This recipe originally came from mynaturalfamily.com and is one of my favorites.  I will serve it with tortillas so some choose to eat it as a wrap instead of a salad. Vinaigrette:
2 limes juiced (6 Tbsp lime juice)
2/3 c cilantro
2 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp honey
1/2 c olive oil
2 Tbsp white or balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt

Marinade:
1/2 c cilantro
2 limes juiced (6 Tbsp lime juice)
2 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 olive oil

Salad:
4 chicken breasts cut into strips
1 large yellow onion sliced
2 peppers - red, green, yellow or orange - sliced
2 romaine hearts cut up
1 avocado, sliced
1 c cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 c shredded cheese

1. Make the vinaigrette.
2. Make the marinade.
3. Pour 1/2 the marinade in a bag with the chicken.
4. Pour 1/2 the marinade in a bag with the onions and peppers.
5. Let sit for a few hours if possible.
6. Heat up a large skillet.  Drain the marinade from the chicken and cook in the skillet on high heat until the chicken is lightly brown.  .  Drain any fluids from the pan.
7. Add the onion/pepper mixture along with any marinade.  Cook on high stirring every few minutes until the chicken and vegetables have caramelized a little with brown charred spots on them.  Let cool slightly.
8. Either toss all the ingredients together into a salad or have everyone assemble their own salads.

I love this salad.  Jeremy thinks its tolerable and my kids dislike it.  It must be a mom thing, as other moms have really liked it as well.  It keeps for a day in the fridge so you can have the leftovers the next day.  I got the recipe originally from neighborfoodblog.


 1 cup bulgur or spelt or faro or even brown rice - any chewy, larger style grain
 2 cups shredded kale
 1 chopped avocado
 1 apple, chopped
 ½ cup chopped pecans
 ¼ cup dried cranberries

 ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese

• Juice of 1 orange
• 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Cook the bulgur or other grain according to directions.  Cool.
2. Chop up the avocado and apple and put it into a big bowl.
3. Add all the vinaigrette ingredients to the bowl and stir all together.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss all together.

Makes 6-8 side servings of 4 main dish servings.

Jeremy and I went out to dinner at a restaurant in Salt Lake called the Copper Onion.  They had a corn dish there that literally had us licking the plate after.  This recipe is as close as I could get at home and we love it.  I got it from a web site Closet Cooking and I changed it only slightly as to how I cook it.

2 Tbsp Butter
3 cups corn, cut from the cob or frozen
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 green onions, slices
1 Tbsp cilantro chopped
Juice of 1 lime
2 Tbsp cotija cheese crumbled
1 tsp chili powder

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the corn and stir it around well and then let it sit without stirring until the corn is slightly charred.  Mix it up, and let it sit to char again.  It takes 6-10 minutes each time.
Add the jalapeno and saute over high heat, then remove from heat.
Add all the other ingredients and stir together.

I love this salad and most adults I have served it too enjoy it. However my kids eat it only with some grumbling going on, but they do eat it.  You really can only make it in the summer as you need fresh produce.  I can't drain my orzo pasta which is like a larger rice kernel in my colander as it falls through the holes.  So I simply crack the pot's lid a tiny bit and slowly pour the cooking water out.  This is a recipe I got from Sunset Magazine several years ago.  It seems like a lot of preparation but it goes pretty fast if you do it all at the same time.

• 1 pound green beans
• 1 1/2 cups dried orzo pasta (8 oz.)
• 3 ears fresh corn 
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup minced shallots or green onions
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes (12 oz.), rinsed, stemmed, and cut in half

Preparation

In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 2 quarts water to a boil. Meanwhile, rinse green beans, trim off ends, and pull off any strings. Cut into 2- to 3-inch lengths. Add beans to boiling water and cook until barely tender to bite, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and immerse in ice water until cold; drain well.
 Fill same pan with 2 1/2 to 3 quarts water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add orzo and cook until barely tender to bite, 8 to 11 minutes. Drain.  Cool.
Cook corn with husks on and everything in oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Let it cool and husk corn.  Take a sharp knife and cut off corn kernels.
To make dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, shallots, mustard, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside one cup.
Add orzo pasta to dressing in large bowl.  Stir together.  Add lots of salt and pepper.  Smooth pasta level out.
Layer corn kernels, green beans and tomatoes over pasta.  Pour remaining 1 cup dressing over the top.
Chill in fridge till ready to serve and then toss it all together.

This recipe is from my neighbor Elaine who is a champion gardener.  I swear she eats only from her garden all summer long and then walks up and down the street sharing her bounty.  I will be honest and admit that my kids do not care for this dish.  But the adults love it, so I have told them that its a learned taste and we will just have to keep learning!  Its great for a summer meal.  I will make this the night before or early in the morning and then let it sit in my fridge all day.  Then that night I will serve it with some barbequed fish or chicken.


1 -1 lb. bag of rigatoni pasta or whatever small dense pasta you have in hand, I like bow-tie
2 to 3 large cucumbers - peeled and chopped
1 onion - chopped - about 1 cup
1 red pepper - chopped
3/4 cup celery - chopped
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp. Accent or Mrs Dash
1 tsp. mustard
1 cup sugar
1 cup vinegar
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and cool. Add pasta to large bowl along with vegetables.  Mix the seasonings together and pour over pasta and vegetables.  Chill at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.  Makes 10 servings.

This is a summer staple in our house.  I never realized what a wide world of taco salads there are out there until I went to a potluck where everyone brought a totally different version.  To me this will always be what taco should should be.  I don't add the chips to the salad because I want to keep the left over salad for lunch the next day and soggy chips don't taste very good.  So I let everyone sprinkle either fritos or broken up tortilla chips on their own bowl of salad.  My sister-in-law Mimi has converted us to BYU ranch but the Italian style dressing this recipe comes with is still my favorite although my family votes for ranch every every time.  In the summer time I will add in one small diced zucchini


1 head of red leaf or green leaf lettuce torn into small pieces
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 avocado cut into small pieces and tossed with 1 Tbsp lemon juice
4 tomatoes, de-seeded and chopped up
1 16 oz can kidney or black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red pepper chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 16 oz can corn, drained
1 lb ground beef, cooked and sprinkled with 1 Tbsp taco seasoning for the last few minutes
1 c olives, chopped - optional
1/2 small bag of broken tortilla or frito chips

Dressing: 1/2 small bottle Italian dressing, 1/2 bottle green taco sauce and 8 dashes Tobasco

Mix all the salad ingredients together.  Mix in as much dressing as you like.

My friend Diane showed me how to do these fun won-ton cups and the salad is from several different friends who have let me try theirs.  I like the salad just plain on top of shredded lettuce as a salad.  My husband likes it wrapped in tortillas as a wrap or as a topping for burritos.  These appetizer cups though are what my kids prefer.  Anyway you do it, its a easy, relatively healthy salad.

2 avacados cup up and tossed with 1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 package Italian salad dressing mix made according to directions with oil and water or use 2 cups of Italian salad dressing
1 bunch of green onions chopped up
1 15 oz can corn, drained
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

Toss all the ingredients together and let sit for at least one hour

As an appetizer:

A package of wonton wrappers
Sour cream

Heat your oven to 350 degrees.  Put a won ton wrapper into the cups of a mini-muffin pan to form little cups.  Cook for 7 minutes or until lightly golden.  Let cool.  Fill with salad and top with a small scoop of sour cream.

This recipe is from a Relief Society luncheon I went to.  It is similar to my chicken pasta salad but just a different flavor.  It can be served in rolls or croissants or on top of lettuce cups.  But I prefer it just straight with french bread on the side.


3 c cooked chicken, cubed
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp oil
3 Tbsp orange juice
1 1/2 c green grapes, halved
1 13 1/2 oz can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 11oz can Mandarin oranges, drained
1 c almond slices or slivers
1 1/2 c mayonnaise
3 c cooked shell pasta (1 1/2 c dry shells equals 3 c when cooked)

Mix all the ingredients and chill.

This is a recipe I found I think in high school. Although kids gripe when I make it, Jeremy and I enjoy it so we over-rode their decision to not keep this recipe. It really only works in the summer time when your vegetables are fresh but it is one of my favorite ways to eat zucchini. I will serve leftovers on top of lettuce as a salad or just eat it plain.

This is one of Jeremy's and my kids favorite summer meals. Of course, it has bacon in it and as everyone knows, bacon makes everything better. This is great to take places or to make in the morning ahead of time.

Bacon Pasta Salad - 8 main dish servings

6 slices bacon cut up and cooked
2 Tbsp sugar
1 package (16 oz) pasta shells, cooked and drained
1 small package frozen peas (3 c) or fresh
4 hard boiled eggs, cut up
1 1/4 c miracle whip
1/2 tsp garlic salt
3 carrots shredded
3 green onions, chopped
3 c chopped tomatoes (I like to remove the pulp/seeds of the tomato before I add them so the salad doesn't get mushy)

Stir all the ingredients together with 2 Tbsp reserved bacon drippings. Refrigerate for a few hours. Stir in additional miracle whip before serving if it appears too dry.

This was one of my favorite meals as a teen. Usually accompanied by my mom's banana muffins. I would eat a huge bowl for dinner and then pack some for lunch the next day. It still remains of my favorites. My kids though eat the ramen and the chicken and the cabbage disappears only under protest. I tell myself that eventually they will learn to like it as much as me. If not, good thing I pick the menu!

Mom's Chicken Cabbage Salad

2 Tbsp sesame seed
2 Tbsp chopped almond
1 head chopped cabbage
1/2 red pepper, chopped
3 chopped green oinons
1 package top ramen noodles, crushed (throw away the seasoning packet)
3 roasted chicken breasts, cut up

Mix all the salad ingredients together. Toss with a dressing of:

2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 c oil
1/2 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp vinegar

This is a combination of several spinach salad recipes I have used over the years. This is my favorite way to make spinach salad. Depending on my mood and ingredients the salad changes. When strawberries aren't in season I use cut up apples, pears or mandarin oranges. When my jeans are feeling tight, I loose the bacon. When I have run that day I use brown sugar caramelized pecans. And at times I swap out the feta cheese for finely shredded mozzarella. But this it the ultimate for me:

My favorite spinach salad

1 head romaine lettuce, cut up
1 bunch spinach with stems removed
1 pint strawberries cut up
1 cup craisens
1/2 red onion cut up
1/2 c feta cheese
almonds, preferably candied
4 pieces bacon cut up, cooked, drained and cooled

Combine all the ingredients. Toss with a dressing of:

1/2 c sugar
1/2 Tbsp dry mustard
1/2 c oil
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds

Now I have made several variations on this recipe:

 1. Fruit spinach salad: only spinach with a combination of blackberries, strawberries, mangoes, raspberries, blueberries, mandarin oranges, feta cheese, craisens and candied nuts

2. Candied nuts: I use whatever nuts I have on hand.  I will buy the glazed nuts at the store.  I will heat up a little butter in a skillet, toss in some brown sugar and walnuts/pecans/almonds and stir until carmalized.  Then I will cool the nuts on wax paper and break into pieces.  I will also bring 1 cup water and 2/3 c sugar to a boil and boil whatever nuts I am using for 2 minutes and then drain them on a paper towel.  They taste sweet but not overly sweet this way.

This is again from my friend Allison. Those dietitians always have the best recipes! My kids think the fried wantons should just be eaten plain.

1/2 c almonds (I have done whole, sliced or my favorite caramelized in a little sugar and butter)
1 can mandarin oranges (large or small depending on how much you like them)
3 chicken breasts grilled and then cut up and marinated in terriyakki sauce
3 green onions, sliced
1 head romaine or red leaf lettuce
1 inch stack of wontons cut into 1/2 inch strips. Fry in a single layer in a small amount of hot oil. Flip after a few seconds, remove when both sides are golden. Drain on paper towels.

Mix all the salad together when you are ready to eat. Toss with dressing of: 2 Tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 c oil, 3 Tbsp white vinegar and a dash of red pepper sauce if you like.

This does not keep so plan to feed 6-8 people or eat really big plates!

This is my favorite summer salad. It makes a ton, 20 servings. But if we half it, it is just right for dinner and leftovers for lunch the next day. I often just get a rotisserie chicken from Costco to tear up instead of cooking chicken. I will make it in the morning and then refrigerate it for the day and adds nuts right before serving it.

Chicken Pasta Salad

16 oz pkg multi-colored bow tie pasta salad
16 oz package spiral noodles
16 oz bottle of Kraft Coleslaw dressing
4-6 c cooked chicken, cubed
1/2 c green onions, chopped
2 c mayonnaise
20 oz can pineapple tidbits, drained
3-4 c sliced grapes
2 c sliced celery
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 c craisens
1 can mandarin oranges
1 c cashews or almonds
Can add 2 apples chopped and soaked in lemon or pineapple juice of you want

Cook pasta and drain and cool. Combine everything but nuts and stir well. Add nuts right before serving.

My old neighbor Lisa gave me this recipe. It is one of our kids' favorites and we will often bring it for BBQs in the summer. Calling it a salad is really a stretch but it makes you feel better about eating it.

1 c buttermilk
1 small package instant vanilla pudding
1 package Keebler chocolate and caramel striped circle cookies, broken into pieces
1 cans fruit cocktail, drained
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 small container cool whip

Mix buttermilk and pudding. Stir in rest. Chill and serve.

This is from my friend Allison and is also our Allison's favorite salad. Really more of a dessert but we like to pretend its healthy.

1 box 3 oz small raspberry jello
1 box 3 oz non-instant tapioca
1 box 3 oz non-instant vanilla pudding
3 c water

Mix in a pan an bring to a boil for 10 min. Stir constantly!
Pour into a bowl. Spray a piece of saran wrap with Pam and put it on surface. Refrigerate overnight of for 4 hours.

Fold in 12 oz. cool whip and 1/2 - 1 package frozen berries (raspberries are our favorite). Works best if berries are mostly thawed. You can use fresh as well.

A new recipe we tried and all liked. Although Spencer said that it was only the salad dressing that made it "palatable". Since everyone else liked it we declared it a keeper.

8 ox farfalle pasta (bow-tie pasta - I prefer the smaller variety)
1 c Casear salad dressing
6 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese
6 cups chopped lettuce
4 c Tomatoes (I did 2 c because we no longer have fresh tomatoes)
Pepper
3/4 c Casear croutons
1 cut up rotisserie chicken into bite size pieces

Cook pasta. Drain but do not rinse. Stir pasta and 1/2 c salad dressing together and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Mix everything together. Serve with extra salad dressing.

Note: Heather wrote this one some time ago, but it was stuck in the "draft" folder waiting for Jeremy to add the photo but forgotten.

Dear Family and Friends,

In case anyone else wanted this recipe I thought I would post it. Its the make at home version of the Cafe Rio pork salad and I can't taste the difference.

Shredded Pork

3 lb pork roast
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 can 4 oz diced green chilies
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 can coke (NOT DIET but it can be caffeine-free)
1 c brown sugar
Slow cook pork for 4-5 hours with 1 c water, salt and pepper. Drain and shred pork. Add other ingredients and cook 2-3 more hours.

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

1 c mayonnaise
1 pkg buttermilk dressing mix
1/2 c buttermilk
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 c cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic
3 tomatillos

Blend all ingredients in blender till smooth.

Rice

4 c water
2 c rice
4 cubes chicken bouillon
1 tsp cumin
2 cloves garlic
6 green onions
Cook 20-25 minutes

Serve with warm tortillas, lettuce, black beans, cheese, guacamole and sour cream etc.

When we had morning church I would put this in the crock pot in the morning, come back, shred and do all the other stuff and everything would be just right for dinner time.