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6 Flavorful Salads with Dried Fruit

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I love a hearty salad and especially appreciate the Panera Bread salads. But at $11 per salad, dining there can get costly! My go-to order at Panera is the Fuji Apple Salad with Chicken. So, to make it myself, I decided to dehydrate apples and create a copycat version. As a bonus, I’m including a round-up of heart-healthy salads from several food blogging friends.

These scrumptious recipes can be made during their week to tote to work for lunch as a lighter dinner option. Enjoy!

Gala Apple Salad with Rotisserie Chicken, Goat Cheese, and Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Made with mixed greens and tossed in balsamic vinaigrette, this salad combines tangy and sweet flavors. My salad recipe is made with dried apples, freshly shredded rotisserie chicken (buy one at the store!), tomatoes, goat cheese crumbles, red onion slices, and almond slices. I also love adding dried cranberries or golden raisins when I want more fruit flavor.

Preparing this salad is as simple as coating a large bowl with your desired amount of homemade balsamic vinaigrette (recipe below), adding the salad ingredients, and using tongs to toss the salad mixture until evenly coated with dressing. I think you’re going to love it.

You will need Agave Nectar (or honey) for this dressing recipe.

Gala Apple Salad with Rotisserie Chicken, Goat Cheese, and Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

About 1 cup

Balsamic Vinaigrette

This tangy yet slightly sweet vinaigrette can be used as a dressing over almost any salad.

10 minPrep Time

10 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

  • 2 T. Agave Nectar Light
  • 1 T. Dijon Mustard
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/4 balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 c. olive oil
  • 1 finely diced garlic clove

Instructions

  1. Whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
  2. (You can also add all of the ingredients to a mason jar, add lid, and shake vigorously until well mixed.)
  3. Serve immediately.
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Nutrition

Calories

1863 cal

Fat

148 g

Carbs

82 g

Protein

85 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Farro Spinach Salad with Dried Fruit and Nuts

Yay! For Food’s salad is described as a sweet and savory vegan salad featuring the healthy whole grain: farro! Marie’s Farro Spinach Salad with Dried Fruit and Nuts recipe brings all the flavor and is nutritious. Farro, a grain that is nutty in flavor but a bit sweet, is high in fiber and a good source of protein and iron. Like rice, it is sold dried and prepared in water until it softens.

Recipe: YayForFood.com

Moroccan Couscous Salad

Contributing food blogger Marlee from ijustmakesandwiches.com, says her Moroccan Couscous Salad is made with dried fruit such as apricots and raisins tossed with a lemon vinaigrette. She suggests serving this cold couscous salad with roasted chicken or salmon. The Mediterranean couscous adds texture to this highly flavorful salad!

Recipe: I Just Make Sandwiches

Apple Fig Walnut Rocket Salad

This recipe is a winner! It combines some of my favorite flavors, including fresh figs. Rhian of hintohealthy.com made it using “crunchy apples, jammy dried figs, earthy walnuts, and peppery rocket (arugula) coated in a garlicky pesto dressing!” Learn how to make this gluten-free, vegan Apple Fig Walnut Rocket Salad for your next brunch or lunch with friends.

Recipe: Rhian’s Recipes

Kale Salad with Apples and Cranberries + Tahini Dressing

The best part of making a salad is that it is versatile. This hearty kale salad made with tahini dressing gets its texture from the leafy bits of kale, pumpkin seeds, chunks of apples, and dried cranberries. All you have to do is combine the ingredients in a bowl and toss it with the dressing! Not a fan of Tahini? You could serve Hint of Healthy’s Kale Salad with Apples and Cranberries with a vinaigrette dressing as well.

Recipe: Hint of Healthy

Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad

A perfect salad to make during the fall, Cooking Carnival’s Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad combines the rich flavors of chopped kale, onion, butternut squash, quinoa, pecans, cranberries, and balsamic vinaigrette. I could see making this healthy salad as my entire dinner.

Recipe: Cooking Carnival

Love what you see here and want yet another salad option? If you’re hunting for a mostly fruit salad layered on a bed of fresh greens, you’ll adore my Spinach Fruit Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette.

I’m always eager to add another fresh salad to my line-up of weeknight stars, so be sure to add your recipe idea to the comments below!

 

Healthy Brunch Recipes for Mother’s Day

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Celebrating your mother on her special day shouldn’t include crossing your fingers hoping you can get a table at a restaurant or standing in a long buffet line. Why not serve a healthy, flavorful brunch with classic recipes that mom will love in the comfort of your home? She’s worked hard all her life for you, now you treat her with an award-worthy, delicious meal! There is nothing that says “I love you” like a home-cooked meal.

Each one of the following recipes is tested and approved by fellow food bloggers (and I included a recipe of my own). The recipes are meant to be healthier than the usual carb-heavy buffet holiday meal. Scroll down to pick your favorite recipes!

If you’re someone who needs to feed a lot of people, then you will love making my Blackberry Belgian Waffles as a crowd-pleasing breakfast option. They’re easy to prepare! The deep pockets of warm waffle are just the vessels you need to hold melted butter, warm maple syrup, and a few extra blackberries. Grab the recipe.

Not of fan of waffles or don’t own a waffle maker? I’ve got you covered! Opt instead for yummy Brioche French Toast with Whipped Lemon Mascarpone from Windy City Dinner Fairy. Cinnamon and vanilla make this french toast mixture unique and scrumptious. Note: You’ll need a stand mixer or hand mixer for the mascarpone. Get the recipe.

Photo: Windy City Dinner Fairy

Enjoying a variety of textures and flavors makes for a well-rounded brunch so I never forget to include a green salad. Buy This Cook That’s Grilled Citrus Spring Salad is a mixture of asparagus, garden radishes, and sweet green peas tossed in homemade vinaigrette and topped with glazed pecans for garnish. Grab the recipe.

Photo: Buy This Cook That

For me, it’s not a classic breakfast without an egg dish on the menu. I love the idea of a make-ahead frittata that can be warmed up in the oven just as I’m setting the table. This Sun-Dried Tomato and Sweet Potato Frittata by Whole New Mom can be prepared in under 30 minutes and serves four people so double the recipe if necessary. Making a frittata is as easy as whisking together ingredients with eggs and baking until finished! Grab the recipe.

Photo: Whole New Mom

Incorporating finger foods like appetizers is great for pairing up with other breakfast foods! Maria Moore Nutrition’s Cheddar Chive Cauliflower Bites are a cinch to make using a muffin pan. If you have any leftovers (I doubt you will!) you can store them in the refrigerator for up to three days. Heck, why not send leftovers home with mom? Grab the recipe.

Photo: Marisa Monroe Nutrition

Your mom deserves an honorary toast on Mother’s Day so raise a glass of Strawberry Lemon Rose Sangría by The Toasty Kitchen! A batch recipe can be made several hours in advance (that’s if you can resist drinking it!). Who doesn’t love a glass of gorgeous bubbly? Get the recipe.


Photo: The Toasty Kitchen

Let’s end Mother’s Day on a delicious high note with dessert, but one that continues with the healthy theme we’ve established for brunch. I appreciate ending a full meal with a light dessert like this Honey Lemon Fruit Salad Recipe from The Seasoned Mom. Simple syrup glazes over fresh berries in this recipe bursting with citrus flavor. Get the recipe.

Photo: The Seasoned Mom

I’m so happy to help you pull recipes together for Mother’s Day with help of my food blogging friends. I know you want to not only spoil your mom but also impress her a bit, and these recipes lined up on the table will do just that for brunch! Enjoy the moment with your mom — she’s the best!

brunch-recipes

Hibachi Steak Lettuce Wraps with Asian Cucumber Salad

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My version of Hibachi Steak Lettuce Wraps includes using soft ribeye steak cut into small chunks, then marinated in a soy sauce and canola oil marinade, and later cooked to perfection over medium heat. I prefer to cook my steak to medium rare or medium. If you use a cut of beef with a lot of marbling, it would be a more tender cut and with robust flavor. Of course, use fresh cuts of meat over frozen ones.

Yum Yum Sauce. That creamy, tangy sauce is so delicious on top of Asian meat dishes. You’ll love it drizzled on top of this recipe for Hibachi Steak Lettuce Wraps, a low-carb but high flavor dinner. The wraps are easy to make and pair well with my Asian Cucumber Salad a dining experience complete with international flavor.

We are still “trying” to eat low-carb in our household. Yep, we’re going on five months of this dietary lifestyle and it’s been a challenge but a satisfying one. Thankfully, it’s forced me to think outside the box when brainstorming recipes that are high in nutritional value but low in carbs. Eating this way involves more discipline than not eating bread and pasta. It requires sheer willpower.

But, I can’t lie to you. We shared a basket of skin-on truffle fries today with garlic ailoi dipping sauce, a real gut buster basket of deliciousness. I don’t feel guilty about it either. You can’t. You have to allow yourself a break or two every once in awhile. Can you relate?

For extra spicy heat, add more than a pinch of red pepper flakes to the cucumber salad dressing.

A lover of colorful food and crunch, I add shredded carrot and red cabbage inside my romaine lettuce wraps, then the cooked ribeye, and then topped with my version of Yum Yum Sauce. The sauce is a simple 2-1-1 ratio of Hellman’s mayonnaise, General Tso’s Sauce, and Tobasco Sriracha.

To cut the rich flavor of the Hibachi Steak Lettuce Wrap filling (I tend to over do it with the Yum Yum Sauce), I served Asian Cucumber Salad on the side. An easy combination of thinly sliced cucumbers, red onions, bell pepper, and dressing, its delicate Asian flavor balances the mayo based sauce’s heavier consistency.

You could slice your cucumber thinner than shown here, but I prefer more crunch with mine. To each his own!

Finally, to finish the dish I toast white sesame seeds in a naked skillet on a low temperature for a few minutes until slightly golden brown. I sprinkle the seeds on top of the cucumber salad for garnish and added flavor.

What is your guilty pleasure when it comes to international cuisine? Do you dive into curry soups? Slurp large bowls of pho?

Scroll down and let me know what big flavor dish you want me to make a low-carb version of and I’ll post it next on the blog.

Prefer lettuce wraps instead of using tortillas or bread for sandwiches? You may also enjoy my easy Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps or my recipe for Crunchy Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps.

Ingredients

  • Hibachi Steak and Marinade:
  • 1 pound diced ribeye steak
  • 1 T. canola oil
  • 1 T. soy sauce
  • Asian Cucumber Salad:
  • 1 thinly sliced, seedless cucumber
  • 1/2 diced orange bell pepper
  • 1/8 c. thinly sliced red onion (soak for 24 hours in water inside a covered glass dish to cut the bite of flavor)
  • 1/4 c. rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp raw honey
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
  • tiny pinch red pepper flakes
  • tiny pinch kosher or sea salt
  • 1/2 T. white sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Clean and dry romaine leaves. Set aside.
  2. Slice the red onion and add to a small glass bowl. Add water and cover tightly. Allow to sit for several hours (I prefer overnight to 24 hours) and then drain the water.
  3. Slice the cucumber and dice the bell pepper and add to a bowl. Add in the red onions.
  4. Mix the cucumber dressing and drizzle it over the cucumbers, pepper and onions. Mix thoroughly and then refrigerate for at least an hour.
  5. Dice the ribeye steak and add it to the marinade for at least 20-30 minutes, if not longer (refrigerate). Cook the steak over medium heat until desired doneness.
  6. Assemble the lettuce wraps and drizzle with 2-1-1- Yum Yum Sauce made of 2 parts Hellman's Mayonnaise, 1 part General Tso's Sauce, and 1 part Tobasco Sriracha.
  7. Serve with cucumber salad topped with toasted sesame seeds.

Notes

You can substitute chicken or shrimp for beef.

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Hibachi Steak Lettuce Wraps

 

Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

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If I say the word “buttermilk,” the word “diet” doesn’t usually follow it. Am I right? Well, when you’re making Atkins Diet recipes in your home, it turns out that buttermilk is A-OK acceptable and it is delicious too. The only thing better than buttermilk is Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing.

We’ve tried making homemade ranch using Hidden Valley Ranch’s powdered packet with buttermilk, but that was a rookie mistake. If you want to elevate your favorite condiment to restaurant quality dressing, you have to use only fresh ingredients. No cutting corners! Chop the herbs, buy the buttermilk. It’s so delicious I promise your kids will eat their vegetables faster if they can drizzle this homemade dressing on them. Heck. I don’t have kids and I’m eating it on everything.

Store your ranch dressing in an airtight mason jar. The recipe below will nearly fill it.

All of the culinary credit for this dressing recipe goes to Pioneer Woman. I’ve rediscovered her. Yes, I fell hard for her when she first graced Food Network, but then I became accustomed to watching a couple other chefs on the regular. Well, I’m back. I can thank my local library for that. When I need a break from the cubicle matrix that is my workspace, I head to a nearby library on my lunch break and rediscover my love for cookbooks. I usually leave barely balancing a tower of hard cover books with food covers.

The first step to making homemade ranch is to make a garlic paste with fresh cloves of garlic and kosher. You will definitely need to use some elbow grease when firmly crushing it. Now this is my kind of “exercise.”

After making a garlic paste, you’ll want to rinse and start chopping the fresh herbs. I used frilly parsley instead of flat leaf parsley. I’m all about making a substitute withe similar ingredients. When I was younger I would completely scrap making a recipe just because I was missing one ingredient. Once you make the garlic paste, add it to a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir well.

Lately, I’ve been geeking out over my container herb pots on the front porch. Fresh is best. I didn’t have as much fresh dill as I would’ve liked for this recipe so I added dried dill that I picked up from The Spice Merchant.

The Pioneer Woman’s recipe for Homemade Buttermilk Dressing calls for an optional dash or two of hot sauce, which I recommend. Just realize that the traditional bright white ranch you’re used will take on more of a tinge of orange and take on a zesty taste.

Note: When you make the garlic paste, be sure to crush the garlic until it is very fine. Nobody needs harsh garlic breath. If you prefer a thinner dressing, use more buttermilk.

Again, you can follow this link to Ree Drummond’s Homemade Buttermilk Dressing recipe.  All of the photos in this post are my own. No affiliate links contained in this post either.

Now, grab that whisk. We’ve got ranch to make!

 

 

Refrigerator Overhaul: How to reduce food waste and slim your waist

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Sometimes we have to admit that things have gotten away from us.

This week I had one of those moments when I opened the refrigerator only to find teetering takeout boxes and a lack of vegetables. I know you’ve experienced this moments at least once too.

So, how do we cut down on our refrigerator waste while trying to slim our waist? If you’re like me, sometimes you buy healthy food but don’t prep it for the week and end up tossing it later. Perhaps you don’t even know what’s in your refrigerator right now.

Reducing food waste and restocking it with healthy food starts with a total refrigerator overhaul. Follow these six steps:

  1. Toss food. You work hard for your money, which everyone can respect. But the food you buy just sits in the refrigerator and doesn’t get eaten. That’s a waste of your money. Example: Look at all those condiments! How many times a year are you going to actually use three kinds of horseradish? If it is expired or not something you’ll ever use, admit it and pitch it.
  2. Clean it. Remove all items from the refrigerator from every bin and door compartment. Use a warm sudsy sponge to remove grime. For those difficult to remove stains or bits, I spray diluted Simple Green and they scrub away with little effort.
  3. Check your thermostat settings for your refrigerator spaces. Make sure they are set to temperature for the items they house.
  4. Return items to the refrigerator by category and face them (labels towards the front.) Have a hankering for pickles? Store them on the door near the ketchup and mustard. Like items should be placed with like items. Place taller items towards the back.
  5. Visit the produce section of your local organic grocery store. Recently, I bolted to our city’s new Sprouts Farmers Market and came home with bags filled to the brim with berries to leafy greens. As you know from earlier an earlier post, I’m quite the hunter when it comes to tracking down low-cost produce and clearance grocery finds.
  6. Clean and store your prepped veggies in transparent containers with secure lids. Lettuce should be washed and completely dried before storing it in new Ziplock bags. The only way you’re going to actually make time for smoothies before work is if you clean and dice all your newly purchased fruit!

Open bags and packaging, rinse with water, and allow them to completely dry before placing vegetables in new see-through containers. Place grab and go items at eye-level.

Admitting that you’ve fell off the “healthy diet” wagon isn’t easy but the shame doesn’t last long if you own it. If you admit that you live a rushed lifestyle and that the only way for you to eat healthy on a regular basis is to have grab and go produce or meal prepped food, then make sure your refrigerator (and pantry) contain those items. Taking a couple hours each weekend to prep your refrigerator for the week, will pay off.

I’ve included two produce driven recipes that are easy to pack for lunch or prep for breakfast. Try this fruit-filled spinach salad or one of five smoothie recipes!

If I can do it, you can too. Walk over to your refrigerator, open the door, and be honest. You got this!

Let me know your tips for overhauling the lazy eater’s syndrome and getting healthy in comments section below. I’d love to hear from you.

*While Sprouts Farmers Market did recently like this Instagram photo, they are not an affiliate.

Overnight Pickled Green Beans with Garlic and Dill

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Kids in school teased me for my height and called me String Bean. It seems only appropriate that I would post an article on how to make Overnight Pickled Green Beans with Garlic and Dill for my ODL fans like you.

Using my method for pickling, you don’t need to boil jars or buy special equipment. It’s a quick process using a simple brine and a few ingredients.

overnight-pickled-green-beans-with-garlic-and-dill2

Recently, we made pickled cucumbers after shopping at a local farmers’ market. I loved the way the refrigerated pickles turned out because they have the crunch of a Claussen Kosher deli style dill spear, Huffington Post’s number one “highly recommended” vote in their Dill Pickle Taste Test. Impressed with how easy it was to make tangy pickles last week, I tried my hand at green beans. It was just as simple! I think I’ve opened a can, or should I say jar, of ideas for other quick-pickled vegetables.

Another benefit for making your own pickled veggies? You save money! A jar of Claussen dills is nearly $5. I purchased these green beans for 99 cents a pound.

The green beans have a zesty flavor thanks to the sliced garlic and the sprigs of fresh dill give it that standard pickled taste. The acidic white vinegar preserves the beans and the use of kosher salt leaves the brine cloud-free. Next time, I want to try my hand at using flavored vinegar such as red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar with new herb combinations. For example, you could substitute asparagus, radishes, or mushrooms for the green beans as well. Don’t be afraid to try various spice mixtures or fresh herb add-ins like chives, fennel, oregano or French tarragon.

What is your favorite way to eat pickled veggies? Straight out of the jar standing over the sink? In a cocktail? Tell me in the comment section below!

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 c. water
  • 1/4 c. plus 2 T. white vinegar
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • pinch kosher salt
  • 1 mashed clove garlic
  • 1/8 c. fresh chopped dill
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander (use coriander seeds, if you have them)
  • small pinch red pepper flakes
  • 10-12 oz. green beans

Instructions

  1. Bring water, vinegar, salt, and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan.
  2. (The sugar and salt will dissolve.)
  3. Remove the saucepan from the burner, stir, and allow the liquid to completely cool.
  4. Wash a large handful of green beans, trim the ends so they will fit in the jar, and set aside.
  5. Add garlic, dill, coriander, and red pepper flakes to the bottom of the mason jar.
  6. Add green beans to the jar.
  7. Pour cooled pickling liquid into the jar leaving 1/4" space near the top.
  8. Secure lid.
  9. Refrigerate for 24 hours.

Notes

Multiply this recipe if making more than one large (16 oz) wide mouthed mason jar of beans.

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