Bridal Shower Buffet

A buffet is a system of serving meals in which food is placed in a public area where the diners generally serve themselves. It is a popular method for feeding a large number of people with minimal staff.  {In our case, the 'staff' wanted to enjoy the party, presents & participate in conversations.} 

Taylor, Maren Parker's daughter got married in February. We had a bridal shower for her here in San Diego on a Saturday in early February. It was open-house style, with guests coming in during a 2 hour time-block to share their good wishes. Maren put together a menu of salads, croissants and delicious desserts.

California's Best Chopped Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

Garden Herb Ranch Sauce

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cold water
2 3/4 cups mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
7 tablespoons dairy sour cream
2 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoon green onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh Italian parsley, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon fresh dill, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon fresh basil, minced

Chicken
1 1/3 tablespoon good olive oil
1 1/3 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons salt
20 ounces chicken breasts, skinless
1/4 cup barbecue sauce (your favorite)

Salad
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded fine
1/2 head romaine lettuce leaves, shredded fine
1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
1 pound jicama, cut into thin strips
2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 cup black beans - rinsed and drained (canned works)
1 cup corn kernels, drained (canned works)
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 pounds tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

Dressing: In a mixing bowl, use a fork to stir together the mustard and cold water, forming a paste. Set aside for 10 minutes. Add the remaining dressing ingredients to the bowl and, using a handheld electric mixer at low speed or a whisk, blend together just until smooth, taking care not to incorporate too much air into the dressing. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Chicken: Preheat a stove top grill or the broiler. In a mixing bowl, stir together the olive oil, garlic, soy sauce and salt. Turn the chicken breasts in this marinade and leave to at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Grill or broil the chicken breasts until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator. Cut the chicken breasts into 3/4" cubes and, in a bowl, toss with the barbecue sauce to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Salad: In a large mixing bowl, toss together the lettuces, basil, jicama, Monterrey Jack cheese, beans, corn, cilantro, dressing, and half of the Fried Tortilla Strips. Transfer the salads to chilled serving plates. Surround each salad with diced tomatoes. Top each salad with chunks of Grilled Garlic BBQ Chicken and drizzle the chicken with the barbecue sauce. Garnish with the green onions.

Apple Pecan Salad

This is a great salad for fall and winter.

3 TBSP Packed Brown Sugar

3 TBSP finely chopped Pecans

3 small sweet Apples, halved & cored

1 TBSP Butter, melted

1/2 C Canola Oil

1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1 TBSP Honey

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Pepper

6 Cups Mixed Greens

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. In a greased baking dish place apple cut side up. Brush Apples with butter and sprinkle with sugar and pecans. Bake for 15 minutes or until just tender.

For dressing, a screw top jar combine oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.

Arrange greens on a platter, top with apples. Spoon pecans and liquid from pan on top. Drizzle with dressing.

Crsipy Chicken Salad

My husband LOVED this salad! It is low in calories, big in taste, and perfect for summer!

Ingredients

1/4  cup  dry breadcrumbs (I'll use Paco)

1/4  cup  all-purpose flour

1  teaspoon  garlic powder

1  teaspoon  dried thyme

1/2  teaspoon  salt

1/2  teaspoon  pepper

2  pounds  skinned, boned chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

1/2  cup  low-fat buttermilk

Cooking spray

1  tablespoon  olive oil

4  cups  thickly sliced romaine lettuce (cut across rib)

1  (15-ounce) can whole baby beets, drained and halved

1/2  cup  fat-free honey-Dijon mustard salad dressing

1/2  cup  (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese

Preparation

Combine first 6 ingredients in a shallow dish. Stir well; set aside. Combine chicken and buttermilk in a bowl; stir. Cover; marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes. Drain; dredge a few strips at a time in breadcrumb mixture, tossing to coat.

Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add oil; place over medium heat until hot. Add chicken to skillet; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done.

Arrange 1 cup lettuce on each of 4 plates; divide chicken and beets among plates. Top with 2 tablespoons dressing and 2 tablespoons cheese.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

287 (27% from fat)

Fat:

7.4g (sat 2.2g,mono 3.4g,poly 0.8g)

Protein:

25.8g

Carbohydrate:

28.3g

Fiber:

2g

Cholesterol:

60mg

Iron:

2.9mg

Sodium:

710mg

Calcium:

116mg

Cooking Light

Marinated Cucumber Salad

This is one of my favorite side dishes for the warmer months.  I look forward to all of the fresh produce that comes along with summer.  This dish is great with any meal, or as a healthy snack.

Marinated Cucumber Salad

1 Cucumber, sliced

1 Avocado, sliced

1 Tomato, cut into wedges (optional)

1/4 C Heinz Gourmet Salad Vinegar

1/4 C Olive Oil

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning blend

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Pepper

Toss ingredients together, and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes prior to serving.

Steak Salad

This salad will satisfy any appetite!

Steak Salad

Ingredients •

DRESSING:

• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)

• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger

• 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce

• 1 to 2 teaspoons chile paste with garlic

• STEAK:

• Cooking spray

• 1 (1 1/2-pound) flank steak, trimmed

• 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper

• SALAD:

• 3 cups trimmed watercress (about 2 bunches)

• 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage

• 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

• 1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves (just 1/4 cup would have been fine with me)

• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

• 1/2 cup julienne-cut carrot

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

Preparation To prepare dressing, combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl; stir well with a whisk. To prepare steak, heat a large nonstick skillet or grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Rub both sides of steak with pepper. Add steak to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan; place on a cutting board. Cover loosely with foil; let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices. Place steak in a bowl. Drizzle with half of dressing, and toss well. To prepare salad, combine watercress and next 5 ingredients (watercress through carrot) in a large bowl. Drizzle with remaining dressing, and toss well. Divide salad evenly among 6 plates; arrange steak evenly over salad. Sprinkle each serving with 1 teaspoon peanuts.

Contributed by Becki Cutler

Thai Stir Fry & Live Veggie Salad

This is a spectacular meal! Your body will appreciate it at a cellular level! This kind of food is sooo good for you!

Thai Stir Fry & Live Veggie Salad

Dressing:

1/4 cup creamy poppy seed dressing

2 garlic cloves

1 1-inch piece unpeeled gingerroot, grated and juiced

Salad:

1 package fresh baby spinach leaves

1 package fresh broccoli slaw mix

1 medium cucumber, scored, seeded and sliced

1 small red pepper, sliced in this strips

Chicken Mixture:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/4 cup snipped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup peanuts, chopped

For dressing, in 2 qt mixing bowl combine salad dressing and garlic. Grate gingerroot. Gather gingerroot in palm of hand and squeeze over bowl to release juice: discard flesh. Whick until well blended.

For salad, place spinach, slaw mix, cucumber and bell pepper in large bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For chicken mixture, heat skillet over medium high heat. Lightly spay skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Add chicken to skillet in single layer. Cook without stirring 2 minutes or until chicken begins to brown. Stir fry 2-3 minutes or until chicken is not longer pink: remove from heat. Add basil, peanuts and 1/4 cup of the dressing. Toss to coat. To serve, toss salad with remaining dressing: top with chicken mixture and serve immediately.

Taken from The Pampered Chef, contributed by Michelle Olsen.

CANDIED WALNUT SALAD

Honey Red Wine Vinaigrette
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. honey
1-2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped (really, that's pretty optional; it all goes in the blender)
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 c. canola oil

In a blender, combine vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Place lid on blender and blend on high. While blender is running, add oil in a steady stream. Store in refrigerator for about 2-3 weeks. Shake well before serving.

Candied Walnut Salad

2 heads of leafy greens; 1 can be a bag of spinach

3/4 c. Craisins

2 crisp apples

Orange juice (enough to toss apples in to prevent browning and add a little flavor)

2 oz. blue cheese or Gorgonzola or you can use Feta

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

1/4 c. sugar

1. Wash and chop lettuce. Set aside to drain.

2. Combine walnuts and sugar in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly. After a few minutes, the sugar will look very fine and then a few minutes after that, it will start to liquefy. This is when you have to be absolutely vigilant about scraping the bottom of the skillet and making sure everything gets stirred around. The syrup will begin to darken and will coat the nuts. When they reach a golden brown color, remove from heat. Stir occasionally as the nuts begin to cool. After a few minutes, spread candied nuts onto a greased piece of parchment or wax paper or a greased cookie sheet and allow to cool completely. Set aside.

3. Chop Blue cheese into crumbles or use Feta

4. Chop apples and toss in orange juice.

When ready to serve, toss lettuce, cranberries, walnuts, apples, and blue cheese in a large bowl.
Add dressing

This salad is amazing courtesy of www.ourbestbites.com

CHICKEN PASTA SALAD

Chicken Salad
This is a very low-fat version of a chicken pasta salad
5 Cups uncooked small shell macaroni
1 1/2 Cups fat free mayo
1 cup low-fat coleslaw (see recipe below)
6 cups cooked, diced chicken breasts
2 cans sliced water chestnuts cut into slivers
3 cups diced celery
1 bunch green onions thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups halved cashews
4 cups red grapes cut in half

COLESLAW DRESSING
3/4 cup miracle whip
1/2 T apple cider vinegar
2 T splenda
1/4 cup skim milk
whip together with a whisk until well blended and mix with fat free mayo

Cook macaroni until tender, rinse under cold water and drain well.
Combine shells, coleslaw dressing and mayo in a large mixing bowl.
ADD
6 Cups cooked, diced chicken breasts
2 Cans sliced water chestnuts
2 Cups diced celery
1/2 Bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups halved cashews
3 Cups red grapes, cut in half

Make salad the night before serving.
20 1-cup servings.

Serve over lettuce as a wrap or in croissants

Cafe Rio Pork Salad & Rice

Cafe Rio Pork- cook in crock pot for at least 4 hours, shred with a fork and then put back in crock pot

Pork Tenderloin
1/2 C brown sugar
1 can of coke
1/2 C salsa

Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

1 C sour cream
1 C mayo
2-3 tomatillos
1/2 bunch cilantro
juice of 3 limes
2 cloves garlic pressed
1 packet of Ranch Salad Dressing/Dip mix
1/2 Tablespoon Lawry's garlic salt - has to be Lawry's
If it seems to thick, add a milk a little bit at a time

Cafe Rio Rice- this rice has a mild flavor, but is good

1/2 a yellow onion chopped (about 1/2 Cup)
1/2 bunch of cilantro
clove of garlic or Lawry's Garlic Salt
1 Can Green chiles
1 tsp salt
1 T butter
4 tsp chicken bouillon powder, or dissolve 1 or 2 cubes of chicken bouillon, or use chicken broth instead of water

Blend the above ingredients, use some water or chicken broth to make it blend easier.
Add water or chicken broth to make the total amount of liquid is 4 cups


2 C rice (whatever amount of rice you use, just make sure the total liquid is at least double the amount of rice)
Put all ingredients in your rice cooker


Black Beans
Cans of black beans
Add some lime juice
Add some Lawry's Garlic salt

For the salad I put all the hot stuff on the bottom, and then layer cheese, lettuce, tomatoe. Just because that's what then do at the restaurant.

Contributed by Rachel Tollestrup

Feta Salad

Refresh yourself with this yummy salad!

Fruit and Feta Green Salad (with Brianna's Vinaigrette)

8 cups assorted greens

½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained

½ cup dried cranberries or cherries

1 small red onion, chopped

½ cup toasted pecans or almonds

Combine ingredients in large salad bowl and toss with Brianna's Vinaigrette just before serving.

Tuscan Bread Salad

I love this European Style salad!!!

Tuscan Bread Salad

1 loaf dense crusty bread
1 large ball of fresh Mozarella cheese

1 large tomato

1 yellow or red pepper

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

Dressing:

1 clove garlic, minced

6 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons Balsamic or red wine vinegar

salt and pepper, to taste

Combine dressing ingredients and blend well; set aside. Cut cheese, tomato and pepper into 1-inch cubes and transfer to salad bowl with chopped basil. Pour dressing over cheese and veggies to marinate while cutting and toasting bread. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes and toast in oven until lightly brown. Add bread cubes to salad bowl and mix well to coat all pieces. Serve immediately.

Green Salad with Feta, Almonds, Cranberries, and Avocado

While visiting a friend in Arizona I enjoyed this yummy salad and have been hooked ever since!  My husband even loves it and he is the anti-salad eater.  The combinations of flavors and textures is perfect!

Green Salad with Feta, Almonds, Cranberries, and Avocado

4 Cups Mixed Green
1/2 Cup Sugared Almonds (Sliced Almonds toasted in a pan with butter and brown sugar)
1/2 Cup Crumbled Feta
1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries
1/2 Avocado, sliced

Toss above ingredients and dress with a poppyseed dressing (My favorite is Brianna's Brand)

Chopped Chicken Salad

a few simple salads turns a baby shower into a wonderful feast!


CHOPPED CHICKEN SALAD

This simple salad is really tasty!

Romaine Chopped fine. Hold the butt, and Cut About 4 times, turn and cut 4, and turn and cut 4 more times. Then chop across 1” pieces.

½ C fresh basil, chopped

Sun dried tomatoes

Roma or cherry tomatoes, chopped

1 block mozzarella, grated

Cooked cubed chicken

Enjoy!

The slide show is from Chrissy's baby shower where the salad was devoured... Oh, what a party!

Sweet Berry Poppy Seed Steak Salad

The steak in this flavorful salad is delightful!

Sweet Berry Poppy-seed Steak Salad

chop 1 pkg baby spinach

sliced strawberries or pears

candied almonds

Thinly sliced red onion

feta cheese

golden raisins

Dressing:(in blender)

3/4 c. salad oil

2 T white wine vinegar

1/2 c. sugar

2 T minced white onion

1 + T poppy seeds

1 tsp. mustard

pepper to taste

to caramelize almonds, cook with white sugar (about 1/2 c. each for 1+ cups of sliced almonds) until the sugar dissolves, but don't burn!  Then transfer to wax paper lined baking sheet until cooled.  Until they're brittle, then cool and then break apart.  Watch carefully!