Tag: salad

Southwestern Vegetable and Pasta Salad

On By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Recipes1 Comment

We barbequed some Memphis style baby back ribs the other week and decided to pair them with a southwestern vegetable and pasta salad. The flavors of the southwest are actually pretty complimentary to some southern style meals as well. It is a pretty simple salad and can be done with a variety of pastas that catch the dressing like orecchiette (little ears), bowtie, or small shells. It is also a great vehicle for a variety of vegetables, so feel free to mix it up and make it your own.

Southwestern Vegetables

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 lb Orecchiette Paste – cooked to the package directions
  • 1 Yellow Pepper – grilled, skins removed, and julienned
  • 1/2 Red Onion – sliced
  • 3 Tomatillos – diced into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 cup Corn Kernels – fresh or frozen that has been thawed
  • 1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar
  • 1 canned Chipotle Pepper
  • 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
Vegetable and Pasta Salad Paired with Ribs

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large bowl, combine the pasta, yellow pepper, onion, tomatillos, and corn. Place the vinegar, chipotle pepper, and olive oil in a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. This recipe creates more dressing than is needed, so slowly add the dressing to the pasta, being sure to toss the pasta and vegetables until coated.

Chipotle Dressing
Charring the Yellow Pepper
Large Bowl of Pasta Salad
Wonderful Side Dish

Taco Salad

On By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Recipes8 Comments

This is definitely more of an American dish than a Mexican dish, but that doesn’t make it any less tasty. You could almost call it a “nacho salad” instead of a taco salad since we used tortilla chips instead of deep-frying a flour tortilla to make a bowl as most restaurants do.  You could just as easily do this with shredded chicken or beef instead of ground beef, it all depends on what you have available.  It is also such a simple dish that it makes for a great weeknight dinner.  There are all sorts of options to change this up, such as using flavored tortilla chips, doing the deep-fried flour bowl, or leaving the chips out completely for a healthier version.  Enjoy.

Taco (or Nacho) Salad
Taco (or Nacho) Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Lean Ground Beef
  • 6 tbsp Taco Seasoning
  • 3/4 cup Water
  • 1 Tomato – diced
  • 1/2 Jalapeno Pepper – seeds removed and diced
  • 1/2 Poblano Pepper – diced
  • 1/4 Yellow Onion – diced
  • 1/2 cup Shredded Cheese (Mexican Blend, Cheddar, Colby Jack, etc.)
  • Shredded Lettuce
  • 1/4 cup Sour Cream (optional)
  • Sriracha Sauce to taste

Diced Vegies and Shredded Lettuce
Diced Veggies and Shredded Lettuce

Instructions

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat.  Add the water and stir in the taco seasoning and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce thickens.  If desired, heat the tortilla chips in an oven at 325 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes, just to get them warm.  Assemble the salad by adding the chips to a plate or bowl, the ground beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, peppers, and onion.  Drizzle with sriracha and add the sour cream.

Ground Beef with Taco Seasoning
Ground Beef with Taco Seasoning