Our Favorite Pasta Salad

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law a few years ago and it is one of our favorites in the spring & summer months! So easy, great for leftovers, can be made vegetarian, and used as a main dish (with the chicken) or as a side dish.

1 lb. box of bowtie pasta, cooked according to directions
4 oz package crumbled feta cheese
1 medium/large green bell pepper, chopped finely
1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
olive oil (start with approx a 1/4 cup and then add more to your taste)
balsamic vinegar (start with approx a 1/8-1/4 cup and then add more to your taste)
chopped grilled chicken (optional)

Toss everything together in a large bowl and refrigerate in a tupperware container. Sometimes, I toss with extra olive oil and balsamic vinegar the next day to moisten the salad up before eating the leftovers.

Enjoy!

Crunchy Chicken Roll-ups

This recipe is easily halved for a smaller group.  I love this recipe because it is so versatile.  Your kids will love it, but it is nice enough for a dinner party.  I have also made this up and then sliced into pinwheel slices (4 per breast) and served as an appetizer.  It is yummy eaten as leftovers too.

8-10 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 sticks butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 sleeves Ritz crackers, crushed

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

½ tsp Italian seasoning

Couple shakes crushed red pepper or dash cayenne pepper

2 – 9x13 baking dishes sprayed with non-stick spray

 

With a meat mallet, flatten breasts until thin and even thickness.  Melt butter with minced garlic and pour into a shallow dish.  In a Ziploc bag, mix together crushed Ritz crackers, parmesan cheese, garlic powder and seasonings.  Pour contents of bag into another shallow dish.  Pie plates work well.  Dip chicken breasts into the butter mixture and shake off excess, and then coat breasts generously with cracker mixture on both sides.  Roll up chicken breasts and place in a sprayed baking dish.  Drizzle any remaining butter over tops of chicken roll-ups, or spray with olive oil lightly.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

Chicken & Ramen Noodle Salad

Dressing:

½ cup salad oil

¼ - ½ cup sugar

¼ cup vinegar (half white vinegar & half rice vinegar)

1 tsp soy sauce 

Blend ingredients in food processor until emulsified and refrigerate.

Salad:

1 pkg cole slaw mix (white cabbage, red cabbage, & carrots)

1 pkg broccoli slaw

2 pkgs ramen noodles

5-7 diced green onions

¼ cup chopped cilantro

¼ cup butter (½ stick)

½ cup Tours Mix (mixed salad nuts)

Small pkg cashews

Chop onions & cilantro and mix w/ cabbage in serving bowl, refrigerate. Brown noodles and nuts in butter, sprinkle about ½ of one of the seasoning packets over the noodles and stir in. Set aside to cool.

Toss salad dressing with slaw mix and noodle mix.

NOTE:  Marinate 3 chicken breasts in an asian-type marinade, cooked and let cool.  Chop chicken into cubes and stir into salad.  This is good for a main dish.