Kale Salad

Yesterday was a success!  I definitely stuck to my goal of healthy eating.  My husband, Jeff, even came home with a box of decadent Ghirardelli chocolates, that were given to him as a gift, and he asked me if I wanted one.  This was super nice of him to ask, but I proudly said, "No, I'm dedicated to focusing on nutrition and healthy eating." 

I know that I can't, and won't, go back to my old mindset that would have told me, it's ok....have one tiny square, what harm could it do.  So, even though it might not seem like a big deal that I turned down the chocolate, I'm still proud of myself.  It shows me that I'm taking steps in the right direction, mostly due to the fact that I know how much I enjoy chocolate.

Let's get to today's post though.........

This recipe, which is one for kale salad, is actually one that was given to me by my personal trainers.  I'd consider it to be more of a side item, but it could easily be a meal; especially if you eat as much of it as I do.  I absolutely love, and am completely addicted to this stuff.  It's very inexpensive to make too and only takes a few minutes to prepare!  Win, win!  So grab a fork, and enjoy!

Kale Salad
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Ingredients:

Kale (as much as you would like)
Olive oil
Lemon
Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cut the kale into whatever size pieces you’d prefer.  I, personally, like to chop mine up pretty small.  Once it’s ready, place the cut kale into a bowl, then drizzle in some olive oil; about just enough to lightly coat the kale.

Now, cut a lemon in half and squeeze half of the lemon juice over the kale and olive oil.  Next, sprinkle in a desired amount of Parmesan cheese.

Toss the salad together and taste.

This salad is entirely up to you.  If you think it needs more olive oil, add some.  If you think it needs more cheese, add some.  I think you get the idea. 

***Tip*** – It’s easy to add more of the ingredients, but not remove them.  Therefore, start off with a little, and continue to add more if you think it needs it. 

Summer Berry Spinach Salad

With the dog days of summer upon us, I wanted to take just a minute to share a delicious salad recipe that I've enjoyed many times throughout the summer.

The ingredients for this salad came together in July, when I was up in Michigan visiting my grandma.  One afternoon, she asked me if I would please go to Wendy's for her and get her a particular salad for lunch.  Boy, was that ever a sight to see!  (For those of you who know me, I don't eat fast food, and I haven't personally ordered from a drive through in about 4 or more years.  I actually had to laugh at myself as I spoke to the person over the loud speaker, because I had no clue what the menu items were called.  Therefore, I had to describe the salad she wanted.)  Regardless, I ended up with the correct salad and drove it back to her house. 

After she removed the salad from the Wendy's bag, and I took a look at it, I decided that the idea sounded delicious and that I wanted one too.  However, I don't eat out and I also thought that the salad was lacking a couple ingredients that would liven it up!  Due to this, I decided the next day that I would make my grandma and me a homemade version of a summer berry salad, incorporating some different ingredients.  Here's the result:

Summer Berry Spinach Salad
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Ingredients:

Grilled Chicken
Spinach
Avocado
Strawberries
Blackberries
Raspberries
Blueberries
Red Onion (Strawberry onion would be best, but difficult to find)
Pecans or toasted almond slices

Sugar free Raspberry Vinaigrette

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a salad bowl or on a plate, and serve.  Wait to put the dressing on the salad until last.

There are no specific measurements for the ingredients.  It’s a personal preference, depending on how large you want to make the salad.

 

Oriental Chicken Lettuce Wraps

When I hear the word salad I smile (and no....sadly, I am not joking).  I think it's mostly because I find salads to be absolutely delicious and they're just one of those meals that never seem to go wrong!  Technically, all you have to do is grab some lettuce, toppings, and your favorite dressing and you are set!  Voila!  You have a salad. 

However.....I sometimes like to spice things up; which is exactly what I did with here.  As you probably already noticed, this particular 'salad' does not take on the traditional appearance, but instead looks more like a wrap of sorts.  (Although I still ended up eating mine with a fork) 

Other than the exquisite taste, the best thing about this dinner (or lunch) is the fact that it's healthy!  You can also feel free to get creative and add other fresh toppings that you enjoy!

Oriental Chicken Lettuce Wraps
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Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground chicken
1 Tbsp. + ¼ tsp. reduced sodium soy sauce
½ tsp. oyster sauce
1 ½ tsp. sesame oil, divided
1 Tbsp. rice wine or dry sherry
½ tsp. sugar
Black pepper, to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 iceberg lettuce leaves, rinsed
2 Tbsp. diced scallions
Cheddar cheese, shredded, as much as you like
Garnish with Rice Noodles

Directions:

In a small bowl whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, ½ tsp. sesame oil, rice wine, sugar, and black pepper.

Place the ground chicken in a separate bowl and evenly pour over the soy sauce mixture.  Let marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

 
Heat the remaining sesame oil in a skillet over high heat.  Add in the garlic and sauté until golden, about 10-30 seconds.  Now, add in the chicken mixture, and cook until browned through, making sure to break the chicken into pieces while it’s cooking.

To assemble:

Scoop about ¼ cup of the chicken mixture into a lettuce leaf, and garnish with a little cheddar cheese, rice noodles, and a few scallions.

Source: Adapted from Gina's Skinny Taste

Apple-Pear Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

I've recently set a new goal for myself and that is to try to make a dinner, at least 2 or more nights a week, that doesn't contain any meat.  Don't get me wrong though, I love chicken and beef, I just want to try to add a little more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables to my diet. 

Throughout the past couple of months I have stumbled across so many delicious looking salad and pasta recipes, but for some reason have skipped over them.  I think that this is mostly due to the fact that my husband refers to salads as "rabbit food".  I've come to the conclusion though that it's ok, because on the nights I feel like making myself a healthy salad, my husband can cook something for himself on the grill.  Overall, I believe this is a win-win situation, because I know how much he loves to cook on the grill.

So, for the start of this week, I decided to begin with an apple-pear salad recipe that I found in one of my many cookbooks.  There happened to be a picture to go along with the recipe and it looked delicious, which is one of the few reasons why I decided to give it a try.  The only thing I ended up changing about the recipe was the fact that I added some spinach to the romaine lettuce.  Every other ingredient that it called for I liked, and I didn't feel that anything else had to be added.  This recipe makes a fabulous summer salad!

Apple-Pear Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
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Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
10 oz. romaine lettuce
6 oz. baby spinach
6 oz. Swiss cheese, shaved
1 cup cashews
½ cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 large apple, thinly sliced (your choice of apple)
1 large pear, thinly sliced
Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing

Directions:

In a large bowl, toss together the first 7 ingredients; serve with Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing

Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing

Ingredients:

2/3 cup light olive oil
½ cup sugar (I used splenda and it was delish)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 ½ Tbsp. poppy seeds
2 tsp. finely chopped onion (I omitted)
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
½ tsp. salt

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a small-medium size bowl and whisk together until well blended.  Store the dressing in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 1 week.

Source: Very slightly adapted from Southern Living - 1001 Ways to Cook Southern