Spinach Pasta Salad

This recipe is originally from my friend Cindy. It's perfect for potlucks because it holds up quite well even after the dressing is added. I made this for dinner one night when Bob and the boys were gone (a girls' night in). The kids laughed because I couldn't stop eating "just another bite."

I modified this recipe a bit by cooking the chicken in a teriyaki sauce (the same one I use for the won ton chicken salad recipe given to me by another friend), but I think it all works out in the wash because I use the dressing for this salad for that recipe.

Spinach Pasta Salad
2-3 chicken breasts
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
Mix soy sauce, sugar and water in a small sauce pan; bring to a boil. Add chicken breasts and cook over low heat for about an hour, until chicken is shreddable. Shred chicken and set aside. This can be done the day before if you want.

1 16-ounce package bow-tie or farfalle pasta, cooked according to package directions
1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped
8 to 10 cups of spinach
Combine these ingredients with the shredded chicken in a large bowl.

Dressing:
2-3 Tablespoons of sesame seeds
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 Tablespoons of sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Pour dressing over the salad and tossed until all ingredients are coated.

Pear and Blue Cheese Salad

This is the salad I'm making this week for a group of friends I have lunch with each month. It's one of my favorite salads because of the contrasting sweet and savory flavors, plus the crunch of both the fruit and the nuts.

Like most salads, this one is quite versatile. It's great with pears and blue cheese, but also delicious with apples substituted for the pears or feta substituted for the blue cheese. Red fruit is prettier than green fruit, although the green fruit (especially apples) are usually a little more tart and give the salad a great flavor. It's shown here with red delicious apples and blue cheese crumbles.
The salad is originally from the Betty Crocker Entertaining cookbook, which doesn't include the possible variations.

Pear and Blue Cheese Salad
1 medium bunch romaine, chopped in bite-sized chunks
2 medium red or green pears or apples, cut in 1/4 inch slices
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese or feta (1 ounce)
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (for the record, pecans also work well)

Toss these ingredients together in a large bowl. Then toss with the dressing until coated.

Dressing
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of ground pepper

Place ingredients in a tightly covered jar. Shake until mixed.

Best Baked Beans

At about the time Bob and I were married, I learned of the intense competition to be the best bean baker in his family. I thought his baked beans were excellent. But a couple of years ago, one of our neighbors brought this dish to a neighborhood party, and I don't think we've made his usual recipe since. This one takes longer than Bob's, which is made on the stove top. This also makes quite a lot of beans, so feel free to cut the recipe in half if you're not cooking for a crowd.

Baked Beans

8-10 generous servings

4 15-ounce cans of pork and beans
2 large onions, chopped
2 large green peppers, chopped
1 cup catsup
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons Worchestershire sauce
1 pound lean bacon cut up, cooked crisp, then drained and crumbled

Combine ingredients thoroughly. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake for 2 1/2 hours, covered with foil, at 325 degrees. Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes. Serve hot.