Category Archives: Salad

January 11, 2013

What’s for lunch? A big salad that is both gluten-free and Weight Watchers friendly.

After almost 5 months I am still having trouble losing that baby weight. I have started eating more salads, not just with dinner, but for lunch too. After something like a million salads they are getting kind of boring. Today I decided to take the initiative and make a really tasty, colorful salad. It was easy to make, incorporated leftovers, was quick to make and filling too. Since I am doing Weight Watchers I have to watch my points. All told this salad was 7 points before adding dressing. If I used chicken breast instead of thighs it would’ve been less, but I used what was already in the house.
big-lunch-salad

A Big Lunch Salad (7 weight watchers points)

Ingredients:
3 C. chopped Romaine lettuce
1/4 Orange bell pepper
1/4 C. cucumber chopped
1/8 C. grape tomatoes cut in to quarters
1/2 oz. French feta (any feta will do it’s just my favorite)
1/2 oz. dried cranberries
2 1/2 oz chicken thighs sliced

Directions:
Cover a plate with chopped lettuce. Layer veggies over lettuce. Topped the salad off with the feta, cranberries and chicken. Measure out dressing of choice if you’re on Weight Watchers.

Weight Watchers tip: Measure dressing and put in side dish, then dip the fork tines in to the dressing before the salad.

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January 10, 2013

Gluten-free chicken thighs, one of my go to meals

thighs-and-salad

Now that I have a new baby I simply do not have time to cook. I cut up lettuce and other salad makings when I have a free minute and I try to figure out easy veggies to serve with the protein of the night. My husband and I often cook on the weekends and freeze meals, but that doesn’t always cut it. For a nice hot meal that I can quickly make I turn to chicken thighs. From start to finish it takes me 30 minutes to make and they are just about impossible to screw up, because of how juicy thighs are.

Recipe
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tsp. kosher salt
black pepper (from the grinder to your taste)
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. sumac
1/2 tsp. seasoning powder/salt of your choice

Directions
Wash & dry chicken thighs thoroughly. Season both sides of chicken. Heat pan over medium heat until pan is hot, but not smoking. Spray with cooking spray then add chicken. When you add the chicken the pan should sizzle. Cook chicken for 5 1/2 minutes and flip. Cook for another 5 minutes then remove from the pan. The chicken should be a beautiful brown color when you remove from the pan.

I serve my thighs with a nice big salad, because like I said, that is always cut up and in the fridge. Mashed sweet potatoes are a nice side dish as well.

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August 20, 2012

Arugula and fennel salad

Summertime means salads for me. I find the best place to buy delicious salad makings are at farmers markets. Farmers markets have what’s in season and the best of it. While walking thru the farmers market at San Francisco’s Ferry Building and seeing two kinds of arugula my choice of salad was made for me. I picked up the baby arugula I always find in the market, but I also got some most delightful wild arugula. It is very peppery, but complimented the thinly sliced fennel and nutty Parmesan cheese I shaved over top quite nicely.
This salad is light, refreshing and a great change from the usual tossed salad. It’s incredibly easy, quick to make and one of my personal favorites.

Arugula, Fennel and Parmesan Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1lb Arugula
1/2 bulb fennel outside peeled & thinly sliced
Good Parmesan shaved with a vegetable peeler
2 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. Moderna balsamic vinegar
1/2 lemon
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Rinse and dry arugula then put in to a large salad bowl. Thinly slice fennel and add to salad. Shave Parmesan over top, as much as you like. Drizzle the olive oil and vinegar over the salad and squeeze the half lemon over top of greens and fennel. Season with salt and pepper and toss. Once salad is tossed shave a little more Parmesan over top.

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July 25, 2011

Caprese Salad

There is nothing I love more in the summer than eating beautiful ripe tomatoes, and there is nothing more perfect on a hot summer Sunday afternoon than a salad. What brought me to make this salad was quite simple, the ingredients themselves. Yesterday while shopping at Rainbow Grocery I saw some beautiful early girl tomatoes, a glorious bunch of basil, and decided I had to make a tomato, basil, mozzarella salad. The recipe is easy and quick, just be sure your ingredients are the best you can find and the salad will be divine. It’s about highlighting the good ingredients through simple means.

Caprese Salad
Serves 2 as an afternoon snack

Ingredients:

2 medium size Early Girl tomatoes- 1/8 in. slices
1/4 lb. fresh mozzarella- 1/4 in. slices
2 tblp. basil- torn or cut in to strips
3 tblp. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).
Pinch sea salt or kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 C. Whole black olives

Directions:

Lay the sliced tomatoes around the outside of the plate leaving an opening in the center. Place the sliced mozzarella in the center of the tomatoes and the olives to its side. Sprinkle basil over top, season with & pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

Buon appitito

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May 24, 2011

Nicoise Salad A.K.A Meatless Monday, another fail

Another Meatless Monday and another failure to report. I tried, really I did, but my salad seemed so bare without a protein (eggs don’t count), so I added some tuna. Below is my version of a Niçoise Salad. I say my version, because mine does not have anchovies and this salad has been made a million and one different ways. The only thing I know is that this is not a tossed salad, it should look similar to what I have pictured, and the dressing is always vinaigrette. The ingredient list is below, but without measurements. Fill free to use as little or as much of anything as YOU like. Make this salad your own!

Nicoise Salad


Ingredients
Lettuce- I like Boston bibb
Ripe tomatoes
Cucumber- I like English cucumbers
Red pepper
Sm. olives
Green beans
Hard boiled eggs (I used 2)
Artichoke hearts
Tuna in oil
New potatoes (I used 2)

DO NOT FORGET TO ADD SALT AND PEPPER!!!!

Bon appetite!

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