Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad {with Creamy Balsamic Parmesan Dressing}

Last week I shared a favorite salad dressing with you all.  And this week I'm sharing one of my favorite pasta salads that I like it on.  My mom made something really similar growing up.  Her  pasta salad was always my favorite. My 5 siblings and I would snarf this stuff.  I have always made it since I've been married too and my husband and kids now love it too.  But we are kind of big on meat for dinner, and while I could serve this pasta as a side with grilled chicken or hot dogs or whatever else, I've simplified it a bit and thrown the grilled chicken right in the salad.  

Last summer I discovered this dressing, and I've adapted it over the last year to be how I like it. The white vinegar in the original dressing was a little too strong for me, and since I'm head-over-heels for balsamic vinegar I've changed that - the dressing whips up super creamy and yummy. The fresh Parmesan and balsamic vinegar give it the perfect flavor to jazz up this pasta salad just the way I like it.  

I hope you can whip up a batch to enjoy for dinner this week. The leftovers keep for 1-2 days too, so sometimes I eat it for lunch the next day or maybe even for dinner again the night or two after.  I always love a night off from cooking.  

Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad

Printable Version {Click Here}

Ingredients:

---

1 pound tri-color rotini (I prefer Barilla brand)

4-8 ounces feta cheese crumbled

1 small package cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1-2 cucumbers, peeled, quartered and diced

1 can olives, sliced in half

1 pound grilled chicken (see my method below)

Olive oil and salt and pepper for grilling the meat

1 recipe Creamy Balsamic Parmesan Dressing

Directions:

---

Cook pasta according to package directions, rinse with cold water when it’s finished cooking and let the noodles cool.

Pound 1 chicken breast (about 1 pound) until it’s an even thickness (or cut the chicken breast in half if you’d prefer to not pound it).  Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat grill over high heat for 5 minutes - once it’s hot place the chicken on and cover, let it sear for 1-2 minutes on high, flip and let the other side sear for 1-2 minutes. Flip chicken and grill for 4-6 minutes per side until it’s done (check with meat thermometer, should reach 165 degrees F). Place on cutting board and cut it into bite size pieces once it’s cool enough to handle.

In a large mixing bowl add feta, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and cooked pasta.  Once chicken is cut, add it to the pasta mixture and top with the dressing (you can use a bottle of Italian dressing too if you prefer) and toss to coat. Let it sit in the fridge for 2-3 hours til chilled and serve cold.  

Leftovers keep for 1-2 days.

Recipe Source:

---

adapted from my mom’s classic pasta salad recipe, I added grilled chicken and use this particular dressing.

Creamy Balsamic Parmesan Dressing

We are in full-swing summer time mode here. How about you? I love July in New Mexico becasue we seem to get a bit of a break from that cruel summer heat with some cooler temperatures from the daily monsoons.  I love it!  A few nights ago it was 71 degrees after dinner and we enjoyed a lovely walk around the neighborhood.  

In the summer, I totally love salad for dinner.  We have it at least once a week and then I usually make enough that my husband and I can have it for lunch a few days too.  We love green salad with grilled chicken, avocado, fruit and cheese topped with this Creamy Balsamic Parmesan dressing (that I'm sharing today) or this yummy Honey Poppyseed Vinaigrette.   

This balsamic dressing is super versatile, we love it on green salad, pasta salad and we even love to marinate our chicken in it before we grill it.  The flavor is rich and delicioius and compliments just about anything you want dressing on.  In fact, you might see me wiping the dressing remnants with my finger or bread or anything so I don't' leave any trace behind. That's how much I love it. I hope you will too! 

Stay cool!
-Lu
 

Creamy Balsamic Parmesan Dressing

Printable Version {Click Here}

Ingredients:

---

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon garlic salt

½ red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

½ teaspoon granulated garlic

1 cup canola oil

⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, fresh grated

¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning

Directions:

---

You can make this with a regular blender or an immersion blender and 2 cup measuring cup.

In a blender or 2 cup measuring cup combine the vinegars, lemon juice, sugar, mustard powder, salt, garlic salt, pepper, garlic powder and red pepper flakes.  Blend in blender to combine. While blender is running slowly add the oil in a steady stream. Once that’s added you can turn of the blender and add the Parmesan cheese, pulse to blend and combine the cheese into the dressing.  Then stir in the Italian seasoning.  If you want to blend that you can, but I like my seasonings not blended.

Put in dressing container and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. This dressing is delicious on green salad, pasta salad or used as a marinade for chicken.

Recipe Source:

---

adapted from our best bites

Coconut Cinnamon Popcorn

Hey friends! Today I am sharing a new favorite snack of mine. My kids, my husband and some of my extended family that I've made it for love it too.  It's a keeper. Coconut Cinnamon Popcorn! The name alone is worth drooling over.  

I was introduced to this popcorn a few months ago by one of my friends who brought it to our ladies bunco night.  Anyone else out there play bunco?  It's a simple dice game that we play and we bring random gifts from our house or whatever for prizes. It's a fun reason to get together and chat. I am way more into the chatting and snacking then the game itself, but I enjoy it all.  When I tasted the popcorn that night I had to know what was in it.  My friend, Lacey, said it was just popped popcorn drizzled with coconut oil and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.  After hearing that there was no wonder why I loved it so much.  

Since then we've made this more times than I can count on two hands.  So I've tweaked it and perfected it just the way I like it.   And I even served it at a baby shower a week and a half ago, where I put a little banner saying, "ready to pop" above the bowl. It was a hit at the shower too. That night I drizzled it with melted white chocolate too, just to add an extra hint of yumminess, but it totally doesn't need it. 
 

If you are looking for a treat to share and don't want to add much sugar into the mix, this is just for you. It perfectly satisfies my sweet craving without me feeling like I have dove into something totally sinful!

Coconut Cinnamon Popcorn

[Serves 4-5  - make in 5 minutes]

Printable Version {Click Here}

Ingredients:

---

½ cup white popcorn kernels (unpopped)

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

⅛ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon white sugar

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

---

Place ½ cup popcorn kernels in an air popper (or pop them however you please). While it’s popping, melt 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup.

Lightly drizzle the coconut oil (in a slow stream) over the popcorn as you toss the popcorn with a butter knife or spatula.

Lightly sprinkle with salt (you don’t have to measure out ⅛ teaspoon). This popcorn isn’t mean to be salty, but a little salt with the cinnamon sugar blend makes it taste so much better.

In a small bowl mix the sugar and cinnamon until well mixed. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the popcorn while tossing to coat evenly.

Enjoy!

Recipe Source:

---

Inspired from a similar snack my friend Lacey made for me, recipe developed by Lu, originally posted on landeelu.com

If you are a cinnamon lover like me, you might also like these: Cinnamon Rolls

Or these: Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Pretzel Dogs

Let's talk hot dogs.  Pretty much all kids love them, right? Mine would probably eat them every day if I allowed it.  I loved them as a kid, too.  In fact, I recall eating them cold and straight out of the package as a snack.  Um, gross.  I know.  Hot dogs aren't generally something that call out to me these days.  I eat them when there is a fire and s'mores involved, but given a choice I  pretty much always choose a burger over a dog.  But these pretzel dogs? These are a whole different story and I need these in my life.  I think you just might, too.  

These babies have been making regular appearances at our dinner table for the last three years.  Each time I make these I am reminded of my awesome mom and the fun after-school snacks she made for us as kids.  She is adventurous in the kitchen and has never been afraid to try anything new, so we got lots of fun and delicious things to eat as a result of her experimenting.  Soft pretzels were probably my favorite on that list.  Whenever I walked the in the door and smelled them I thought she was the coolest mom ever.  I still do.  Now my kids love to help me “roll out the snakes” and make these pretzel dogs.  It is one of their favorite dinners and I feel like I cool mom when I make them.

Traditionally, soft pretzels are boiled in a baking soda bath before baking, but one day I was feeling lazy and decided I would try to skip that step to save some time and dirty dishes.  I was so happy with the results because it turned this recipe into a realistic dinner that didn’t make a huge mess or require a ton of time.  I found that if you dissolve the baking soda in super hot water and dunk each pretzel dog you still get the distinct tangy pretzel flavor without the extra hassle. Unnecessary dishes are the worst.  

I’m a mustard lover and love to dunk these in regular ol’ yellow mustard and ketchup.  The hubs is a dijon kinda guy and the kids usually go for just ketchup.  Regardless of dipping preferences, these pretzel dogs get gobbled up quickly every time I make them and some kind of battle over the leftovers is usually involved.

While we're talking hot dogs, I have to tell you that I discovered some super yummy hot dogs this week.  Usually I buy Nathan's or Hebrew National.  But I bought these on a whim and they kinda blew me away.  Park's Finest Ballpark Beef franks.  We tried the "Signature Seasoned" flavor and my hubby even commented that they were really good and well seasoned.  Huge bonus: made with 100% beef, no nitrates or nitrities, and no artificial preservatives.  This isn't an ad and I'm not getting paid to say this, I just love you and felt like you should know. 

 - Leesh

Pretzel Dogs

Printable Version

Ingredients:

---

1 ½ cups warm water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon instant yeast

4 ½ cups All Purpose Flour, give or take a few tablespoons

2 teaspoons Salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cups hot water

¼ cup baking soda

Coarse salt for sprinkling

12 hot dogs *see note below

Directions:

---

In the bowl of a mixer, add 1 1/2 cups warm water, sugar, and instant yeast. To that mixture add the oil, salt, and 3 1/2 cups of the flour. Mix on low until all the flour is incorporated. Once flour is incorporated, begin adding the remaining cup a couple of tablespoons at a time until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It should begin to form a ball around the dough hook. Knead for about 5 minutes. You should have a fairly stiff, pliable dough--not dry. Cover with a lid and let rise at room temperature for about an hour or until doubled in size. (You can speed this up by putting your dough in a warmer spot.)

Preheat oven to 425. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone liners, foil, or parchment. If using foil or parchment, grease it or your pretzels will stick!

In a small loaf pan, combine 2 cups of hot water (as hot as it comes from the tap is fine) and baking soda. Allow it to sit and dissolve while you roll out the dough. Remove hot dogs from package and pat them dry with a paper towel. This will help the dough stick to the hot dog better. Divide dough into 12 equal portions. On a clean and lightly greased work surface, roll the dough out into a rope about 24 inches long--you may want yours longer or shorter depending on how long your hot dogs are. Tightly wrap a pretzel rope around each hot dog pinching the end to help it stay in place. I like to let the ends peek out. Dunk each hot dog in the baking soda solution and set it on a cooling rack to drip. While they are wet, sprinkle with coarse salt. Once all the hot dogs have been dunked, transfer them to the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes until they have a nice color and the hot dogs are heated all the way through. Serve immediately with ketchup and your favorite mustard for dipping.

Notes:

---

Most hot dogs come in packages of 8--so I usually only make 8 pretzel dogs and then make 3 or 4 plain soft pretzels with the remaining dough in this recipe.

Recipe Source:

---

Inspired by and adapted from Joy the Baker
Originally posted on landeelu.com

Aloha Chicken Salad

It's still technically spring, but it feels like summertime.  During the summer, I love finding meals I can make without turning on the oven. We have A/C so I still do use the oven when I want/need to, but I love an easy meal I can whip up without heating up the house. Is anyone else with me on that?  

This chicken salad is just that.  I even made the soft wrap bread and guess what, no oven for that either (recipe for the soft wrap bread here).  Double win!  You can also serve this just plain, in a pita pocket or on a buttery croissant roll.

My mother-in-law made a recipe book for me (I've mentioned before) before my husband and I got married with lots of favorite recipes from their family. I've come to love so many of them and 8 years later, still haven't tried them all.  This recipe was one from here book, it was one that my sister-in-law shared with the family.  It's super yummy and there is no wonder why it keeps getting shared.  

I hope you'll have time to enjoy it this summer! 

-Lu

Aloha Chicken Salad

Printable Version {Click Here}

Ingredients:

---

For the Salad:

¼ cup canola oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 clove garlic or ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 chicken breasts

4 cups fresh pineapple, diced

¾ cup celery, chopped

½ cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

¾ cup pecans, toasted

2 green onions, chopped (white and green parts)

1 small can mandarin oranges, drained (juice reserved)

Dressing:

½ cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon chicken base or 1 chicken bullion cube

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons mandarin orange juice

Directions:

---

Combine oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic, salt and pepper in a bag or shallow container, add chicken and turn to coat - let marinate for 4-12 hours.  Grill on BBQ until chicken is cooked through.  Dice the chicken and add it to a large mixing bowl. If you prefer not to grill the chicken, just shred 3 cups of chicken.

Add chopped pineapple, celery, coconut, green onion (reserving the oranges to toss last) to the mixing bowl with the chicken.

In a separate small bowl, combine the mayo, chicken base/bouillon (stir til smooth - no lumps), add in nutmeg and orange juice.  Pour dressing over the salad and toss to coat.  Then gently fold in the mandarin oranges, they are more delicate so you add them last so they don't break up too much.

Serve as is or in soft wrap bread or pita bread.

Enjoy!

Notes:

---

If you don't want to use grilled chicken you can sub in shredded chicken.  If you use shredded chicken you can skip the first 6 ingredients which are part of the marinade.

Also, I like my salads not overly dressed, so if you love dressing you might want to double or 1 ½ the dressing recipe.

Recipe Source:

---

Originally posted on Dessert Now, Dinner Later. This recipe was adapted from a recipe given to me by my sister-in-law, Jayna M., who got it from a friend.

Avocado Sandwich

Any other avocado lovers out there? I loooove avocados! I think I hated them til I was about 23 or 24 and then I discovered what real guacamole tasted like (not the fake stuff you buy in a tub with preservatives and garbage) and I have never been able to turn back.  I try to keep them on hand for this yummy avocado sandwich I'm sharing with you today and also for guacamole, bean dip (which FYI is not required to be made to look like a spiderweb), etc.

A few weeks ago our local Sprouts had avocados 3/$1, which was a steal, so I bought 9. And don't you worry, we put them to good use and ate them all up before they could go bad. I had this sandwich multiple times that week. 

My friend Becky, introduced me to this sandwich one day when we met them at their pool.  It's so simple to make. It's good for you and tastes delicious.  I love that!  You simply toast some bread, butter it, top it with whatever cheese you want, some sliced avocado, salt/pepper, lime juice, and your choice of spinach, lettuce or sunflower sprouts (which add an incredible nutty flavor).  You can make it in 2 minutes or so and it just hits the spot for me any afternoon.

I hope you'll love it as much as I do. 

-Lu

Avocado Sandwich

Printable Version {Click Here}  

Yield: 1 Sandwich

Ingredients:

---

2 slices bread, toasted & buttered

1-2 slices cheese (any kind, I usually use Colby, Monterey Jack or Provolone)

1 small avocado, sliced

sea salt & pepper, sprinkled to taste

½ lime, juiced

Spinach, lettuce or sunflower sprouts

Directions:

---

Toast two peice of sandwich bread and butter the sides that will be inside the sandwich. Top one of the buttered sides with cheese, and sliced avocado (I use ½-1 avocado), sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper to taste, and drizzle with lime juice.  Top with spinach, lettuce or sunflower sprouts (I love the nutty flavor from the sunflower sprouts) and the remaining piece of toasted bread.  

Enjoy!

Recipe Source:

---

From my good friend, Becky Nelson.