-Miriam
Karlie Himle
SMOKED MOZZARELLA AND PENNE SPINACH SALAD
*Serves 6-8
Parmesan Dressing:
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup white whine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Salad:
12 ounces penne pasta
3 cups packed baby spinach
12 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and diced
4-6 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, diced
For the dressing, combine the Parmesan cheese, parsley, mayo, vinegar, garlic, cayenne and salt and pepper in a blender and process until the dressing is smooth. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The dressing can be made up to two days ahead of time.
To prepare the salad, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until just tender, al dente. Drain the pasta into a colander and run cold water over it and drain well. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, spinach, roasted red peppers and smoked mozzarella. At this point, the salad and dressing can be refrigerated for a couple of hours separately before serving.
Toss the salad with the dressing right before serving.
Becky Sellers
CHICKEN & ARTICHOKE SALAD
1 box chicken rice-a-roni, cooked and cooled
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 can artichoke hearts
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup green onions
1/2 can black olives, sliced
2 cups chopped chicken, cooked and cooled
1 cup mayonnaise
Mix all ingredients together. Sprinkle with paprika. Serve cool.
Miriam Deru
CHICKEN PASTA SALAD (from here)
1 lb. cooked, shredded chicken, cooled
1 lb. cooked bow tie noodles, cooled
2 heads broccoli, finely chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/3 onion, chopped
1 can sliced olives
1 cup shredded cheese (optional)
1/3 - 1/2 cup ranch dressing (I think this is optional, but you might say it "holds it all together")
Dressing:
2 envelopes dry Italian dressing mix
6 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
4-1/2 Tbs. water
3/4 cup oil (you can reduce this some)
Combine chicken, chopped vegetables, olives and pasta. Set aside. Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over pasta mixture, stirring until combined. Add ranch dressing and cheese and fold together. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving. Serves 8 - 10.
Miriam Deru
CUCUMBER & TOMATO SALAD
(Only make this with garden tomatoes. Store-bought tomatoes would be lousy.)
3 cucumbers, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes, cut in wedges
1/3 cup red onion, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup green sweet pepper, coarsely chopped
Olive oil
Apple cider, balsamic, or other flavored vinegar
Salt and pepper
Mix vegetables together in a medium serving bowl. Carefully pour enough oil to lightly coat all vegetables (stir while pouring until all vegetables look a little shiny with oil). Splash vinegar over salad in small amounts until desired taste balance is reached. Sprinkle with salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
