Summer Tuna Salad

This is an old favorite in the RVA household - my family was making this for summertime for as long as I can remember. It's a nice, light meal, and goes great with fruit and cheese.

1 can solid white albacore packed in water, drained super well
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
2 tbsp red onion, finely chopped
1/2 pound pasta (elbows, penne, farfelle and similar work best)
2-3 tbsp mayo to taste
salt & pepper to taste
cherry tomatoes and parsley to garnish

Boil water and cook pasta al dente.

In a medium bowl, combine tuna, celery, onion, salt & pepper. Break up tuna with a fork to desired size chunks.

Drain pasta and shock with cold water immediately. Drain until dry.

Add pasta to tuna mixture and lightly toss. Add mayo and mix to desired consistency. Transfer to serving bowl and garnish with parsley and tomatoes. Serve chilled.

Ramen Noodle Salad

This is a different twist on your average cole slaw. It's light and slightly sweet - perfect for summer cookouts. As you can tell by the picture, the recipe makes a lot, so I halve it.

2 pkg ramen noodles (chicken flavor)
1 16oz pkg cole slaw mix
2 bunches of scallions, sliced thin
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup sunflower seeds
2 flavor packets from ramen noodles
3/4 cup salad oil
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar

The night before serving, mix the dressing (flavor packets, oil, sugar & vinegar) and refrigerate.

Right before serving salad, combine the rest of the ingredients and toss with dressing.

Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad

Kerry is the one who reminded me of this simple and easy favorite. Pasta with pesto is one of my favorites and the addition of raw veggies really makes this perfect for a summer dinner. I have yet to get a food processor, and when I do, I will be making my own pesto from scratch - in the meantime, I use Knorr's pesto mix and it works well.

1 lg package or 2 small packages fresh tortellini (I use three-cheese)
1 pkg Knorr pesto or creamy pesto
veggies - chopped - whatever you like (I used shallots, green onion, black olives, mushrooms, che.rry tomatoes, tri-colored peppers)
basil, oregano, salt & pepper to taste
block of mozzarella, cubed

Boil water - prepare tortellini. Draini and shock immediately with cold water. Contine to drain.

In saucepan, prepare pesto according to directions. Allow to simmer.

When tortelli is cooled, mix with remaining ingredients, except for the cheese. Chill several hours or overnight. Add cheese prior to serving.

German Potato Salad

Not so sure why I thought this was a great idea today, but we had bacon and potatoes to use up, so why not? I halved the recipe because it makes a lot, but it was yummy, even with my disinterest in measuring anything.

3 lbs potatoes

1/2 lb bacon

3 tbsp flour

1 medium onion (diced)

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup vinegar

Boil, then peel & slice potatoes.

Brown bacon and break into small pieces.

In large pan, heat 3 tbsp bacon grease. Add flour and 1 1/2 cups water; stir until mixture thickens.

Add onion, sugar and vinegar to mixture and simmer for 5 minutes.

Salt & pepper potato slices to taste. Add bacon.

Pour mixture over potatoes. Garnish with parsley. Can be served hot or cold (although I prefer cold).

Cous Cous Salad with Chicken & Nectarines

Thanks to Nancy for this delicious recipe. I played around with it a little bit, but DH and I both agreed that it's a keeper for the future.

1 cup instant cous cous

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 cup finely chopped parsley leaves (approx. 6 sprigs)

6 tbsps olive oil

2 spicy grilled chicken breasts

3 fresh nectarines, cut into bite sized chunks

2 small shallots, thinly sliced rings

3/4 cup of pistachio nuts, shelled

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Place cous cous in a medium bown. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil and stir in the cinnamon, cumin, salt, and pepper. Pour mixture over cous cous. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork. Stir in the parsely and 2 tbsps of the olive oil. Set aside.

Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the nectarines and shallots. Drizzle with vinegar and the remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in cous cous. Add pistachios just before eating.

Chicken & ChickPea Salad

2-3 cloves minced garlic

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp curry

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 cup white wine

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tomatoes, diced

cucumber, diced

1 tsp curry powder

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

2 scallions, chopped

3 tbsp minced red onion

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Combine wine, garlic, ginger, cumin, curry, salt, and red pepper. Pour marinade over chicken and chill for 2-4 hours.

Combine remaining ingredients (except butter & vinegar) in a serving bowl and chill.

Bake chicken at 375 in a glass dish with butter for 30 minutes. Slice and arrange over salad. Toss with vinegar.