Joe's Blender Salsa (gf)

This recipe will always be a hit and it is a staple of mine. This is honestly one of the easiest salsa recipes I have ever seen. This salsa recipe is from our best man’s mom and in the two years we have been married I’ve honestly made it at least 20 times. It has the same ingredients that a thousand other salsa recipes have but in some way it is just better. You really do have to taste it to believe it. I made this for a little get together that we had a few weeks back and it was devoured. I was asked a dozen times what I put in it. Try it and become a believer!

Blender Salsa (gf)

1 jalapeño
½ bunch cilantro leaves (no stems
½ bunch green onion
1- 7 ounce can green chilies
1 clove garlic
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 – 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes (I use 1 can of fire-roasted tomatoes and 1 can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes)

Dice jalapeño, green onion, and garlic. Put everything, except tomatoes, into a food processor or blender. Process briefly and then add the tomatoes. Process briefly again.



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Greek Coucous Salad

Update (4/1/13): This recipe is part of My Pinterest Meals- Greek night

My husband is finally getting more involved in choosing recipes to include in the menu for the month. When we got married his tastes were pretty simple but they are certainly beginning to evolve and become more sophisticated. He pointed out this recipe to me and I decided to give it a try.

Sticking with my MO I switched things up a bit. This recipe is from Fix-It and Enjoy-It Cookbook by Phyllis Pellman Good. I liked the fact that it is a nice light salad that was so quick to make. My hubby says he liked this recipe because you could eat a lot of it and not feel weighed down and I would have to agree. It’s a great spring or summer dish with fresh veggies but with a great mix of flavors. Eat away!

Greek Couscous Salad

5 cups cooked couscous
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium sized red onion, finely chopped
½ cup minced fresh parsley
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 large tomato, chopped
1 large red or yellow pepper, chopped
1 medium sized cucumber, peeled, seeded, & chopped
½ cup black olives, sliced & drained
8 ounces, crumbled feta cheese

In a small bowl, combine onion, parsley, vinegar, oregano, salt, sugar, pepper, and oil. In a serving bowl, combine couscous, tomato, pepper, cucumber, olives, and cheese. Pour dressing over and toss to coat.

If you don’t have time or want to make the dressing, go ahead and use a store-bought Greek dressing. It’s pretty close ingredient wise and will still taste good. Just don’t drown the salad in dressing, use about 2/3 of a cup of store-bought dressing for the entire salad. Remember you can always add more.

Adapted from Fix-It and Enjoy-It Cookbook by Phyllis Good

Check out the new blog at jonesinfortaste.com

Chicken Salad Bonanza (gf)

I first had a similar recipe at a friend’s house and my husband absolutely devoured these sandwiches. She gave me the recipe which was just off the food network website and I made it once but it just wasn’t the same. I had to add a lot more yogurt to make it a little creamier and to counter the strong tastes of the spices. This time I couldn’t find the recipe I had used before and the only one similar to what I remembered was from Rachel Ray. As I was making it this time I felt that it still didn’t taste right so I went ahead and did my own thing. I used some of the ingredients from her but used my own amounts and added some other ingredients.

Feel free to change out some of these ingredients for other ones. I would recommend substituting or adding:

1 medium sized apple, diced
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
½ cup green onions, chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries

My mother-in-law also has a great chicken salad recipe that she gave me that I make fairly frequently. I tend to throw in whatever suits my fancy at the moment so feel free to substitute some of the ingredients from the first recipe in for this one. I’ve never tried the yogurt as a substitute for the mayonnaise but I’m sure it would be just as good.

I love having fruit in my chicken salad. I just love the burst of juicy sweetness when you bite into it and I think it is especially pleasant in this chicken salad. The curry adds a little bit of heat and the lemon pepper really helps to brighten it up. Plus, I love the fact that this recipe uses plain yogurt over mayonnaise. I am not a fan of mayonnaise at all; it is just so heavy and I prefer something a bit healthier. That way you don’t have to feel guilty about having two or three sandwiches- which you probably will. Plus, both these recipes are perfect to make the night before a party because they taste even better after sitting and melding for a night. Good eating!

Easy curry chicken salad (gf)

1 lb cooked chickenm shredded
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 cup seedless grapes, halved
1 medium bell pepper, diced
½ of 15 oz can mandarin oranges
1 ½ - 2 cups plain yogurt, depending on how creamy you want it
6 ½ - 7 ½ teaspoons curry powder
¾ - 1 teaspoon dry mustard
1-1 ½ teaspoons lemon pepper
Salt

Combine yogurt with the lesser amount of curry powder, dry mustard, and lemon pepper listed. Add chicken, celery, and bell peppers and combine well. Gently fold in mandarin oranges and grapes. Add extra seasonings and salt to taste.
Serve on a bed of lettuce (for gf) or as a sandwich on a croissant.

Fruit-filled Chicken Salad (gf)

1 lb cooked chicken, shredded
1 golden delicious apple, chopped
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
2-3 ribs celery, finely chopped
1-2 green onions, chopped
1 lb. red seedless grapes, quartered
1 15 oz can mandarin oranges
¾ - 1 cup mayonnaise, mayo with olive oil, or low-fat Greek yogurt

Mix all ingredients, except grapes and mandarin oranges, together and add enough mayo to stick everything together. Add a couple to a few shakes of soy sauce. Then add the grapes and oranges and gently mix so they don’t squish. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.