A Pasta Salad with a Southwestern Flair

If you read my post on Tuesday, you know that I haven't really been home a whole lot this summer.  When we were home I tried to keep our meals simple.  Lots of grilling...a little take out...and too many "finger foods" :)  I realized that grocery shopping during the busy summer months isn't quite as organized as it is during the school year.  All that to be said, one thing that was easy to prep and lasted us a few days worth of meals was pasta salad.  

Oh sweet, sweet pasta salad.  I definitely have my favorites in this category.  My dear friend, Jill, gave me the most AMAZING tomato, basil, & feta pasta salad recipe years ago and it's one of my favorites to make and eat.  However, it doesn't last long at all.  I eat it like it's going out of style.  Mr. Spouse isn't a fan of eating the same thing over and over, so I had bring in a few new recipes that would satisfy his palate.  I'm pretty sure we hit a home run with this one!!!

SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN PASTA SALAD

2 tbsp. olive oil

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cubed & cooked

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lb. box of tri colored rotini pasta

2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 CUPS frozen corn, thawed

1 can Rotel, drained

1/2 C. green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 C. red bell pepper, chopped

4 green onions, chopped

2 TBSP chopped cilantro

DRESSING

1/2 C. Mayo

2/3 C. plain Greek yogurt

1 TBSP. dry ranch dressing (Hidden Valley dressing)

1 TBSP. taco seasoning

Heat olive oil in a skillet and add chopped garlic.  Let garlic sautee for about 1-2 minutes and toss in the cubed chicken.  Heat until cooked through.  Remove and set aside.

Boil pasta according to package directions.  Drain, return to pot, and set aside.  

While the pasta & chicken are cooking, start chopping the bell peppers, green onion, and cilantro.

And go ahead and prep your dressing, too.  

Now add the chicken and veggies/cilantro to the pot of drained pasta.  Toss in the Rotel, black beans, and corn and stir to combine.  

Mix in the dressing one tablespoon at a time.  Just add until the consistency is to your preference. 

Transfer to a large bowl, serve, and enjoy!

This is a great salad served slightly warm or cold.  I love the creaminess!!  We've also tried this same recipe with Italian dressing instead of the one mentioned here.  Absolutely DELICIOUS.  Another great dressing to incorporate with these ingredients?!  Bolthouse Cilantro Avocado dressing.  YUM!   This has been a great side dish for us (without the chicken), but it's perfectly fitting for a full meal, too!!!  Now it's off to make some more!!  Summer's not over yet ;)

A Summer Salad with a Mexican Flair

We're on the last Friday of the school year and I couldn't be happier.  I'm ready to kick off summer and spend some time with my boys.  I'm sure my tune will change come August, but for now I can't wait to have them home.  The other selfish part of me can't wait to sleep in a little longer.  My internal alarm clock is set for 6:30, but I can usually silence that and sleep a couple of extra hours when I don't have to be awake :)  My boys are finally getting to the age where they sleep a little longer in the mornings, too.  And when they do wake up before us, they're really good about finding something to do...like playing with their "guys" or drawing.  

We got to celebrate our oldest yesterday and watch him receive an award for "bookworm of the class" during his award ceremony at school.  He was SO excited.  He's my extremely tender-hearted one and when he found us after the ceremony he had tears in his eyes.  I asked him if he was upset about his award and his response was, "No.  I'm half happy crying/half sad crying.  I'm excited about my award, but sad first grade is almost over."  Bless him.

I took him out for a little one-on-one time after his awards ceremony.  Dad had to go back to work and I thought it would be a great afternoon for some ice cream and some fun at the park.  He was beside himself.  He loves our date days.  So do I.   I was really proud of myself for resisting a DQ vanilla waffle cone when I had the chance to indulge.  That's a rareity. I came home and whipped this dish up instead.  And the best part was the lack of guilt I felt after eating :)  Win/win....but I'm still thinking about that waffle cone.  

CHOPPED SPINACH SALAD WITH MEXICAN SHRIMP and CILANTRO AVOCADO DRESSING

Mexcian Shrimp via  Healthy Feels Happy

1 lb. raw (peeled & deveined) shrimp

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. coriander

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

3/4 tsp. salt

pinch of dried oregano

2 tsp. coconut oil

2 TBSP. low sodium chicken broth

2 cups baby spinach, chopped

1/2 cup corn, drained

1 cup black beans, rinsed & drained

1-2 avocados, chopped

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

First up, let's prep the shrimp.  This will take no time once you get it going.  Love these kind of meals!

There was no one at the counter when I tried to order my shrimp, so I opted for a bag of frozen raw shrimp instead.  Once they were thawed out, I peeled and deveined them.  That took the longest.  

Now mix together all the spices in a large bowl (cumin, coriander, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, oregano) and then add the peeled shrimp.  Toss to coat shrimp thoroughly.  

Add the coconut oil to a large pan and heat on medium high.  When the oil is heated, add the shrimp to the pan.  Be sure that each of the shrimp are sitting in the pan and not on top of each other so that they all cook evenly.  Heat until shrimp are cooked through (pink on the outside, white on the inside), transfer to a plate/dish, and set aside.  

Pour the chicken broth into the same pan and heat on low.  As the broth heats up, start scraping the spices from the pan and mix to combine with the liquid.  Continue to mix the liquid with the spices until the broth thickens.  Turn off the heat and return the shrimp to the pan.  Mix the shrimp with the broth mixture until coated.  

Now go ahead and chop your spinach then transfer to a large bowl.  Add the drained/rinsed beans & corn, chopped cilantro, avocado,  and then toss in the shrimp.  Mix together until combined.  I went ahead and added about 2 tablespoons of dressing to the salad.  Instead of making my own dressing, I phoned it in.  This is one of our favorites.....

I'm not typically a huge fan of bottled dressings, but we absolutely love the flavor of this!!  

I also think THIS DRESSING would be amazing with this salad.  

The shrimp would definitely be delicious on their own if you aren't a fan of salads.  I *almost* served it with a side of roasted asparagus, but Mr. Spouse was REALLY hungry and I knew I needed something that would fill us up a little more.  

As you can see, quick and easy!  And the flavor was outstanding.  We'll definitely be revisiting this salad in the warm summer months to come!!!

I'm also planning on trying out some of these mouthwatering salads I've been pinning...223 of them to be exact.

  If I can get to even 5 of them, I'd be ecstatic ;)  We all know how that works!!  

Taco Salad & A Trip Down Memory Lane

When my husband and I went on our very first date, he took me to this old prison-turned-restaurant in downtown McKinney.  He won MAJOR bonus points for originality and creativity. It was called "Prison Bar and Grill".  I should've been a little frightened, but I thought it was the coolest thing!!!! You could even sit inside of old cells and eat.  It was the most memorable first date ever and it clearly won me over because I accepted his proposal one year later to the date.  The restaurant has since closed, but downtown McKinney turned into our little spot after that very first date.

We moved to McKinney...brought our two sweet boys home in that little town...and celebrated every anniversary right down the street from that old prison bar and grill right there on the square at Rick's Chophouse.  Before we moved to Houston, we spent lots of date nights and family days on the square.  

There was a little Mexican restaurant there (I heard it closed) that was just amazing.  I can't remember the name to save my life, but it was right across the street from my favorite antique store.  We liked to antique shop for just a bit...or as long as the kids wouldn't scream...and then head across the street to eat.  We ate there quite often.  They had the most AMAZING taco salad.   In fact, I think that's the first place I ever had a taco salad.  When I eat Mexican, you can always guess exactly what I'm going to get...either beef fajita Tacos al Carbon or some type of street taco.  I don't venture out much because I'm predictable and boring.  However, I always got the taco salad at this little Mexican restaurant.  I'm typically more of a "beef girl", but their shredded chicken was out of this world.  SO amazing.  I'm taking the boys up to Dallas this weekend and can't wait to stop by the square for some good food and a little trip down memory lane. I just wish that restaurant were still there!!!

When I found this recipe, I was hoping it would be just as good as the taco salad on the square.  While it wasn't exactly the same, I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was and knew this would be my new go-to taco salad.  We have this at least once a week and...so far...I haven't tired of it yet.  Always a good sign, right?!?!  HA!

SHREDDED CHICKEN TACO SALAD

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 tsp. Nature's Seasoning

1 TBSP. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. ground chipotle chili peppers

1 tsp. garlic salt

2 Cups of water

3-4 green onions, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 head of iceberg lettuce

Buttermilk Ranch dressing

First things first.  When I make my chicken, I like to put it in the crock pot and let it simmer all day long while I'm busy working and/or running errands.  One less step I have to go through when it's actually time to start cooking!  I typically season my chicken breasts (thawed, not frozen) with a little salt, pepper, & garlic powder then place them in the crock pot and cover them with chicken broth.  Then I cook on low for about 8 hours.  When the chicken is cooked through, I drain the broth, return the chicken to the pot, and shred with my hand mixer.  Done and done!  

When you're ready to prep the salad, here's what you'll need to do.

Transfer the shredded chicken to a large skillet.  Add the black beans and toss in all the spices & seasonings...Nature's Seasoning, garlic salt, chili powder, cumin, and ground chipotle chili peppers.  Mix well to combine and then cover with 2 cups of water.  Turn heat to medium and let simmer until all of the water has evaporated (about 8-10 minutes give or take).  Stir continuously to prevent anything sticking to your skillet.

While the chicken mixture is simmering, chop your veggies (red & green bell peppers, green onion).  Then go ahead and chop the lettuce and place in a large bowl.  Toss in the veggies.  

Once the water has evaporated, transfer the chicken mixture to the bowl full of lettuce and veggies.  Mix well to combine.  

I personally prefer this salad with homemade buttermilk ranch.  I can't handle the ranch in a bottle!!  Top with your choice of fixin's...shredded cheese, sliced cherry tomatoes, tortilla strips, etc.  I typically just top mine with a little sprinkle of shredded cheese and call it a day.

I can't tell you how much I LOVE this salad!!!  You'll just have to try it for yourself to see what I mean.

Of course, you can always sub the chicken with ground beef or ground turkey and it's pretty much just as delicious.  The secret is to ditch the pre-made taco seasoning.  This little combo of spices is SO much better!!!!  

Chop, Chop

When I’m in the kitchen, time is of the essence.  The less time I can spend preparing a meal, the better.  Especially on Wednesdays…I don’t like to miss Modern Family ;)  I’m a big lover of all kinds of salads because they’re pretty easy and quick to prep and they always hit the spot.  When I found the recipe for this salad, my mouth started watering uncontrollably.  This had to be on the dinner table IMMEDIATELY.  I could wait no longer.  And I’m so glad I didn’t.  Amazing.  Outstanding.  Delicious.  INcredible.  Try it for yourself and you’ll see what I’m talkin’ about!

SOUTHWESTERN CHOPPED CHICKEN SALAD

recipe via Greens & Chocolate

2 cups shredded chicken {you could use rotisserie}

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 can sweet corn OR 1 cup frozen corn, thawed {I used frozen}

2 roma tomatoes, diced

4 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

2 avocados, diced

1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped

1 cup crushed tortilla chips {or taco flavored Dorito’s}

 

DRESSING:

1/2 cup mayo

2/3 cups Greek yogurt

1 tbsp. ranch seasoning

1 tbsp. taco seasoning

 

First, let’s go ahead and make the dressing.  I like to give the flavors a chance to marinate while I’m prepping the rest of the salad. Here’s what you’ll need.

This dressing couldn’t be any easier to make.  For real.  {For REALZ, if you’re cool like that.}  Grab yourself a small bowl, toss in all the dressing ingredients, and mix well until combined.  Then set aside.  Dip your pinky finger in the bowl and sneak a little taste if you’re like me.  And then taste it again…with a different finger, of course.  Or the same.  Just don’t tell anyone you double dipped ;)

Now let’s go ahead and make the salad.  You’ll spend a few minutes chopping and dicing, but trust me when I tell you it’s worth it. 

Chop/dice the avocados, tomatoes, green pepper, cilantro, and onions.  Shred your chicken.  Rinse your black beans.  Chop the lettuce.  If you aren’t a fan of iceberg, toss in your favorite flavor. I think this would be excellent with romaine, but the iceberg was on sale :)  Mix everything together, except for the chips.

Now pour the dressing…yes, ALL of it…onto the salad and mix well until it’s all combined.

Stand back and marvel at this little southwestern masterpiece.

Oh friends.  We aren’t finished just yet.  It’s time to add the crunchiness…because every salad needs a little crunch!  First, serve yourself a bowl of salad.  Then crush a few chips…and a few more…and then a little bit more than that {I like A LOT of crunch}.  I used regular tortilla chips {Santita’s, to be exact}, but I think the taco flavored Dorito’s would be AMAZING, too!!!  Toss those into your bowl and mix well.  Then DEVOUR.  You won’t have a choice.  It would be sinful if you didn’t.

Heaven in a bowl, I tell ya.  Heaven in a bowl.  Hands down, this is my favorite salad of ALL time.  Chop, chop people!  What are you waiting for?!?!  Get this on your table TONIGHT!!!!

Salad Lovers Look No Further.

Not sure about y’all, but I sure love me some salads.  As cliché as it is for a girl to order one when she goes out to eat, I swear I do ALL the dang time.  Not because I’m trying to watch my waist, but I really prefer eating salad!!!  As much as I love the salad varieties on restaurant menus, I have to say that THIS salad is…hands down…my absolute FAVORITE.  Salad lovers look no further.  I swear this is the only recipe you’ll ever need!!!!

 

PEPERONCINI CHOPPED SALAD

Salad Ingredients:

4-6 cups chopped romaine or Herbed lettuce {I used the herbed lettuce already packaged up & chopped in the prepackaged salad section}

1 cup sliced peperoncini {you can buy these already sliced OR you can slice them yourself}

1 red bell peper, sliced into thin strips

1 tub crumbled Feta cheese {use as much or little as you prefer}

Grilled chicken, cut into strips {optional}

 

Dressing Ingredients:

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. minced garlic {I use the chopped garlic in a bottle}

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Peperoncini brine {the juice from the peperoncini jar}

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil {I used Bertoli…my fave :)}

salt & pepper, to taste

 

In the last month, I’ve made this salad about 6-7 times.  Each time it gets better and better. These ingredients have become staples in my pantry.

First start by adding the lettuce to a large bowl.  Cut your red pepper into strips and slice your peperoncini {or take ‘em right out of the jar if you bought ‘em pre sliced} and toss with the lettuce.

 

Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. 

This dressing is the bomb.com.  {Don’t judge me for using that phrase.} 

Now add the dressing to the lettuce mix and toss around until well coated.  Then go ahead and toss in the feta.  The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of crumbled feta, but I’m a feta lovin’ fool so I added the whole tub :)  You go ahead and decide what’s best for you!

I went ahead and tossed in some grilled chicken…cooked on my fabulous George Foreman…and it made the PERFECT dinner salad!!!  Definitely filling enough as an entrée! 

I seriously can’t say enough about this salad.  The flavors are TO DIE FOR.  For real.  And if you’re a fan of feta like me, then you’ll be **12 kinds** of happy.  I can’t get over how amazing this really is!!!  If you’re lookin’ to lose those dreaded extra 15lbs. as one of your NY resolutions, you can add this salad to your dinner rotation.  It’s low in sugar & carbs.  Infact, this is one of those recipes from Kalyn’s Kitchen and used in the first phase of the South Beach Diet.  Don’t knock it ‘til ya try it…that diet is the BEST!!!!!!  When I made this salad for dinner the first time, Mr. Spouse could not stop raving.  That’s all he had to do to give me the go ahead to have it every week since then :)  And I don’t see this goin’ off the menu any time soon!!   SO dang good!!!!

The Juice is Worth The Squeeze

I typically try my best to veer away from recipes that require too much elbow grease on my end.  As much as I love to cook, I don’t always enjoy the time spent in the kitchen.  Not to mention, when recipes call for more than 5 ingredients, it’s inevitable that my kitchen will look like a bomb went off. Yikes.  Now, I’m a BIG fan of salads, but I’m one of those "grab-a-bottle-of-salad-dressing-and-pour-it-on-top” kinda girls.  When I found this salad & dressing recipe, I seriously contemplated pulling out a bottle of the pre-made stuff just so I didn’t have to go to all the trouble of making it from scratch, but trust me when I tell you that the juice is totally worth the squeeze!!  This is, hands down, one of THE best salads I’ve ever had!  Just make sure you have some floss on hand when you eat it :)

 

STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD

from Our Best Bites

1 {10 oz.} bag of baby spinach

1/2 – 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 medium cucumber, seeded and sliced

1 pint strawberries, sliced

1 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

1/2 lb. grilled chicken breasts, sliced/diced {optional}

Lemon Poppyseed Dressing {recipe below}

 

Lemon Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

2-3 large lemons {I needed 3…you’ll need 1/3 cup and 1 tsp. lemon zest}

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup canola oil

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. poppy seeds

1 tsp. grated onion

1 clove pressed garlic

 

First, let’s go ahead and whip up the salad.  You’ll need to slice your onion, cucumbers, and strawberries.

 

Toss your bag of spinach in a large bowl and toast your almonds.  To toast your almonds, just toss ‘em into an ungreased skillet in a single layer.  Stir until golden brown.  They’ll burn easily if you don’t keep your eye on ‘em!  You could also toast them in the oven.  Just spread them onto a baking pan in a single layer and heat the oven to 350.  Then bake for about 10-15 minutes, stirring them occasionally until golden brown.

Now toss the almonds, cucumbers, onions, & strawberries in with the spinach.

 

Now it’s time for the vinaigrette.

You won’t need anymore strawberries, so forget I included those in the pic.  First, let’s go ahead and zest the lemons.  I used the zest off two of them.  I used a regular ol’ zester for mine, but a Microplane would’ve made it SO much easier. Dangit.  Toss the zest into a little tupperware container.  Now grate your onion. {Again, a Microplane would work wonders, but I used my regular ol’ grater}.  Toss that into the tupperware container, too.  In the same container, add the sugar, salt, pepper, oil, vinegar, poppy seeds, pressed garlic, and about 3/4 cups of {freshly squeezed} lemon juice.

Now place the top on your container, make sure it’s shut tight, and shake the heck out of it.  You’ll end up with a concoction that looks like this…

Trust me when I tell you that you WON’T want to take the shortcut and get the premade stuff.  This vinaigrette is SO dang good!!!!!!

Scoop a nice little helping of salad onto your plate and drizzle with the vinaigrette.  Keep your floss nearby because those poppy seeds are sneaky and they’ll hide in between your teeth until someone decides to tell you they’re there. 

When I had this recipe in my weekly menu, I intended on making it with grilled chicken just to beef it up a little bit.  It was going to be our main dish.  Mr. Spouse surprised me with with a few big steaks that night, so I left out the chicken and served the salad as an accompaniment to our steaks.  OH.MY.WORD.  Seriously TO DIE FOR!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr. Spouse LOVED the salad, too! I was SO happy I didn’t take any shortcuts.  Even though my kitchen was a HOT mess when it was all said and done…and I *might* have had a serious case of carpal tunnel after grating and juicing…it was SO worth it!!!  I can’t wait to serve this as our main dish with a few strips of grilled chicken to top it all off!  It’s seriously the PERFECT salad!

This is definitely a dish you can go back for multiple helpings and NOT feel guilty in the least.  Great.  Now my mouth is watering. I’m headed out to pick up these ingredients NOW!!!!! 

Speedy & Savory…What’s NOT To Love?!

I’m all about quick, speedy meals.  Now don’t get me wrong…I’ll spend more time than necessary if I’m tryin’ something new…and I don’t always go for quick & easy…but for the most part, the speedier the better.  I was SHOCKED at how unbelievably easy & quick…not to mention AWESOMESAUCE…this recipe was.  Holy quickness!  When Mr. Spouse and I sat down to eat, he was all, “BEST.MEAL.EVER.”  And honestly, I’d have to agree.  I know I say that about almost everything I eat, but dang y’all…this is amazing.  I’d for sure put this on my list of top 10 meals!!!  Because seriously…speedy AND savory?!  What’s NOT to love?!?!?!

 

CREAMY AVOCADO CHICKEN SALAD

from:  The Cheeky Kitchen

1 chicken breast, cooked & shredded

1/4 cup black beans, drained & rinsed {I used more}

1/4 cup corn {I used more}

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

1/4 cup tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup cilantro {I left this out!!}

1/4 tortilla chips or fritos, crushed {I used Santita’s tortilla chips}

2 tbsp. white vinegar

4 tbsp. mayo

Salt, to taste

2-4 avocados, sliced in half & pitted

 

Combine the chicken, beans, corn, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and tortilla chips into a medium bowl.  I left out the cilantro because it’s not my favorite flavor. 

Toss it around just a bit…

Looks pretty much amazing without the rest of the ingredients.  But just for giggles, let’s go ahead and add the vinegar & mayo.  Mix until well combined.

While you’re salivating over the ridiculousness of this dish, slice & pit your avocados.  And go ahead and sneak a bite….or three…of the mix.  OMG…are you loving it yet?!

Now scoop a VERY generous portion of the chicken salad onto both halves of the avocado.

And VOILA!  You’re ready to eat!!  I know this doesn’t look like much, but trust me when I say it’s very filling!!  And it’s not the kinda filling that makes you wanna unbutton your pants and lay on the couch for an hour after you’re finished eating.  It’s unbelievably satisfying!  Of course, you’ll eat this with a fork and make sure to scoop out the avocado with each bite.  My.word. 

I made this a couple of weeks ago and it’s already back in the dinner rotation.  This would be an awesome little somethin’ to make for lunch, too!!  Mr. Spouse and I each ate 1 avocado full of chicken salad and just had a teensy bit leftover, so I would say this makes enough for two….depending on your portion size, of course :)  If you’re looking for something speedy & savory, look no further!!!! 

Down Home With the Carrolls

Are y’all fans of Food Network??  I swear our T.V. stays tuned to that channel the better part of the day.  When Mr. Spouse’s brother & his family were visitng {aka: the other Carrolls}, we were tuned into one of my favorite Food Network shows, Down Home with the Neelys.  LOVE them!  My sister-in-law, Bobbi, was locked into the screen when Pat & Gina were showcasing their Green Bean Salad.  I wasn’t paying much attention, but from what I could see, it looked pretty tasty.  Bobbi was all over it and insisted she make it to accompany our dinner that night.  Now…I gotta say that a few of the ingredients didn’t look 100% appealing to me {the pistachios in particular}, but OHMIWORD.  It was AMAZING!  Seriously one of the best salads I’ve ever had!!  I’m so happy my sister-in-law is such a dang go-getter!!!  This is a salad that I could eat everyday!! 

 

GREEN BEAN SALAD

1 1/4 lbs. thing fresh green beans, trimmed

1 shallot, minced

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 oz. mixed baby greens

1/4 cup olive oil

1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1/4 cup fresh basil chiffonade {& just incase you’re curious about the chiffonade, you can see how to do it HERE…basicall, cut your basil into thin strips!!!}

1/4 cup shelled, salted & roasted pistachios

6 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

 

I don’t have any step-by-step pics of this little number, but I swear you won’t need ‘em! 

First, set your fresh green beans in a pot of boiling water for about 2 minutes, then remove them and set them in a bowl of ice water for 2 more minutes, drain water, and dry well.  The whole boiling/ice water process is also known as blanching, thankyouverymuch :) {ha ha…just learned that term!}

In a small bowl, whisk together the shallot, vinegar, and olive oil.   Season the mix with salt & pepper, to taste.

Spread the baby greens onto a large platter {because it just looks too dang pretty like this} and top with the cherry tomatoes, green beans, and basil.

Now drizzle the vinaigrette mix over the greens and sprinkle with pistachios and feta. 

OHIMIWORD.  Does that not look heavenly?!  Because seriously…it is!!!!  I really didn’t know if I’d like it, but y’all…it’s seriously one of the best salads ever!!  I think it would even be better with the tomato/basil flavored feta!!  And the pistachios were a big hit.  Take my word for it.  I don’t even like nuts and they were so yum!  I do love a little crunch in my salad :)  I think this is a dish you need to add to your menu asap!!!  I promise you won’t be disappointed!!!

YUM SCRUM!!

Champagne Salad

I have the dang cutest friends in the world...I'm pretty sure of it.  One in particular I happen to be blessed to work with and have for several years.  Her name is Jill and she's responsible for this AMAZING recipe I keep stocked in the fridge all summer long.  Well, here's another one from her arsenal of delicious salads.  When I was pregnant and shoving fistfuls of Taco Cabana tortillas down my throat...followed by an insane volume of queso...Jill would bring the yummiest salads to eat for lunch.  Talk about feeling myself getting fatter as I watched her eat healthy :)  HA!!  In addition to mass amounts of Mexican fare, I also CRAVED salads and veggies.  Thank goodness because I'm sure that helped curb my staggering weight gain.  Anyhoo...I made Jill fork over the recipe so that I could make this anytime I needed to satisfy my craving...and I still eat it to this day!!!! 

 

CHAMPAGNE SALAD

2 avocados, cubed

2 tomatoes, cubed

Fresh mozzarella, cubed

Fresh basil, sliced into thin strips

Gerard's Champagne dressing

salt & pepper, to taste

 

The Players…

The Game Plan…

Combine avocado, tomato, mozzarella, & basil in a large bowl.  Top with dressing and toss to coat. 

I used to only be able to get this dressing at Kroger, but now I can get it at Target, too!!  Champagne dressing and cute skirts all in one shopping trip ;)  HA!

This salad is best served fresh, although I've made it at night & eaten it for lunch the next day.

  I  think it tastes best right after it's fixed...the avocados/tomatoes/mozzarella get a little soggy from the dressing and I like it when it's a little firmer.  Just a texture preference.  And the avocado get a little icky looking after a while.  I would definitely say that this can keep for about 24 hours, but after that you'll wanna make a fresh batch.  This is, hands down, one of my most FAVORITE salads!!  Perfect on it's own or as an accessory to a bigger meal :)  I'm off to make some more now!!!  YUM!!! 

A Salad That’s NOT On Your Diet

Who doesn’t love a good salad?!  Especially the kind that leaves you wanting MORE and MORE after you’ve taken the *last* bite.  This little “salad” reminds me of my sister-in-law, Bobbi Ann…the one who’s recipes I like to steal and claim as my own.  Bobbi made this little number for Christmas Eve several years ago and I’ve been making it ever since.  Because my appetite is so insatiable, I could definitely take down the entire thing all by my lonesome.  You’ll see why when you make it for yourself :)

COATED GRAPE SALAD

2 lbs. red and/or green grapes

1 (8oz.) pkg. of cream cheese

1 (8oz.) container of sour cream

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

chopped walnuts/pecans {optional}

brown sugar {optional}

This is all you’ll need {plus the grapes} for one of the best “salads” I promise you’ll ever eat.

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla, & sugar in a large bowl and beat together with mixer. 

Wash your grapes and remove from the stems.  Fold into the cream cheese mix until well coated and VOILA!  The best salad that won’t ever make an appearance in your weight loss diet.

For a little color flair, mix it up with a pound of green & a pound of red grapes.  If you’re feelin’ a little fiesty, add some chopped walnuts or pecans for a little crunch and sprinkle on some brown sugar for an added sweetness.  When Bobbi first made this salad, she included the walnuts and brown sugar.  Don’t get me wrong…it was pretty tasty that way, too…but the less steps, the better and I just prefer most of my things ‘nutless’ I guess :)  This is a PERFECT dish to bring to a party, make for a shower, or to hoard all for yourself.  I made this for a little volunteer breakfast we had at school the other day and there wasn’t a grape left in the bowl by the end of the day.  Can’t wait to have an excuse to make it again!!

Some Like It Tangy

I LOVE taco salad. And if there’s anybody that loves it more than me, it’s Mr. Spouse. I promise he asks for it EVERY single week. Well, I usually don’t comply with his requests because I don’t want to get tired of eating/cooking the same thing ALL the time, but I really do get a little excited when I put it in the plans. We usually eat our taco salad with corn, avocado, taco meat, crushed tortilla chips, and Italian dressing. Adam about FELL.OUT when we were first married and I suggested using Italian. He grew up eating taco salad with Ranch dressing instead of Italian & Dorito’s instead of tortilla chips. Not gonna lie…it’s pretty dang good that way, too! But when I whipped up this tangy version of the regular taco salad I serve, I knew that this would be making MANY more appearances on our taco salad nights! Now I won’t feel so guilty when I see this yummy dish on the menu ;)

TANGY FIESTA SALAD

Romaine lettuce

2 tomatoes, chopped

green onions, chopped

1 {10 oz.} bag of frozen corn, thawed

1 lb. ground beef

Taco seasoning {I used McCormick’s}

Tortilla chips, crushed {I used Santita’s}

Shredded Mexican cheese

Thousand Island dressing

Brown beef and drain. Return to pan and add {thawed} corn and taco seasoning. Mix well and cook until blended.

Chop romaine and place on a large plate. Y’all…this makes a SERIOUSLY large salad, so chop what you think you’ll eat :) I should’ve bought a pre-chopped bag of romaine, but the grocery store was out so I bought the whole bunch instead…and we used the whole thing! No wonder it was so dang LARGE! HA!

Remove corn & beef mix from heat and spread evenly over the romaine.

Top with tomatoes, green onion, and crushed tortilla chips. I think I might even add black beans to the mix next time!

The secret to this salad is the dressing. When I found this recipe, I had to call Mr. Spouse to ask him if Thousand Island was a good dressing. He was all, “Uh…yeah. Have you been living under a rock or what?” Yep…that’s where I’ve been. I’ve never had it before!

Dang if I didn’t seriously LOVE the dressing/salad combo! It was SO TANGY! And DElicious!!! I even went back for seconds…and I promise my servings were VERY generous. I had to switch to the sweatpants after I ate if that tells ya anything.

I absolutely love, love, LOVE this variation on our typical taco salad. I’m usually an iceberg lettuce kinda girl because it’s cheap, but I’m gonna have to splurge for the romaine from now on because it was so much tastier with everything else :) SUCH a tangy, tasty salad that’s sure to see the T.V. trays dinner table again SOON!!!

Now…tell me…how do you fix YOUR taco salad?