Curry Chicken Salad

We've Moved! Click Here to check out the new site!

Chicken salad has always been one of my favorite foods but any store bought versions are just dripping in full fat mayo and oil...so I have always made my own. This chicken salad is packed with tons of flavor and not to mention...its healthy! Greek yogurt, low fat mayo and red grapes make this recipe an exciting and exotic twist on a classic.

Curry Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

3 cups boneless skinless chicken breast – cooked and cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons curry powder (or more if desired)

¼ cup light mayonnaise

¼ cup non-fat plain greek yogurt

2 teaspoons mango chutney

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 cup seedless red grapes – halved

½ cup thinly sliced green onions

½ cup celery – finely chopped

Salt & pepper – to taste

Directions:

*Combine mayonnaise, greek yogurt, mango chutney, ginger, salt & pepper.

*Add in remaining ingredients

*Serve on its own, in a whole-wheat pita, in your favorite sandwich bread or atop a bed of greens.

Grilled Bread Salad

We've Moved! Click Here to check out the new site!

The warm, fresh out of the oven, french bread that sits by the register at your local supermarket is a tough thing to pass up. Who doesn't love warm carbs? I always find that I take it home, have a slice with dinner and then the rest of the loaf turns into a hard slab before I use it all! Slightly stale bread can be turned into a great side dish with minimal effort. This recipe calls for ciabatta bread, but I have made it with ordinary crusty day-old french bread and it turns out great! This salad can be turned into a substantial meal simply by grilling some chicken or fish and tossing it in - or serving it on the side. This salad is also great with just some ordinary drained, canned tuna mixed in!

Grilled Bread Salad

 Recipe brought to you by Dash of Love

(modified from Fitness magazine – June 2010)

Ingredients:

3 medium tomatoes - cut into 1” chunks

1 small fennel bulb - halved, cored and very thinly sliced

½ small red onion - thinly sliced 

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Salt & pepper – to taste

4oz loaf ciabatta bread – thickly sliced

1 large garlic clove – halved lengthwise

3oz crumbled goat cheese

½ cup fresh basil – roughly torn

Directions:

*Combine the tomatoes, fennel and red onion in a large bowl.

*Whisk together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

*Pour half the dressing over the salad and toss well. Set aside remaining dressing.

*Heat a grill (or grill pan) to medium-high.

*Brush the ciabatta with remaining olive oil. Grill 2-3 minutes per side (or until lightly toasted).

*Transfer ciabatta to a plate and rub with the halved garlic clove. Let cool slightly and cut into 1” cubes.

*Add the goat cheese, basil and bread to the salad. Pour remaining dressing over the top.

Thai Pasta Salad

We've Moved! Click Here to check out the new site!

While working at Nordstrom for-EVER, and getting to eat their food every day....this was my go-to lunch. When I wanted to kill my customers...and sometimes co-workers...this bowl of heaven gave me the boost I needed to survive the rest of the day. I made it a little healthier by upping the veggies, switching to whole wheat pasta, and drastically reducing the amount of oil used.

Thai Pasta Salad  

 
Ingredients:
1 (12oz) package whole wheat angel hair pasta
3 cups shredded napa cabbage
2 cups shredded carrots
1 red bell pepper - julienned
1 yellow bell pepper - julienned
1 bunch fresh cilantro - chopped
1 bunch green onions - chopped
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
sesame seeds
8oz cooked meat (shrimp, shredded chicken, or steak)
Dressing:
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons tahini
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
5 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon seseame oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
juice from 1/2 lime
salt and pepper - to taste
***you can also reduce number of ingredients by making the dressing using store bought peanut sauce and combining a jar of that with a little rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and dash of sesame oil.

Directions:
*Cook whatever meat you choose to use
*Boil pasta to al dente - run under cold water to cool
*In a small bowl combine all dressing ingredients
*In a large bowl combine pasta, cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, 1/2 of the cilantro, 1/2 of the green onions and meat.
*Toss with dressing
*Top salad with remaining cilantro and onions, sesame seeds and chopped peanuts

BBQ Tuna

We've Moved! Click Here to check out the new site!

Everyone always says how amazing tuna is for you. Not only is tuna a great protein boost after a workout, it is also an excellent source of  omega-3 fatty acids, potassium, selenium and vitamin B12 (to name a few). Tuna, by itself, is good for you AND low in calories...that is, until us fat Americans go and add a whole bunch of mayo to make it taste "better". Well here is one of my new favorite lunch options. Sounds gross (I was skeptical myself)....but anyone who has tried it has loved it. Canned tuna w/ bbq sauce! 

BBQ Tuna

Ingredients:

1 can chunk light tuna in water - drained
1/8 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
3 Tbs your favorite bbq sauce (more or less depending on how you like your tuna)

Directions:
*Mix all ingredients together
*Eat on a sandwich (the new 100-calorie whole wheat sandwich thins are great), with multi-grain crackers, or just by itself!