BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad

Do you ever make a recipe, try it, and want to yell out loud, "I AM SUCH A GOOD COOK!" Sometimes I do. Really, I think my talent is in picking other people's recipes that have everything I love. This one was a major hit with me. Pretty simple, high-protein, and full of yummy/healthy stuff.

BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad

serves 4

1/3 cup uncooked quinoa

1/2 cup cooked corn

1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained

6 oz cooked, shredded chicken

1/4 cup plus 2-4 Tbsp of your favorite BBQ sauce, divided

1 small avocado, chopped (about 4 oz)

2-4 Tbsp shredded Mexican-style cheese

2 scallions, chopped

Cilantro for garnish

Cook quinoa according to package directions. Meanwhile, combine shredded chicken with 1/4 cup barbecue sauce and set aside to marinate for a few minutes.*

When quinoa is done, put in a large bowl and toss with the corn, black beans, chicken, and avocado. Top with a few tablespoons of barbecue sauce, cheese, and scallions. Serve garnished with cilantro if desired.

*The creator of the recipe suggests actually cooking the chicken in your crockpot with the barbecue sauce and some chopped yellow onion, but I like to make large batches of shredded chicken for a bunch of different recipes, so I added the sauce after.

Greek Pasta Salad

Since I've started getting Bountiful Baskets again, I'm reminded of how fun it is to cook with fresh foods you might otherwise not buy. Getting a huge cucumber inspired me to make something Greek, and this pasta salad fit the bill! It is such a delicious, light lunch that gives me hope summer is coming!

Greek Pasta Salad

serves 2-3 as a main dish, 4-5 as a side

For pasta:

4 oz uncooked pasta (I used orzo)

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 cup diced bell pepper

1/4 cup diced red onions

2 Tbsp capers (or kalamata olives)

For Vinaigrette:

1 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp oregano

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 oz feta cheese

1 Tbsp olive oil

Before serving:

1/2 cup fresh diced roma tomatoes (or halved grape tomatoes)

1/2 cup diced cucumber

4 tsp parsley

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain well. While still warm, transfer to a large bowl and stir in teaspoon of olive oil, peppers, onions, and capers. 

In another small bowl, combine red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and feta cheese. With a fork, mash the feta until it creams a big, leaving some small bits intact. Whisk in the olive oil. Stir the vinaigrette into the pasta mixture and refrigerate, covered, for about an hour.

Before serving, stir in the tomatoes, cucumber, and parsley. Serve chilled and enjoy!

Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

I am on a total roll lately. This chicken salad is to die for! Sweet, tangy, delicious, and good for you. Seriously - perfection on a sandwich thin or romaine leaves. In my opinion.

Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

2 Tbsp light mayo (I used the kind made with olive oil)

3 Tbsp plain, fat free Greek yogurt

1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 Tbsp minced green onions - white ends only

3 Tbsp chopped pecans

3 Tbsp Craisins

1/4 Granny Smith apple, diced into small pieces

10 oz cooked, shredded chicken breast

Cook your chicken breast as desired and shred (as always, I used my crock pot). Set aside and let cool.

Combine mayo, Greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar, and rosemary in a large bowl and mix well. Add the pecans, onion, Craisins, apple, and chicken. Stir/toss to coat everything evenly. Chill overnight or at least an hour and serve. Enjoy!

Build a better salad...fruit with healthy greens

This is super simple, but I've found lately that I really love adding fruit to my salads. And I used to HATE fruit in salads before. Luckily I saw the light when I first had my sister's strawberry spinach salad. 

Last week I threw together a very easy salad which filled me right up, and hit the spot for a sweet and savory lunch!

2 cups fresh spinach/spring salad mix

2 Tbsp reduced-fat feta cheese

1/2 thinly-sliced apple of choice (I love Fuji the best)

1/4 cup halved grapes

4 oz cooked chicken breast (I seasoned mine with a lemon pepper rub and sauteed it in a bit of olive oil)

Dressing of choice

Toss ingredients together. Enjoy!

Serves 1.

The wonderful thing about salads like this is that there are endless combinations, and they will fill you up pretty easily while getting a lot of nutrients. Many times I'll use different kinds of berries, and I almost always use feta because it adds a lot of flavor and goes well with fruit. Make sure you have a protein component, but keep dressing to a minimum and you've got a wonderful, quick, and healthy lunch.

Greek Lentil Salad

I have never tried cooking lentils myself - they have been another one of those seemingly scary ingredients to me. But since they are so dang good for you, and this recipe looked so dang delicious to me, I took a leap of faith. And it all worked out. Thankfully. 

Greek Lentil Salad

modified from here

1 cup lentils

1/4 cup chopped onion

juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 cup diced tomatoes

1/4 cup crumbled feta

2 Tbsp capers

¼ cup diced cucumbers

¼ cup red bell peppers

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (divided)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Before washing lentils you should spread them out on a light colored plate or cooking surface to check for and remove small stones or debris. After this process, place the lentils in a strainer, and rinse them thoroughly under cool running water. Place in a large bowl and soak for 1-2 hours to reduce cooking time.

To boil lentils, use three cups of liquid for each cup of lentils. Lentils placed in already boiling water will be easier to digest than those that were brought to a boil with the water. When the water returns to a boil, turn down the heat to simmer and cover, approximately 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In the meantime, heat 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil in a skillet.  Add onions and garlic and cook until fragrant and tender. Stir in cooked lentils and lemon zest and remove from heat.

Add the tomatoes, feta, bell peppers, and capers. Stir until well combined.

Next, add the lemon juice and remaining olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill for at least an hour, add cucumbers and serve.

Makes 3-4 servings.

Light Chicken Salad

I love love love this recipe. I make a good-sized batch every few months and bask in a week of wonderful sandwiches. You can add stuff if you'd like - occasionally I add a half-ounce of chopped walnuts to a serving, and chopped apples, craisins, or grape halves could be good. That's what is so great - you can mix and match, add and subtract until you find what tastes best and what works for you.

Chicken Salad

2/3 cup chopped celery

8-9 oz. chopped cooked chicken breast

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 Tbsp dried parsley

1/2 Tbsp dried dill weed

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp fat-free mayonnaise

2 Tbsp mayonnaise made with olive oil (or regular)

1 Tbsp sour cream (fat-free or light)

In a large bowl combine Dijon mustard, lemon juice, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Mix all dry seasonings into cream mixture, stir well, then add chicken and celery until completely covered. Chill in refrigerator before serving.

Eat it on whole wheat bread or on lettuce leaves to be extra good. This recipe usually yields about 4-5 lunch sandwiches for me, but you can eat tons of it in one sitting and still be pretty guilt-free! :) Make it in larger batches if that's your plan...

Enjoy!

Creamy Barley Salad with Apples

Creamy Barley Salad With Apples

Serves 2

1/4 cup pearl barley

3/4 cup water

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/4 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 small apple, thinly sliced

2 cups fresh spinach

In a medium saucepan, combine the barley, water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the barley is tender and the water is absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and spread on a rimmed baking sheet to cool.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, oil, lemon juice, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few dashes pepper to taste. Add the celery, apple, and cooled barley and toss to combine. Top spinach with mixture and enjoy!

I'm actually not a huge salad eater...I will usually order anything but a salad at a restaurant, and I rarely make them at home - although I will add spinach to almost anything. 

However, since I had some greek yogurt and celery to use up, I was looking through some random recipes for ideas, then threw together my own concoction that turned out to be a success.

I wish I had made this last month, when I was doing my 30 Healthiest Foods challenge, because this recipe has 4 of the foods on the list: nonfat greek yogurt, barley, extra-virgin olive oil, and spinach. It's disgustingly good for you and still delicious!