Pear and Blue Cheese Salad

Something about this (somewhat) cooler weather really made me start craving pear. To counter the sweetness, I thought it would go really well with a nice blue cheese. I wasn't exactly sure how I wanted to eat the two together, and I went through all the options in my head (including literally smearing blue cheese on pear slices). At the end of this mental conversation with myself, I decided I could really use a refreshing salad. I knew I also had some vegan bacon, almonds, and sunflower seeds which could add a nice savory kick and crunch to the meal.

Here's what you'll need:

For the dressing:

-1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
-1 tsp olive oil
-1/4 tsp garlic powder (or less)
-1/4 tsp dijon mustard
-1/4 tsp German mustard
-salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:

-1/2 cup of baby kale
-1/2 cup of baby spinach (feel free to do a full cup of either or substitute with the leafy green of your choosing)
-2 pieces of vegan (or regular or turkey) bacon, cooked and chopped
-1/2 pear, sliced
-2 tbsp blue cheese
-1/2 tsp sunflower seeds
-2 tbsp almonds, chopped

Instructions:

1) In a bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients.
2) In a larger bowl, mix together the kale and spinach. Top with the pear slices, bacon, sunflower seeds, and blue cheese.
3) Drizzle on the dressing, and enjoy!

Let me know what you think in the comments below, and feel free to subscribe!

BBQ Chicken Salad with Greek Yogurt BBQ Ranch Dressing

With the summer season coming to a close, I found myself craving barbecue. I got a little sad for a second because barbecue food tends to be associated with grilling and summer. But then I caught myself; it doesn't have to be! 

This recipe kind of holds onto that summer feeling and taste, but it's prepared and cooked all inside. So when we eventually get to that first really chilly fall night, we can still have a little taste of summer right in the comfort of our own homes.

Here's what you'll need:

For the dressing:

-1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
-1/2 tsp dried parsley
-1/2 tsp garlic powder
-1/2 tsp onion powder
-1/2 tsp German mustard
1/2 tsp lemon juice
-1 tsp BBQ sauce
-1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
-salt and pepper to taste

For the rest of the meal:

-1/2 Japanese sweet potato, chopped into small cubes for (croutons)
-2 tsp olive oil
-1/2 avocado, diced
-1/2 tomato, diced
-1/8 red onion, chopped
-2 chicken breasts (4 oz chicken breast used for nutrition information)
-4 tbsp BBQ sauce
-4 cups baby kale
-salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1) Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
2) in a bowl or bag mix the sweet potato with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange the potato on a baking sheet to form a single layer.
3) Slather the BBQ sauce onto both sides of the chicken breasts, and put them on a baking sheet.
4) Once the oven in preheated, you can put both baking sheets (or one if you put everything on one) into the oven. 
5) After 10 minutes, used a spatula to move the sweet potato pieces around (flipping them over the best you can). Also flip over the chicken breasts. Place all the food back into the oven and continue to cook.
6) After 5 more minutes (15 minutes total) remove the sweet potato pieces, and set them on a plate to cool.
7) After 5 more minutes (20 minutes total) remove the chicken.
8) While the food is cooking you can mix together all of the dressing ingredients in a bowl.
9) Split the kale between two bowls. Top each with tomato, onion, and avocado.
10) Add the sweet potato "croutons" to each bowl.
11) slice the chicken breasts into strips and top each bowl with one breast.
12) Drizzle half of the dressing onto each bowl, and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did! This may be one of my favorite recipes to date! Let me know what you think in the comments below, and feel free to subscribe for e-mail updates.

Spiralized Zucchini & Bell Pepper Asian Salad with Grilled Salmon

Sometimes you pick the ingredients, but sometimes they pick you. That was the case with this light lunch. I really wanted some grilled salmon. One thing led to another and I had Asian- marinated salmon and  spiralized zucchini and bell pepper in front of me. I threw the salmon on the grill, whipped up a simple Asian vinaigrette, and had myself a yummy salad.

Here's what you'll need:

For the marinade:
-1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
-1 tbsp sesame oil
-1 tsp sriracha
-2 tbsp Braggs liquid aminos (or soy sauce if you prefer)
-1/8 tsp ginger powder (if you have fresh ginger, feel free to use it instead)
-1/2 clove of garlic
-1/4 tsp sesame seeds

For the dressing:
-1 tbsp Braggs liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
-1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
-1/2 tsp sesame oil
-1/2 tsp light agave nectar
-1 clove of garlic
-sriracha to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp)

-1/2 lb of salmon (cut into 2 1/4 pieces)
-1 zucchini, spiralized
-1 red bell pepper, spiralized

Instructions:

1) Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl or plastic bag. Marinade the salmon in the bag or bowl in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
2) Once fully marinated, grill the salmon for about 4-5 minutes per side.
3) Mix together the dressing ingredients.
4) Separate the spiralized zucchini and pepper into two bowls (half of each per bowl). Split the dressing between the two bowls and mix.
6) Top each bowl with a piece of salmon, and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did! Let me know what you think in the comments below, and feel free to subscribe!

Shrimp Cobb Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Shrimp has been one of my favorite foods since I was a little kid. It has a nice flavor, provides protein, and is still light and low calorie.

I knew that I had shrimp at home and was really feeling a nice salad. I started going over the things I had in my fridge and literally couldn't think of anything. Then I thought about the bacon I randomly had leftover from a couple days ago (random because I never buy bacon). Shrimp wrapped bacon? That sounds delicious but not exactly what I was looking for.

I sifted through the limited other ingredients I had lying around, and each one fit perfectly into a summer-inspired lighter cobb salad. Instead of heavy bleu cheese or ranch, I could make a nice citrus vinaigrette and cut out the cheese.

Here's What You'll Need:

For the Salad:
-4 cups of baby spinach
-10 cherry tomatoes cut into thirds
-1/2 avocado, chopped
-1 ear of corn, kernels removed from cob (or 1 small can of corn, drained)
-2 slices of bacon
-2 hardboiled eggs, chopped
-6 oz shrimp
-1/4 tsp of paprika
-salt and pepper to taste

For the Dressing:
-The juice of one lemon
-1 tbsp olive oil
-1 tbsp white wine vinegar
-1/2 clove garlic, minced
-1/8 tsp oregano
-salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1) If you haven't already, cook your bacon slices in a pan or microwave until they are crispy, and chop them into small pieces.
2) If you haven't already, hard boil your eggs (you may also buy them already cooked). Chopped up the eggs.
3) Add the paprika, salt, and pepper to your shrimp and cook on a grill or in a pan on the stove. If you are using pre-cooked shrimp, I still suggest adding the seasoning and just heating up the shrimp a bit using either method.
4) You can either add all the ingredients into one large bowl or split ingredients in half and serve separately.
5) Mix together the dressing ingredients, add to the salad(s), and enjoy!

If you are hesitant about the dressing, please try it! It is seriously delicious in the salad. It balances so well with the egg, shrimp, and bacon and gives just that extra bit of added flavor to this meal. Let me know what you think, and feel free to subscribe below!

Spiralized Zucchini Summer Salad with Balsamic Chicken

If you haven't noticed yet, I'm a huge fan of grilling. I'd probably be just fine (if not really happy) grilling most of my meals. It's pretty simple. You can make a delicious marinade and just let your ingredients soak it up the fridge for a bit before throwing it on the grill, or you can just add some seasoning and throw it on.  Then you flip it over a couple of times, and, voila, a delicious, flavorful meal. Plus, in the meantime, you can prepare whatever else you need for your dish.

As August is creeping by (it's somehow almost half way over), I want to utilize that grill as much as possible. I decided to use another of my favorite tools, the spiralizer, to make a fresh, summer-inspired salad.

Here's what you'll need:

-3 chicken breasts (the nutrition info accounts for 5 oz chicken breasts)
-1 1/2 large or 2 medium sized zucchini, spiralized (I used the ribbon blade but any will do)
-1/2 avocado, cubed
-1 ear of corn
-1/2 large tomato, cubed
-1/8 red onion, chopped
-1 granny smith apple, cubed
-6 tbsp feta

For the marinade:
-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
-2 tbsp spicy brown mustard
-2 tbsp lemon juice
-1 clove of garlic, minced
-A dash of Himalayan sea salt
-A dash of black pepper

For the dressing:
-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
-1 tbsp olive oil
-3 tsp spicy brown mustard
-1/2 clove of garlic, minced
-Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1) Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl or plastic bag, add the chicken, and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes to an hour (the longer the better).
2) Heat up the grill.
3) Peel down the husk of the corn (without removing) and discard of the corn silk. Pull the husk back up to cover the corn, and toss it on the grill. The corn will cook for a total of 20-25 minutes (rotating every 5 minutes or so).
3) After about 5 minutes, add the chicken to the grill. The chicken will cook for about 7 minutes on each side.
4) In the meantime, chop up your ingredients if you haven't already done so, and make the dressing.
5) Remove the chicken and corn from the grill when they are done cooking.
6) Let the chicken sit for about 5 minutes, and then cut it into slices.
7) Cut the corn kernels off the cob.
8) You can either mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl or create individual bowls. I tend to do the latter. Add the raw zucchini noodles. Top them with apple, onion, tomato, avocado, corn, feta, and finally the chicken. Add on some dressing, and enjoy!

The mixture of the raw zucchini plus  the fresh tomatoes, apple, and onion mixed with the grilled chicken and corn is the perfect summer meal. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did, and let me know what you think below! Also feel free to sign up for (free) e-mail updates on new posts.