Grilled Chicken & Strawberry Salad Wraps

 

Ingredients

2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts 

1/2 c. Bottled Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 whole Package (12 Ounces) Mixed Salad Greens

12 whole Medium Strawberries, Hulled And Quartered

4 whole Green Onions, Sliced (White And Light Green Parts)

1/4 c. Pecans, Chopped

4 oz. weight Goat Cheese Crumbled

6 whole Large Whole Wheat Tortillas

Directions

• Place the chicken breasts in a large plastic storage bag. Seal the bag, leaving a small opening, then use a rolling pin to pound the breasts until they're a uniform thickness. Pour in half the balsamic vinaigrette, then seal the bag and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
  
  After the chicken has marinated, grill it until it's done in the middle, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Dice up the chicken when it's cool enough to handle.
  
  Add the salad greens to a large bowl. Add half of the remaining dressing and toss it to coat the greens. Add more if it needs it. Add the strawberries, chicken, green onions, and pecans. Toss it gently a few times until it's all combined. Top with crumbled goat cheese and toss a couple of times.
  
  Place an equal amount of salad down the middle of each tortilla. Roll up, then slice in half.
  
  Serve wraps with chips and extra strawberries.

Grilled Chicken, Strawberry & Avocado Salad

 

Ingredients:

• 1 jar Brianna's Poppy Seed Dressing
• Marinade: 
• ¼ cup Italian-style salad dressing 
• 3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce 
• 2 medium boneless chicken breasts 
• Salad Ingredients: 
• 2 cups baby spinach, torn into bite-sized pieces 
• 2 cups torn romaine lettuce 
• 2 cups hulled and sliced strawberries 
• 1 ripe but firm avocado, pitted and sliced into bite-sized pieces 
• ½ cup toasted pecans 

Directions 

Combine Italian dressing and teriyaki sauce in a sealable container and add chicken. Seal and marinate at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before grilling. 

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. 

Remove chicken from marinade and grill until juices run clear, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Remove from heat, let cool about 10 minutes, and cut into bite-sized pieces. 

Toss grilled chicken, spinach, and romaine lettuce together in a large serving bowl. Gently stir in strawberries and avocado. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Top salad with dressing and pecans when serving.

Mom's Easter Salad with Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

Salad

• 1 head romaine lettuce*
• 1 head green leaf lettuce*
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 11 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
• 2 apples, diced
• 1/2 c. dried cranberries 
• 10 - 12 small cherry tomatoes, halved (mom prefers to leave this out)
• 1/2 c. crumbled goat cheese
• 1/4 c. slivered almonds
• 1 T. sugar
• 2 avocados, pared and cut into chunks (mom prefers to leave this out)

Dressing

• 1/2 c. sugar
• juice of 1 grated onion (grate and then put through sieve
• 1/3 c. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 3/4 tsp poppy seeds
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 c. vegetable oil

Directions:

Wash lettuce, spin dry, and tear into pieces. Combine with celery, mandarin oranges, apples, cranberries, tomatoes, and cheese in a large serving bowl. Toss.

In a 9-inch nonstick skillet, cook almonds with a 1 T. sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved and almonds start to caramelize. Cool.

To make dressing, whisk together all dressing ingredients except vegetable oil. Gradually pour in vegetable oil, whisking to combine. 

Add almonds and avocados to salad just prior to serving. Toss with dressing. 

*You can substitute one package mixed green sin place of the romaine and green leaf lettuce.

Chicken Pineapple Salad

I have been craving yummy salads lately, and my friend Kara told me about this salad that her family enjoys.  We made this last night for dinner, and it was delicious! And SO easy!  It was a hit with the whole family, though my silly kids had to eat theirs with the elements in separate piles on their plates rather than as a salad.  No doubt this will become a classic summer night meal at my home.

Truly, it doesn't get much easier or yummier than this!

Ingredients:

• lettuce, chopped or shredded
• cilantro, chopped
• grilled chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (I actually just sauteed the chicken on the stove top with a little olive oil and lemon pepper)
• avocado, diced or sliced
• fresh pineapple, cut into bite-sized pieces (I'm thinking this would be divine if it were grilled as well....I may have to try that next time!)
• tortilla chips, crushed
• Honey-Mustard Dressing (we think the Brianne's brand Honey-Mustard Dressing is perfect for this!)
• Anything else you want to add!  I was thinking that mushrooms, peppers, or onions might all be a nice addition to this salad.  The beauty of it is that you can add whatever your family likes and adjust to your tastes.

Toss all the ingredients together and serve in bowls.  Such a simple, gorgeous, flavorful meal.

The Perfect Taco Salad

With spring weather coming in, I've been craving good salads.  We made this bowl of deliciousness last night for company, and we all absolutely loved it.  In fact, Gerald has admitted this is his new favorite meal!

I found this recipe on the Pioneer Woman's website.  The woman is a food genius.  The only change I made was I added the black beans.  I recommend you click here for full instructions and photos.

 

Ingredients

DRESSING 

• ¾ cups Ranch Dressing (bottled Is Fine) 
• ¼ cups Salsa (as Spicy As You'd Like) 
• 3 Tablespoons Finely Minced Cilantro 

CHICKEN

• 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts 
• 2 Tablespoons Seasoning (Taco Seasoning, Or Your Own Mix) 
• ¼ cups Vegetable Oil 
• 2 Tablespoons Butter (I omitted the butter, and just used oil.)

SALAD

• 1 head Green Leaf Lettuce (1 Large Head Or Two Regular Heads), Shredded Thin 
• 3 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced 
• ½ cups Grated Pepper Jack Cheese 
• 2 ears Corn, Shucked (I used frozen instead.)
• 2 whole Avocados, Diced 
• 3 whole Green Onions, Sliced 
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 
• ½ cups Cilantro Leaves 
• Tortilla Chips Of Your Choice (flavored Or Not), Crushed Slightly 

Directions:

First, make the dressing by combining all three ingredients in a bowl and stirring together. Cover and refrigerate. This takes like 1 minute.  :) 

Next, make the chicken: Generously season both sides of the breasts. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken on both sides until deep golden brown on the outside and done in the middle, about 4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside to cool for 10 minutes, then cut it into cubes.

Place the ears of corn in the skillet you used to cook the chicken and roll it around so that the flavorful oil/butter mixture coats the corn.  If frozen, saute in the skillet until warm.  If using ears of corn, grill it on a grill pan or cook it in a separate skillet until the corn is still crisp but has color on the outside. Slice off the kernels with a sharp knife and set aside.

To assemble the salad, pile shredded lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, cheese, corn, avocado, green onion, black beans, cilantro, crushed chips, and chicken on a big platter. Drizzle the dressing all over the top, serving part on the side if you’d like. Serve it in individual bowls.

Creamy Potato Salad

My friend brought this potato salad to a BBQ recently, and it was the best potato salad I had ever tasted!  I LOVED it!  Of course, I begged for the recipe and used this same salad for our 4th of July festivities - it was a hit!
 

She found the recipe on online at all recipes, but altered it a bit to suit her tastes.  I made it exactly like my friend did.  www.allrecipes.com says: "This is the creamiest, richest potato salad you will ever try. The secret is in the homemade dressing. I get nothing but raves every time I make this."

Ingredients:

• 6 medium potatoes 
• 1 bunch of green onions, finely chopped 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 6 hard-cooked eggs, diced 
• 2 eggs, beaten 
• 1/2 cup white sugar 
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch 
• salt to taste 
• 1/2 cup vinegar 
• 1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk 
• 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard 
• 1/4 cup butter 
• 1 cup mayonnaise 
• 6-10 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional, but a must in my house ;)

Directions:

1. Place the potatoes into a large pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Drain. Cool, peel and dice. Transfer to a large bowl, and toss with the onion, 1 teaspoon of salt, and hard-cooked eggs.

2. While the potatoes are cooking, whisk together 2 eggs, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Stir in the vinegar, milk, and mustard. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in the butter. Refrigerate until cool, then stir in the mayonnaise.

3. Stir the dressing and the cooked and crumbled bacon into the bowl of potato salad gently until evenly coated. Chill several hours or OVERNIGHT before serving for best flavor.

Olive Garden's Salad

We made this salad for a dinner party, along with these Olive Garden breadsticks and this delicious spinach tomato tortellini.  Everyone raved about the food, and I thought the salad really was very close to the salad that Olive Garden serves, which I love!!

SALAD:

• 1 bag American Blend Salad (Dole works well) 
• 4-5 slices Red Onion 
• 4-6 Black Olives 
• 2-4 Pickled Pepperoncini or banana peppers
• ½ cup Croutons 
• 1 small Tomato sliced 
• Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese 

DRESSING:

• ½ cup Mayonnaise 
• ⅓ cup White Vinegar 
• 1 tsp. Vegetable Oil 
• 2 Tbsp. Corn Syrup 
• 2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese 
• 2 Tbsp. Romano Cheese 
• 1 clove garlic minced 
• ½ tsp. Italian Seasoning 
• ½ tsp. Parsley Flakes 
• 1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice 
• Sugar (optional)

Instructions

Chill a glass salad bowl in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.  While it's chilling, make the dressing first.  Mix all ingredients in a blender until well mixed (approximately 30 seconds). If this is a little to tart for your own personal tastes please add a little extra sugar. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Place the bag of salad in bowl. Place on top of the lettuce – red onion, black olives, pepperoncini or banana peppers, tomatoes, and croutons. Add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese if you like. Add plenty of Salad Dressing on top.  Enjoy!

Chicken and Apples Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing

Another great salad from Grandma Klingler!

Chicken and Apple salad
 

• 2 lbs. Chicken tenders                 
• 1 (7 oz.) round Gouda cheese (I have also used Mozzarella)     
• 1/2 c. celery diced          
• 1/2 c. seedless grapes, halved  
• 2 tart apples, cored and cubed    
• 1 (8 oz.) bowtie pasta, cooked and cooled                              
• 1 can pineapple tidbits    
• 2/3 c sliced almonds

Honey-Lime Dressing

• 1 c. Mayonnaise      
• 1/4 c. sour cream        
• 3 Tbs. lime juice      
• 3 Tbs. honey   
• 1 Tbs. popy seeds

Combine all ingredients. Stir in honey-lime dressing. Garnish with lemon twists and avocado slices.  (Note: for best results add dressing just before serving.)

Outback Wedge Salad

Grandma says, "This is one of my favorite salads! I haven't made it yet, but looked up the recipe after going to dinner at "Out Back"  last week."


For the Blue Cheese Dressing 

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise 
• 1/2 cup sour cream 
• 1/2 cup buttermilk 
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 
• 1 teaspoon onion powder 
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard 
• 1 teaspoon black pepper 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 2 teaspoons sugar 
• 6 ounces crumbled blue cheese 

In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk. Mix well. Next, thoroughly mix in the remainder of the ingredients. Afterwards, refrigerate the dressing for up to 24 hours before serving for best flavor.

For the Salad 

• 1 head iceberg lettuce, cut into 4 equal wedges 
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved (blah, yuck...left these out :) Ha ha!  Really, grandma?  Grape tomatoes are delicious! ;)
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion 
• 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled 
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 
• 6 ounces crumbled blue cheese 
• Black pepper to taste 

First, you need to cook the balsamic vinegar into a glaze. Heat the balsamic vinegar in a saucepan on medium heat. Cook until reduced by half, then remove from heat and allow to cool. Meanwhile, place the iceberg lettuce wedge on a serving dish. Then liberally pour blue cheese dressing over top of wedges. Next, top with halved tomatoes, chopped onion, crumbled blue cheese, and crumbled bacon. Drizzle a little of the balsamic glaze on top of the wedge, and sprinkle with black pepper. Eat immediately or it will go soggy!
 
Grandma's Note *Another of my favorite salads was served at Taylor's Christmas Bridal Shower in St. George and when I asked for the recipe her aunt told me where to find this great cookbook at Thi Pans. It has lots of wonderful recipes. "The Gathering of Friends" Volume One by Michele Huxtable & Alyse Christensen.  That is where this recipe comes from.

Grandma Klingler's Berry Cream Salad

While at the family reunion in Idaho this summer, Grandma Klingler wowed us all with one delicious, irresistible recipe after another!  When she asked if she could add some of them to our family recipe blog, my response was naturally . . . ABSOLUTELY!  There are several, so I will post one a day for the next week for your culinary enjoyment.

MMMMM....  This sweet summer salad was a favorite with everyone.  I will definitely be making this one soon!

Ingredients

• Package of frozen fruit of your choice (blueberries, raspberries or mixture) 
• Tub of cool whip (size depends on size of salad you want to make)
• One small carton of berry yogurt 
• 1 package cheese cake pudding mix

Stir yogurt and pudding mix together, add cool whip and stir gently. Stir in the frozen fruit. (I have also used fresh strawberries and raspberries).  Let set in fridge for 15 to 20 minutes to allow fruit to thaw and flavor to blend. Serve.

Vermicelli Salad

Here is the salad recipe Lindsay made from Trey's baby blessing. I know a lot of people wanted the recipe. It is really good.

16 oz vermicelli noodles
1 T accent seasoning
2 T Lawreys seasoning salt
1 T lemon juice
3 T Wesson oil ( I just use any Veg. oil)
4 oz jar chopped pimentos (optional)
1 Cup chopped green pepper
3/4 Cup chopped onion
1 can chopped olives
2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups mayo

Chop up all the vegetables pretty small while the noodles are cooking. When noodles are done rinse in hot water. Add oil, seasonings, and lemon juice into the noodles. Add chopped veggies and then add mayo. Mix well .
* I usually half this recipe unless i am making it for a big crowd.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

This is one of my very favorite summer (or spring!) salads.

1 bunch spinach, rinsed

10 large strawberries, sliced

1/2 c. white sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/3 c. white wine vinegar

1 c. vegetable oil

1 T. poppy seeds

In a large bowl, combine the spinach and strawberries. In a blender or food processor, combine the sugar, salt, vinegar, oil and blend until smooth. Stir in poppy seeds. Pour enough for salad to coat and toss together well.

Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad

I had this salad at a friend’s house, and it tasted perfect; I felt like I really was at Applebee’s! J

Dressing:
3 T. honey
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/8 tsp. sesame oil
1 1/2 T. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. Grey Poupon Dijon mustard

Blend together all ingredients for dressing in a small bowl with an electric mixer. Put dressing in refrigerator to chill while you prepare the salad.

Salad:
4 Tyson crispy chicken strips
1 c. purple cabbage, chopped
3/4 c. carrot, shredded
2 T. sliced almonds
3 c. romaine lettuce, chopped
1 c. cabbage, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 c. crispy chow mein noodles

Bake chicken strips according to package directions. In a bowl, prepare the salad by tossing the romaine with the cabbage, carrots, and onions. Sprinkle almonds over the salad, then add the chow mein noodles. Cut chicken strips into bite sized pieces and place on top of the salad. You can serve the dressing on the side or mixed in. Serves 3-4.

Melissa's Tasty Tossed Salad

I made this salad the other night for a ward party, and it was really good!

2 c. iceberg lettuce
1 c. fresh cauliflower
1 c. fresh broccoli florets
1 c. shredded carrots
1/3 c. chopped red onion
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Dressing
3/4 c. mayo
3 T. sugar
2 T. lemon juice

In a large bowl, combine everything but dressing. Combine the mayo, sugar and lemon juice in a separate container. When ready to serve, pour dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Serves 6.

Melissa's Crab Salad

1 bag of spiral Noodles
1 pkg imitation crab
4 boiled eggs
dill pickles
onion
mayo
sour cream
milk
salt & pepper

Boil the noodles and eggs. When they are done mix with chopped crab, pickles, onion, and eggs. For the dressing (I just make up the amount) it’s mayo, half the amount of sour cream than mayo. Add milk to thin it a little. Add salt & pepper to taste. Refrigerate.

Pesto-Ranch Chicken Salad

This is a throw-together kind of salad, so the amounts are only approximate and can vary.

1 lb. farfalle (bowties) pasta, cooked and rinsed
1/2 c. fresh or store-bought pesto
1/2 16 oz. bottle light ranch dressing
2 c. cooked, shredded chicken (can use rotisserie)
1 c. shredded parmesan
1/2 c. pine nuts (even better if you toast them first)
1 1/2-2 c. frozen peas
1/2-1 c. craisins (optional)

Combine the dressing and the pesto in medium bowl. Place all ingredients in very large bowl and stir to combine. Makes a great meal on a bed of lettuce.

Grandma Klingler's Cashew Turkey Pasta Salad

2 bone-in turkey halves, skin removed, or about 1 lb. precooked roasted turkey cut into cubes.
3 c. uncooked tri-colored pasta
1 small white onion
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. salted cashew halves
2 celery ribs, diced
1 1/2 c. mayo
1 T. cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Cook turkey, cool in fridge, then cube. Cook pasta, rinse in cold water and drain. Place pasta in large bowl with turkey and add diced celery and onion. In small bowl, mix mayo, brown sugar, cider vinegar, salt and lemon juice; pour over pasta mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Stir in cashews just before serving.

Pomegranate Salad

It is simply not a true family gathering or holiday without this salad.

pomegranates
fruit cocktail, drained
grapes, sliced
apples, diced
bananas, sliced
whipping cream, whipped and sweetened with sugar

In a bowl, combine the desired amounts of fruit. Add the whipping cream until the salad is the correct consistency. Chill or serve. (Note: You can make this as a fruit salad with any fruit you want.)

Melissa's Fluffy Strawberry Salad

With summertime here, I'm looking for great salad recipes. I have to take a salad to a Relief Society activity this month, and would love to have you gals post your favorite salad recipes on here to give me some ideas! Meanwhile, here is one of my favorite summer Jell-O salads. Sorry, Melissa, for posting your recipe, but it is such a great one!!

1 small box strawberry Jell-O
1 3 oz. box vanilla pudding (cook & serve)
1 small carton Cool Whip
1 box fresh strawberries

The day before: Pour Jell-O and pudding in saucepan. Add 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove. Let cool. Put in the fridge to set.

Next day: Whip Jell-O and pudding mixture with cool whip in mixer bowl. Cut up strawberries. Add to mixture and put in fridge to set until time to serve.

Green Tomatillo Dressing

Fabulous on top of a sweet pork salad!

Puree together in a blender:

about 1 cup of fresh cilantro
3 tomatillos, peeled of outer shell & quartered
1 clove garlic, peeled of outer shell
1 jalapeno pepper*, optional (I'm not a huge spicy food fan, but my understanding is that the smaller the pepper, the more spicy it is. I used a large green jalapeno).

Then add:

1 pouch Hidden Valley Ranch Buttermilk style dressing
1/3 to 1/2 cup buttermilk, depending on desired thickness
1 cup mayonnaise
1/8 up to 1/2 teaspoon Cheyenne pepper, depending on desired kick.

Blend again until smooth. Refrigerate several hours before serving.

*For extra kick, bottled hot jalapenos may be added prior to the puree step in addition or as a substitute to the fresh one.