an easy & healthy & delicious salad

If you're allergic to avocado (in which case I'm really sorry, that blows) or if you don't like it (to which I'd say... , this recipe is not for you. But if you're like me and put at least half of an avocado on everything you eat, you're going to love this easy peasy treat.

Ingredients:

Avocado (one or two), one shallot, cilantro, olive oil, greens of any kind, salt & pepper, lime juice

Take a serving plate and layer greens, sliced avocado, sliced shallots and cilantro. Top with lime juice, salt and pepper and a bit of olive oil. Easy, delicious and healthy... what more could you want!

{This also pairs nicely with my cilantro lime chicken tacos. Nom.}

steak salad to die for

As if I didn't already know, last night it was confirmed. You guys. It's really amazing what a good piece of a meat and fancy balsamic vinegar can do for a salad. I may or may not have cried tears of joy. Here's what you'll need:

Marinate a good piece of meat in lemon, salt and pepper, soy sauce and garlic for a few hours in the fridge. In a large bowl, add a heaping helping of fresh spinach, bleu cheese, apple and pecans (toasted). Grill steak until cooked to your liking and top salad with warm steak.

For the dressing: Combine two parts olive oil with one part Lucero balsamic vinegar (I can't stress enough how much this stuff makes a difference. It's worth every dollar.) Add a teaspoon of dijon mustard, a couple crumbles of bleu cheese, salt and pepper and mix. Toss and enjoy!

protein salad

In the spirit of trying to be healthy during these feastly holiday times, I created this delicious and nutritious salad that's packed with protein. Hope you like it!

Ingredients:

chicken breasts, balsamic vinegar, apple, candied pecans, goat cheese,

rosemary, olive oil, onions and spinach (if you want to get really snazzy,

add a few pieces of bacon, too)

First, marinate chicken breasts in balsamic vinegar, rosemary and olive oil for several hours. Then, top with a little extra balsamic vinegar and roast in the oven (covered) on 350 degrees with chopped onions for 30 minutes, then uncovered until lightly browned and cooked inside.

For the salad, put spinach, candied pecans, apple cubes and goat cheese in a bowl. Once chicken is finished, top the salad with the chicken and use the juices from the chicken as the dressing for a warm and hearty meal-in-one. 

fancy schmancy salads

Ingredients:

cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil,

rosemary, feta, almonds, basil, spinach, balsamic vinegar

First, slow roast cherry tomatoes, rosemary, garlic and olive oil on 275 degrees for about two hours. Remove from oven and set aside. Then, broil sliced almonds on high until golden brown [just a few minutes]. Add almonds and feta cheese to the spinach, throw in a few basil leaves and top with a heaping helping of roasted tomatoes and drizzle a good balsamic on top and there you have it! Another simple and healthy salad. Recipe by Lauren Millslagle 

{If you have any salad inspiration for me, leave a comment! I'm kind of loving this new feature!}

fancy schmancy salads

In an effort to get back into shape, Lori and I have started fancy salad nights to force ourselves to: a) eat more salads, b) expand our salad-making skills and c) rid our minds of salad's bad reputation. I think that salads often get a 'meh' rep because they almost always don't include enough treats. The lettuce or spinach or arugula is secondary for me... I'm always more interested in the veggies on top. This particular experiment came out well and was pretty easy to make. 

Ingredients

asparagus, avocado, cherry tomatoes,

onion, balsamic vinegar, goat cheese,

almonds, olive oil, garlic, butter lettuce, arugula

First, toast almonds by broiling them on high for just a few minutes. Then, in a separate pan, roast asparagus with olive oil and garlic on 400 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes or until soft. On the stove, heat balsamic vinegar, olive oil and a pinch of brown sugar with a heaping handful of diced onions and caramelize. Slice other raw veggies and throw it all in a bowl with butter lettuce and arugula and ta da! A feastly salad.