Moms Chinese Chichen Salad

This is one of my favorite dinners that my mom makes. I love the way all of it just taste so perfect together. She always makes everything she makes look so easy. I think we take for granted all the time that our moms took just to make us a meal. It starts from coming up with the idea to putting it on the table. There are so many steps involved. This is part of the love of a mother. Each day you plan a meal, prepare a meal, and serve that meal without so much as a thank you. Usually it is followed by whining about why they don't like the meal. But we do it because we love them and really for no other reason. So here is to you mom. Thank you for all those times you made me dinner. I love you too.

I didn't know until I started making it how much preparation it took. First off this is definitely a meal you won't just have the ingredients in your pantry. So you will have to head to the grocery store. I think the hardest things for me to find were the wontons(in my store it is in the produce department by the bagged salads) and the Maifun rice sticks(down the Asia isle). The rest is all stuff you already know. Once you have that part done the rest is easy. And really if you haven't ever deep fried Maifun rice sticks you must try that part. It was a lot of fun. I hope you will try this one. It really is delicious.

Marinate for at least 4 hours
2 chicken breasts cubed
1/3 cup soy sauce
3T. sugar
Pour all this in a fry pan sprayed with Pam and cook together on medium heat until chicken is no longer pink. Personally I like to cook until it starts to caramelize.
Let cool.

1 head of lettuce ( like to use half a green leaf lettuce and half iceberg lettuce.)
3-4 stocks chopped green onion
2 T sesame seeds (optional)
2 ounces of Won TOns cut into strips and deep fried
2 ounces of Maifun rice sticks deep fried
1 can Mandarin oranges (optional)

Dressing:
2 T Sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
3 T red wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup salad oil

Mix dressing and top salad just before serving. Enjoy!

Barbecue Chicken Salad

My sister introduced me to Barbecue Chicken Salad at California Pizza Kitchen. I loved it. I love just about anything they have at CPK. I wrote down what was in the salad one of the times I had it and went home and tried to recreate it. It was okay but didn't quite test like CPK's version. I found a recipe on line and tried it out. Although I have tweaked it a little bit I do use the marinade exactly. I don't know who wrote the recipe but thanks to whomever you are.

This salad is a little extensive. I was in the kitchen a good 2 hours yesterday getting it ready. You could do it in steps so that you are not doing everything at once but plan on 2 hours start to finish. It is so yummy and well worth not skipping steps to make it turn out wonderfully.

Salad
1 head Romaine Lettuce
1 head iceberg Lettuce
1 can Black Beans rinsed and drained
1-2 cups corn
jicama
3-4 T cilantro
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
Ranch Dressing

Toss together add:

BBQ Chicken
diced tomatoes
green onion
Corn tortilla strips


Barbecue Chicken Recipe
1 1/3 T Olive Oil
1 1/3 T minced garlic
2 tsp Soy Sauce
2 tsp Salt
1/4 c sweet and spicy BBQ sauce
5 boneless skinless chicken breast
Marinade for at least 1 hour longer is better. You can cook it on the BBQ or stove top. Make sure that you coat the chicken with the remaining sauce in the bowl while on the BBQ. If you make in a pan I recommend dicing it first.

Fried Tortilla Strips
Canola Oil
12 corn tortilla
cut 1/4 inch wide place in med-med high heated oil. Cook until crisp and barely changing color. They change fast.



Serves 8-10, ENJOY!

Moms Potato Salad

By far my mom has always had my favorite potato salad. Every time I try store bought I wish I hadn't. None of the salads I have had compare. It is so simple and yet it is my favorite. Let's face it mom always knows what is best:)

This is the perfect side dish to any BBQ. It is really easy to make. The only thing that I struggle with is remembering to make ahead of time. If you have this issue like I do, then just put the potatoes and eggs in the freezer while your meat cooks. It turned out great. Then I just added the rest of the ingredients (already prepped and in the fridge) right before the meat was served.

6-8 potatoes ( I use red potatoes just change it to 8-10 potatoes)
3/4-1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp dill pickle juice to taste
4 green onions chopped
3-4 hard boiled eggs, diced
1 cucumber chopped
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until barely done in salted water, still firm (about 20 minutes depending on size of potatoes, red potatoes take about 15 minutes) Boil eggs for 15 minutes. Dice both. Mix with the remainder of ingredients. Chill several hours before serving. Enjoy:)

Variations: Add parsley, dill, basil, i package Good Season's Italian dressing, Lawry's Seasoned salt, sour cream, bacon, chopped celery, or dill pickles.

Tomato, Corn, and Avocado Salad

This is another new salad. I loved this. It is very refreshing and healthy. My kids that don't like tomatoes were not fans at all. My kids that do like tomatoes gobbled it up. My hubby has mixed feelings about veggie's so he wasn't sure. Again in is a Martha Stewart recipe. I heart her...conviction and all:)

I definitely would serve this at a ladies luncheon but not a kids party. I loved the way that the corn popped in my mouth, and the delicious tastes all blend together so nicely. I think it is a perfect summer time salad. Mmmmmm
2 ears of corn (husk and silk removed)
2 pints cherry, grape, or pear tomatoes, halved, or quartered if large
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 T fresh lime juice
1 T olive oil
salt
Pepper

Stand ear in a large wide bowl; with a sharp knife, carefully slice downward to release the kernels. Discard the cob. Add tomatoes, avocado, green onions, lime juice, and oil to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and toss gently to combine. Enjoy!

Thia Peanut Chicken Salad

I went to a local restaurant the other day and had a pretty great salad. I thought hey, I bet I can recreate this at home. So I attempted and my sweet hubby likes mine more. Wahoo! I will have to say my chicken was much better.
3 chicken Breast cooked and diced.
1 head of iceberg lettuce broken up
1/4 cup Red onion diced
1/2 cup green peppers diced
1/2 cup red peppers diced
1/2 cup yellow peppers diced
1/2 cup peanuts blended
BRIANNAS Ginger Mandarin Salad dressing

In a large fry pan cook the chicken on medium heat drizzle with BRIANNAS Ginger Mandarin dressing. Salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle on garlic powder. Cook until meat is cooked through. I like to brown mine a little. It gives it more flavor.

Once you are done cooking serve it buffet style. This way everything is fresh and ready to serve. This served 6-8 people just fine. Enjoy.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

This reminds me of the girls. It reminds me of showers for babies, showers for brides, and times when the girls get together. I think we eat this about every time I see my cousins for a special event. I love when there is a family recipe that is never overdone. No mater how many times you eat this it never gets old.

I love that I have a go to salad when I am invited to showers, parties, or friendly gatherings. I know that if I make this people will try to find out who made it so they can get the recipe. This salad is that salad. Not only is is delicious, but it is EASY! Yes, delicious and easy. What more can you ask for.



1 pound bag spinach
1-2 heads leaf lettuce
1 pint fresh strawberries sliced and/or Mandarin oranges.
1 large egg white
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds or pecans
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp orange zest (grated orange peel)

*Beat egg whites until frothy. Dip almonds in egg whites. Mix sugar and orange zest. Dip almonds in mixture. Spread on cookie sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes. Stir and bake for 5 more minutes.

Dressing:
1/3 cup raspberry vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp poppy seeds
2 tsp dry minced onion
1/4 cup canola oil

Toss greens, Garnish with strawberries and almonds on top. Pour dressing on just before serving.

*I sometimes don't have the time to do the almonds the way it says. Instead I put the almonds and sugar in a pan and heat on medium heat until the sugar melts and the almonds start to brown. It takes about 10 minutes. It seems like it will never change and then it changes really fast. Make sure you stir constantly. Enjoy!

Vinegar Dressing

Love this dressing. It is perfect on any green salad. I remember the first time I had it I was sitting at my good friends kitchen table, for some reason my mom was there, and my other friend brought this for our potluck lunch. My mom and I both thought it was so good. We both were shocked to learn how easy it was. There is nothing to it. Just add the 5 ingredients and shake well. It has now become my little princesses favorite dressing. The rest are still ranch lovers but they like this when there isn't any ranch.

1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
3/4 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients and mix

Enjoy!

Favorite Green Salad

My Aunt Nancy calls this her favorite green salad. I am pretty sure that is the perfect name for this. This salad has become a Thanksgiving staple. Really though, this is the salad you should take to every event that you want to impress the mouths of the guests. It is a salad that even the men like. It has bacon in it so of course they like it:)The ingredients in this salad all complement each other so well. That is probably why it is a "favorite" salad. Basically you can't go wrong with this one.

3/4 lb sliced mushrooms
2-3 bunches of spinach
3/4 lb grated Swiss cheese
1 c. drained and rinsed cottage cheese
1 small head iceberg lettuce
1/2 lb crisped and crumbled bacon

Combine and toss with the following dressing just before serving:

1 1/2 t. poppy seeds
3/4 c sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
1 purple onion, thinly sliced
3/4 c. vinegar
1 1/2 c oil
3/4 t. dry mustard

Make ahead of time. Stir before putting on salad. This makes a lot of dressing, more than you need for a single batch of salad. Enjoy!