Taco Salad

                                    My not so pretty- Taco Salad
My kids wanted me to post my taco salad recipe, so they would have it handy.
It's not attractive, but they love it. This makes a HUGE bowl.
If you think you are going to have leftovers, don't add the beef mixture to the salad. Reheat the beef in the microwave, then add it to individual portions.

Ingredients:

For the taco meat:
2lbs. ground chuck
2 envelopes of taco seasoning (I like Taco Bell brand)
1cup water

For the dressing:
1 large jar of prepared salsa
16oz. sour cream

Salad:
1 head of lettuce-chopped or shredded
1 bag of nacho cheese Doritos-crushed
5 roma tomatoes-diced
8oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation:
Brown the beef. Drain the pan drippings and return the beef to the pan.
Add the seasoning and water. Simmer until most of the water has evaporated.
Dump the beef into a colander (over a bowl), and allow it to drain, while you are preparing the salad.
Combine the dressing ingredients. Set aside.
Combine the salad ingredients.
Mix the dressing into the salad.
Add the beef and mix to combine. Serve.

Chilled Marinated Garden Vegetables- (no oil)

                                       Chilled Marinated Tomatoes.
You may have noticed, I don't post many vegetable recipes. I am a true vegetable lover, no recipe can outshine, what Mother Natures has already perfected. (although she could, maybe re-think beets, I'm sure there is a recipe out there, that may make me change my mind...maybe)
During the summer, there is always a plate of sliced, salted tomatoes at the dinner table, still warm from the sun. I didn't grow cucumbers this year, or there would be salted plate of those as well.
Every now and then, I like to marinate, and chill them. My favorite combination includes: diced tomato, cucumber, diced onion, sliced mushrooms, sliced black olives and diced red bell peppers. This is an Italian marinade.

Marinade Ingredients:
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1Tbl. sugar
1/4tsp. celery seed
1tsp. salt
1/4tsp. pepper
1tsp. minced garlic
1tsp. onion powder
1tsp. basil


Preparation:
Place cut vegetables in a large bowl.
Whisk together the marinade ingredients, pour over vegetables, cover and chill.
The longer these marinate the better, I sometimes make this, the day before.

Grandma's Sweet Pickle-Celery Seed Pasta Salad

                      Grandma's Sweet Pickle-Celery Seed Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
1lb cooked rotini -also called skroodles
6 hard boiled eggs-peeled and chopped ( save one to slice)
1 cup thin sliced sweet pickles
1/4 cup pickle juice
1/2tsp. celery seeds-plus more to sprinkle on top
1-1/2cups miracle whip or mayo

Preparation:
Combine everything in a large bowl.
Garnish with egg slices and more celery seeds
Chill before serving.

My Favorite Pasta Salad

  I love this with Fried Chicken and Biscuits, or Bavarian Ham sandwiches.

Now that the heatwave is over, I'm craving pasta salad and oatmeal cookies. So I'm making both this week. I'm working on an oatmeal pie idea, if it turns out well I'll post it later.
There are 2 pasta salads my family makes. One is my Mothers, The other is my Dad's Mother's. Both are really good, but his is my favorite. I'll post the other, later in the week. Whenever I take this to a potluck, I'm bombarded with requests for Mom's recipe.
I like to chop everything as small as I can get it, so it's dispersed throughout the salad, and you get a little of everything, in every bite. While it's chilling, the processed cheese dissolves somewhat and becomes part of the base. Stir before serving.

Ingredients:
6 hard boiled eggs- peeled and chopped
1 green bell pepper- minced
3Tbl. minced onion- I use yellow
2 cups minced roma tomatoes- about 5
1-1/2 cups processed cheese-cubed (the kind in a box such as Velveeta, but I prefer generic)
1Tbl. sugar
1tsp. salt
1/2tsp. pepper
2-3cups Miracle Whip-(to taste)
1/2 cup water (the macaroni will absorb this)
2lbs macaroni- cooked and chilled under cold running water.

Preparation:
Combine everything except the macaroni, mix well.
Add the macaroni, mix and chill. Stir before serving.

I cook the macaroni first, drain it, and let cold water run into the colander, until the macaroni is cold.
Put the colander in a pan and fill it with cold water. Then I begin chopping.

Add everything except the macaroni to a very large bowl, mix well to combine.

Drain the macaroni and add it to the bowl, mix well, cover and chill. I usually make this the night before, but 1or2 hrs. would be enough to combine the flavors. If it becomes dry, stir in a little water to moisten.

Green Jello Salad- An Ode to Dad

Green Jello Salad
I'm kind of sitting on a fence with this one. But my Dad really loved it.
If someone forgot to make this during the Holidays, we would hear about it.
I guess the meal just wasn't the same for him without it. grmble..grumble.
I haven't made this since he passed away a decade ago, but...
I think I'm going to put it bake on the Holiday menu, as a homage. 
Who knows, one of the Grandkids might take a shine to it.

Ingredients:
2 packages lime jello
1cup plus one cup boiling water
1 can of crushed pineapple-drained
2cups miniature marshmallows
8oz. whipping cream-cold
2cups grated cabbage
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
 
Preparation:
In a bowl add only 1 package of lime jello and 1 cup boiling water. Stir to dissolve.
Add the marshmallows and stir into the hot mixture until they are only partially melted.
Add the pineapple and cabbage, Stir to mix, and refrigerate until set.
In another bowl, Add the remaining package of lime jello and 1cup boiling water. Stir to disslove.
Pour in the whipping cream and mix well. Stir in the walnuts. Pour this mixture onto the set jello mixture.Refrigerate until set.

B.L.T. Salad

                                                  B.L.T. Salad

Ingredients:
1lb. bacon cut up into lardons- fried and cooled
What-Are-Lardons-Video
Enough diced tomatoes, and lettuce for a family size salad

Dressing ingredients:
3/4 cup salad dressing (like miracle whip)
1/4cup chopped scallions
2tsp. sugar
Enough milk to thin out a little-similar to the consistency of ranch dressing


Directions
Mix dressing and allow to stand about 30 min for best flavor.
Mix together all other ingredients, top with dressing.

Fried Chicken Salad

                                      Fried Chicken Salad
Whenever I eat Steak N Shake I always order this salad.
This is pretty close to theirs.

Ingredients:
Oil for frying
3-4 chicken breast-cut into bite sized chunks
1/4cup flour
1/4cup cornstarch
3tbl chicken base or bullion, dissolved in1/4cup of water
1egg
Enough lettuce tomato,scallions and shredded cheddar for a family size dinner salad.
2 flour tortillas cut into strips and fried in oil until golden
50-50 ratio of ranch and honey mustard dressing (combined) 1/4cup ranch-1/4cup honey mustard
Preparation:
Beat egg, add cornstarch,flour and water. Mix well. Add the chicken pieces and fry a few minutes until golden.
Mix together the salad ingredients, fried tortillas,chicken and add dressing according to taste.

                                      Chop and dice salad veggies.

Cut tortillas into strips and fry. The phone rang so these are overdone, lol, but you get the idea.Use these like croutons. Or leave these out and wrap the salad in flour tortillas.

       Fry the chicken. Mix all salad ingredients in a bowl. Add dressing according to taste.