Summer Pasta Salad

Or, what happens when you clean out the refrigerator.

That's a handful of whole-wheat penne, half a cucumber, some broccoli that was just before getting wimpy and having to be tossed, and a few grape tomatoes from the garden. I sliced the garden-fresh squash and cooked it on the grill pan and tossed the whole thing with some red pepper Italian dressing and some Parmesan.

That was a fast and tasty side for a Saturday lunch of turkey sandwiches. It's about too hot to cook much else.

Shrimp-Artichoke Salad

I made this for book club and it was a hit. It's an old garden club, bridge club staple that I haven't made in years. I'd forgotten how good it is.

2 (6-ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts
1 (6.9-ounce) box chicken-flavored rice
1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 pound boiled, peeled shrimp
3 green onions, chopped
4 celery stalks, diced (optional - I leave it out as I don't care for celery)

Prepare the rice according to package drections, omitting the butter. Let cool.

Drain the artichoke hearts, reserving half the liquid from one jar.

Combine the reserved artichoke liquid, mayonnaise, and curry powder in a medium bowl, stirring well.

Add the cooked shrimp, green onions, cooled rice, and artichoke hearts, stirring to coat. Cover and refrigerate or serve immediately, although the salad tends to get better after a few hours' chill in the refrigerator.

Serves 6 to 8.

Recipe from Absolutely A La Carte.

Roasted Shrimp with Peppers and Lemon

Real Simple magazine did a story about weeknight meals with pantry staples - or something like that - and this was one of them.

I love shrimp and this makes enough for leftovers, and that makes me happy.

• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 scallions, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pound frozen large peeled and deveined shrimp, thawed
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cook the rice according to the package directions.

The recipe doesn't mind being tinkered with - when I made it the other day, I used a yellow pepper instead of red. When I realized we didn't have any scallions I and chopped up a pearl onion instead.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the bell pepper, lemon, thyme, scallions, crushed red pepper, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper.



Spread on a rimmed baking sheet (reserving the bowl).

Add the shrimp to the bowl and toss with the paprika, the remaining tablespoon of oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.



Nestle the shrimp in the bell peppers on the baking sheet. Roast until the shrimp are cooked through and the bell peppers are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

(My two cents: The shrimp take no time to cook - like 8 minutes. The strips of bell pepper are nowhere close to being done by then. Next time, I'm going to saute the bell pepper strips first, just a bit, in olive oil. I like them to still have a nice satisfying crunch but I want them cooked, not raw.)


Serve over the rice.

Tip:
To freeze: No need to thaw the shrimp. Just divide all the ingredients among 4 freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
To cook: Transfer the frozen ingredients to a baking sheet and roast at 450° F for 30 to 35 minutes. Serve with cooked long-grain white rice.

The next day, I got to have this wonderful grilled shrimp salad. I chopped the shrimp and a few roasted bell peppers, added them to spinach, and topped it with a vinaigrette. So good!

Chicken Salad

For lunch on Memorial Day, we didn't - for once - get near the grill. Instead, we had pasta salad, pimento cheese sandwiches, and chicken salad sandwiches. This is about the chicken salad.

Most everyone has their own recipe for chicken salad and most everyone thinks that theirs is the best. I’m no exception. I like this version because it is simple.

Cook 3 or 4 bone-in chicken breasts in a big pot of water. Cut up a nice-sized onion and toss it in there, too, along with some celery if you have it. Season well with salt and pepper. While the chicken is cooking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put about a cup or so – more if you really like pecans, like I do, or less if you don’t really care for them – on a baking sheet and pour a teaspoon or two of melted butter over them and shake them a little bit to ensure all the pecans have a coating of butter. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and sugar. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and coarsely chop. When the chicken is done, remove from water, let cool, and shred it.

Place the shredded chicken in a large bowl. Add about 4 chopped green onions (adjust that depending on how much green onion you like) and the chopped pecans.

Let me say this right now. I am not a mayonnaise fan. Like, at all. When I make Tillman a turkey sandwich, the child licks the mayonnaise off the knife, which, I swear, even typing that makes my stomach turn over. But one must have mayo for chicken salad so I just try to do this part quickly: get a big ole spoonful of mayonnaise (Duke’s or Hellman’s) and add to the chicken mixture. Stir it up good and add more mayo if you must. Try a little bite. You’ll need to salt and pepper it and perhaps add more chopped green onion.

That’s it. And I know many of you out there are shaking your heads and doubting me, wanting to add seedless grapes and who knows what else. Go ahead if you must. But seriously, just these few ingredients make a darn good chicken salad.

If you really want to blow people away, however, marinate the chicken overnight and then cook it on a smoker. People will almost get into fistfights trying to get to this stuff. Really.

Note: Sometimes I don't add the pecans until just before it's time to eat. Otherwise, they can get a bit soggy and lose their gorgeous crunch.

Recipe and babbling on and on about chicken salad excerpted from More Culinary Kudzu.

Greek Pasta Salad

I know summer has arrived when I make this pasta. I feel like I practically live on it all summer.

Greek Pasta Salad

12 ounces pasta, any shape, cooked

Dressing:
1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed is best)
3 tablespoons Cavender’s Greek seasoning

Combine all and mix well; set aside. Can be made a day or two in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. Whisk lightly or stir before pouring over salad.

To the cooked and cooled pasta, add:
1 3.8-ounce can sliced black olives, drained
1 4-ounce jar chopped pimientos, drained
4 to 6 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

*Can also add romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped, drained marinated artichoke hearts, water chestnuts, and/or green olives.

Toss together and add dressing, mix well. Best if made a day or so in advance. Keeps well for several days.

For a main dish, add 4 grilled chicken breasts, sliced into strips, or 1/2 to 1 pound boiled shrimp.

The Salad

It’s not called The Salad because I think it’s the salad to end all salads (actually, I do kind of think that but that’s not why I call it that). It’s because we almost always have this salad with every meal. Calling it The Salad is shorthand. Generally it’s just, “Do you want salad?” and we both know what we’re talking about.

Start with whatever kind of lettuce you like. I prefer a mix of romaine and spinach and who cares what other mixed greens, as long as their color is rich and deep. You could add chopped broccoli, leftover roasted asparagus – whatever you like and have on hand.

Next, cheese, preferably Edam. If not, sharp cheddar. Just a bit grated over the top.

Then either chow mein noodles or croutons, if you like.

If we have pecans or walnuts on hand, those go in there, too. I like to toast them first but that’s not strictly necessary.

This part is what defines The Salad: The dressing.

First up, Honey Dijon Vinaigrette. It’s divine – simple and excellent.

Then you also have Wine and Cheese. I don’t know that it tastes all that much like either wine or cheese but whatever. It’s good.

There you have it. The Salad. Basically, it hinges on A) Good greens, whatever your personal preference, and B) Your dressing of choice.

Naturally, there are any number of variations on The Salad. Like a couple of weeks ago, Jeffrey made a Sunday night meal of A Big Salad, with the greens, Edam cheese, shredded chicken, pecans, fresh cooked bacon, and croutons, dressed with Wine and Cheese dressing. It was an excellent Sunday evening supper, particularly following the big dinner we’d had: honey baked ham, hash brown potato casserole, carrot soufflé, and seven layer salad.