Grilled Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
1 bag cut up romaine or iceberg lettuce
1 box of cherry tomatoes
3 pieces of boned chicken breasts

Dressing/marinade:
1/4 - 1/2 cup oil (add a bit of water if using less oil)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove of garlic, crushed or minced into very fine pieces
1 teaspoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Grill chicken separately for 6 minutes on each side until flesh is white in color. Cut each piece of chicken breast in half and diagonally cut into thin strips.

Shake all dressing ingredients together in a container/dressing bottle until thoroughly mixed. Add grilled chicken pieces and give another shake or two to coat the chicken with the dressing/marinade. Let chicken marinate in the refrigerator for 3-5 hours.

Before serving, cut the cherry tomatoes in half and toss with lettuce. Pour the dressing/marinade with the chicken over the salad and mix. Enjoy.

Note: You can serve this salad as an entrée. Sprinkle lettuce on plate, then artfully design cherry tomatoes in a circle around the plate and place chicken pieces in the center. Pour dressing over the plate just before serving.

This salad dressing is also great on coldcuts. Combine lettuce, cherry tomatoes and bits of coldcuts, omitting the chicken, for a delicious coldcut salad.

Angel Hair Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
1/2 of an 8 ounce bag of angel hair pasta, cooked and drained
1/2 bag of cut up purple cabbage or ½ small purple cabbage head, cut up
3 stalks of green onion/scallions chopped
1 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/8 cup sesame seeds

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (regular vinegar can also be used)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper

Directions:
Saute slivered almonds and sesame seeds in 2 tablespoons of oil until golden brown. Shake all dressing ingredients in a container/dressing bottle. Combine pasta, purple cabbage, scallions, almonds and sesame seeds. Pour dressing over salad right before serving.

Note: To cut out some of the fat, omit sautéing the almonds and sesame seeds in oil and roast them in the oven until brown.

Mushroom Salad with Lettuce and Cherry Tomatoes

1 box of fresh mushrooms (portabello mushrooms can be used), cleaned and cut.
1 bag of cut up lettuce
1 box of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup crushed honey glazed almonds

Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (regular vinegar can also be used)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Sprinkle mushrooms with salt, pepper, and paprika and sauté in a bit of oil. Combine with lettuce and cherry tomatoes.

Shake all dressing ingredients in a container/dressing bottle. Pour dressing over salad before serving and sprinkle crushed almonds over salad.

Lettuce and Mandarin Orange Salad

1 bag cut up iceberg or romaine lettuce
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 small purple onion, quartered and sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup craisins (optional)

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
sprinkle of black pepper

Directions:
Lay slivered almonds in pan and roast in oven until brown (5-10 min). Combine lettuce, mandarin oranges, purple onion, almonds and craisins.

Shake dressing ingredients in a container/dressing bottle. Pour over salad and serve.

Enjoy!!