Summer Food

Although I usually complain about cooking (just ask Bryan), I've enjoyed putting together a couple meals this week. I think it's a lot less stressful when I don't have to come home from work and cook, when I just really want to play with Jack. So here are a few good salads I made this week.

Bryan gets credit for finding this recipe. He might have made it too, but it was his birthday. So I cooked! :)

Southwest Chicken Salad
1/2 cup bottled poppy seed salad dressing
1 small fresh jalapeno pepper; seeded and finely chopped {we skipped this}
1/2 tsp finely shredded orange peel
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 oranges, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 red sweet pepper, seeded and quartered
8 cups torn mixed greens
1 small jicama, peeled and sliced into bite-size strips

1. In a small bowl, combine salad dressing, jalapeno pepper, and orange peel. Remove 1 tablespoon of the mixture to use as a brush-on. Brush the chicken, orange slices, and sweet pepper with the 1 tablespoon of dressing mixture.

2. Grill chicken, oranges, and peppers. Cool slightly. Cut chicken and sweet pepper into bite-size strips; quarter the orange slices.

3. In a large salad bowl toss together the greens and jicama. Add the chicken, oranges, and sweet pepper to salad bowl; drizzle with dressing mixture. Voila!

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I also made potato salad for a friends' get-together.

Creamy Potato Salad
1 lb. red potatoes (about 4), cut into chunks
1/4 cup creamy Italian dressing
1/3 cup Miracle Whip
1 1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
1 hard-cooked egg, chopped
4 green onions, sliced

{I tripled this recipe, as it only makes 4 servings.}

1. Cook potatoes in saucepan of boiling water for 15 min or just until tender. Drain. Rinse potatoes with cold water until cooled; drain.

2. Mix dressings and mustard in large bowl. Add potatoes, eggs, and onions; mix lightly.

3. Refrigerate 30 min. Yummy!