Meditteranean Salad

I call this Meditteranean salad, but, really it can be anything you like. This salad combiens some of my favorite ingredients. Enjoy!
Ingredients:

1 Bag prewashed baby arugula
4 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
1/4 cup slivered sundried tomatoes
1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced
1 can water packed white tuna

1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
handful; chopped parsley, basil
1/4 cup cubed feta cheese
dressing:
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Arrange the arudula in a large bowl and add the other ingredients on top./ Mix dressing ingredients with a fork and drizzle over top.
Serves 2

5 Day Salad Bar

Trying to eat healthy can be time consuming. I like the health benefit of eating salad 5 days a week but don't always take the time to put a satisfying salad together, so I decided to prep my "salad bar" once a week. The night before I pick out what I want in my salad and I'm off to work, feeling a little bit healthier. The food prep pictured took me under an hour.

Besides the basics shown in the picture below, I like to add some protein. I feel it's way more satisfying. This could include leftover rotisserie chicken, tuna, simply turkey (turkey breast cooked without preservatives and sodium- I get it at a local deli that cooks their own.) cooked shrimp or fish, (I love salmon in salads) from last night's dinner, leftover turkey burgers or hard boiled eggs. Toppings may include sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, toasted almonds or walnuts, dried cranberries, slices of apples, orange, pineapple. Other accompaniments can include green olives, artichokes, avacados, shredded brussels sprouts, roasted red peppers (I make my own), cooked green beans or cauliflower, broccoli. Whatever you like can go into your own healthy lunch!

The bonus? whatever is leftover at the end of the work week can be turned into Stir frys (see the big salad bowl?), soups, or frittatas.

Chicken Thai Salad

I am officially banishing boring salads. You can too. Make this delicious, spicy, crunchy salad and you won't go back to plain old, plain salad again.
Ingredients:

Salad

• 2 boneless cooked, skinless chicken breasts, shredded
• 1 head Napa cabbage,  shredded
• 1 large carrot, shredded
•  
• ½ cup chopped, fresh cilantro
• ½ cup chopped, green onions
• ½ cup chopped peanuts

Dressing

• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 chili peppers, chopped
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• ½ teaspoon fish sauce
• ¼ cup peanut butter
• ¼ cup water
•  

Mix dressing ingredients in a mini chopper and pulse until smooth. Mix salad ingredients and toss with dressing until well coated. Sprinkle top with peanuts, green onions  and cilantro. Chill before serving. Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to one day. Enjoy!

Broccoli and Brussels Salad with Cranberries and ALmonds

A healthy and delicious alternative to regular cole claw.

Ingredients:

2 cups	Broccoli Slaw
1 cup	Raw Brussels Sprouts, ends trimmed and sliced thinly
1	Large Apple, chopped (i like the tartness of winesap or granny smith
¼ cup	Dried Cherries
½ cup	Dried Cranberries
1 cup	Plain Greek Yogurt
1 Tbsp	Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp	White Balsamic Vinegar
½ tsp	Sea Salt
½ tsp	Cracked Black Pepper
½ cup sliced	or Chopped Toasted Almonds

Directions:

Mix together the Broccoli slaw, Brussels sprouts, Apple, Cherries & Cranberries. In a small bowl mix Yogurt, Mayonnaise, vinegar, salt & pepper. Toss the Salad with the dressing and top with the toasted almonds.

Helpful Tips:

To make this salad a meal I like to add some grilled chicken or sliced turkey. Enjoy!

Southwest Chopped Chicken Salad

A version of this is making the rounds on Pinterest. Since I always make a recipe my own, here is my version. ALso, I prefer to use my own spice mix- no preservatives and much less salt.

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded chicken(I used a Rotisserie chicken from the deli)
1 can black beans, rinsed
2 ears of jersey corn, cooked and chopped form the cob and chilled)
2 jersey tomatoes, diced
4 green onions, sliced
1 head iceberg lettuce, washed and chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 cup small black olives
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 cup crushed tortilla chips
1 lime- juiced- half for salad and half for dressing
dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tbsp ranch dressing
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 lime juiced
1/2 tsp chili powder

Squeeze half thelime on avacado as soon as you dice it. Combine the salad dressing ingredients. Mix salad ingredients in a large bowl and pour dressing over, mix well. Chill until ready to serve then add  1 cup crushed blue torilla chips.

Herb Vinaigrette dressed baby greens and shrimp, asparagus, fresh green beans with dipping sauce

This meal couldn't be easier. And the entree all cooks in one pan.
Herb Vinaigrette:
bunch cilantro
bunch fresh mint
fresh dill (handful)
half lemon, sqeezed
half orange, squeezed
1/4 cup xtra virgin olive oil
fresh cracked pepper and sea salt
1/2 clove garlic

Pulse all ingredients in a mini chopper (except olive oil) Slowly add olive oil and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Tonight's salad is baby greens, grape tomatoes, orange slices, strawberry halves, english cucumber slices.
Shrimp, asparagus, green beams with dipping sauce
Rinse and trim beans and asparagus, remove shrimp shells and devein. In a large skillet fill wiht water to 3/4 full. Add beans and asparagus and bring to boil. Simmer for 4 min until crisp tender. Remove and add shrimp. Simmer until shrimp are cooked. Drain and arrange on platter.
Dipping sauce:
1/4 cup siraccha chinese hot chili sauce
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp grated ginger
pepper

mix all ingredients and serve in a bowl as dipping sauce, or can be poured over the platter.