SOUTHWESTERN SALAD



2 1/2 C Corn Chips

1/2 Head Iceberg Lettuce ~ Torn

1 C (4 oz) Shredded Mexican or Cheddar Cheese

1 Can (15 oz) Pinto Beans ~ Rinsed and Drained

1 Small Tomato ~ Seeded and Diced

1/4 to 1/2 C Salad Dressing of your Choice

2 Tbl Green Onions ~ Sliced

1 to 2 Tbl Chopped Green Chilies

1 Small Avocado ~ Peeled and Sliced



In a serving bowl or on a platter, toss chips with lettuce,

cheese, beans, tomatoes, salad dressing, onions and chilies.

Tops with avocado. Serve immediately.

Mexican Green Bean Salad

Yield: 4 servings



1 lb. green beans

1/2 C. extra virgin olive oil

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

1 Tbsp. vinegar

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. onion, minced

1 Tbsp. parsley, minced

1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, minced



Steam green beans until tender-crisp, about 15 min.

Drain.



Whisk together other ingredients and pour over warm

green beans. Allow to marinate at least 1/2 hr..



Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Mexican Lemon and Pasta Salad



12 ounces pasta

1 cup frozen corn

1 medium diced zucchini

1 1/2 cups quartered cherry tomatoes

Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon Adobo seasoning

1 tablespoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon chili powder (or to taste)

2/3 cup vegetable oil



Cook the pasta in boiling water as directed on the

package. Five minutes before the pasta cooking time is

over, add the corn to the pot, and then two minutes

later add the zucchini. Boil for three more minutes,

and then drain. Toss the pasta mixture with the cherry

tomatoes in a large bowl. In a small bowl whisk

together the lemon juice, Adobo, paprika, and chili

powder. Slowly whisk in the oil until smooth. Toss the

dressing with the pasta and serve warm, at room

temperature, or chilled.



Makes 6 servings.



Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Mexican Corn Salad



~~~Dressing~~~

Whisk together in a large salad bowl:

1/4 cup honey mustard

1/4 cup Italian salad dressing

1 tsp. chili powder



~~~Salad~~~

Add remaining ingredients to the salad bowl and toss to coat well:

30 oz. frozen (thawed) or canned corn, drained

2 cups ripe tomatoes, diced

1/4 medium green bell pepper, diced

1/4 medium red bell pepper, diced

1-1/3 cups red or white onion, diced



Cover and refrigerate until serving time.



Yield: 6 servings.

Easy Ranch Taco Chicken Salad



Ingredients



1 pkg. (10 oz.) salad greens (about 7 cups)

1 pkg. (6 oz.) LOUIS RICH Southwestern Seasoned or Grilled Chicken

Breast Strips

1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese

3/4 cup KRAFT Ranch Dressing

1/2 cup TACO BELL HOME ORIGINALS Thick 'N Chunky Salsa

1 cup coarsely broken tortilla chips



Directions:



TOSS greens, chicken breast strips & cheese in large bowl. SERVE with

dressing, salsa & tortilla chips.



Great Substitute: Substitute 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut

into strips, for LOUIS RICH Chicken Breast Strips. Cook chicken in 1/4 cup

of salsa in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 8 minutes or until

chicken is cooked through.



Source : Kraft

Black Bean Salad



1 red bell pepper, finely diced

1 green bell pepper, finely diced

1 yellow bell pepper, finely diced

1/2 cup red onion, diced

1 can (15 oz.) corn, drained

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 TB lime juice

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained

Tortilla chips, for garnish



In a small bowl, combine peppers, onion, corn, garlic and cilantro.



Add olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, salt and pepper to taste and black beans.



Toss well and serve with tortilla chips.



Serves 4 to 6.

Zesty Taco Salad in Tortilla Bowl

Makes 10 Taco Salad Bowls:

1 pkg. (10-count) medium size flour tortillas
2 cups water
4 T. vegetable oil
5 empty cans, labels removed (med-size vegetable cans work well)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place empty cans on baking sheet, open end down. Combine water and oil in shallow dish. Dip tortillas, one at a time, into water and remove quickly. (Submerging tortillas for more than 2 or 3 seconds will cause them to become soggy). Gently drape tortillas over cans and flute the edges, taking care not to pull or tear the tortillas. Bake for 12-13 minutes or until crisp. Cool completely before removing tortillas from the cans. When cool, gently twist the bottom of the tortillas to loosen them and then carefully remove from the cans. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. (Don't feel bad if you break one - I always break at least one! It's still delicious.)

Brown 2 lbs. ground beef. Drain. Add 1 1/2 cups water and 2 taco seasoning packets. Simmer over medium heat until water has evaporated. Add 1 can tomato paste and combine thoroughly.

What can you put into your taco salad bowl? Try layering any of the following:
- Seasoned taco beef
- Shredded Pepper Jack cheese
- Salsa
- Black beans
- Shredded lettuce
- Guacamole
- Sour cream
- Sliced green onions

Muy delicioso!

Mexican Green Bean Salad

Yield: 4 servings



1 lb. green beans

1/2 C. extra virgin olive oil

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

1 Tbsp. vinegar

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. onion, minced

1 Tbsp. parsley, minced

1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, minced



Steam green beans until tender-crisp, about 15 min.

Drain.



Whisk together other ingredients and pour over warm

green beans. Allow to marinate at least 1/2 hr..



Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Chicken Taco Salad

Taco salad was made for the crunch and texture of iceberg lettuce--or maybe vice versa--but in a pinch, romaine could stand in.



Ingredients



3/4 cup bottled salsa

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

Dash of ground red pepper

1/2 pound skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into 1-inch strips

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes (about 12 tomatoes)

1 cup canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon olive oil

Cooking spray

4 cups coarsely chopped iceberg lettuce

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

32 low-fat baked tortilla chips

Preparation

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Combine 1/2 cup of salsa

mixture and chicken in a zip-top plastic bag; seal and marinate in

refrigerator 30 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beans, cilantro, and oil to

remaining salsa mixture; cover and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes.



Place a medium nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over

medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken mixture; saute 5 minutes or

until chicken is done.



Place 1 cup lettuce on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1/2 cup

bean mixture and one-fourth of chicken mixture. Sprinkle each serving

with 1/4 cup cheese. Serve each salad with 8 tortilla chips.

Yield



4 servings

Black Beans and Escarole Salad



Ingredients



2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

5 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (found in

the international aisle)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 head escarole, washed and trimmed of tough leaves

12 ounces store-bought guacamole

1 ripe avocado, sliced

1 lime, cut into wedges

Preparation

Place the beans in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the garlic,

salt, onion, and vinegar. Season with the pepper, then whisk in the

oil. Pour ¾ of the dressing over the beans. Add the chipotle and

cilantro. Toss, cover, and set aside. Preheat a grill pan over medium

heat. Toss the escarole with the remaining dressing then grill for 3

minutes, turning constantly until just wilted and golden. Serve with

the beans, guacamole, avocado, and lime wedges.

Yield



Makes 4 servings

Susie Theodorou , Real Simple, APRIL 2005

Black-eyed Pea-and-Sweet Potato Salad



Ingredients



2 medium-size sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 purple onion, quartered and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/3 cup lime juice

1/2 cup mango chutney

3 (15.8-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Preparation

Bring potato and water to cover to a boil in a large saucepan over

medium heat. Cook 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Drain and set

potato aside.



Sauté onion in hot oil in saucepan over medium heat 4 minutes or until

tender. Add garlic and next 4 ingredients. Cook, stirring constantly,

1 to 2 minutes.



Stir together lime juice and chutney in a large bowl; add potato,

onion mixture, peas, and remaining ingredients, tossing gently to

coat. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Yield



Makes 6 to 8 servings

Southern Living, SEPTEMBER 2001

Ranch Taco Chicken Salad



1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips



1 tablespoon chili powder



1 tablespoon vegetable oil (omit)



16 ounce bag of salad greens



8 ounce jar salsa



1 cup ranch salad dressing (fat free sour cream)



1 cup shredded cheddar cheese



1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips



Cook chicken with chili powder in oil in nonstick skillet



for 8 minutes or until chicken is done. Toss chicken, salad greens,



salsa, dressing and cheese in large bowl. Top with chips before serving.



Serves 6.

15 Minute Black Bean Salad



1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

8 cherry tomatoes, quartered (gently squeeze out seeds)

1/2 cup minced onion

2 medium cloves garlic, pressed

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

2 TBS pumpkin seeds coarsely chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

3 TBS fresh lemon juice

salt and black pepper to taste

* optional: dandelion greens



Mix all ingredients together and serve. This salad will keep for a

couple of days and gets more flavorful if you let it marinate in the

refrigerator for awhile.



Serves 4

Guacamole Potato Salad

This recipe combines two summer favorites in one: avocado makes the dressing supercreamy with only the tiniest addition of mayo. But beware -- it's so addictively luscious and tangy that it's bound to end your life-long love affair with regular picnic potato salad. 

3 pounds red potatoes

2 tablespoons plus 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 ripe avocado, peeled

2 teaspoons grated lime zest

Juice of 2 limes (about 1/2 cup)

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons mayonnaise 

2 celery stalks, sliced

Step 1

In a large pot, cover the potatoes with cold water. Add the 2 tablespoons of salt and bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes or until you can pierce them easily with a paring knife. Drain them in a colander and allow to cool.

Step 2

Meanwhile, puree the avocado, lime zest and juice, garlic, cilantro, mayonnaise, and remaining salt in a food processor until smooth. If the dressing seems too thick, add a tablespoon or so of hot water.

Step 3

Cut the potatoes into bite-size chunks (leave the skins on) and place them in a large bowl with the celery. Scrape in the dressing with a rubber spatula and gently stir it all together. Serve immediately, or cover and chill.

Serves 8 to 10.