Simple Italian Salad

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• Romaine lettuce, washed and torn
• 1 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 can black olives, drained and sliced
• 1 small red onion, thinly slices and separated into rings
• 8 peperoncini (pickled peppers, in the olive/pickle aisle)
• 1/4c Parmesan cheese
• 1/2c Italian Dressing
• 1c Italian Croutons

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine vegetables and cheese.
2. Drizzle with dressing; toss to coat.
3. Top with croutons.

Avacado Basil Pasta

Serves: 4
Ingredients:

• 8  oz dried bow tie and/or wagon wheel pasta
• 2  md avocados; seeded, peeled, and coarsely chopped
• 6  slices bacon; cooked crisp, drained, and crumbled
• 2/3  c chopped fresh basil
• 2  Tbs lemon juice
• 1  Tbs olive oil
• 3  cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4  tsp ground black pepper
• 1/8  tsp salt
• 1/2  c finely shredded Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine: avocado, bacon, basil, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, pepper and salt.
3. Add the hot pasta and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with cheese.

Summer Salad

Prep: 10 min Serves: 8, 1 c Cost per serving: $1

Ingredients:

• 7 c fresh cut vegetables, such as: broccoli, carrots, celery, green onion, radishes, or zucchini
• 1 fresh bell pepper, sliced
• 2 fresh tomatoes
• 2/3 c light dressing, not cream based

Directions:

1. Wash and prepare vegetables.
2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring to coat.
3. Cover & refrigerate 1-3 hours to blend flavors.
4. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator up to 3 days (best if tomatoes were seeded to reduce juiciness).
   

Picnic Salad

Prep: 15 min Serves: 4, 3/4 c Cost per serving: $1

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c cooked chicken or 2 6 oz cans tuna
• 1 apple, cored & diced
• 1/3 c chopped celery
• 1/3 c ranch dressing
• 1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/4 c shopped pecans or walnuts

Variations:

• To make a full meal salad: add 2 c cooked pasta
• Rolled in whole wheat tortillas
• Stuffed into pita pockets
  

Directions:

1. In a med bowl thoroughly combine all ingredients.
2. Serve immediately or store up to 1 day refrigerated in an airtight container.
   

Chicken Salad Sandwhiches

Prep: 15 min Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c mayonnaise
  
• 1/4 c plain yogurt
• 1 Tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbs lemon juice
• 2 c cooked chicken breast, cubed
• 1/2 c red seedless grapes, halved
• 1/4 c celery, diced
• 1/4 c almond slivers
• 6 romaine leaves
• 6-12 tomato slices
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 6 pita pockets or bread for sandwiches
  

Directions:

1. In a med bowl combine mayo, yogurt, mustard & lemon juice; salt & pepper to taste.
2. Add in chicken, grapes, celery & almonds; toss to coat.
3. Place lettuce & tomato slices on bread & fill with chicken salad.
   

Picnic Spodie Boat

Prep:1 hour
(picture borrowed from indobase.com to show as an example)

Ingredients:

• 1 large seedless watermelon
  
• 1 honeydew melon
  
• 1 cantaloupe
  
• 1 lb strawberries
• 1 pineapple
  
• 1/2 to 1 c lemon juice, to taste
  
• 1, fifth, lemon vodka (suggestions: Absolut Citron Vodka, Stolichnaya Limonnaya Vodka, Smirnoff Lemon Vodka)

Optional Ingredients:

• 2 c blueberries, washed
  
• 1 lb grapes, washed
• quartered kiwi
• banana slices (I don't add banana because it gets mushy)
  
• 1/2 c granulated sugar
• Sprite for non alcoholic Picnic Boat
  

Directions:

1. Using a knife cut a lid from the top of the watermelon in a shark teeth style circle, remove the lid.
2. Use a melon baller to ball out all the meat of the melon down to the core.
3. Place balls & juice into a large strainer over a large bowl & discard watermelon "scraps" (pieces that do not work as balls) into a separate bowl.
4. Scrape out the inside of the melon core so it is mostly smooth.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 for both Honeydew & Cantaloupe.
6. Wash strawberries, remove leaves, stem & core; place berries into large bowl & scraps in garbage.
7. Cube pineapple into 1 in pieces placing in large bowl, discard rind & hard core in garbage.
8. Gently mix fruit in large bowl tossing with lemon juice.
9. Fill the Watermelon with fruit & and the bottle of lemon vodka.
10. Finish off the watermelon by filling the rest of the way with fruit juice.
11. Replace lid & chill overnight to allow fruit to absorb the alcohol.
12. Use remaining fruit to make a non alcoholic version in either a fruit bowl or in the cantaloupe & honeydew shells; use sprite rather than vodka & serve within 1 hour of adding sprite so it retains the carbonation.
    

Ambrosia Fruit Salad

Prep: 30 minutes, Cook: 3-5 minutes, Serves: 10-15, Cost: under $15

Ingredients:

• 1, 20 oz, can pineapple chunks, in 100% pineapple juice
  
• 1, 15 oz, can mandarin oranges, in fruit juice
  
• 3 Tbs reserved, pineapple & orange juice
  
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 Tbs vinegar
• 3 Tbs sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 2 c heavy whipping cream
• 1 jar maraschino cherries, strained
  
• 2 c green grapes, stemmed & washed
  
• 1 large sweet apple
• 1 medium banana
  
• 1 medium, firm peach
• 1 large pear

Optional Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs vanilla flavoring
• 1 tsp cinnamon (&/or) 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 c miniature marshmallows
• 1 c shredded coconut
• 1/2 c chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Open the canned pineapples & mandarin oranges pouring the juice into a cup; reserve 3 Tbs juice.
2. In a small pot beat egg yolk, vinegar, juice & salt.
3. Heat egg mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick & foamy.
4. Remove from heat & allow to cool.
5. In a large bowl beat heavy whipping cream (vanilla & spices) until stiff peaks form, refrigerate.
   
6. Peel & cube: apple, banana, peach & pear.
7. Combine all fruit with whipped cream.
8. Gently fold in egg mixture and any other optional ingredients you desire.
9. Refrigerate a minimum of 1 hour before serving to allow fruit to chill.

Refrigerate leftovers & eat within 2 days.

Insalata Caprese

Prep: 15 min
Category: Salad, Traditional: Italian

Insalata, the Italian word for salad & Caprese which refers to something that comes from or is in the style of Capri, an Italian island off the coast near Naples in the region of Campania. A Caprese dish refers to a dish containing: tomatoes, fresh buffalo mozzarella, & basil; seasoned with: salt, pepper, & olive oil.

Ingredients:

1. 4 med red tomatoes, cut into wedges; or for a bit more color 2 red & 2 yellow tomatoes, cut into wedges
   
2. 3/4 c diced fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese
3. 1/4 c chopped parsley
4. 2 Tbs chopped fresh basil
5. 1/4 tsp salt
6. freshly ground pepper, to taste
7. olive oil, to taste
   

Directions:

1. Gently toss tomatoes, mozzarella, parsley, basil, & salt together in a large bowl.
2. Season with pepper.
3. Drizzle with olive oil.
4. Serve.

Perfectly paired with just about any pasta dish, such as: spaghetti, ravioli, or lasagna!!!