Taffy Apple Salad

I have had this recipe for years... well before my oldest son was born. I make it multiple times each summer for barbeques and parties; I have NO idea why I've never blogged about it before.

I omit the nuts because my father and son are both allergic, but I think they'd be a wonderful addition. Even without, though, it's a refreshing and delicious side dish. The marshmallows somehow melt away to meld with the rest of the ingredients and the fruit combinations are endless. I've subbed fresh pears for some of the apples or canned for the pineapples. Mandarin oranges would work nicely as well - mix it up!


Taffy Apple Salad
from The Pampered Chef

• 1 8oz can pineapple tidbits in juice
• 2 medium red apples, cored and diced
• 2 medium Granny Smith apples, cored and diced
• 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
• 4oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup thawed, frozen whipped topping
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows
• additional chopped dry roasted peanuts (optional)

Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Whisk cream cheese into juice until smooth. Stir in whipped topping; mix until blended.

Add pineapple, apples, peanuts, and marshmallows to cream cheese mixture; mix gently. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Sprinkle with additional peanuts if desired.

Asian Couscous Salad

Couscous has only been on my radar for a year or two and I'm sorry for the years I've missed out.  It's so easy to make and has such a distinctive flavor.

I've seen this salad on several different sites, and even though I was afraid my husband wouldn't like this, I added it to the menu alongside some meatballs.  It comes together so quickly, making it the perfect weeknight dinner.

Asian Couscous Salad

from Aggie's Kitchen

• 1 cup uncooked whole wheat couscous
  
• 1 1/4 cup water
  
• 3/4 of 16 oz bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix
  
• 2 carrots, shredded
  
• 3-4 green onions, thinly sliced
  
• 1/2 cup sliced and toasted almonds
  
• 1/3 cup crunchy chow mein noodles (optional)
  
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
  
• 1/2 cup olive oil (or oil of your preference)
  
• 1 TB hoisin sauce
  
• 1 TB honey
  
• 1-2 cloves minced or pressed garlic
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  

In small bowl, whisk together rice wine vinegar, oil, hoisin, honey, garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Bring 1 1/4 cups water to boil. Add 1 cup uncooked whole wheat couscous. Take off heat and set aside for 5 minutes. Once couscous has absorbed water, fluff with a fork and let cool.

In large bowl combine shredded coleslaw mix, carrots, green onion and almonds (and crunchy noodles if adding). Add cooled couscous to mixture and gently combine. Add dressing to salad and toss. Taste for additional salt and pepper. Can be served immediately at room temperature or refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Chicken and Chickpea Salad

I love pasta.  Love it.  I'm sure you've figured that out, though, since I probably say that in 50% of my blog posts about pasta.

This Chicken and Chickpea Salad was not only delicious, but also my first time using Dreamfield's pasta.  Prior to this, my head threatened to explode every time I even considered spending almost $3 for less than a pound of pasta.  But finally I decided to go for it... I figured if I'm eating pasta this often, it may as well be a little good for me.

Although I could taste a slight difference, it really was pretty close to the taste of regular white pasta.  Try as I might, I cannot get myself to like whole wheat pasta, so this is a nice alternative.

I'm sure this salad will be even better in the spring and summer, but for now, it's a yummy dinner and I feel less guilty bringing the leftovers to work for lunch.

Chicken and Chickpea Salad

slightly adapted from Christine's Cuisine; originally from Get Cooking

• 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. fresh chopped thyme
• 1 tsp. fresh chopped oregano
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 6oz fresh mozzarella, cubed
• 1-1 1/2 cup cooked shredded chicken
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1lb pasta 
• 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
• 2-4 cups arugula
• 1 cup tomatoes, roughly chopped

Drain and rinse chickpeas.

Combine vinegar, garlic, salt, thyme, oregano, pepper and olive oil. Whisk to mix. Stir in chickpeas, chicken, and mozzarella. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 30 min-1 hour.

Make pasta according to box directions. Drain and add to chickpea mixture.

Toss with parmesan, arugula, and tomatoes. Serve immediately.

Steakhouse Potato Salad

No summer would be complete without a good potato salad, and I was excited to try this one from Kraft. Of course, you're not really limited to their brands - use whatever bacon and stuff you'd like.

This was really good, but not the best I've ever had. I would make it again because I liked the flavor combination, but I would also like to try some more recipes.

Ingredients

• 3 lb. small red potatoes (about 9), quartered
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1/2 cup MIRACLE WHIP Dressing
• 1/4 cup KRAFT Ranch Dressing
• 6 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, crumbled
• 1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 4 Green onions, thinly sliced

PLACE potatoes in 2-qt. microwaveable dish. Add water; cover with lid. Microwave on HIGH 12 to 15 min. or just until potatoes are tender; drain. Place in large bowl.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until completely cooled.

MIX dressings. Add to potatoes with remaining ingredients; mix lightly.

Tri Colore Orzo

I love pasta salads, and when I need a new one, I almost always turn to my friend Colleen's blog; I consider her a pasta salad guru!

I made this for a party, and I was astounded by how many compliments it received. It almost seems unfair since the most work this salad requires is boiling the orzo... but the flavor combination is just unreal and is perfect for a casual barbecue or a formal dinner party.


Ingredients

• 1 pound orzo pasta
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
• 2 cups fresh arugula (about 3 ounces)
• 3/4 cup crumbled ricotta salata cheese (or feta cheese)
• 1/2 cup dried cherries (like Colleen, I used dried cranberries)
• 12 fresh basil leaves, torn
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (I omitted)
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta and put the pasta on a large cookie sheet. Drizzle the pasta with 3 tablespoons olive oil, toss, spread out, and set aside to cool.

Once the orzo is cool, transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently to combine. Serve.

Tortellini Spinach Salad with Tomato Balsamic Dressing

My friend Kelly from Running Mama Cooks (which came from our other friend Juliann who got from somewhere else...) made this salad a few weeks ago for a playdate. It was absolutely delicious, and I couldn't wait to make it myself.

This meal is hearty enough for dinner, and the leftovers make a fantastic lunch. This is absolutely perfect for those summer nights when it's too hot to eat much else. Plus... the ice cream I ate later was almost guilt-free. ;)


Ingredients:

Salad

• 20 oz package three cheese tortellini
• 6 oz turkey bacon, cut into chunks
• 6 oz bag baby spinach
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small jar roasted red peppers, thinly sliced

Dressing

• 9 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 ½ tablespoon tomato paste
• Salt and pepper to taste (about 1/8 teaspoon each)
• 3/4 cup olive oil

Cook tortellini in boiling water until al dente. Drain and toss with a teaspoon of olive oil to keep from sticking. Let cool in colander.

Cook turkey bacon until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon onto paper towel. Allow to cool.

In a large bowl, toss all the salad ingredients together after the pasta and bacon has cooled.

In a blender add all of the dressing ingredients except for the olive oil and process until smooth. Then, while the blender is running, slowly add the olive oil and blend until completely combined. If serving the salad right away, immediately pour the dressing over the salad and toss well (you may not need all the dressing). Serve.

Olive Garden's Salad Dressing

Before I get into the recipe part of this post, check out this little bottle! Years ago, my grandmother had it and I thought it was so freaken cool. It has a little sensor and mixes it up for you as it pours. It also has measurements along the sides for various salad dressing recipes. Awesome!


After awhile, though, hers broke and she couldn't find a replacement anywhere. I was pretty bummed that I couldn't get my hands on my own.

Well, thanks the power of the internet, my dad found them not too long ago and gave me a nice little post-Christmas surprise!


Although I'm excited to try some of the recipes on the bottle, I immediately searched for a new Olive Garden variation. Like many people, my favorite part of the Olive Garden is their dressing. I'm not a huge salad person, but I for sure could make quite a meal out of their salad, especially if you add some tasty breadsticks.

Suffice it to say that my salad was quite enjoyable this week. I tried a knockoff recipe once and it was okay, but not that great. This one is a lot better and might entice me to start eating more salads!


Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 Tbls. corn syrup
• 2 Tbls. Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbls. Romano cheese
• 1/4 tsp. garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
• 1 Tbl. lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor until well-blended. If dressing is too tart, add sugar to taste.

Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad

We had our families over to grill last weekend, and I was looking for a yummy side to go with everything else. I headed over to Colleen's blog, intending to get the recipe for the Tri-Colore Orzo she made when we got together a couple of weeks ago, but instead found this Corn, Tomato, and Avocado dish.

It was super quick to prepare, looked awesome on the table, and was delicious. I did think that the lime was a bit too overpowering for my taste, so next time I would just use slightly less. But there for sure WILL be a next time!

Ingredients

• 10 ounces frozen corn, thawed completely
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon good quality olive oil
• kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper, to taste

Combine corn, tomatoes, scallions in large bowl. Whisk together lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour over vegetables. Chill for 1-4 hours.

When ready to serve, add gently fold in avocado and allow salad to come to room temperature. Season again with salt and pepper if needed.

Pasta Salad

Brooke has made this Pasta Salad twice in my presence, and it's too good to not try to make myself!

Pat has a few cousins who live somewhat locally, and we try to get together a few times a year. We went to Jane and Jeff's this past weekend for a barbecue (and for TWO new pregnancy announcements!), and I decided to make Brooke's pasta salad.

I changed around the amounts a tad based on what I had on hand. And there was definitely WAY too much!! I've been taking it to work for lunch all week and throwing some chopped grilled chicken on top.


Ingredients

• 24 oz uncooked tri-color pasta
• 1 can sliced black olives
• 1 jar roasted red peppers, chopped
• 1 jar artichoke hearts, chopped
• 1 ball fresh mozzarella, cubed
• 2 1/2 cups bottled fat-free Italian dressing

Cook pasta according to package directions. Place in bowl and toss with 1 cup dressing. Allow to cool. Toss in all other ingredients and additional 1 cup of dressing. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, toss with the final 1/2 cup dressing.

Colleen's Chicken Salad

My taste buds were first introduced to this bowl of yumminess several weeks ago, when Colleen brought this Chicken Salad to my house for a brunch get-together.

I wanted something light and easy to take to work for lunches, and this is perfect. I actually planned to dice up an apple and throw it in there just for kicks, but totally forgot.

This was just so easy to prepare! I threw in a couple of additional chicken breasts onto the grill pan when making dinner, and the rest just came together in minutes. I will definitely be making this again.


Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts (about 1 pound), cooked and shredded
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1/3 to 1/2 of a large cucumber, peeled and diced
• 1/3 cup mayo, more or less to taste
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• kosher salt and coarse ground pepper to taste

Combine chicken, celery, and cucumber in large bowl.

In small bowl, combine mayo, mustard, and lemon juice. Pour over chicken mixture, season with salt and pepper; toss gently to coat.

Cover and chill for at least 1 hour, can be made up to 24 hours in advance.

Barefoot Bloggers: Panzanella

Mmmm, another delicious Barefoot Bloggers dish! This Panzanella is one of my favorites so far, second only to the equally delicious Parmesan Chicken. Pat took some for lunch today, and if I may quote his email: "The salad is good stuff!!!"


One of the best things about this group is that it's "forcing" me to make something I wouldn't have on my own. I'd never make this - but I am so glad I did. Light and summery and delicious... what a perfect summertime salad!

Thanks, Melissa, for choosing this one!



Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cucumber, unpeeled, roughly diced
• 1 zucchini, unpeeled, roughly diced
• 1/2 red onion, roughly diced
• 20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons capers, drained

For the vinaigrette:

• 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.

For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

Caprese Salad

When Jen and I were both on maternity leave, we loved having lunch at Panera. One of our new favorite orders was a basil-tomato-mozzarella salad, and we were bummed when they took it off the menu for the fall.

I was determined to make this at home, and was really astounded at how easy and simple it is. It has become a go-to crowd pleaser.




Ingredients:

• 8oz fresh mozzarella, chopped
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinagrette dressing
• 24oz vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup fresh basil, coursely chopped or torn

Combine all ingredients in a bowl; adjust dressing and basil to taste. Voila!