Salads (and cakes) from the birthday luncheon

Here are all of the recipes that were served at my friends 40th birthday luncheon.

Chicken Salad on Croissants
(thanks to my sister, Rebecca)

6 cups cubed cooked chicken
2 ¼ cups chopped celery
6 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish
1 ½ cups mayonnaise
1 ½ cups toasted almonds (slivered or sliced)
1 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. chopped green onions
Salt & Pepper to taste
Choose one: (each gives a unique flavor and are equally delicious)
1 cup sliced stuffed green olives OR 1 cup red seedless grapes sliced in halves
Salad may be put together day before so flavors blend.
Serves 15
(FYI: I made 1 1/2 X the recipe and it made SO SO much! I made about 40 small croissant sandwiches and still had a big bowl of salad leftover)

Potato Salad
(thanks to Juli Miller, who made it and shared the recipe with me--these are her notes, too)

5 lbs. red potatoes (or russet potatoes, peeled)
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 lbs. bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 eggs, hardboiled and crumbled
Now this part, in truth, I just eyeball, so don't be afraid to experiment, but here is what the recipe says:
2 cups mayonnaise (I know I didn't put in all that, probably just a little more than a cup)
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup vinegar (I like white wine vinegar)
1/4 cup sugar a dribble of milk :)

In a large saucepan, boil potatoes for about 20 to 25 minutes until potatoes are tender (I look for when the fork easily slides in). Drain water. When cool, cut potatoes into bite-size pieces and cover with a little milk. Add egg, bacon, and green onions. Stir. Add mayo (I would just start with the one cup) and all other ingredients. Stir well until everything is coated. Top with paprika (makes the presentation value score according to my Nana). Refrigerate overnight. Makes 12 servings.

Turkey & Fruit Pasta Salad
(thanks to Tauni McFerson, who made this and got the recipe from www.bhg.com)

1 cup packaged dried rope macaroni (gemelli) or 1-1/3 cups corkscrew macaroni
(4 ounces) 1-1/2 cups chopped cooked turkey or chicken or fully cooked turkey ham
(8 ounces) 2 green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
1/3 cup lime or lemon juice
1/4 cup salad oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
2 medium nectarines or plums, sliced
1 cup halved fresh strawberries

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta; rinse with cold water. Drain again. In a large mixing bowl combine pasta; turkey, chicken, or turkey ham; and green onions. Toss to mix. For dressing, in a screw-top jar combine lime or lemon juice, oil, honey, and thyme. Cover and shake well. Pour dressing over pasta mixture; toss to coat. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours. Just before serving, stir in nectarines or plums and strawberries. Toss to mix. Makes 4 main-dish servings.

(Tauni used chicken, lemon juice, less thyme and omitted the nectarines because they aren't in season)

Greek-style Couscous Salad
(thanks to my friend Veronica Haymore, who lives in Syracuse, NY)

1 box uncooked couscous
1 ½ c. halved and quartered cucumber slices
small container cherry tomatoes, halved
6 oz. feta cheese
1 ½ tsp. Dill weed
¾ c. + Italian dressing

Cook couscous as desired (or according to box directions), omitting salt and butter. Fluff with fork and place in large bowl and cool for about 10 minutes (stirring and separating a few times) Add remaining ingredients, toss lightly. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour to allow flavors to blend. May need to add more dressing before serving.

Caesar-Tortellini Salad
(thanks to Lorraine Dickson for making this salad--she got the recipe from Shauna Hancock)

1 package 3-cheese dry tortellini, cooked and chilled
romaine lettuce
Caesar salad dressing (she likes Cardini's)
Caesar croutons
parmesan cheese
chicken (optional)

Toss all together & enjoy!

Leafy Green Salad
(I just made this up the day of the luncheon)

The ingredients I used were:

combination of Spring Mix lettuce & baby spinach
1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
almost a whole container of sliced mushrooms
handful of dried cherries, blueberries & cranberries (the mix from Costco)
grated Italian cheeses (Asiago, Parmesan, etc.)
sugared almonds

Triple-Layer Carrot Cake

This cake is so good, that is was gone before I could get a picture!
I already posted this on my blog. Here's the link: http://morethanjustnoodles.blogspot.com/2008/04/triple-layer-carrot-cake.html




Decadent Chocolate Bundt Cake
(I got this recipe from a classmate in nursing school)

1 dark chocolate cake mix
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 16 oz. sour cream
1 12 oz. bag chocolate chips

Mix all together and pour into a greased and floured bundt pan. **will be much thicker than a traditional cake mix Bake at 350 degrees for 50min.-1 hour. When ready to serve, dust with powdered sugar.