Recipe 34: SALMON RIGATONI SALAD (Salad)

This is another recipe from the church cookbook and was sumbitted by Deb Skea.  She always brings great treats and salads to things. I am always sure to get a bite of what she brings.This salad is actually quite healthy and delicious.  Great Omega 3 fatty acids, and a great combo of protein, dairy and carbs.  This is a really satisfying salad and you could eat it as a meal.  The only change I made to this recipe was using tri colored pasta instead of regular and using fresh basil instead of dried. DELICIOUS. Try to use the wild caught pacific salmon if available.

THE RECIPE:

2 cups rigatoni (4oz.) I use the tri color

cook the rigatoni in boiling salted water for 10-15 minutes until al dente. drain, rinse with cold water and drain well.,

For dressing, combine the following in a jar:

3 TBSP extra virgin Olive Oil

3 TBSP Lemon Juice

1 tsp Honey

1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed (or you can use 3/4 TBSP fresh ripped small)

1/2 tsp salt.

cover and shake well.

in large bowl combine rigatoni and dressing, tossing well to coat evenly.

Cover and chill a minimum 2 hours.

before serving:

1 can (7.5 oz)  wild caught salmon, drained.

remove any skin and bones from the salmon and break into chunks. You can also use leftover salmon from a previous dinner if you dont want to use the canned.

1 small cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

combine your rigatoni with the salmon and feta and cucumber.

Voila. A delicious, healthy pasta salad.

recipe 28: FIESTA BLACK BEAN SALAD(sides, beans, salad)

SOURCE:  Another great recipe from my friend Christine. She always brings the most delicious salads and soups to potlucks. This is so flavorful and delicious, and SO HEALTHY too.   I LOVE this recipe and have a huge star next to it in THE BINDER.  This is a really versatile recipe as well.  It can be eaten alone as a side dish/salad. It can be eaten as a salsa. It can be used as a dip. 

THE RECIPE:

in a small bowl whisk together the following:

2 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar

1 TBSP Olive Oil

3 Cloves Minced Garlic (3 tsp pre chopped)

1/2 tsp ground cumin

This is your dressing.

In a larger serving bowl combine:

2 can corn, drained well

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 small green bell pepper, diced small

1 small red bell pepper, diced small

3 TBSP Snipped Cilantro (or about 1 TBSP dried Cilantro)

salt and pepper to taste

Pour your dressing over the bean mixture and toss gently to coat evenly.

Chill for at least an hour.

serve alone or with chips or tortillas.

Recipe 16: CLASSIC ROASTED CHICKEN (Main Course)

SOURCE:  When i got married I received a packet of easy, healthy recipe cards in the mail. If I liked what I saw I could continue receiving packets of recipes every month for the low low price of 4.95 per shipment.(Plus shipping and handling)  AND it came with a plastic recipe box...WITH DIVIDERS!  Well needless to say I felt the urge to impress my new husband with my brilliant skills, so I subscribed to these recipe cards for about  2 years and amassed quite the collection that I used about 3 times and is now collecting dust in the cabinet above my refrigerator.  The one lesson to come from this experience (Apart from not subscribing to something that just showed up in the mail) was how to make the worlds BEST ROAST CHICKEN.  I make this chicken often and use the leftovers for other chicken dishes later in the week. This has great flavor, is tender and juicy and is healthy!!  So thank you 4.95 a month for 24 months for a box of recipes I almost never use ! And thanks for selling my name to the "Never Run Nylon company", the "Romance Book of the Month Club", the "Cookies of the monthBaking Club" and the "Makeup of the month club".

THE RECIPE:  CLASSIC ROAST CHICKEN

1 roasting Chicken, about 3-4 pounds.

Clean out the cavity and  lightly salt the cavity.

in a small dish mix together:

4 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tsp dried Thyme

2 tsp Dried rosemary

3 cloves minced garlic (3 tsp pre chopped from a jar)

1/4 tsp of ground sage

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper.

Whisk together well.

Place Chicken in a roasting pan.

Rub the oil and herb mixture all over chicken and lift up the skin on the breast and get the oil and herbs in there as well.

Pour remaining oil herb mixture inside cavity as well and rub in.

Slice half a lemon and put several slices inside the cavity.

Bake at 325 for 1 hour.  After an hour, tilt the chicken forward and let all the juices run out of the cavity. Use these juices to baste chicken.

Roast chicken for another hour until done, basting frequenly.