Apple Chicken Salad

Salad Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless organic chicken breasts
2 ribs celery, diced
1 apple, cored and diced (or you can use 1 c of grapes, cut in half)
1/2 c pecans or walnuts (optional)

Dressing Ingredients:
3/4-1 cup full fat plain greek yogurt or plain non-dairy yogurt or avocado oil mayo
1 T dried cilantro or 2 T fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 T coconut oil, melted or avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
dash garlic powder
1 t coconut sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
lemon zest
dash sea salt
dash pepper


Directions:
1. Bake chicken breasts in oven or you can boil them. You can even use leftover chicken from a roasted chicken. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. 
2. Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl.
3. In a shaker or medium bowl combine dressing ingredients and shake/stir well with a whisk.
3. Pour dressing ingredients over salad ingredients and toss well with a spatula or wooden spoon. You can serve right away or chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours for a better flavor.
4. Serve on a bed of lettuce or with your favorite crackers or bread.

Peggy's Kale Salad

I had never been to PF Changs until we went to Las Vegas. I had this amazing salad. When I got home I tried to recreate it and it tastes awesome! I will definitely be making this a lot! The following salad makes 3 side salads or 1 large salad that could be an entire meal.

Salad Ingredients:

3 cups chopped kale
2 cups chopped cabbage
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 c cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 c red seedless grapes, cut in half
1/2 c walnuts
1 T pure maple syrup

Directions:
In a large bowl, toss together kale, cabbage, celery, tomatoes and grapes.
In a skillet over medium heat, stir walnuts until hot. Drizzle maple syrup over walnuts and stir for 1 minute. Remove walnuts from skillet and lay on a piece of wax paper in a single layer. Let cool.

Dressing Ingredients:
4 T lime juice
Zest from 1 medium orange
4 T fresh squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 t honey
4 packets Truvia or 2 T sugar or you can use whatever sweetener you like
a few dashes of salt
pinch white pepper
1 cup light extra-virgin olive oil

Dressing Directions:
Place juices, zest, honey, sweetener, salt and pepper in a bowl. Whisk with one hand while slowly adding the oil with the other hand. When all of the oil is whisked in, serve with your salad. This makes enough dressing for double the amount of salad above. Keep any leftover dressing in the fridge for later. 

Green Goddess Quinoa Salad Bowl

Dressing Ingredients:
 
2 scallions, minced (white and light green parts only) 
1 large ripe avocado, flesh only 
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
1 to 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 
2 to 4 tablespoon water 
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 
1 cup fresh basil, chopped 
1/3 cup fresh parsley,chopped 
Kosher salt to taste 

Salad Ingredients: 
1 cup dry quinoa 
3 cups mixed greens (spinach, arugula, chard) 
1 cup cooked edamame or peas
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped 
4 radishes, thinly sliced 
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 
Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions:
Prepare the dressing by combining all of the ingredients to a food processor and processing until smooth. Add a little more water or oil to thin if necessary. Taste test and set aside. 

Rinse the quinoa in a strainer under cool running water, then combine it in a saucepan with two cups of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until quinoa has absorbed the liquid and can easily be fluffed with a fork, about 12 to 15 minutes. (For step-by-step instructions, see How To Cook Fluffy, Tasty Quinoa.) 

While the quinoa is still warm, toss it with the mixed greens so the leaves wilt down a bit. Stir in the edamame, walnuts, radishes, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature. Recipe Notes You may end up with more dressing than you'll need for the salad. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3 days.

*I saw this recipe on the news. A friend of mine that I graduated from high school with is a Nutrition Coach. She was making this recipe on the Cincinnati News. 

Quinoa Pear Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and cooked

Sea salt

2 good handfuls (2 1/2 oz) of organic baby spinach leaves, washed, drained

1 large ripe pear, washed, stemmed and cored, cut into pieces

1/2 can chick peas, rinsed, drained

2 T fresh chopped parsley

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

A handful of pecans, pan toasted and salted to taste

Dressing Ingredients:

3 T White Balsamic Pear Infused Vinegar

4 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 T Pure Maple Syrup

Directions:

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in a mesh strainer or fine colander. 
Click here for directions on cooking quinoa.

Add the baby spinach, pear, chick peas, and chopped parsley to the quinoa and fluff.

Whisk together the vinaigrette, pour it over the quinoa salad and toss gently to coat. Season to taste with sea salt and ground pepper.

Just before serving, add the toasted pecans and lightly combine.

Makes four main course servings or six side dish servings.

Note: If you are making this salad ahead of time, make the quinoa, fluff, and add the dressing while it is warm. When it cools to room temperature, add in the spinach, chick peas and parsley; toss, cover and chill. Before serving add the pears, and toasted pecans.

*Original recipe from glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com

Orange Kale Salad

Ingredients:

1 bunch Kale Leaves Torn Off The Stalks
3 whole Tangerines or Clementines (or 1 Orange), peeled and cut into chunks

1/4 cup Orange Juice
2 T Olive Oil
1 clove Garlic, Pressed Or Grated
1 t Sugar or Truvia
 Salt To Taste
 Black Pepper To Taste
1 T Plain Coconut Milk Yogurt or any yogurt

Instructions:
Wash Kale, making sure to look for those icky worms or tiny bugs on the back of the leaves. I love Kale, but hate the critters you can find on it. Take bunches of the kale leaves and use a sharp knife to thinly slice them. Keep going until you have a big pile of finely shredded kale.

To make the dressing, combine the orange juice, olive oil, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper in a small jar. Shake vigorously until all combined, then add the yogurt and shake again until it's nice and creamy.
Toss the kale in half the dressing for a minute or so, then add the citrus pieces. Toss again until combined. Add a little more dressing if it needs it. I like to use all of the dressing,  but extra dressing can be stored in the fridge and used for any salad.

I saw the original recipe at www.pioneer woman.com. She called it a Kale Citrus Salad and adds sliced Jalapeños and goat cheese to her salad. She also uses sour cream instead of yogurt. I'm sure hers is good too, but I love it this way!

Sunny Avocado Citrus Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup cucumber, julienned
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
2 large grapefruits
1 T olive oil
1 T honey
1/2-1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced very small
1/4 t salt
2 avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and sliced
4 iceberg lettuce wedges or you can use Romaine lettuce leaves

Directions:
Combine cucumber and onion in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, combine juice from 1/2-1grapefruit (at least 3 T), oil, honey, jalapeño pepper and salt, until well blended. Pour mixture over cucumber and onions and toss. Add grapefruit and avocado and gently toss again, or just lay grapefruit sections and some avocado slices on plate with lettuce wedge. Divide onions and cucumber and juice between 4 lettuce wedges.

*Makes 4 salads

Blackened Salmon Salad with Candied Walnuts and Citrus Vinaigrette Dressing

We went to Jefferson Davis Inn in Lexington, KY for dinner this week with some friends. I don't eat out very often because of my dietary restrictions, but I had the most delicious meal at JDI. This is my attempt at recreating it. Makes 4 servings.

Candied Walnut Ingredients:
2 cups walnuts
1/3 c maple syrup
1/8 t sea salt

Directions: 
In a dry heated skillet, add walnuts and syrup and salt. Stir well. Continue stirring until syrup gets thick and is sticking to the walnuts. Remove from heat and pour walnuts onto wax paper or parchment paper. Let cool.

Citrus Vinaigrette Ingredients:
2 oranges, zested
2 small or 1 large orange, juiced
2 T balsamic vinegar 
2 T honey
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 t sea salt
3/4 t ground black pepper
3/4 c extra virgin olive oil
*Option 2: use lemons instead of oranges with white wine vinegar instead of Balsamic Directions:
In a blender, combine the orange zest, juice, vinegar, honey, garlic, s & p. Blend until smooth. With the blender still running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream until combined or if you don't have a small opening in the top to add the olive oil while blending, add 1/4 c at a time and blend well in between additions. Transfer to a container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. 

Salmon Ingredients:
2 1/2 T paprika
3/4 t cayenne pepper
1 t dried thyme
1/2 t garlic powder
1 1/2 t kosher salt
2 1/2 T unsalted butter
juice of 1 lemon
4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skinned

Directions:
Heat oven to 400° F. 
In a shallow bowl, combine the paprika, cayenne, thyme, garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon of the salt.
In a saucepan, over medium heat, melt 2 ½ tablespoons of the butter. Add the lemon juice.
Working with 1 salmon fillet at a time, dip the top and bottom halves first in the lemon butter, then in the spices.
Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the salmon until blackened, 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the oven for 8 minutes.

Assembly:
Put your preferred lettuce on a plate. Add some avocado slices and or cucumber slices and salmon fillet. Sprinkle on some candied walnuts and then drizzle lightly with citrus dressing. Enjoy!

Cucumber Onion Salad

Ingredients:

5 or 6 small cucumbers or 2 - 3 English cucumbers
Half of a medium-sized Vidalia onion 
1/2 cup white vinegar 
1/2 cup water 
2 teaspoons sugar or 2 t Truvia
1 teaspoon salt 
1 garlic clove, finely minced 

Directions:
Peel cucumbers and slice to your liking.  Peel and slice onion.  Combine in a large bowl. 
Combine vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and garlic and pour over cucumbers and onions. 
Allow to sit at least an hour before serving. 

Poppy Seed Dressing

Ingredients:
1/2 c olive oil
3 T apple cider vinegar
2 T honey
1 T poppy seeds
1/2 t dry mustard
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Place all ingredients into a shaker or put in a bowl and whisk ingredients together. 
Serve over your favorite salad. If you refrigerate leftovers, it will harden, so you will have to bring to room temp before using again. This is great with a spinach salad.

Creamy Lime Salad Dressing

Ingredients:
1/2 c vanilla or plain yogurt
2 T honey
5 t lime juice

Directions:
Whisk ingredients together and then pour over your favorite salad. 
Refrigerate any leftovers and use within a week.

Spinach and Avocado Salad

Salad Ingredients:

Spinach
1 Avocado
1 Cucumber
1 Tomato
1/4 c sliced almonds
1 cup sliced Strawberries or 1 cup Raspberries

Poppy Seed Dressing Ingredients:
1/2 cup avocado oil or olive oil
3 T apple cider vinegar
2 T honey
1 T poppy seeds
1/2 t of ground dry mustard (optional)
salt and pepper

Directions:
Wash and cut up salad ingredients.
Mix dressing ingredients together in a jar and shake well.
Drizzle over salad.

Can also add grilled chicken to salad.