chicken fajita salad with scallion vinaigrette

Chicken Fajita Salad with Scallion Vinaigrette

Dressing recipe below. Salad recipe not exact - this can feed one or one hundred!

Ingredients

• Chicken breast(s) (1/2 to 1 chicken breast per salad)
• Homemade fajita seasoning
• Sliced, fresh mushrooms (1-2 baby portabellos per salad)
• Yellow onion, chopped into bite-sized chunks, as shown above (1/8 - 1/4 small onion per salad)
• Crunchy lettuce, such as Romaine, washed, dried and torn
• Tomatoes, chopped
• Black beans, drained and rinsed
• Canned corn, drained and rinsed (grilled, fresh corn would be even better!)
• Mexican cheese (I only had colby jack, which I cubed, as shown)
• Salsa
• Other toppings, such as jalepenos, cilantro, sour cream and lime
• Salt/pepper

1. Chop chicken into chunks and season chicken liberally with homemade seasoning (about two tbsp. per pound of chicken). Heat a frying pan over medium heat with a little olive oil. Add chicken and saute until pink is just gone and meat is juicy. Remove from pan. Add a little more oil, the mushrooms and the onion, and saute, seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Remove from pan when onions are slightly browned on the edges and mushrooms are soft.
2. Arrange salad in a large bowl by adding the lettuce, tomatoes, corn, beans, mushrooms, onions, cheese and chicken. Add salsa and desired toppings. Serve with vinegairette.

Scallion Vinaigrette 

Recipe makes about a cup of dressing and keeps well in a sealed jar on the counter for a few days.

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (okay to go a little over!)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion, green and pale green part

1. Stir the vinegar through the salt and peppper together in a shallow bowl.
2. While whisking furiously, drizzle the olive oil into the mixture slowly, allowing it to emulsify. When the oil is completely incorporated, the dressing should be thick and consistent, as shown above. Gently stir in the scallions and taste to see if it needs additional salt or pepper.

simple greens with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil-garlic dressing

Who doesn't love tomatoes and basil together? This simple salad takes those two flavors and brings in creamy mozzarella over spring greens. The combination is over the top, but is so, so simple to make. I made this salad for a gathering in advance, and whipped it out of the fridge when it was time to eat. Elegant, simple and delicious - what's not to love?

Tomatoes and basil are also well known as super healthy foods. Basil is full of Vitamin A and is said to promote cardiovascular health. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, also good for the heart, Vitamin C and more. Adding a quality olive oil to the mix helps the body to absorb these nutrients and even fight cancer.

Simple Greens with Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Basil-Garlic Dressing
This salad has no set amount of ingredients. Make it as large or small as you need it.

1. Mix spring mix or spinach with halved cherry tomatoes. Cube desired amount of fresh mozzarella (I buy the ball) and add to the mix. Toss gently. Top with fresh-ground black pepper.
2. Make the Basil-Garlic Dressing as directed. This recipe makes about a cup of dressing, so reduce or double it as needed. (Save any leftover dressing for an easy Grilled Shrimp Salad later in the week, as shown in the Basil-Garlic Dressing recipe post above!)

avocado cobb salads with garlicky dijon dressing

"You had me at avocado." That's what I thought about this when I was browsing through one of my beloved Ellie Krieger's cookbooks this weekend looking for healthy lunch ideas. Currently I'm in a mid-day meal rut - I might turn into an Amy's bean and cheddar burrito and I can't take another peanut butter and jelly sandwich - and wanted something fresh. (See bad iPhone photo above for the solution.)

The dressing alone on this is worth saving for other salads. The modified version of Ellie's recipe made enough for two big salads for lunch - with no leftovers.

Avocado Cobb Salads with Garlicky Dijon Dressing
Ingredients
For the Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:

• 1/4 pound Black Forest or other smoked ham, chopped
• 1/4 pound turkey breast, chopped
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced into quarters
• 6 cups romaine lettuce (about 6 ounces) coarsely chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 avocado, diced (about 3/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese  

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients and set aside.
2. 
   Assemble the salad ingredients, wrapping the avocado tightly in plastic wrap if not eating immediately. Dress salad before eating.

summer salads, part five: thai chicken salad with peanut dressing

If I could never have peanut butter again, I think I would die. Easily one of my favorite foods, this salad brought it into my life in a wonderful way: a peanut-buttery and coconut salad dressing. Yes, please. This is an easy one to whip up when you have some leftover chicken to use, or just pick up a rotisserie bird from the store like we did. Annnnd the expandable pants make another appearance.

Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing
Ingredients

• 6 cups torn romaine lettuce
• 2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
• 2 cups fresh, trimmed snow peas (or bean sprouts)
• 1 cup carrots, shredded or chopped into thin rounds
• 3/4 cup sliced celery
• 2/3 cup light coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
• 4 lime wedges (optional)

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine coconut milk and next 5 ingredients (through red pepper) in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and cool for 2 minutes. Pour warm coconut milk mixture over lettuce mixture. Sprinkle with peanuts; serve with lime wedges, if desired. Serve immediately.

Need more ideas? Check these out:

• Summer salads, part one: smoked turkey salad with cranberries and bleu cheese  
• Summer salads, part two: grilled shrimp salads with basil-garlic dressing
• Summer salads, part three: spinach and bacon salad with grilled peaches and homemade bleu cheese dressing
• Summer salads, part four: loaded lentil salad with feta, walnuts and raspberry vinaigrette
• Thai ginger-honey beef salad

summer salads, part four: loaded lentil salad with feta, walnuts and raspberry vinaigrette

My mom used to make lentils and being the weird kid that I was, I loved them. I used to skip the second round of steak and instead scoop more of the little green-grey legumes onto my plate. A recent trip to an eclectic cafe & brewery brought them back into my life through a loaded lentil salad, served with a homemade vinaigrette. Simple and delicious, I knew I could make it at home. And for $1.29, I got an entire bag of lentils that should last me a year. Nice.

So, that's what we had for lunch one day this past weekend. We topped a bed of lettuce with cooled, soft lentils, chickpeas, diced tomato and cucumber, walnuts, salty feta cheese and drizzled it all with a homemade raspberry vinaigrette - but, for the record, any balsamic vinaigrette would be delicious.

And for the record, lentils are low calorie, yet jam-packed with fiber and protein (these bad boys give soybeans a run for their money!), folate and B vitamins. Show them no mercy and get creative with them. This salad is just one of the many ways to enjoy them.

Loaded Lentil Salad with Feta, Walnuts and Homemade Raspberry Vinaigrette
Raspberry Vinaigrette (makes enough for about three salads)

• 1/2 c canola or olive oil
• 1/2 raspberry balsamic vinegar (or standard balsamic vinegar if you want to skip the fruity dressing)
• 1/4 c (or less) of sugar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• Salt and pepper

Shake the above ingredients vigorously in a small jar with a lid until combined. Set aside and make the salad.
Salad

• Lettuce - red leaf, spring mix and spinach are good choices
• Diced tomatoes
• Chopped cucumbers
• Scallions, sliced on an angle
• 3/4 c cooked lentils (as directed, just be sure to add a little salt to the water, and cooled)*
• 1/2 c chickpeas, drained
• Walnuts
• Crumbled feta (gorgonzola would be good, too)
• Pepper

Assemble salad and drizzle with dressing. Serve immediately.

*Note: Cook lentils like you would rice, but don't expect all of the water to be absorbed. You'll need to drain the lentils when they're soft.

Also check out:

• Summer salads, part one: smoked turkey salad with cranberries and bleu cheese
• Summer salads, part two: grilled shrimp salads with basil-garlic dressing
• Summer salads, part three: spinach and bacon salad with grilled peaches and homemade bleu cheese dressing
• Summer salads, part five: thai chicken salad with peanut dressing
• Thai ginger-honey beef salad

summer salads, part three: spinach and bacon salad with grilled peaches and homemade bleu cheese dressing

Bacon lovers, unite! Here's a salad that anyone will like (unless you're a bacon hater ... but I don't believe in those people). Salty from the bacon, sweet from the peaches, spicy from the red onion, creamy and tangy from the dressing - your whole mouth will be happy. And so will your belly.

The other neat part? Spinach is a true super food. It has twice the amount of iron as other leafy greens and it's a really great source of fiber, folate and a myriad of Vitamins, like A and K. But its superpowers really get amped up by the Vitamin C in the peaches which help the otherwise poorly absorbed iron absorb. And the fat in the bacon helps your body take in the vitamins.

Yep, you have the green light to eat bacon. And all is right with the world again ...

Spinach and Bacon Salad with Grilled Peaches and Homemade Bleu-Cheese Dressing

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1/2 cup pecans
• 4 ripe peaches, pitted and quartered
• 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
• 1/2 pound hickory-smoked bacon, roughly chopped
• 8 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) crumbled Danish blue cheese
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden and fragrant, 6 minutes; roughly chop.
2. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat on one side and medium heat on the other. Lightly brush the peaches with oil and grill over medium until nicely marked, about 4 minutes per side. Meanwhile, place a flat cast-iron skillet on the grill over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
3. Combine the spinach, red onion, grilled peaches, pecans and bacon in a large bowl.
4. Make the dressing: Mash the blue cheese with a fork in a bowl. Mix in the buttermilk, sour cream, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss with the salad just before serving.

Also check out: 

• Summer salads, part one: smoked turkey salad with cranberries and bleu cheese
• Summer salads, part two: grilled shrimp salads with basil-garlic dressing
• Summer salads, part four: loaded lentil salad with feta, walnuts and raspberry vinaigrette
• Summer salads, part five: thai chicken salad with peanut dressing
• Thai ginger-honey beef salad

summer salads, part two: grilled shrimp salads with basil-garlic dressing

The second in my series of satisfying summer salads, this one had me licking the bowl primarily because of the dressing. It was so good, I brought it to lunch the next day. This one's guilt-free all the way around, and won't leave you hungry.

Grilled Shrimp Salads with Basil-Garlic Dressing
Serves 2

Basil-Garlic Dressing

• 2 sprigs fresh basil
• 1 clove garlic
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 tsp pepper

Shrimp and Salad

• 1 lb. shrimp, cleaned and detailed and deheaded
• Two large handfuls of lettuce (I used spring mix)
• Two roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 can corn, rinsed
• 1/2 can black beans, rinsed
• 1-2 scallions, chopped
• 1/8 c shredded cheese
• Salt and pepper

1. Place dressing ingredients in a food processor until combined.
2. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper and thread onto skewers. Grill on medium heat until pink.
3. Arrange greens on a plate and top with corn, beans, tomatoes, scallions and cheese. Top with dressing and shrimp.

Also check out:

• Summer salads, part one: smoked turkey salad with cranberries and bleu cheese
• Summer salads, part three: spinach and bacon salad with grilled peaches and homemade bleu cheese dressing
• Summer salads, part four: loaded lentil salad with feta, walnuts and raspberry vinaigrette
• Summer salads, part five: thai chicken salad with peanut dressing
• Thai ginger-honey beef salad

summer salads, part one: smoked turkey salad with cranberries and bleu cheese

It's summer and that usually means that I want to eat a bit lighter. After all, it's hot where I live and I have a bikini body to keep up with.

My biggest problem is that I'm not really a salad eater, in terms of a meal. I'm down for a fresh, tasty side salad, but usually cringe at the thought of consuming three cups of lettuce, more veggies and a handful of salad toppings. It just seems like such a cold meal. My point is, it has to be a really satisfying salad for me to like it.

Over the next several months, I'll share a few salads that I think are meal worthy – and each is perfect for helping to achieve that beach-ready bod. This is one of them.


Smoked Turkey Salad with Cranberries & Bleu Cheese
Vinaigrette

• Almost 1/4 c olive oil
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. sugar

Salad

• 4 c lettuce, chopped (I like adding spinach leaves)
• 6 oz. smoked turkey or chicken, sliced (I prefer home-smoked meats, but used good quality, fresh-sliced deli meat in a pinch here)
• 1/2 an apple, thinly sliced and/or handful of dried cranberries
• 3-4 oz. bleu cheese, crumbled
• 3 tbsp. pecan halves or sunflower seeds

Combine vinaigrette and serve over assembled salad.

Still not satisfied? Try these salad ideas:

• Summer salads, part two: grilled shrimp salads with basil-garlic dressing
• Summer salads, part three: spinach and bacon salad with grilled peaches and homemade bleu cheese dressing
• Summer salads, part four: loaded lentil salad with feta, walnuts and raspberry vinaigrette
• Summer salads, part five: thai chicken salad with peanut dressing
• Thai Ginger-Honey Beef Salad

thai ginger-honey beef salad

For dinner I wanted something fresh and colorful, and also something I could pair with steak. I've been craving a Thai-style beef, but also something healthy and light. So I found a recipe from Epicurious for a ginger-honey marinade for beef – one that has a little kick and uses lots of herbs and spices – that would be perfect for a salad.

Color: that's how the salad was built. Red tomatoes, orange carrots, yellow pepper, green cucumber, earthy mushrooms, purple onion. The colors alone, not to mention all the fresh flavors, got me excited. Then we pulled the beef out of the marinade. Intoxicating and spicy, citrusy and sweet, it went on the grill until it was tender and made our mouths water.

Simple. Tasty. Colorful. Fresh. Healthy. Make this steak and serve it over salad or with other Thai-style side dishes (Ina's peanut noodles would be amazing). You won't be disappointed.

Thai Ginger-Honey Beef
Marinade & Steak

• 3/4 to 1 lb. of skirt or flank steak
• 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup honey
• 6 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon cilantro
• 1 tablespoon mint leaves (home grown!)
• Juice from one lime, about 1 tbsp
• 1 small Thai (or serrano) chile or jalepeno
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced

1. Place all ingredients (soy sauce through ginger) in a food processor and puree. Place steak in a bag or shallow dish and pour the marinade over it. Tightly cover or seal and allow the steak to marinate in the refrigerate for at least two hours.
2. Preheat the grill to 350*. Grill, turning once, until the meat is the desired doneness. Remove the meat from the grill and wrap it tightly in foil; allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Slice it thinly against the grain. Serve immediately.

Note: I whipped up a homemade salad dressing of orange and lime juice, sesame oil and a little soy sauce. Refreshing and delicious with the citrus and sesame.

Before I go, let me just say that the advantages of marinating meats before grilling go beyond flavor boosting. Grilling meat at high heat produces carcinogenic compounds (heterocyclic amines [HCAs] and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs], just in case you were wondering). Marinating meat helps to prevent these compounds from being formed. In fact, rosemary, oregano and sage are credited in being some of the best to add to a marinade for just that purpose. All the more reason to pour on the flavor before you grill!