Italian Chopped Salad

This was our 1st course on New Years Eve. I wanted a chopped Antipasta Salad to go with my pizza. We have a restaurant close to us that does this to perfection so I decided to give it a whirl myself, and I had amazing results. I have made this again since and man, it is such a great salad to go with pizza. I do apologize, I did not take a picture once the dressing was on it. I couldn't dress it too soon, and well once I put the dressing on I ate it! BUT the dressing is incredible too. It would be great on lots of different kinds of salads. If you don't make your own dressings, you should make that a goal for 2012. They are so much better then what you buy in the store and you can control the ingredients and the amounts of oil you put in. This is a keeper!

Chopped Antipasta Salad

by Me :)

1/2 head of iceberg lettuce

2 heads of Romaine

1 pint of grape tomatoes halved

4 ozs. of genoa salami, chopped

6 ozs. of provolone cheese, chopped

6 ozs. ham, chopped

Sprinkle with shredded Mozzarella (this didn't make the pic either)

Optional: My husband had chopped olives on his.

Note: You can use any amount of meats and cheeses you like. This was what I had so I used it.

Directions:

Chop the lettuces into small pieces, mix the rest of the ingredients in, right before you serve it, toss with this dressing:

Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette

Yields about 1 ¼ cups

Ingredients:

1 large garlic clove, pressed

1 tablespoon minced fresh shallot

2 – 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard, to taste

1 teaspoon dried oregano, rubbed

1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, minced

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste

¼ cup + 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon grated Romano cheese

Directions:

2 ways to make this

Version #1-which is my method

1. take the garlic & shallot and pulse it in my mini food processor, then add everything else except the oil, pulse for about 15 seconds.
2. then add the oil slowly while processing
3. then add the cheese and give it one more good pulse
4. Refrigerate until needed, leftovers keep great!

OR the original method---

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the oil and Parmesan.

2. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow steady stream until incorporated. Stir in the Parmesan and Romano cheeses

3. Refrigerate until needed.

Note: You may use 3 tablespoons Parmesan and omit the Romano cheese.

This was our pretty pizza--well it was the one I made. 1/2 chicken parm, 1/2 regular

Awesomest Spinach & Pasta Salad

I am not even going to waste time chatting about the weather........I want to tell you about this salad I made today. It isn't flashy but holy cow its so good. I ate 1 1/2 servings and I would have easily kept eating it. The flavors are perfection together and just thinking about it, makes me want to eat some more. I used full fat ingredients & white pasta but there are so many other healthy things packed into this salad it is more then worth any fat & calories. I dont even really love blue cheese. In years past I wouldn't have even touched the container it was in, but slowly I realized if its put with the right flavor combo it adds this amazing flavor. I would have shocked my younger-self by telling it someday you will eat blue cheese.....and not want to vomit.

Awesomest Spinach & Pasta Salad

an original recipe

4 servings

***10 WW Point Plus***

Ingredients

Salad:

6 oz. bag of baby spinach

2 cups cooked pasta, cooled

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup blue cheese

1/2 cup craisins

1 large apple diced

Dressing:

1 Lemon Juiced

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together for the salad.

Whisk the ingredients for the dressing until blended and then toss into salad

** Little Note, if you want to cut back on some points/fat/calories/you could cut back on the cheese & walnuts they added a lot of the fat (even though it was some good fat) and you could even reduce the amount of pasta. I was in a major pasta mood so it was perfect for me. Also you might even reduce the Olive Oil to 1 tbsp. because you might not even need it or miss it. This was my 1st attempt at this salad so I didnt have a chance to tweak it and reduce the points yet.

Caprese Rice Salad

I didnt forget about my Weight Watcherness. I did fall off the wagon over the summer, but I will get back on. I plan to go back to figuring out what the points are for my meals going forward, maybe not all.....because some I would just rather pretend they are zero points so I can truly enjoy them. This recipe was such a find. I needed a side dish and did a quick search and this one came up and I had all the things I needed sitting in my kitchen. SCORE! I loved it and will make it again for sure.

Caprese Rice Salad

borrowed from Weight Watchers

8 servings 3/4 cups

***5 WW Points Plus***

2 Tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tsp olive oil, divided

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup(s) basil, fresh, chopped

1 cup(s) cherry tomato(es), or grape tomatoes

6 oz whole milk mozzarella cheese, fresh, cut into chunks

3/4 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp olive oil

1 small onion(s), chopped

1 cup(s) uncooked jasmine rice (I used white)

In a large serving bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, vinegar, basil, tomatoes, mozzarella, salt and pepper. Set aside and allow to marinate while rice cooks.


Heat remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add rice and 1 3/4 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.


Toss rice with tomato mixture; serve warm or at room temperature. Yields about 3/4 heaping cup per serving.


Flavor Booster: Substitute basmati rice for jasmine rice and give this salad a nutty flavor. Rich-tasting hazelnut oil can replace the olive oil, and a light dusting of finely chopped hazelnuts completes the transformation.

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad with Feta

I am sucker for a Greek Salad. There is a Rachel Ray one that I usually make when I am craving the greek goodness, but this is SO MUCH BETTER! I can not wait to make this again. There was not a morsel left in the bowl. This is a keeper and an absolute favorite new recipe. You absolutely need to use fresh herbs though. I cant imagine using dried. It wouldnt have the same punch of flavors. Next time I am doubling for leftovers

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad with Feta

adapted a teeny tiny bit from Dinners for a Year and Beyond

Serves 4

***9 WW Points Plus***

for chimichurri dressing -

1 cup fresh flat leaf parsley

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 garlic cloves

1/2 jalapeno

salt and pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

for the salad --

Pam Spray

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

1 (10 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed ( I used Cannelli beans)

1 kirby cucumber, seeded and chopped

4 scallions, sliced

1 cup cherry tomatoes--halved

1/2 cup reduced fat crumbled feta cheese

1/4 lemon

In a food processor, combine the parsley, cilantro, oregano, vinegar, garlic, jalapeno, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pulse to combine. Drizzle in olive oil and process until dressing is slightly creamy but still coarse. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. ** Note -- This recipe makes more dressing than needed for the salad. Store remaining dressing in a covered dish in the refrigerator for about a week. Serve it on grilled steak, chicken, fish, or pork chops.

Heat a grill pan to medium high heat. Add a small drizzle of olive oil and the chicken. Cook for 5 - 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a large bowl. Toss with about 3 - 4 tablespoons of the dressing. Add fresh dill, chickpeas, cucumber, scallions, tomatoes, and feta cheese. Squeeze lemon over salad and toss to combine. Add more dressing if you would like. The salad can be served immediately or chilled.

Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

This was not supposed to be featured on my weekly menu until Wednesday but I had an issue with Meatless Monday's main ingredient, the Spaghetti Squash. WHAT THE HECK? I was going to cause some permanent damage to myself had I continued hacking into this thing. It was solid as a rock and I was sweating and barely made a dent. I just dont get it? I carve pumpkins with the best of them...what's the deal with this darn squash? I am even more curious now to try it. So instead we had this salad that is featured in this month's cooking light magazine

Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

borrowed from Cooking Light April 2011

4 servings

**** 7 Weight Watcher Points Plus****

• 6 cups torn romaine lettuce

• 2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast

• 2 cups fresh bean sprouts

• 1 cup shredded carrots

• 3/4 cup sliced celery

• 2/3 cup light coconut milk

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

• 2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce

• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

• 4 lime wedges (optional)

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine coconut milk and next 5 ingredients (through red pepper)

in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and cool for 2 minutes. Pour warm coconut milk mixture over lettuce mixture.

Sprinkle with peanuts; serve with lime wedges, if desired. Serve immediately.

VERDICT: LOVED the dressing. I am already trying to figure out what else I can put it on. I need to figure out the points for the dressing alone, because between the 2 of us, we finished the dressing. The salad just needed it. It was a great salad though, and the dressing was the star of the show. I can imagine the full fat version would make me shudder but this is a great alternative. Next time I will leave out the bean shoots, I liked them cooked up in lomein, but in the salad they were just bleh. And I might saute or grill some chicken with some seasonings instead of using rotisserie which I am always a fan of, but I felt the chicken needed a little kick also. It came together really quickly, even with cooking up the dressing, but it was so tasty and so worth it, I will make this again for sure.

Aunt Marilyn's Tri-Color Pasta Salad

First off, I dont have an Aunt Marilyn, but the blogger who posted this recipe does and since I already have a recipe with the same name on the site, I wanted to be able to tell the difference. Besides Aunt Marilyn's pasta salad is quite possible the best of this variety I have ever had so she deserves a shout out! I messed this salad up big time by confusing a 1/2 teaspoon, spoon for a 1/2 tablespoon, spoon but the end result was still really amazing. I think next time I will meet someplace in the middle with the salt and pepper but keep the added garlic. Nothing beats a 19 month old burping garlic in your face. Such a piggy but she loves her pasta. Oh and I forgot the ridiculously expensive pine nuts I purchased. $8 for 6 ozs and I didnt even use them. I have a sister in law who is allergic to nuts and most times I leave them out but since she is on her honeymoon, it was my chance to nut up my salad....AND I FORGOT THEM! Can you tell I just wasnt with it today. Must have been all the Sweet Tea Vodka and Lemonade I drank the night before---Thank goodness I didnt make this the night before because it would have been gone from a late night after bar binge. If you notice in the picture......there wasnt much left. I forgot to take a picture before dinner and this was all that was left. Since I will be making it again soon, I will re-post with a new picture as soon as I can

Tri Color Pasta Salad from Aunt Marilyn and My Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients

1 12 oz. package Pasta Rotini, tri colored, cooked and drained
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1 can black olives, sliced
¼ cups red onion, finely diced
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
6 fresh basil leaves, cut into strips
4 tablespoons basil pesto
2/3 cup creamy Caesar dressing
2 teaspoons sauté spice (equal parts black pepper, salt, and garlic powder)
½-1 cup toasted pine nuts

EDITED on 6/30/12----I started leaving out the saute mixture because I didnt feel like it needed it. If anything I delete the salt because the parm cheese is salty enough. I wanted to leave a note for myself so when I make it again I dont forget :)

Cook pasta and coat with Caesar dressing while warm. Add the rest of the ingredients (minus the pine nuts) and toss. Top with toasted pine nuts.

VERDICT--PERFECTION!!!!! I was never usually a fan of the salad dressing, colored pasta salad. Kind of boring, kind of blah, nothing really special. But this salad really changes my opinion forever. I am bringing this everyplace I go. Its not usually a dish I would expect anyone to comment on, but there were more then a few raves going on, and I even over seasoned the heck out of it. If you invite me to your house and ask me to bring some BBQ side dish, this is most likely what I will be showing up with from this day forward. Yeah, its that good.

Chicken & Mango Salad

I would have been quite sad if this recipe didnt make it onto the blog because I really want to make it again. Must not be so careless with my blogging habits or else recipes like this might be lost to me forever!!!! Can you make a new years resolution in July???? Must make sure I blog at least once a week so I dont get so far behind. Can I blame it on the heat?

Chicken & Mango Salad

borrowed from Williams Sonoma

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup peanut or canola oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
• 2 to 3 tsp. Asian chili oil (optional)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup mango chutney
• 2 cups shredded roast chicken, homemade (see
  related recipe at left) or purchased
• 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
• 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup roasted salted cashews, coarsely
  chopped
• 1 mango, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
• 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce

• Directions:

  Make the vinaigrette
  In a food processor or blender, combine the peanut oil, vinegar, mustard and chili oil and process until blended. Add the garlic and chutney and continue to process to form a smooth puree.
  
  Assemble the salad
  In a bowl, combine the chicken, celery, onion, cashews and mango. Add the vinaigrette and toss gently to coat. Divide the lettuce among individual plates, top with the chicken mixture and serve. Serves 4.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Salad

I truly am the worst blogger ever. I made this sooooo long ago but again it wasnt on the website right away so it never got posted. I only remember it because the page of the magazine was torn out and staring at me for the last few weeks. It was so worth blogging so I am happily posting it now. Such things wouldnt happen if I was on the ball. I am going to force myself to do better. If I dont stick with it, some yummy dishes will get lost in the shuffle again.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Salad

borrowed from Racheal Ray MagazineI

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound fingerling or small yukon gold potatoes, quartered lengthwise
• Salt and pepper
• 2 chicken cutlets (4 ounces each)
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus more for drizzling
• 1/2 pound 1/2-inch-thick ham steak
• 1 large shallot
• 1/4 cup grainy dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey or agave syrup
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1/3 pound thick deli-sliced swiss cheese
• 1 celery root, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 1 bunch watercress, trimmed
• 1 baguette, warmed, for serving
• Butter, for serving
• 
  
• DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, salt the water and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Rinse under cold water; drain well.

   
   Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the cutlets and cook, turning once, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the ham steak to the skillet and cook, turning once, until browned, about 5 minutes.
   
   While the meats cook, grate the shallot into the bottom of a large salad bowl. Whisk in the mustard, vinegar and honey, then whisk in 1/3 cup EVOO. Season with the thyme, salt and pepper.
   
   Cut the chicken, ham and swiss cheese into thin strips and add to the dressing. Add the celery root, carrots and potatoes. Toss to coat well. Divide the salad among plates garnished with the watercress leaves. Serve with the baguette and butter.

   VERDICT:

   This is a GREAT salad. Really unique flavor. I loved the combo and this is perfect for an Easter buffet, I realize its June and summer but one day I will be looking for a great Easter luncheon dish and it will take me directly to this posting. It was such a complete meal and the leftovers were just as great. I dont cook RR often but the ones I do seem to pick are recipes that end up cooking again and again. This one is added to my keeper pile.

Greek Grilled Chicken and Vegetables with Pita

I started taking a photography class to learn how to take better pictures. Admittedly I used to take much better pictures for the blog, but I am always in such a rush I dont have time to make things look as pretty as I used too. I dont use the different colored plates anymore either. Maybe I will try to make that my 2nd year resolution. I truly do this blog for myself so the pictures dont really matter to me. I have had so many awesome recipes that I just dont want to lose any of them. I am much more selective then I used to be when posting. Only the truly great recipes seem to make it on, because it isnt worth my time if it was just eh. This one sadly has such a bad picture. I only took one when I had about 6 minutes to eat, grab my camera and drive to class in the pouring rain. Note to reader. DONT eat this salad if you are going to be in public. I used a ton of garlic and it STUNK!!!! But it was OH so worth every stinky bit.

Greek Grilled Chicken and Vegetables with Pita

borrowed from Rachael Ray via Food Network

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 to 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders, 2 packages from meat case
• Salt and pepper
• 8 pita breads
• 1 ripe lemon, zested and juiced
• 3 tablespoon red wine vinegar, eyeball it
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it ***I used maybe 1/4 cup***
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano, 4 stems, stripped of leaves and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 hearts Romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
• 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1/3 seedless or English cucumber, diced
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley leaves, a couple of handfuls, chopped **I omitted**

Directions

Preheat grill pan over high heat. Place chicken in shallow dish and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Wrap pita breads in foil. Place in warm oven and heat until dinner is served.

Combine lemon zest, juice and vinegar in a bowl and whisk in oil. Add oregano, garlic and whisk again to combine into dressing. Pour half the dressing over chicken tenders. Turn tenders in dressing to coat.

Combine remaining salad ingredients in a bowl. Pour remaining dressing over salad and toss well. The salad should be very lightly dressed. Season salad with salt and pepper and transfer to a large serving platter.

Grill tenders 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Transfer hot tenders to the salad lined serving platter. Remove pitas from oven and unwrap. Cut pitas in half and arrange around the edge of platter.

To serve, each person can pile grilled chicken and veggies into pita halves, wrap up on either side and enjoy!

VERDICT

OH MY......Delicious. This was such a yummy meal. I am sad I ate it so fast I didnt enjoy it. But I will be making it again soon. As I have said before I tend to reduct the oil in my dressings to cut some of the fat. I also like things on the more vinegary side then oily. So far I have never been sorry I did this. I also used fresh herbs for the dressing and on the chicken and I think it really punched the flavor. My store just started carrying small single size fresh herbs for $1, so it doesnt bother me as much to toss out what I didnt use. But I used them entire thing on the chicken and I think it was worth the fresh oregano. This whole meal was really perfect for me. The salty, vinegar flavor was oh so good. This would be a great casual meal to make for a crowd.

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

I was on a quest. A grilled lettuce quest. For some reason I had a taste for it, and needed to find a recipe to match. Odd I had a taste for it because I had in fact never had grilled lettuce before, but had seen it on menus lately and wanted to try it. I also wanted Caesar dressing which I love, but the bottle stuff is blah. Since I started this blog I dont think I have ever purchased a bottle of dressing again. It's way to easy to make my own and then I can control the oil and the flavors and I have made some very delicious ones in the past year.

I ate this salad last week, but today is my baby boy's 3rd birthday. I wish I had some magical picture of this amazing cake I made for him, but baking cakes isnt my thing. Maybe someday. Not today. Today we bought it from a bakery and he was just as happy. He had already had his big birthday party with our entire family and a bunch of friends but this day feels more like a celebration for me then him. I can't believe my baby is 3.

without further chit chat

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

Adapted from Food Network--the Neely's

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup, plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus shaved Parmesan for serving
• 1 lbs. chicken tenderloins
• 3 heads romaine hearts, sliced lengthwise in 1/2
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat grill to medium heat.

In a blender, combine the garlic, lemon juice and Dijon mustard. Drizzle in 3/4 cup olive oil to emulsify. Add the Parmesan and pulse.

Take 2 tbsp. of dressing and toss with the chicken tenderloins to coat. Add to grill and cook each side for 5-7 min. Let rest for a few minutes then, Cut into chunks.

Gently toss the hearts of romaine in remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 2 minutes, until grill marks appear and the romaine becomes wilted.

Remove the lettuce to a cutting board and cut into 2-inch wide strips. Place in a bowl and drizzle with the dressing. Toss to coat and serve warm. Garnish with the shaved Parmesan.

VERDICT

SO Delicious!! The flavor was incredible. With such few ingredients I am shocked at how delicious is was. Yes, I know grilled lettuce seems odd, but if you have never tried it you must. It kind of tastes like roasted veggies. Its has a slight charred flavor but it just adds to the flavor. Also having it be slightly wilted was not something I found to be a turn-off. The rib of lettuce still stayed crunchy. I didnt think I could have a caesar without getting into anchovies but this dressing was so full of great flavor I didnt even miss it, and in fact I kind of preferred it because something there is too much fishy flavor for me. This is going to be a summer classic for me!

Last years Dinner was Nanny's Goulash

Tortellini Spinach Salad with Balsamic-Tomato Vinaigrette

I love me a good hearty salad. I actually make most of the salads in the archives quite often. There is something so great about homemade dressings and all the fresh ingredients coming together in a big bowl of love. So with summer upon us check out my collection of salads. This one is right at the top and its a great place to start. The picture is eh....I have to work on my salad pictures. Once you mix the dressing it, they dont look so great :)

Tortellini Spinach Salad with Balsamic Tomato Vinaigrette
borrowed from My Kitchen Cafe
Salad:
20 ounce package refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 (14.5 oz.) can quartered artichokes
1 (9 oz.) bag fresh baby spinach
1 (3 oz.) bag sun dried tomatoes or jar of sun dried tomatoes, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup diced red onion

Dressing:
9 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 ½ tablespoon tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste (about 1/8 teaspoon each)
3/4 cup olive oil

Cook tortellini in boiling water until al dente. Drain and toss with a teaspoon of olive oil to keep from sticking. Let cool in colander. In a large bowl, toss all the salad ingredients together after the pasta has cooled.

In a blender add all of the dressing ingredients except for the olive oil and process until smooth. Then, while the blender is running, slowly add the olive oil and blend until completely combined. If serving the salad right away, immediately pour the dressing over the salad and toss well (you may not need all the dressing). Serve.

VERDICT

This is a MUST for all your salad needs. I did throw in some grilled chicken to make it a total and complete meal but you could easily leave it out. The dressing was awesome, the mixture of the salad was perfection and I was so happy we had left overs. This should be a take along to your next BBQ get together, if you invite me to yours maybe I will bring it.

Spinach Salad & Teriyaki Bowties

I am caught up!!! I made this last night. Ok in truth I decided to jump ahead and skip some recipes that I wont likely make again. There was no reason to talk about ho-hum meals when a beauty like this can be discussed.

I did alter it from the original to try to keep the calories down. I dont think it lacked flavor at all and I dont think you would even know I made any changes.....unless I didnt just tell you.

Now that the weather is getting warmer and produce is fresher and cheaper you will see many more salads in the rotation.

I think I might have made this recipe before and I dont know if I liked it. So odd because it sounds so familiar but yet I cant remember. anyway......

Spinach Salad & Teriyaki Bowties

adapted from The Sister's Cafe

3 cups dried Bowtie pasta, cooked and cooled
1 large Bag of fresh baby Spinach (it is 7 ozs in wt.)
1 can No Sugar Added Mandarin Oranges drained
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 bunch Green Onions, chopped
1 cup Honey Roasted Peanuts or Cashews (optional but adds calories so I omitted)
1/2 cup fresh Parsley (optional)(omitted)
1/4 cup Sesame Seeds, toasted (optional)(omitted)
2 cups torn cooked Chicken (optional)**(used unseasoned Rotisserie chicken)

Dressing:
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
2/3 cup White Wine Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
2/3 C. Teriyaki Sauce or Soy Vay
3 Tbs. Sugar

Cook bowtie pasta according to directions, drain and cool while whisking the dressing together in a large bowl. **I used my hand blender to emulsify it and it worked great and it was much more blended***

Marinate cooked bowtie pasta in the dressing for 1 hour or longer in the fridge.***I didnt do this and it worked great, I didnt want it to soak up the dressing or get too soggy since I knew I would have leftovers***

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl and pour the teriyaki sauce and pasta over the salad, toss together and serve.

If it's just a few of you, make individual salad servings; keeping the salad and bowtie sauce separate for the rest of the week (no one likes a soggy salad).

VERDICT:

This salad is a winner. I altered some of the ingredients listed and if you click on the link you can see the original version and maybe give it a whirl. It makes a ton of salad so you could easily make this for a large crowd as a side dish without the chicken. I do think you could add some crunchy noodle and that wouldnt drive the calories up too much and give a nice crunch. The dressing was also very delicious and I am glad that I cut the oil in half and omitted some of the sugar because it didnt need it. I am also glad I chose not to soak the pasta because, it would in truth just be soaking up more fat and calories and I think it was just as flavorful without using all that dressing. I have about 1/2 the salad leftover and 1/2 the dressing so it makes enough for 5 generous dinner sized servings just with the quantities I have listed. Click on the original link to make an even larger salad.