Grilled Chicken with Pear and Goat Cheese Salad

Sweet pear, tart cherries and goat cheese, and perfectly grilled chicken. What combination could possibly go better for a summer salad?

Ingredients:
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 Red Pear (Anjou), quartered and thinly sliced
3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. honey
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, fat trimmed
2 Tbs. chopped walnuts
3 oz. spinach (i prefer stems trimmed)
1 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
2 Tbs. dried cherries, chopped
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with tinfoil and spray with non stick cooking spray. Spread out the sliced onion on the prepared sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the balsamic, 1 Tbs. olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. Set aside. Meanwhile, season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Set a grill pan on medium heat. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil (about 1 tsp. each) and place on the grill. Cook for 5 minutes on each side and let rest while gathering the salad ingredients.

In a small skillet, toast the walnuts on medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Place the spinach in a bowl and add 1 Tbs. of the balsamic mix; toss together. Divide the spinach onto two serving plates. Top with the sliced pear, chopped walnuts and cherries, and crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle with more fo the balsamic dressing. Slice the chicken into strips and place next to the salad. (Serve with a small bowl of the dressing instead of drizzling if you are worried about the spinach wilting.)

Creamy Chicken Pesto Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked
1/4 c. pesto
1/4 c. Miracle Whip
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
Mixed salad greens
Grape tomatoes, cut in half
Shredded Parmesan cheese

In a medium size bowl, combine the pesto and Miracle Whip together. Shred the chicken breasts into small pieces and add into the pesto mixture. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, salt and fresh pepper together. To assemble, mix the greens with the oil and vinegar. Place the greens on your serving plates, place a cup of the chicken pesto mixture on top of the greens and top with the sliced cherry tomatoes and shredded Parmesan.

Yukon Gold Potato Salad

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-2 inch cubes and boiled until soft
3 eggs, hard boiled
1/4 c. light Miracle Whip
1 Tbs. sweet and hot mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 c. chopped dill pickle
1 tsp. fresh chopped dill
Paprika for garnish

Combine the miracle whip, mustard, garlic salt, celery salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Stir in the pickle, dill and potatoes until well combined. Chop two of the hard boiled eggs and gently stir into the potato salad. Add a sliced boiled egg on top and garnish with paprika.

Feta Strawberry Watermelon Salad

Although it is the transition of Spring to Fall right now, watermelon and strawberries are still in great shape, which gives you a great opportunity to take advantage of this salad and how great it is! It combines sweet fruit with savory cheese and fresh herbs!

Ingredients:

3 c. strawberries, diced
3 c. watermelon, cubed
1/2 c. feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 c. sliced almonds
8 basil leaves, chopped

Combine all of the above ingredients together in a large bowl. Let sit in the refrigerator for a half hour to merry together before serving.

Avocado Tomato Salad

This is a quick and easy salad that only consists of 4 ingredients and can be thrown together in minutes!

Ingredients:

2 large tomatoes, chopped
2 avocado, diced
1 pkg. pearl Mozzarella balls (Bel Gioioso)
1/2 c. Balsamic Vinaigrette

Mix all of the above ingredients together in a large bowl. It is THAT easy!

Roasted Eggplant and Feta Quinoa Salad

No, making Eggplant Parmesan is not the only thing you can do with an eggplant, which is usually the only recipe most people that I talk to can tell me when they hear the word eggplant. It is very versatile, and can be grilled, roasted, whatever you want just like other vegetables. This roasted eggplant salad brings out the eggplant flavor with adding a punch of fresh herbs, salty Feta cheese, and crunchy quinoa.

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. salt and pepper
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 c. loose spinach
1/4 c. Feta cheese
1 package Uncle Ben's Quinoa and Brown Rice with garlic

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and lightly grease with non stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix the cubed eggplant, 2 Tbs. oil, and season with the salt and pepper. Coat all of the eggplant with the oil and then spread out on an even layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add in the spinach and minced garlic and cook for about 2-3 minutes until the garlic is roasted and the spinach is wilted. Cook the Uncle Ben's package according to directions. Remove the garlic and spinach from the heat and to the pan, add the roasted eggplant. Stir in the Uncle Ben's quinoa and the crumbled Feta cheese.

Doritos Taco Salad

 

Before dating, who is now my husband, I have had this salad maybe once or twice, and as morbid as it sounds I believe it was at a funeral with a potluck lunch afterwords. I had a leftover bag of Doritos from a party sitting in the pantry and he looked at me one day and said " I am craving Doritos Taco Salad, you should really make some". Usually he never gives me hints for dinner so I took this as a victory. It is one of the best (not really healthy for you per say) salads ever. Especially since I LOVE taco salads. You normally see this recipe with a large tomato, chopped into pieces. I found some delicious looking multi size and color tomatoes while at Target and decided to use those. Any kind of tomato will do, or if you are really feeling lazy and have everything but the tomato, and have a jar of salsa sitting around, you could throw that in there instead.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 c. tomatoes, chopped
3/4 lb. lean ground turkey (like Jennie-O)
1 packet taco seasoning (or 3 Tbs. of homemade)
1 c. shredded taco shredded cheese (or any cheddar blend)
2 c. crushed Nacho Doritos
1 c. Western dressing

In a medium skillet on medium heat, cook the ground turkey, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes or until the meat isn't pink anymore. Do not drain! Add in the taco seasoning and stir until combined well. Let the meat cool slightly while you put the salad together. In a large bowl, combine the romaine, tomatoes, shredded cheese and meat together. Add the Doritos and Western dressing before serving so the lettuce doesn't wilt and the Doritos don't get soggy and stay nice and crunchy!

To spice this salad up if you eat it frequently, you can change the mixing or toppings by adding jalapeno, black olives, black beans, sour cream, etc. Any of your favorite taco toppings will do!

Gouda Chicken Salad

This salad, as weird as it is going to sound, was an awesome combination of random ingredients. I love Gouda cheese, especially smoked Gouda, and pairing it with the balsamic vinaigrette tasted amazing. The salty cheese, sweet tomato, and tangy vinaigrette made for a great salad!

Ingredients:

2-3 Tbs. shredded smoked Gouda cheese
1/2 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 rotisserie chicken breast, sliced or chopped
3 c. mixed lettuce
Balsamic vinaigrette

This recipe, being a salad, is very easy to put together. Top the lettuce with the tomato, cheese and chicken and drizzle the vinaigrette on top!

Make sure that you save the bones, skin and any chicken fat instead of throwing it out. It can be made into a homemade chicken broth! You can always freeze it until you are ready to use.

Cranberry Chicken Salad

I never usually have a craving for a big salad. Even though lately that is usually what I choose but not at all for the fact that I want one, but am trying to lose weight. On this particular occasion, I just wanted a big chicken salad with Craisins in it.That is how this salad got created. I eat mine without pecans, I am still warming up to eating them not in baked goods. But with out without the nuts, this salad was delicious and will be my go-to any time I am craving a plate of leafy greens.

Ingredients:

Romaine lettuce (about 1 1/2 - 2 heads for two salads), chopped
2 Rotisserie chicken breasts, chopped
1/2 c. Craisins (mine were blueberry)
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs. toasted (or raw) Pecans
Balsamic Vinaigrette (I use Wish-Bone)

To assemble this is pretty easy, and self explanatory (since it is a salad and all..). Place the chopped lettuce on each plate. Top with the sliced chicken breast, Craisins, shredded Parm, roasted pecans and then finish with a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. Super easy, and you didn't even have to cook the chicken! (Although, you could use grilled, baked or boiled chicken breast also.)

Zucchini Caprese Salad

Caprese salad is one of my favorites. I love the tomato, fresh Mozzarella and basil combination. This salad mixes it up a bit and adds some Italian seasoning and fresh zucchini. It started off with having a fresh zucchini and tomato, and ended up as something delicious!

Ingredients:

1 medium zucchini, washed and chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 large tomato, cored and cut into roughly 1 inch pieces
1/2 pkg. Mozzarella pearls, cut in half
6 basil leaves, julienned (thinly sliced)
4 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning mix

Place the chopped zucchini, tomato, Mozzarella and basil into a medium size bowl. In a small bowl, combing the olive oil, balsamic and Italian seasoning and stir together until the seasoning gets mixed in. The olive oil and balsamic will still look separated, which is fine. Pour the vinaigrette into the salad and mix everything together. Easy peasy!

Italian Parmesan Potato Salad

 

I made up this recipe back in 2013. It has become my husbands favorite potato salad and number one requested side dish when we have red potatoes in the house. It is a great vinegar based potato salad and adding the fresh herbs really gives it a fresh taste.

Ingredients:

6 c. boiled red potatoes, cut into around 1 inch cubes
2-3 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. chives, fresh or freeze-dried
1 tsp. fresh dill
3 tsp. dill weed
1 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese (shredded or shaved, NOT grated)

Add the hot potatoes into a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, oil, chives, dill, dill weed, pepper and salt together. Pour over the hot potatoes and stir together until they are completely coated. Let the potatoes cool most of the way in the refrigerator, and then stir in the Parmesan cheese. You don't want the cheese to melt, so don't add it to the mixture when it is still warm. Let the salad sit in the fridge for at least a half an hour to let the flavors soak into the potatoes.

(Makes 8 servings, 5 WW points per serving.)

 (The above picture was from the first time this recipe was created in 2013. It is still the same great recipe, the only thing I wanted to update were the pictures.)

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

Yum Yum YUM! This salad is spicy, tangy, cheesy and down right amazing! The hot sauce gives the salad a kick, and the cucumber and ranch help to cool it back down again. It is easily going to become a go-to potluck dish in the future!

Ingredients:

1 large can of canned chicken, drained and flaked
4 oz. extra sharp shredded cheddar cheese (or reduced fat mild)
1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped
4 mini bell peppers (red, orange or yellow), seeded and chopped
3-4 Tbs. Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1/4 c. reduced fat Ranch dressing
2 c. cooked noodles (I like to use spiral)

Mix all of the above ingredients together in a large bowl. Start with a smaller amount of hot sauce and keep adding until you reach the right heat that you are looking for. You can always leave the option of letting people add more on top if they want it more spicy.

Pickle Pepper Potato Salad

Every Memorial Day weekend my husband and I go downstate and visit his family at their camps in Oscoda, Michigan. It is great for many reasons, one being that most of his family doesn't live in the Upper Peninsula anymore so we don't see his side very often. It is also very relaxing because we always have amazing warm weather down there (for instance, we had 1/4 inch of snow on the ground the Tuesday before we left in our yard). We always end up having one day where we go out for dinner, and then two days of grilling out. This recipe was one of many created out of items that happened to be on sale at the grocery store. The sweet peppers, sharp cheese and dill combination go together great in this potato salad!

Ingredients:

6 Mini Sweet Peppers (2 red, orange and yellow)
1 c. chopped dill pickles (Milwaukee's)
2 c. red potatoes, cut into quarters and boiled (or smaller)
8 oz. Kraft sharp cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
2 Tbs. fresh dill, chopped
1/2 c. Miracle Whip, light
1/3 c. yellow mustard

Mix the Miracle Whip, dill and yellow mustard together in a large bowl. Toss in the chopped peppers, pickles and sharp cheddar cheese and mix well. Drain the boiled potatoes that are fork tender and add to the bowl. Mix everything until everything is combined well, cover and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour to cool down the salad.


*Below are a few pictures from my trip. If you haven't been to the area and you live in Michigan, you should really check it out. There are many outdoor activities to explore, a river boat ride, different vineyards that you can tour, it really is a fun place to relax!

Chicken Bacon Asiago Salad

Ingredients:

6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
1 c. cherry tomatoes, cut in half
8 Tbs. shredded Asiago cheese
1 chicken breast, seasoned, cubed, cooked
4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
Dressing (I used Wegmans light Parmesan Peppercorn Ranch)

Divide lettuce in half on two plates or in bowls. Top with half of the above ingredients per salad. Drizzle dressing on top. The most time consuming part of this salad is cooking the chicken and bacon, however, you could use pre-cooked and packaged grilled chicken, and bacon bits for this as well.

(This makes 2 salads, and 9 WW points per salad. With 4 Tbs. of the dressing listed above, it equals 13 WW points. 

Happy 4th of July!

I know the forth of July was last Friday....but this is the first opportunity I have had to upload my pictures. It was such a relaxing weekend out at camp and I got to spend the 3rd of July (in Michigamme where our camp is, the fireworks are on the 3rd) with family and friends. It was wonderful! Here are some of the goodies that were there!

 

Mini Tortellini Veggie Salad

(This tortellini salad is served as a side dish in the picture above with

 my Ham and Cheddar French toast sandwich)

Ingredients:

1/2 bag mini tortellini (the brand I used is pictured below. I got it from Big Lots...love the weird stuff there!)
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, pitted and sliced into chunks
1/4 c. Wish-Bone Light Parmesan Peppercorn Ranch dressing
1/4 c. Sargento reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
3 chives, snipped with scissors (or chopped)

Cook the pasta according to the directions. Let drain and cool until room temperature. Add the tomato, avocado, cheddar cheese and dressing. Stir until well combined. When serving, garnish with chives.

Southwest Shrimp Tacos- 4 Ingredients

Ingredients:

12 frozen cooked shrimp, thawed and patted dry
Fresh Cilantro
4 corn or white tortillas
1 bag Dole Southwest salad kit (picture below, you only use about 1/4-1/3 of the bag)

Prepare the salad kit as directed and set aside. In a grill pan, or a flat skillet, cook (better yet re-heat) the shrimp on high heat until you get a nice "crust" and color on one side of the shrimp. Flip them over and repeat for the other side. Assemble the tacos by placing the tortillas on your plate, adding about 1/4-1/3 c. of the salad mix, topping with cilantro, and adding 3-4 shrimp on each taco. The combination is amazing! This has to be one of the easiest shrimp taco recipes ever!

(Each taco is roughly 2 WW points, if you use a small white corn tortilla.)