Chicken Caesar Pasta

With Memorial Day weekend coming up,
here is one of our families favorite BBQ side dishes.
The Chicken Caesar Pasta is a perfect side for any kind of BBQ.
I have also made this recipe with taking out the chicken and replacing it with broccoli.
This pasta salad is seen a lot in the summer months on our table. If you are making it for a large group I would double the recipe.
Yummy! Enjoy.

CHICKEN CAESAR PASTA

serves 6-8

What You Need:

16 oz. box rotini
2 boneless chicken breasts
1 bottle Cardini’s original Caesar dressing
1 Tbsp. crushed garlic
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash seasoning
1/3 red onion, chopped

How To Make:

1.Cook pasta and drain. Set aside.

2. Cut raw chicken into bite-size pieces and stir-fry in garlic & oil until done.

3. In a large mixing bowl mix chicken in with the pasta. Add dressing, onion, tomatoes, and Mrs. Dash.

4. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Bajio's Green Chicken Chile Salad

There are many reasons I LOVE my home town of Orem, Utah.
You really never know what you have and how much you love it, until you move away.
That is how I feel about this salad,
the Green Chicken Chile Salad from

There are days I still crave it, and I have lived outside of Utah for over 6 years!
I was so excited to stumble into this recipe.
It is very VERY close to the original.
It does take a little time to prepare. When I make it, I usually will do a few of the steps the day before or earlier in the day.
The work and preparation is totally worth it in the end!

Makes 4 -5 servings

STEP 1:
INGREDIENTS for Green Chili Chutney:
3 large annaheim peppers, halved, seeds removed

1 - 2 jalapeno peppers, halved, seeds removed
4 oz. can diced green chiles

5-7 tomatillos, husks removed

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup sugar

dash of chili powder

dash of cumin

dash of salt

1 large sweet onion, halved
DIRECTIONS
1. Place peppers, tomatillos, and onion on baking sheet/rack. Roast in 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes, or until nicely browned.
2. Place tomatillos and about 1/4 cup onion in blender and process until mostly smooth.
3. Dice peppers.
4. Add all ingredients except the remaining onion into a large pot. Cook over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes or until thickened and reduced. Add more sugar/peppers to adjust the spiciness/sweetness to taste.

STEP 2:
Grilled Chicken INGREDIENTS

4 Grilled Chicken Breasts

1 cup of lime juice
1 cup of oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Directions:

1. Marinate chicken breasts in 1 cup of lime juice and 1 cup oil, let stand for at least two hours in the refrigerator.
2. On a hot grill, grill the chicken with a bit of balsamic vinegar, until done and set aside to rest. Once the chicken has had time to cool, shred into small pieces.

STEP 3:

For onion:

1. Slice 1 whole white onion into slices. In a medium saute pan, add 2 TBL spoons of oil and saute the onions until they are translucent.
2. Once the onions are done, add the shredded chicken and a cup of Green Chile Chutney, and saute all together until well heated.

STEP 4:
Cilantro Lime Dressing INGREDIENTS:
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (dry mix)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 small jalapeno (remove seed)
1 cup mayo
1 tsp. lime juice
1-2 tomatillos (remove outer papery skin)
1 garlic clove
Directions:
1. Blend all ingredients together in a blender. Chill.

Step 4:
Assembly:

On individual plates:
-pile with mixed greens,
-add a cup of Fresh Pico De Gallo or store bought,
-add the warm chicken mixture,
- top with cheese,
-tortilla strips
- and cilantro lime dressing

ENJOY!

Grilled BBQ Chicken Chop Salad

This Salad is restaurant quality, if i do say myself.
Fresh Vegetables, tangy yet sweet BBQ chicken, and fresh feta cheese. All on top of crisp romaine lettuce tossed in a little ranch dressing.
Oh Yummy!!
A great light and flavorful summer meal.
This salad is a new favorite for my husband and I. I am already looking forward to making it again!

I came up with this salad recipe for
the July 2009 Home Chef Blog Recipe Contest, featuring the
Shirley J BBQ Seasoning Mix.
You can find the Shirley J blog here.
You can learn more about Shirley J Products on the
Shirley J Website.
If you are interested in making or ordering any Shirley J product, the 'how to' is on the left hand side of this blog.

Grilled BBQ Chicken Chop Salad

Serves 4

• 4 Chicken Breasts
  
• 1 cup of Shirley J BBQ Seasoning Mix
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 2 Tbsp vinegar
  
• 6 bacon slices
  
• 2 medium head romaine lettuce (12 ounces), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 to 5 Tablespoons of Ranch Salad Dressing
  
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
• 2 plum or roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
• 1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, thinly sliced, and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  

Step 1: In a mixing bowl wisk together Shirley J BBQ Seasoning mix, hot water and vinegar. Mix until all combined. Marinate defrosted Chicken Breasts in the BBQ mixture for at least 2 hours. (I started marinating the chicken the morning before I grilled).

Step 2: Preheat your grill (if using an outdoor grill). Place foil on the grill. Cook the chicken on the foil in the grill on Med- high heat for 10 minutes each side or until done. I spooned on some of the leftover marinade the first time I flipped over the chicken. After Chicken is done, slice it in 1 inch pieces.

Step 3: Place the strips of bacon in a baking pan. ( if you want really easy cleanup from the bacon grease, put a piece of foil that covers the sides and bottom of the pan. Then to clean it up you just pick up the foil after the grease has cooled and throw away) Put in oven and cook on Broil for about 5-10 minutes until it is as crispy as you would like. After bacon is done, pat with a paper towel to get excess grease off of bacon. Then cut bacon in 1/2 inch pieces.

Step 4: Put the Romaine lettuce in a big mixing bowl. Pour the Ranch dressing over top and toss the lettuce until the dressing is mixed through out the lettuce evenly.

Step 5: Now for the FUN part, assembling your salad. I did mine on individual plates. 1st- lettuce, 2nd- on top of lettuce put the chicken, bacon, feta cheese, avocado, onion, and tomatoes.

(an idea: if you like crunchy on your salad, you can add tortilla strips to place on top)

Enjoy!

**The Shirley J BBQ Seasoning Mix is $9.70 for a 20 oz can**

Olive Garden Salad

Olive Garden is one of my favorite places to eat. I don't know why, but whenever we try to go eat there, the wait to sit down is way to long. So we end up going somewhere else.
I was so excited to run into this recipe, now we can make our own little Olive Garden meal.
I made this salad for a Neighborhood pot-luck.
I thought it tasted delish. . .
a few friends have asked for this recipe, so here it is.

Olive Garden Salad

Adapted from: The Sister's Cafe

Olive Garden Salad Dressing:

½ c. mayonnaise

1/3 c. white vinegar

1 tsp vegetable oil

2 Tb. corn syrup

2 Tb. Parmesan cheese

2 Tb. Romano cheese

¼ tsp garlic salt – or one clove garlic, minced

½ tsp Italian seasoning

½ tsp parsley flakes

1 Tb. lemon juice
1 TB. sugar

Mix all dressing ingredients in a blender until well mixed. Refriderate until ready to use.

Salad:

2-3 large head romaine lettuce or 2 1/2 -3 bags of precut romaine lettuce

slices red onion

black olives

2-4 banana peppers

4 roma tomatoes, sliced and cut in half

1 c. croutons home-made or store bought

freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For homemade croutons:

4 slices sandwich bread

1 clove garlic, minced

3 Tb. butter

salt and pepper

dried parsley flakes

Put lettuce in bowl. Place on top of lettuce red onions, black olives, banana peppers, tomatoes, and croutons. Add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese if you like, and add plenty of Olive Garden Salad Dressing on top. Toss together.

For the homemade croutons:

Cut off crusts of sandwich bread, and cut bread into cubes. Melt butter in small saucepan and add minced garlic. Toss sandwich cubes in the butter and spread out in a pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper and parsley flakes to taste. Bake for 15 minutes at 350°, turning half way through baking.

Poppyseed Salad

This is one of my favorite Salad's!
I just made it for my neighbor with some grilled chicken and fresh French bread,
her family loved it.
It is a fresh, tasty Summer meal.
I hope you enjoy it!

Poppyseed Salad

Dressing: (this is the best part and makes the salad)
-3/4 cup sugar

-1 tsp salt

-1 tsp dry mustard

-1/3 cup red wine vinegar

-1 1/2 Tb Maui or Vidalia onion, chopped

-1 cups canola oil

-1 1/2 Tb poppy seeds

Mix the first 5 ingredients in a blender, then slowly add the oil, blending until thick. Stir in poppy seeds. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Salad:
-1 bag of Spinach leaves (1/2 pound)

-Romaine lettuce chopped (1 bag or 1 heads)
-4 to 5 sliced strawberries

- 1/2 cup Red onion, sliced thinly
-3-4 sliced mushrooms

- 4-5 pieces of Crispy bacon, crumbled (I like to cook the bacon in a pan on broil in the oven until crispy)

-1 cup Shredded mozzarella cheese

- 1/2 cup sliced Toasted almonds (or you can sugar the almonds. Put sliced almonds in a pan with lots of granulated sugar (about equal amounts). Cook on medium heat until sugar melts)

Toss all ingredients together with generous amount of dressing before serving.

**optional: to make it a meal you can grill chicken and put slices on top of salad**

**the great thing about this salad is that you can add or subtract ingredients to your liking. I have made it with blueberries, Mandarin oranges, strawberries, grilled chicken, and almonds-very good. As long as you use the dressing it will turn out!**
(I have doubled this recipe for a large group BBQ and it turned out really good)

Cafe Rio' Dinner

I love Cafe Rio'!
It is a Mexican grill found in Utah, Nevada, and Arizona.
I have tried many different mock recipes, this one by far is the best!
It does make quite a lot of food, I almost always make it when we have company over.


Cafe Rio' Dinner
adapted from Becky Higgins

There are 4 parts: the rice, the pork, the tortillas, and the dressing,

Green Chile Rice (Serves 6)

2 cup rice

4 cups chicken broth

8 oz. green chiles

2 sm. onion, diced

2/3 cup fresh cilantro

2 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cumin

6 green onions.

Mix together and pour into greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until rice is done at 350.

CAFE RIO PORK
- at least 2 lbs pork roast
-1 (16 oz.) bottle of salsa
-1 can coke (do not use diet)
-2 c. brown sugar

Place pork in crock-pot and fill it half way up with water. Cook roast on high for 5 hours. Drain off water. Cut pork in thirds. Mix together ingredients (salsa, coke, brown sugar) and put on top of pork. Cook an additional 3 hours on high. Shred pork with forks. Leave it on low until ready to serve.

TORTILLAS
you can use regular tortilla, but I recommend to use uncooked tortillas. Check the refrigerated section of your local grocery store or Costco carries them too. Just throw the tortilla in a pan over the stove top, give it a few flips, and it's cooked. Well worth it!


CREAMY TOMATILLA SALAD DRESSING
-1 packet hidden valley ranch buttermilk dressing
-1 c. buttermilk
-1 c. mayo
-2-3 tomatillas (peel off outer leaf/shell) found it the produce sections by the peppers
-1 tsp. crushed garlic
-¾ bunch fresh cilantro
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
juice from 1 lime (about 2 tsp.)
salt & pepper

Blend all ingredients in the blender. Refrigerate.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:
Of course you can assemble everything burrito-style. I prefer salad-style. For one serving, I first put a tortilla on a plate or a bowl. Then put rice, you can cook some canned black beans, pork, some chopped lettuce, and the dressing. Finally, garnish your salad with shredded cheese, tomatoes, sliced avocados, or whatever you want. Yummy!