BBQ Chicken Salad

1 lb. boneless chicken, cut into strips or cubes
2 T. olive oil
1 c. bbq sauce
1/4 c ranch dressing
1 head of lettuce, chopped
1 diced tomato
1 diced cucumber
handful diced red or sweet onion

Coat chicken with olive oil and place in skillet. Add 1/4 cup water to chicken to prevent burning. Cover and cook 8-10 minutes. When cooked thoroughly, remove from heat and toss with bbq sauce.

In separate bowl, add remaining ingredients and toss. Add chicken and serve.

Prep 10 mins. Cook 20 mins. Serves 4

Aunt Sandra's Cold Mexican Chicken Salad

I remember Aunt Sandra serving this at a gathering at my sis-in-laws house one summer. I started to crave it a few days ago and shared half with a dear friend for a good lunch treat. It's delicious and refreshing. Also very healthy -- one of the few chicken salad recipes I know that doesn't require mayo. Enjoy!

3+ chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I boil breasts, but Sandra cooked a whole chicken and pulled the juicy meat off the bones)
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 - 1 bell pepper, red or orange, chopped
10 oz bag frozen sweet corn, thawed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 - 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1 packet Good Seasoning dry Italian seasoning

Mix all ingredients and chill. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

(Note: if chilling for more than a few hours or overnight before serving, wait and add onion before serving so it doesn't overpower the other flavors.)

Fumi Salad

My mother-in-law made this at our recent annual Waller lake trip. SOOO yummy and good. I could have just eaten the whole serving bowl of salad for a meal!

Dressing - mix all and chill first
3 T. sugar
1 tsp each of salt & pepper
1 cup vegetable oil (scant cup)
6 T Rice vinegar

Salad ingredients
1 head cabbage chopped (I use packaged slaw mix)
1 bunch green onions chopped
2 packages of ramen noodles
handful sliced almonds, toasted

Brown about a T. of butter in skillet and add ¼ to ½ cup sliced almonds until lightly browned. Cool on papertowel. Crunch up 2 bags of top ramen noodles (throw season packs away). Add everything else together and serve. So Yummy!!

Plentiful P's Salad

This is from the Southern Living: 30 Years of Our Best Recipes. It's a winner and very hearty. I've altered it from time to time depending on what's in my pantry. It's a great make-ahead salad and tastes great even if it's in the frig overnight.

4 cups canned, drained & rinsed black-eyed peas
2 cups cooked rotelle macaroni
2 T. minced fresh parsley
1 medium green pepper, seeded & chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, seeded & chopped
1 medium purple onion, chopped
1 (6 oz) package sliced provolone cheese, cut into strips
1 (4.5 oz) jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1 (3.5 oz) package sliced pepperoni, cut into strips (look for the turkey pepperoni!)
1 (2 oz) jar diced pimiento, drained
1 (0.7 oz) envelope Italian seasoning mix
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I use EVOO)
1/4 tsp. pepper

Combine first 10 ingredients in large bowl. Combine dressing mix and remaining 4 ingredients in jar. Cover tightly and shake vigorously; pour dressing over pea mixture. Toss gently. Cover and chill. Yields 8 large servings.