Chopped Autumn Salad

You know when you find a recipe, and you think "Oh my goodness, I'm making this every night!"? Yeah, that happened tonight. I won't actually be making it every night, but it most certainly will be making it's way into our regular rotation.

Little story before we get to the recipe though, you can skip it if you don't like reading. I don't mind. Something really weird happened with this recipe/website. When I meal planned on Friday, it included chicken. But today, when I went to make it, gasp, no chicken. My dinner went from a main dish to a side dish, poof! :/ Oops. But no fear! I just sauteed a chicken breast seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic, sliced it and laid it on top. We'll call that a main course. Delish! (I'm still trying to figure out how I thought there was chicken in this salad...)

Ingredients
*6 to 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
*2 medium pears, chopped
*1 cup dried cranberries
*1 cup chopped pecans
*8 slices thick-cut bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
*4 to 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
*Poppy seed Salad Dressing (I like T. Marzetti)
*Balsamic Vinaigrette (I like Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette)

Instructions
*On a large platter, combine the lettuce, pears, cranberries, pecans, bacon and feta cheese. Drizzle generously with poppy seed dressing, followed by some of the balsamic vinaigrette. (I would estimate that I used about a cup of dressing: 70 percent poppy seed dressing and 30 percent balsamic vinaigrette) If you prefer your salad to have more dressing, feel free to experiment with the combination.

*I did not edit any of the recipe write up from the original source, however, I agree with all that she said. The only difference was that I only needed about 3/4 cup of dressing- 1/4 balsamic and 1/2 poppy seed. I also swapped dried cherries and walnuts in, just because that's what we usually use and had on hand. The chicken was most certainly a welcome addition, but it's delicious either way. I used 8 cups of romaine, and there was enough for 4 entree sized salads.

Sweet & Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad

Simple. Cool. Refreshing. Healthy. This little salad has it all. It would be great paired up with some Panko Shrimp but also paired beautifully with the Thai Chicken Pizza! Definitely loved this one!

Need:

1 cucumber peeled and thinly sliced

1 carrot, matchstick-julienned

1/4 cup of thinly sliced red onion

1/2 cup of rice vinegar

1/4 cup of sugar (or Splenda equivalent for low carb diets)

1 tsp. of thai chili garlic sauce

pinch of salt

Do:

In a microwavable small bowl add rice vinegar, sugar, chili garlic sauce, and salt. Heat the bowl in the microwave for 45 seconds. Stir the vinaigrette until the sugar is completely dissolved. In a medium size bowl add the sliced cucumbers, carrots, and red onion. Pour vinaigrette over the cucumber mixture until well tossed. Cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy.

Fiesta Orzo Salad with Spicy Buttermilk Dressing

I've made a Mediterranean orzo salad before, and Carl adored it! It's a pretty time consuming side dish, so when I saw this fiesta style orzo salad that seemed a little simpler for a weeknight, I knew I had to try it. Good move Molly, good move. Delicious, easy, weeknight winner.

P.S. My picture sucks. Please don't judge this recipe by it's photo.

The Ingredients:
1 Cup Cooked Orzo
1 Cup Frozen Whole-Kernel Corn- I used a can of corn because I needed it to come together quickly and had originally planned on grilling some corn on the cob
12 Cherry Tomatoes – quartered – I had a bunch of on the vine, so I just diced 2 of those those
3 Green Onions – sliced
1 Can Black Beans (15 oz.) – rinse and drained
1/4 Cup Low Fat Buttermilk
3 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Cilantro – divided
3 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
2 Tablespoons Light Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons Canola Mayonnaise
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Red Pepper
2 Garlic Cloves – crushed
1 Peeled Avocado – cut into 8 wedges- I omitted
1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Parsley- I omitted...not on purpose. I forgot.

Directions:
Cook orzo according to package directions – don’t add salt or oil to the water. Drain and rinse. Place orzo, corn, tomatoes, green onions, and black beans into a large bowl and toss.

Whisk together buttermilk, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, fresh lime juice light sour cream, mayo, chili powder, salt, pepper, ground red pepper, and garlic.

Drizzle dressing over salad and mix to coat. You can eat it immediately, or refrigerate it up to a couple days.

Steak Salad with Bacon, Crispy Potatoes, and Blue Cheese Dressing

Wow. OK, even if you just make the dressing to use on whatever you choose, do it! I used a good Roquefort, and it was Mmm Mmm unbelievable if you like Blue Cheese Dressing.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces sliced bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I used turkey bacon)
  
• 8 ounces Yukon gold or fingerling potatoes cut into 1/2 inch wedges
  
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
  
• 1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak (1 inch thick)
• 3 ounces blue cheese (such as Stilton or Roquefort), crumbled (3/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 scallion, chopped
• 1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces (about 8 cups)

Directions

1. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
2. Add the potatoes to the bacon drippings, season with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper, and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, tossing occasionally, until browned and tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to the paper towel-lined plate.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a second large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the steak with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook 5 to 7 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.
4. In a small bowl, mix together the blue cheese, sour cream, buttermilk, vinegar, scallion, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Divide the lettuce among plates, top with the steak, bacon, and potatoes, and drizzle with the dressing.

Zucchini Salad

I was a little apprehensive about zucchini. I've never really been a fan unless it's in zucchini bread, and we all know that bread's flavor has nothing to do with the zucchini. But the tag line under the photo is "not a fan of raw zucchini? This salad....is sure to make you a convert." Done. Let's give it a try.

1 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (3 oz)
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp small dill sprigs
Lemon zest, plus 1 tbsp +1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Toss together zucchini, cheese, oil, dill and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with lemon zest.
Source: Martha Stewart Living August 2011

Turkey-Corn Salad with Pan Dripping Dressing

So here is where you need the pan drippings from the previously posted turkey breast. This was also in the Martha Stewart Living August edition. This is a seriously light and healthy salad. So much so that I really should have had some bread with it. But if you are on a diet, by all means, scarf down a huge portion of this, because you can't go wrong!

1-2 cups shredded or sliced turkey from Roast Turkey Breast
1.5 cups corn kernels (3-4 ears) *We grill ours in tin foil on medium for 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes
1 tomato, chopped and drained
1 small jalapeno chile, thinly sliced
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp fresh lime juice (2 limes)
1 small head Bibb lettuce, torn into pieces
3 tbsp fresh cilantro

1. Toss turkey with corn, tomato, jalapeno and onion.
2. Whisk together reserved pan drippings and lime juice. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss to coat. Toss in lettuce and cilantro.

Cherry Chicken Salad Croissants

I love dried cherries. I put them in my salads. I eat them plain. I like finding new recipes to use them. I bought a 20lb bag. :/

With that being said, I offered to coordinate the menu for Carl's family's Easter Egg Hunt. I suggested and said I would bring Cherry Chicken Salad Croissants. Plus, I was hosting a light lunch for Carl's immediate family on Easter day, so I knew I could make a really big batch and use it twice. The only problem was that I had made a cherry chicken salad before, but I didn't love it. I almost just made it again, but wow, am I glad I didn't! I went with this one from The Novice Chef. Perfection. So many compliments and I will search no further!

Ingredients:

4 cups of cubed cooked chicken
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1 rib celery, finely diced (I omitted, I like celery but sometimes find it overpowering)
2 medium shallots, minced
3/4 cup dried Michigan Cherries
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
1/3 cup fat free greek yogurt
3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and adjust any seasonings as needed. You can eat it immediately, but I like to let the flavors develop a little while before eating. So I suggest letting it sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes or so before eating!

*Definitely let it sit overnight!

Broccoli Slaw

When I host a party, I usually like to make at least one new recipe and one reliable recipe. This way, I at least know that I have one good salad, side, whatever, but then I get to try something new out on a whole bunch of guinea pigs! This past Saturday, we had Carl's cousins over for a cookout, so I decided to try this broccoli slaw from Smitten Kitchen.

And the results? Guinea Pigs say- Success! I'll definitely keep this one in the rotation! I tripled the recipe, and had enough for our party on Saturday and then some to take to my parents' house on Sunday...and we still have a little leftover.



*My go to recipe was Spaghetti Salad. ALWAYS a crowd pleaser!


Here is the recipe copied from SK:
Broccoli Slaw
Adapted a little bit from family, a little bit from Apartment Therapy

Makes about six cups of slaw

2 heads of broccoli
1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds, toasted
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

Buttermilk Dressing (Adapted from this salad.)
1/2 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
1/3 cup mayonnaise (this is more than is in the original, to thicken the dressing further)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot (or, you could just use a little extra red onion to simplify it)

Trim broccoli and cut it into large chunks. From here, you can either feed it through your food processor’s slicing blade, use a mandoline to cut it into thin slices, or simply had chop it into smaller pieces. I used the stem and the flowerets, but if you have a broccoli stem aversion you can just use the tops.

Toss the sliced broccoli with the almonds, cranberries and red onion in a large bowl. Meanwhile, whisk the dressing ingredients in a smaller one, with a good pinch of salt and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the broccoli (if you’ve skipped the stems, you might not want it all; I otherwise found this to be the perfect amount) and toss it well. Season well with salt and pepper to taste.

Cherry Chicken Salad

I really love chicken salad, and if it has dried cherries in it, that is a huge bonus! I wanted to make my own, so I searched and found this one. I just love allrecipes.com. Mostly because you can search by ingredient.

Anyway, what a great basic chicken salad! I will definitely make this again. I'd love to experiment with it in the future. I think it could be modified just a tad and be spectacular!!

INGREDIENTS

* 3 cooked, boneless chicken breast halves, diced
* 1/3 cup dried cherries
* 1/3 cup diced celery
* 1/3 cup toasted, chopped pecans
* 1/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise
* 1 tablespoon buttermilk
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/3 cup cubed apples (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, dried cherries, celery, nuts, mayonnaise, milk, salt and pepper and apple if desired. Toss together well and refrigerate until chilled. Serve on toasted cracked wheat bread or croissants.

Worth Mentioning Again: Mediterranean Orzo Salad

I made this salad awhile back, but posted it with a couple other items. I really feel as though this deserves it's own post. It's really light and refreshing, perfect for the warm weather months!

1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed and in 1 inch pieces
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium red onion, sliced into 1/2 inch wedges
1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper optional
3/4 c uncooked orzo pasta
1 can garbanzo beans
1 package (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c pitted whole kalamata olives
1/2 c snipped fresh parsley
1/4 c prepared Greek vinaigrette dressing

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine asparagus, bell pepper, onion and oil in a medium mixing bowl. Press garlic into mixing bowl; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Arrange vegetables on a bar pan (or cookie sheet). Bake 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and deep golden brown. Remove from oven; cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare orzo according to package directions, drain and rinse under cold running water. Place orzo in large mixing bowl, add vegetable mixture, beans, feta cheese, olives, parsley and salad dressing. Toss gently and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.

I doubled this recipe for our party on Sunday, and it was a perfect amount. There were about 25 people here. I also recommend more olives...but I really like olives!

Courtesy of Pampered Chef

Family Spaghetti Salad

This has been a staple salad at parties in my family for eons. Just the smell of it brings back memories of sandy bare feet running through my parents' house during a bustling party. Love it. Oh, and it's super easy. Really, you can't screw it up.

I doubled this recipe and had plenty for our party of 17 on Sunday. Modify accordingly.

1 lb spaghetti noodles, cooked, drained and rinsed
1 cucumber (I use English seedless), diced in 1 inch pieces
2 medium sized tomatoes, diced small
2 scallions, diced thinly
2 medium green peppers, diced small
1 bottle Wishbone Italian Dressing (not the huge bottle...the normal sized one- I believe it was 16 oz)
1/2 bottle McCormick Salad Seasoning Supreme

Mix together the noodles and veggies thoroughly, then start adding the dressing and seasoning. I recommend tasting it after you've added about half of each. The flavor can get strong, which is the way I like it, but you may like it a little less powerful. You can't screw this one up, trust me! Carl's words (in between bites mind you) "This...is....so...good. Way...better...than...what...you'd....get...at...the...store."

Classic Potato Salad

Oh potato salad, how you mock me with your unphotographic ways....

Flipping through the newest Food Network magazine I stumbled upon a classic potato salad recipe by Aaron McCargo. I needed a recipe for my Mother's Day menu, and this one looked fresh, and delicious. Oh and it was! I will definitely make this again- most likely the next time will be our Memorial Day party in just a few weeks.

Ingredients

* 3 large Yukon gold potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (I actually used regular potatoes)
* 3 large eggs
* 1/2 cup diced onion
* 1/2 cup diced celery (omitted)
* 2 tablespoons sweet relish
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 teaspoon hot sauce
* Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and spread out on a sheet pan to cool. Meanwhile, bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Carefully add the eggs; cook for 12 minutes, then remove to a bowl of ice water to cool completely. Peel the eggs under cold running water, then roughly chop.

In a large bowl, combine the onion, celery, relish, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and the mayonnaise. Fold in the potatoes, eggs and scallions. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

Chicken Caesar Salad

I probably talked about this salad 3 different times on Saturday. It was just so light and refreshing and really really delicious. Super simple too! You can opt to make your own dressing and croutons, but I found that Newman's Own and the bagged croutons were just great!

And I am absolutely loving the nicer weather. I was able to take the picture outside and wow, what a difference it makes!!

*I cut this in half and used this recipe

4 boneless chicken breasts
Melted butter or oil for basting (I swapped salt & pepper to flavor instead)
8 c. bite-size pieces of Romaine lettuce
1 1/3 c. croutons
Parmesan cheese (I grated fresh Parmesan)
Caesar salad dressing

Grill chicken, turning and basting frequently with oil or butter. Cut meat diagonally into strips. Set aside. (*I flattened our chicken and it cooked perfectly with 4 minutes on each side with the grill on medium)

In a large bowl toss Romaine with croutons and dressing. Put on 4 plates, crisscross chicken strips, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Pecan-Crusted Chicken with Sweet Mustard Dressing

Tonight was my make something new night. I've had my eye on this recipe for quite some time now, and finally bit the bullet! I wanted something refreshing since we've had heavier meals due to the cold weather. This recipe comes from the Pampered Chef cookbook: 29 Minutes to Dinner.

Ingredients:
1 egg white
1 1/2 c pecans
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
6 chicken tenders
1/4 c veg oil

Dressing
1/4 c peach preserves
2 tbsp stone ground mustard
1 tsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp veg oil
4 cups baby greens

Directions:
1. For chicken, lightly beat the egg white in a small bowl. Finely chop the pecans and place in another bowl. Combine salt and cayenne pepper in a third bowl. Slice chicken tenders in half lengthwise and remove white tendons. Sprinkle the chicken with the salt and pepper mix. Dip chicken in egg whites and then press into the pecans coating the chicken.

2. Add oil to a skillet and heat on medium low until simmering. Cook chicken 2-3 minutes or until deep golden brown. Turn chicken over; cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until centers of chicken are no longer pink.

3. Meanwhile, for dressing, whisk together preserves, mustard, vinegar, salt, black pepper, pressed garlic and oil.

4. To serve, toss greens with 2 tbsp of the dressing; divide among serving plates. Drizzle remaining dressing around edge of plates. Arrange three of the chicken strips around each salad. Enjoy!!

Notes: I just used regular romaine instead. I buy that in bulk and it's pretty much the only lettuce I ever use. Also, I used my large bowl to eat it in, so my chicken went right on top and I spread more dressing over the chicken. I was skeptical on the dressing at first, but it was probably the best part of the dish! Also, don't feel the need to completely coat the chicken with the pecans. I think a light layer is sufficient.

The Perfect Side Salad

Well, you can hardly call this a recipe, but I had this salad a few years ago at a bridal shower. All the ingredients have very strong flavors, but they compliment each other perfectly! It never fails to satisfy...Lindsay- I know it's veggies, but the blue cheese totally negates any healthiness. Maybe you could give it a go :)

Hearts of Romaine
Green Pepper
Blue Cheese Crumbles
Dried Cranberries
Crumbled Walnuts
Raspberry Vinaigrette

Ok...that's all I'm telling you. Really...I don't know what else to tell you. It's a salad. Just put it together :) Doesn't the picture look good? Mmmmm.