Mexican Corn Dip

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons crumbled cotija cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 clove garlic, pressed
Juice of 1 lime

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add corn kernels and jalapeño, and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and slightly charred, about 8-10 minutes.

Stir in mayonnaise, cotija, cilantro, chili powder, garlic and lime juice.

Serve immediately. (Eat with chips, or just by itself.)

(Source: https://damndelicious.net/2014/07/28/mexican-corn-dip/)

Sweet Potato Taco Bowls

Ingredients
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 and 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Seasoned salt and pepper
2-3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 4.5-5 cups)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 ounces) fire-roasted sweet corn, drained
1-2 large avocados
3-4 fresh limes, separated
Optional toppings: fresh cilantro, jalapeno, cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers
1/2 cup sour cream (I use fat free)
1 teaspoon hot sauce (like Cholula)
1-2 large limes (1/2 teaspoon zest + 3 tablespoons juice)

Cilantro-Lime Rice or Quinoa
1 cup quinoa or rice (+ 2 cups water)
1 tablespoon butter
1 large lime (2 tablespoons juice and 1 teaspoon zest)
1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Combine the seasoning mixture: In a small bowl, stir together the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, paprika, ground cumin and 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Stir.

Peel the sweet potatoes and chop into bite-sized chunks. Toss the potatoes with 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons of the seasoning mixture. Toss together with your hands until well coated and then bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss around and return for another 15 minutes. Remove, toss around and if needed cook for another 5-10 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender. Remove the tray and add the drained & rinsed black beans, drained corn, and 1 more teaspoon of the seasoning mixture. Toss everything on the tray (The beans and corn will get warm on the hot tray).

Meanwhile, make cilantro lime rice or quinoa: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the butter and rice (or quinoa) and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the rice (or quinoa) is cooked through and tender. Stir in the lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, and salt + pepper to taste.

Make the sauce: combine the sour cream, lime zest & 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, hot sauce, and 1/2 to 1 full tablespoon* of the remaining spice mixture. Whisk until smooth.

Assemble: in bowls or on plates, add the rice as a base. Top with sweet potatoes, corn, & black bean mixture. Add your other desired toppings such as avocado, tomatoes, and additional cilantro. Drizzle the sauce over or serve as a side. Squeeze on some fresh lime and enjoy immediately!

(Source: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/sweet-potato-taco-bowls/)

Poppy Seed Dressing

1/3 c. white vinegar
1 tsp. Kosher salt
A few turns of freshly ground black pepper
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. mustard
1 green onion, ends removed (both the “hairy” end and where the green part starts to get floppy)
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. poppy seeds

In a blender, combine vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, and mustard. While the blender is running, add the green onion. Continue running the blender and add the oil in a steady stream and is fully incorporated into the dressing.

Pour the dressing into a serving or storage container and whisk in poppy seeds. Serve over leafy greens.

(Source: http://ourbestbites.com/2010/01/poppy-seed-dressing/)

Cranberry Fluff Salad

(Note: The salad may seem a bit runny when you first stir it all together - don't worry - that's why it's important for it to chill for a while (and to make sure your cream is beat to stiff peaks when you add it) before serving. It will set up perfectly and the flavors will have a chance to blend together.

INGREDIENTS

12-ounce package fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
8-ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained
2 cups mini marshmallows
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS

In a food processor (you can use a blender or by hand, also), pulse until the cranberries are coarsely chopped. I don't like really large pieces so I chop them until they are somewhat finely chopped without turning to complete mush.
Add the sugar and pineapple, pulse once or twice, and pour into a container - cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors blend.
Stir in the marshmallows.
In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Pour in the cream and whip until stiff peaks form. Fold the creamy mixture into the salad.
Cover and refrigerate for four hours or up to overnight. It tastes best, in my opinion, if it has at least 8 hours to hang out before serving.

(Source: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/cranberry-fluff/)

Southwestern Grilled Sweet Potato Salad

I had never considered adding sweet potatoes to a salad, but it was incredible, and I will do it again and again from here on out.

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 ear sweet corn, husked
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 red pepper, diced
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 avocados, pit and skin removed, chopped
Juice of 2 limes
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, toss the sweet potato slices with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place the sweet potatoes on a grill over medium heat. Cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes on each side. When the sweet potatoes are close to being done, place the ear of corn on the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes, rotating so the kernels get slightly charred. Let the sweet potatoes and corn cool to room temperature.

Cut the sweet potatoes into cubes and place in a large bowl. With a sharp knife, remove the corn kernels from the cob. Add the corn to the bowl. Stir in black beans, red pepper, green onions, cilantro, and avocado. Squeeze the lime juice over the salad and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve.

Note-the salad will keep in the refrigerator for 2 days.

(Source: Two Peas & Their Pod: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/southwestern-grilled-sweet-potato-salad/)

Chickpea, Tomato, & Feta Salad

This is a light and delicious salad - perfect for lunch, a snack, or a side dish. Really quick to make, and super yummy!

1/4 cup canned chickpeas
1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon salt
Ground pepper


Rinse and drain chickpeas. In a bowl, combine chickpeas with tomatoes, feta, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, and a pinch of pepper. Refrigerate. Serve cold.

(Source: Martha Stewart: http://www.marthastewart.com/316344/chickpea-cherry-tomato-and-feta-salad)

Mexican Tomato & Corn Salad

For the salad

1 Tbls olive oil

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

2 cups halved cherry or grape tomatoes

1 cup crumbled queso fresco cheese

2 Tbls chopped fresh cilantro

salt, pepper, and sugar to taste

For the Dressing

1 Tbls grated lime zest

1 Tbls lime juice

1 Tbls white wine vinegar

1 Tbls olive oil

1 Tbls minced garlic

In a large skillet, heat the 1 Tbls olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the corn and cook until soft, but not mushy (3-5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Cool corn slightly and set aside.

Whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, vinegar, 1 Tbls olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl.

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, cheese, cilantro, and corn. Toss the salad with the vinaigrette and season with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste.

(Source: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2012/06/mexican-tomato-and-corn-salad.html)

Italian Chop Salad

I had this delicious little salad at a Cafe by my office when I was working in Seattle. It was so yummy, and I'm pretty sure I ate it at least 20 times during my last pregnancy.

Below are the ingredients. Put in as much or little as you like of each thing...

romaine lettuce, chopped
roasted chicken breast, chopped
salami, chopped
grated mozzarella cheese
grated provolone cheese
diced tomatoes
canned garbanzo beans, drained
black olives, sliced

Toss all ingredients with Creamy Italian dressing.

Source: Alki Bakery

Grilled Red Potato Salad with Bacon-Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Don't let the name fool you. This is the. best. potato salad I've ever made or eaten. Seriously. So good!

It's found on one of my faves, food network.com (here):

Ingredients

• 4 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed, cooked until almost tender, drained, and halved
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
• Salt and freshly ground black
• 3/4 pound hickory smoked bacon
• 1 large red onion, finely sliced
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup crumbled Maytag blue cheese

Directions

Preheat grill. Toss potatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill cut side down for 3 minutes. Turn over and continue grilling 2 to 3 minutes. Place in a large bowl.

Place medium skillet on the side burner or the grill and heat until almost smoking. Add the bacon and cook until golden brown and crisp. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Let cool and crumble.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan. Add the onions and cook until soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, and sugar and cook until sugar is dissolved. Pour the onion mixture over the potatoes, add the crumbled bacon and parsley and toss to combine, season with salt and lots of black pepper. Spoon the salad onto a large platter and sprinkle with the crumbled blue cheese.

Note: I didn't have red potatoes (they're pretty hard to find here in Germany for some reason) so I used small butter potatoes. It was fine. I also didn't have white wine vinegar but I did have white wine. Don't ask. I just used regular vinegar and some of the white wine I had. I'm sure if you're more religious than me, you can use something else. I'd use the wine again. I did let it cook a little longer so as to make the alcohol content a little less than Robitussin. :) 

Southwestern Pasta Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

I'm generally not a big fan of pasta salads, but when I saw this recipe, for whatever reason, I was excited to try it. We had some friends over for a barbeque over the weekend, which presented the perfect opportunity. Everyone loved it, so I'll consider that success! I will definitely be making it again!

For the salad:
8 ounces pasta (I used Rotini)
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup grape tomatoes
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced orange or yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup sweet corn
1 large avocado, peeled, seeded, and diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 lime, for juicing over the salad
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

For the Creamy Avocado Dressing:
2 ripe avocados, peeled and seeded
3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 small jalapeño pepper, chopped and seeds removed
2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and stir in the pasta. Cook until al dente. Rinse with cold water and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, make the Creamy Avocado Dressing. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

In a large bowl, combine pasta, black beans, tomatoes, peppers, red onion, corn, and chopped avocado. Pour dressing over pasta salad and stir until salad is well coated. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the salad, so the avocados don't brown. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve at room temperature or chilled.

Note-you may have leftover dressing, depending on how "dressed" you like your pasta salad. If the dressing is too thick, add more buttermilk.

Source: TwoPeasAndTheirPod.com: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/southwestern-pasta-salad-with-creamy-avocado-dressing/

Spinach Salad with Cranberries, Pecans, Bacon, and Blue Cheese

This had a great mix of wonderful flavors! It's different than the spinach salad I usually make, but it will definitely be in the salad rotation for times when I need to go beyond the "regular family dinner" salad.

1/2 pound hickory smoked bacon slices, roughly chopped
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
2 (6-ounce) containers baby spinach
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup dried cranberries

Dressing:
1/2 cup Danish blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Fry chopped bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until brown and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined 1/4-sheet tray to drain.

Toast pecans in the oven on a 1/4-sheet tray until lightly golden and fragrant, about 6 minutes.

In a medium bowl mash the blue cheese with a fork. Mix in the buttermilk, sour cream, sugar, salt and pepper, to taste.

Combine baby spinach, red onion, pecans, dried cranberries and bacon in large bowl. Toss with the dressing immediately before serving.


(source: www.foodnetwork.com --The Neelys)

BBQ Chicken Salad with Creamy BBQ Cilantro Lime Dressing

Let me just say this: magically delicious.

I didn't measure any of the main ingredients for the salad. I put each salad plate together separately so everyone got some of everything, and ingredients didn't get lost in the bottom of the salad bowl. So for the salad itself, put however much you want of the following together:

BBQ sauce
shredded chicken
romaine lettuce
tomato
black beans (drained)
frozen corn, thawed
red onion, diced
avacado, diced
sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Monterey jack cheese, grated
crushed tortilla chips
fresh cilantro, chopped

Creamy BBQ Cilantro Lime Dressing (this is what makes the salad amazing):

1 cup mayonnaise, light or regular
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 to 1/2 cup BBQ sauce

For the salad, combine the cooked chicken and BBQ sauce in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the dressing, combine all the ingredients together and run through a blender to make it smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Drizzle over the top of the salad. Devour.

(source: adapted slightly from www.melskitchencafe.com)

Cranberry Waldorf Salad

I made this for Christmas Eve dinner, but forgot to actually put it out at dinner time, so Dickson and I devoured it that night and the next day. It was yummy!

1 1/2 cups chopped cranberries (fresh or dried)
1 cup chopped red apple
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup seedless green grapes, halved
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (8 ounce) container vanilla yogurt

Combine cranberries, apple, celery, grapes, walnuts, cinnamon, and yogurt. Toss to coat. Cover and chill 2 hours. Stir just before serving.

Strawberry Pretzel Jell-O Salad

I know it sounds weird to put pretzels in salad-especially a jell-o salad. Luckily for me, I tasted it before I knew what it was, which is good, or I may not have tried it at all. Living in the Jell-O capital of the world, sometimes I get tired of seeing Jell-O at every church event, party, etc., but this made all of those other times of bad Jell-O worth it.

1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
4 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup white sugar
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (6 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin
2 cups boiling water
1 (16 ounce) package frozen strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together the pretzels, 4 1/2 tablespoons sugar and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool completely. In a medium bowl, beat the sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread evenly over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. In a medium bowl, stir together the gelatin mix and boiling water. Mix in frozen strawberries, and stir until thawed. Pour over cream cheese mixture in pan. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 1 hour.

(Source: www.allrecipes.com)

Spinach Salad

Among the top three spinach salads I've ever had. One of the others was at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building; I assume they wouldn't have given me the recipe had I asked.

3/4 cup almonds, slivered
1 pound spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons minced onion
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil

In a large bowl, combine the spinach with the toasted almonds, cranberries, and swiss cheese. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, onion, paprika, white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, and vegetable oil. Toss with spinach just before serving.

(adapted slightly from recipe at www.allrecipes.com)

Corn Salad

A lady at work brought this in for a potluck. It was so good, everyone requested the recipe.

5 ears of corn
1/2 cup red onion
3 Tbls cider vinegar
3 Tbls olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup basil chiffonade (shredded)

Cook the corn in boiling salted water for three minutes; remove and put in ice bath. Cut kernels off each cob. Mix corn kernels with other ingredients. Chill.

(Source: Linda Wiseman, a coworker)

Broccoli Salad

I could eat a whole bowl of this myself. It's the only way I will eat raw broccoli (usually I think it's gross unless it's at least steamed a little bit).

2 heads fresh broccoli
1 red onion
1/2 pound bacon
3/4 cup craisins
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup white sugar
2 Tbls

Place bacon in a deep skillet and cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Cool and crumble. Cut the broccoli into bite-size pieces and cut the onion into thin bite-size slices. Combine with the bacon, craisins, and almonds and mix well.
To prepare the dressing, mix the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar together until smooth. Stir into the salad. Chill until serving.

(Source: adapted slightly from www.allrecipes.com)

Fruit Salad

Sour cream in a fruit salad sounded a little strange, but the flavors meshed well together. You won't be sad if you make this.

1 (10-ounce) can pineapple chunks (about 1 cup), drained
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges (about 1 cup), drained
1 medium apple, cored and chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup grapes, halved
1/2 cup sour cream, light or regular
1/2 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

Combine the fruit in a large bowl, tossing well so the apple (and other fruit that likes to brown) can get coated in the pineapple and orange juice to prevent browning. Stir in the sour cream and coconut, gently tossing to coat. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours prior to serving to allow the flavors to meld together. Serve chilled.

(Source: www.melskitchencafe.com)