Heidi's Green Bean Pesto Salad

1 Cup Fresh Cut Green Beans
1 ts Sea Salt
3 Cups Cooked Salad Macaroni
1 Cup Diced Mozzarella
6-7 oz Pesto with Basil

Cover green beans with water, add sea salt, and cook until water is gone. Let beans cool then mix all ingredients together. Serve.

Kathy's Notes: I like green beans to still be a little crispy so I used fresh and just tossed them in with the pasta the last few minutes of cooking and then drained and cooled all in a big colander with ice cold water. The crispiness added a nice texture. I also added a bit of parmesan to the mix and used half again more mozzarella. It made more than I could eat in one meal and dried out storing overnight in the fridge so I tossed with a tiny drizzle of olive oil the second (and again the 3rd) day.

Green Rice

In a large non-stick frying pan, add:
1-2 Tbl olive oil
2 cups of long cooking white rice

Stir, over medium-high heat, until the rice looses its transparency and begins to toast. Add 1 1/2 cups water and 1 Tbl chicken base (or equivalent bullion powder or cubes). Stir to mix. When liquid is absorbed, add another 1 1/2 cups water and 1 cup medium green salsa. Turn heat to low. When liquid is absorbed, taste and add more chicken base if it needs more salt. Add 3 large cubed tomatillos and 1/2 cup each of finely chopped onion and coarsely chopped cilantro. If rice is still crunchy add additional water, a small amount at a time, and simmer until liquid is absorbed. Serve with chicken breast baked in a mixture of cream of chicken soup and canned chicken or turkey gravy for a quick and easy dinner.

Chop House Tomato Salad

Appx 3 cups vine ripened tomatoes cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt, Pepper and chopped fresh Basil to taste
1 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
Parmesan cheese to shave

To reduce balsamic vinegar, bring to boil then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10-15 minutes until reduced by half. Cool in fridge for 15 minutes. Toss with tomatoes, salt, pepper and basil in large bowl. Garnish with several curls of parmesan shaved from a brick of good quality cheese with a vegetable peeler.

Corkscrew Pasta Salad

Toss together until well mixed:
2 lbs tri-color corkscrew pasta, cooked and cooled
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup finely sliced celery
1 cup finely sliced carrots
1 very large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red or green pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsley
1 small can sliced black olives, drained

Add and continue tossing until evenly coated:
1 bottle of your favorite oil & vinegar "Italian" dressing (may not need the whole bottle)

Add and toss to distribute evenly:
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Refrigerate several hours or overnight for flavors to blend. Toss lightly just before serving.

Onion-Roasted Red Potatoes

Preheat oven to 350F. In shallow baking dish, blend:

1 envelope onion soup mix
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
1 Tbl Italian herb seasoning blend

Add 2 lbs quartered red potatoes and toss to coat thoroughly. Bake, stirring occasionally until potatoes are golden and tender.

Mel's Macaroni Salad

Sauce: 1 cup Miracle Whip mixed with 2 Tbl yellow mustard, 1 tsp celery seed and enough milk to make it thick but pourable.

Salad: In large bowl, combine:
1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked according to pkg directions and cooled
1 cup frozen peas
1 can water-pack tuna, drained
3-4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 - 1 1/2 cups chopped celery, green pepper and onion (any combo)

Toss with sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Store airtight in the refrigerator. It does tend to get a little dry when stored... just mix in a little bit of additional mayonnaise or Miracle Whip.

Tortellini Salad

1 lb fresh cheese tortellini
8 oz sliced pepperoni
2 cups dark leaf lettuce torn into bite size pieces
2 cups spinach cut or torn into bite size pieces
3 oz feta cheese
1 sm can sliced black olives, drained
Your favorite oil & vinegar type salad dressing
Parmesan cheese to sprinkle over top

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and cool to room temperature. Add to large bowl with pepperoni, lettuce, spinach, feta cheese and olives. Toss to mix. Add salad dressing and toss until evenly coated. Sprinkle with parmesan.

Funeral Potatoes

(So called because they are a favorite at funeral luncheons.)

6 medium potatoes
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cube margarine, melted
1/2 pint sour cream
1 cup grated cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup finely crushed cornflakes

Cube potatoes into bite size pieces and boil in salted water until just tender. Make sauce by mixing soup, margarine, onion, and sour cream. Drain potatoes and transfer to a baking pan. Pour sauce over top and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Top with crushed cornflakes during final 10 minutes of bake time.

Donna's Beets

2 large fresh red beets, grated
3 slices of bacon, fried and crumbled
Bacon grease for frying

Combine all ingredients in non-stick skillet and saute until beets are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Warm Corn Salad

Cut the kernals from 3 cobs of fresh corn into a large non-stick skillet. Add 2/3 cup chopped onion, 1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper and 1/4 cup butter. Saute until onions are soft. Add very finely minced jalapeno to taste and 1/2 of a small can of medium or mild diced green chiles. Toss to mix. Add 2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, the juice of 1 lime and salt and pepper to taste. Toss. Sprinkle with crumbled cotijo cheese.

Serve either hot or cold - we like it best warm, but not steaming hot. Goes great with BBQ ribs.