.orzo pasta salad.

This recipe is pure bliss and just makes you feel heathy from the inside out. My mom got this recipe from a friend at work and it would be perfect as a side dish or even as a main meal, like we did by putting it on a bed of salad. Enjoy!



Ingredients
Orzo pasta – 2 cups
Cucumber – chopped
Tomato – chopped or cherry tomatoes cut in half or quarters
Crumbled goat cheese – also work with crumbled feta
Arugula
Tuna- I used tuna but works with boiled or grilled shrimp too

Dressing:
3 fresh lemon squeezed and also grated lemon peal
2 cloves of garlic : grated
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Dill (dry or fresh)
¾ table spoon of soy sauce (lite sodium so it) just a splash so it doesn’t over whelm
*equal parts lemon juice vs Olive oil*

Preparation
Boil orzo pasta in salted water to “al dente”…. Drain pasta
Drizzle a little bit of white truffle oil or olive oil (so the pasta doesn’t stick together and soaks up the truffle oil aroma)
Once pasta cools down add the chopped vegetables of your choice and tuna and toss in dressing
Chill in the fridge. Before serving toss with arugula

.taco salad. {husband's choice}

Here is yet another amazing recipe from my mother-in-law. My hubby used to love this recipe when he was growing up, so it was so nice to recreate a favorite from his childhood. And...omg I am so in love with it as well. As summer is winding down I feel like I could eat salad all day long {luckily we had tons of leftovers}. Try it out for yourself and enjoy!



Ingredients
lettuce (chopped)
tomatoes (chopped)
cheddar cheese, grated (I used a mixed mexican blend that was already grated)
jack cheese, grated
taco sauce
ground beef/turkey
kidney beans
avocado (diced)
tortilla chips (crushed)
onion (diced)
thousand island dressing
taco seasoning (I added this to the meat)

Preparation
Cook ground beef until brown. Add onion and taco seasoning if desired. Let cool. Add all ingredients in a large salad bowl, mix up and enjoy!

.best salad EVER.

So...I am finally back from several weeks of vacation. I have not posted in forever, but fear not I have many new recipes ready to be blogged! On our vacation to Lake Havasu this wonderful salad recipe was shared with me and now I am hooked! And by hooked I mean I am eating this very salad at least every other day and have not got sick of it yet. {knock on wood} Try it out for yourself and enjoy!



Ingredients
lettuce
dried cranberries
glazed pecans
feta cheese
tomato
Newman's Raspberry & Walnut dresssing

Preparation
Chop lettuce and tomato. Add in all the rest of the ingredients. Mix with salad dressing and enjoy!

.poppy seed dressing.

This amazing recipe was posted on a friend's blog (organicday) She posts about how simple and rewarding it can be to live a healthy and organic life. I became inspired and started to shop at farmer's markets and make simple things that I would normally buy. This recipe is not only amazing but also SO much cheaper than buying poppy seed dressing at the supermarket. I also love it because I can just make the amount that I need and make it fresh with the salad so I don't worry about a large jar of salad dressing expiring before I can use it all. Try it out for yourself. Enjoy!



Ingredients
3/4 C. mayonnaise
1/3 C. sugar
2 T. cider vinegar
2 tsp. poppyseeds

Preparation

Mix together and pour over salad. The salad I made is spinach, parmesan cheese, avocado, walnuts (or any nuts) and dressing.

.chicken salad sandwich.

This sandwich is perfect for those days that you feel like something delicious and healthy for lunch but don't want to spend too much time or energy making it. I try to always have canned tuna or chicken in the house and you can easily adapt the rest of the recipe to what you already have. Enjoy!



Ingredients
1 large can of chicken
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1-2 avocados (optional)
bacon bits (optional)
Bread of choice

Preparation
In a mixing bowl, combine chicken, mayo, oil, onion, celery, and seasonings together. Mix well. Serve on top of bread. Add avocado or bacon bits if desired.

.sweet coleslaw.

I usually am not a huge fan of coleslaw. However, this recipe was AMAZING and paired so nicely with the bbq chicken sandwich. And so simple to make! Enjoy!





Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) bag coleslaw mix
2 tablespoons diced onion
2/3 cup creamy salad dressing (such as Miracle Whip™)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

Preparation
Combine the coleslaw mix and onion in a large bowl.
Whisk together the salad dressing, vegetable oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, and poppy seeds in a medium bowl; blend thoroughly. Pour dressing mixture over coleslaw mix and toss to coat. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

.classic wedge salad.

My favorite restaurants are those which serve a wedge salad. However, in our quest to try to save for a house and not eat out very often I decided that I should learn how to make the things I love in the comfort of my own home and also for half the cost! This is such a simple salad, and although it did not taste exactly like it does at BJ's it is a close second. Enjoy!



Ingredients
1 head iceberg lettuce, cut into quarters
Blue cheese dressing
1 tomato, minced
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 cup cooked bacon, crumbled (I was lazy and used bacon bits)

Preparation
On each salad plate, place 1 wedge of lettuce turned on its side. Pour blue cheese dressing on wedge. Sprinkle with tomatoes, crumbled blue cheese, and crumbled bacon. Enjoy!

.greek pesto pasta salad.

I invented this pasta salad for a work potluck. I had no idea what to bring and was too lazy to go to the store so I got the idea to make a pesto pasta salad and just toss in whatever veggies I had on hand. Then after adding all the ingredients it seemed very greek so thats where it got the name. Im officially obsessed with this salad and made it to weeks in a row because I just couldn't get enough! Enjoy!



Ingredients
I package of bow tie pasta (Farfalle)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup of cherry tomatoes cut in half
4 tablespoons of pesto
1/2 cup of chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped katamala olives
1 package of salami chopped
Pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Salt to taste
Italian Seasoning to taste
Feta cheese (optional)

Preparation
Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain when done and rinse with cold water. Add olive oil and pesto, mix well. Mix in the veggies and seasoning. Top with feta cheese if desired. Enjoy!

.hamburger salad.

This is the quickest, healthy and hearty meal anyone could ask for when they have no time to cook. We always keep frozen hamburger patties in the house, along with spinach salad so this one is simple. YUM!



Ingredients
hamburger (frozen or fresh)
salad dressing of choice (i prefer thousand island)
onions
spinach salad
shredded cheese (optional)

Preparation
Cook hamburger to desired preparedness. Chop and place on top of salad with desired salad dressing. Top with cheese, sliced onions and pepper if desired. Enjoy!

.cucumber & tomato salad.

I was introduced to this simple and refreshing salad through a family that I work with. It is so simple and delicious. Great for those lazy and hot summer days and even better if you can get some fresh tomatoes and lemons from a neighbors garden :)



Ingredients
1 cucumber
2 tomatoes
Cilantro
2 lemons (or to taste)
Salt to taste

Preparation
Cut vegetable into cubes and add lemon juice and salt to taste, mix. Add cilantro on top. Enjoy!

.ranch potato salad.

This is another recipe out of my fabulous magazine, 5 ingredients or less. I made this for a pot luck to celebrate my friend Kim's birthday. My first pot luck where I actually made something, instead of just running to the store and buying something! The hubby loved this and devoured the leftovers which we actually reheated and turned it into a warm mashed potato side dish. Also, I have never boiled potatoes before..and apparently if you boil them for too long the skins fall off. opps!




Ingredients
2 pounds red potatos
1 bottle (8 ounces) ranch salad dressing
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 package (2.8 ounces) bacon bits
1/4 teaspoon pepper
dash garlic pepper

Preparation
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until tender,

In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients (dressing will be thick). Drain potatoes and cut into cubes; add to the dressing and gently toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until chilled. Refrigerate the leftevers.