Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

*some cooked penne/bowtie pasta (I just use what I have any style)
*some halved grape or cherry tomatoes
*some crumbled feta cheese (Costco has the best price)
*1 packet italian seasoned dressing (you need to make it)
*1/2 chopped red onion
*some sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil, again Costco is the best)
*some chicken breasts cooked & cut into strips

You can add olives, basil, & anything else your heart desires.Toss all ingredients & serve.

I got this recipe from someone's blog. Unfortunately I can't remember which blog to give proper credit.

Chicken, Cabbage and noodle salad

This is Jeannie's recipe!

1 head green cabbage, chopped fine
2 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded (make sure it has cooled)
4 green onions, chopped
4 TB slivered almonds, toasted
4 TB sesame seeds
2 packs of plain, no seasoning, top ramen noodles, broken up

Mix everything together and add whisked dressing below:

1 C oil
6 TB vinegar
4 TB sugar
2 TB salt
1 tsp accent
1/2 tsp pepper

Winter Salad with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients

Serves 6
10 ounces (about 1 pint) cherry tomatoes (or substitute grape tomatoes)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 stem fresh rosemary
9 cups torn mixed red lettuce, such as red leaf, lola rossa, red Boston, and red oak
2 heads Belgian endive, cut lengthwise into very thin strips
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
Shaved Pecorino Romano cheese, for serving
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Add 2 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the rosemary, and toss. Roast until tomatoes are soft and beginning to collapse, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer all but 4 tomatoes to a small bowl. With the back of a spoon, gently crush remaining 4 tomatoes on baking sheet. Separate skins from pulp, and discard skins and rosemary.
Scrape tomato pulp and liquid into a bowl. Add remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar. Add remaining 1/4 cup oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
Combine lettuce, endive, and walnuts in a large bowl. Toss with 1/4 cup of the tomato vinaigrette. Top with reserved tomatoes and cheese. Drizzle with remaining dressing. Serve immediately.

Waldorf Salad

4 apples, peeled, quartered and cored.  (I like gala or fuji)

8 pecan halves, toasted and chopped

1 C finely chopped celery

1/2 diced red pepper (optional)

Green onions chopped (optional)

Toss to combine and squeeze a little bit of lemon to keep the apples fresh.  Here are two dressings to choose from:

 

Dressing:

2 TB Mayo

1/2  of a lemon squeezed 

salt /pepper

or 

Dressing:

3/4 C sour cream

1 Tb dijon mustard

1 1/2 Tb honey

1 tsp minced fresh mint

salt/pepper

7 Layer Salad

From bottom to top:

Macaroni, cooked (about 1/2 lb)

Peas (1-2 cups defrosted but cold) 

Grated carrots

lettuce, chopped

Sliced ham (about 1 lb)

Shredded cheese (Cheddar, colby or Monterey jack)

Dressing

Hard boiled eggs, optional

Dressing:

1 C. light mayo

1/2 C light sour cream

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh basil or 3/4 tsp dried

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Italian Spiral Pasta Salad

8 oz. tri-colored Rotini noodles, cooked
1 large can sliced olives
1 cucumber, cubed
1 cup mozzarella cheese, cubed
1 green pepper, diced
1/4 c. green onions (2), diced
1 tomato, diced
peperoni to taste, cut in half
8 oz. Zesty Italian dressing

Combine all ingredients. You may add 2 tsp. dried oregano, basil or dill. Chill 2-24 hours. Serves 12

Candy Bar Salad

16 oz. Vanilla yogurt
3 Granny Smith apples
2-3 candy bars (snickers or milky way)

Cut the apples into bite size pieces. Cut the candy bar length wise, then into small bites. Combine in a medium size bowl and add yogurt to cover. You can add more or less of any ingredient to your liking.

Chinese Chicken Wonton Salad

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 package wontons, cut into thirds

1 head iceburg lettuce, torn into pieces

1 11-oz can mandarin oranges, drained

1 4-oz package slivered almonds, toasted

1/4 c. sesame seeds, toasted

1 bunch green onions chopped

Dressing:

4 TB sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

4 TB white wine vinegar

1/2 c. vegatable oil

Mix together well

Boil chicken breasts until cooked and slice into small pieces.  Fry wontons in vegetable oil until crispy and cool on paper towels.  In a large salad bowl, mix together chicken and wontons with lettuce, oranges, water chesnuts, almonds, green onions and sesame seeds.  Toss with dressing and serve.

Easy fruit salad

This is perfect for showers or as a side dish!

8 apples cut into cubes

8 oranges peeled and cubed

1 large container of frozen strawberries (in sauce).  

Let the strawberries thaw a little and dump over the apples and oranges.  Stir.  The strawberries will keep it cold and the apples from turning brown.

Pretzel Salad

This is another classic from Jill's kitchen with a little twist.

1st Layer
2 cups crushed pretzels
½ cup melted butter or margarine
3 Tbsp. sugar

2nd Layer
8 oz. softened cream cheese
8 oz. cool whip, thawed
1 cup sugar

3rd Layer
1 large package raspberrry-flavored gelatin
3-4 cups triple berry frozen berries
2 cups boiling water

Mix 1st Layer ingredients and pat in the bottom of a glass 9x13 pan. Bake at 400ºfor 8 minutes. While 1st Layer cools, mix 2nd layer. Beat cream cheese and sugar well and then lightly fold in the cool whip. When the pretzel layer is completely cool spread cream cheese mixture on top of pretzels, making sure to seal the edges of the cream cheese mixture to the sides of the pan. (If you don’t the jello will run down to the pretzel layer and make it soggy.) For 3rd Layer, completely dissolve the jello in the boiling water and then add the frozen fruit. Keep the fruit frozen until ready to add because it helps set the jello quicker. The jello should be syrupy, not runny. (If the jello is not syrupy, refrigerate it until it’s slightly thickened--start checking it after 10 minutes) Pour it over the cream cheese layer and chill at least 3 hours or overnight before serving.

Notes: Jill’s original recipe calls for 2 small pkg. of strawberry jello and 2 (10) oz. pkg frozen sliced strawberries, still use 2 cups boiling water. I’ve also substituted raspberry jello and frozen raspberries, and the Essential Mormon Cookbook by Julie Badger Jensen calls for 1 large package of raspberry jello, 2 (10) oz. packages of frozen raspberries or strawberries, and 1 (15 ¼) oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained for the 3rd Level.

Green Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 teaspoons strawberry jam

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 pint strawberries, sliced

4 to 5 cups chopped romaine or mixed greens of any kind

Place jam in a medium bowl and whisk in vinegar then extra-virgin olive oil. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Add the strawberries and greens to bowl and toss to coat evenly in dressing.