Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Spinach Fruit Salad

In a recent effort to eat healthier and cleaner, I have really focused on eating more fruits and veggies. While I haven't cut out all processed foods (still need my Dr Pepper!), I have felt much healthier and energetic. This salad is easy and fast, great for either lunch or dinner.

Spinach Fruit Salad

Spinach I buy prewashed baby spinach
Rotisserie Chicken I buy this from costco, then portion it out into quart freezer bags to make preparations easier.
Strawberries, sliced I do about 4-6 per plate. 
Grapes, halved 8-10 per plate
Mandarin oranges, 1 can drained


Dressing- On this salad, I love the Brianna's Poppy Seed Dressing. My husband eats ranch on it (yuck!), but use whatever dressing you think would pair well with the fruit. There's a lot of acidity with the fruit, using a creamy dressing will balance the dish to make it nice and tasty!


Cobb Salad

I really love a good Cobb salad. I have 2 favorites that I absolutely love! The first I found is at the Brown Derby restaurant inside MGM Studios at Walt Disney World. I got the recipe from them, but was disappointed when I tried to replicate it. It turned it to be a difficult recipe and it didn't taste the same. This instigated my search for an easier but just as delicious recipe. 

Now, this second cobb I found is at a local SLC restaurant called Citrus Grill. The two salads can't be compared because they are so different, but I found a good vinaigrette that is so close to the dressing at Citrus Grill. 

To be completely transparent, I didn't create this dressing, I found it on the website Our Best Bites.


Here is my version of the Cobb Salad.

Makes 4 servings- Divide ingredients evenly on 4 plates

Salad:

Green leaf lettuce, chopped 
1 tomato, chopped
1 avocado, chopped If you love avocados like I do, get a giant Haas avocado
8 slices of bacon, chopped
4 hard boiled eggs, sliced
2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken

*Tips for easier/faster cooking:
- Hard boil eggs the fool proof way- place eggs in a muffin tin, bake for 30 minutes at 325 F. Take out of the oven and place in a bowl of ice water for 10 min.
- I buy my rotisserie chicken from Costco. I chop and divide it into quart size freezer bags and freeze.
- I buy precooked bacon from Costco. Place it on a plate and cover with a paper towel. Cook until crispy, about 1 min. (Are you sensing a trend? I LOVE Costco!) 

Dressing: (from Our Best Bites, go here for the recipe)

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
-1/4 c. fresh lime juice- I would suggest slightly less. If you use too much it will ruin the flavor
-1/4 c. white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
-4-5 cloves garlic
-1/2 tsp. Kosher or sea salt- I've used table salt and kosher salt, they taste the same
-2 tsp. sugar
-1 c. canola oil
-1/2 c. roughly chopped cilantro, stems removed- Again, don't use more than this or the flavor will be too strong. Unless you love cilantro, like really love it, then go for it!
In a blender, combine lime juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and sugar. Blend until ingredients are completely combined. With the blender running, add the oil in a steady stream. Add cilantro and blend until the cilantro has broken down but still maintains some of its texture. 



*If you have leftovers, keep the dressing separate and bury the avocados in the middle of the salad. (They'll stay green that way.) Eat the salad within a day or two.


Sunday, April 24, 2016

Welcome!

Thanks for stopping by! My name is Sara. I'm a wife and momma always looking for (mostly) healthy and delicious recipes to feed my family. I love to cook and try new things. Most everyone out there has experienced epic 'pinterest fails'. I'll share my experiences cooking both the good and not so good and offer critiques on what I think would make it better.

Have a recipe you want me to try? Let me know!