Archives for category: salads

Spicy Turkey Lettuce Wraps…

June 17, 2012 //
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Yesterday, my trainer presented the challenge of going on a Paleolithic diet to me which is eating like they did in caveman or hunting and gathering times. At first I did not think it would be that difficult as you can eat fish, meat, veggies, fruit, and nuts, but then I realized you cannot have grains, legumes, dairy, salt, refined sugar, or processed oils. Huh??? No cheese or yogurt? No farro or quinoa? No beans? No bueno! Those are the foods that help me feel satisfied while doing this calorie counting thing. You know I love a good challenge and with the wedding 5 weeks away, I think I will try and meet her halfway and attempt to live by the Paleo rules at least during the week. I mean, I am paying a lot of money to have a wedding dress custom made to fit my body, so my body better look damn good in it, right?

After each work out, I am more and more encouraged to put healthier things in my mouth. So after I left my trainers house, I stopped by the market and tried to come up with something special to make Mike and I for din. I mean, the poor guy has to be so tired of salad and grilled chicken. That is why I love my man… he is such a trooper! I did my best to follow the Paleolithic diet rules. I broke a couple of them, but a gal has to start somewhere, right? This recipe is super easy and for having such simple ingredients and for being low cal, it was really flavorful. I think Mike had 4 wraps! You could also use ground chicken instead of turkey and this would also be really good to add some rice to if you want something a bit more filling or if you wanted to stretch it out to feed more people. We will be making this again, for sure. Caveman diet, here I come!

Spicy Turkey Lettuce Wraps:

  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, rinsed and chopped
  • 1/2 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin
  • 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 2 heads green leaf lettuce, leaves rinsed and separated
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as cilantro, basil,  and mint
  • 1 large carrot, shredded
  • Sriracha and extra hoisin for serving

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey, garlic, and ginger. Cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper, water chestnuts, broth, hoisin, five-spice, salt and pepper; cook until heated through and liquid reduces a bit.

To serve, divide lettuce leaves among plates, spoon some of the turkey mixture into each leaf, top with herbs, hoisin, Sriracha, and carrot. Roll into wraps. You can also prepare the turkey mixture the day before. This would be a really easy and satisfying lunch to pack! Note to self…

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Categories appetizer, chicken, dinner, food and recipes, lunch, salads, side dish, turkey

Grilled Skirt Steak and Arugula Salad with Guilt-Free Blue Cheese Dressing…

June 11, 2012 //
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Sorry if it seems as if I have disappeared off of the face of the earth, but that is what planning a wedding will do to you! Not only have we been planning the big event, I started seeing a personal trainer and I love it! Don’t get me wrong, she kicks my ass and has me doing things I never thought I would do like counting and tracking my calories and cutting out alcohol. Yes you heard me, limited wine intake until the big day! Its been a challenge especially when I travel, but I will say that  I feel so much better and it is so great to be moving my body again and a relief to have something outside of work and the wedding to focus on. Not to mention, my trainer is pretty freakin rad.

So now you know why I have not been posting much lately. I have been eating light meals like Greek yogurt with berries, tuna with vegetables, cottage cheese with fruit, grilled chicken with greens… you get the idea. Sounds pretty boring, right? Well it can be, but I realized (and my trainer agrees) that you have to have some healthy fun and being super strict on things just sets you up for failure.  Mike and I got a pretty flank steak from Figueroa Produce and I really wanted to make a salad to pair with it with blue cheese dressing. Obviously, blue cheese dressing is the devil, but I think I came up with a way to be able to eat this with out packing in all of the calories of the traditional dressing often made with oil, buttermilk, and mayonnaise. I made it with Greek yogurt! I know it sounds weird, but give it a try. It was really tasty and I promise you won’t be able to tell much of a difference. Greek yogurt is the bomb. We use it for everything. It is a good substitute for mayo, sour cream, etc. and it is really high in protein. This dressing would also be good as a dip for vegetables or apples… in fact, I am def packing some along with a sliced apple as a snack tomorow.

Grilled Flank Steak…

  • 2 pounds flank steak
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper

Score the surface of the steak with a knife. Make the cuts about 1/4 inch deep. Combine the marinade ingredients. Place steak and marinade ingredients in a large freezer bag. Coat the steak well with the marinade. Seal the bag and place in a bowl. Chill and marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Coat the grill rack with a bit of olive oil and preheat to high heat. Take the steak out of the bag and sprinkle generously on both sides with salt and pepper. This will help form a savory crust on the steak. Place steak on the hot grill. If you are using a gas grill, cover the grill. Grill for 4-6 minutes on each side until medium rare. Don’t overcook flank steak as it can get tough. Remove from the grill and place on a cutting board. Let rest and cover with aluminum foil for 10 minutes. Slice steak on a slight diagonal and put on top of the salad.

Guilt Free Blue Cheese Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup blue cheese finely chopped or in crumbles
  • 1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt (we use Fage 0%)
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • Cracked black pepper to taste
  • Bit of salt of seasoned salt
  • Drizzle of honey or agave

Finely chop or break apart blue cheese into small crumbles. Combine blue cheese, Greek yogurt, lemon juice , vinegar, and garlic in a bowl or jar and mix well. Add all seasonings and a drizzle of agave or honey and stir well with fork until cheese is no longer clumpy. Adjust seasonings to taste and may want to add some water to get it to your desired consistency. We left it pretty thick. I suggest letting sit for a couple of hours or even making this the day before. Use atop salads or as a dip for vegetables or crunchy apples.

Salad:

  • 3 cups baby arugula
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 green apple, thinly sliced
  • 1 red or orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 Roma tomato, chopped
  • salt and pepper

Toss all salad ingredients into a bowl and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Toss salad with 2-3 tablespoons of the blue cheese dressing. Plate the salad and top with a few slices of the grilled skirt steak. The warm steak as well as the crunch and sweetness of the apple paired with the strong blue cheese is soooo good! You won’t even miss all of those calories you are saving:)

So, if I post anything else before the big day, bare with me as they will more than likely be about me trying create a healthier option. Fingers crossed that I can keep this up… not just for the wedding, but for a healthier lifestyle. Hooray!

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Categories appetizer, beef, cheese, dinner, food and recipes, fruit, lunch, salads, side dish

Beet, Barley, and Haricot Vert Salad with Beer Can Chicken…

April 21, 2012 //
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Mike and I try and utilize Sundays as a day to cook things that we can eat throughout the week. We have both been trying not to eat out as much so that means packing our lunches when we go to work. One of Mike’s coworkers gave him a contraption for the grill to try out for beer can chicken. Making a whole chicken at the beginning of the week is perfect because you can use the leftovers as a salad topping, for sandwiches, or to make a yummy chicken salad.

Beer can chicken is so simple and it turns out so moist, flavorful, and crispy on the outside. You just wash and dry the lil guy, bathe it in olive oil, and cover it in your favorite herbs and spices. You then dump out (or drink) a quarter of a can of beer, add the can of beer to the beer can holder, and sit the chicken upright so the beer can is inserted into the chicken cavity. You place the chicken upright directly on the grill and cook on medium/high heat for an hour and 15 minutes or so. Holy cow, it’s so good! I can’t believe it was our first time doing this!!!

On Sundays we also try to make a large salad that will hold up throughout the week as we can pre-dish into single serving bowls that we can grab as we run out the door. I can’t even make time to blow dry my hair in the mornings let alone put our lunches together, so this has worked out great!

I absolutely love beets and wanted to create a salad that was fresh, hearty, and healthy. This salad has all of the right textures amongst the barley, walnuts, chickpeas, and crunchy veg. It actually got better as it sat in the fridge a couple of days. The mint really shines here, so I would try not to omit it as it made all of the flavors pop. If you hate roasting beets as much as I do, you can get the pre-cooked ones in the refrigerator section of Trader Joe’s. What a time and a mess saver! I personally like a more acidic salad dressing, so if you do not, feel free to play with the proportions to your liking. It is pretty impossible to mess up. This salad is awesome and we were both sad when we finished it. It is great served with a bit of chicken and would be awesome with fish, but a great meal all on its own!

Beet and Barley Salad…

  • 2 cups barley
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 2 cups water
  • 4 roasted beets (I used red, but a red and golden mixture would be wonderful)
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • about 2 cups haricot vert
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup roasted walnuts, chopped
  • about 8 oz. crumbled goat cheese
  • large handful fresh mint, chopped
  • large handful fresh parsley, chopped

Dressing…

  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 1-2 tablespoons honey
  • 3 tablespoons or so apple cider vinegar
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • dash or red pepper flakes
  • salt
  • pepper

Bring chicken stock and water to a boil. Add in barley and cook for 30-40 minutes until tender and cooked through. Drain excess water and rinse with cool water. In a large bowl, toss together cooled barley, beets, onion, pepper, haricot vert, chickpeas, walnuts, goat cheese, and herbs.

To make the dressing, place garlic, olive oil, dijon, honey, vinegar, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper into a mason jar. Screw on the lid and give it a shake. Adjust the proportions to your liking and season to taste. Toss dressing with the salad and let sit for at least 15 minutes. Sooooo good!!!

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Categories appetizer, cheese, chicken, dinner, food and recipes, lunch, salads, side dish, vegetarian

Mediterranean Baked Chicken Orecchiette with Lemon Dressing…

April 3, 2012 //
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This weekend I had my first wedding dress fitting! Let me tell you, finding a wedding dress has been quite an obstacle. Everything looks like a cupcake… strapless, embellished, poofy. Uh-uh. Not for me. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not and have never been a “foofy” girl. There are not many simple, modern dresses out on the market and the ones that are are few and far between, or in my case; sold out:(  I gave up being on the hunt and decided to have one custom made. The experience so far has been amazing. I had an initial design meeting to let my dressmaker (who is awesome by the way) know what I was looking for where we went over some inspiration photos, sketched some stuff up, and conceptualized. Then during my last meeting, we actually started the draping process which was so much fun. It is like we are just designing the garment right on my body! After 7 years of schooling in this area, you would think I would just be able to do this project myself… Glad I am still paying for that education! But let me tell you, spending that much money on a dress and having to stand in only your underthings for an hour while people pin and tuck on you in a mirror surrounded room will really make you want to get in shape and eat lighter.  A couple of my pals have committed to this cause with me to make the process easier. Its hard to have to go it alone! After work yesterday we we rounded up a couple of pups and went on an hour long hike. After sweating it out and being in the sunshine, all I wanted was something fresh, crisp, and healthy so that is how this recipe came about. It is super simple and you can use any vegetables or pasta you like. To make it even more healthy, a grain like farro or quinoa would be tasty. If you can, have someone help you chop to make it go by faster or put on some jams and pour yo self a glass of vino.  I will be way jealous as I am only allowing myself to indulge with the vino on the weekends. I mean, you can’t deprive a gal of everything she loves!

Mediterranean Baked Chicken Orecchiette with Lemon Dressing:

  • 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast tenders
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. or so paprika
  • 1 tsp. or so garlic powder
  • 1 lb. orecchiette
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 orange bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 english cucumber, diced
  • 1 cup sweet cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 1 head broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
  • 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (chickpeas would be good as well)
  • (1) 8 oz. jar green Spanish olives, chopped
  • 1/4 cup sliced pickled pepperoncini peppers, chopped
  • 6 oz. fat free crumbled feta
  • large fistful of fresh mint, chopped
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup grape seed oil
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about the juice of 4 lemons)
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with foil. In a bowl, toss chicken tenders with olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Bake for around 30 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Tent chicken and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, drop in the pasta. When pasta has around 2 minutes left to cook, drop in broccoli florets for just a couple of minutes until they soften and turn a bright green color. Quickly drain pasta and broccoli and run under ice cold water to cool and stop the cooking process. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add peppers, onion, cucumber, tomatoes, beans, olives, pepperoncinis, mint, and pasta/broccoli mixture.

To make the dressing, add grape seed oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes to a jar. Screw on the lid and give it a good shake.

Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Toss salad with the dressing and let stand for about 10 minutes.  Serve salad topped with warm sliced chicken. *Note: We generally try to only make our own salad dressings. Its really easy and once you get the acid/oil proportions right, you can change up the flavors and herbs to the combo of your choice. It is so much better for you and actually a whole lot more affordable, however, an Italian or store bought vinaigrette would work for this as well.

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Categories cheese, chicken, dinner, food and recipes, lunch, pasta, salads, side dish

Roasted Fall Vegetable Breakie…

November 19, 2011 //
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I haven’t seen Mike and Luna all week, so today we stayed in bed til around 10 a.m., run/walked around the reservoir, and took Luna to go wild at the dog park. The dog park is like Disneyland to her. For real, the happiest place on earth. All of that activity really wore the little monster out. We also worked up quite an appetite, so we made a blueberry and almond milk smoothie to hold us over while we put this concoction together. It was so hearty, healthy, and appropriate for this chilly weather. I miss summer already!

Roasted Fall Vegetable Breakie:

  • 1 small yellow squash, chopped
  • 1 small zucchini, chopped
  • around 1-1 1/2 cups butternut squash, chopped
  • 1 cup baby portabellas, sliced in half
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • handful fresh rosemary, chopped
  • handful fresh oregano, chopped
  • handful fresh basil, chopped
  • 2 Tb. olive oil
  • 2 Tb. spoon balsamic vinegar
  • salt and pepper
  • dash of red pepper flakes
  • 2 cups fresh arugula
  • 2 eggs cooked to your liking

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the chopped vegetables, minced garlic, rosemary,and oregano with olive oil and 1 Tb. balsamic vinegar. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Spread out on a foil lined baking sheet and roast for around 20 minutes until vegetables are tender. When vegetables are done, toss into a bowl and toss with basil and last Tb. balsamic vinegar.

Pile plates with arugula and layer on roasted vegetables. Top with an egg cooked to your liking. I prefer over easy or poached so the ooey gooey yolk breaks all over everything! So easy and delicious and you can use any vegetables that look great at the farmers market that week.

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Categories breakfast, food and recipes, lunch, salads, vegetarian

Spinach Salad with Chicken, Apples, and Raspberries…

November 11, 2011 //
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Last night we were both whooped, so wanted to make something easy and healthy. It’s holiday season for me at work which means stress and lots of hours. Along with that, my better half has been working hard at his full time job as well as doing a bunch of freelance. Yeah, we haven’t been seeing each other much. Bum city. On the way home from his day job, Mike picked up some chicken that we roasted in the oven. We then tossed it with spinach, apples, raspberries, goat cheese, and toasted pecans. It was so good and we felt good after eating it. Mike is def the salad master. He would also argue that he is grill master. Now we need to just work on him becoming the cleaning master!

Spinach Salad with Chicken, Apples, and Raspberries:

  • 1 lb. chicken tenders
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • spring fresh rosemary
  • paprika
  • juice and zest of one lemon
  • garlic powder
  • salt and pepper
  • few fresh sage leaves
  • 1 bag prewashed spinach
  • 1 pint raspberries
  • 1 apple sliced
  • bunch of scallions, chopped
  • 1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
  • 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

Dressing:

  • Oil (ratio of oil to vinegar should be about 3 to 1, but I like a bit more acid in my dressings)
  • Vinegar or lemon juice
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Favorite Herbs (we stuck with the rosemary and sage combo)

Preheat oven to 375. Toss chicken with oil, lemon zest and juice, rosemary, sage, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Spread out on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for around 20 minutes or until browned and cooked through.

Toss spinach in a bowl with raspberries, apple slices, scallions, toasted pecans, and goat cheese.

To make the dressing, mix 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar or lemon juice. Add herbs and season to taste. Let sit until ready to serve salad.

When chicken is finished, slice and top spinach mixture. Toss with dressing and enjoy right away.

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Categories appetizer, chicken, dinner, food and recipes, fruit, lunch, salads, side dish
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