Oriental Chicken Salad

For my wedding, Tricia gave me several of her recipes. This is one of our favorites! It is really light, crunchy, and tangy. We had it tonight as we are recovering from our recent jaunt into the wilderness....well, south Florida wilderness!

Enjoy!


2 Tbl butter
1 1/2 C sliced almonds (one small bag isn't enough but I really think it is worth buying 2!)
1 16 oz. pkg. coleslaw mix
1/2 C scallions, chopped
1 pkg ramen noodles oriental flavor
1 C chicken, cut up
2 cans mandarin oranges

In a small skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Add the almonds and cook until the almonds are browned.
In a large bowl, toss together the almonds, coleslaw mix, scallions, ramen noodles (broken up into small pieces) and chicken until combined.

Dressing:
3 Tbl vinegar (I didn't realize I was out of regular vinegar so I used apple cider vinegar tonight, it wasn't bad!)
1 Tbl sugar
1/2 C olive oil
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
packet of flavoring from noodles

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar, olive oil, sesame oil, salt, pepper, and contents of the flavor packet from noodles and mix well. Pour the dressing over the coleslaw mixture. Add mandarin oranges.

Gooey Potatoes

This is one of Ryan's moms famous recipes! It is always included Christmas dinner with her amazing brisket, which I will be sure to include as well. They really are good and a great side dish to any meal. And again, really easy. Do you sense a theme in my cooking? (Again, I stole the pic off of Christy's blog. Thanks Christy!)



1 (2lb) bag of frozen cubed hash browns
2 cups sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp cheese, + ½ cup for topping
2 cans cream of chicken soup, undiluted
Small bunch of green onions, sliced
Corn flakes

Mix all ingredients together except the hash browns (and the ½ cup of additional shredded cheese) in a large bowl.

Add the hash browns and mix together thoroughly.

Mix the remaining cheese with 2 cups of corn flakes which have been lightly crushed.

Bake potatoes at 350⁰ for 30 minutes. (You can cook them a little longer to make sure they are done!) Cover top with corn flake/cheese mixture and bake an additional 15 minutes until potatoes are bubbling and top has browned.

Feta and Vegetable Rotini Salad

This is one of my staple pasta salads. I really love it and it is really easy to make. And most of the time, I have all the ingredients on hand. I found it on Kraft foods and have made it every since. Sometimes I just make it and stick in the refrigerator so we can snack on it for several days. I actually took the picture off of my friend Christy's blog, who took it off of Kraft food website. The recipe calls for 3 cups of cooked noodles, I always use the whole box, my friend Christy uses three cups of uncooked pasta. I thought hers was a little better. It is a great salad for the summer!


3 cups tricolor rotini pasta, cooked, drained and cooled
1 cup feta cheese
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup chopped cucumbers
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions

COMBINE ingredients. REFRIGERATE 1 hour

Broccoli Salad

Okay, so another recipe with no picture but I'm not sure I would want to include a picture of this salad because the first time I saw it it didn't look all that appetizing to me. My friend who made it promised me that I would love it so I took a small portion just to make her happy. Boy, was she right! I really, really liked it. I have made it as a side dish or as the main meal.

Salad Ingredients:

• 4-5 cups of chopped broccoli (I just buy a bag of fresh broccoli florets)
• 1/2 LB bacon (crumbles)
• 1/2 red onion chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Dressing for Broccoli Salad:

• 1 cup mayo (I used Miracle Whip)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 T vinegar (white wine or apple cider)

Mix sauce and let stand for 1 hour.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

The first time I had this salad was at my wedding shower. I prefer not to dwell on how long ago that was! I am not sure who created it, it probably is one of those recipes that circulate through everyone. But it is delicious and tangy. I have never been a huge spinach fan but it is just really good in this salad. The sweetness of the strawberries, the crunch from the almonds, and the tang of the dressing really make this one of my favorites. And it is so easy, which makes it a winner for me!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

9 C torn fresh spinach

1 pt. fresh strawberries, halved
1/2 C slivered almonds, toasted

Dressing:
2 T sugar
1 T chopped onion (red or white, I used white)
1 t sesame seeds
1 t poppy seeds
1/4 t paprika
1/8 t Worcestershire sauce
1/4 C vegetable oil
2 T cider vinegar

In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, and almonds. Place dressing ingredients in a blender; cover and process until combined. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Olive Garden Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

Ingredients:

• Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce


• Diced cooked chicken breast


• frozen or fresh chopped broccoli, cooked and hot

Add chicken and broccoli to Alfredo sauce and heat through. Serve over hot, cooked fettuccine.

Olive Garden Alfredo sauce:

• 1 stick real butter


• 2 c. heavy cream


• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder


• 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper


• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. (I also saute minced garlic with the butter.) Add cream, garlic powder, and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 12 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. When sauce has reached desired consistency, stir in Parmesan cheese. Use for Chicken Broccoli Alfredo, or just serve as is over fettuccini. For our family of 5, I do half the above recipe...but it you want leftovers, go for the whole thing.