Summer Rotini Salad

So, I decided to join Weight Watchers again. The baby weight just wasn't come off (like I want--I can wear all of my old clothes--they just don't fit the same), and after snacking A LOT during yearbook, so I had put on a few pounds. Instead of doing meetings this time, I joined ONLINE. This has been AMAZING for me. I just type in recipes and find out points. I can check points from anywhere...it's been great. 2 weeks and 6-7 pounds down!! I'll know for sure when I weigh myself on Sunday morning. The downside has been that I've had to learn a new point system; but to be honest, I like this one a lot more.


The nice thing about Weight Watchers is that I can eat any food I want--I just have to watch portions. And, that's how I created this recipe.


I was making pasta for Mason and I had some tomatoes and onion from my mom and dad's garden to use up, so I tied some ideas together. One cup of this comes in at only 5 Points+. Serves 6.


Please note: I cooked the pasta and then measured it when cool. I don't know the measurement for the dry pasta.


Ingredients
2 cups diced tomatoes
1 cup onions*
3 cups cooked and cooled tri-colored rotini noodles
1 2.25 oz can black olives
1/2 cup Kraft Creamy Italian dressing

Mix noodles, tomatoes, onions and black olives together. Add dressing and stir to combine. You can eat right away, but tastes better after sitting for a few hours.

*If onions are not your thing, I would substitute with either more tomato, or with cucumbers or zucchini. Also, if you have a strong onion, you might want to use 1/2 cup onion and 2 1/2 cups diced tomatoes.

VERDICT: We really liked this--especially for the number of points! It's nice and creamy, and feels bad for you--but it's not with all of those tomatoes and onions. However, if you have a strong onion, I would only use 1/2 and add more tomatoes. But, then again, the onion was very strong and it settled down by the next day.

I combined this salad with saucy chicken (I really need to make that again and take a picture of it to post here) and some watermelon for a total supper of 12 Points+.

Chicken BLT Salad

Let me first apologize if this post does not make sense; my computer time is when I feed the baby, so I only have one arm!

I found this recipe over at Cassie Craves and knew it would make a perfect week night meal. I made a few changes, because we don't like cherry tomatoes (ok, I don't), I used Ranch dressing, and I used less bacon and croutons. 

Ingredients for 2
2 small cooked chicken breasts, cut on an angle
6 slices bacon, crisped and crumbled
1 box croutons  (I plated how to each person's taste)
Washed romaine
1 plum (Roma) tomato, seeded and diced
A buttermilk dressing (I used Hidden Valley Light Ranch)

Toss romaine, tomato, bacon and croutons together. Place chicken on top. Add dressing to taste.

Verdict: Easy! I cooked the chicken and bacon in the oven at the same time, which helped on cleanup, and everything else just came together!

Considering I created this blog for my family, so I would have a recipe collection for when they want something I make, I think I've hit some home-runs, and this is one of those! 

Cookies And Cream Salad

One of the other salads I made for the Fourth of July was a cookies and cream salad that I had had at graduations as a little kid. And, even though I used some lower fat and sugar free ingredients, it still had a great taste. I don't even have to guess, I know everyone liked this. I got the recipe out of my hometown cookbook from 1991. 


Ingredients
1 box of instant vanilla pudding (I used sugar free)
2 cups milk
16 oz whipped topping (2 tubs) (I used fat free--generic)
10 oz. mini marshmallows (About 3/4 of a 12 oz bag)
36 chocolate sandwich cookies (I used generic)

Mix pudding mix and milk together and let sit for about 5 minutes, or until soft set. Fold in whipped topping and mini marshmallows. Crush sandwich cookies (at least into fourths) and add to salad. Refrigerate for 2 or more hours. Stir well before serving.


VERDICT: Jeff said this was like dirt--but I said it was much easier to make! I really do like this salad, even though it's very rich. Also--this makes a lot of salad! What you see in the picture is what was left after we ate supper on the Fourth.

Strawberry Rhubarb Salad

Here's a sweet/tart/sour salad that just seems to hit the palate. I have a lot of rhubarb on the plant this year, so I'm sure this will become a staple for the next couple weeks. Plus, I can always freeze dice rhubarb. I found this in my Taste of Home Fast Fixes with Mixes cookbook, and slightly varied it (only because I didn't want to go out and pick one more stalk of rhubarb!).

Ingredients
2 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb (I used 1 1/2)
1/2-3/4 cup sugar (I used 1/2 because we like rhubarb tart)
1/4 cup water
1 3-oz package strawberry gelatin (I used sugar free)
1 1/2 cups whipped topping (I used the entire container--save a few spoonfuls I "taste-tested")

In a saucepan, bring rhubarb, sugar and water to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 3-5 minutes, or until rhubarb is softened. Removed form the heat; stir in gelatin until dissolved. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes, or until partially set. Fold in whipped topping. Chill until firm.


VERDICT: We found this to be very refreshing! When you first bite into the salad it seems sweet, until you hit the rhubarb, then it's sour. It hits all of your taste buds at once, or so it seems. This salad went very well with our steak and corn.

Watergate Salad

I had to make something green for St. Patrick's Day, right?! Well, I pulled this recipe out, and decided it would work perfectly. I paired this up with ham and potatoes for a nice Irish-like supper.

Ingredients
1 container fat free Cool Whip
1 can crushed pineapple, DO NOT DRAIN
1 box of sugar free pistachio pudding, just the powder
1 c small marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix together in a large bowl and let sit in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

VERDICT: My mom used to make this when I was a kid, and I still like it!

Gourmet Pea Salad

I wanted something different for supper, so I read a couple different gourmet pea salads and came up with one to call my own. Here's my take on a gourmet pea salad. 

Ingredients
3 strips raw bacon, diced
1 cup dry pasta
1/2 c. cold milk
1 c. frozen peas
1/2 c green OR yellow OR red peppers, diced (I used a combo of the 3 different colors to equal 1/2 cup)
1/4-1/2 c shredded carrots
1/4-1/2 c onion
1 c 2% cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
1/2 c. light Miracle Whip
1/2 c. light Ranch dressing

Cook bacon, drain on paper towels. Cook pasta to al dente. During last minute (or two minutes) of cooking add peas, then drain. Place in a salad bowl and add milk. Cool pasta mixture. When mixture is cold add diced peppers, carrots, onion and about 1/2 cup of the cheese. Then, add in the Miracle Whip and Ranch. Stir gently. Garnish with cheese and bacon.

VERDICT: It's a winner recipe. Although, I think I might want to try it with Miracle Whip only to see if it still has a great taste. Even though I like Ranch dressing, sometimes I don't care for it. However, it works well in this recipe. If I would have had celery on hand--I can't believe we forgot it at the store last weekend--I probably would have thrown in 1/2 cup of sliced celery.

Taco Salad #3, The Famous One

This is my most requested Taco Salad, because it's super simple, and I don't have to worry about the dressing that's in it during hot picnic weather. Also, apparently some people--my husband being one of them--doesn't like a creamy taco salad. He likes his chunky, which is exactly what this is! 

Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef, browned (I used 93% lean)
1 package taco seasoning (I used 1/4 cup of the bulk powder I have)
1 cup water
6 cups torn iceberg lettuce (I used a package of lettuce, which is why you see carrots and cabbage in the picture)
1 can rinsed red kidney beans (sometimes I add 2 or more, but I really like them!)
About 1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup diced white onion, more if you want
1-2 tomatoes (I only had 1 on hand)
About 2 cups shredded cheese (I used Colby-Jack)
Baked Doritos, crushed (add right before serving)

After browning hamburger add the taco seasoning and water. Let simmer for about 5 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Note: This will be somewhat runny! Meanwhile, combine the lettuce, beans, olives, onion, tomatoes and cheese. When the burger mixture is cool add to the lettuce mixture and mix well.Chill, if you have time. Before serving add crushed Doritos to the salad. (Since it's just Jeff and I, we usually add the Doritos to individual plates so they don't get all slimy when we store the salad.

VERDICT: Jeff's favorite! I like it, too, but I still like a little dressing in mine. However, this is MUCH healthier. :)

Another Taco Salad

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Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

I foresee Saturday night meals becoming taco salad nights. This time I added 2 diced Roma tomatoes, cut romaine lettuce (it was on a major sale) and used 1/2 cup French dressing with 1/4 cup taco sauce.

Note: The picture above does not have any baked Doritos in it.

VERDICT: Jeff liked it more, I think, because it had a bold taco seasoning taste. I liked it overall--I'll be able to tell more tomorrow after the flavors blend.

Taco Salad

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Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

This is just ONE of the THREE taco salad recipes that I use. So, you may end up seeing one of those on here eventually. The odd part about this recipe, compared to the others, is that there are no tomatoes in this one. Why? Well, for one, during the winter I rarely have fresh tomatoes on hand; and for the other, there are just times when I don't want to eat tomatoes. Shocking, I know! Anyway, I used this as a main dish--actually the only dish--so it served 4.

Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef, browned (I used 92% lean organic--Don't you judge me--it was on sale!)
1 package taco seasoning (I used 1/4 cup of the bulk powder I have)
1/2-2/3 cup water (I didn't measure it...)
4-6 cups torn iceberg lettuce
1 can rinsed red kidney beans (sometimes I add 2 or more, but I really like them!)
About 1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup diced white onion, more if you want
About 1/2 cup light Dorothy Lynch or light French dressing (I used French this time)
About 2 cups shredded cheese (I used mild cheddar, and always shred my own-so much cheaper and tastes better!)
4 servings baked Doritos, crushed (add right before serving)

After browning hamburger add the taco seasoning and water. Let simmer for about 2 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Meanwhile, combine the lettuce, beans, olives, onion and cheese. When the burger mixture is cool (it may still be a little liquid--which is fine) add to the lettuce mixture and mix well. Add the dressing a little at a time until you reach desired consistency. Chill, if you have time. Before serving add crushed Doritos to the salad. (Since it's just Jeff and I, we usually add the Doritos to individual plates so they don't get all slimy when we store the salad.

VERDICT: Great variation on tacos! I had wanted to make taco soup, but it was 50 degrees yesterday--just not soup weather yet. I guess in the Midwest, it doesn't feel like soup weather until the highs are in the 20s or 30s. :) Anyway, we liked this a lot--and it was so much food we didn't need a side dish, which always make me happy, because it's fewer dishes to wash.

Glorified Rice

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Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

My paternal grandmother used to make this for every Thanksgiving. However, she is no longer able to cook, so the job has been passed to me (because my mom HATES this salad). This is my second year making it, and I have to say, it tastes just like Grandma's did.

Ingredients
1 pkg. red Jell-o, Raspberry (I used sugar-free)
3/4 c. uncooked rice
1 sm. can crushed pineapple (I use the one packed in pineapple juice)
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. sugar

Mix Jell-o according to directions on the package. Let sit until almost firm (hint: if it does firm up, just stir it well and fast with the rice). Cook rice with equal amounts of water, drain, if necessary, and cool. Drain pineapple. Whip cream until stiff and add sugar. Fold all of the ingredients together (I usually mix the Jell-o and rice first, then add the pineapple and last the cream). Let sit in refrigerator until firm, or about 2 hours.


VERDICT: Tastes just as I remember! While it sounds like it would be super-sweet, it's not. It has a fruity taste, but it's not overbearing...I just don't know how to put the actual taste into words. I love the cream, and truth be told, I'm usually a Cool-Whip girl--because of the no fuss, already made, don't have to mess with beating cream idea. Yet, I LOVE how easy the cream whips up, and how rich it is!

My mom would be happy to forgo this dish, but my dad, myself and one of my brothers would be pretty ticked off--it's a tradition! Almost as much of a tradition as throwing food at my brother. :)

Chicken Salad Wraps

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Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

A couple weeks ago I found a recipe using lemon yogurt in the chicken salad sauce. Instead of using their recipe, though, I used my tried-and-true one. I decided to just swap out some of the Light Miracle Whip for the lemon yogurt.

Ingredients:
2 cups cubed chicken, cooked
1/2 cup halved grapes
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup diced pecans
1/4 cup diced onions
1/4 tsp celery seed
1 6 oz container fat free lemon yogurt
1/4 cup Light Miracle whip

Mix together and let sit or at least 1 hour for flavors to meld. Use 1/2 cup of chicken mixture per each wrap.

1 serving is 1 wrap.


Verdict: Awesome! We both liked this, and thought it would make a great "light" lunch. I thought the lemon would taste too sweet, but it was just right!

Loose Meats and Grape Salad

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Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

When given the choice between loose meats and ham and potatoes, Jeff chose loose meats. But, I had no chicken gumbo soup, and I wasn't rockin' the idea of onion powder, so I created a new loose meat sauce.

In addition, I had some grapes wasting away in the fridge, and I couldn't bear the thought of wasting them. To be honest, they are VERY tart, and we can't eat these plain, so I found a savory grape recipe in my 4-H cookbook.

Loose Meat Ingredients
1 lb 93% lean burger, crumbled, browned and drained
3/4 c. ketchup
1/4 c. BBQ sauce (I used KC Masterpiece Honey BBQ)
1 TBSP mustard (I used honey mustard)
1/2 c. water
Light buns

After browning meat in a pan, mix in ketchup, BBQ sauce and mustard. Once mixed, add water and stir again. Let simmer until thickened. Serve on buns.



Grape Salad Ingredients
(This is the full recipe, I halved it and only used black grapes)
2 lbs green grapes
2 lbs red grapes
8 oz fat free cream cheese
8 oz light sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c. sugar (or Splenda)
Topping: 1 c. chopped, toasted pecans mixed with 1/2 c. brown sugar.

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla and sugar. Meanwhile, wash and dry grapes. Fold grapes into cream cheese mixture. Chill. Before serving spoon topping over salad (or, since I know I will have leftovers I just top each individual serving).


VERDICT: We liked these loose meats even more than the ones I make with onion powder. Thus, I think this will be my go-to recipe from here on out. As for the grapes, they were good, but still very tart. I may have make them again with green and red grapes to judge the recipe fairly.

Flag Salad

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Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

You can't get much more patriotic than this flag salad! Plus, it's fairly healthy for you (if you go easy on the cheese).

1-2 bags washed, chopped romaine (dry in salad spinner if you need to do so)
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 can sliced black olives
About 1 cup shredded 3-cheese blend (Parmesan, Romano and Asiago)


Place romaine in the bottom of a 9x13 (or any rectangular dish), then place the olives over the romaine in the left corner in the form of a square. Starting at the top of the pan, place the tomatoes in a line, then place cheese in about the same amount of space. Alternate the stripes, but make sure to end with the tomatoes so that it resembles a real flag. THUS-- YOU HAVE JUST LEARNED THAT THE AMERICAN FLAG BEGINS WITH AND ENDS WITH A RED STRIPE!


Verdict: This was a nice change up to the mayonnaise (er...Light Miracle Whip) laden salads that are usually served at picnics. This was light and refreshing, so we didn't feel heavy after the meal. Will I make this again? More than likely.

Also--don't let the picture fool you--it really is a pretty salad. I just had people snacking on the tomatoes and and olives before I snapped a picture.

Cheese Salad

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Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

I found this on Tried-and-True Cooking with Heidi (link on the left), and knew I had to try this. Heidi said that her aunt makes the salad and that there's not any left at the end of the day. With that in mind, I made this and stayed fairly true to the recipe. The only thing I didn't add was 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, because I'm not a fan of heat.

Ingredients:
1 lb block Colby-jack cheese cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1 lb block pepper jack cheese cut in 1/2 inch cubes
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 jar green olives, sliced in 1/2
1/2 cup miracle whip
1 TBSP Dijon mustard (I used German mustard)
1/2 tsp original Mrs. Dash
1/8 tsp cayenne (NOTE: I DID NOT USE THIS)

Mix cheeses, tomato and olives in a large bowl. In small bowl combine miracle whip, Dijon mustard, cayenne (if using) and Mrs. Dash. Pour onto cheese mixture and mix well to coat. Chill, but do not make more than 6 hours ahead of time, or it MAY get soupy. We ate it for two days, and it was fine!

VERDICT: We really liked this! You don't need much more than 1/4 cup-1/3 cup, because it's very rich. I didn't add the cayenne, and I don't think I ever will, because I could really taste the spices in the pepper jack this way.

Mom's Fruit Salad

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Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

My mom brought this salad to my house for the 4th of July, and we're happy she did. Even one day later, it tastes great and is not too soupy. I found this recipe from Bobby at BlogChef and asked her to make it since she wanted to bring a dish along. Note: I also changed the name...since she made it for us and changed some of the ingredients. It's been very hard for us to find pineapple tidbits in juice and not heavy syrup in our area, so she changed it to pineapple chunks in juice--a much healthier substitute. Also, we omitted the pecans because, well we didn't have any on hand, plus, most of my family has bad teeth, so it's probably better that we don't eat hard nuts and crack more teeth. But, you may add them if you wish.

Ingredients
2 medium bananas (sliced or diced)
2 medium apples (diced)
The juice of 1 lemon
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks (with juice reserved)
2 cups strawberries (sliced)
2 cups grapes
*¼ cup pecans (chopped)--WE DID NOT ADD THESE
1 (1 ½ ounce) box sugar free instant vanilla pudding mix
½ cup water

Combine apples and bananas then add the lemon juice and stir to coat. Let sit for 1-2 minutes, then stir in the rest of the fruit (and pecans if you want them). In a small bowl whisk together the pudding mix, water and pineapple juice until smooth. Stir the pudding mix into the fruit and toss to coat. Let sit in refrigerator until ready to eat. Yields: 10 servings.


Verdict: WE LOVED THIS! And, it's still great the next day. What's even better is that overall, this is very healthy considering that most of the fruit salads that I know of have a TON of sugar in them. By using the sugar free pudding mix you can sweeten the salad without adding a lot of calories (but, don't kid yourself, it still has calories!)

Steak Tacos and Corn Salad

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Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

Have you ever had one of those days where you just wanted to clean out the freezer? I had not idea what I wanted to make for supper tonight, but upon scrounging around our freezer I found some stew meat (steak cubes) that I froze back in February. Well, I figured I had better use it now, before it gets nasty. The corn salad was also part of the "let's clean out the freezer" movement. The salad is based on the cornbread one we made for my wedding, but is just a little different. It's still super tasty.

Steak Tacos
1/2 onion cut into 1/2 moons
1/4 c. combo of red and green peppers, diced
2 tsp olive oil
1 lb Steak Cubes
black pepper
2-3 cups water
1 bouillon cube
1 TBSP tomato paste
1 package of taco seasoning
taco shells
2% mild cheddar cheese, shredded
fat free sour cream

Add 1 tsp olive oil to frying pan and heat over medium, add onion and green pepper, carmelize then let rest on a plate while you cook the meat. After removing the veggies add 1 tsp olive oil and cook meat until browned, then drain and rinse the fat from the meat (if you have any). Return the meat to the pan, and add black pepper while frying for a mement. Then, simmer in beef broth until tender (which will depend on the cut you get, mine was tough). You may need to add more water to make sure the beef is tender! Once you have tenderized the meat add the tomato paste, taco seasoning and cooked veggies to the pan. Let cook until thick. Add meat and veggies to taco shell and top with cheese and sour cream if you wish. (I would say lettuce, but I DETEST WARM LETTUCE.)

Corn Salad
1 package frozen corn, cooked, cooled and drained well (I used the steam fresh pacakge)
2 TBSP white onion
2 TBSP red pepper
2 TBSP green pepper
1 can drained pinto beans
1 can drained diced tomatoes (or you can use fresh)
1/2 cup 2% mild cheddar cheese, shredded (USE A BLOCK AND SHRED IT YOURSELF!)
3 TBSP (or 1 package) Hidden Valley Ranch powder
1/2 c Light Miracle Whip
1/2 c fat free sour cream

Mix well and let sit for 1 hour so that flavors may meld.



The judgement: Jeff loved the tacos, while I thought they were ok. I loved the corn salad while Jeff thought it was ok. If I were to do it again, I would add more onions and peppers to the tacos, because they're my favorite part of a taco. As for the salad, instead of 1/2 c f Light Miracle Whip and fat free sour cream I might cut back to 1/3 c each, because it was a bit moist, but man did I enjoy it! If I hd had a bun to wipe the juice up with I would have been in heaven!

Ranch Cucumber Mushroom Salad

I swear I don't live on ranch dressing! It's funny, actually, because I used to HATE ranch, well, until I was probably 25. Now, I love Hidden Valley Light dressing and use it all the time. I happened to be at Wh0le F00ds this weekend and picked up the organic mini-cucumbers and mushrooms on sale.

2 cups romaine and/or iceberg lettuce, chopped
2 mini-cucumbers, sliced
3 large mushrooms, sliced

Toss together in a bowl and add approximately 1/4 c. light ranch dressing and coat well. Let sit for 30 minutes.

When ready to serve add 1-2 TBSP fresh Parmesan cheese and fresh cracked black pepper.

This makes 2 servings and was a perfect complement to our cream cheese chicken and pasta. The cucumbers taste great, and Jeff and I loved the crispness they added to the salad. I will be making this again.

Another Fruit Salad

1 green apple, diced
1 banana, sliced
1/4 C marshmallows
1 small package raisins
1 package strawberry banana sugar free Jell-O
About 1/4 cup diet 7-UP

Mix together and let sit for 20-30 minutes.


I love these different salads! They are fast and can stay in the fridge for a couple days. I am going to continue to play with different jello flavors.

Sunshine Salad

Yes, I am pathetic, and that's why I named this salad after my Internet alter-ego.

1 can sugar free or lite can of fruit cocktail, drained
1 apple, diced
1 box of sugar free lemon Jell-o

Mix in a large bowl and add a handful of marshmallows. Can add raisins, bananas, oranges, or any other fruit you desire. It's different every time I make it.


Can try different Jell-o flavors as well!

Jeff actually liked this! I was so impressed, because he ate fruit for supper! FRUIT! I love that I can eat healthy items like this and he'll try them, too.

Edit: August 07, 2007
I just made this with 2 cans of sugar-free pears, drained and a 1 box of sugar-free Jell-o. YUM!

Creamy Mac Salad

This is one of those recipes I lightened using ingredients I like.

Cook pasta shells (about 3 cups--dry pasta) to aldente. Drain and rinse in cold water until pasta is cool to the touch.

Meanwhile add the following ingredients to a large, glass bowl:

1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 of a green pepper
1/4 of an onion
1-2 TBSP diced pimento
pinch of salt
1 tsp pepper (I probably used A LOT more)
Scant 1/4 cup Splenda (I didn't measure this, so it's a guesstimate)
1/4 tsp celery seed

Mix in:
1 C Fat Free plain yogurt
1/3 C fat free sour cream
1/4 C Light Miracle Whip

Add pasta shells to the creamy vegetable mixture and let sit at least 4 hours, preferably 6, or overnight.

OMGoodness! I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS! And, yes, I know that celery seed is expensive, but I love how it flavors everything. Next time, I would probably add more onion to the mix, and a little bit more LMW to keep it moist. But, overall, much healthier for you than the stuff from the local deli.