It's been so warm, I've been thinking about salads a lot lately. I love the sound of this dressing. GREEK PASTA SALAD (The Perfect Pantry) For the dressing: 1 garlic clove 7 sun-dried or slow-roasted tomato halves, roughly chopped 2 Tbsp plain nonfat yogurt 1 tsp Greek seasoning 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1-1/2 tsp agave nectar (or honey, or sugar substitute) 5-6 tsp water For the salad: 8 oz rotini or other twisty pasta (I use Dreamfields) 1-1/2 cup diced fresh tomatoes, any type 1 cup diced cucumber (I use seedless English cucumber) 1/2 medium green bell pepper, diced 1/2 cup pitted large black olives, sliced in half 3 Tbsp chopped fresh dill 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, or more to taste In a blender, combine all dressing ingredients, and blend on high speed until smooth. If you'd like the dressing thinner, add a bit more water. Set aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to the boil in a large pot. Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain and add to a large mixing bowl. Combine all remaining ingredients in the mixing bowl along with as much of the dressing as you like. Garnish with some extra dill fronds, and serve at room temperature.

This was in our local paper last nite, and I tore out the recipe. Rotini Guacamole Pasta Salad 2 1/2 cups whole-wheat rotini pasta 1 avocado, peeled and pitted 1/2 cup fat-free or light sour cream 2 tbsp seeded and chopped jalapeno pepper 1 tbsp lime juice 1/2 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp salt and pepper 1 clove garlic, minced 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed 1 cup corn kernels, thawed 1 cup seeded, chopped tomato 1 cup chopped red pepper 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese Cook rotini. Drain and rinse under cold running water until cool. Drain well and set aside. Mash avocado with a fork until smooth. Blend avocado with sour cream, jalapeno, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, salt pepper and garlic until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Toss rotini with beans, corn, tomato, red pepper and avocado mixture until coated evenly. Sprinkle with green onions and cheese before serving. TIP: If making ahead, prepare salad mixture and all of the dressing except the avocado. For brightest colour, add ovocado to dressing at the last minute and toss just before serving. To thaw the frozen corn, place the kernels in the colander before draining the hot pasta.

I love the ingredients in this burger! Tin Pin Burger 1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 onions, thinly sliced 1 to 1-1/4 pounds ground beef 1/4 cup ranch dressing 1/4 cup crushed tortilla chips 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 4 slices jalapeno cheese 1 large tomato, sliced Instructions 1.In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, and saute 12 to 15 minutes, or until browned. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside. 2.Preheat grill to medium-high heat. 3.In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, ranch dressing, crushed tortilla chips, salt, and pepper; mix well. Divide mixture into 4 equal amounts and make 4 patties. Grill patties 8 to 12 minutes, or until juices run clear, turning them over halfway through cooking. 4.Place a slice of jalapeno cheese on each burger 2 minutes before removing burgers from grill. When cheese is melted, remove burgers from grill, top each with a tomato slice and sauteed onions

This is a steak and asparagus salad. The reviews all gave it 5 stars. You can use whatever greens you have on hand, and the Asian vinaigrette would be delicious on other Asian salads and as a marinade. Grilled Steak and Asparagus Salad (Fine Cooking) 1/2 Tbs. black peppercorns 1 tsp. coriander seeds 1 tsp. fennel seed Kosher salt 1 lb. thick-cut New York strip steak 1-1/2 Tbs. olive oil 1 lb. thick asparagus, trimmed Freshly ground black pepper For the vinaigrette 3 Tbs. lower-salt chicken broth; more as needed 2-1/2 Tbs. hoisin sauce 2 Tbs. olive oil 2 Tbs. white wine vinegar 1-1/2 tsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce 2 tsp. minced fresh ginger 1 tsp. Dijon or Chinese mustard 1 tsp. minced garlic Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste For the salad 4 cups upland cress or watercress 1 large mango, peeled and slivered into thin wedges, or 2 large navel oranges, peeled and sliced into thick rounds 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced and soaked briefly in ice water Daikon or radish sprouts for garnish (optional) Prepare the steak and asparagus Put the peppercorns, coriander, fennel, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. Coat the steak with 1/2 Tbs. of the olive oil and then the peppercorn mixture. Set aside for at least 30 minutes and up to 1-1/2 hours. Toss the asparagus with the remaining 1 Tbs. of olive oil and season with salt and pepper; set aside. Make the vinaigrette In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse 2 or 3 times to mix, adding more broth if necessary to achieve a silky consistency. Prepare a high gas or charcoal grill fire. Grill the steak until nice grill marks form, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook the steak on the second side until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the steak reads 125F for rare, about 4 minutes. Remove the steak from the grill and put on a cutting board. Tent with foil to keep warm. Let the meat rest while you grill the asparagus. Spread out the asparagus on the grill and cook, turning a couple of times, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Arrange the asparagus, cress, and mango on 4 plates or a platter. Thinly slice the steak across the grain and arrange over the salad. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and garnish with the red onion and daikon sprouts (if using).