Broccoli Ramen Salad

My sweet friend, Shannan, shared this recipe with me several years ago. It is so delicious.

Broccoli Ramen Salad

4 Tbsp butter
1 cup walnuts
2 cups broccoli florets, cut to bite-size
1 head curly leaf lettuce, torn
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 pkg Ramen noodles, crunched (any flavor)

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 red wine vinegar
1/4-1/2 cup sugar

Mix lettuce, broccoli, and onions in salad bowl. Saute ramen noodles and walnuts in butter. Drain well on paper towels. Mix dressing ingredients. Add dressing and walnuts/ramen just before serving. Toss well.

Potato Salad

Made this last night for a church picnic today. It's a family favorite.

Potato Salad

10-12 medium red potatoes
5 hard boiled eggs, diced
1 heaping cup sweet pickle relish
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup Miracle whip
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tsp mustard

Boil potatoes with skin on until tender. Let cool; peel and cube. Add chopped eggs, onion, pickle relish, salt and pepper. Mix lightly. In a separate bowl, combine Miracle Whip, mayonnaise, and mustard. Mix well. Add to potato mixture and stir well, being careful not to mash potatoes. Refrigerate. This is best if made several hours or overnight before serving.

Bunco Salad

My friend, Allison, gave me this recipe last week and I made it last night. Very tasty! It's a keeper.

2 heads romaine lettuce
1 bag spinach
1/2 block feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup red onion, optional
3/4 cup Craisins
1 cup pecans, browned in 3 Tbsp butter

Dressing:
1/2 cup sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp parsley

Mix and pour over salad. Delicious.
Hint: I only used one head of romaine (no spinach), and made 1/4 of the dressing...it was perfect for us and we still had some leftover...which I'll get to enjoy for lunch today! Yum.

Oriental Broccoli Slaw

We're grilling with friends tonight and this is the side dish I'm bringing. I got this recipe at MOPS several years ago and it is one of my summer favorites. Goes great with grilled meat or bbq.

Oriental Broccoli Slaw

4 cups broccoli slaw (16oz bag)
1 pkg ramen noodles, chicken flavor
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds

Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup oil
2 Tbsp sugar
flavoring packet from ramen noodles

Place slaw in mixing bowl. Break noodles up and add to slaw. Add onions. For dressing, combine all ingredients and pour over slaw, mixing well. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours (or even overnight). Just before serving, stir in nuts and seeds.

White Bean-and-Tuna Pita

Delicious! And good for you. It's great for a quick and easy summer lunch.

White Bean and Tuna

2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1 20oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 6 1/2 can solid white tuna in spring water, drained
4 green onions, thinly sliced

Stir together first 5 ingredients. Add beans, tuna, and green onions, tossing gently to coat. Stuff into pre-sliced pitas and enjoy. Sometimes I skip the pita and just serve on bed of lettuce with halves of cherry tomatoes.

Fiesta Corn

We're going to a bar-b-que tonight. I'm supposed to bring a couple of side dishes and this is one I'm bringing. So easy and so yummy! It's from my friend, Margo, in Arkansas.

Fiesta Corn

3 cans Mexi-corn, drained
1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 diced onion (purple onion adds great color!)
1 diced green pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1 bag chili-cheese Fritos, crushed

Mix all ingredients (except fritos) together in large bowl. Chill until just before serving, then mix in crushed fritos. Start with half the bag of fritos and add more if you need 'em. It's best to serve this to a crowd because the fritos get soggy and it's not so great as leftovers.

Dallas Tacos

I made this for dinner tonight. It is an old favorite. My mom used to make it and she got the recipe from my grandmother. I don't know why it's called Dallas Tacos, but it's so good and easy that I don't really care. I think it's pretty healthy too. And I love how colorful it is. It's a great summer supper.

Dallas Tacos

2 lbs. lean ground beef
28 oz can whole tomatoes
1 can Ranch style beans
1-2 tsp salt

chopped tomatoes
shredded romaine lettuce
grated cheddar cheese
sour cream
guacamole or chopped avacado
salsa
fritos

Brown ground beef. Drain well. Puree tomatoes in blender and add to meat. Add beans (don't drain) and salt to taste. Mix well and simmer for about an hour for best flavor. You can shorten this time, but flavor is best the longer you let it simmer.

Arrange fritos on plate. Top with meat mixture and toppings of your choice.

Greek Salad

I made this to take to our friends' house last night. It came from a friend in Arkansas (thanks, Leann) and it is our fave!

1 head romaine lettuce (washed, dried, and torn in pieces)
cherry tomatoes, halved
thinly sliced rings of red onion
crumbled feta cheese
kalamata olives
cucumber slices

I dont' know that I measure the above ingredients. We like tomatoes, olives, and feta, so we use lots. Only a few onions though and I can't stand cucumbers, so I omit them.

Dressing:

3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced or crushed
1 tsp. lemon pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Whisk together and pour over salad. Toss well and serve. It's best if you toss about 15 minutes prior to serving. Don't make and toss ahead of time. Your salad will seriously wilt if you do.