Double Lemon Salad

This has been a very crazy couple of weeks, so please excuse my lack of postings! I've still been busy in the kitchen, but am a bit behind on posting all of my recipes :) You'll have to excuse this picture, because it was next to impossible to photograph--I can't tell you how many times I tried and each time, it just looked like a big glob of some sort of yellow substance! Rest assured, it tastes WAY better than it probably looks and is quite well liked by all who have tried it. This is a great summer jello recipe, as it's very refreshing. I'm not a huge lemon fan, but I do enjoy this recipe and the rest of my family absolutely loves it...both my husband and son and the rest of my extended family! This is super easy to throw together the night before--especially if you need something quick to take to a BBQ or potluck the next day!

Double Lemon Salad

(2) 6 oz packages lemon jello
5 cups boiling water
12 ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate
12 ounce carton cool whip

Directions:

In large mixing bowl, dissolve jello in water. Stir in lemonade concentrate. Chill several hours or until nearly set. Beat with electric mixer until frothy. Add cool whip and continue mixing until well blended. Pour into serving bowl and cover and chill overnight.

Source: Adele Fine

Greek Pasta Salad

I enjoy eating pasta salad all year round, but especially in the summer! I believe I first tried this at a bridal shower for either myself or my sister, Sarah and everyone loved it! It's since been made for several events and I actually made it for my grandfather's birthday party this past weekend...I thought it would go well with the deli tray that they were having. I actually doubled the recipe, which I would suggest doing for a crowd--it's really good leftover!

Greek Pasta Salad

3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
2 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 pound box pasta (cooked and drained)

3 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup sliced red bell pepper
2 cups broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 (4 oz) can whole black olives, sliced
12 ounces sliced pepperoni, cut into strips

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, basil, oregano, black pepper and sugar. Add cooked pasta, mushrooms, tomatoes, red peppers, broccoli feta cheese, green onions, olives and pepperoni. Toss until evenly coated. Cover and chill 4 hours or overnight.

Source: Adele Fine

Chicken Pasta Salad

If this isn't "heaven on a plate", I don't know what is?!? My sister, Sarah, made this a few years ago and as soon as I took that first bite, I wanted to eat the entire bowl! This is my absolute favorite pasta salad EVER! It can be kind of an expensive pasta salad to make, but this time of year, it seems as if you find vidalia onions and avocados on sale. The recipe calls for cherry tomatoes, but it somewhat sickened me to spend $3.99 for a tiny little 10 oz package, so I opted to use roma tomatoes. It definitely is better with the cherry tomatoes, but certainly wasn't bad with the Roma. I also used (2) 16 oz packages of pasta---more for leftovers :) Keep in mind...you can imagine how much I love this pasta salad, because no one else in my house will eat it and I STILL used two packages of pasta!

Chicken Pasta Salad

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 1/2 cups steak sauce
1 1/2 packages (18 oz) fusilli pasta
4 cubes chicken bouillon
2 Vidalia onions, diced
3-4 avocados - peeled, pitted and diced
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
2 cups Ranch-style salad dressing (you may need a little more, depending on how "moist" you like your pasta salad)

Directions:

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Place breasts into a glass baking dish and marinate in steak sauce for 15 to 60 minutes. Grill chicken until no longer pink and the juices run clear. Remove from grill, and chop into bite-size pieces.

To a large pot of boiling water, add bouillon cubes and pasta. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain, and rinse under cold water.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, pasta, onion, avocados and tomatoes. Mix in salad dressing, cover, and refrigerate until chilled.

Source: Sarah O'Brien

Taco Salad

I spent quite a while racking my brain, trying to think of a good lunch idea for yesterday afternoon. One of my really good friends was coming over for a long overdue playdate and I wanted to make sure that I made something that she would enjoy--and something that would be easy to eat, with five kids, ages four and under running around! I finally decided on this taco salad recipe, as it has always been a huge hit! My mother-in-law first made this shortly after my husband and I started dating and since then, it has been requested for quite a few get-togethers that I have attended and is CONSTANTLY requested by my husband's co-workers, every time they have a pitch-in at work. It does take a little while to cut up all of the veggies, but it's well worth it...trust me! You can put this together ahead of time (ie: the night before) and wait to add the Doritos, Italian dressing and cheese until right before serving. It's really good leftover, but just a suggestion...if you're making it for your family (as opposed to taking it to a pitch-in or get-together), my husband and I have found that it works out well to mix all of the ingredients together, minus the Doritos, Italian dressing and cheese and then just add each of those three ingredients to each person's individual bowl--that way, you avoid having an entire bowl of taco salad with soggy Doritos! If you are serving it for a get-together or pitch-in and have some leftover, we found that just adding some fresh Doritos "perks" it right back up! (I apologize for the picture...I took it after 11pm last night, when I finally got back home after running my errands and had a chance to sit down and eat my dinner!)

Taco Salad

1 large head of lettuce
1 large green pepper, diced
1 large sweet onion, diced
1 cucumber, diced
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 bag Doritos (crushed into small pieces)
1 bottle Italian dressing
1 bag shredded mild cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:

In a large bowl, break apart lettuce. Add green pepper, onion, cucumber and tomatoes. Brown ground beef; drain fat and allow to cool. Add meat to salad mixture. Add Doritos, Italian dressing and cheese and mix well.

Note: We double the recipe if we're making it for a large group and it makes a good-sized bowl! Also, we have found that "off-brand" nacho-flavored chips often do not taste as good as the Doritos. By no means am I a "brand-snob"--I'm all about buying generic brands, but I am particular about a handful of things! I would suggest trying it for the first time with Doritos and then experimenting with other brands if you so desire. We have used the nacho-flavored chips from Aldi's and they honestly weren't bad!


Source: Esther Guajardo