Chinese Chicken and Noodle Salad

1 package (3 oz) Low Fat Ramen Noodles
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 1/2 teaspoon canola oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (trimmed
3 slices (1/4 in thick) fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons orange juice
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
5 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
5 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 cups shredded green cabbage (I used arugula)
1 medium carrot, shredded
3 scallions, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Crumble ramen noodles onto a large rimmed baking sheet. Add sesame seeds and canola oil; toss to coat. Bake for 10 minutes. Stir, then bake until the noodles are golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Let cool on the pan on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, place chicken in a medium skillet or saucepan with water to cover. Add ginger and salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently until no longer poink in the center, about 10-15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board to cool. Using forks, shred into bite-size pieces.

Combine orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil in a small bowl or jar with a tight-fitting lid. Whisk or shake until the sugar has dissolved.

Just before serving, combine the shredded chicken, cabbage (or arugula), carrot, and scallion in a large bowl. Add the toasted noodle mixture and dressing; mix well.

*A note on specialized ingredients: I did not use the sesame oil because it is an expensive ingredient that I am not likely to use in most of my cooking. I happened to already have sesame seeds, but I would have omitted those too for the same reason. I think the salad still tasted wonderful.

Parmesan and Basil Chicken Salad

Jill Horton brought this to us after Logan was born and it was so delicious I asked her for the recipe. She said she got it from allrecipes.com, but that she tweaked it a bit. Here is her version.

2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 sour cream
1 cup chopped fresh basil
2 cloves crushed garlic (or garlic powder
3 stalks celery, chopped
2/3 cup parmesan cheese

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Roast at 375 degrees for 35 minutes, or until juices run clear. Let cool and then shred or chop into chunks.

Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, basil, garlic and celery. Add chicken and parmesan cheese. Mix well. Refrigerate and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Spinach Craisin Salad

Bag of Spinach
Craisins bag
Sliced Almonds - toasted
Chopped Green Onions
Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Dressing:
1/4 Cup sugar
1/4 tsp dried minced onions
3/4 tsp poppy seeds
1/4 Cup olive oil
1/8 tsp paprika
2 TB white wine vinegar
2 TB cider vinegar

Layered Southwestern Salad

I received this recipe in an email forward from Sara Snyder, but I think it might have originally came from Beth Fullerton:

1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 c. lime juice
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 c. sour cream
4 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 c. purple onion, chopped
1/2 bag (8 oz.) shredded Mexican 4-cheese blend
1 15 oz. can whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained
1 c. crushed tortilla chips

Process first 7 ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Layer lettuce and next 7 ingredients in a 3-quart glass bowl. Pour vinaigrette over salad just before serving, and gently toss.
(I didn't layer the salad because it had to be tossed anyway before serving.)

Yield: 8-10 servings

Greek Salad

1 head Romaine lettuce, rinsed and chopped
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup-1 cup Kalamata olives
1 red bell pepper chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
6 TBS olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 lemon, juiced
ground black pepper

In a large salad bowl, combine Romaine, onion, olives, bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, and cheese. Whisk together olive oil, oregano, lemon juice, pepper. Pour over salad, toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Broccoli Salad

I think the broccoli salad I had at Thanksgiving also had sunflower seeds in it. This recipe is not from the person who made that dish, but from my mother-in-law who has a similar recipe. I loved this broccoli salad. I had never had anything like it before. It was so good that it was the first dish completely gone at our Thanksgiving meal.

1 head broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup red grapes, halved
1/2 small red onion, chopped
4-5 slices bacon cooked til crisp and crumbled
or about 1/4 cup real bacon bits
1/2 cup raisins OR dried cranberries

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vinegar

Stir together dressing ingredients while preparing salad ingredients. Mix altogether adding bacon just before serving. You can also add sunflower seeds or slivered toasted almonds just before serving. Salad does not keep too well as leftovers.