Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad

Happy Cinco de Mayo, Fellow Food Nerds! To paraphrase my favorite Salt-n-Pepa song, Let's Talk About Salad.

Salads are always exciting for me, because I feel like if I'm ever going to be healthy, salad is the Magical Gateway thru which it will happen. Then I eat too much of it and feel sick.

Amy thought this up with her amazing Food Brain. She seriously blows my mind with her imagination. This is a nice diversion from the typical taco salad one would serve when in the mood for something mexican and light. (DW)

2 chicken breasts
Fajita seasoning (I use Wildtree Fajita Seasoning)
Green bell pepper
Onion
Mushrooms
Lettuce, torn into pieces
Carrots, chopped or shredded
Cucumber, chopped
Avocado (We didn't put avocado on our salad, instead we made guacamole out of it, but I think avocado would be good on the salad)
Ranch Dressing (I mixed in a teaspoon of fajita mix with the ranch, to give it a little extra flavor)

Marinate chicken breast with the fajita seasoning for at least 1 hour. Grill chicken breast, bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms until cooked. Cut cooked chicken, bell pepper, and onion into slices. Serve chicken and vegetables over a bed of lettuce, carrots, cucumber, and avocado. Top with ranch dressing before serving. (AW)

Fruit Salsa

"Fruit salsa?" you're saying. "That doesn't even sound like a thing!!"

Well shut up, Jerkface, because it IS a thing. An AWESOME thing.

Our friends, Jeremy and Rox Taylor, made this for us. We were about as skeptical as they come. But man, we were blown away by how much taste this thing offers. It's not too sweet, and it's the perfect summer dish - bring it to a party, and watch people line up to be your friend. The cinnamon pita chips are available at Trader Joe's - they're an integral part of this amazing appetizer. (DW)

Seriously, I love fruit salsa! The ingredients in this recipe sound weird together, but you have to try it. It tastes so good. The original recipe also calls for chopped jalapeno peppers, but I always omit them when I make it. Use a small food processor to make chopping the strawberries and bell pepper easier.

1 cup finely chopped strawberries
1 orange, peeled & finely chopped
2 large or 3 small kiwi fruits, peeled & finely chopped
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, juices drained (about an 8 oz can)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/4 cup yellow or green bell pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 4-24 hours to allow the flavors to marinate together. Serve with cinnamon pita chips.

This recipe was given to me from our friend Roxanne and can also be found in the Better Homes & Garden Cookbook, New Cookbook- Bridal Edition. (AW)

Tortellini Pasta Salad

I fricking love this pasta salad. It's seriously the Best Thing Ever.

In fact, pasta salad in general is the Best Thing Ever.

I recommend making this in the morning, refrigerating it all day, and serving it cold at night. Everyone will think you're awesome. You'll be the talk of the town, and everyone will clamor to invite you to their barbecues and potlucks.

Here's what I'm saying: This recipe will make you popular. It will help you win friends and influence people. And don't skip the green bell pepper, because that's the secret weapon this thing packs. (DW)

Here is the recipe for one of our favorite summer salads. I always try to keep a package or two of tortellini in freezer, so I can make this in a hurry. I'll give you the ingredients I use in the salad, but, really, you can put just about anything in it. It's very versatile.

1 package of tortellini, cooked & cooled
Olives
Canned artichoke hearts, cut into small pieces
Green bell pepper (sometimes I use broccoli), chopped
Tomatoes, chopped
Parmesan cheese
Italian salad dressing (you can use which ever brand is your favorite)

Put tortellini, olives, artichokes, bell pepper, tomatoes, and parmesan cheese in a large glass bowl. Pour Italian dressing over salad, to your liking. Serve cold. (AW)