Pasta Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing

This is one of my favorite pasta salads because it is light.  I usually add more cucumbers than called for and sometimes even some bell peppers.  I have been known to pretty much make a tossed salad with a bit of pasta.  I think I like this because the dressing is so good.
Vinaigrette Dressing
2/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
2 teaspoons minced shallot
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
dash onion powder
In a mixing bowl, blend with a mixer until thick and creamy.  (I have also done this in the blender with good results).  Place in a covered container and chill until ready to use.


Pasta Salad
Bring 4 quarts of water to boil.  Add 1 pound of rainbow Rotini or tricolor radiatore to the water.  Cook until al dente (about 1 or 2 minutes less than package directions).  


Drain.  Drizzle with 1-2 teaspoons olive oil and mix well.  Refrigerate in a covered container for 30 minutes or so.


In the meantime, remove the seeds from 2 large tomatoes and dice into small pieces.  Dice one small scallion or green onion, finely.  Dice 1/4 cup cucumber, into small pieces.


When the pasta is no longer warm, add the vegetables and refrigerate.  Just before serving add the dressing - just enough to coat.  Don't over dress the pasta or add too much dressing too soon.  As a warning, the longer it sits, the more dressing the past soaks up.  (I personally don't think this is a bad thing but some people do.  In fact when I was first served this pasta, the dressing came to me on the side so I could dress my own salad.  I just let it soak in now.)


Note: I obviously make this with gluten-free pasta now with very good results.

Mandarin Orange Salad

This is light and really tasty.


Mandarin Orange Salad
1/2 cup slice almonds
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 bunch leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1 small head radicchio, torn into bite-size pieces
1 small red onion, minced (optional)
1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained
1 whole cooked chicken breast, cubed


Dressing:
1/4 cup canola oil
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
Dash hot pepper sauce
1. In a small skillet, heat the almonds with the sugar over low heat.  Cook and stir almonds until the almonds are glazed.  Set aside to cool.
2.  Mix the dressing ingredients together; set aside.
3. Just before serving, toss together the lettuce, radicchio, onion, oranges and chicken.  Toss the dressing gently over all until lightly dressed.  Garnish with the almonds.  Enjoy!
Note:  For a lighter meal or a side salad, omit the chicken.

Kellie Davis's Pasta Salad

This was served by Kellie Davis (Chris's Mom) at Dane's blessing.  It is very tasty.  I don't usually like pasta salad but I couldn't stay away from this one.

Kellie's Pasta Salad
1 pkg bowtie and spiral pasta, cooked
1-2 cups cooked chicken
1 cup Miracle Whip
1 small bottle cole slaw dressing
Juice of one lime
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 can sliced water chestnuts
4 green onions, chopped
1 large can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 large can mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 cup Craisins
1/2 cup grapes
1/4 cup chopped cashews
Combine ingredients and chill well.  Serve cold.

Guacamole and Salsa

I am asked all the time for my salsa recipe and my guacamole recipe.  I have them buried in other recipes in this blog but not just there.  When Grandma and Popi moved from San Antonio, Grandma got these recipes from LaFonda on Main - our favorite Mexican Food restaurant.  It is amazing how simple they are.


Salsa
4 plum tomatoes (also known as Roma tomatoes)
1 jalapeno pepper
Cut the tomatoes into quarters and place into a food processor.  Slice the jalapeno pepper and put into the food processor.  Pulse until it is the texture you want.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Will keep for about a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.


Note:  The major heat of the jalapeno is in the seeds and membranes of the pepper.  To eliminate some of heat, remove the seeds and membrane - or if you want the heat - just slice and toss into the processor.


Guacamole
1 ripe avocado
1 Tablespoon salsa
Halve the avocado and scoop out the flesh.  Mash together with salsa and salt and pepper to taste.  This makes 2 servings.  Just add avocado and salsa to make more servings.  LaFonda served theirs on a bed of shredded iceberg lettuce with a large ripe tomato slice on top of that.  On top of the tomato slice was the guacamole with just a drizzle of their enchilada sauce.  There were many times when I just had chips and salsa and their guacamole salad for my meal.  Heaven!


Note: An avocado is ripe if it gently yields to pressure when pressed by your thumb.  When you split it - if it is overly black inside or really woody - don't use it.  A few small black spots are like black spots on a banana - it is just very ripe.  But for appearance sake - just cut them away before you mash the avocado.

Fresh Carrot And Raisin Salad

This is Carianne's favorite salad. It is easy to make and is especially tasty in the summer with fresh carrots. This is just 2 servings but it is so easy to make a big bowl, especially with the food processors to grate the carrots. Not everyone likes raisins. Oh well, this is just a fun fresh salad.

Fresh Carrot and Raisin Salad
Serves 2
Mix 1 cup grated carrots and 2 Tablespoons raisins with a dash of salt. Add just enough mayonnaise or Miracle Whip to moisten the salad. A touch of Lite sour cream is great mixed into the Miracle Whip, especially if you are using Lite Miracle Whip. Refrigerate any leftovers and eat within 2 days. This can be made 24 hours ahead of serving.

Note: I never use anything but Lite Miracle Whip so I use 1 Tablespoon Miracle Whip with about 1 teaspoon Lite Sour Cream. It cuts the super sweet taste of the Miracle Whip.

Everlasting Coleslaw

My friend Nancy Oliver gave me this recipe. It will keep up to a week in the refrigerator. In fact the longer it sits, the better it tastes. This is a great potluck or picnic salad because there is no mayonnaise.

Everlasting Coleslaw
1 medium head of cabbage
1 small onion, minced or grated (or to taste)
1 cup celery, chopped or grated
1 bell pepper, diced
Place the vegetables in a large bowl. In a saucepan combine the following:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Pour sauce that has cooled to room temperature over the vegetables. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving.

Note: I use the Broccoli slaw mix with the cabbage with excellent results. I only make this for potlucks so I never have had to test to see if this lasts a week or not. I also don't like a lot of dressing so for me this dressing will actually dress 2 head of cabbage. I also throw all of the vegetables in the food processor and grate them into the bowl. Works like a charm.

Carolyn Brugger's Old Fashioned Dressing

In the summer when the garden was producing lettuce, my mother would make this salad dressing. It is our daughter Heather's favorite salad dressing. To be honest, on garden fresh lettuce, it is one of my favorite dressings. For the longest time I was afraid I had lost this recipe. Then all of the sudden I have found it in 3 or 4 'safe' places. Here it is.

Carolyn Brugger's Old Fashioned Dressing
3 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Combine well and serve or toss on fresh greens.

Note: I mix up the kind of vinegars I use. I love it with Apple Cider Vinegar but I have tried it with other light vinegars light White wine vinegar and Champagne vinegar. I do have to admit the cider vinegar is my favorite.

Pistachio Salad

To be honest this almost falls into the dessert category rather than a salad but when you got to potluck in Utah, it is always in among the Jello salads. I am not a big Cool Whip fan but it is the only way to make this. I think I got this from Nancy Oliver, a friend in Ephraim.

Pistachio Salad
1 large package pistachio flavored instant pudding
1 can crushed pineapple (15 1/4 ounces)
Mix well together
Add 2 cups miniature marshmallows and 1/2 cups chopped nuts (I use pistachios but pecans or walnuts work well too). Mix this together. Stir in 8 ounces Cool Whip and chill for 2-4 hours. Serve.

Note: The recipe calls for 8 ounces but I use about 1/2 that. Use what you like. I also use low fat Cool Whip and when I can find it, low fat pudding.

Ambrosia Salad

This is a nice light salad but it also is nice in the winter when you begin to crave something fresh. The funny thing is, ask someone their version of Ambrosia Salad and it is probably different. This was my mother's.

Ambrosia Salad
Serves 4

1 can mandarin oranges, drained
2 medium bananas, sliced
1 medium apple, chopped
1 cup seedless grapes
1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped

Mix the fruit together and blend in the whipped cream. Divide into 4 bowls and serve. This does not keep well because of the bananas.

Exotic Fruit Salad

This salad has been on the table of every Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner that I can remember of our family. It was my Grandma Tuttle's recipe.

Exotic Fruit Salad
1 quart or large can of pears, cut into small chunks
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained well
1/2 cup marachino cherries, cut in half or quartered
1/2 pound miniature marshmallows (if using large marshmallows, cut into quarters)
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup sour cream

Mix the fruit, marshmallows and coconut together. Add the sour cream and mix well. Refrigerate for 4 hours (it is best when refrigerated overnight).

Note: Large marshmallows that have been quartered taste better than miniature marshmallows but miniature marshmallows save time. If you are going to use large marshmallows, refrigerate them first. It makes cutting them much easier.

Fruit Like Grandma Makes

On Sunday's when we had dinner at her house, Grandma Brugger, my mother, would make a fruit cocktail for the meal. The girls' started calling it 'Fruit Like Grandma Makes'. It had certain things that were always in it and then she added fruit according to the season. Here is her basic recipe.

Fruit Like Grandma Makes
1 can pineapple tidbits, undrained
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 large can or quart bottle pears, drained and cut in bite sized pieces
marachino cherries to taste
1/2 to 1 cup orange
This was the base to the fruit cocktail. Then she would add according to the season or what was in the refrigerator, grapes, banana, stawberries, raspberries or apple pieces. In the winter when fresh fruit was hard to come by she would drain a can of grapefruit segments and cut them up and put them in the bowl. Whatever fruit you have in the house can be tossed into the bowl but don't get too many or it becomes overwhelming. I just made one with watermelon, stawberries, blackberries, blueberries and a bit of orange juice. It was delicious and it looked great for the 4th of July!