuce, chicken and onions in a large serving bowl.  Toss to combine.

When ready to serve, pour dressing over salad, add toasted almonds and noodles and toss together.

Serves 4 to 6

Crunchy Chicken Salad

I absolutely LOVE this salad recipe!  It is so light and tangy, and it has a great crunch to it that makes it super delicious!  I got this recipe from my sister-in-law.  She makes this salad every year for her pre-school Mother's Day Brunch. 

This would be a great salad for a picnic.  You can make everything ahead of time and then just assemble it all last minute.

It is also a great way to use up some of those left-over eggs from Easter. :)

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
3 sticks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, grated
4 green onions, diced
8 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 bag (12 oz) chow mein noodles

Dressing Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup mayo
1 cup Miracle Whip
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp pepper
2 TBS honey mustard
2 TBS Johnny's season salt (I used Lawry's - don't know if there is a difference?)
1 TBS lemon juice

Directions:
Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing.  Store in refrigerator until ready to use. 

In large bowl, combine all salad ingredients except for the chow mein noodles. 

Stir in dressing a little at a time until you get as much as you want.  (I used all of it, and it was a little too strong for me.)

Right before serving, stir in the chow mein noodles.  Otherwise they will get soggy.

Enjoy!

Broccoli Chicken Pasta

This was a really easy, and fairly healthy meal.  If you make it with whole wheat pasta it would be perfect! :)  We all really liked it.  I didn't want to cook the chicken, so we just got some rotisserie chicken already cooked and chopped it up.  Yay!  You could also use left over chicken - I usually cook a whole bunch of chicken breasts at one time, shred them and freeze or refrigerate for later.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 box (16 oz) Farfalle pasta, or any other pasta
4 cups broccoli florets
4 TBS olive oil
2 TBS lemon juice
2 TBS parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
Salad Supreme, to taste (this adds flavor, otherwise it is pretty bland)

Directions:
Cook and chop chicken, set aside.  Cook pasta until almost done.  Drop broccoli into the water with the pasta and cook until broccoli is crisp tender.  (It only takes a couple minutes if you use fresh broccoli.)  Drain pasta and broccoli.

Toss all ingredients together, add salt and pepper and Salad Supreme, to taste.

Super fast and easy dinner!

Crunchy Broccoli Salad

I am in love with this salad! I love the crunch, the dressing, the bacon - everything! It's so nice to have a different kind of salad than the same old ones everyone makes. (Well, maybe everyone already makes this - but it's new to me!) :)

Ingredients:
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 large head of broccoli, cut into small pieces
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 pound of bacon, cooked and cut into small pieces
2 (3 oz) packages of Ramen noodles, crushed.  Discard seasoning packet.
4 TBS butter, melted
1 cup chopped pecans or sliced almonds

Dressing:
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 TBS soy sauce
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Mix butter, nuts and crushed Ramen noodles together.  Spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 F, about 10 minutes, until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.  Set aside to cool completely.

Add lettuce, broccoli, onions, bacon, noodles and nuts in a large bowl.  Toss with dressing right before serving.

Ranch Chicken Salad Sandwiches

My wonderful neighbor (who is also a wonderful cook) made this yummy sandwich for us all at our Youth Conference. I mean really who eats this good while camping? Only when you have the Sevy's as your chef's!

Ingredients:

1/2 c mayo
3 Tbsp. Ranch dressing
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 c cubed Monterey Jack cheese
1/3 c chopped celery
1 Tbsp. green onion (opt.)
2 c cubed cooked chicken breasts (you can use canned chicken)
*I added chopped walnuts

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together spoon onto rolls. Top with lettuce and tomato. Serves about 6

California Wild Rice Chicken Salad

This is sooo good, really hearty, very easy and fast. My friend Margaret made this for our Bunko group!

Ingredients:

Salad:
1 box long grain and wild rice, cooked with seasonings
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or chopped to your liking
4 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 medium avocados, diced
1 cup chopped almonds, pecans or toasted peanuts

Dressing:
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Directions:
Mix dressing ingredients in a blender. Chill for 1 hour. (The dressing makes double what you need for the recipe provided.) So keep the other half in the fridge for any green salad or double this recipe.

Toss all ingredients together with dressing. May be served cold or at room temperature.

MEXICAN RICE SALAD

This is a great recipe for a potluck side dish - it makes a TON!! It is super yummy though & since I had leftover chicken, all I had to do was make some rice & then mix it all up!

Salad Ingredients:
5 c cooked rice
2 tsp salt
2 cans black beans
1 can corn
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 c shredded chicken
1/2 c chopped tomatoes (I didn't add these)

Dressing:
1/4 c lime juice
2 TBS vinegar
2 TBS packed brown sugar
2/3 c oil
4 pickled jalapenos (I had sliced ones in a jar & just threw a bunch in)
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin

Add all salad ingredients in large bowl. Make sure the rice & chicken are cooled a little.
Put all dressing ingredients in blender & then pour over salad.
Mix well.
Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

This was a little hotter the next day. I like it better warmed up just in a bowl. Scott & the boys ate it in tortillas w/cheese & lettuce. Yum yum!

FIESTA CHICKEN PASTA SALAD

Okay, I know it's winter, but this salad was soooo good I had to post it. This dressing is super amazing,too!! :)
It's like a Mexican pasta salad and I am for sure bringing this to my sister-in-law's Cinco de Mayo party! YUMMO!

1 pkg of Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch dip mix
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. white vinegar

1 lb. cooked shredded/chopped chicken
1 box of garden rotini
1 can of black beans, drained/rinsed
1 can black olives, sliced
2-3 chopped roma tomatoes
frozen corn

Mix dressing mix, oil & vinegar in small bowl & set aside.
Combine chicken, pasta, beans, olives & tomatoes in lg. bowl.
Add dressing & corn about 20 min. before serving.

Note: I did not add all the ingredients it called for, I just added them to the pasta until it looked good. The corn thaws really fast, too.

Joette's Fruit Salad

I got this recipe from Joette at Aunt Johanna's funeral. Dad and I couldn't stop eating it, and my kids love it! (Sorry--no picture again, but it just looks like pink or purple whipped cream depending on what kinds of yougurt you use.)

1 extra large tub cool whip
4 containers berry flavored yogurt (I use Yoplait because I don't want the fruit on the bottom kind.)
berries--whatever kind you like.

Just fold all of it in together--super easy and very tasty!

I usually use 3-4 different kinds of berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries if I can get them. I try to match the yogurt flavors to the berries, but any combination works great, which makes this really good for whatever is in season. Also flexible if there is something you don't like--don't like raspberries? Just throw in strawberries and blueberries--so easy.

I've never tried it with other fruits like peaches, etc. but imagine it would be really good. If someone ever does, let me know how you liked it. A peach/raspberry combo might be great.

Spinach Salad

Here's a really good salad from another sister in law (they have all my best recipes). No picture again, but it's salad--what do you want?

lettuce
baby spinach
1/2 lb. cooked crumbled bacon
3/4 lb. sliced mushrooms
3 cups grated Swiss cheese

Toss all together.

Dressing: (pour on at last minute)
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1 medium purple onion, chopped
1 1/2 Tblsp. sliced green onion
1 1/2 Tblsp. poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 cup olive oil

Make the dressing ahead of time and chill in fridge. Pour on at last minute or salad will wilt. Toss well to coat.

Orange Jell-O Salad

My sister in law gave me this recipe--it's super good!  It tastes just like an orange creamsicle!

Ingredients:
1 large pkg. vanilla pudding (the kind you have to cook)
3 cups water
1 large pkg. orange Jell-O
1 can mandarin oranges
1 can pineapple tidbits
1 6 or 8 oz. tub cool whip

Directions:
Mix pudding & water until dissolved. Cook over med. heat until thick. Add jello. Stir until dissolved. 

Cool in fridge 3 or 4 hours until set. Put in large bowl. Drain juice off oranges into jello. Whip to desired consistency. Whip in cool whip. Fold in oranges and pineapple chunks minus the pineapple juice. Chill until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Fruit salad with Poppy Seed dressing

A very colorful, fresh summer treat!

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped papaya

2 cups chopped cantaloupe
1 cup blueberries
1 cup sliced strawberries
2 kiwi fruits, peeled and chopped
1 medium banana, sliced
1 cup chopped honeydew
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh citrus juice (lemon, lime or grapefruit)
1 to 2 tablespoons honey
1 to 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
Pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)
Pinch of ground ginger (optional)

(pretty much any fruit you do would taste and look fabulous)
I added sliced grapes, apples and oranges and used peaches instead of papaya.

Directions:

In a tightly covered jar or container, shake citrus juice, honey, poppy seeds, cinnamon and ginger.

Cut, peel and slice all fruits.

Shake dressing again before pouring over fruit. Cover and chill for a couple of hours before serving.

GREEK PASTA SALAD

I made this salad for a picnic with Scott's family and they all loved it and wanted the recipe - it's good, really! :)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. penne pasta
1/2 c. cubed cooked chicken
1 can olives, sliced
1/4 c. green pepper, chopped
1/4 c. red pepper, choppped
1/4 c. crumbled feta cheese
1/3 c. caesar salad dressing

Cook pasta, drain, rinse in cold water. Combine ingredients, toss with dressing.
Cover & refrigerate until serving.