Broccoli and Tortellini Salad

This salad is the best. It comes from a former co-worker of mine, who was always asked to bring it to events.

Salad Ingredients:

• 6 slices of bacon
• 1 1/4 lb. fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
• 2-3 heads broccoli, chopped into florets
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• red onion, finely chopped (to taste)

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 t cider vinegar

Cook bacon, cool, and crumble. Cook tortellini for 8-10 minutes, drain, and rinse under cool water. Mix dressing ingredients. Combine all remaining ingredients in a large bowl; add dressing; toss. Serve chilled.

Oriental Chicken Salad

I don't usually eat large portions of salad, but I do when it's this kind!

Salad ingredients:
1-2 cooked chicken breasts, diced (I dice them when raw, marinade in a little teriyaki sauce, then saute in a skillet)
~1 1/2 heads lettuce, greens, spinach, etc.
1 can mandarin oranges
3 green onions, chopped (optional)
1 pkg. ramen noodles, uncooked
1 small pkg. sliced almonds

Dressing ingredients:
4 T sugar
2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
4 T vinegar
1/3-1/2 cup salad oil (I use canola)

Combine dressing ingredients. Combine salad ingredients. Toss salad with dressing.

Pizza Salad

Tomato-Basil Dressing:
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves (or dry basil to taste)

Mix tomatoes, oil and garlic in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Transfer to blender. Add vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar and basil. Pulse to blend and set aside.

Salad:1 Boboli crust(baked at 450 degrees for 8-10minutes and then cut into 2" squares)
3 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 lb. diced mozzarella cheese
6 cups green leaf lettuce pieces (I use romaine)
1/2 of 3.5 oz. package of pepperoni, cut in half
Combine all ingredients and add dressing.
Toss and serve. To die for!!

Jello Cottage Cheese Salad

Whats a Mormon recipe blog without Jello Salad? :p I never ate this stuff because I thought it looked (and sounded) gross...until I was pregnant with Evie, then I ate it every single week because its soooooo good! Perfect for summer!

Orange Jello Cottage Cheese Salad

1 container Cool Whip, 8oz
1 container cottage cheese, 12oz
1 small box orange flavored jello, 3oz
1 can mandarin oranges, 11oz, drained
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional for some, necessary for me!)
1 cup mini marshmallows (optional)

Scoop cool whip into your serving bowl, gently fold in cottage cheese, dry jello powder, nuts, and mini mallows. For best consistency, refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Variations:
Strawberry- use sliced strawberries and strawberry jello (salad will be pink!)
Pineapple- use crushed pineapple, drained and pina colada jello (salad will be white!)

~ Bethany S.

Karma’s Spinach Salad

Karma’s Spinach Salad

Salad:
1 pkg. spinach
1 pkg. spring mix greens
Sugared almonds Craisins
Sliced strawberries
Red onion (how much you use depends on strength of onion, usually about ½)

Dressing:
½ c. lemon juice
½ c. sugar
2 T. olive oil
1 T. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Do not mix before you are ready to serve and only as much as you will need because strawberries and dressing will wilt spinach. All ingredients will keep if not mixed. Makes 12 servings.

Sugared Almonds:
slivered almonds (or walnuts etc)
1-2 cups sugar
About 1/8-1/4 c. water
Dash of cinnamon

Mix water and sugar in skillet. Add almonds and continue to stir mixture until sugar makes a syrup and water evaporates. When water evaporates turn almonds onto wax paper on cookie sheet to dry and crisp up. Sugared almonds will keep in a Ziploc bag so you can make a big batch and use some later on.

(This recipe is SO good, like Bridal/Baby Shower good!)

~Bethany S.

Brazillian Black Beans

-This is what Andre pretty much grew up on, his mom makes it all the time! (She is native Brazillian!) Its cheap, easy, flexible, and uses food storage (yay!)

black beans (dry or canned)
1 onion, chopped
1 sausage, sliced & cut into quarters (just to clarify: like deli sausage, not breakfast sausage)

Cook the above together. Depending on how much time we have we'll either cook dry beans in the pressure cooker (1-2 hours) or the crock pot (for Sunday Dinner). Or if I'm using canned beans I just do it on the stovetop or in the microwave (quick weeknight dinner). In that case I dont put sausage in it, and will just cook whatever kind of meat we have on hand separately & put the strips on top. (or sometimes we dont even have meat with it). Sometimes I add cumin, garlic salt, and/or lime juice to it, but you don't have to.

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

1 cucumber, sliced & quartered
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
olive oil
salt & pepper
balsamic vinegar

Mix cucumbers & tomatoes in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, and salt & pepper it liberally. Serve with black beans and rice- we layer it all and eat it together. Mmmmmm! (by: Bethany S.)

*Andre's family also eats it with a fried, sunny-side-up egg on top. But I think thats kind of weird, and I usually don't have the time to do it or I forget. So I usually leave it out unless I'm trying to really impress him, haha. :) I do admit though, it does taste okay/pretty good. And its a good source of protein.

Broiled Tex Mex w/ black beans & rice

steak strips
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
2tsp chili powder
1 tsp sugar
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Toss and coat steak in olive oil, sprinkle on seasoned mixture. Broil under top rack in oven, on foil covered baking sheet. Turn once. Broil until fully cooked and browned. (sometimes I just cook it in a frying pan on the stove)

Serve over rice and black beans. I thought the spices might be too spicy/hot for my kids, but they love it!

Avocado and Tomato Salad

3/4 cup quartered grape or cherry tomatoes
1 med. avocado, diced
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp salt

Gently mix ingredients in a bowl. Serve with Broiled Tex Mex recipe above. This is also yummy with tortilla chips! (by: Bethany S.)

Taco Salad

.5-1 pound ground beef
1 can tomato soup
1 envelope taco seasoning
corn chips
1 can pinto beans
toppings

Cook taco meat according to instructions on packet. Add tomato soup and pinto beans, stir and heat until warmed through. Serve over taco chips with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, sour cream or ranch dressing, and other toppings as desired. (by Janell)