Niçoise Salad (French)

I had this salad for the first time a couple of months ago at my friend Karen's house. She got the recipe from The Fresh 20 cookbook by Melissa Lanz. I really enjoyed it and finally got around to recreating it for the family. I don't know if it is exactly the same as in the book because I just made it how I remembered having it. When Karen made it she used a bit less lettuce. Apparently in Europe their salads don't use as much lettuce/greens.

Ingredients:

2-3 baby potatoes per person (I used red, purple, and yukon)

green beans

hard-boiled eggs (at least 1 per person)

tomatoes (cherry or regular), diced

red onion, thinly sliced

lettuce, chopped

salt and pepper

Dressing (I used Dijon Vinaigrette or you could use one of the Pantry Dressings)

Optional additional toppings (Josh liked these added to the salad, but he agreed that it is really good without too):
feta cheese (omit if trying to keep it dairy-free)
roasted pinenuts
turkey bacon (obviously not vegetarian if you do this)

Instructions:
1. Boil (or steam) your eggs.
2. Start water to boil the potatoes. Boil the potatoes for 8-10 minutes until tender.
3. Steam the green beans (or add to the boiling potato water for the last couple of minutes).
4. Slice and sauté the red onion (enough for each person to have 2-3 Tbsp) with olive oil.
5. Chop tomatoes and lettuce.
6. Quarter the potatoes, then peel and slice the boiled/steamed eggs.
7. Layer. Fill about 1/2 the plate with lettuce, then layer the other ingredients. Grind fresh salt and pepper on each salad, then drizzle with dressing.

Enjoy!

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Dijon Vinaigrette

Recipe and picture source: recipegirl.com

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1.   In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients (or blend in the Magic Bullet).

     This is a great simple dressing. It is quite strong, so you don't need to use much. We use it on this Spinach Salad with Chicken and Avocado. It is also good on a Cobb salad or simple salad. 

Spinach Salad with Chicken and Avocado

 Recipe adapted from: http://www.recipegirl.com/2012/04/02/spinach-salad-with-chicken-avocado-and-goat-cheese/

 

Josh and I were both surprised when we realized I had not put this recipe on the blog yet because this salad is a favorite at our house. You can simplify it and leave out the cucumbers, pepper, and black beans (these were all our own additions to the original recipe).

Ingredients:

8 cups chopped spinach (1 bag)
1 cup halved cherry or pear tomatoes
½ English cucumber, diced
½ cup sweet bell peppers, diced

½ cup corn (frozen, rinsed from the can, or cut off the cob)
1 ½ cups chopped cooked chicken
1 large avocado, sliced
¹/₃ cup crumbled goat or feta cheese (omit to keep dairy free)
¼ cup toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds

Instructions: 

1. If you do not have roasted pine nuts on or slivered almonds already prepared, preheat the oven to 375 and roast for about 10-12 minutes.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper then grill or cut rotisserie chicken into bite size pieces.
3. Drain and rinse the black beans, then chop the vegetables and prepare the other toppings.
4. Place spinach in a large salad bowl. You can chop it if your family prefers smaller pieces.
5. Let each person add their own toppings.
6. Top with Dijon Vinaigrette.

Banana Pancakes (aka 2-ingredient pancakes)

Recipe adapted from: http://ourbestbites.com/2014/02/2-ingredient-pancakes/

A fun gluten-free breakfast to make for the kids! Ben, Elizabeth, and Emma all approved of this recipe. 

Ingredients:

1 large banana (it should yield about 1/3-1/2 cup, mashed)

2 eggs

1/8 tsp baking powder (optional but recommended)

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon (optional but recommended)

1 tsp ground flaxseed (optional)

2 Tbsp PB2 (optional)

2 - 4 Tbsp quick oats

Instructions:

1.  Heat a skillet on the stovetop or countertop griddle to medium heat. 

2. While pan is heating, mash banana well and then mix in eggs, baking powder, cinnamon, flaxseed,  PB2, and oats or put all the ingredients in a blender and pulse a few times until smooth and mixed well. You can blend the oats with it or stir them in after.

3. When pan is hot (water droplets should sizzle), spray pan lightly with non-stick spray.  Pour 2 tablespoons of batter at a time and cook until bottom appears set (30-60 seconds) flip with spatula and cook additional minute or less. 

4. Serve warm with almond butter, real maple syrup or applesauce, and fresh fruit on the side.  I recommend having a green smoothie to accompany this breakfast!

*Yield: 8-10 4″ pancakes.

Golden Lentil Soup

Recipe Source: Julie, who got it from one of her aunts I believe.

I got this recipe from Julie a while ago and have been excited to try it! I was not disappointed. It is delicious! I doubled the amount of celery and carrots from the original recipe. The whole family loved it. It reminds us of the flavors in chicken noodle soup.

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. oil
8 - 10 celery stalks, diced
6 - 8 carrots, diced or shredded
2 onions, diced
1 lb. dry red lentils (About 2 1/4 c.)
1/4 cup long grain brown rice (I used brown Basmati rice)
12 cups water
1 Tbsp. lemon pepper
1 Tbsp. seasoned salt
1/2 - 1 tsp. salt* (omit or start with less, add more if needed)
1 1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 cup lemon juice (I didn't use quite this much)

Instructions:

1. Dice the celery, carrots, and onions and then cook them in the oil.

2. Add the lentils, rice, and water. Cover and bring to a boil. (About 20 minutes)

3. Bring to medium heat for 25 minutes, covered.

4. Add seasonings and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

5. Add lemon juice and serve.

We enjoy it with hummus and vegetables on the side. Julie said she likes it with tortilla chips, but we haven't try it that way.

*Leftovers will taste saltier the next day, so don't overdo it on the salt!

Black Bean and Avocado Salad (with corn, red peppers, cucumber and lime-cilantro vinaigrette)

Recipe Adapted From: preventionrd.com

We love this Black Bean and Avocado Salad. It can be eaten like a salsa or as a salad. Either way it is always a hit!

Ingredients:
1 - 2 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn, frozen or canned
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cucumber, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced (or green onions)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 avocados, chopped



Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients except for avocados in a large bowl and mix well. (You can leave out the olive oil and sugar to make it healthier. Lime and cilantro are also optional, but I recommend them. I often add more diced red, yellow, or orange bell pepper.)

2. Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight.
3. Right before serving, add avocados and mix gently before serving.

Serving suggestions:
• Make it a wrap by putting it into a lettuce leaf.
• Serve it with chicken that has been seasoned with taco seasoning or blackened seasoning.
• Serve with tortilla chips, we like the Food Should Taste Good brand.

Hummus

Recipe Source: Sheri's friend and former coworker, Stacy Greene

Sheri sent me this recipe for hummus a long time ago and I finally got around to trying it. It is DELICIOUS!!!


HUMMUS

Yield: about 4 cups

Ingredients: 

2-16 oz cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (regular or low-sodium)

1 clove garlic, peeled

1/3 cup tahini*

1 tsp salt (regular or seasoned salt both good)

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (adjust amount to liking)

1 handful parsley

3-4 green onions, cut into 1" pieces

Water, as needed (about 1/3 cup)

Directions: 

Place all ingredients in food processor or blender.

Add water as needed to form smooth paste.

Adjust seasonings to taste.

To serve: 

Garnish with chopped peppers, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or minced garlic.

This is good served with fresh vegetables, pita triangles, or a sandwich spread.  It's tasty with peppers, cucumbers, carrots, and broccoli.

*Tahini is a smooth paste made from sesame seeds.  It is usually found by the peanut butter in the grocery store.

EASY BREAKFAST CASSEROLE WITH SAUSAGE, HASHBROWNS AND EGGS

We had this for breakfast this morning and everyone really enjoyed it.  With our bottled potatoes, it was quick to put together, just took a little time to bake.  If found it on givemesomeoven.com.

PREP: 15 MINS COOK: 30 MINS TOTAL: 45 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound Italian sausage (I just used our deer breakfast sausage.)
• 1 medium white onion, peeled and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and diced (or 1 jar of roasted red peppers, drained and diced)
• 6 eggs
• 1/3 cup milk (I've learned that evaporated milk works great too!)
• 1 (20 ounce) bag frozen hash browns, thawed (I used bottled potatoes, diced.)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
• (optional topping: thinly sliced green onions)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Add the sausage to a medium saute pan. Cook over medium-high heat until browned, crumbling the sausage with a spoon as it cooks. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Reserve about 1 tablespoon of sausage grease in the saute pan, discarding the rest. Add the onion and red pepper* to the saute pan, and saute for 5 minutes until cooked. Add the garlic and saute for an additional 2 minutes until fragrant. (If using the jarred roasted red peppers, wait to stir them until after the garlic.) Pour the vegetable mixture into the mixing bowl with the sausage. Add the hash browns and 1 1/2 cups cheese to the mixing bowl with the sausage and veggies. Stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and black pepper until combined. Then add them to the hashbrown mixture, and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a baking dish, and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the aluminum foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes and the top of the potatoes begin to slightly brown. Remove and let the casserole rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions and serve!

Note: This fed our family and there were no left overs.

Ranch Dressing Mix

I got this recipe from my friend Stacy. She adapted it from:  http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/healthy-homemade-salad-dressing-ideas

5 Tablespoons dried minced onions
7 teaspoons parsley flakes
4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons garlic powder
1-2 teaspoons dill weed

I usually double or triple the spice blend, and pulse it in a food processor (or Magic Bullet with the flat blade). Store in an airtight container.

For dressing: 2 Tbsp. of Ranch Mix with one cup of mayo and one cup of buttermilk. 

For dip: 1 cup of sour cream with 2 tablespoons of Ranch Mix.

Dairy Free option: 1 Tbsp. of Ranch Mix, 1/2 cup olive oil Mayo, 1 avocado, and a little bit of almond milk. *I think next time I will actually try just using avocado and almond milk with the mix.

It's really good sprinkled on vegetables or potatoes that are roasted in the oven or sprinkled on chicken for a Chicken Ranch Salad. 

Healthy Thai Chicken Salad (single serving recipe!)

Recipe by Our Best Bites.

This salad recipe from Our Best Bites has been on my list to try for a while. I finally tried it tonight and was not disappointed! It is crunchy, fresh, filling, and delicious. The recipe is for a single serving, but I did it for the family. The kids ate it too, but I gave them less of the coleslaw mix. I think this would be a great lunch to pack and take to work. :)

Ingredients

1 cup coleslaw cabbage mix
1 cup shredded chicken (abt 4 oz) - I used rotisserie 
1/2 cup cooked, cooled quinoa
1 green onion, chopped
1/4 cup pre-shelled edamame (This was the hardest ingredient for me to find. I ended up getting it at Trader Joe's, but I'm sure a well-stocked grocery store would probably have it.)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/4 cup diced cucumber (or celery)

Dressing:
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter, PB2, or tahini would be good too
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil (try our yummy garlic oil!)
1 teaspoon agave or honey
1 teaspoon soy sauce

Other Toppings:
1 tablespoon chopped cashews or peanuts
A squeeze of lime

Instructions
Start the quinoa on the stovetop. (Twice as much broth/water as quinoa, bring to boil, reduce and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Make sure to rinse the quinoa if it isn't pre-rinsed.) Get the edamame out of the freezer to thaw. Cook the chicken if not using rotisserie.

Combine cabbage, chicken, quinoa, onion, edamame, cilantro, and cucumber/celery.  Whisk together dressing ingredients and toss with salad.  Top with chopped nuts and serve with a squeeze of lime juice.

Blackened Seasoning

Here is a seasoning mix we absolutely love. It is great on salmon! We also like it on chicken with a black bean and avocado salad. This is also the seasoning I put on shrimp for cobb salad. I just make up a big batch and keep it in my spice cupboard.

Recipe from: http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/2009/08/grilled-blackened-salmon-with-pineapple.html

 

• 2 teaspoons ground paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried leaf thyme
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to your taste
• 1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

*Sometimes I add some chipotle pepper too.

Maple Dijon Chicken (aka The World's Best Chicken)

We really enjoy this chicken and it is really easy to make with ingredients we pretty well always have on hand, plus it is moist and delicious! It is great served with Cabbage Steaks, sautéed cabbage, or Brussels Sprouts. We also like Trader Joe's Harvest Grains (cooked in chicken broth) with it.

Recipe and Picture from: http://rachelschultz.com/2012/07/11/worlds-best-chicken/

INGREDIENTS

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

½ cup Dijon mustard

¼ cup maple syrup (Use the real stuff!)

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Salt & pepper

Fresh rosemary (I have used dry many times)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 °.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, syrup, and vinegar.
3. Place chicken breasts into 9x13 lined baking dish. Season with salt & lots of pepper.
4. Pour mustard mixture over chicken. Make sure each breast is coated. Put some more pepper on, if you please.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until meat thermometer reads 165 °.
6. Season with fresh rosemary. (If using dry, I add it before baking.)

Garlic Rubbed Cabbage Steaks

Recipe and picture from: http://www.everydaymaven.com/2012/garlic-rubbed-roasted-cabbage-steaks/
& http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/side/vegetable/garlic-rubbed-roasted-cabbage-steaks.html

Ingredients:

1 (approx 2lb) head of organic green cabbage, cut into 1" thick slices
1.5 tablespoons olive oil (I just use my Misto and spray the olive oil)
2 to 3 large garlic cloves, smashed
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
spray olive oil OR non-stick cooking spray

Instructions

1

 Preheat oven to 400° F and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Pull outer leaf off cabbage (it’s usually dirty and nasty looking), cut cabbage from top to bottom (bottom being root) into 1″ thick slices. *You can increase the temperature to 425°, decrease baking time to 20 minutes per side.

2

 Rub both sides of cabbage with smashed garlic.

3

 Use a pastry brush to evenly spread the olive oil over both sides of the cabbage slices or use an olive oil sprayer.

4

 Finally, sprinkle each side with a bit of kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

5

 Roast on the middle rack for 25 minutes. Carefully flip the cabbage steaks and roast for an additional 25 minutes until edges are brown and crispy. Serve hot and Enjoy!

Coconut Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

We have been loving these Coconut Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies from Our Best Bites! Ben likes "helping" me measure and has requested them as a reward for potty training a few times so we've been delivering a lot of cookies lately :) . It is a great recipe because it only makes about 2 dozen, but is easy to double if you want more. I am still tinkering a bit to get the texture just right but they taste great. I have noted some changes I've made in blue. I plan to try a gluten-free version, but I haven't gotten to it yet. I will update the recipe here when I do.

Recipe and picture from: http://ourbestbites.com/2015/03/coconut-chocolate-oatmeal-cookies/

Coconut Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup flour (I have been using 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (if using table salt, use closer to 1/4 teaspoon)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted (I have started using 1/2 unsalted butter, all coconut oil seemed a little oily to me.)
1/2 cup Quaker 3-Minute Steel Cut Oats (I couldn't find these so I bought Bob's Red Mill Quick, 5-7 minute, Steel Cut Oats.)
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut flakes
3/4 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.  In a mixing bowl, combine brown and white sugars, egg, vanilla, extracts, and coconut oil (and butter).  Mix until well blended and add in flour mixture.  When well combined, add in oats, coconut, and chocolate chips and mix until combined.  Use a cookie scoop to portion dough into balls and place baking sheets.  Bake for 9-11 minutes or until edges are set and centers still appear soft.  Remove from oven and let sit for 2-3 minutes before transferring cookies to a cooling rack.  Yields: 2 dozen.

Fajita Salad

We had a delicious Fajita Salad for Cinco de Mayo!

Start by preparing your dressing. I used this Creamy Cilantro-Lime Sauce but other dressings would work too. I know Erin has a good Avocado dressing or even ranch dressing works. This Ranch Mix is great too, using the Dairy-Free Avocado preparation method.

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Sauce:
recipe source: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/creamy-cilantro-lime-sauce

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream 

1/2 cup light mayonnaise 

1/3 cup skim milk 

3 tablespoons lime juice 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 

2 large garlic cloves, minced

Whisk or blend all ingredients. (I did a half recipe for our family so that we won't have it in the fridge forever.)

Once the dressing is ready shred the cheese, slice your peppers, onions, and chicken. While you let the chicken and pepper mix cook prepare the other salad ingredients.

Salad:
lettuce
cucumber
avocado
tomato, optional
onion and peppers mix (1/2 sweet onion and green, yellow, and red peppers sliced, seasoned with salt and pepper, and cooked just to al dente)
chicken (cut into chunks and seasoned with your favorite fajita seasoning, then cooked/grilled)
shredded pepperjack cheese