My Little Green Salad

This post is not so much a recipe, as just a guide. Everyone has their favorite salad toppings & go-to sides. This is one of mine. I love it! With the right dressing (right now I like Caesar Vinaigrette), it's the perfect compliment to a heavier meal & might even make you feel like you're eating healthy stuff- you know like lettuce & carrots. :)

My Little Green Salad
Makes enough for 2 salads

• 2 handfuls bagged romaine lettuce
• one bunch green onions
• small handful mini carrots, sliced
• small handful of cucumber pieces
• garlic salt
• pepper
• feta cheese
• your favorite Vinaigrette

Toss veggies together & sprinkle with asesonings & cheese. Toss with dressing & enjoy!

Chinese Chicken Salad Revisited

I've posted this delicious & easy salad recipe before, but it is just so awesome that I wanted to post it again. I make this at least once or twice per month- sometimes more! It's so easy to trhrow together and is aboslteuly packed with great flavors & textures. You can feel free to add & take-away toppings to your taste. One of my favorite flavors comes from the little "kick" in the chili paste on the chicken. Also, since I last posted this I found a delicious ready-made dressing that I actually prefer to use with it.

Another favorite slad of mine is Fiesta Chicken Salad. The pictures on my post do not do it justice. It uses a lot of the same ingredients as this salad, so its easy to get ingredients for both at the same time.

One tip- wash & chop up your veggies the first time you make it and bag the leftovers. The next day, leftovers couldn't be easier to make!


Chinese Chicken Salad
Makes enough for 2-3. Easily doubled!

• 1/2 bag coleslaw mix (you can throw away the dressing packet)
• 1/2 bag romaine lettuce
• 2 green onions, sliced into small pieces
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• 1/2 small bag slivered almonds
• 1/2 package Ramen noodles, chicken flavored
• 2 TBSP butter
• 1 TBSP white sugar
• 1 chicken breast
• olive oil
• soy sauce
• salt & pepper
• garlic salt
• garlic chili paste
• Asian dressing of choice, I like low-fat Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame

Heat oven to 350. Wash and dry chicken breast, trimming fat as desired. Cover cookie sheet with foil & place cooling rack on top. Spray with cooking spray and place chicken bresat in the middle. Use a paper towel to spread olive oil & soy sauce on chicken. Season with salt, pepper & garlic salt.  Spread chili paste on top to taste. Bake for 30 minutes, or until no longer pink in the middle. Cut into bit-size pieces and set aside.

While the chicken is cooking, melt butter and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add almonds and stir to coat. Once they start to caramelize and turn light brown they are done! Remove from heat and scoop onto a plate in 1 layer. Dab with paper towel to remove excess butter & set aside. Once cool, crumble into pieces. Set aside.

In a large bowl, place lettuce, coleslaw mix, green onion & red pepper. Top with warm chicken & candied almonds. Crumble ramen nooodles on top last. Add dressing and toss to coat. 

Enjoy!

Taco Salad

When I went to California, my Mimi had a delicious Taco Salad dinner waiting for my mom and I when we arrived from the airport. I was starving, and it was delicious! I couldn't believe I hadn't thought to make something like this before, and when I was still thinking about it when I got back to Austin, I knew I had to make it! It's so easy, and there's no real recipe. Use whatever ingredients you have on hand or you like best. You can use tortilla chips instead of corn chips, but I really like the flavor and crunch these offer. The leftovers from this even taste delicious. You just re-heat the meat and beans in the microwave and take all the fresh stuff from the fridge. Mimi had some El Tortito's salad dressing that was extra tasty on top too, but there is no El Tortio's in Texas. Sad day. I was fine just using salsa though.

No beans in this version though. Avocados and olives are nice too!

Taco Salad

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1/2 cup your favorite salsa
• Fritos corn chips
• 1 bag lettuce- I like romaine
• a few green onions, sliced
• a few sprigs of cilantro, torn
• corn, if you have it
• 1 can black or refried beans, warmed up on the stove
• shredded cheese
• sour cream
• extra salsa/dressing for garnish

Cook the ground beef according to the directions on the taco packet. When it calls for 3/4 cup water, substitute 1/2 salsa + 1/4 cup water. Place corn chips on bottom of plate. Add meat and beans. Add remaining toppings, as desired. IT's really fun to let everyone "make their own plate."

Enjoy!

Easy Chinese Chicken Salad

I really like salads. However, some salads just don't pack enough flavor and textures. This salad is REALLY tasty though. It really fills you up too! The bf only manged to mumble "GOOD" while helping himself to seconds and asking for leftovers for lunch the next day. :) Why is it so hard for boys to admit they like salads too?

My mom used to make this salad A LOT. It's super easy and quick- perfect for a week night and it will easily feed 4 people. I took the liberty of adding a few more ingredients from her original recipe. If you have some other vegetables on hand that you'd like to add, go ahead and add those too! A friend pointed out that this would also be yummy with a light store-bought sesame-ginger dressing, if the dressing recipe on here has too much sugar for you. I always find that a little dressing goes a long way though, and I only use a tiny bit at a time.

Fiesta Salad

In my post about the Longhorn Cookies, I mentioned that my friend Alice and I also made this salad that evening. I found this recipe on Baked Bree and I loooooove it! It's SO fresh, delicious and easy! Both Alice and the bf agreed that this was a must-make-again recipe!

You can add/subtract whatever toppings you like. Yummm can't wait to make this again soon!

Honey Lime Dressing

• 1/4 cup honey
• Juice of 3 limes
• 2 TBSP white vinegar
• 1 TBSP cumin
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1/3 cup EVOO

Put everything in a bowl, except olive oil, and whisk until combined. While whisking, slowly poor in EVOO and whisk until smooth. Feel free to add more of any ingredient to fit your taste. We added a tiny bit more honey. :) Set aside. Whisk lightly again before you serve.

Fiesta Chicken Salad
Serves 4 adults

• 1 head of Romaine lettuce, shredded
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• half of a red onion, sliced thin (I used 1/4 since I am not a big red onion fan)
• 2 ears of boiled/grilled corn (or bag of thawed frozen corn)
• half a bunch of cilantro (or more if you love cilantro!)
• tomatoes (I omitted)
• grilled chicken (lightly seasoned or marinated. I grabbed some chipotle lime marinated chicken from CM and roasted per Bree's recipe here)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• tortilla chips, crushed
• Bree's beans (Heat 2 TBSP EVOO in a pan, toss in 3 minced cloves of garlic, add 1 can drained/rinsed black beans and 1 TBSP oregano ( I used fresh). Cook until thoroughly heated and set aside.)
  

Put everything except chips and beans into large bowl.

Toss and add a little dressing at a time until it fits your taste. Add the chips and beans on top right before you serve so it doesn't get soggy.

Dinner is ready! I served with some cheese quesadillas since I had a bunch of fresh tortillas from CM. Sorry my pictures are so bad! They really do not do this salad justice! :) You must make this soon.

-Marissa