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Chop & Pop Salad

A very fun way to eat your veggies! This Chop and Pop is a takeoff from a delicious Four Seasons restaurant. Add whatever veggies you have around the house, these are some suggestions. If you want a quick version, use bottled green goddess dressing but this one definitely kicks it up a notch. White cauliflower Broccoli Snap pea Grape tomatoes Red Peppers Cucumber Corn Radish Sliced jalapeño peppers, deseeded Goat cheese crumbles Popcorn (one bag microwavable) Parmesan Thyme Green goddess dressing 1. Blanch and shock the yellow cauliflower, white cauliflower, broccoli, and snap pea 2. Slice the grape tomatoes in half, cut the other vegetables into ½ inch pieces 3. Toss the vegetables so they are lightly coated in the green goddess dressing 4. Remove the popcorn from the bag and while it is still hot toss with parmesan and thyme 5. Place the popcorn on top of the salad as garnish Green Goddess Dressing 2 anchovy fillet 1 garlic clove, minced ¾ c mayonnaise ¾ c sour cream ½ c chopped parsley ¼ c chopped tarragon 3 T chopped chives…

Israeli Salad

We are eating a lot of fresh and pickled veggies and crudités before each meal. I have a goal to have more hummus, cut veggies, and healthy snacks out for my kids and I to snack on instead of junk. The Israeli salad was served with every meal. Simple fresh flavors can be delicious. Make a big bowl and add to salads, on top of hummus, on top of avocado or cottage cheese, over fish.. there are so many healthy options! Use any veggies you want, chop them very small, and serve at room temperature. Israeli salad: Tomatoes, chopped Persian Cucumber, chopped Onion, minced Parsley, minced Dressing- I part EVOO 1 part lemon juice S&P

Middle Eastern Salads

I added our leftover Middle Eastern salads to turkey burgers the other night and it was delicious! Serving the salads alongside grilled chicken breast and pita is great too. *All salads are better after refrigerating overnight. They also need to be served at room temperature so bring them out an hour before serving. Cabbage salad 1 head of purple cabbage, thinly sliced 2 lemons, juiced 3 Tb EVOO 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated 2 tsp salt Thinly slice cabbage and place in boiling water for 2 minutes or until just starting to wilt. Drain and add remaining ingredients. Carrot and Mint salad 2 bags of shredded carrots 1 lemon, juiced 1 tsp cumin 2 Tb EVOO mint leaves Mix lemon juice, cumin, and EVOO. Pour over carrots. Roughly chop mint leaves and sprinkle over salad. Beet salad Jarred or vacuum packed beets, quartered Add a dash of cumin, lemon juice, EVOO, and parsley.

Grilled Corn & Black Bean Salad

Clean eating at its yummiest! I am obsessed with this salad. It’s citrusy, a tad spicy, and has a great blend of textures. Double the recipe and use it the next day in numerous ways (over eggs, with brown rice, over a chicken breast, Nacho topping, the possibilities are endless!). 1 can Black beans, drained 3-4 corn on the cobs, grilled 1 bunch asparagus, grilled Green onion, grilled then thinly sliced Radishes, thinly sliced Avocado, sliced Feta or Cojita cheese Chili-lime vinaigrette 1 part freshly squeezed lime juice 1 part EVOO or Grape Seed Oil Dash or two of chili powder Handful of cilantro, chopped s&p to taste Heat beans and add chopped asparagus, corn, radishes, green onion, and feta. Top with avocado slices and drizzle dressing on top.

Leftovers Salad

This salad came to life from leftovers in my fridge. Why is it that it always ends up being my favorite? We felt like we were in the tropics eating this salad last night. . Spinach and Red Leaf lettuce (always 2 or 3 lettuces combined) Grilled pineapple Grilled corn Grilled asparagus Avocado Shrimp Macadamia nuts Dressing: I mixed a homemade poppyseed vinaigrette from a previous post with the Trader Joes Pineapple and Mango salsa. Yummo!

Vegetable Birds Nests with Ahi Tuna

Speaking of TJ’s favorites, these Vegetable Birds Nests are unbelievable and can not be saved for an appetizer only! Ahi tuna and some toppings turn it into a delicious salad or light dinner. Butter lettuce Vegetable Birds Nests Ahi tuna, chopped to small pieces Avocado, chopped Edamame Sesame seeds The dip is to die for so add a little Seasame Oil, soy sauce, and sugar to make extra for a dressing. FOR AN APPETIZER- add one Nest on top of a leaf of butter lettuce. Top with a couple pieces of tuna and avocado and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Your guests will thank you!

Peach and Mozzarella Stacks

I wish you were all able to come over for lunch right now with this peach salad, grilled chicken, and a cold Diet Coke! Sprinkle lime juice and honey on sliced peaches. Grill peaches until they have grill marks. (You don’t have to grill the peaches, fresh peaches or nectarines would be great too). Lay Arugula on platter and mix with dressing. Layer mozzarella slices and peaches and place on top of arugula. Drizzle dressing and EVOO on top of stacks. Dressing In a blender (until combined): 5 peaches One bunch green onions, sliced 1 C chopped fresh cilantro 1/3 C honey 1 tsp salt Zest of one lime 2 limes juiced 3/4 tsp cumin 3/4 tsp chili powder 1 C EVOO

Spicy Asian Slaw

Last salad recipe from my party. This one was definitely the favorite! So many different textures with a spicy, sweet, Asian twist. There are a lot of “dashes” in this recipe because I can’t remember exactly how I made the dressing and playing scales can be so boring. Dressing 3/4 C mayo Juice of 2-3 limes A couple of dashes of red wine vinegar Heavy dashes of soy sauce Heavy dashes of sesame seed oil Dashes of chili oil Grated ginger 2 TB or so Wasabi paste Sugar, 2-3 TB S&P. (Mix, taste, and add until it’s just perfect) Bagged coleslaw mix Costco Sweet Kale Vegetable Salad (1/2 of the bag) Cilantro, chopped Green onion, thinly sliced Snow peas, roughly chopped Red, yellow, and orange sweet peppers, chopped small Costco cashew nut clusters, chopped up Add chicken to make this dinner. Mix dressing and let sit. Add all other ingredients together and pour dressing 20 minutes before serving. “Following a recipe is like playing scales, and cooking is jazz.” Shauna Niequist

Antipasto Salad

I brought this salad to a birthday party last week and it’s perfect for a big crowd. Add or subtract your favorite toppings because anything goes. It would be perfect for the B-ball game tonight! Cheese Tortellini, cooked to package directions Pesto Jarred Red Peppers, thinly sliced Pepperchinis, sliced Olives ( your favorite Mediterranean ones) Artichoke quarters, in oil and drained Grape Tomatoes, halved Mozzarella, cut into chunks Provolone, cut into long strips Salami, quartered Pepperoni, cut into chunks Mix of Arugula and Romaine Favorite vinaigrette and balsamic for dressing. After you drain the tortellini, toss it with a big helping of pesto. Cut up each ingredient and sprinkle with S&P as you go. The key to variety in this salad is to have a lot of different shapes and sizes of your cheeses, meats, and veggies so don’t keep them completely uniform. Serve with your favorite protein and dinner is served. “I believe every person should be able to make the simple foods that nourish them, that feel familiar and comforting, that tell the story of who they are….

Grilled Vegetable Salad

Grilled salads are a summertime staple at our house. The best thing about them is that you can grill anything and everything, no rules! Cover all veggies in EVOO and S&P. Grill or Traeger on high for 10 minutes or until browned. Portobello Mushrooms Corn on the Cob Asparagus Yellow Squash Zucchini Purple Onion Red and Orange Peppers Chop vegetables once cooled. (Let vegetables cool on a paper towel to soak up water). Add fresh tomatoes, goat cheese, and julienned basil. Drizzle more EVOO, balsamic glaze and S&P. ETC. You’ll want to make a lot. You can eat it with anything! Pasta, chicken, pork, over rice, or with eggs. This can also be done roasting in your oven.