Not Yo' Mamma's Pasta Salad...

With 4^th of July just around the corner, I had to share this new pasta salad I made tonight that was too good to keep to myself!

The caramelized onions and fennel take this salad to a whole new level. It really gives a nice flavor, don’t be afraid of the fennel. When it is sautéed it has a very mild taste and gives the dish a little something extra. As I was finishing up the pasta, I noticed I had some mangos in the fridge, so tossed them in and talk about a great combo. The sweet and savory flavors really work great in this salad.

I got all my veggis at that farmers market I was talking about in a previous post, so this salad was really inexpensive. I seriously got 4 mangos for $1 and bell peppers for .30 cents each. Love it!

And if you don’t feel like grilling your own chicken, grab a bag of Tyson precooked/grilled chicken in the freezer section of your grocer or Costco. That’s actually what I used tonight and it was just fine. No one will ever know!

Hope everyone has a great 4^th! We’re heading to Anthem tomorrow night for their big Firework Bash. I need to get one of those personal mister fans, it’s going to be a hot one!

Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad with Caramelized Onion, Fennel and Mango

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ Cup onion, finely chopped
½ lb campanelle pasta noodles
¼ Cup finely chopped fennel (if you don’t have it, just use additional onion)
2 Cups grilled chicken breast, cubed
1 red or orange bell pepper, diced
1 ½ Cups quartered zucchini
3 Cups broccoli florets
2 mangos, peeled and cubed
½ bottle Kraft Tuscan House Italian Dressing or Zesty Italian, 16 fl oz size
Couple pinches kosher salt

1. Heat oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and fennel for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to low and cook until golden. Let cool for 10 minutes. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and place into a large bowl with the onions/fennel. Toss in rest of ingredients, gently stirring to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

4 servings

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Thanks so much to Susan from She's Becoming Dough Messtic blog for the Arte y Pico Award! I love my food bloggin' friends!!

Great Way to Use Leftovers: Adobo Chicken Salad on Cheddar Onion Pockets

Happy Father's Day Everyone! The day's about over, but hope everyone has enjoyed spending time with the Father's in their lives and ate some great food! I think I've probably gained about 5 pounds with all the food we've consumed this weekend, yikes back to yoga and pilates this week!

For any of you who were huge Tastespotting fans like myself, knows they had to shut down for some legal issue. I found another cool site that posts droolworthy pictures and links to the recipes. So be sure to check out Food Gawker and send in those yummy photos .

Thought I'd post my latest while everyone is still napping in my house: Yummy Adobo Chicken Salad using up the sweet corn from my Father's Day Dinner. This is one of my new favorite chicken salads. It's got a perfect sweet and smoky flavor that's mild enough for even the kids!

The boys and I got out our big box of Ritz crackers and had a hay day digging in. It's great on a sandwich and perfect as a snack on crackers. I got my cheddar onion rolls from Sprouts, but any nice soft roll will do.

Enjoy the rest of your day, we're off to pig out at my mom's house! I'll be back soon with a quick weeknight dinner and an easy cheesecake bar dessert! Oh and that 60 second lunch, that I can't seem to photograph, it never lasts that long on the plate, it's all coming soon!

Here's my special helper that kept inching closer and closer to my photo shoot again. Little rascal, Hawaiian Punch mustache and all!

Adobo Chicken Salad on Cheddar Onion Pockets

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (Costco has a great one)
1 1/2 Cups mayonnaise
1/2 Cup left over Sweet Sauteed Corn recipe
3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 Tablespoon Adobo sauce
1 Tablespoon lime juice
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
Cheddar onion pockets (from Sprouts) or other nice soft rolls
spinach leaves

1. Combine first 8 ingredients into a large bowl until combined. Spread onto nice soft rolls lined with spinach leaves. Enjoy!

An Oldie, But an Oh so Goodie!

Hope everyone had a nice weekend, here it is already Sunday night. This is the last week of school too, yikes summer is here!

It’s funny, I kind of forgot about the BBQ ranch chicken salad. I remember making it all the time a few years ago and even won a prize with a this combo as a pizza back in 04, then time passed and I was on to making other things.

However, Friday night I became a huge fan all over again! Our night started at the movies where we saw the comic book move, Ironman, it was pretty entertaining. The guys really liked it. It kept my interest.

After the movie we went to Paradise bakery for dinner. After contemplating on what to order, I decided last minute to get the BBQ Ranch chicken salad, with a sammy, of course. I am so glad I ordered that salad! It was so good that I had to go make my own version the next day. I had all of the ingredients on hand, so it came together quickly. I forgot how much I love the flavor combo of ranch and BBQ sauce, Yum! So, re-live the past, you certainly won’t be disappointed in this salad.

While I was trying to take pics of my salad, my little guy was patiently waiting to dig in as soon as I was done. I don’t know of many 3 year olds who like salad, but mine does. I had to get these pics of him getting as close as he could to my bowl! Little goof!

Making his move...

Trying to go in for the kill, but licks the fork!

BBQ Chicken Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing

3 Cups thinly sliced Green Leaf Lettuce
¼ Cup corn
¼ Cup black beans
8 grape tomatoes, halved
1 cooked grilled chicken breast
¼ Cup favorite BBQ Sauce
¼ Cup shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ Cup prepared ranch dressing
1 heaping Tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro leaves

1. Place lettuce into a salad bowl. Layer with corn, black beans and tomatoes. Dice cooked chicken breast and mix with BBQ sauce. Top over salad and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

2. Place ranch dressing and cilantro leaves into a small bowl to combine. Drizzle over salad and serve.

**This recipe is for 1 large serving, double accordingly**

Sweet Pork Salad with Cilantro Dressing

Good Wednesday morning!

So, this is what we decided to have for our Mother’s Day Lunch at my sister’s Sunday afternoon. I was in charge of the pork which started off as a complete disaster. My mom bought a picnic roast and apparently I haven’t cooked with this particular type of pork before because to my surprise I spent over a half an hour carving the pig’s skin off. I was practically dry heaving doing it. Note to self, never buy a picnic roast again!! See pics below of me carving, my husband snapped the photo. He was so grossed out too.

Even though I was completely turned off by the pig skin and swore I wouldn't eat it when it was cooked, the pork turned out beautifully and I did change my mind. I put it in the crockpot overnight and out came a tender, beautiful pork roast in the morning. The cola makes it so tender and tasty.

I know there are a ton of these sweet pork salad recipes going around right now, but I think it’s because they are so good. If you've been to Costa Vida in Gilbert, this salad is kind of my copycat version of the one I order there. You won’t be disappointed in this one! We’ve used this recipe for so many family gatherings and it’s always a hit!

Where do I vomit. Really disgusting. Poor little piggy.

Here's my beautiful little sis Kimmy, me and my cutest Mom on our Pre-Mother's Day Lunch outing. On Friday's we try to go to lunch with just the ladies and this was great right before Mother's day. I am so lucky to have these ladies in my life!

Sweet Pork Salad with Cilantro Dressing

2-4 lb pork roast
1 ½ Cups Coca Cola
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Seasoning Salt

Sauce:
1 Cup Coca Cola
1 Cup ketchup

Dressing:
1 jar Herdez Salsa Verde (mild tomatillo salsa, I get it at Walmart, any size)
Equal amount of prepared ranch dressing (Hidden Valley)
1 Bunch Cilantro

10 inch wheat or flour tortillas
Shredded green leaf lettuce
Black beans, I just used canned
Cilantro lime rice (steamed rice with chopped cilantro leaves and fresh lime juice, as much as desired)
Diced tomatoes, cheese, guacamole….etc
Crispy Tortilla Strips (flour tortillas cut into thin strips and fried in vegetable oil until browned)

1. Place roast in crockpot with Coke; season with salt, pepper and garlic seasoning. Cook on low overnight, until tender. Remove roast from crockpot, discard juices. Shred pork into bite size pieces and place back into pot on low.
2. Place Cola and ketchup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Heat to a low boil. Pour over shredded roast. Cook on low until ready to serve.
3. For dressing, place equal parts salsa verde and ranch dressing into food processor or blender. Add Cilantro leaves and process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. To serve: Place tortilla onto a large bowl or plate. Layer with lettuce, beans, rice, pork, dressing and tomatoes, cheese and guacamole. Cheese, guacamole and crispy tortilla strips not pictured, but really good in it!

Recipes Gone Wild...

I LOVE wild rice recipes! Especially when it comes pre-cooked from Trader Joes, what a brilliant idea. I pick up a bag every time I go.

During my long weekends of pilates training, I like to bring lunch for my friend and I who travels from Nevada every other weekend. At 10:00pm the night before, I was looking for something quick to put together and I happened to see my bag of wild rice. I came up with this nice rice salad with chicken, feta, basil, grape tomatoes and a good Italian Dressing (I like Ken's). Talk about delicious! I can hardly wait to make it again. Give it a try, and shhhh it's even somewhat healthy too!

Brown and Wild Rice Italian Chicken Salad

2 Cups uncooked brown rice
8 oz cooked wild rice (I get it precooked at Trader Joes)
1 ½ Cups cooked shredded chicken breast
3.5 oz package of crumbled feta cheese
10 oz package of grape tomatoes, quartered
10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
½ Cup-3/4 Cup Italian Dressing (I used Ken's Italian)
Pinch of salt and pepper
Fresh Baby Spinach leaves

1. Cook brown rice according to package directions (use rice cooker, if available, much quicker). Let cool or refrigerate. Once cool, place all ingredients except spinach, into a large bowl. Lightly toss to coat. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste and serve over a bed of fresh baby spinach leaves. Drizzle top with additional dressing if desired. Serve cold.

Creamy Chicken Vegetable Wild Rice SoupThis is such a yummy soup. It's quick, easy and on the table in about 20 minutes. If you are in need of a quick dinner, this soup does the trick. Serve with some rolls and call it good. I used the remaining wild rice I had left-over from the salad and voila', your done!

Creamy Chicken Vegetable Wild Rice Soup

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
4 Cups fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 cans chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
¾ Cup milk or heavy cream
2 Cups cooked shredded chicken breast
1 Cup cooked wild rice (I got mine from Trader Joes, precooked)
Pinches of salt and pepper to taste

1. Place oil into a large dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Saute onion, carrots and celery for 8-10 minutes or until softened. Stir in garlic for 1 minute then add chicken broth soups, milk, chicken, salt and pepper. Heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until heated through. Serve and enjoy!

Beautiful Arugula Salad with Famous Biscuits

This arugula salad is one of my favorites. It's so simple yet beautiful at the same time. The combination of the peppery arugula, gorgonzola and toasted pecans with the sweet poppy dressing is so good.

This dressing is one that I've developed over the years and use in many of other salads as well. It goes great with the strawberry spinach salad that everyone makes. It's even good over iceberg lettuce. Keep it on hand for parties, it's always a hit.

I would say this salad appeals to mostly women. The guys get freaked out by arugula for some reason. I've recently gotten my husband into arugula but he won't touch the blue cheese or pecans. At any rate, kick your feet up and treat yourself to this "restaurant quality" style salad and Enjoy!

Arugula Salad with Gorgonzola, Toasted Pecans and Raspberry Poppyseed Dressing

8 heaping cups fresh baby arugula leaves

Dressing (enough for about 4 dinner salads)
2 Tablespoons Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar or just Raspberry Vinegar
¼ Cup sugar
Pinch of salt
½ Cup Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon poppyseeds

1/4 Cup crumbled gorgonzola (add more if you are a blue cheese fan)
1 Cup toasted pecans (baked at 350 for 10-15 minutes until fragrant)

1. Place arugula leaves into a large mixing bowl. Place raspberry vinegar, sugar and salt into a blender and blend for 15 seconds. With blender running on low, slowly drizzle canola oil in until emulsified. Pour into serving bowl and stir in poppyseeds.

2. Drizzle dressing slowly over arugula leaves while gently tossing to coat. Place onto 4 serving dishes. Top each salad with gorgonzola and toasted pecans.

Buttermilk Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits

Did anyone catch Oprah last week when she had her former personal chef, Art Smith, on her show? I happened to have the tv on that day and was so excited because he was giving out some of his restaurant's recipes. He left Oprah to open his own restaurant in Chicago named Table Fifty-two. Apparently it's booked out for weeks in advance, I'd love to try it.

When his guests sit down at their tables the servers bring out these beautiful Buttermilk Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits. I hurried to my computer and printed off the recipe. I'm not even a biscuit fan, but these are incredible. They are soft, flaky and tasty with Parmesan Cheese sprinkled on top right after they come out of the oven. I love that they are cooked in a cast iron skillet too. It took a whole 20 minutes from start to finish to make these. See the link below for the recipe.

Click HERE for these Buttermilk Goat Cheese Biscuits on Oprah's Website.

Hope Everyone is Having/Had a Happy Valentine's Day!

Toasted Garlic Bread and Arugula Salad

First off, I have to say thanks to Deborah from Taste and Tell. I won her drawing for a free magazine subscription, how cool is that! I picked Cooking Light, I can't wait to fix up some of the recipes! Thanks again Deborah!

What a fun Valentine's Day it's been so far. I got to help out in my son's Kindergarten class this morning for his "big" party he's been looking forward to for weeks. It was so fun to watch all the kids have fun passing out their Valentines, eating their goodies and socializing with each other.

After I got home, I decided to treat myself to a few yummy recipes I had been wanting to try. First up was this yummy garlic bread salad I kind of created as I was going along. It is so incredibly easy and even more tasty! I love the combo of the arugula, tomatoes and basil in this salad. Really delicious!

Toasted Garlic Bread and Arugula Salad

1 garlic ciabatta roll (about 6 inches) or regular ciabatta roll pressed with garlic clove, cut in half horizontally, and toasted under broiler until crisp (click on link to see the rolls I use from Walmart)
1 roma tomato, diced
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon good balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Cups fresh arugula
4 fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
pinch of salt, pepper

1. Cut toasted ciabatta into cubes. Whisk olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Place all ingredients into a bowl and toss to combine. Serve and enjoy!

Serves 2

Chocolate Macaroon Rice Pudding....Yummy!

Next up, was a super chocolaty rice pudding that I knew I wanted to make from the first time I laid eyes on it! If you love chocolate covered macaroons, you'll love this recipe. I thought it was perfect for the chocolate lover. A fellow cooking contester, Christine R., won with this recipe, she also just won $50,000 in the National Beef Cook-off last year...this girl knows her stuff!

Hope you all are spending time with your loved ones today. I'm looking forward to a date night with my hubby tonight! Thanks for watching the boys Reed! Happy Valentine's Day!!

Chocolate Macaroon Rice Pudding

(Recipe from Rice USA recipe contest winner Christine R.)

3 Cups cooked medium grain rice
14 oz can unsweetened coconut milk
1 Cup sweetened condensed milk
1 Cup milk
8 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
2 Cups shredded coconut
toasted Coconut for garnish

1. Place rice, coconut milk, condensed milk and milk into a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook for about 20 minutes, until thick and bubbly. Stir in chocolate chips and coconut until chocolate is melted. Sprinkle each serving with toasted coconut if desired.