Crunchy Asian Salad

I was grilling some Teriyaki Finger Steaks (see post above) and wanted an Asian-flavored side dish to accompany them.  I went to Pinterest to see if there was a salad I'd like to try and discovered this tasty sounding salad.  I will tell you that not all recipes I find on Pinterest are good, but this one was certainly "blog worthy!"

This salad is easy to prepare and assemble, plus it's crunch is somehow satisfying!  Although I found the recipe through Pinterest, it originated at kraftrecipies.com.  This Asian salad got one 8 and three 9's on the Melnarik rating scale!

As I didn't want the almonds to be added to the salad warm, I decided the first step would be to toast them.  I put them in a small, dry saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally at first.  I had to keep my eye on them, because once they burn, they have to be discarded.

When I began to really smell the almonds (toasting them really brings out the almond aroma) I began stirring constantly until I was satisfied with the amount of toasting.  If you compare the two pictures above, you can see that they have become more opaque and some have actually browned.  This is the perfect blend.  I removed them from the heat and spread them out on a paper towel to cool.

In a small bowl, I combined 1/4 cup vinegar, 3 tablespoons water and the salad dressing mix as directed  on the envelope of the Good Seasons Italian salad dressing mix.

To that, I added the sugar and soy sauce, mixing well.

In a large bowl, I placed the coleslaw mix and added the toasted almonds, the sunflower seeds and green onions.  Using salad tongs, I tossed these ingredients to combine them.  At this point, the majority of the nuts ended up on the bottom of the bowl, but I knew they would be distributed evenly once I added the dressing.

Next, I discarded the seasoning packets from the ramen noodle packages and broke up the noodles.  Then I added them to the cole slaw mix, tossing to combine.

Before adding the dressing, I gave it another quick whisk, as some of the ingredients had separated a bit, and tossed it into the salad.

This was the perfect side dish for my Teriyaki Finger Steaks, but would make a great dish to take to a potluck meal.  My son took leftovers to work the next day and said it was still crunchy!  Also, the ingredients can be prepared the day before and tossed the day you serve it to save you time!  Enjoy!

Crunchy Asian Salad

1 envelope (.7 oz.) Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 packages (3 oz. each) ramen noodle soup mix

1 package (16 oz.) coleslaw blend (cabbage slaw mix)

4 green onions, sliced

½ cup dry roasted or unsalted sunflower kernels

½ cup sliced almonds

Place almonds in a small saucepan and toast over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until almonds are lightly browned and the almond aroma is more pronounced.

In a small bowl, prepare dressing mix according to package directions.  Stir in sugar and soy sauce.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, place coleslaw mix, onions, sunflower kernels, and almonds.  Discard seasoning packets from ramen noodle packages and break up noodles; add to coleslaw mix.  Add dressing; toss to coat.

How to make ahead:

Prepare dressing; refrigerate up to 24 hours before using.  Noodles can be broken and placed in a zip lock bag with the sunflower kernels and almonds and stored at room temperature.  Everything is ready to toss together!

Orzo & Sun-Dried Tomato Salad

This pasta salad is a nice side dish for any Italian-style meal.  I think it goes especially well with a sandwich with Italian flavorings.  I recently made this to take for a reception following a funeral.  This dish travels well.

I found this recipe in my August/September 2012 issue of Taste of Home.  The first time I made this salad, we decided that it needed more sun-dried tomatoes, so I doubled the amount this time and I feel it was the perfect amount.  As I took this dish to a reception, my guys did not get to rate it, so you'll have to take my word that this is a tasty salad!

I began by cooking the orzo, which is a rice shaped pasta, in chicken stock in a large saucepan according to the package directions.  I didn't drain the pasta immediately, as I needed it to stop cooking and cool down right away.  What I did instead was place the pan in the sink an slowly run cold water into the pasta.  I would stir the pasta every so often to make sure it wasn't sticking together and to help the cold water to circulate around each piece to aid in cooling.  Once cool, I drained the pasta thoroughly.

I then placed the pasta in a large bowl and added to it the diced sun-dried tomatoes (I took time to chop them finely while the pasta was cooking), the oil, garlic, garbanzo beans, and seasonings.  I then tossed all of these ingredients together to combine.

Then I added the freshly grated Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and feta cheese.  I used a tomato and basil feta, feeling the flavored cheese would go best with this dish.

This dish looks very inviting with the bright colors of the basil and sun-dried tomatoes.

Because I was taking this dish to a function, I dressed up the bowl by lining it with some leafy green lettuce leaves that I washed and dried.

It sure does make a pretty presentation.  I think it looks good enough to eat!  Enjoy!

Orzo & Sun-Dried Tomato Salad

49 oz. chicken broth

1 pkg. (16 oz.) orzo pasta

1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes plus 4 tsp. oil from the jar

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 large fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

1 can (8.75 oz.) garbanzo beans

1 pkg. (4 oz.) crumbled feta cheese

In a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil.  Stir in orzo; return to a boil.  Cook for 8 - 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.  Drain orzo; transfer to a large bowl.  Stir in the tomatoes, oil from sun-dried tomatoes, garbanzo beans, garlic, salt and pepper; cool completely.  Add Parmesan cheese, basil, and feta cheese; toss to combine.  Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Mexican Salad and Quesadillas

This is another one of my recipes that I go to frequently when it's hot outside and we don't feel like eating anything hot.  It is not a taco salad, because there is no meat in this salad, but it's extremely tasty.  Because it contains Nacho Cheese Doritos, which kids love, serving this is how I got my boys to start eating salad!

I first tasted this salad at a potluck meal at the church I was raised at over 30 years ago and liked it so much I asked for a copy of the recipe.  Currently it is one of the meals my youngest son requests often.    I always serve this salad with cheese quesadillas, for which I will also share the method below.  This meal gets 8x and 9s on the Melnarik rating scale.

I begin by putting the romaine lettuce in a large bowl, tearing the pieces to make them bite size.  Then, I add the green onions and minced garlic.  I toss these ingredients to combine them, making sure the garlic is evenly distributed. 

In the meantime, I begin making the quesadillas.  On a griddle over medium-low heat, I place a flour tortilla.  To that, I add some shredded medium cheddar cheese and put several dollops of medium salsa for extra flavor.

I place another tortilla on top and cover the whole thing with a pan lid.  This helps the cheese melt by steam as well as the heat below.  I let it go for a minute or so, then gently lift the side of the top tortilla to see if the cheese is melted.  Once it is, I flip the whole thing so the cheese melts to the other tortilla.  

When the quesadilla gets flipped, the first side should be a bit toasty like in the picture above.  It doesn't take long on the second side, maybe about 30 seconds.  Then I remove it to a plate where I use a pizza cutter to cut it into wedges.  Depending on the size of the tortillas I use, I usually make 2 - 3 quesadillas to serve our family of four.

While the quesadillas cook, I continue with the salad by adding the shredded mozzarella cheese and diced tomatoes, tossing again to combine.

The next ingredient is the Nacho Cheese Doritos, which I've crushed slightly.  These are added just before serving, so they don't become soft from the moist ingredients in this salad.

The last ingredient is the Russian salad dressing.  I've made this salad so many times, I can add the right amount just by how it looks.  I would suggest the first time that you add a little salad dressing, toss it in, taste it and keep doing that until you get the desired amount according to your family's taste.  

I serve this salad immediately after tossing in the salad dressing.  It has great texture and crunch and is a wonderfully cool thing to eat on an extremely hot day.  Enjoy!

Mexican Salad

1 large stock romaine lettuce, torn  (or 1-16 oz. bag torn romaine)

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 green onions, chopped

3 Roma tomatoes, chopped

10 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated

1/2 of a 11 1/2 oz. bag Nacho Cheese Doritos, coarsely crushed

8 oz. (1 cup) Russian salad dressing

Place lettuce in a large bowl, tearing into bite size pieces.  Add garlic and green onions; toss to combine.  Add tomatoes and cheese; toss to combine.  Add Doritos; toss to combine.  Add dressing; toss to combine.  Serve immediately.

Baja Chicken Salad

Another thing I like to make when the weather is extremely hot is a salad that can be served as the main course, or as I like to call it:  a meal salad.  This one is fairly simple to put together, doesn't heat up the kitchen in the process and tastes great!

I found this recipe in the Pillsbury 40th BAKE-OFF Contest Cookbook and it gets 8's and 9's on the Melnarik rating scale!

Some of the dressing is used while cooking the chicken, so it gets made first.  I use a 2-cup measuring cup in which to combine the oil, vinegar, brown sugar and taco seasoning using a small whisk.  I make sure I whisk it just before adding some to the chicken and again before tossing more with the salad.

The recipe calls for 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves cut into 1-inch pieces.  The chicken is placed in a medium saucepan and 1/2 cup of the dressing is poured over it, tossing to make sure all of the pieces are coated.  The rest of the dressing is reserved to toss with the salad greens.  The chicken then gets cooked over medium-high heat until no longer pink in the center.  This is the way I usually cook the chicken, but tonight I didn't happen to have any fresh or defrosted chicken breasts when I started preparing dinner, so I thought I'd try some already cooked chicken breast strips I try to always have on hand.  I used the same method, combining the dressing with the chicken and heating it in a saucepan.  The only difference was that the chicken was already cooked, so I was only heating it through.  It worked wonderfully, so now I know I can prepare this salad either way!

While the chicken is in the saucepan, I quarter the grape tomatoes and dice some red onion.

The tomatoes and onion get tossed in a large bowl with the romaine lettuce.

Then the dressing gets tossed in.  I add a little at a time, tasting as I go, because my family prefers less to more.  I never seem to use all of the dressing.

 This mixture then gets put on a large platter.

 The chicken is placed right on top of the lettuce mixture.

The cheese is sprinkled on top of the chicken.

The last thing to place on top is the avocado, adding as much as your family likes!  Can you tell most of us like avocados?  This is an extremely satisfying salad.  Enjoy!

Baja Chicken Salad

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 pkg. taco seasoning

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 (10 oz.) bag romaine lettuce

1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered

1/2 cup diced red onion

1 1/2 cups Cheddar/Monterey Jack cheese blend

1 - 2 avocados, pitted, peeled and sliced

In a 2-cup measuring cup, combine oil, vinegar, sugar and taco seasoning; mix well.  Place chicken in a medium saucepan.  Pour 1/2 cup of seasoning mixture over chicken; toss to coat.  Reserve remaining mixture for dressing.  Cook chicken over medium-high heat until no longer pink in center; cool.  In a large bowl, combine lettuce, tomatoes and onion.  Add reserved seasoning mixture; toss to coat.  Arrange salad mixture on serving platter.  Top with chicken, cheese and avocado.  

Baked Mostaccioli, Leon Salad & Bubble Loaf

For as many years as I can remember, when a birthday was coming up for one of my guys, I gave them the choice of me making one of their favorite meals or going out to dinner on their special day.  When the boys were younger, they always picked something they loved that I made.  In, I'd say, the past 5 years or so, they all have opted for going out to a sit-down restaurant.  We don't go to restaurants with servers very often, so it was always a nice treat and a good way to try new restaurants in our area.  My husband just celebrated his birthday, and I gave him the normal options expecting him to choose to go out to dinner.  I was extremely surprised when he asked if I'd mind cooking and proceeded to tell me exactly what he would like.  He chose Baked Mostaccioli, Leon Salad, and Bubble Loaf.  As much as I was looking forward to a night out, it was such a compliment for him to choose my cooking over restaurant fare!

My twin sister, Mary Gage, gave me this recipe for Baked Mostaccioli and it has been a family favorite for years.  This is one of my go-to recipes when I'm cooking for a family with a new baby, or where someone's had surgery, etc.  The original recipe called for ground beef only, but I kicked it up with 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 Italian sausage.  This recipe makes quite a bit as it sits higher than the top edge of my 9x13-inch dish.  It's hearty and quite flavorful.

Leon Salad is the perfect pairing with any Italian-style dish.  The actual salad doesn't have many ingredients, but the homemade dressing is what makes this special.  I asked Marcia Wrobbel for this recipe after tasting it at a work potluck over 30 years ago.  At that point, I still lived with my parents and had never gone grocery shopping.  I quickly learned that there is lettuce other than the "head lettuce" (iceberg) which we always used.  Also, one of the ingredients in the dressing is Parmesan cheese.  At that time the only Parmesan I was aware of came in a green can!  I was so excited to make this salad for my family, I did so the next time my mother made an Italian dish.  I had to confess to Marcia that it was awful, as it seemed as though there was sand in the salad.  She asked if I had used the "green can Parmesan."  After admitting that I had, she told me that Parmesan cheese is sold in a wedge, and was kind enough to tell me how to grate it properly on the bumpy side of the box grater!  Our family has never gone back to the green can!  I've served this salad many times throughout the years including for large functions.  The key here is to toss the salad with the dressing just prior to serving so the lettuce doesn't wilt.  It is best when tossed with the dressing, but I've also served the dressing on the side.

Bubble Loaf is another recipe that my sister, Mary, turned me on to.  She found it in the Apr./May '97 Taste of Home magazine.  It's super easy to make, you just have to allow enough time for the frozen bread dough to defrost and then after adding the herbs, it needs to rise before baking.  It is sooo worth it! My youngest son actually asked me to make 2 loaves for this meal!

These three recipes combined make for an Italian meal that won't soon be forgotten.  Enjoy!

Baked Mostaccioli

8 oz.mostaccioli                                        1 (4 oz.) mushroom pieces

1 lb. ground beef                                     ½ cup water

1 lb. Italian sausage                                1 tsp. salt

1 med. onion, chopped                             1 tsp. sugar

1 sm. green bell pepper, diced                 1 tsp. crushed dried basil

1 clove garlic, minced                              ¼ tsp. pepper

1 (28oz.) can diced tomatoes                   1 large bay leaf

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce                       16 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 (6 oz.) cantomato paste                         ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot, cook mostaccioli in a large amount of boiling water according to package directions; drain.  Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook the ground beef, Italian sausage, onion bell pepper, and garlic until meat is browned and vegetables are tender.  Drain off fat.  Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, undrained mushrooms, water, salt, sugar, basil, pepper and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat.  Cover; simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove bay leaf.  Stir in cooked mostaccioli.  Place half of this mixture into a 9x13-inch or 3-quart casserole dish.  Sprinkle 2/3 of the mozzarella cheese on top; add the remaining meat mixture.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until heated through.  Remove foil; sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese on top and return to the oven for 5 minutes to melt the cheese.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Leon Salad

Salad

            2  bunches romaine lettuce, finely torn

            1/4 lb. Italian salami, cut julienne

            1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese, shredded

            1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans, drained

Dressing

            1/2 cup vegetable oil

            4 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

            2 tsp. dry mustard

            1 tsp. salt

            1 tsp. pepper

            1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (not Kraft in the green can!)

In a large bowl, toss all salad ingredients.  In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients*.  Pour dressing over salad and toss.  Serve immediately.

Helpful hint:

I use a Tupperware shaker cup to mix the dressing ingredients.  Then if I’m taking this recipe to a party, I take the salad fixings in a large Tupperware bowl and the dressing in the shaker cup.  Just before serving I shake the dressing, add to the salad and toss.

Bubble Loaf

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1-1 lb. loaf frozen bread dough, defrosted  (I use Bridgford brand)

In a very small bowl, combine seasonings with butter.  Pull off 1/2-inch ball size pieces of dough, dip in butter/herb mixture and place in a loaf pan.  Set in a warm place for 45 minutes or until loaf doubles in size.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 min. or until golden brown.  Invert on a plate to serve.