Southwestern Chopped Chicken Salad

We've been having tasty salads for dinner most nights the past few weeks.

We had this for dinner tonight and it was delicious...

So fresh and so perfect for summer.

recipe and image via 

salad:

2 cups shredded chicken

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 1 cup frozen corn, thawed

2 roma tomatoes, diced

4 green onions, sliced

2 hearts of romaine, washed and chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

2 ripe avocados, diced

1 cup crushed tortilla chips

dressing:

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tbsp ranch seasoning

1 tbsp taco seasoning

Biscoff Ice Cream

Have you been introduced to the deliciousness of Biscoff spread?

It's the consistency of peanut butter, but tastes like cookies.

And in ice cream form? Double the goodness :)

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups non-fat milk

1 cup Biscoff

1 package Biscoff cookies, crushed

Combine the cream and milk.

Warm the Biscoff spread in the microwave and whisk into the milk mixture.

Chill mixture for an hour or until ready to put into your ice cream maker.

Pour into your ice cream maker, with about 10 crushed cookies and freeze as directed.

When your ice cream is about ready, stir in the remaining crushed cookies.

Enjoy!

Salad Dressings

Once you've made your own salad dressings, there's no going back to the bottled, store-bought stuff. We've had two of my favorite salads lately and it's truly the dressing that makes them so divine.

The first is just your basic mixed greens, avocado, red onion, and craisens with a
 homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove crushed garlic
2 tsps dijon mustard
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of pepper

The second salad is a copy cat from my favorite place in Provo, Utah, Kneader's. Their turkey cranberry sunflower seed salad is to die for and I think we've about mastered it. Mixed greens, rotisserie turkey, mozzarella cheese, sunflower seeds, craisens, and red onion. But again, the dressing makes it! It's a raspberry poppyseed vinaigrette.


1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp ground mustard
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp poppyseeds

Hot Hummus Pita Sandwich

Can't remember when we actually created this recipe, but it's a quick meal for hummus lovers. Saute an onion and several cloves of garlic in a little olive oil. Add 1 lb. ground turkey and brown well. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in 1/2 - 1 cup hummus. Stuff pita bread halves with turkey mixture and top with chopped cucumber and feta cheese.

Broccoli Soup

                 What to do with that huge bag of broccoli you bought at Costco?? Make soup!!
Saute 1 chopped onion and 1/2 cup chopped carrot in 1 T. butter and 1 T. olive oil until soft. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup flour and stir to coat vegetables. Cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add 4 cups chicken broth 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. black pepper, and 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg.  Add 3-4 cups of broccoli florets chopped into smaller pieces.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Puree soup in blender or use an immersion blender until desired smoothness. Add 2 cups milk and 2-3 cups grated cheese. Adjust seasonings.

Harmonious Salad

I was inspired by this salad and our roasted vegetable and couscous salad to make a little variation of my own.  The roasted Brussels sprouts and cauliflower were perfect together and tossed with the fun texture of the couscous and simple balsamic salad, It was absolutely delicious. 

image via

Ingredients:
1 avocado, pitted and chopped
2 tomatoes, washed and largely diced
1/2 head cauliflower, washed and chopped 
10 or so Brussels sprouts, washed and halved
2 cups cooked Israeli couscous (1 cup dry)
baby greens
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
balsamic vinaigrette
Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place halved Brussels sprouts in oven dish. Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper, and roast for 20 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes. Add in the Brussels sprouts and roast for another 20 minutes, adding the tomatoes in for the last 10. Toss roasted vegetables with couscous and serve over the baby greens tossed with balsamic vinaigrette. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese to serve.