#3237 - Fresh Dill Pasta Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 8oz. box small pasta shells (cooked and drained according to box direction but DO NOT RINSE)
1 small container cherry tomatoes
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 orange bell pepper (chopped)
1/4 cup chopped red onions
3 TBSP chopped fresh dill
1 - 8oz. bag any flavor shredded cheese
1 bottle Italian salad dressing (chilled)--regular OR reduced calorie

In a large bowl add drained pasta, chopped spinach, chopped orange bell peppers, chopped red onions and chopped fresh dill--toss to mix. Add about half of the bottle of salad dressing--toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until cold. When ready to serve, halve the cherry tomatoes. Add cherry tomato halves and half of the shredded cheese to the pasta mixture--toss to coat. Add more Italian dressing and more shredded cheese if needed.

#3211 - Pickled Red Onions

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 large red onion
1/2 tsp. white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup cider vinegar
boiling water

Thinly slice the red onion, then separate the slices into rings. Place all of the onions rings into a sieve and place the sieve in your sink. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil, and slowly pour the boiling water all over the onions. Let the onions drain completely. In a bowl add cider vinegar, salt and white sugar--stir until mixed. Place the drained onions into a glass jar and pour the vinegar mixture over the onions--place the lid on the jar and shake gently. Refrigerate overnight before eating. Note: recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc.

#3188 - Bacon Slaw

(by Shirley McNevich)

6 slices thick cut bacon
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 of a red onion (sliced and rings separated)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 TBSP Domino's dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp. celery seed
6 cups shredded green cabbage

Shred and measure the 6 cups of shredded cabbage and place it in a large bowl. In a cast iron skillet over medium heat add the olive oil and the bacon slices--fry the bacon until crisp. Use tongs to remove bacon slices one at a time and let any drippings drip back into the skillet. Crumble the bacon and add it to the shredded cabbage. Remove the skillet from the stove and place it on a pot holder. To the hot bacon drippings still in the skillet add the water and cider vinegar--stir well until mixed. Add the sliced onions, brown sugar and celery seeds to the vinegar mixture--stir well. Pour the cider mixture over the bacon/cabbage--toss well to coat. Serve immediately.

#3174 - Green Bean Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 lbs. fresh green beans
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup olive oil
3 TBSP cider vinegar (more if you want more vinegar flavor)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground mustard
1/8 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 large red onion (separated into rings, then cut each onion ring into 4 pieces)
2 containers cherry tomatoes
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (more if you wish)

Wash the green beans--cut off the ends and discard. Snap/cut the remaining parts of the green beans into bite sized pieces. In a pot add the green beans and salt--cover with water, bring to a boil and cook 6-8 minutes or until green beans are tender but still crisp (do NOT overcook). Drain the green beans but do NOT rinse them. Dump the drained green beans into a Dutch oven filled with ice water and ice cubes--let them in the ice water for 2-3 minutes, then drain them again. Spread some paper towels out on your counter and spread the drained green beans on them to soak up any extra liquid. In a bowl add olive oil, cider vinegar, garlic powder, ground mustard and black pepper--stir to mix. In a glass serving bowl add the green beans and the red onion segments--drizzle the olive oil mixture over the green beans/onions and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours. When ready to serve, wash the cherry tomatoes and slice each tomato into halves or quarters. Remove green bean mixture from refrigerator--add the tomato pieces and shredded mozarella cheese--toss until mixed. Optional: if you want more liquid on the salad, double the olive oil mixture.

#3162 - Grilled Salmon and Asparagus

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup canola oil
4 - 1/4lb. salmon fillets
garlic powder
black pepper
1/2 lb. asparagus spears
1 red bell pepper (cut into strips)
1/3 cup sliced red onions

Sprinkle garlic powder and pepper to your taste on the salmon fillets. Use your finger to lightly press the garlic powder and pepper into the fillets. In a bowl add soy sauce, brown sugar, water and canola oil--beat with a fork until well mixed. Place each of the salmon fillets into separate small Ziploc bags. Pour 1/4 of the sauce mixture into each bag--carefully squeeze out the air and seal the bags. Refrigerate the salmon fillets for 2 hours. When ready to cook, place a large sheet of aluminum foil on your counter. Remove fillets from the plastic bags and place them on the foil, discarding the sauce. Arrange the asparagus spears, red bell pepper strips and sliced red onions on and around the fillets. Fold up the sides of the foil and crimp the foil top and sides closed. Place the foil packet on a preheated grill. Bake on the grill for about 15 minutes or until salmon fillets are fork tender.

#3155 - Balsamic Deviled Eggs

(by Shirley McNevich)

12 eggs
4-5 slices of cooked bacon (crumbled)
1/2 cup mayo (more if needed)
1-2 TBSP minced or grated red onions (more if you wish)
1 tsp. white sugar (more if needed)
1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar (more if you wish)
1/8 tsp. celery salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
paprika for sprinkling

In a pot add the eggs in a single layer--cover them with water and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, turn heat back to medium and time them for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove from heat and place the pot in the sink. Start running cold water into the pot and keep the water running until the water is cool to the touch. Pour out most of the water but leave enough to just cover the eggs. Add a tray of ice cubes to the pot and let them sit for 20 minutes. Pour off the water, peel the eggs and slice the eggs in half lengthwise. Carefully remove the egg yolks and place them in a bowl. Mash the egg yolks with a fork. Add crumbled bacon, mayo, minced onions, white sugar, balsamic vinegar, celery salt and black pepper to the egg yolk mixture--stir with a fork until well blended. Taste--if too sweet add a little more balsamic vinegar and stir again. If too sour, add a little more white sugar and stir again. If mixture is too dry add more mayo and stir again. When you like the taste and texture, place the sliced egg whites on a plate and fill each with the egg yolk mixture. Sprinkle paprika all over the tops of the eggs. Refrigerate until cold.

#3134 - Red Onion Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 red onions (sliced)
4 spring onions (chopped)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 tsp. canola oil OR olive oil
2 TBSP white sugar
lettuce (broken into bite sized pieces)
1 small container cherry tomatoes
fresh ground black pepper

In a bowl add cider vinegar, canola/olive oil and white sugar--stir well to mix. Taste--if too sour add a little more white sugar. If too sweet add a little more cider vinegar. Once taste is correct add sliced red onions and chopped spring onions--toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. When ready to serve, fill salad bowls about halfway with bite sized lettuce pieces. Spread a generous amount of the onion mixture over the lettuce. Slice cherry tomatoes into quarters and place a few in each bowl on top of the onion mixture. Top with fresh ground black pepper. Optional--add a little fresh grated Parmesan cheese to the top of each bowl.

#3086 - Sweet Corn and Onions Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

5-6 ears sweet corn
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. white sugar
1 small red onion (chopped)
4 TBSP cider vinegar
4 TBSP olive oil
more salt (IF necessary)
fresh ground black pepper

Husk the corn. Add the sweet corn cobs to a large pot--cover with water and add 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. white sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling cook the corn for 6 minutes (if you like the corn chewy) or 12 minutes (if you like the corn soft). Drain the corn, place the cobs in a collander and rinse with cold water until the corn is at room temperature. Into a large bowl, use a sharp knife to slice the corn and its juice from the cob. Repeat with all corn. Once all of the corn is in the bowl, add the chopped onions, cider vinegar and olive oil--stir to mix. Add fresh ground black pepper to your taste--stir well. Taste--if not salty enough, add 1/8 tsp. of salt at a time--stir again and taste again. Add more salt as needed. Refrigerate until cold before serving. If you let the corn salad in the refrigerator overnight, stir it well before serving (and if too much liquid has accumulated, use a spoon to discard some of the liquid).

#406 - Sweet and Sour Pasta Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 16oz. package three color spiral pasta
1 medium chopped red onion
1 medium chopped tomato
1 medium chopped cucumber (peeled)
1 medium chopped green pepper
2 TBSP minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1 TBSP ground mustard
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder

Cook pasta according to package directions--drain and rinse with cold water. Place in a large serving bowl, add the onion, tomato, cucumber, green pepper and parsley--set aside. In a saucepan, combine sugar, vinegar, ground mustard, salt and garlic powder--cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.