Trader Joe's Salad

½ box assini de pepe pasta, cooked

1 bag baby arugala, stems removed and coarsely chopped

1 can Niblets corn, drained

1 container Trader Giotto's fresh bruschetta sauce

1 cup dried cranberries

Apx. ¾ cup salted pepitas

Quattro formaggio cheese

½ bottle Trader Joe's Parmesan Ranch dressing



Align ingredients side by side on a platter. Pour dressing over just before serving.

Then gently toss all ingredients together and serve.

Mexicorn Salad

2 ripe avocados, peeled and diced
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
3 tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 cup Jack/Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can mexicorn, drained and rinsed

Combine all above in a large bowl. Mix the juice of 2 limes, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, a pinch of salt, and garlic powder to taste and drizzle over salad. Serve with corn chips.

Taco Salad with Creamy Lime Dressing

Ingredients
grilled chicken, grilled steak, beans, etc.
vegetables — such as colored peppers, lightly cooked corn, diced tomato, etc.
something from the onion family, like chopped scallions or chopped red onion
shredded red or green cabbage
cheese (a must!) — pepper jack, monterey jack, sharp cheddar, queso fresco, etc.
diced avocado
chopped cilantro
your favorite kind of salad greens
tortilla chips, either crumbled over or served alongside
sour cream, salsa, guacamole — you can serve the salad with a dollop of these toppings, or serve the salsa and guac on the side for chip dipping

For the creamy lime dressing (makes enough for 4 salads):
zest & juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons juice)
1 small shallot, minced
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon cumin
pinch of coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

Directions

Prep all your ingredients before dressing the greens, and have them ready to go.

Make the dressing — whisk together all the ingredients until well blended.

Wash and spin dry your salad greens, season them with a little coarse salt and pepper, then toss them with about 2/3 of the dressing. Divide the dressed greens among 4 plates, then top with whatever toppings you’re using. Spoon the remaining dressing over the top of each salad and serve.

Broccoli Salad

6 cups broccoli florets
2 cups grapes (Red grapes are prettier than green in this recipe, but I've used both)
About 6-7 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup sweet onion, finely chopped (I have forgotten this and it's still great)
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup craisins
1/2 cup peanuts

(By the way, I didn’t measure any of this – just threw in handfuls of everything.)

Dressing:
1 cup mayo (or miracle whip)
1/4 cup sugar
2 T. apple cider vinegar

You could easily make this a main dish by adding a small pasta and some cooked, cubed chicken.

Santa Rosa Chicken Salad

1 box long grain wild rice-cooked (Uncle Ben's-small box)
3 chicken breast halves-cooked and diced
4 green onions-diced
1 red bell pepper-diced
3 oz. Chinese pea pods-(fresh) remove ends and cut into thirds
2 medium avocados-diced
1 cup chopped pecans
Combine all ingredients, except avocados and pecans, and place in fridge overnight.

Dressing
2 cloves garlic-minced
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/3 c rice vinegar (Nakano seasoned rice vinegar)
1 T Dijon mustard
1/4 t sugar
1/3 c vegetable oil
Combine all dressing ingredients in blender. Cover and refrigerate. Mix with salad 2-4 hours before serving. Immediately before serving salad add avocados and pecan