Roasted Butternut Squash & Arugula Salad

Roasted Butternut Squash & Arugula Salad

w/ Chevre, Pepitas & Dried Cranberries

I hit a wall this week on salad ideas. I started thinking that perhaps I should have expanded to include non-salad dishes on this blog, but, well... too late. Knowing I was in need of a little inspiration, a dear friend suggested I incorporate pumpkin. Great idea, I thought! However, given life this week, I did not have the energy to skin, gut and cut up a sugar pumpkin, and couldn't find pre-cut cubes anywhere (if you know somewhere to get this, please leave a comment!). After explaining my dilemma to another good friend of mine and fellow healthy eater, she shared with me a salad recipe for inspiration. And boy oh boy did it inspire! I totally used their roasted squash recipe and changed up most of the other ingredients (aside from the pumpkin seeds). This salad was phenom and super easy to make. I can't recommend it enough. Hope you enjoy! Bon appetit!

Ingredients*:

• 1 package cubed butternut squash 
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup roasted pumpkin seeds
• 4 cups baby arugula
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 2oz goat cheese
• 3Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Heat oven to 375°F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss squash, 2 Tbsp oil, paprika, salt, and pepper and spread out evenly. Roast 40 minutes, stirring halfway through, until squash is tender and starting to caramelize. Remove from oven and let cool.

In a large mixing bowl combine arugula, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, balsamic & remaining oil. Toss until evenly coated. Plate salad mixture and top with goat cheese (1oz per plate) and squash. Voila!

*Serves 2-4

Arugula & Pine Nut Salad

Arugula & Pine Nut Salad

with Fresh Lemon & Sheep's Milk Parm

It was a strange week for me eating wise. Although I was working out just as much if not harder than usual, my appetite was relatively non-existent which made it difficult to create any kind of interesting meals. Perhaps it's not all that original a recipe, but seeing as I wasn't up for eating anything heavy, the idea of fresh, crisp arugula with a hint of lemon sounded just perfect this week. Knowing that I was going to post this salad and that arugula tossed in lemon juice wasn't going to appeal to too many folks on it's own, I decided I needed to spice up the salad just a little. With some toasted pine nuts and a couple shavings of fresh Pecorino (I always opt for sheep's milk-based cheese when possible because it's healthier and I find it has so much more flavor), I had myself a light and delicious salad that I'm pretty sure I could eat for days. Hope you like it as well. Bon appetit!

 Ingredients*:

• 2-3 cups fresh arugula
• 1/8 cup raw pine nuts (unsalted)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 shavings Pecorino Romano cheese
• salt & pepper to taste

Toast pine nuts on a tray in toaster oven, 2-4min or until light golden brown. Toss all ingredients in a large bowl, less the cheese. Once greens are evenly coated with oil and lemon, plate salad. Add shavings to top and, voila! Enjoy!

*serves 2

 

Ultimate Fall Salad

Baby Spinach & Macoun Apple Salad

w/ Walnuts, Red Grapes & Aged Goat Cheese

If you haven't figured it out yet, let me make it clear -- I am obsessed with fall. Like beyond obsessed, which is why there have been so many trips to local farms and use of fall fruits and veggies in my recent posts. It's also fair to say that I am on a serious spinach and Macoun apple (my absolute fav apples when in season) kick right now, hence this week's salad. I made this salad a couple of times trying different cheeses and dressings until settling on the following recipe. (Side note, the aged goat cheese is a hard cheese, delish, and a new find for us) I gotta say, it's pretty damn good and pairs perfectly with this weather. I hope you enjoy! Bon appetit!

Ingredients*: 

• 2-3 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 Macoun apple, sliced thin
• 1/8 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup red grapes
• 1 Tbsp olive oil**
• 2-3 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar**
• salt & pepper to taste (optional)

In a large mixing or serving bowl combine all ingredients and toss. Plate and serve. Voila!

*Serves 2-4

**Can substitute oil & balsamic with the following: oil and apple cider vinegar (same proportions) or 2 Tbsp Lucini Italia Fig & Walnut Savory Balsamic Vinaigrette

Lemon Juiced Spinach Salad

Lemon Juiced Spinach Salad

with Sauteed Mushrooms, Avocado & Chicken

Thursday night is Grey's Anatomy night at my house. The bf knows that conversation and distraction does not happen when this show is on, and often I have girlfriends over to eat dinner and watch (and obvi rehash the entire show afterward). If you've been reading regularly, you know that I spend a considerable amount of time at soul.train., and have made many amazing friends through the studio. So, when one of these amazing friends declared that she was doing a 21 day cleanse (which is actually pretty awesome and if you want info on it contact Anthony @ anthony-ortiz.com), I promised that I would prepare whatever dinner was on her meal plan for our Grey's night. Lucky for me, it turned out to be a salad, and a delicious one at that! So although I cannot take credit for the recipe here, I can highly recommend it. I will also add, that it perhaps is the most filling salad I've made to date, and my assumption is that's cause it's the most nutritionally balanced. (It's also, as always, super easy and quick to make) Hope that you enjoy this as much as we did! Bon appetit!

Ingredients*: 

• 1 package skinless, boneless chicken tenders
• 4-6 cups baby spinach
• 2 cartons pre-sliced mushrooms
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced 
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 small lemons
• salt & pepper
• herbs de Provence

In a large skillet heat 4 tsp olive oil. Once oil is hot, add the garlic. Sautee garlic until lightly browned. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper to taste. Brown mushrooms (you may need to add water to the pan to keep from burning). Once mushrooms have cooked through, remove from pan and place in side bowl.

Place chicken tenders and 1/4 cup of chicken broth in the pan (same pan mushrooms were cooked in). Add salt, pepper and herbs de Provence to taste. Once chicken is cooked through, remove from heat and set aside.

While chicken is cooking, place spinach in a large mixing bowl. Squeeze both lemons over the spinach and reaming oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. 

Plate spinach and top with mushrooms, 3-4 slices of avocado and 2 chicken tenders chicken. Serve and enjoy!

*This served 4 with mushrooms & chicken leftover for another meal.

Taco Tuesday

Turkey Taco Salad

Admit it, who doesn't love a taco salad? I know I do and I also know, that probably like you, I am very picky about how it's prepared. Quite possibly my favorite part about taco salad is that it taste like it should be bad for you when in fact (or at least prepared my way) it's not. That and the fact that it is a super quick, easy and filling meal to make. This week, we had a friend over for dinner who brought along with her a new addition to Taco Tuesday, one we hadn't had before and may need to repeat: multigrain taco bowls! These babies added a little oomph and are a great substitute for tortilla chips. As I said, everyone has their own version of taco salad and certainly their own guacamole recipe, which brings me to my next point. I don't make guac. In fact, I've only made guac once in my life. The bf is the guac chef in our household and he refuses to give out his recipe (trust me, it is that good). So friends, I am sorry to report that you will have to go elsewhere for a guac recipe or buy it pre-made (which if you do, Whole Foods has a decent one). This recipe served four. Hope you enjoy! Bon appetit!

Ingredients*:

• 1lb ground turkey
• 1 packet Ortega taco seasoning
• 1-2 cups shredded Romaine lettuce
• 1 can fat-free refried beans (you will have a lot leftover)
• low-fat shredded Mexican-style cheese
• 1/4 cup Tostitos salsa con queso
• 1/8 cup jalapeno peppers
• 1/4 cup guacamole
• salsa (optional)
• sour cream (optional)
• Rio Rancho Tostada Bowls (can substitute with tortilla chips) 

*Note that these ingredients are for 4 servings. 

Preheat oven to 350. Brown turkey in a pan on medium heat. Once turkey has browned, drain and add 3/4 cup water and Ortega seasoning packet. Cook until seasoning has thickened and coated turkey. 

While turkey is browning, shred lettuce, heat beans and salsa con queso. Take this time to pull out other taco condiments and set-up your taco bar. 

Once turkey has finished, place tostada bowls on a cookie sheet in the oven for 2-3 minutes.

Pull bowls from oven and create your taco salad! I typically place lettuce first, followed by meat, beans, cheese, jalapenos and guac (I don't do tomatoes, salsa or sour cream). However you pile it on, it is bound to taste delish!

On the Heartier Side

Quinoa & Squash Salad

with Raisins & Walnuts

If you read my last  post, then you'll remember that this was the week of catch-up on what was a rainy Sunday. Wanting a salad that would warm my insides, I grabbed the box of quinoa that I had been sitting in my cabinet staring me in the face for months, hoping to create something yummy with an ingredient I've only ever used once before. Turns out, I did! Even the boyfriend liked it which is saying a lot ;). Hope that you find this salad just as tasty and satisfying in this cool, fall weather as we did. And this dish, like most of my recipes, makes enough for about a week's worth of leftovers. Bon appetit!

P.S.- Sorry about the pic; bad lighting. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa (I used Ancient Harvest Inca Red)
• 1-2 cups butternut squash, cubed
• 1-2 cups fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• salt to taste.

Heat oven to 400. Spray baking dish with non-stick spray. Cube butternut squash and place in baking dish. Place 4 pats of butter or 2 tsp olive oil over squash and sprinkle with salt. Cover baking dish with foil, and cook in the oven for 1 hour (or until squash is cooked thoroughly. Set aside to cool (I actually cooked the squash the night before and put it in the fridge to cool overnight)

Cook quinoa as directed on box. Set aside to cool. 

Once ingredients have cooled, in a large bowl, combine quinoa, squash, spinach, raisins and walnuts. Drizzle olive oil over the dish. Add salt to taste. Mix well. Enjoy!

Greek-Style Pasta Salad

Greek-Style Pasta Salad

This past Sunday was a perfect day to play catch-up on my blog. With a late afternoon football game, rainy, gray skies and the fact that I bounced out of bed at 6:30am, there was no reason not to cook all day (and sneak in a yoga class, too)! The rainy day and cooler air definitely made for heavier recipes, relying less on salad greens as the foundation and more on heartier ingredients. Also, seeing as I was determined to make multiple salads, these are all extremely quick and easy. Hope you enjoy! Bon appetit!

Ingredients:

• 1 box farfalle pasta (I use Barilla Plus)
• 1-2 cups fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, slivered (not packed in oil)
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• balsamic vinaigrette*
• olive oil*
• salt & pepper*

Cook pasta to taste (if you really don't know how to cook pasta, there are directions on the box). Drain pasta and set in bowl to cool. (Use this time to prep your other ingredients) 

Once pasta has cooled to room temperature, combine all ingredients in large mixing or serving bowl. Serve and enjoy!

*I didn't measure any of these ingredients. I drizzled both oil and vinegar, added salt & pepper, and just tasted as I went until I liked the flavor. If I had to guess, I would say I used about 1/4 cup of oil and vinegar combined.