Central Texas Slaw

4-6 cups shredded cabbage (red and/or white)
1 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion (optional)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Dressing:
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Whisk together and toss with the cabbage mixture.

This slaw is so, so good any time, any place. We love to eat it on these pulled pork sandwiches.

Asian Coleslaw Dressing

I got this recipe off of a bag of shredded cabbage mix...it's delicious, but doesn't keep really well for more than a day or so in the fridge.

1/4 cup oil (I used part sesame oil)
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar (I only had unseasoned)
3 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger (I used the jarred stuff)
1 Tbsp minced garlic

Whisk together and toss with shredded cabbage, carrots, etc.

Chopped Thai Chicken Salad

You can find the original recipe here, the following is with my slight changes.

Salad

• 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 small head green or white cabbage (1 bag shredded)
• 1 large carrot (1½ cups shredded)
• 1 green papaya (1½ cups shredded - I didn't have this but it would be sooo good)
• ½ cup fresh cilantro
• ½ cup green onions
• ½ cup chopped peanuts

Dressing

• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 bird’s eye chili peppers (sub ½ teaspoon minced hot pepper)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon oil
• ½ teaspoon fish sauce
• ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
• ¼ cup water
• Ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the chicken thighs, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes. When the chicken is done, remove from heat, drain water, let cool, and shred with two forks.
2. Chop the cabbage into very thin pieces, like it would be for coleslaw. Peel and grate the carrots. Cut off the skin, remove the seeds, and grate the papaya. Roughly chop the cilantro and green onions. Toss the chicken and vegetables in a large bowl and keep chilled.
3. Mince the garlic and chili peppers. Place garlic and peppers in a small mixing bowl with the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, lime juice, oil, and fish sauce. Whisk until smooth. Add the peanut butter and water and whisk again until smooth and creamy.
4. Toss the salad with the dressing. Add the crushed peanuts. Serve chilled. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to one day. For best results, keep the leftover salad and dressing separate until ready to serve.

Potatos, Peas & Mint Salad

1 1/4 pounds baby red potatoes (I just use regular red potatoes)

• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup chopped mint leaves
• 3/4 tsp coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Scrub the potatoes and remove any eyes. Cut into half-inch cubes. Cover with water and cook just until they lose any crunchiness. Drain and set aside. Cook the peas and save the liquid. Mash the peas with a fork, or use a food processor if you wish. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil (I like to use half EVOO and half lemon-infused olive oil) and 1/4 cup of the liquid. Toss potatoes with pea mixture and remaining ingredients. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil.

It may sound scary, but it's amazing! I like it best when it's slightly warm, but it's good cold too. Be warned that it only keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days. Here's where I got it.

Summertime Orzo & Chicken

3/4 c. uncooked orzo pasta

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-in. pieces

1 medium cucumber, chopped

1 small red onion, chopped

1/4 c. minced fresh parsley

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 c. crumbled feta cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet coated with cooking spray, cook chicken over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink. (I seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a little cayenne)

In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, onion, parsley and chicken. Drain pasta; stir into chicken mixture. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. Pour over chicken mixture; toss to coat. Serve warm or cold. Just before serving, sprinkle with cheese.

This was great warm the first day and cold the second... we really, really liked it. I was thinking it would be a great cold side if you left out the chicken. Yum.

Basil Vinaigrette

2 cloves garlic

1 Tbsp. ground (like brown) mustard

3 Tbsp. honey

1/2 c. balsamic vinegar

3 oz. basil

About 2 c. light olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Put everything in blender except the oil; blend profusely. Slowly add oil until well emulsified.

This is delicious over baby spring greens, feta cheese, and strawberries. Enjoy!

Summer Salad

Romaine lettuce - however much you will eat!
Strawberries, sliced
Grapes, halved

Dressing:
1/2 C mayo
2 Tbsp vinegar
1/4 C sugar
1/4 C milk
1 Tbsp poppy seeds

Next time I will throw in some carmelized pecans or toasted almonds.
Yummy!

Corn, Avocado & Tomato Salad

2 c. cooked corn, fresh or frozen
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 c. red onion, finely diced

Dressing:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. lime zest
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

This is the recipe in it's original form. When I make it again i will use less corn and more avocados and maybe some jalapenos, and we'll eat it with chips instead of like salad. I also needed to add way more lime and salt for our liking. Apparently it works fine to cook corn on the cob and then cut off the corn and put it right in there. I used frozen corn (not from the store) and it worked fine, but I would drain it much better than I did. Anyway, it's a killer salad.

Southwest Chicken Salad

I was craving applbs chicken salad and this is what I came up with. It was delicious!!!

1/2 C ranch dressing
3/4 C salsa
Mix and set aside.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, marinated in Southwest marinade (I had this on hand from "The Truck" from mom) and grilled.
1 head lettuce
2 large tomatoes
1 small can of corn (or 1/2 or so of cooked)
1 C black beans
1/2 C chopped onion
1 avacado, chopped in small pieces
1 C cheese (or more would be good)
1/2 C chopped cilantro
1 lime
tortilla chips
Put the chicken on the grill. While it is cooking, assemble the salad in layers - everything except the lime and chips. When the chicken is done, slice it in strips and put on top of the salad. Serve with the ranch mixture and tortilla chips.