Simple Tomato Caprese Salad

 

Here is a SIMPLE and delicious recipe for those tasty garden cherry tomatoes!

Image from Here

Salad:
Salad Greens
Sliced cucumber
Sliced avocado
Fresh Mozzarella cheese balls
Sliced red onion
Cherry Tomatoes

Freshly Ground Pepper

Toasted almonds or pistachios (optional)

Dressing:
Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic glaze

Greek Salad Protein Bowl

Beautiful and Delicious.  

I crave Greek food now. Something about the combination---YUM!

Ingredients:

Spinach

Cabbage

Cucumbers

cherry tomatoes

pumpkin seeds

feta

avocado (sprinkle with salt/pepper)

Chickpeas (either canned or the crunchy ones)

chicken

Microgreens

Hummus

Almonds

Tzatiki yogurt sauce (optional-the one from Trader Joes is delicious if you want to buy it)

Salad Dressing:

I like to either use Olive Garden Italian Dressing or 

this homemade Divine Lemon Basil Caesar Dressing or

this homemade Lemon-Herb Tahini sauce

 

Apple, Chicken, and Kale Salad

This recipe is inspired by the salad from Cubbys.  It uses the classic balsamic dijon vinaigrette salad dressing (that I use for several other salad recipes).  The wild rice makes this salad extra hearty.  While this may not be a favorite salad of many, this is sure to be a winner with adventurous eaters! 

Image from here.

Cooked Wild Rice

Chopped grilled chicken

feta or goat cheese

crisp apples, diced

kale

raisins

toasted almonds

Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette

-Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  This is best if you let it sit for an hour before serving.  It gives the dressing time to soften the kale.  Season with additional salt/pepper as desire.

Creamy Balsamic Dressing

-This dressing doesn't actually have mayonnaise, but when you blend it in a blender to emulsify the oil and vinegar it takes on a beautiful creamy look!

1/2 c. light olive oil

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

1/4 c. honey or maple syrup

1 clove garlic

1 TBS dijon mustard

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

-Blend all ingredients in a blender on high for 2 minutes until emulsified (keeps dressing from separating).  

Chicken Veggie Lettuce Wraps

  

DRESSING

• 1/2 cup onion chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger

WRAPS

• 2 zucchini grated or julienned
• 2 carrots grated or julienned
• 1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup wonton strips
• butter leaf lettuce

Directions:

DRESSING

1. In a medium saucepan, saute chopped onions and sugar together in butter. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onions start to caramelize. Add minced garlic and continue cooking for one more minute.
2. In a blender or mini food processor, pulse caramelized onions and garlic together with orange juice, honey, olive oil, and ginger.

WRAPS

1. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, carrots, chicken, almonds, and wontons. Toss with 1/2 of the dressing until well coated-add more if desired. 
2. Spoon the chicken veggie mixture into a lettuce leaf.

Breakfast Cookies

A healthy hearty cookie!  These are full of lots of yummy stuff.  Everytime I make them it seems I tweak the recipe a bit depending on what I have, and they still always turn out.  They are great for a snack or breakfast :-). These are NOT sweet, so if you find they taste too healthy, you could always increase the amount of sugar.

1 1/4 c. wheat flour
1/2 c. oats
1/2 c. bran flakes
1/4 c. ground flax or wheat germ (optional)
1 c. canned pumpkin
1/4 c. light olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup or brown sugar
2-4 oz. carrot baby food puree (optional)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c. slivered or chopped almonds
1/4 c. white chocolate chips (or regular)
1/3 c. craisins

-Through everything in a bowl at once (I'm all about quick and easy!) and mix until well combined. 
-Bake 350 12-14 minutes.
-Makes 2-3 dozen

Egg and Gluten Free Version:

1 1/2c. oat flour
1/2 c. oats
1/4 c. ground flax
1 c. canned pumpkin
1/4 c. light olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup or brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c. slivered or chopped almonds
1/4 c. white chocolate chips (or regular)
1/3 c. craisins or raisins

-Line baking sheet with parchment.  Press cookie dough mounds flat before baking.

-Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes

Chocolate Granola

Watch this tasty breakfast or snack disappear!

In large bowl mix together:
1/2 c. maple syrup
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4  c. coconut or light olive oil
6 TBS Cocoa powder (prefer High Fat Dutch)
1 tsp salt
Add and stir until evenly coated:
4 c. oats
1 c. coconut
1/2 c. chopped almonds
-Prepare 11x17 rimmed sheet pan by placing a piece of parchment inside.  Lightly spray with oil.  Press mixed granola mixture into pan.
-Bake 250 for 1 hour.  Let cool in pan if you want granola to stick together in clumps.

Fresh Fig Green Salad

 I had this salad at my sister's house.  I've never had figs in a salad before.  They are so beautiful!  This is a great salad to break away from usual routine!

Fresh Figs, sliced
Fresh Greens (I like to use the mixed greens from Costco)
fresh basil, chopped
diced red onion
goat cheese
optional fruit (blueberries, raisins, chopped apple, pears, grapes)
pistachios (or slivered toasted almonds)

Honey Mustard Dressing:
1 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. light olive oil
2 TBS dijon mustard
3 TBS honey
3 TBS red wine vinegar (or balsamic vinegar)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

European Muesli

This is a simple fantastic breakfast. 

This is similar in concept to the recipe COLD OATMEAL, 

but it has a creamy European flare!  

Like any oatmeal, you can really top it with any fresh or dried fruit, nuts, 

shredded coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. 

 I make a large batch of the oatmeal base and it just sits in my fridge ready to go.  

I often have the batch last for 3 weeks in the fridge!

Applebee's Oriental Salad

I was the 4th of 5 children growing up.  My mom was pretty worn out in the cooking department by the time I was in high school.  We had take-out about once a week.  Applebees Chicken Oriental Salads was one of those takeout meals.  A sister-in-law recently reminded me of this salad I used to love.  It tastes just as good as I remember!  This is very easy and simple, especially if you use pre-breaded chicken from Costco.  Just bake and slice the chicken, and throw a combination of all the other vegetable goodies in a bowl, whisk up some dressing in less than a minute and you have a delicious meal!

Dressing:
3 TBS honey
2 TBS seasoned rice vinegar
1 TBS sesame oil
1/4 cup mayonnaise
-Whisk until smooth and creamy

Salad (use any combination of the following)
Romaine
napa cabbage
red cabbage
red pepper
canned mandarine oranges, juice drained
carrots
cucumber
green onions
sliced almonds
dry chow mien or rice noodles (or dried ramen noodles work too)
cooked breaded chicken, sliced

Summer Parsley Pasta

Boil:
13.25 oz. Barilla Whole Grain Linguine (cook only 5 minutes instead of the 7-8 recommended)
Add:
zest and juice from one lemon
1 cup toasted and chopped almonds
1 cup chopped fresh Italian Parsley
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese
1 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
-Toss until well combined.  Garnish with extra cheese, chopped parsley, or toasted almonds.  May also add cooked chicken if desired.  Eat as a stand alone dish or as a side dish to a favorite fish or chicken recipe.

Chicken Cabbage Salad

There are many versions of this salad.  This one does not use the seasoning packet and is very light on the oil and sugar.  This is a wonderful summer salad, and it is always a big hit at potluck functions.  It is also easy to make!

Maple-Pecan Cluster Granola

I recently had my fifth baby.  While recovering in the hospital, a friend sent me a bag of this delicious granola.  I really dislike hospital food, so I really appreciated the food gift!  I just now may be addicted to this stuff!  My family will eat one batch of this in one sitting, so I now make it just for me :)  (although sometimes I give them the SPECIAL privilege of enjoying a bowl with me!)  It is always nice to switch up my granola recipes for a change.  This one is great for snacking and has more of a consistency similar to store bought granola.  My slightly altered recipe was originally from smittenkitchen.com.  YUM!!!

Curried Zucchini Soup

This is a delicious soup recipe slighly altered from Everyday food.  If you want to make it a bit less healthy you can always add a little cream or 1/2 and 1/2 too :-)

Almond-Crusted Tilapia

This is our new favorite fish dish inspired by a sister-in-law! Tilapia is VERY mild and delicious. Your house will not smell fishy when you make this. You can fry the fish in a non-stick pan with oil or bake it. I prefer the baking method because it is easier (and I think crunchier), and I can have a large quantity all ready at once. I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

6 Tilapia fillets
Breading Mixture:
3/4 c. bread crumbs (store bought, or make your own whole wheat crumbs using a blender)
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped (or add 2 TBS dried)
1/2 c. almonds, chopped finely
1/2 tsp salt
ground pepper
Egg mixture:
2 eggs
2 TBS milk
Fresh lemon wedges for serving

-Preheat oven to 400. Line 11x17 pan with parchment paper. Dip fish fillet in egg mixture then breading mixture and place on parchment. At this point you can also drizzle some fresh lemon or lime juice over the fish before placing in the oven.
-Bake 25-30 minutes until fish is cooked through. Serve with lemon wedges (I like a LOT of this on it. It is really yummy!) rice pilaf and steamed vegetables. Garnish with toasted slivered almonds if desired.
-KETOGENIC version:  use Almond Meal instead of bread crumbs. (I buy mine at Trader Joes)

Homemade Granola Bars

I've tried a couple different recipes for homemade granola bars and this is the BEST in my opinion. It is another recipe from Barefoot Contessa (altered by me to my taste preferences). These are so much heartier and tastier than store bought granola bars, and if you like my granola recipe, you'll love these!

4 cups old-fashioned oatmeal 2 c. sliced almonds (can use pecans too) 1/4 cup sesame seeds (optional) 2 c. shredded coconut 1 cup wheat germ 6 TBS butter 1 c. honey 1/2 c. brown sugar 4 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp salt 1-1 1/2 cups dried fruit (raisins, craisins, etc.) -Preheat oven to 350. -Toss oatmeal, nuts, wheat germ, and coconut together on 11x17 pan and bake 15 minutes. Transfer mixture to large mixing bowl. -Butter 11x17 pan and line it with parchment paper. Reduce oven temperature to 300. -In saucepan combine butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. Bring to a boil, cook for 1 minute then pour over toasted oatmeal mixture. Add dried fruit and stir well. -Pour mixture into prepared pan. Wet fingers (or use spoon/spatula) and firmly press mixture evenly into pan. Bake 35 minutes, until golden brown. Cool at least 3 hours before cutting into squares. -When cutting, I like to empty the granola sheet onto my granite counter top, peel off parchment then cut with my big butcher knife. Note: The dried fruit REALLY sweetens the granola bars up. I prefer to use less vs. more of the dried fruit for this reason...I also can't wait to experiment with different spices and ingredients like my granola to come up with some different granola bar versions!

Sugared Almonds

Someone brought me these after just having my fourth baby. They are delicious! I used the recipe below, only I used 3 cups of almonds instead of 2 for a little lighter sugar coating. I'll post my other sugared nut recipe from my mom later...but for now enjoy these!

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/12/candied-cinnamon-sugar-almonds-and-sugar-rush-begins.html

Crunchy Granola Cookies

I had a granola cookie from Whole Foods about a month ago that was delicious...so I decided to try a granola cookie of my own. These are crunchy and chewy and delicious!

Cream:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Add:
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups granola
1/2 c. raisins (optional)

-Bake 350 for 9-10 minutes. Makes 16 small cookies.  For 8 big cookies bake 325 for 18-20 minutes.

Aunt Susan's Granola

This is another granola recipe adapted from my Aunt Susan. The main differences are it uses a bit more sweetener (honey) and powdered milk. Pictured is also a favor/gift idea for sharing this yummy recipe. I made a bunch of different kinds of granola, and packaged in clear cellophane bags, labeling each kind.

6 cups oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup ground flax
1 cup coconut
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup powdered milk
1 TBS vanilla
1 cup honey, warmed
1 cup light olive oil
1 cup raisins or craisins*

-Mix ingredients all together until well coated (*can add raisins now or after you bake the granola). Divide mixture onto two 11x17 pans. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Pull pans out and stir granola mixture and respread. Bake anther 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Transfer granola to bowl or storage container.
-See my other granola recipe HERE for additional variations...In above picture I added 2 cups of cornflakes.

Tuna Balsamic Salad

This is another salad favorite (with another salad to come with the same dressing), made a bit heartier with the tuna (sounds weird I know, but give it a try if you like canned tuna). You can add as many or as little additional toppings as you want depending on what's in your fridge!

Lettuce/Spinach
canned tuna, carrots, cucumber, avocado, green peas, kidney beans, bell peppers, slivered almonds, croutons, craisins (I like the hint of sweetness)

Dressing:
1 Italian Good Seasons salad dressing packet (.7 oz)
1/4 c. Balsamic Vinegar
3 TBS water
1/2 c. light olive oil

Romaine Tomato Salad with Garlic Lime Dressing

I love this salad (and dressing)--a recipe from a friend of mine. You can add whatever else you'd like. Avacados, cucumbers, etc. I never give ratio's for my salad recipes! It's up to you to add however much you want--some people like a ton of cheese, some like a ton of lettuce...do whatever you like!

Romaine lettuce
Swiss Cheese, grated
Parmesan (or pecorino romano) cheese
toasted almonds
shredded carrots (optional)
cherry tomatoes sliced in half if large (regular tomatoes work too, but I prefer the cherry)
bacon, cooked and crumbled (easiest to buy pre-cooked and just zap it in the microwave for a bit, dry off the grease, cool, then crumble)

-Throw everything into your favorite salad bowl and toss with Garlic Lime Dressing. This dressing is BASIC and DELICIOUS!
-This salad also works well with grilled chicken.