Tomato Basil Pasta Salad

Tomato Basil Pasta Salad

16 oz uncooked penne pasta
3/4 C olive oil
1/3 C balsamic vinegar
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1-2 C fresh mozzarella pearls
1/2 C pine nuts
1-2 basil leaves, torn
Salt, to taste

Cook & drain pasta and place in salad bowl. In small mixing bowl whisk together oil & vinegar; pour over pasta & mix well. Add remaining ingredients and toss well to coat. Cover & refrigerate until ready to serve.

Bacon-Cheese Coleslaw

My kids don't really care for "regular" coleslaw. But when I make this, there are never leftovers. I've become quite the coleslaw snob after my family got used to eating it this way. Enjoy!

1 pkg shredded cabbage/coleslaw mix

1 1/2 C Mayo

1 C Sugar

1 Tbsp vinegar

onion salt, to taste

a few dashes celery seed, optional

6 pieces bacon, fried & crumbled

1 C finely shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese

Empty coleslaw mix into salad bowl. In small bowl, mix remaining ingredients, except bacon & cheese. Pour over coleslaw mix and toss well to coat evenly. Add bacon pieces and cheese and toss again. Store covered in fridge until ready to serve.

My shortcut tips:

I always buy the coleslaw mix because it already has the bits of carrots and I'm lazy like that. Also, I buy the package of precooked bacon and just "crisp" it in the microwave 45-60 seconds. Again, because I'm lazy like that. Haha.

I also "toss" my salad in a storage container with a lid or a gallon size Ziploc bag. Much more evenly disbursed on the dressing.

Also, I have used light Mayo and Splenda with this in the past and it was very good. I will also often substitute Apple Cider Vinegar for regular, just depending on what I have on hand. Something about the combination of the apple and bacon...Mmmm.

Rainbow Jell-O (7 Layer Jell-O)

It is known by both names. There are many ways to make it. Some use sour cream or yogurt, but this one is made with Sweetened Condensed Milk and Knox. Personally, it's my favorite. For Easter I made these "personal" Rainbow Jell-O Cups. My kids are excited and can't wait to eat them tomorrow!

______________________

Colored Layers:

4 - 3oz boxes of any flavor Jell-O.

4 C Boiling Water

4 Envelopes (total) of Knox Gelatin

White Layers:

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 1/2 C Boiling Water

1/2 C Cold Water

4 Envelopes Knox Gelatin

Prepare 9x13 pan or mold by spraying lightly with cooking spray. Wipe out with paper towel as you only want a very little bit of oil and yet it needs to be evenly disbursed.

Start with a rainbow/colored layer. In small mixing bowl mix 1 pkg Jell-O with 1 envelope Knox. Slowly pour in 1 C boiling water and stir for about 2 minutes or until dissolved completely. Pour into pan and refrigerate 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix up White (milk) layer:

In larger mixing bowl mix together 4 envelopes of Knox with 1/2 C cold water. Stir slightly to moisten; let set. Pour 1 1/2 C Boiling Water over mixture and slowly whisk. Add 1 can sweetened condensed milk and stir well. Slowly pour 1 C Milk Mixture over the 1st rainbow layer. Refrigerate 15 minutes.

Repeat process, alternating between colored and white layers, making sure to refrigerate 15 minutes in between.

Note: If the milk mixture thickens up while waiting for the Rainbow layers to set, place in the microwave 20 seconds or so until it "melts" again. Whisk to smooth it out.

*If you plan to do more than 7 layers (as I did here), plan to double the White Mixture.

Shrimp & Spinach Salad

There is a little shop around the corner from my work that has this salad on the menu. It is to-die-for. My mouth waters just thinking about it! They also happen to serve it with a crusty roll and real butter, which just makes it heaven... Anyway, I love this salad so much, I wanted to recreate it at home. After a few tries with the vinaigrette, I finally have it to my liking! It's refreshing and light and I never feel guilty eating it :)

1 bag fresh Spinach (9-10 oz)
1 small yam
1 C {Candied Pistachios}
1 1/2 C cooked shrimp, chilled and tails removed
{Lemon Vinaigrette}

Rinse and dry spinach leaves; place in salad bowl. Peel and slice yam into thin slices. Toss in pistachios and shrimp. Just before serving, pour vinaigrette over top, and toss well to coat. Store leftovers in refrigerator, covered.

Lemon Vinaigrette

I was searching the store shelves for lemon vinaigrette, but couldn't find any. I found a few recipes online, but none tasted like I "envisioned" them tasting like. So, finally I experimented and came up with my own.



Fresh lemon juice from 2 lemons (about 4 Tbsp or so)*
2 Tbsp sugar, more or less to taste.
1 tsp honey mustard, or Dijon style works too
1/4 C olive oil
2 - 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar**
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp thyme, optional
1 tsp coarse salt

Squeeze the juice from 2 lemons; strain for seeds. Add sugar to lemon juice and stir well. Add mustard and oil and continue stirring. Add remaining ingredients, stirring until well blended. Chill covered until ready to use.

*Using the juice from fresh lemons really makes this dressing flavorful. I highly recommend this over using the bottled lemon juice.

**I love balsamic vinegar, so I have only ever tried it with this. I imagine you could use white vinegar, although I would probably only add a tbsp at a time and taste as I go.

Key Lime Berry Salad

This recipe yields about 8-10 servings or more, depending on the size of the fruit in season. The measurements below are approximate, as I usually tend to "eye-ball" it. Add as much or as little as the fresh fruit you like, according to your own taste.



1 Fresh pineapple, cored and chunked
2 C sliced strawberries
1 C blackberries
1 C raspberries
1 C blueberries
1 C seedless grapes

Dressing:
2 containers Yoplait Key Lime Yogurt
2 Tbsp Orange Juice (fresh or from concentrate okay)

Combine yogurt and juice in small bowl and gently whisk until combined well. Pour over salad. Cover and chill until ready to serve.


**Best if served the same day. May toss well to coat if desired, or serve dressing on the side.

Peach-Berry Salad

1 lg can peaches
1 box instant vanilla pudding mix
1 C fresh or frozen blueberries, more or less

Drain peach juice into small mixing bowl; set aside. Place peaches in salad bowl for later. Add pudding mix to peach juice, whisking gently to stir. Refrigerate 10 minutes, or until pudding is set. Pour pudding over peaches and mix well. Fold blueberries into peaches. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yum! Also try with slices strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries. Quick, easy & cheap! For "fluffier" salad, you can also fold in 1/2 container Cool Whip. When we do this at our house, it's called "Peach-Berry Fluff" and it's more like a refreshing dessert.