Macaroni Salad Bacon, Peas, and Cream Dijon Dressing

This is officially my first pasta salad blog post and boy is it a good one! My husband and I could not keep out of it, and the best part? It’s healthy!

I love it when I find great tasting, low-fat/low-fat calorie recipes, and this macaroni salad with peas, dijon mustard and bacon from Cooking Light did not disappoint. With only 208 calories and 7 grams of fat, that’s not too shabby for a pasta salad in my opinion.

I will say though, that after a reading a few comments about this recipe, I was a little hesitant to make it. Someone complained about the dressing being too sour from the vinegar and overpowering dijon mustard. I would definitely have to DISAGREE! I thought the slightly tangy dressing contrasted well with the smoky bacon, sweet bell pepper, and red onion. This pasta salad was excellent in my opinion, and I will definitely be making it again soon as a side dish for summer BBQs and backyard grilling parties.

Enjoy!

Combine first 9 ingredients and combine in food processor until smooth.

Combine chopped red onion, green onion, bell pepper, green peas, and lemon rind.

Toss with cooked pasta.

Meanwhile, cook bacon.

Add half of the dressing and chill. When ready to serve, add the remaining dressing and top with crumbled bacon.

Macaroni Salad with Bacon, Peas, and Creamy Dijon Dressing

Serves: 8

Ingredients

DRESSING
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. fat-free sour cream
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
SALAD
8 oz. uncooked large elbow macaroni
2/3 cup fresh green peas
2/3 cup finely diced red bell pepper
2/3 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
3 lower-sodium bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Instructions

To prepare dressing, combine first 9 ingredients in a food processor, and process until smooth. Cover and chill.
To prepare salad, cook pasta according to package directions. Add peas during the last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain; rinse with cold water. Drain. Combine pasta mixture, bell pepper, and next 4 ingredients (through rind) in a large bowl.
Toss pasta mixture with half of dressing. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Toss salad with remaining dressing, and sprinkle with crumbled bacon; serve immediately.

Serving size: 1 cup Calories: 208 Fat: 7g Saturated fat: 3.2g Carbohydrates: 29.1g Sodium: 454mg Fiber: 2.3g Protein: 8.6g Cholesterol: 16mg

Notes

Source: Cooking Light

Tabbouleh

Anyone ever heard of tabbouleh? If not, here’s your chance to not only learn what’s in this traditional Arabic salad, but also a chance to make it. Before I get into the healthful benefits and how good it tastes, you need to know how to pronounce it. I’ve seen several pronunciations, but the most common is this: TAB-BOO-LAY.

Now that you got that out of the way, it’s time to make tabbouleh! Why? This Lebanese salad, typically consisting of cracked wheat, tomatoes, parsley, mint, lemon juice, and olive oil has all kinds of delicious flavors packed together, but without all those pesky calories.

A full 1 1/4-cup serving is only 150 calories and packs over 11 grams of protein and 4.5 grams of fiber. Bulgar, an ingredient in this salad that you may not have heard of, is very similar to white rice. The only difference… it has more fiber and protein, a lower glycemic index, and higher levels of most vitamins and minerals.

In addition, summer is right around the corner, and if you live in Texas, like me, you’ll want a refreshing side dish or light lunch idea for when it’s 100+ degrees F outside.

A few tips to note:

If you’re making the mixture a few hours or more in advance, store the cucumber and tomato separately and add them close to serving time to keep the salad at its best.
For a savory Middle-East light lunch, serve this salad with hummus and pita chips.
Add Parmesan or Feta cheese for more flavor.

Enjoy!

Chop tomatoes, parsley, mint, chicken, bell pepper and cucumber and toss.

Add bulger.

Toss with lemon juice and olive oil.

Serve immediately or chill.

Tabbouleh with Chicken and Red Bell Pepper
Ingredients
1/2 cup uncooked bulgar
1 1/2 cups diced plum tomatoes
3/4 cup shredded rotisserie chicken breast
3/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cups finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/4 cup minced fresh mint
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions
1. Cook bulgar per directions on package. Cool.
2. Add tomatoes and remaining ingredients; toss well.

Nutritional Information: 150 Calories | 4.7g Fat | 16.9g Carbohydrate | 11.2g Protein | 4.5g Fiber

Yield: 4 (1 1/4 cup) servings
Recipe from: Cooking Light

Toasty Parmesan Chickpea Salad

This toasty parmesan chickpea salad is my new favorite side dish. It is absolutely delicious! It has a nice crunch from the green peppers, red onion, and bacon that has been sizzled in salty bacon drippings. It is sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese that holds everything together like glue. With a pleasing flavor, my husband even enjoyed this… and I’m not sure he’s even eaten chickpeas before!

In terms of nutrition, the health benefits of chickpeas are numerous. Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans are high in protein and fiber. They also are a healthy source of carbohydrates for people with insulin sensitivity or diabetes. Chickpeas are low in fat, have a healthful source of zinc and folate, and also assist in lowering cholesterol in the bloodstream!

Give these a try and let me know what you think! From now on, I will always have a can of chickpeas in my pantry to make this savory salad. Let me know what you think! Enjoy!

After roasting chickpeas, saute onions and peppers for 2 minutes.

Add chickpeas, toast for another 5-7 minutes.

Add bacon, Parmesan and parsley. Serve immediately.

Toasty Parmesan Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
1 (15 oz.) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 slice of bacon, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/4 green bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
bunch of fresh chopped parsley (I didn’t have, so omitted)

Directions
1. Heat a skillet on medium heat. Add bacon and fry until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel, leaving grease in the skillet.
2. Add onions and green peppers to the bacon fat, and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Make sure chickpeas are dry and toss with paprika and pepper. Add to onions and peppers, stirring and toasting for 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one minute.
4. Turn off heat and add Parmesan cheese and parsley. Sprinkle on bacon. Serve immediately.

Yield: 2 servings
Recipe from: How Sweet It Is

Neiman Marcus Mandarin Orange Souffle Salad

Neiman Marcus….oh how I love thee. I love their clothes, I love their shoes, and I love their food! Some of my favorite recipes are their famous $250 Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies, followed by NM popovers, NM Chicken Salad, NM Turkey Meatloaf, and NM Gooey Butter Cake (yet to be blogged.) All of these recipes come from the Neiman Marcus Cookbook by Kevin Garvin with John Harrisson, including these Mandarin Orange Souffle Salads!

Since I was a little kid, we would shop, and then eat at the Neiman Marcus cafe on the third floor, across from the children’s clothing and home decor section. I would order a kids hamburger and snack on popovers until my food arrived. Now that I’m older (and a little more refined,) I’ll order the “Mandarin Orange Souffle,” which includes NM classic chicken salad, seasonal fruit with poppyseed dressing and a muffin of the day. Mmmmmm, so good!

This excerpt from the author of the Neiman Marcus Cookbook will give you a better idea of the history behind this souffle: “This classic is the single-best food item at Neiman Marcus. It’s not actually a traditional baked souffle made with eggs, but a light and airy gelatin salad. Whenever I meet with our new chefs around the country, I tell them that no matter what else they add to their menu, this item will always be one of their best-selling items. Years ago, this dish would be changed to reflect the seasons, but the mandarin flavor remained the favorite, and it is still the number one “ladies lunch” item throughout the country.”

Enjoy!

Sprinkle unflavored gelatin over orange juice. Stir to combine and let sit.

Meanwhile, bring to a simmer orange juice, sugar and egg yolks.

Pour custard into smaller bowl and place in ice bath to cool.

Whisk heavy cream until soft peaks from. Fold into custard mixture.

Place three to four mandarin orange sections into individual plastic, fluted dessert molds.

Pour souffle mixture into molds. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, or until firm.

Unmold carefully and garnish with mandarin orange sections.

Mandarin Orange Souffle Salad
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups orange juice (preferably from concentrate, thawed and diluted)
1 Tbsp. (1 envelope) unflavored gelatin
1 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup canned mandarin orange sections (4-ounce) can

Directions
1. Pour 1/4 cup of the orange juice into a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over, and stir to dissolve. Set aside and let the gelatin soften. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl.
2. Pour the remaining orange juice into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir in the sugar and egg yolks. Over medium heat, gradually bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly until the mixture begins to steam and is slightly thickened. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
3. Add the softened gelatin mixture (which will have a rubbery texture) and the lemon juice. Stir until incorporated and then transfer the “custard” to a clean mixing bowl; sit the bowl in the ice bath to cool. While custard is cooling, stir it occasionally.
4. Using a wire whisk or an electric whisk, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. With a spatula, gently fold some of the whipped cream into the cooled custard mixture to “loosen” it, then add the rest of the cream mixture and fold in until fully incorporated.
5. Place three or four of the mandarin orange sections in the bottom a six individual 5-ounce fluted plastic dessert molds and then fill the mold with the orange souffle mixture. Cover with plastic wrap. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours, and preferably overnight, until firm.

*Chef’s Note: In the Neiman Marcus kitchens, this dish is referred to as the “O-ring,” owing to the fluted individual round molds used for the souffles. These molds are available at kitchen stores, but alternatively, you can use 6-ounce plain molds or ramekins, or coffee cups, in which case, use a sharp pairing knife to carefully unmold the souffles.

Yield: 6
Neiman Marcus Cookbook by Kevin Garvin with John Harrisson

Field Salad with Snow Peas, Grapes, and Feta

As most of you all know, I love Feta cheese! I don’t know a single recipe with Feta that I don’t like. Here is a recipe for a Field Salad with snow peas, grapes, and feta. It comes from Cooking Light: Cooking Through the Seasons cookbook, and is very healthy, as the cookbook name suggests.

My mom and I decided to make this salad for our Sunday afternoon meal of steak, baked potatoes, and fruit. This Field Salad was colorful, flavorful, and the dressing was delicious with just a touch of orange juice. The snow peas add that “crunch” you need in a salad, but if you are not a big fan of those vegetables, I would recommend substituting a red onion for that tart and crunchy taste to contrast with the sweet, juicy grape halves. I think you could even add a handful of toasted pecans. Yum yum!

We all loved this salad, and vowed to make it very soon again. Enjoy!

Field Salad with Snow Peas, Grapes, and Feta

Ingredients

5 Tbsp white wine vinegar

5 Tbsp fresh orange juice

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

8 cups gourmet salad greens

2 cups snow peas, trimmed and cut lengthwise into thin strips

2 cups seedless red grapes, halved

1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss well.

Yield: 6 servings

Cooking Light: Cooking Through the Seasons

Nutrition

Calories: 151

Fat: 7.9g

Protein: 4.3g

Carbohydrate: 18.6g

Fiber: 3g

Cholesterol: 11mg

Iron: 2mg

Sodium: 354mg

Calcium: 123mg

Grilled Shrimp and Green Bean Salad

My sister spent the night about a week ago, and as I told you before, all we did was cook. If anyone knows my sister, you know that she will eat nothing but healthy food. I feel the same, except you might catch me eating more “sweets” than she does. So after flipping through one of our Southern Living cookbooks, we found this healthy recipe called Grilled Shrimp and Green Bean Salad.

I must admit, this is one of my favorite dinner recipes yet. I kept raving about it to my husband (who liked this), and my mom. The unique combination of bacon, almonds, green beans, and shrimp is absolutely delicious and makes for a wonderful meal to serve to a crowd on a nice summer evening. It is light, flavorful, and succulent. I don’t have a grill (and am scared of them), so I grilled my shrimp on the stovetop in a Le Creuset grill pan. They turned out wonderfully.

I highly recommend making this salad for the spring and summer time as the weather gets warmer. It is not one to disappoint. Enjoy!

To make the basil vinaigrette, combine all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.

Place crumbled, cooked bacon and salted almonds in a bowl.

After marinating shrimp in half of the basil vinaigrette for 15 minutes, grill shrimp on stove or grill for about 2 minutes per side, until they turn pink.

Meanwhile, cook green beans in boiling water for 4 minutes. Plunge in ice water to stop cooking process. Drain. Add shrimp and green beans to the large bowl with almonds and bacon. Pour remaining basil vinaigrette on top.

Serve with warm and toasted corn bread.

Grilled Shrimp and Green Bean Salad
Ingredients
8 (12-inch) wooden skewers (optional)
1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
2 pounds peeled, medium-size raw shrimp
*Basil Vinaigrette, divided
6 cooked bacon slices, crumbled
1 1/3 cups shredded Parmesan cheese (we omitted)
3/4 cup chopped roasted, salted almonds
Cornbread (optional: we used Perfect Corn Bread)

Basil Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
4 large shallots, minced (we used red onions)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. seasoned pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup olive oil

Whisk together balsamic vinegar and next 6 ingredients in a small bowl until blended; gradually add olive oil, whisking constantly until blended.

Directions
1. Soak wooden skewers in water to cover 30 minutes.
2. Cook green beans in boiling salted water to cover 4 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain, pat dry, and place in a large bowl.
3. Combine shrimp and 3/4 cup Basil Vinaigrette in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and chill 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove shrimp from marinade, discarding marinade. Thread shrimp onto skewers.
4. Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350 to 400 degrees F) 2 minutes on each side or just until shrimp turn pink. Remove shrimp from skewers; toss with green beans, bacon, Parmesan cheese, almonds, and remaining 3/4 cup Basil Vinaigrette. Serve over hot cornbread, if desired.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Southern Living

Triple-Orange Ambrosial Salad

Growing up as a kid, I looked forward to this Orange Jell-O (as I called it) every Thanksgiving and Christmas. As a kid, I was very picky and did not like the Ambrosial Salad, only the Jell-O part. I thought sour cream was gross…the name “sour” did not sound very appetizing to me! haha 🙂 Now, all grown-up, I absolutely LOVE the Ambrosial Salad part…I could eat it by itself! The incorporation of marshmallows, coconut, pineapple, and mandarin oranges are an absolutely wonderful combination.

Triple-Orange Ambrosial Salad is a light and luscious dessert that everyone will love. It looks very elegant and fabulous displayed on a pretty clear or white platter . My husband, who hates oranges even savors this salad! Enjoy!

Triple-Orange Ambrosial Salad

Ingredients

2 cups boiling liquid (water or fruit syrup)

1 package (6 oz) orange-flavored gelatin

1 pint orange sherbet

2 cans (11 oz each) mandarin oranges, drained

1 can (13 1/2 oz) pineapple chunks, drained

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup mini marshmallows

1 cup dairy sour cream or 1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped (we used sour cream)

Directions

1. To make Jello: Pour boiling liquid over gelatin in bowl, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.

2. Add orange sherbet; stir until melted. Stir 1 can of mandarin orange segments (1 cup).

3. Pour into 6-cup ring mold. Chill until firm.

4. To make Ambrosial Salad: Combine remaining orange segments, the pineapple, coconut, and marshmallows. Fold in sour cream.

5. Chill at least 3 hours. Fill center of unmolded salad with fruit mixture.

Yield: 10-12 servings

Pineapple Salad (Hurry Up Fruit Salad)

This “Hurry Up Fruit Salad” or Pineapple Salad is one of my favorite fruit side dishes. It is a perfect accompaniment with any main dish, especially for your turkey dinners coming up this Thanksgiving. The wonderful combination of bananas, mandrain oranges, pineapples, flaked coconut, golden raisins, and chopped walnuts bring out this recipe’s perfect tropical and sweet flavors with every bite you eat. Enjoy…Pineapple Salad is super easy and fast. It is also a classic. This fruit salad recipe is from the 1987 Southern Living Magazine.

Slice bananas and place in pineapple juice.

Pour the drained pineapple into a large bowl.

Add the drained mandrain oranges.

Next add the flaked coconut, golden raisins, bananas (drained of pineapple juice), and chopped walnuts.

Gently toss to combine.

Pineapple Salad (Hurry Up Fruit Salad)
Ingredients
1 (15 1/4 oz.) can pineapple chunks, drained, but reserve the juice
2 bananas, sliced
2 (11 oz.) cans mandrain oranges, drained
1/4 cup flaked coconut
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
1. Drain pineapple chunks, and reserve juice. Gently toss sliced bananas with pineapple juice. Let sit while you combine your other ingredients, then drain.
2. Gently fold all ingredients together in a medium bowl.

Matt’s Favorite Pink Salad

Pink Salad is my husband, Matt’s absolute favorite gelatin salad. When Matt got swine flu, he requested his mom’s pink salad, so I drove over to Paula’s house to pick it up. Since then I’ve made this recipe on my own. Paula told me that it is super easy to make and you cannot mess it up. Feel free to use your favorite flavor of Jell-O. Matt loves black cherry and strawberry. I want to try orange Jell-O next time…however if I do this, I may need to change the name to “Orange Salad” haha 🙂 Enjoy!

Ingredients: Jell-O, cream cheese, Eagle Brand milk, canned pineapple, and canned pears

Boil water, sugar, and Jell-O over high heat until dissolved.

Dump drained can of pineapple and pears into a food processor or blender and process until fruit is smooth.

Mix softened cream cheese with Eagle Brand milk in an electric mixer.

Mix in processed fruit.

Add Jell-O to cream cheese mixture and mix until well blended.

Pour into individual cups or into a container for gelatin. Refrigerate until firm.

Pink Salad
Ingredients
2/3 cups of water
2/3 cups of sugar
6 oz of any flavor Jell-O (I used black cherry)
1 small can of pineapple
1 can of pears
8 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 can Eagle Brand Milk

Directions
1. Boil water, sugar, and Jell-O together in a pan over high heat until dissolved.
2. In a food processor add 1 small can of pineapples and 1 can of pears (both drained). Process until fruit is smooth.
3. In an electric mixer, mix cream cheese, and 1 can of Eagle Brand Milk.
4. Pour processed fruit into cream cheese mixture and combine.
5. Add Jell-O to mixture and beat until well blended.
6. Pour Pink Salad into individual cups or a gelatin container and refrigerate until firm.

Minted Mixed Fruit Salad

This is the most colorful fruit salad I have ever eaten. It looks gorgeous, especially served in a glass bowl. It is very easy to make and is a favorite among our family members. It calls for ingredients I never would have thought to use…mint and ginger ale! You’ve got to try this one; its healthy too! By the way, my mom has made this twice…first for her and her husband, and the second time for our Easter lunch. This comes from Southern Living’s newest cookbook, “Farmers Market Cookbook”.

First you need a quart of strawberries, fresh pineapple, kiwis, pineapple juice, and ginger ale (Central Market didn’t have it, so we had to buy some Jamaican brand).

Simply cut up the fruit and mix it with the juices and sugar and you are finished! Chill for 2 hours before serving.

Minted Mixed Fruit
Ingredients
1 qt. strawberries, halved (about 3 cups)
3 cups fresh pineapple chunks
4 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
1 cup sugar (Mom used 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup ginger ale
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Directions
1. Place fruit in a shallow serving bowl.
2. Whisk together sugar, juice, and ginger ale until sugar is dissolved.
3. Gently stir in mint, and pour over fruit.
4. Cover and chill 2 hours before serving

Serves 8-10