You may not know this but chicken salad is one of my favorite things to eat. I love it! But surprisingly, I’ve only posted one recipe for it on my blog and it wasn’t even my own personal recipe. Well it’s been long enough!

There are SO many different ways of making a good chicken salad – my mom sometimes puts pineapple and almonds in hers and my grandmother puts a little whipped cream in hers. They’re all different and they’re all so good. Mine is a bit different from theirs, but not too much. I love it because it’s really crunchy, sweet and salty at the same time. Mmmm, just talking about it makes me hungry for more….. This is a perfect meal- it’s light, refreshing and keeps really well in the fridge for lunch the next day. You really need to try this one; I promise you’ll love it as much as we do!

My Chicken Salad

1 small rotisserie chicken, deboned and shredded
2 celery stalks, chopped
handful red grapes, sliced in half (we like lots)
1/2 cup lightly salted cashews
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4-1/3 cup mayonnaise (start with 1/4 cup and see if you need more)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
pinch cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and taste for seasoning; chill until ready to serve.

Ok, I am officially FIRED UP about Summer!! Every year I get so depressed that the Christmas/Winter season will be over and Spring/Summer is on its way…but not this year! This year I was ready to kick winter to the curb and move on to sunny weather, warm breezes and spending as much time as possible outdoors. But, as luck would have it…it rained. Non-stop. For weeks. I feel like it’s been raining all. stinking. year. Just when we would get a taste of beautiful Spring weather – BAM! More rain for the next 4 or 5 days. But, this weekend, luckily, the rain subsided and we were blessed with a wonderfully sunny, warm, beautiful weekend. JOY! And to celebrate that, hubby and I decided to grill. I marinated (then hubby grilled) some chicken breasts in my beloved Lime Ponzu (and lemme tell ya- this stuff is an awesome marinade!!! Next up is grilled Lime Ponzu shrimp!), whipped up some spiced sweet potato bites with curry, chili powder and paprika (coming soon!) and topped it off with this grilled corn salad (aka, heaven in a bowl- you MUST try this!!). And WOW- what a great meal! We sat outside by the pool and enjoyed every second of our meal- especially the corn salad! And now, I’m SO ready for summer so we can do this every night!! Come on, summertime!!

Grilled Corn Salad
-adapted from For the Love of Cooking

4 ears of fresh corn, grilled, (I took off 1 layer of the shucks, then hubby grilled them over medium heat for 20-30 minutes, turning occasionally)
2 roma tomatoes, diced
half a green bell pepper, diced
1 small jalapeno, diced
1 avocado, diced
handful cilantro, chopped
juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons honey
salt and pepper to taste

To make the dressing: Put honey and lime juice in a small bowl and slowly whisk in the vegetable oil. Add salt and pepper.

To assemble the salad: Cut the corn off of the husks and place in a large bowl with tomatoes, bell pepper, jalapeno, avocado and cilantro. Toss with dressing. Check for seasoning. Chill until ready to serve. Serves 4.

I realize I’ve sort of been MIA lately, but I have a good excuse – my sweet hubby took off Thursday and Friday to be with me and relax a bit (and wasn’t his timing impeccable? We’ve had nothing but NCAA tournament on for 4 days straight!). We’ve had such a wonderful 4 days together – we cooked together, played games (I’ve almost gotten to the point where I can beat him at Mario Cart…almost), took nice, long walks with Izzy, and he even helped me paint our dining room table! There’s nothing I enjoy more than spending time with my husband (especially when life is SO happy and care-free)!  I just hate that he’s back at work now, and unfortunately, my Spring Break is over as well- it’s back to work tomorrow for me too.

While we were enjoying our free time, we decided it would be nice to grill hamburgers and hot dogs; and one of my favorite things to serve with grilled burgers is macaroni salad. Mmmm! Macaroni salad is just one of those foods that puts me in a good mood. It’s crunchy, creamy, slightly tangy…I just love it! I just sort of “threw” this one together and it was actually one of the best tasting macaroni salads I’ve had! Our favorite part is definitely the little cubes of cheese – we loooove cheese! These measurements are just approximations, so be sure to taste as you go along and add additional seasoning or ingredients as needed to suit your tastes.

Creamy Macaroni Salad

1/2 pound macaroni, cooked, drained and completely cooled.
3 small carrots, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1-2 Tablespoons jarred pimento
1/2 cup frozen sweet peas, thawed
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes (we like more cheese, so I ended up using closer to 3/4 cup)
salt and pepper to taste (we like lots of black pepper)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 cup Creamy Italian salad dressing

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Taste for seasoning. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Poor hubby has had a hard week. So last night I wanted to make him a nice, relaxing, delicious dinner that would hopefully let him forget his troubles for a while. That’s just what I did; pan-seared Ribeye steaks with a mushroom cream sauce, baked potatoes, gelato (all coming soon!) and this salad – it was a wonderful meal and a wonderful evening!

There is an Italian restaurant we like to go to that has the best house salad dressing; they make it with fresh tomatoes and it’s totally delicious. I’ve been meaning to try and recreate it at home so we can enjoy it anytime. So of course when I saw this recipe on Kayotic Kitchen, I knew I had to try it. While this recipe was great – it wasn’t quite like the restaurant style we love so much- pretty close, though. However, it’s good to have this recipe on hand – it’s delicious!!

Fresh Tomato Salad Dressing
-Kayotic Kitchen

3 Roma tomatoes
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tbsp oil
pepper
salt

I put all ingredients in a blender and pureed it until smooth. Taste for seasoning and refrigerate until needed.

This was a great salad – it was a nice change of pace from regular ranch dressing and we both loved it! I think hubby enjoyed his meal tremendously…I know I did!

No, I’m not speaking some strange, made-up language…Bum Goolie is a type of food! It’s light, it’s tart, it’s refreshing…it’s totally delicious! But what is it, you’re probably wondering…

I guess you could say it’s a type of salad. It’s been in my family for years ever since my Aunt Bunny gave my Nana the recipe. We have no idea what the heck “bum goolie” means, but hey, it tastes good and that’s all that matters. It’s sort of a salad of pickled tomatoes, banana peppers and onions – that’s the best way I can describe it. It’s absolutely delicious in the summer when tomatoes and banana peppers are in season and the weather is hot- it’s very refreshing. I love to stock up on tomatoes and peppers at the Farmer’s Market and make a big batch – it goes great with pretty much every meal.

Here’s how I make it:

Bum Goolie

6-8 long, fresh banana peppers, seeded and chopped into bite-size chunks
3-4 tomatoes, seeded, cut into chunks
1/2 a yellow onion, cut into chunks
1/2 – 3/4 cup white vinegar (depending on how tart you like it – add as much or as little as you like. I like mine pretty tart, so I’d probably use a little more than this)
1/2 water
1 teaspoon sugar (or more if you like it a little sweeter)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl (it will be very liquidy – you’ll need a slotted spoon when you go to serve it); cover and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours. Overnight is best.

I know it looks and sounds weird, but trust me, it’s delicious. I just love it in the hot summertime! Enjoy!

Who wants to turn their oven on when it’s this hot outside? I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t want to be cooking a pot roast when it’s 100 degrees outside! After a long, hot day of running errands, yard work and cleaning house, all I want for dinner is something cool and refreshing – not warm and gooey. Don’t get me wrong- I love a nice, warm tuna casserole as much as the next guy, but definitely not in the summer. That’s why this salad is particularly nice. Cold, crisp, light – everything a summer salad should be!

I made this for a Father’s Day picnic with my parents. We went to an outside concert where you could take a blanket and a picnic and just spread out and listen to good music. So much fun! My mother brought cucumber sandwiches, cantaloupe, watermelon, cheese and crackers and summer sausage, and I brought this salad along with some chocolate cupcakes and pink lemonade -  what a great meal! We all really enjoyed the salad – it was absolutely perfect for a picnic! I really loved the crunch of the vegetables – so refreshing! This is a dish I will most definitely be making again and again – it’s great because it gets better the longer it sits. I made it the night before and it was perfect the next day. This is an ideal summer salad – a definite keeper!

Crunchy Noodle Salad
-Barefoot Contessa

Kosher salt
1/2 pound thin spaghetti
1 pound sugar snap peas
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds, divided
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded, and thinly sliced
4 scallions (white and green parts), sliced diagonally

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, bring another large pot of salted water to a boil, add the sugar snap peas, return to a boil, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until crisp tender. Lift the sugar snap peas from the water with a slotted spoon and immerse them in a bowl of ice water. Drain.
For the dressing, whisk together the vegetable oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and peanut butter in a medium bowl.
Combine the spaghetti, sugar snap peas, peppers and scallions in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the spaghetti mixture. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds and the parsley and toss together.

There’s not a whole lot to say about tuna salad- it’s nothing new. Most of us have been eating it our whole lives. In college, I used to eat it every day at lunch  when I worked in the music department office, and people would come in and go, “Ewww, what’s that smell? Ugh, gross! Yuck – it smells fishy in here!”, which actually really got on my nerves, but didn’t stop me from eating it every day (hehe- take that, you tuna haters!).  Tuna salad can be pretty dull. Tuna, mayo, relish…not much to write home about. But with the right ingredients, tuna salad can be pretty darn tasty! I’ll show you how I make it (and my mom, and grandmother, and sister…) and you can decide if it still sounds dull, mmkay? Here we go!

Tuna Salad

1 large can, chunk light tuna in water
1 celery stalk, chopped into very small pieces
2 dill pickles, chopped (not the uber-huge monster pickles, and not baby dill, either – just a regular sized pickle)
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 small apple, chopped (any kind of apple you like – I used Fuji, but if you like it more tart, Grannysmith is good)
approx. 1/4 cup mayonnaise (the real thing)
approx. 1/4 cup Miracle Whip
1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning (I use Tony Chachere’s…in my family, we use this on just about everything)
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
splash of pickle juice

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and chill until ready to serve. Enjoy!
*As far as the mayo goes, you can use as little or as much as you like – these are just approximations, as I usually just throw some in and taste as I go.

This is the tuna salad my family has been making forever – it’s always delicious and perfect for a summer picnic! It’s got a lot of crunch and a lot of flavor – hope you enjoy it!

Ok, I know it’s probably one of my cheesiest titles yet, but I really do want to apologize for being MIA for over a week now (and, the post is about pea salad, so there you go). I promise I have a good excuse – the opera company I sing with is doing Carmen in a couple of weeks and I’m right in the smack middle of rehearsals. Driving 30 minutes to and from almost every night and every Saturday and Sunday, getting home after 10 or 11 o’clock in the evenings, trying to memorize music, and remember where I’m supposed to stand on stage without looking like a complete idiot (which still happens quite a lot, incidentally)….all this plus dog-sitting a poodle along with my own high energy pup and teaching voice lessons two days a week. This doesn’t leave much time for food-blogging. And to be quite honest, I haven’t cooked a thing in over a week – except this pea salad.

Easter was a really nice, welcomed break for the hubby and me. On top of the joy of celebrating Jesus’s resurrection, being with family, eating tons of Nana’s delicious ham and other yummy Easter-y things, it was just nice to have some time off and rest a bit. Although I didn’t rest too much – I was busy making a ginormous banana pudding (my mommy’s famous recipe) and this tasty pea salad! I had never had pea salad, and I’m not sure what made me want to try it, but for whatever reason I threw it together and decided to take it to my parent’s house for Easter Sunday. It was pretty good, too! I love the little cubes of cheese, and the bacon really gives it a good flavor. So, here is my “Peas Offering”, if you will (hehehe), and I promise I’ll try to do better with my food blogging in the coming weeks. Bear with me, ya’ll!

Creamy Pea Salad

One 10-ounce package of frozen tiny peas (thawed)
1/2 cup chopped fresh celery
3 green onions, chopped (I used only the green parts, otherwise I think it would overpower the salad)
3-4 slices of bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled or torn
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, cut into tiny cubes
1/2 cup real mayonnaise
1 or 2 tablespoons sour cream (depending on how much you like)
salt and pepper to taste

*I like to chop the celery and cheese about the same size as the peas, so everything is the about the same size

Combine all ingredients and chill until needed. Pretty straight forward, huh?

For those of you who don’t know – Pioneer Woman is a cooking blog I really enjoy reading. Her recipes are really reasonable, simple, and of course, very tasty! She reminds me a lot of my big sister, Lindsay – they have the same sharp, witty personality. Maybe that’s why I love her blog so much…  Anyway, I saw her recipe for chicken salad recently and decided I just had to try it (chicken salad is big in my family!).  As usual, it was very simple to make and tasted pretty good too – not as good as my mom’s (hi, mom!), but you know how that goes…nothing is ever as good as mom’s.

Pioneer Woman’s Chicken Salad

1 whole fryer, cut up and poached
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
green (or red) grapes, cut in half (as much as you’d like, really)
fresh chopped dill
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (I used sour cream)
tablespoon or 2 fresh lemon juice
tablespoon brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
pinch cayenne pepper

After chicken has been poached and cooled – cut into small chunks. Toss in a large bowl with chopped celery and grapes (I also added some chopped pecans.) In another bowl, mix mayo, yogurt, dill, lemon juice, brown sugar, salt and pepper, and cayenne together. Pour over chicken/grape/celery mixture and toss to coat. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 or 3 hours (overnight is best) so all the flavors can “marry”. Pioneer Woman adds that you can also add some chopped bacon if you want! Yum!