Tri-Colored Pasta Salad with Cheese

This recipe is what I used for my sister-in-law's bridal shower a few weeks ago.  I recently posted an entire menu of what was served, so feel free to visit back for more bridal shower food ideas.  When looking for a recipe for pasta salad, I wanted to go more traditional.  This one had a great list of ingredients and was just what I wanted: light, crisp, and not overly-dressed.


Tri-Colored Pasta Salad with Cheese

Ingredients:

32 oz., dry tri-colored spiral pasta
16 oz. grape tomatoes, whole/halved/quartered (your preference)
1 can black olives, sliced
1/2 jar green olives, sliced
1 cucumber, chopped and seeds removed
1 whole sweet bell pepper (any color), chopped
3 whole celery stalks, chopped
3 whole green onions, finely chopped OR 1/4 of a yellow onion, finely chopped
8 oz. fluid Italian or Greek or Caesar Dressing (I used Zesty Italian by Newman's)
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dill weed
1 teaspoon black pepper
Optional: 16 oz. fresh Mozzarella Cheese, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Directions:

Cook pasta according to box directions, making sure to salt your water and not to overcook your pasta.  You want a nice bite to it!  Rinse with cool water and set aside.

Drain olives, then place them in salad bowl.  Add grape tomatoes, chopped cucumber, sweet peppers, celery, and mozzarella cheese (if using).  Add chopped onion.  Add cooled pasta into salad bowl, and pour the salad dressing on top along with dill weed and pepper.  Fold together until dressing is distributed.  It is best to make this the day before and let all of the flavors meld and the dressing to marinate the pasta and vegetables.  Stir in Parmesan cheese prior to serving.  Serve cold.

Chinese Cole Slaw or Ramen Noodle Slaw or Ramen Noodle Salad or...

I don't know what to call this dish.  I'm sure you all have heard of it and each of you by a different name.  All I know, it's good!  I don't do cole slaw, really.  You see, I don't do mayonnaise, and cole slaw, by it's nature, must have mayonnaise in it.  However!  There is a cole slaw that doesn't have any mayonnaise in it, at all, and it's so yummy!  This is a great salad to serve for summer cookouts and baby showers and birthday parties.  Give it a try if you haven't!  (Maybe I'll make this for Nora's 3rd birthday party!?)

Chinese Cole Slaw

Ingredients:

Dressing:
1/2 cup of canola or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons of soy sauce (I use light)
3 tablespoons of sugar
3 tablespoons of rice wine, red wine or white vinegar (I use red wine vinegar)
1 package of Ramen noodles chicken flavor seasoning



Salad:
1 tablespoon of butter
1 pkg. Ramen noodles without seasoning, crushed
1 small pkg. slivered or sliced almonds  (approximate 1/4 cup)
2 teaspoons of sesame seeds
1 (16 oz.) pkg. cole slaw mix OR 1 small head cabbage and two carrots, shredded
2-3 green onions, chopped with tops

In a small bowl, mix oil, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and seasoning packet from Ramen noodle soup and set aside. Combine chopped onions and cole slaw/cabbage mix. In a small pan, melt butter.  Saute almonds and sesame seeds in butter until lightly browned.  Just before serving, add dressing a little at a time to the cole slaw mix. Don't use too much or your salad will get too soggy.  Then add the nuts and the crushed noodles from the soup mix.
This salad is best when mixed right before serving.

***To crush my Ramen noodles, I usually place the plain, dry noodles in a ziploc bag, then either use my hands or a spoon  to break them up into pieces.
***I love to use olive oil over other oils whenever possible, but in my opinion, olive oil is just too dense and over-powering to use in this recipe.
***This recipe easily doubles.

Bean Salad

UMMMM!  We had dinner last night at my in-laws, and my mother-in-law had this wonderful, cold bean salad to accompany our supper.  It was so delicious, light, and refreshing!  Plus, I believe this is a healthy side item including lots of fiber, protein, and very little fat.  Jonathan loved it, and it just seemed so perfect for a warm, summer night!

Bean Salad

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup of red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional....we didn't have this in ours)

Directions:
Drain and rinse beans.  Chop peppers, onions, and cilantro.  Combine beans and vegetables in a bowl.  Add red wine vinegar and cayenne (if using), and stir until salad is covered.  Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.  The longer it sits, the better!  Serve chilled!

Delicious! Light! Perfect!