Sour Cream Cucumber Salad

Sour Cream Cucumber Salad
1 large cucumber
3/4 c water
3/4 c white vinegar
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 c [light] sour cream
1/2-1 t dried dill, to taste
1/2 t sugar
pepper to taste

1. Slice cucumber super thin; place in ziploc bag along with water, vinegar, and salt.
2. Soak for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.
3. In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, dill, sugar, and pepper.
4. Drain cucumbers, rinse, and drain again. Repeat a few times if desired.
5. Add cucumber slices to sour cream mixture and coat evenly.

Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette
3/4 c olive oil
1/4 c white vinegar
1 t minced garlic
1/2 t dried oregano
1 T chopped parsley
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender.
2. Let sit 10-15 minutes; whisk before serving.
Store at room temperature, in airtight container.

Cafe Rio Chicken Salads

If you've ever been to Cafe Rio, you know how yummy it is. And you crave it. Especially when you don't live near it. Here's a recipe for their chicken salads that I adapted from my friend Aubrey's recipe.

Cafe Rio Chicken Salads
Chicken:
1 sm bottle Kraft Zesty Italian dressing
1 T cumin
1 T chili powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 lb chicken breast (about 12 breasts)
Rice:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1 T butter
5 3/4 c water
3 cubes chicken bouillon
3 c rice
1 jalapeno, diced
3/4 t salt
2 t sugar
1/2 c cilantro
2 T lime juice
Dressing:
2 envelopes Ranch dressing
1 c buttermilk*
1/2 jalapeno, seeded
1 lime, juiced
1 1/2 c mayo
1/2 bunch cilantro
2 tomatillos
2 cloves garlic
Extras:
tortillas (preferably large, corn)
Cheddar cheese
beans, black or pinto
shredded lettuce, romaine
crushed tortilla chips
tomatoes, diced
Parmesan cheese
cilantro
pico de gallo
guacamole
*If you don't have buttermilk, combine 1 c milk with 1 T vinegar, stir well and let sit for a minute.

Chicken:
1. Put all ingredients into slow cooker on low for 4-5 hours; shred chicken 1 hour before serving and keep cooking.
Rice:
1. Saute garlic and onion in butter.
2. In a separate pot, boil water and stir in bouillon cubes until fully dissolved. Add butter mixture, rice, jalapeno, salt, and sugar. Cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes, or until rice is cooked.
3. Add lime juice and cilantro just before serving.
Dressing:
1. Combine all ingredients in blender; let sit to thicken.
*Dressing continues to get hotter over time when stored in the fridge.
Salads:
1. Place some Cheddar cheese on a large frying pan; lay tortilla on top just until cheese is melted onto the tortilla.
2. Lay tortilla, cheese side up, on a plate. Pile chicken, beans, rice, lettuce, tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, cilantro, pico de gallo, and guacamole on tortilla; pour dressing on top.
3. Eat open-faced with a fork.

Rice:

Whole finished salad:

Broccoli Salad

I got this yummy recipe from a coworker and it is fabulous!

Broccoli Salad

Broccoli Mixture-
3 crowns broccoli, cut short
1 lb. bacon, fried crispy and crumbled
.5 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1- 11 oz. can of mandarin oranges
.5 cup craisins
Dressing-
.5 cup Miracle Whip
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup sugar

1. Gently combine ingredients of broccoli mixture.
2. In a separate bowl, mix dressing ingredients; pour over broccoli mixture and toss together.

Pasta Salad

This recipe is so easy, and so delicious! It makes a large batch, so feel free to halve the recipe.

Pasta Salad
2 pkg. corkscrew noodles
1 can corn
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 can olives, sliced
2 cups broccoli, chopped
1.5-2 cups Italian dressing (I like to use creamy)
1.5-2 cups ranch dressing (I use light Hidden Valley)

1. Boil noodles until soft. Drain and rinse. Put aside to cool (you could use this time to cut up vegetables).
2. Once noodles are cool, place them in a large bowl and toss in vegetables.
3. Pour equal parts Italian and ranch dressing over noodles/vegetables. Add as much dressing as desired. Make sure the dressings get mixed all the way through the salad. Serve chilled.