Chicken & Avocado Taco Salad

In the last year or so, I became a huge fan of entrée salads. Since most of them are simple, quick and require little to no actual cooking, they are the perfect solution for weeknight dinners. This recipe is great for either lunch or dinner, and you can spice it up by adding some sliced jalapenos if you'd like.

Chicken & Avocado Taco Salad

Adapted from Cooking Light, Jan/Feb 2016

1 cup pico de gallo

4 tsp EVOO

1 bag pre-washed leafy romaine

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast

2 avocados, peeled and cubed

Tortilla strips (for salads, such as Fresh Gourmet)

1 jalapeno, sliced (optional)

 

Mix 1/2 cup pico de gallo and EVOO in a mini food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth and set aside.

 

To serve, divide lettuce over plates. Top with chicken and avocado, then drizzle pureed pico de gallo over salad. Top with remaining pico, jalapenos (if using) and tortilla strips. Salt and pepper to taste.

 

Until next time...

 

Cheers!



Grapefruit, Avocado and Prosciutto Salad

Prosciutto is one of my all-time favorite foods. I love it in salads, on sandwiches, wrapped up with some melon (if you haven't tried that combo, do it - do it now), as part of a cheese plate or simply on its own. My husband loves it, too. It's not exactly cheap, so we don't buy all the time. We do, however, splurge every now and then.

Recently, my store had prosciutto on sale, so I eagerly grabbed some. I used it in several different recipes, including the one I'm giving you today. This salad will definitely go into my lunch rotation - it's SO yummy. It takes hardly any time at all to throw together, which is perfect when I'm juggling feeding, naps, snacks and playtime with my little ones!

Grapefruit, Avocado and Prosciutto Salad

Adapted from Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2016

1 small grapefruit

1 tsp dark sesame oil

Dash of black pepper

Dash of kosher salt

1 cup baby arugula

1/2 peeled and sliced avocado

1 slice prosciutto

 

Peel grapefruit and cut sections over a medium bowl. Gently squeeze membranes to yield about 1/2 tbs juice. Set sections aside and add oil, pepper and salt to the juice. Stir gently with whisk until mixed.

 

Add greens to the juice mixture and toss to coat. Add to plate and top with grapefruit sections, avocado and prosciutto.

 

Until next time...

 

Cheers!

 

Roasted Grape and Feta Salad

As promised in yesterday's post, today I'm giving you the recipe for a super flavorful salad that I really think you'll love. I've served it as a side for soup (as you saw yesterday and as is shown in the picture) but I've also paired it with sandwiches and alongside grilled meats with great success. As always, it's easy, and it's a healthy option as well. I love that the "dressing" is light and simple, and, thanks to the balsamic mixture that's used in roasting the grapes, the flavor is extraordinary.

If you don't like walnuts or have allergies to them, you may omit them from the recipe - the first time I made this salad, I realized last minute that I'd forgotten to pick them up at the grocery store and so I left them out (and it was still amazing!).

Roasted Grape and Feta Salad

Adapted from Cooking Light, December 2014

 

1 cup seedless red grapes

1/2 tbs olive oil

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

3 ounces baby spring mix greens

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. combine grapes, 2 tsp olive oil and vinegar and place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake for 10 minutes; remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Toss grapes, walnuts, lemon juice, remaining olive oil, salt, pepper and greens in a salad bowl until well-mixed and sprinkle with feta cheese.

 

 







Until next time...

 

Cheers!

Weeknight Bites: Chicken and Prosciutto Salad with Asiago

October is my favorite month for a few reasons. For one, it's the month when the leaves on the trees really start to change (at least here in Georgia), and the world just kind of looks...magical. I love that. I also love the cool, crisp air of the mornings and the chill that sets in after the sun goes down. Then we have Halloween, which is one of my very favorite holidays, again falling in October. Both my dad and my brother have birthdays this month. And, last but absolutely not least, my husband and I celebrate our anniversary. See why I love October so much?

For our anniversary, the hubby and I are taking a trip back to the Bahamas, where we went on our honeymoon two years ago. We enjoyed our time there so much that when we started thinking about taking a trip this year it wasn't too hard to decide where we wanted to go. We'll be staying at Atlantis, though this time we're keeping our budget in mind a little bit more than we did before; last time we stayed at The Cove (which, by the way, was beautiful and I would recommend to anyone going there for a special occasion! it's completely worth it), but this time we're staying at the Royal Towers - which is that big building you see on all of their commercials. Woo!! 17 days and counting until we're on our way!

With a little more than two weeks before we head out, I'm locking myself down on diet and drinks (I know I'm not the only woman in the world who does this) to make sure I feel at least somewhat confident in a bathing suit, considering the fact that I don't normally have to wear one this time of year. So, I've been scouring the pages of Cooking Light to find delicious and nutritious meals to make between now and then. I think the hardest thing for me is to reign in my take-out lunches, but with a dinner like this I can *almost* afford to eat poorly one meal of the day. This salad incorporates 2 of my absolute favorite ingredients (asiago cheese and prosciutto) and is super light and yummy! The rotisserie chicken makes this so easy to make during the week, and the homemade croutons don't disappoint.

2 slices sourdough bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Canola cooking spray

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/8 tsp garlic powder

3 tbs EVOO

2 oz very thin slices prosciutto, chopped

2 tbs fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

2 (5-oz) packages baby arugula (or use mixed greens - as shown in picture)

1 1/2 ounce Asiago cheese, shaved

6 oz shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place bread cubes on a baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with basil and garlic powder and toss to coast. Place in preheated oven and bake for 8 minutes or until crisp.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tbs oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add prosciutto and saute 4 minutes or until prosciutto is crisp. Drain on paper towels.

Combine 2 tbs plus 2 tsp olive oil, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl and stir well. Place arugula or mixed greens and half of cheese in a large bowl. Add juice mixture and toss well to coat. Divide salad evenly among plates and add chicken, prosciutto, remaining cheese and croutons evenly among each serving.

This recipe will serve 6 two-cup portions or 4 larger servings. I'm also including the nutritional information below, in case you're interested.

Until next time....

Cheers!

Calories: 193

Fat: 11.5g (sat 2.9g, mono 5.8g, poly 1.3g)

Protein: 14.4g

Carb: 8.9g

Fiber: 1.5g

Chol: 37mg

Iron: 14mg

Sodium: 481mg

Calc: 142mg

*All nutritional information from Cooking Light Magazine, April 2012