Italian Pasta Salad

I forgot how much I love this salad.

I got the recipe from my sister-in-law who got it from a friend.

The key to this salad - the secret is in the sauce!

Ken's Steakhouse Italian with Aged Romano Dressing

Go get some!!

Great things about this salad:

It's not an exact science

Always a hit at gatherings of all sorts

Simple

Easy

Quick

Need I say more?

Ingredients

Tri-Color Rotini

Black Olives

Cherub Grape Tomatoes

String Cheese, sliced in 1/4-1/2 inch pieces

Bell Pepper, chopped

Mini Pepperoni

Ken's Steakhouse Italian with Aged Romano Dressing

Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water until pasta is cool to touch.

Toss all ingredients together and toss in a healthy dose of dressing.

Back when I only had one child, I would cut the tomatoes in half and slice the olives. Oh how things change!!!

Miss you Michelle!! Come visit me soon!

Sesame Salad Dressing

What do you do when your hubby uses the last of the Ken's Steakhouse Asian Sesame with Ginger and Soy Dressing to marinate our grilled veggies and you have no more left for salad?

You make this.

No ginger, but still tasty and simple.

Martini's Bistro: The Twist

A few weeks ago, I was blessed to join a few book clubbers for dinner in Longmont, CO.  The book: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond (aka Pioneer Woman). I LOVE me some Pioneer Woman, I love everything about her: her humor, her life, her and her hunky husband's love story, her recipes. But I'm not here to talk about my beloved Pioneer Woman. Today is for the glory of Martini's Bistro's menu.


Their martini's FAB.U.LOUS!
Their appetizers SCRUMPTIOUS.
Their choices for entrees MOUTH-WATERING.

I gobbled (not kidding...I was hungry from a long day of work and a wimpy lunch) the Sassafras. I have a thing for sweet potatoes.

My friend Kelli was sitting next to me and ordered the Twist. We poked at each other's plates (and martinis) and were delighted in deliciousness.

I left the restaurant in complete tummy satisfaction. My hour-long commute was in taste-bud bliss. And a few days later, I still couldn't get the menu off my mind. So guess what I made.

Here's my version of the Martini's Bistro's The Twist.

And here's the part you can't see in the close-ups.

Oregano fresh from the garden, infused in liquid gold!

If you look at the menu, you'll see all the ingredients you need. I used chicken, seasoned with garlic powder, salt and pepper and drizzled with olive oil, that I baked in a 350 deg oven for 20 minutes. I used Cherub Grape Tomatoes - really, there's nothing better unless you grow them yourself (mine aren't ready for picking). I also used canned artichokes and halved kalamata olives in their own brine.

Westwood Salad

Looking for a main dish salad? Here's one!

Westwood Salad

A few of our alternatives:

- We used rotisserie chicken (it's sooooo much cheaper than buying in the raw).

- We used REAL bacon. In our house, bacon makes EVERYTHING better!

- We like to used baby spring mix for the mixed greens.

- For the dressing, when it's just us, we just halve the recipe.

- Also for the dressing, we've never been able to find a bermuda onion in our local grocery store, so we've used 1/4 to 1/2 of a white or yellow onion. We've also used a shallot. We haven't noticed any difference in flavor.

- And lastly for the dressing, We vary the amount of dry mustard from 1/2 teaspoon (for the halved recipe) to 2 whole teaspoons for the whole recipe. I would add the dry mustard to taste.

- And sometimes we only make the dressing and put it on whatever salad we have at hand. It's delish!