Tex-Mex Chopped Chicken Salad

Not sure just where this came from - online somewhere.   HEALTHY

Makes 6-8 servings as a main dish.

Ingredients:
 Dressing:
    1 cup Walden Farms ranch dressing (or Hidden Valley Light Ranch)
    2 Tbsp. El Paso taco seasoning, hot or mild
    2 Tbsp. lime juice

 Salad:
    24 ounces grilled chicken, cooled and diced (36 oz. raw)
    4 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped, about 1 head
    1/2 cup Roma tomatoes, diced
    1/2 cup cucumber, seeded and diced
    1/2 cup green onions, sliced
    1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
    1/2 cup of jalapeño & jicama mixed together

  4 ounces regular cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, stir together ingredients for dressing            then refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Cook, cool and dice chicken and refrigerate overnight.
3. In a large bowl, toss salad ingredients together.
4. Add dressing a little at a time then toss until lightly coated.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Note: If you don't like it too spicy, omit or reduce the jalapeno and use mild taco seasoning.

CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD

 This recipe came from Facebook, but as usual, I have tweaked it some. Also, I divided it into 1 serving and 4 servings, depending on how many people you are making this for.


Dressing

Combine and set aside:
     1/4 cup rice vinegar
     1 Tbsp. Splenda (or sugar)
     3 Tbsp. light soy sauce
     1 tsp. sesame oil


Salad

 1 Serving             4 Servings

Place on plate(s):
4 oz.                     1 package (16 ounces)  
                                                   shredded cabbage or 
                                                   salad greens
½ tsp.                   2 tsp.           dried chives
7 grams               1 ounce       slivered almonds

Add pan spray and/or olive oil to heated pan, then add:
6 oz.                   24 oz.            cooked chicken breasts, 
                                                  sliced into bite-sized pieces.

Stir and fry for about 3 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked but not tough.

Place cooked chicken on top of salad and serve while chicken is warm.

OPTIONS:
* Sprinkle onto uncooked chicken: Simply Asian Sweet 
  Ginger Garlic Seasoning, Amazing Taste Malibu 
  Seasoning, or your favorite chicken rub.
*Substitute cider vinegar for rice vinegar.
*Add a sprinkling of cashews.
*Chicken can be stored and served on the salad cold.

Tomato Mozzarella Basil PLUS Salad

Do you have extra garden produce that you need a new way to use?  Try this take on the traditional Tomato Mozzarella Basil Salad.

YIELD: 1 serving

Please Note: All amounts are approximate. Also, this is a great way to use up whatever vegetables you have in your garden or in you refrigerator. You can also vary the types of chunked cheese you use. And if you have mozzarella in other forms than shredded, feel free to slice or chunk and add instead of shredding it (I even use cut up cheese sticks sometimes.)  The basic ingredients are tomato, cheese and basil.

1 medium-large tomato, sliced and quartered

About 3"-4" of cucumber, chunked, or halved and sliced 

1/2 avocado, halved and sliced  

2 Tbsp. sliced black olives

1 oz. of your favorite cheese (I love Jarlsberg or low-fat Swiss), chunked

About 4-5 grams (about 1/3 cup loose) fresh basil leaves (more or less to taste)

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 Tbsp. shredded Mozzarella cheese

Balsamic dressing (see recipe below)

1. Chop basil.
2. Combineveggies, olives, chunked cheese and chopped basil.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and toss lightly.
4. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella on top.
5. Drizzle with balsamic dressing.

BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE (from Allrecipes.com):

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar (I used Star brand Balsamic Vinegar of Modena)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

Shake well in container with tight lid. 

It is best to not store dressing in refrigerator, as it will solidify the olive oil. All of these ingredients are normally stored at room temperature.  If you prefer, you can refrigerate it, but remove it from the refrigerator in time for the olive oil to return to a liquid state before serving.

WHEAT SALAD

We used this recipe at our restaurant in Montana.  The original came from a cookbook (can't remember the name,) but I have tweaked it some.

Boil:  2 eggs in shell* (hard boiled) then chill.
Combine and bring to boil in heavy pan:
         2 cups water

         1 tsp. salt 

Add:  1 cup wheat
Cook uncovered on medium-high heat without stirring until moisture is almost gone.  The wheat is done when you start to hear some crackling.  Do not burn!  Drain any remaining water and cool wheat to  room temperature.  This takes approximately a half hour on my electric stove.


Chop into small pieces:

         2 cups celery

         1/2 cup onion

         1/2 cup green bell pepper
         1/2 cup pimentos or chopped red bell pepper
Add to wheat: 
         1/2 cup Larson dressing (or French or Catalina type) 
              See recipe for Larson Dressing on this blog.

Add chopped vegetables.
Dice eggs and add to above.

Add:  2 Tbsp. mayonnaise and mix well.

Garnish with radishes or tomato wedges

Options: Add leftover veggies, seafood, or cheese.

*A tip on cooking the eggs:  it works well to put the eggs in cold water and bring them to a boil.  Turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 20 minutes. Eggs will be hard boiled at this point.

VIP SALAD

 Years ago, my Michigan friend, Linda, went to a local restaurant with a group, and they were served a very delicious salad.  She was so impressed with it, that the next time she and her family were at the restaurant, they asked for the salad.  They were told it was only for VIP's.  Naturally, this made here feel a bit slighted.  They then told her that if she wanted to make reservations for a future time and request the salad, they would make it for her.  She did.  And she picked apart the salad, writing down every ingredient.  The salad below is what she came up with, which she says is very close to the original.  She gave a copy of the recipe to everyone who wanted it.

COMBINE:

       1 can crab meat (7 1/2 oz) OR 1 cup imitation crab torn into small strips

       1 can shrimp (4 1/2 oz.)

       2 cups cooked chicken or turkey breast, diced (chicken is preferred)

       1-2 ribs celery, diced*

       1 cup cubed cheese

       2 cups green or red grapes (seedless)

       1 large can mandarin oranges

       1 cup sliced almonds

DRESSING:

Mix together approximately:

       1 cup Miracle Whip

       Juice from mandarin oranges (slowly add until mixture runs off spoon.

Add: Sugar to taste

*Please note that a "rib" of celery is one piece and a "stalk" is the whole celery, made up of many ribs.

APPLE NUT TOSSED SALAD

Note: All ingredients are approximate amounts.

Place in a bowl and mix together:

    4 Cups favorite lettuce mix (spring greens, romaine, green leaf,red leaf, etc.)

    1 red apple cut up (include skins)

 Options:

    1/4 cup chopped nuts – large pieces (walnuts, pecans,pistachio, pine*, peanuts)

    1/2 Tbsp. fresh thyme

    Blueberries
    Chopped green pepper
    Chopped avacado
    Shredded carrots 
    Green onions or chives

These ingredients can be mixed in or use to create a border around the side of the bowl.

Sprinkle on top:

   1/2 – 3/4 cup Craisins

   1/2 cup shredded cheese or Athenos feta cheese.

Note: If salad is going to sit awhile before serving, dip apples in lemon water (about 1 tsp. to a cup of water) and drain to prevent browning. Add nuts and cheese at the last minute.

Serve with Larson Dressing (on this website) or Caspers* on the side.

*Caspers can be found in some Utah supermarkets, or contact them at:

Caspers Food Co., 105 East 200 North, Providence, UT 84332 (435-752-0085.)

*See Pine Nuts recipe on this blog under Misc.

MANDARIN TOSSED SALAD

Note: All ingredients are approximate amounts.

In medium-sized bowl, lightly toss together: 

       1 cup spring mix greens

       3 cups iceburg lettuce or lettuce mix

       8 slices pre-cooked bacon (place pre-cooked bacon between paper towels on 
          plate and heat in microwave about one minute.)

       1/4 cup chopped green onions

       1/2 cup small pieces cauliflower

Sprinkle around outer edge:  

       1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained

       1/3 cup cashews

Serve with  a light,creamy poppy seed dressing on the side.

Option: Substitute sliced or slivered almonds for cashews.

Yield:  2-4 servings

SAUERKRAUT SALAD

 One of our most popular salads at our Montana restaurant.

Combine and let stand overnight in refrigerator:

       5 cups sauerkraut, drained

       1-1/2 cup sugar

Drain off some of the liquid.

Add:

       1-1/2 cups chopped celery

       1 cup chopped green pepper

       1 cup chopped pimento or chopped red pepper for color

Chill 24 hours before serving.

Yield:  Approximately 10 servings

ORIENTAL CHICKEN TOSSED SALAD

 A Grammanita original (^_^)

Note: All ingredients are approximate amounts.

4 cups mixed salad greens (iceburg lettuce, romaine, red or green leaf lettuce, spinach, dark green salad mix, etc.)

1 cup any combination sliced bell peppers, cucumbers, zucchini

1/4 cup carrots, chopped, grated, sliced, etc.

1Tbsp. green onions or chives

1/2 cup cheese, cubed, grated, or chunked (feta, cheddar, mozzarella, etc.)

1 tomato cut into wedges

1/2 cup grilled chicken brushed with Yoshida’s Original Gourmet Sauce or your favorite oriental barbecue sauce

1/2 can mandarin oranges

Toasted sliced almonds

Rice Noodles

Toasted sesame seeds

Toss lightly together salad greens, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, onions and cheese and place in medium-sized salad bowl.

Lay tomato wedged around outside edge of bowl.

Sprinkle hot or cold chicken around center and place mandarin oranges on top.

Sprinkle with toasted almonds, rice noodles and toasted sesame seeds.

Serve with Oriental Sesame dressing on the side.

YIELD:  2-4 servings

Options:

1. Substitute 1/3 cup canned chicken breast or chicken/turkey lunch meat for grilled chicken.
2. Toss all ingredients (except almonds and rice noodles) with Oriental Sesame dressing. Top with almonds and rice noodles and serve immediately in large bowl or individual servings.
3. Toss greens and place in salad bowl. Place other ingredients in individual bowls. Place Oriental Sesame Dressing in bottle with small opening at top. Serve buffet style.

Toasted almonds or sesame seeds: Spread almonds or seeds on cookie sheet. Place in 400 F oven until lightly browned. WATCH CLOSELY! Sesame seeds take very little time. Cool thoroughly and store in tight container.