I have two recipes for you today. One is a healthy yummy summer salad and the other is a sinfully delicious chocolate dessert.

Asian Summer Salad
I had the blessed opportunity to bring dinner to a dear friend of mine and knew I wanted to make the Chicken Lettuce Wraps. But I didn't know what to make for a side dish. I asked around for advice, and decided on this noodle salad from The Pampered Chef. Prep time was very easy. Chopping up the veggies while boiling the pasta is the only thing that took time. Just make sure to give it enough time to marinate.

Salad:
8 oz. vermicelli pasta (an extra thin spaghetti - angel hair works well too)
3/4 cup julienne-cut carrots
3/4 cup julienne-cut zucchini
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup sliced green onions
3/4 pound deli roast turkey or chicken breast, cut 1/2 inch thick

Dressing:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 T rice vinegar
3 T soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1 tsp finely chopped fresh gingerroot
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 cup chopped peanuts or cashews
chopped fresh cilantro

Cook and drain pasta according to directions and set aside. Meanwhile, cut, julienne, and chop vegetables and deli meat. Add to pasta. Combine dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Toss well. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour to allow flavors to blend. Garnish with chopped nuts and cilantro. Serve cold or warm.

Chocolate Pudding Dessert
Next up is a family favorite and very easy to make. It is often my "go-to" recipe of desserts. Simple, impressive, inexpensive, and delicious. I made it for Father's Day this year and had many people ask me about it on Facebook. So I decided to put it up here. I usually make it with chocolate pudding, but it's also great with lemon or butterscotch pudding. Pick one and tell me which flavor you used!

Crust:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cubes butter
2/3 cup chopped nuts (I like to use pecans)

White Layer:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 container of cool whip (reserve other half for top layer)

Pudding Layer:
2 3 oz pkg of instant pudding (chocolate, lemon, or butterscotch)
3 cups milk

Combine crust ingredients and mix to form pie crust. Press into 9x13 pan. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, cool completely, and set aside. Beat together sugar and cream cheese until fluffy. Add the half cool whip. Spread over cooled crust. Make up pudding using 3 cups of milk. Spread pudding over the cream cheese layer. Spread remaining cool whip over the pudding layer. Sprinkle with additional chopped nuts, if desired. Chill several hours or overnight.

another one from The Deen Bros. "Ya'll Come Eat"

12 oz fresh green beans
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup bottled Italian salad dressing

Bring to boil a pot of water, blanch the green beans for 1 minute. Drain and cool. In large bowl, combine all ingredients.

On Saturday we had a family favorite for dinner, 7 Layer Mexican Bean Dip. It's the typical layered bean dip complete with sour cream, guacamole, and cheese served with tortilla chips. We like it so much, we eat it as a meal. On Monday, I was back at the market and while I was in line to check out (don't ever go shopping when hungry), I was trying to keep myself distracted from the candy calling my name to the left of me by reading the magazine titles on my right. I was attracted to the Taste of Home spring edition featuring a fabulous alternative to the classic layered bean dip.

(I was going to take a picture of this fantastic fusion explosion, but it was eaten so fast I never had a chance! So I lifted this directly from the magazine, please don't turn me in!)

Subtract the sour cream, guacamole, and cheese - add in fresh papaya, smooth avacado, and "kick" it with ancho chili pepper and serrano's -- and this MAKEOVER is complete! It's not designed to be a "main dish" so I added chicken. It was still not as filling as I'd like, but Brian ate so much of it, he was full!

Tropical Fusion Salad with Spicy Tortilla Ribbons

2 cups cubed and peeled papaya
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 serrano peppers, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Dressing:
1/4 cup orange juice
2 T lime juice
1 T cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground ancho chili pepper
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Tortilla ribbons:
corn tortillas
salt
ground ancho chili pepper

In a large bowl, combine salad ingredients and dressing ingredients together. For the chips, cut tortillas into 1/4 inch strips and place on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and chili pepper. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes until crisp. Serve with salad.

Yields 4 servings: 1 1/4 cup salad with 10 tortilla strips equals 321 cal., 8g fat (1g sat fat), 58 carb., 11g fiber, 9g protein. Weight Watchers=6 pts

Sorry it's been longer than I anticipated for this blog post. I've had some issues with my gall bladder which put me on bed-rest for most of the weekend (more info to follow later). I had plans to blog about egg recipes, but instead I'll just give you my favorite one.

My Aunt Pam makes this great potato salad that every raves over. The secret is in the potato - you bake it instead of boil it. Baking the potato helps keep the shape better and has a texture that keeps its flavor instead of turning to mush. It's not a recipe to use for "dieting", but is perfect for a church barbecue or family party. I know I'm suppose to be posting "healthier" versions, but this is one that shouldn't be altered. Instead - use it only for special occasions.

4 cups red potatoes, unpeeled and cubed
1 cup Mayo
4 slices of crisp bacon
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/4 c. sliced green onions
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Put potatoes on cookie sheet that has been sprayed with oil. Cook for 30-35 minutes. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. Add potatoes. Serve warm or cold. Serves 6

It is recommended that you serve this salad on the same day it is prepared since it doesn't keep well overnight.

314 cal., 20g fat, 25.9g carb., 8.9g pro

P.S. I find it easiest to get the pre-cooked bacon. Costco sells a bag of bacon pieces for a very good price. But I should probably quit buying it :)