Chicken Peanut Soba Slaw

Made this tonight and found it addictive!  I modified the original recipe a bit, so I figured I'd write it down here.  I added more noodles than the original and tossed in chicken to make it a complete meal instead of a side. Absolutely loved it!  Makes a ton, so this will feed the fam. You can add more slaw ingredients to make it more veggie heavy if you want, but this was great as-is.

Slaw:

8 oz. whole wheat spaghetti

2 c. cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken

1 bag (8 cups) slaw mix

Sauce:

1/2 c. peanut butter

3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

3 Tbsp sesame oil

3 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

2 cloves minced garlic

Garnish:

lime wedges

cilantro

chopped peanuts

green onion

sriracha

1. Cook and drain noodles.

2. Mix in large bowl with chicken and slaw mix.

3. Combine sauce ingredients until smooth. Add a little water if too thick. (Should be drizzle-able.)

4. Drizzle sauce over slaw/noodle mixture in large bowl.  Toss with tongs until coated evenly.

5. Sprinkle with cilantro and/or green onion and peanuts, and serve with lime wedges and fresh cilantro. Sriracha if you want a little spice. 

adapted from: Cookie and Kate

Cole Slaw

Or as my grandma used to call it, slaw. This is your basic KFC style cole slaw, creamy, not vinegar-y, only a bit lighter.  You could use a bagged cole slaw mix, but a head of cabbage is so dang cheap, I don't know why you would.
It should be chilled a bit before serving to let the flavors really come together, and if you ask me, it is really better the next day.

Cole Slaw

1 head of cabbage, finely shredded.  (Use a food processor)
2 medium carrots finely shredded. (ditto)
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. mayo
1/4 c. buttermilk (Or use 1/4 c. milk + 1/4 tsp lemon juice or vinegar and let stand 5 minutes)
1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar
2 1/2 tsp. lemon juice.

1. Mix carrots and cabbage together in a large bowl.  
2. In a small bowl, combine sugar, salt pepper, mayo, buttermilk, vinegar, and lemon juice.  Pour over cabbage mixture and toss.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Fresh cole slaw

A glimpse of one of our summer dinners:
BLT's, corn on the cob, cole slaw, and watermelon.

source:  multiple

Shopska Salad

When I was in Bulgaria we had this salad every day.  Now that it is harvest time and cucumbers and tomatoes are in abundance, it's a good time to revisit it.
I mean, just look at the tomato I got at the farmers market yesterday.  Look how deep the color and how meaty it was! And the flavor was unbelievable.  It makes me never want to eat another hot house tomato again.
Back to the salad....
The recipe is super simple.  The most important ingredients are the fresh cucumbers and tomatoes and the cheese.  The true Shopska salad has sirene cheese, but the closest you can usually find in the States is feta.   I have made it without onion, when I don't have it around, and I don't usually add the parsley.
The salad usually came at the beginning of the meal in Bulgaria, but in the summertime sometimes I will eat a whole bowl of just this salad for lunch.  It is delightfully cool and refreshing.  I should also note that in Bulgaria the oil & vinegar are usually sitting on the table in the restaurant (along with the salt & pepper) for the guests to add according to their tastes, but I usually toss it all together.  I've also substituted different vinegars for different flavors, although I'm pretty sure we just had the red wine vinegar all the time in Bulgaria.

Shopska Salad

2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 large cucumber, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/4 c. chopped green onion
1-2 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsely (optional)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar (to taste)
salt (to taste)
4 oz. feta cheese crumbles.

1. Toss all vegetables together with oil & vinegar and salt.  Top with cheese.
Serve.

source:  Cantoria Bulgarian tour 1997

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

This is a popular Cafe Rio recipe.  It's a very refreshing, light dressing, and it is great with the Cafe Rio Chicken and Cilantro-Lime Rice, though it would be good on a taco salad too.

The recipe makes about a quart, which is a bit too much for us, so I usually put some in a pretty jar and pass it on to a friend or neighbor.  

A couple of helpful tips:  1.  If you don't have buttermilk, you can use 1 c. milk and 1 Tbsp. white vinegar or lemon juice and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.  2.  If you don't have mayo, you can substitute sour cream or greek yogurt.  Do NOT use Miracle Whip.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

2 tomatillos

1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet

1 c. buttermilk

1 c. mayo

1/2 bunch cilantro

1 clove garlic

1 jalapeño, seeded

juice of 1 lime

1.  Use food processor or blender to blend all ingredients.

Keep refrigerated in an airtight container.

source:  Kate M.

Sweet Broccoli Salad

A few years ago we used to have regular gatherings at my friend Tara's house.  Another friend, Davita, brought this salad a few times and every time I couldn't get enough of it.  She was nice enough to share this recipe with me, and now it has become a favorite recipe for potlucks and get-togethers.
By the way, I've stopped apologizing for not having pictures.  Sometimes these meals have to get prepared and then we are out the door for the next activity.  For instance, when I made this salad I had exactly 10 minutes to make it, change clothes, put on makeup, use the restroom, get shoes on the kids and drive to the church before our activity began.  So yeah, no time for pictures.

Sweet Broccoli Salad

4 c. chopped broccoli (washed)
1 lb. bacon, cooked and chopped
1/4 c. shelled sunflower seeds
2 T. red onion, diced
3/4 c. raisins (I actually like to use craisins)

Dressing:
1 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. white vinegar
1/4 c. sugar

1.  Mix mayo, vinegar, and sugar to make dressing in small bowl.
2.  Combine broccoli, bacon, sunflower seeds, onion, and raisins in large bowl.  Pour dressing over the top and mix well.

source:  Davita M.

Dorito Salad

Traditional Mexican food it is not, but it's on our plates for Cinco de Mayo.
Note that this is a very large salad.  It can be the main course for a family dinner, or makes a great potluck item. 

Dorito Salad

1 lb. ground beef
1 can dark red kidney beans or black beans, drained
1 head lettuce, chopped
4 med. tomatoes, chopped
1/2 purple onion chopped
1 sliced avocado
1 bag crushed Doritos (about 10 oz.)
3/4-1 c. Catalina dressing

1.  Brown the ground beef until completely cooked.  Drain excess grease.  Add the can of beans and simmer a few minutes until warmed through.
2.  Toss the remaining ingredients together. 
Serve immediately.

 source:  Jill P.