Meatless Mexican Salad

I'm back! Stunned? I am. First I've had all kinds of computer problems and then I had major issues with my camera. Anyway hopefully it's all finally cleared up.
Today's dish comes from a neighbor who had the meal at her parents house. I then adapted the recipe to fit my family's taste and trust me this picture does it no justice. The flavors blend together well and it's a salad that you'll crave often. My favorite thing about this recipe besides the taste is from start to finish it takes about 15 minutes to make, less if you don't make your own salsa and salad dressing. Another shocking thing about this recipe is my kids, yes the world's  pickiest kids, will eat this salad. So with that on to the recipe.

Lettuce (I use two salad bags or two washed heads of lettuce), I prefer romaine or green leaf but iceburg works
2 cans of Chili Beans, your choice I prefer S&W chili beans
1/2-3/4 bag of frozen corn, fresh works well too
fresh salsa, jarred works but it tastes great with freshly made
2 avocados, diced
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, play around almost any cheese is great in this salad
2 bunches of green onions, chopped (less if you want less or leave them out if your not an onion fan)
salad dressing, I prefer my homemade Creamy Tomatillo dressing but ranch works or even sour cream
crushed tortilla chips

Here is the only cooking part of this dish: Heat the chili beans and corn until heated thoroughly. Microwave or stove either way works.
Now assemble the salad, starting from the bottom:
lettuce, chili beans/corn mixture, cheese, green onions, avocado, salad dressing and tortilla chips.

Hopefully you like this salad as much as we do!

Ms. Millie's Best Coleslaw

We love coleslaw in our house. I don't think I ever turn down a coleslaw recipe. I usually shred the cabbage myself as I find it tastes better but a bag of the coleslaw mix works well with a little doctoring. This recipe is a little sweeter of a coleslaw than others so if your not a fan of sweet coleslaw cut back on the sugar by adding a some sugar to the dressing and giving it a taste. This recipe calls for Dijon mustard which is different than the horseradish I usually add. I have to say it still had good flavor even without the horseradish flavor I love in a coleslaw.This recipe comes via a Mother's Day gift of Southern Plate by Christy Jordan.

Ms. Millie's Best Coleslaw
Southern Plate Christy Jordan

1 medium head green cabbage, cored and shredded (or you can use two bags of the coleslaw mix for all the veggies in this dish except the onion)
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons grated onion
2 cups mayonnaise (I prefer Best Foods or Helleman, Miracle Whip doesn't work for me)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons celery seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup Dijon mustard

Place the cabbage, carrots, green pepper, and onion in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix together all the remaining ingredients, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour over the vegetables and toss well to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours before serving for flavors to blend.

Ham Salad

So you made the Dr. Pepper ham from yesterday's post and you have leftovers.  Well here is a very easy recipe to use up the leftover ham.  It took about 8 minutes from start to finish to make this dish and it served dh and I lunch for three days.  The salad isn't loaded with mayo and it has a nice combination of flavors.  Add some spinach or arguala to your roll or bread and it makes a fairly nice lunch that you can tote with you or have on a Saturday afternoon.  If your like me and not really a fan of ham salad, having only had the mayo heavy ones at the deli or those really gross canned ones in the past, you really need to give this ham salad a try.  Trust me you won't be disappointed.

 Ham Salad
Cook's Country April/May 2010 magazine

1 1/2 cups diced ham, rind removed
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Pulse ham in bowl of food processor until coarsely chopped, about ten one second pulses.

Combine mayonnaise, relish, mustard, and pepper in a medium bowl.  Add ham and mix.  Serve chilled.

Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad

I took this dish to the neighborhood block party on a whim. I had leftover chicken from the day before and I didn't want it to go to waste so I made this salad. It was a huge hit. The salad was gone in about 20 minutes. I had about 15 different people ask for the recipe that night and 5 more the next day. This salad is worth making extra of the Alabama BBQ chicken just so you can make this dish. The flavors blended together great and it was just a really nice summer tasting recipe. I loved that it had you use the bbq sauce instead of just plain mayo.

Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad
Cooks Country June/July 2006

salt
1 pound corkscrew pasta
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups shredded grilled chicken
1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 small red onion, minced
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and minced (leave the seeds if you want it spicier)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons lime juice
3/4 cup White BBQ Sauce
pepper

Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large pot. Add one tablespoon salt and pasta and cook until nearly tender, about 8 minutes. Add corn and cook one minute more. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and corn. Transfer pasta and corn to large bowl and refrigerate until completely cooled, at least 30 minutes.

Stir in chicken, beans, bell peppers, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, and sauce. Add reserved pasta cooking water. 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce is loose. Season with salt and pepper. Serve. Salad can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 2 days. Check consistency and seasonings before serving.

Amish Potato Salad

I love potato salad. I don't think I've ever passed up a potato salad recipe in my life. And I usually love all potato salads I try for various reasons. I loved this salad too even though I felt it was loaded with egg, which for those that know me I HATE eggs with a passion. I will make this again in the future but I will be cutting back on the eggs to one maybe two eggs. Also I have to have onions in my potato salad so I added some to this one. Overall this was a great recipe and one I look forward to making again.

Amish Potato Salad
adapted from Cooks Country June/July 2010

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes cut into 3/4 inch chunks
salt and pepper
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
4 large hard cooked eggs, peeled
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
3/4 cup sour cream
1 celery rib, chopped fine
1 onion, chopped fine

Bring potatoes, 1 tablespoon salt, and enough water to cover by one inch to boil in large pot over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes.

While potatoes simmer, microwave vinegar and sugar in small bowl until sugar dissolves, about 30 seconds. Process vinegar mixture, mustard, 1 hard cooked egg yolk (reserve the white), celery seed, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in food processor until smooth. Transfer to medium bowl.

Drain potatoes, then transfer to large bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons dressing over hot potatoes and, using rubber spatula, gently toss until evenly coated. Refrigerate until cooled, at least thirty minutes, stirring gently once to redistribute dressing.

Whisk sour cream into remaining dressing. Add remaining hard cooked eggs and egg white to dressing and, using potato masher, mash until only small pieces remain. Add dressing, celery, and onions to cooled potatoes. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve. Salad can be refrigerated in airtight container for 2 days.

Gourmet Green Salad with Homemade Red Wine Vinaigrette

I love salad. I love salad even more when its served with a homemade dressing. This recipe takes two items I love and combines them well. This salad recipe is also easily adapted to ingredients you have on hand so don't think you can't make this just because you don't have all the ingredients listed. This came from one of my favorite blogs, Melanie and My Kitchen Cafe. We have the same taste in food and like many of the same recipes. If you haven't checked her out you really need to visit. This is a very simple salad recipe with a simple to make salad dressing. Making your own croutons is just an added bonus especially if your like me and can't stand the ones you buy.

Gourmet Green Salad with Homemade Red Wine Vinaigrette
My Kitchen Cafe

Salad:
10-12 cups mixed greens
1 pound white button mushrooms, sliced
2 ripe, fresh pears, sliced thinly
1/4 cup thinly sliced Parmesan cheese (use a vegetable peeler to do this)
1 large carrot (or about 5-6 baby carrots), thinly sliced
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 to 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
5-7 slices of bacon, cooked and coarsely chopped
3 cups of homemade croutons (see Mel's blog for a how to recipe if you don't know how)

Put mixed greens in a large salad bowl. Top with other ingredients and toss. Serve with red wine vinaigrette dressing below (or any other favorite salad dressing).

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup red onions, finely grated (about 1/4 of a large red onion)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons salt
ground pepper to taste
2 cups canola oil

Add all ingredients except oil in a blender. Blend well. While processing, slowly add the canola oil and blend well. Transfer dressing to a jar or cruet. It keeps well in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks (although I’ve found it gets a little thick if it is too cold so I’ll pop it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds to help thin it out before I use it if it has been in the refrigerator for several days).

Vegetable Pasta Salad

This dish turned out to be a huge hit with everyone in the family. It was simple and easy and will be perfect during the summer with farm fresh vegetables. The recipe called for napa cabbage and a purple cabbage and I didn't have either on hand so I used a bag of coleslaw mix that had been sitting in the fridge for a week. I can't wait to try it with Napa cabbage but the coleslaw mix was a great substitute. I left the bean sprouts out since I hate bean sprouts. This dish is going to be a regular in this house.

Vegetable Pasta Salad
Kristen at Coloring Outside the Lines

1 package linguine noodles, cooked, rinsed, and cooled (I used the Smart Choice noodles in a yellow box)

1/2 head sliced Napa cabbage, or more to taste ( I used 3/4 of a bag of coleslaw mix)

1/2 head sliced purple cabbage, or more to taste

1/2 bag baby spinach, or more to taste

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thinly

1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced thinly

1/2 orange bell pepper, sliced thinly

1 bag bean sprouts (or a generous handful) (DID NOT USE)

1 bunch cilantro

4+ green onions, sliced,

1 can cashews, lightly toasted in skillet

Dressing Ingredients:

1 whole lime, juiced

8 Tbsp. olive oil

8 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. sesame oil

1/3 c. brown sugar

3 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated (MUST be fresh)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 - 2 fresh jalapenos, chopped

chopped cilantro

Mix salad ingredients together. Whisk dressing ingredients and pour over salad right before serving.

Sweet Pork Barbacoa Salad

Here is the final result of all the previous recipes. It was a huge hit at the birthday party and something I'd make again for a family get together.

Now to make the salad place the following things on the plate in order listed:
1. Large Flour TortillasUse homemade or buy the uncooked ones and cook them on a griddle. Sprinkle some cheddar cheese on top and cook until the cheese is melted. Place the cheesy tortillas in a cake pan.
2. Cilantro Lime Rice
3. Black Beans
4. Sweet Pork Barbacoa
5. Romaine Lettuce
Wash thoroughly, and cut into large squares.
6. Pico de Gallo
7. Guacamole
8. Lime Wedges
9. Grated Cotija cheese
10. Cilantro sprigs
11. Crispy Tortilla Strips Just cut some corn Tortillas in thin strips and quickly fry until crisp. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with a little bit of salt.
12. Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

Dilled Chicken Salad

This was a hit with everyone in the house. The flavors blended together nicely and it was fairly quick to make. Great for using up leftover rotisserie chicken or other chicken in the house. This salad makes a quite a bit of food. If your a small family, don't eat big portions, or don't like eating leftovers for days on end I recommend cutting the recipe in half. I served this pasta salad on a bed of spinach to give it more color and flavor.

Dilled Chicken Salad
WorldWide Ward Christmas Cookbook

1 16 oz pkg. spiral pasta, cooked and drained
2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
1 cup celery, chopped
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1 10 oz pkg. frozen peas, thawed
1 1oz env. Ranch salad dressing mix
2 cups sour cream (I used plain yogurt)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup milk
3 Tbsp fresh dill, minced or 1 Tbsp dill weed
1/2 tsp garlic sauce

In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken, celery, onion, and peas. In a small bowl, combine dressing mix, sour cream, mayonnaise, milk, dill, and garlic salt. Whisk until smooth. Pour over salad, toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Makes 10-12 servings.

Thai Beef Salad

Don loves this salad and given his years spent in Thailand loves Thai food. Me, I've sampled it a few times but I haven't really eaten it. I decided to give it a try and although Don had his doubts over my ability to make this dish it turned out pretty dang close to an original. Honestly you can make this as spicy or as mild as you like. I made it a little spicier than I would have preferred but it was so tasty. This will be a regular on our menu plan. I love how quickly it cooked and it was easy to make.

Thai Beef salad
adapted from here




Ingredients

1 lb beef. Any beef can be used.

Salad

1/4 cup sliced onions, separated
2 tomatoes, wedged
1/4 cup sliced cucumber
1/4 cup thinly sliced Thai chile peppers

Sauce
1/4 cup fish sauce, I left this out and according to my husband you don't notice
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon sweet dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons minced ginger
3 tablespoons chopped coriander/cilantro (including the roots)
1/4 cup chopped green onions (spring onions)
1/4 cup chopped shallots (small red or purple onions)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Chili Garlic sauce

Barbeque the beef, and thinly slice it into bite sized pieces. Combine with the salad ingredients, and mix
the sauce and toss the whole.

Serving

Serve with sticky rice and lettuce.

Classic Potato Salad

This recipe is Aaron McCargo Jr.'s version of potato salad. When I read the ingredients I thought my husband would love this recipe. As I have mentioned before he is not a fan of potato salad and only eats it if its the only option. After eating this salad he promptly asked for seconds and asked when are you making this again. I would say this makes this salad a winner. This was a really quick salad to make and you can serve it immediately after making it if desired. I placed mine in the fridge for about 5 hours before serving just cause I prefer my potato salad cold.

Aaron McCargo's Jr.'s Classic Potato Salad
adapted slightly from Food Network Magazine June/July 2009

3 large red potatoes, about 1 1/2 pounds, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 medium eggs
one onion, diced
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons sweet relish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
salt and pepper
1 cup mayonnaise

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes and allow to cool while making the rest of the salad. In a separate pot bring water to boil and add the eggs. Cook 12 minutes then remove eggs and place in a bowl filled with ice water. Cool eggs completely and then roughly chop the eggs.

In a large bowl, combine the onion, celery, relish, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and the mayonnaise. Fold in the potatoes and eggs. Place in the fridge until cool or serve immediatley.

Barbecue Sirloin and Blue Cheese Salad with Garlic-Olive Bread

This was an easy meal that I had on the table from start to finish in about 30 minutes. We loved the salad and the flavors were good together. I used a mild flavored Gorgonzola blue cheese but if you want a more assertive taste I like Maytag blue cheese.

Barbecue Sirloin and Blue Cheese Salad with Garlic-Olive Bread
adapted from Cooking Light Magazine September 2009

1 pound lean sirloin steak, seasoned with your favorite steak seasoning
Cook on grill to your desired temperature. Cut against grain in thin slices.

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 garlic powder
Mix all ingredients together. Double this if you'd prefer more dressing.

6 cups torn butter or Boston lettuce
3/4 cup thinly sliced peeled cucumber
1 cup red pepper strips
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tomatoes, cut into slices
Build your salad in individual bowls. Start from the first ingredient, lettuce, and end with blue cheese. Top with steak and salad dressing. Serve.


Bread
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice 2 Italian style hoagie rolls in half horizontally. Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and 1 teaspoon garlic powder; brush evenly over cut sides of rolls. Bake at 425 degrees for 7 minutes or until toasted.

Toasted Pita Salad

Another great way to use all your garden fresh vegetables. This was a very quick salad to make and the flavors were really good together. Next time I will cut back on the amount of pita bread and double the recipe for the dressing. Otherwise this was a pretty tasty salad and one we will make again.

Toasted Pita Salad
adapted from Cooking Light Magazine August 2009

2 (6 inch) pitas split in half horizontally
3 cups chopped tomato (about 4)
1 1/2 cups chopped English cucumber
1/4 finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons lime juice
4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pitas on a baking sheet for 10 minutes or until crisp. Cool completely; break into small pieces.
Combine tomato and the next 4 ingredients (through parsley) in a large bowl. Combine lime juice and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Pour juice mixture over tomato mixture; toss gently. Add pita pieces to bowl; toss gently. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Honey Lime Fruit Salad

My husband is home and I am back to having time to post and cook. This is a very simple yet very tasty salad. I made this for the Pioneer Day's family picnic. I was really worried that no one would like it but it was a pretty big hit. And have I mentioned it was very simple to make. The recipe called for candied nuts but my sister forgot to bring them but the salad was still good.

Honey Lime Fruit Salad
adapted from Nissen on PYP

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup frozen (thawed) limeade concentrate
8 cups cut-up fresh fruit
1/2 cup candied walnuts

Mix honey, limeade concentrate, and poppy seeds in large bowl. Spread 3-5 tablespoons sugar evenly in a large skillet. Heat on medium until the sugar carmelizes. (This will take longer than you think so be patient!) Once sugar is a golden brown carmel stir in walnuts. Pour onto wax paper and cool. Once cooled, break into small pieces. Carefully toss fruit with honey mixture. Sprinkle with candied walnuts. Serve immediately.

24 Hour Picnic Salad

This was a really tasty salad. Sadly, though, I did not have a clear bowl to show off the layers of this salad before mixing. The picture above is after the salad has been mixed together. I had to sub sharp cheddar cheese for the blue cheese since most in my family do not like blue cheese. I think this salad would have been even better with some blue cheese. This is a great recipe for using up garden produce. If your using Tabasco sauce reduce the amount of hot sauce to one tablespoon so its not too spicy.

24 hour Picnic Salad
from the Cook's Country Cookbook

1 medium iceburg, washed, cored and chopped rough (about six cups)
salt
1/2 medium red onion, sliced thin
6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen peas (I used fresh)
4 celery ribs, sliced thin
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced thin
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 1/2 cups crumbled blue cheese

Place half of the lettuce in a large serving bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Rinse the sliced onion under cold water; pat dry with paper towels. Layer the onion, eggs, peas, celery, bell pepper, and cucumber over the lettuce. Add the remaining lettuce to the bowl, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and top with the bacon and cheese.

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons hot sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper

Combine all of the ingredients and spread the dressing evenly over the top of the salad. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Remove the plastic wrap and toss until the salad is evenly coated with the dressing.

Tomato Caprese Salad

This turned out really good. However the kids picked out the olives and cheese and ate only those items. The flavors were good and overall it was just really tasty. I combined two different recipes into one to make this salad. It's simple and very easy to make.

Tomato Caprese Salad
adapted from Cook's Country Aug/Sept 2009 and Kalyn's Kitchen

3 cups tomatoes (cherry works best but I used regular tomato's and chopped them)
1 cup mozzarella pearls or fresh mozzarella
1 can black olives, drained (you could cut them in half or leave them whole like I did)
1 cup chopped basil
Combine the above into a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons sugar
Mix together until combined. Toss the dressing on the salad and serve.

Vegetable Pasta Salad

This was a great tasting salad. I served it as a main dish and it was a hit with everyone in the family. You want to be sure to make this salad the day before because it does taste better the next day, after the flavors blend. The nice thing about this recipe is its another one where you can use vegetables you have on hand or that are in season. I used cannelloni beans but I think it would have turned out much better with chickpeas. This recipe came from the cookbook Simply in Season which is a great source of recipes using fresh produce. The author breaks down each season and lists what is in season during those seasons. If you have a csa or just plan on shopping your local farmers market this would be a great resource.

Vegetable Pasta Salad
adapted from Simply in Season

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sugar (I added because the dressing was too tart for me and the kids)
In a small bowl whisk the above ingredients together.

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh basil cut in very thin strips
Whisk oil in the the dressing above. Stir in basil and set aside.

4 ounce uncooked whole wheat pasta such as rotini, bow ties, shells, or penne
Cook pasta. Drain and rinse with cold water. Place in large bowl and toss with 1/3 cup of the dressing.

2 cups fresh vegetables: I used summer squash, carrots, cucumbers, and red onion.
3 medium tomatoes, cut in thin wedges
1/2 cup ripe olives, I left mine whole but I used small if you use bigger you may want to slice them in half
1 can of chick peas
Layer ingredients on top of the pasta in the following order: vegetables, tomatoes, beans, and olives. Top with remaining dressing.

Cover and chill 4-24 hours.

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese or feta cheese crumbled
Sprinkle on top and toss lightly before serving.

Cucumber, Tomato, and Mozzarella Salad

This turned out to be a nice twist on a salad that I've been making for years. The fresh mozzarella added a something different to the dish. I found the little mozzarella balls at Costco. They are called mozzarella pearls. The cucumbers I used are also from Costco and are mini-cucumbers. I also seeded the tomatoes so the salad was not so juicy. The dressing should be adjusted to your tastes as I like mine with a bit of tang from the vinegar. When I make the dressing for others I add a little more water and sugar.

6 mini cucumbers sliced (or 2 regular sized cucumbers)
3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly and then cut in half
1 cup mozzarella pearls (or cube fresh mozzarella)
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sugar
garlic salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried basil, or chopped some fresh basil to your preference
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Mix all the veggies together. Make the dressing, be sure to taste and adjust seasoning to your preferences, then toss the veggies with the dressing. This salad tastes best when cold but also is good at room temperature.

Pasta Salad Vinaigrette

This is a little different than other pasta salads I make but it was very tasty. It was quick and easy to make. I found the recipe in the Food Section of the Deseret News paper. The article was about food for a picnic basket and this would make a great addition to a picnic basket. No ingredients that need to be kept cold to keep from spoiling. I recommend using veggies with more color to give it a nice look. I used what I had on hand so not so much color in my salad.


8 ounces rotini or other pasta
1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons McCormick seasoned pepper blend (or freshly ground pepper)
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon dill weed
2 cups bite-size vegetables, such as bell pepper, tomatoes, onion, celery, cucumber, carrots, zucchini or broccoli

Cook pasta as directed on package. Rinse under cold water; drain well.

Mix oil, vinegar and seasonings in small bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Toss pasta and vegetables in large bowl. Add dressing; toss gently. Cover.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Toss lightly before serving.

Cucumber Salad with Ranch Dressing

I love cucumber salad although I usually make a vinaigrette type of dressing for the cucumber salad. This time, however I tried something different and gave ranch dressing a try. The idea came from a cookbook I checked out of the library called The Texas Cowboy Cookbook. Its an interesting cookbook that goes through the history of cowboy cooking along with lots of recipes. This was a quick and easy salad to make that the whole family enjoyed.

Cucumber Salad
The Texas Cowboy Book

2 cucumbers
1/4 onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup homemade ranch dressing (recipe following at bottom of this recipe)

Peel cucumber and slice very thin. Slice the onion very thinly and combine it with the cucumbers in a bowl. Add salt, cover, and allow to sit in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain off the water and pat dry with a paper towel. Add the dressing and mix well. Serve cold.

Homemade Ranch Dressing
The Texas Cowboy Book

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream (or substitute plain yogurt)
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk in a mixing bowl and stir until smooth. Add the bell pepper, onion, cilantro, garlic, pepper, and salt and mix well. The dressing will keep for a week in a sealed container in the refrigerator.