Turkish Shepherd Salad, by Diane

This was AMAZING and I cannot believe how simple it was to make! I found this recipe from Zestful Kitchen and although I could not find the urfa pepper it was awesome without it. I made it for some Greek hummus bowls, but wound up eating it on it's own because it was that good! I also think this would be good with chicken. YUM!

1 medium shallot, thinly sliced

1 english cucumber, diced

red and yellow grape tomatoes, halved

1 anaheim pepper, diced (I omitted this)

1/2 cup chopped parsley

3 tbsp chopped mint

2 tbsp chopped dill

1.5 tsp sumac

1 tsp urfa pepper (can sub aleppo pepper)

1/2 cup cubed feta cheese

3 tbsp EVOO

1 lemon, juiced

kosher salt

Directions:

Mix all and combine, adjust to taste. 

Tuna Sushi Bowl with Crispy Rice, by Diane

 

I have been craving a chilled, easy lunch recipe for the week to batch cook, and created this bowl out of a few trending recipes I saw online. I used canned tuna for convenience here, but really any protein would work well. I thought this would be great fresh, but it actually worked better after a few hours to sit and marry all the ingredients together.

Ingredients:

3 tins canned tuna (I used fish wife albacore in spicy olive oil)

2 cups crispy rice (click link for recipe)

1 cup julienned carrots

4 scallions, thinly sliced, green and white parts

1 cucumber, thinly sliced (I used a mandolin)

1-2 cups edamame, shelled

2 packets seaweed sheets

2 tbsp black sesame seeds

3 tbsp fried shallots

Sauce: 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp mayo, 3 tbsp chili sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and enjoy!!

Easy Zesty Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad, by Cheryl

Ooh it's been a hot minute since I've been on here! But I just had to make this new shrimp and avocado salad and I'm so happy I did! I've already made it twice in one week. It's so light and refreshing... perfect for a summer lunch or snack! Super flavorful, healthy, and quick! Yum!

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

2 limes, juiced

1 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1 lb cooked jumbo shrimp, chopped

1 medium tomato, diced

1 medium avocado, diced (I used two)

1 jalapeno, seeds removed, diced

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

Directions: 

1) In a small bowl, combine red onion, lime juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Set aside at least 5 minutes.

2) In a large bowl, combine chopped shrimp, avocado, tomato, and jalapeno

3) Combine all of the ingredients together, add cilantro, and gently toss. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired. 

The Big Salad, by Diane

 

A friend years ago introduced me to the concept of what we called 'The Big Salad', which is a giant kitchen sink salad but with things that follow a rough layout of 2 proteins, a bunch of veggies soft and roasted or raw and crunchy, toppings soft and crunchy, one sweet ingredient, herbs, dressings that are acidic and sweet, coarse finishing salt, and lettuce cut in a way that holds the dressing and ingredients. This may not feel revolutionary but I came from a house that made salad in one of 3 standard ways, as many restaurants do, and having a big salad with loads of good colors, textures, and tastes made things so interesting and delicious- and definitely a meal that is fun to shop for, easy to clean the fridge out with, and I always look forward to eating it for lunch or dinner. As a bonus it always keeps me fuller longer as well. 

Obviously, there is no recipe for this one but I made one this week that just sends and I'm including it here for future memories and inspo!

Ingredients:

Red Butter Lettuce, thin sliced horizontally

Crunchy Veggies: carrots, radish slices, mini heirloom color tomatoes, scallions, red onion thin sliced, green olives

Soft Roasted Veggies: sliced portobello mushrooms, asparagus sliced, golden beets cubed, garlic cloves, marinated orange hot peppers, gigante beans

Herbs: parsley, cilantro, taragon (all finely chopped)

Proteins: shredded rotisserie chicken, crunchy roasted chickpeas

Crunch: pepitas

Sweet: craisins

Dressings: lemon EVOO, blackberry ginger balsamic vinegar, pepper, coarse finishing sea salt

Directions- toss and devour!

Asparagus Caprese Salad, by Diane

 

I was clearing out the fridge and whipped this creation up, it was so good and I think it would be a great summer salad or side dish. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus, roasted with EVOO salt and pepper, diced

1 container grape tomatoes, quartered

1 small container mozzarella balls, quartered

1 small pack basil, leaves minced

1/4 cup turkey pepperoni, quartered

Balsamic and EVOO (I had meyer lemon EVOO which worked great)

Coarse salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Directions: 

Mix all and adjust to taste.

BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad, by Diane

 

I was craving a BBQ chicken chopped salad, and decided to try my hand with some summer produce from my favorite stand and a high protein dressing- side note, I'm getting really good at my own dressings! This salad was SO SO good and honestly this dressing was maybe my best one yet. So crunchy and flavorful and definitely a filling lunch. YUM. 

Ingredients (3 big salads):

1 bag of sliced grilled chicken breast, chopped small (I just used this for ease)

2 cups yellow and orange cherry tomatoes, chopped

4 long sweet banana peppers in different colors, chopped

1/4 red onion, diced

1 bag chipotle cheddar salad mix by Dole

3 ears corn, grilled and charred then kernels cut off

1/2 avocado

1 bunch cilantro leaves

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp onion powder

1/4 cup smoky BBQ sauce

8 oz plain greek yogurt

Directions:

1. Combine chicken, tomatoes, peppers, onion, corn, and salad portion of the mix together and toss well. For meal prep I divided this mixture evenly in 3 containers.

2. Make the dressing by blending remaining ingredients avocado through yogurt and adjust to taste.

3. When ready to serve, top each salad with dressing and tortilla chips from the salad bag (the salad bag also comes with cheese and an alternate dressing you can use if you like but I don't like either!).

Chipotle Chicken Crunch Salad, by Diane

This recipe is from @ice.karimcooks on IG, who makes high protein meal bowls (which have been a game changer for meal prepping during my busy week!). This one could not have been easier to make! I made a few changes to the dressing and I LOVE it so I'll post it below. As a side note, I've been making my own dressings for a bit now off some of these recipes, and they are actually so much better than store bought. I didn't believe it when people said that, but this salad pack came with a dressing I assumed would be better and I tasted it after the one I made and I could taste all the oil, sugar, and chemicals- it immediately got tossed! A pretty neat experiment as it turns out. I also changed the cooked chicken for pre-sliced grilled chicken for ease and taste. Finally, I added pepitas for crunch to make it healthier and avocado would be great in here as well, but the tortillas it came with were also delicious! This was a total crunchy cold winner perfect for summer! The crunchy cabbage and tortilla strips with the grilled chicken and corn and the spice of cilantro and cool cilantro- perfection!

Ingredients:

2 bags Chipotle Cheddar salad bag mixes

2 bags cooked grilled chicken strips

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

3 ears fresh corn, charred over flame then cut from kernel

1 bunch scallions, white and green sliced (save about 3 tbsp of the green parts for the dressing)

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup roasted pepitas

Dressing: 8oz plain greek yogurt, green scallions, 1 bunch cilantro, 1 chipotle in adobo pepper, 1 garlic clove, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp honey, 1/2 lime juiced

Directions:

1. Combine the salad mix and cheese with the chicken, beans, corn, scallions and cilantro, mix well and set aside. (For meal prepping I left the salad and cilantro separate to be added later so it wouldn't get soggy).

2. Combine the dressing ingredients and blend well until smooth, adjust for taste, toss with salad. 

3. Top salad with crunchy tortilla chips in salad mix and pepitas, toss well and enjoy!

Plum Salad With Arugula & Blue Cheese, by Cheryl

I bought a whole bunch of gorgeous sweet red plums at the farmer's market. I generally don't eat or make a lot of salads, but when I do I like to put some fruit in there. So I thought it would be nice to use these plums in a delicious salad! Paired with some goat cheese and balsamic dressing and this salad was very tasty! I think adding a protein in there might make it a nice little lunch! Yum!

Ingredients: 

4 cups baby arugula

4 ripe plums

1/2 cucumber, sliced

1/3 cup walnuts

1/3 cup blue cheese, crumbled

Dressing: 

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp honey

salt/pepper to taste

Directions: 

1) Slice plums and cucumber. Set aside

2) In a large salad bowl, add arugula, plums, cucumber, walnuts, goat cheese. 

3) In a small jar with a lid add all of the dressing ingredients. Shake well. 

4) Pour dressing over salad and toss. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Golden Beet Salad, by Diane

 

I found this recipe from Violet Witchel on IG, she just makes super good salads. This was so fast and easy to whip up and I loved the flavors! I used the Air Fryer Chicken Breast recipe here, and it worked great. These were awesome lunches this week!

Ingredients:

4 small golden beets, diced

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 tbsp EVOO

1 tsp each curry powder, turmeric, garlic powder, salt

cracked black pepper

10 brussels sprouts, thinly sliced

1 bunch rainbow chard, leaves thinly sliced

EVOO

Dried cranberries, nuts, goat cheese (I omitted the goat cheese)

Grilled chicken breast

Honey mustard dressing: 2 tbsp creamy dijon, 2 tbsp honey, pinch red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tbsp champagne vinegar, 3 tbsp EVOO and blend until smooth

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 and roast beets, chickpeas, seasonings, EVOO on one sheet and cook for 30 min or until beets are tender. On the other tray, roast sprouts and chard with EVOO for 5-10 min until warmed and wilted slightly.

2. Combine beets/chickpeas and greens with chicken, cranberries, nuts, cheese and dressing. Enjoy!

The Best Fall Salad, by Diane

This is my latest lunch obsession, so quick and easy to meal prep and packed with autumn flavors! I've decided the formula for this to work best is two roasted veggies, one protein, something crunchy (usually nuts or seeds), something sweet (usually apples, dates or dried cranberries), a leafy green, and my dressing creation which seems to remain the same because it goes with everything!! This version is the best so far, so I'm posting it to remember in the future! 

This can make about 3 salads for the week if you use one whole squash, 2 apples, 1 bag of pre-grilled chicken, and about 1 lb of sprouts (dressing amounts remain the same). If meal prepping- combine the veggies and the chicken and cheese, then on the day of eating chop the apples so they stay fresh and add the arugula (so it won't wilt) and pecans (so they stay crunchy!). 

PS- delicata squash is my most favorite veggie of fall, you can eat them with the skin on and when roasted and browned they get almost caramelized. My favorite way to eat them is here, roasted in coconut oil until both sides are fully browned, then tossed with sea salt and rosemary powder (not dried rosemary)- it tastes like thanksgiving and I can eat a whole squash in one sitting!

Ingredients:

1 cup sliced grilled chicken (I use pre-grilled strips for ease)

Coconut oil

Roasted delicata squash

Powdered rosemary

Salt

Brussels sprouts, halved and trimmed

Gala apple, chopped

Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Chopped pecans

2 cups arugula or a large handful

Dressing: 2 roasted shallots, 4 tbsp EVOO, 1 tbsp maple syrup, salt and pepper to taste, 1 tbsp or more ume plum vinegar, 1 tsp dried thyme, water as needed

Drizzle blackberry balsamic vinaigrette on top

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 and place coconut oil (about 2 tbsp each) on two trays while the oven warms.

2. When the oil is melted, toss the sprouts and shallots with salt and oil on one tray, and the squash with salt and rosemary powder and oil on the other. Coat well and roast until charred, flipping halfway.

3. For the dressing, combine all the ingredients and whiz until creamy. This will stay creamy in the fridge for days. Add the water or more oil if the consistency needs to change, and feel free to adjust the vinegar too.

3. When the roasted veggies are room temp, toss with chicken, apples, cheese, pecans, arugula and dressing. Mix well then drizzle balsamic on top and enjoy!

Fall Chopped Salad, By Diane

 

I came up with this recipe the other week before traveling as I needed something quick and healthy, and the weather was just starting to turn to feel like fall. This has been an amazing meal to have prepped in the fridge ready to go! I also made it when I got home from traveling and it has been really nourishing. The ingredients are easy to swap out, and sometimes I can reduce cook time by heading to Whole Foods bar and grabbing a few of the roasted veggies- they always have roasted butternut squash with herbs and roasted brussels with apples on their bar! That combined with pre-made chicken strips makes this super easy to chop up and prep. YUM.

This recipe makes 3 servings (b/c I work 3 days a week and need quick lunches!)

Ingredients:

2 breasts grilled chicken (I just buy one pack of grilled chicken strips)

One head red butter lettuce

12 Dates

1 small butternut squash, cubed and roasted with evoo/poultry seasoning/salt until browned

1 large golden beet, cubed roasted w evoo and salt until browned 

1 large red apple, roasted until softened

2 cups brussels sprouts, roasted w evoo and salt

6 tbsp blue cheese, crumbled

6 tbsp chopped pecans

Drizzle blackberry balsamic vinegar

Champagne vinaigrette to taste

Directions:

1. Roast all the veggies together with noted seasonings and allow to cool- the squash, beets, apples, brussels.

2. Combine lettuce, roasted veggies, chicken, dates, and cheese on a large cutting board and chop finely all together.

3. Divide into 3 bowls and store until ready to serve. This makes great meal prep!!

4. When ready to serve, add in chopped pecans, balsamic vinegar, and vinaigrette and combine well. 

Mexican Chicken Salad, by Diane

 

This recipe comes from @dayamifrommiami on IG, and I thought it was such a creative high protein recipe for lunches this week! It was super easy, and so so good. I loved it on its own, with chips, and lettuce cups! I also loved the swap of greek yogurt for mayo. YUM. I added the poblano and green onions and they were a great addition! I also removed the avocado so it would last all week, and took out the cheese bc I didn't want it but it did have queso fresco in the original recipe.

Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

2 8oz cups greek yogurt, plain

1 lime, juiced

1 can fire roasted corn

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

1 bunch scallions, white and green parts chopped

1 poblano, fire roasted (I use my gas burner for this until black and blistered), diced

Seasoning: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin

Directions: Mix well and enjoy!

Roasted Asian Cabbage Salad, by Diane

 

I saw this recipe on @starinfinitefood and she makes really creative salads. I tried this and added rotisserie chicken to make it a meal. Overall, this was really good! I like the flavors, they tasted way better through the week, and it was good cold during this heatwave. The only changes I would make are roasting the carrots with the cabbage, and roasting the chickpeas longer because mine weren't dried out and then became chewy. Otherwise I loved this and would make it again!

Ingredients:

For the Cabbage:

1 medium cabbage, chopped

3 tbsp EVOO

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp pepper

For the dressing:

6 tbsp chopped peanuts

6 tbsp EVOO

1 tsp sesame oil

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tsp grated ginger

2 cloves diced garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp lime juice

1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes

For the chickpeas:

1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed drained and patted dry

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tbsp EVOO

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp sesame seeds

For the Salad:

3/4 cup matchstick carrots

1/2 cup scallions, white and green parts sliced

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 and add the cabbage and all cabbage ingredients to toss (I would add carrots too). Roast for 30-35 minutes, tossing again halfway.

2. Add just the chickpeas to a dry pan and roast with the cabbage on a separate tray for 20 minutes or until dry (I'd go longer). 

3. While these roast, add the salad ingredients and set aside, make the dressing and set aside, and make the chickpea sauce with the remaining ingredients and set aside.

4. Add the chickpea sauce to the chickpeas and cook another 8 min or until carmelized.

5. Toss the roasted cabbage mixture into the salad bowl and mix well with dressing. Top with crunchy chickpeas.

Grinder Bean Salad, by Diane

 

This is one of the best things I have ever eaten!!! I cannot get over how good this is, it's like the world's best italian hoagie on steroids with a spoon. I follow @viotletwitchel on instagram and she makes a new dense bean salad each week for lunches. This is a blend of two of her latest recipes, and holy moly I'm obsessed. She said she ate this for lunch three weeks in a row, and I can see why. This would also be great for potlucks and picnics too! This is highly customizable and I am thinking of experimenting with cucumber, olive, artichoke hearts...already dreaming of future lunches!

My two notes: she includes parsley in this, which I did, but it was WAY too overpowering so next time I'll likely add dried parsley to the dressing. And, she adds the mozzarella balls and says it keeps all week, but by day 3 the cheese started getting watery and gross. So, next time I'd add fresh cheese each day and store it separate.

Ingredients:

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

1 can white cannellini beans

1/2 lb each deli turkey and salami, diced (I chose black pepper turkey and genoa salami for flavor)

1 small jar roasted sweet peppers, drained and chopped

1/4 cup banana peppers, chopped

1 package small mozzarella balls

1/2 red onion, diced

1/4 cup capers

1 cup colored cherry tomatoes, halved 

1 red bell pepper, diced (I skipped this)

Dressing: 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (I only had ACV which worked great!), 1/2 cup EVOO, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dijon, salt and pepper

Directions:

Toss dressing together and toss over remaining ingredients, mix well and chill!

Mediterranean Chicken Salad, by Diane

I decided to make these salads for dinners this week using the recipe for the Mediterranean Chicken Skewers. You can throw whatever you want in, but this is what I decided for this round. It was really good and a great summer evening meal that came together quickly!

Ingredients:

2 cups greens (I used baby kale and arugula)

1 chicken skewer

1/4 cup baby heirloom tomatoes, cut in half

1/4 roasted red pepper, cut into cubes

3 tbsp pickled red onions (I used my recipe here)

1/2 cup hummus (I used my recipe here)

1/4 cup feta crumbles

Directions: Toss all ingredients together and enjoy!

Heirloom and Beet Whipped Goat Cheese Salad, by Diane

 

I saw this whipped goat cheese bottom on a veggie platter I ordered in Denver and I was so inspired to come home and figure out what I could do with it. Enter this- my afternoon snack alllll last week. It is so good with fresh summer tomatoes and basil, yum!

Ingredients:

4 tbsp goat cheese

1 tbsp EVOO

fresh herbs (I used oregano and basil)

1 cup baby heirloom tomatoes, cut into bite size pieces

1/2 cup marinated beets, cut into bite size pieces

Balsamic vinegar (I have a blackberry ginger one that goes great on this!)

Optional- fresh basil for garnish

Directions:

1. Make the whipped feta either in a food processor or by hand by whipping together feta, oil, and herbs. Spread on the bottom of the bowl.

2. Top with tomatoes and beets and a drizzle of balsamic!

Chipotle Shrimp Salad with Cilantro Line Vinaigrette, by Cheryl

Dressing not pictured

This was a solid salad! It was filling, healthy, and had all the right flavors! It was definitely spicier than I had intended.. I had thought my 9 year old would eat it with us, but the shrimp was too much for her. So she substituted in some grilled chicken. But the dressing and the avocado cooled things down. Another winner from Paleo Running Momma. Yum!

Ingredients:

Dressing:

1/3 cup avocado or olive oil

Juice of small, or 2 large limes

1 tb honey

1 tb minced fresh jalapeno

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup cilantro leaves

1/4 tsp salt

Salad:

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

1.5 tbs avocado or olive oil

1 tsp chipotle chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

6 cups romaine lettuce

3 radishes, thinly sliced

1 nectarine or peach, thinly sliced

1 avocado, thinly sliced

Directions:

1) Dressing: Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse several times until desired consistency. Set aside.

2) Place the shrimp in a large bowl. Toss with the olive and spices and salt. Grill on skewers.

3) Arrange the other ingredients in a small bowl. Put the shrimp on top. Drizzle the dressing and serve. 

Goddess Bowl, by Diane

 

I created this bowl specifically because of my Flower Child Sweet Potatoes, and I added the remaining ingredients from there. I called it a Goddess Bowl because I felt so damn healthy and glowing when I ate it for dinner tonight! I always see these creative bowls on instagram but avoid them because of all the prep of the ingredients, and this one did require a bit of prep. But now I have healthy easy bowls for the week and I'm pretty pumped about that! I used roasted mushrooms and beets along with my Burnt Broccoli and grilled chicken here, and for the rest of the week I have some greens I want to serve it over along with a dressing I want to create (I just ran out of time tonight!).

Ingredients:

Red and golden beets, cubed and roasted

Flower Child Sweet Potatoes

Burnt Broccoli

2 cups baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced into rings

1 chicken breast, cooked and sliced

Salt

Coconut oil

Directions:

1. Saute onions in a large pan with a sprinkle of salt and coconut oil over medium heat until browned, then add in mushrooms with another sprinkle of salt and cook until done.

2. Assemble your bowl with the mushroom mixture, sweet potatoes, broccoli, beets, and chicken.

Summer Corn and Tomato Salad with Shrimp, by Diane

 

This recipe was a spontaneous weeknight creation after a visit to the farmers market, and loosely based off Cheryl's pesto corn salad with shrimp! I batch cooked a bunch of it at once by cutting everything and placing it into separate containers so that I could just combine them into a salad when I was ready to eat, which made 4 portions. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 lb cooked and deveined shrimp, tail off

2 cups tomatoes (I used red and orange cherry tomatoes from the farm)

4 ears corn, uncooked, corn kernels removed

8 scallions, green and white parts sliced

2 avocados

1 handful basil leaves

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup EVOO

Salt and pepper

Merken (smoky spice is ok here too!)

1 lime

Directions:

1. Combine 1 avocado, basil, garlic, EVOO, salt and pepper and lime in a blender, using salt and pepper to taste. Set aside as your dressing- I like this on the thick side.

2. Combine remaining ingredients including the other avocado diced up and toss well to combine.

3. Top with dressing, and season to your preference.

Summer Heirloom Salad, by Diane

Once again Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat has helped me intuit another amazing combination of flavors for one of the best salads I've had in a long time. The key is really ripe heirlooms here, and be prepared to scarf this all down! I love the way this book makes me think about balancing ingredients with different flavor profiles and textures, and the results really do make what comes out of my kitchen a million times better! I loved the use of lemon flavored olive oil here, which was a last minute choice in thinking about acidity for flavoring. YUM!

Ingredients:

Red Butter lettuce

1 yellow and 1 purple heirloom tomato, chopped into bite size pieces

1 pack serrano ham, torn

1/4 cup basil leaves, torn

1/2 cup green olives (mine were garlic marinated and I recommend this!)

1/8 cup red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup capers, drained and dried

Drizzle lemon flavored EVOO and balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Over medium high heat, cook the capers until crispy and puffed. Let cool to room temp.

2. Add all ingredients and toss, adjusting tastes as needed.