Search Results for: blog summer salads 2

Are Bagged Salads Safe?

As you probably know, cooking is not my favorite thing any time of year but in the summer the last thing I want to do is heat the house up while cooking dinner. Bagged salads to the rescue. My favorite thing to do is cook a bunch of chicken, chop it up and freeze it to use later in salad. I sometimes do this on the grill if the house feels too hot. You can marinate the chicken or season it anyway you like to add some zip to your salad. Recently it seems that every week there is a … Continue reading →

Pretend Food: Salad Bowl in Summer Charm

My girls love to play kitchen and restaurant. They pretend to have customers and to be “cookers” as my three year old calls it while my six year old corrects her. They have a well stocked inventory filled with anything a doll or teddy bear could want. Who can get enough wooden cookies or stuffed chicken legs? Apparently, a few dollies had enough and wanted a greener fair served to them. Perhaps they were gaining too much stuffing from all the felt sweets and high stuffed foods. So they traded in their plate of wooden cookies for a bowl of … Continue reading →

Budget Recipes: Easy Fruit Salads

It doesn’t always have to cost a fortune to feed your family. Pay attention to what kinds of foods are on sale at your local grocery store. You can put together a budget recipe that your family will enjoy. An easy to make fruit salad can become a quick breakfast or a healthy lunchbox snack. The grocery store that is located the closest to my home is Vons. This store likes to start its weekly sales on Wednesdays. This means that the sales in the current weekly paper start today, Wednesday, September 14, 2011, and will end on Wednesday, September … Continue reading →

International Chicken Salads

I love the Cheesecake Factory’s Luau Salad (and not just because I was born and raised in Hawaii). The culinary creation is piled high with grilled chicken, mixed greens, cucumbers, red and yellow peppers, green beans, carrots, mouthwatering mango and crisp wontons. It’s topped with macadamia nuts and sesame seeds, and dressed with a to die for vinaigrette. The problem is, it’s not cheap. Sure, the portion size is generous, but I always get a tinge of guilt ordering it because it’s something that I could easily make at home (save for the wontons). I’m the type of person who … Continue reading →

Simple Salads to Spice Up Your Summer Picnic

Say goodbye to big Tupperware containers filled with green salads that sit untouched at summer picnics and hello to these hearty versions that pack a punch with bold flavors and unique textures: SPICY SOUTHWESTERN PASTA SALAD WITH CHICKEN Ingredients: 1/2 cup fresh lime juice 1/2 cup cilantro 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 garlic clove Dash hot sauce 2/3 cups canola oil 2 boneless chicken breasts, grilled and diced 1 cup red pepper, chopped 1/4 cups red onion, diced 1/2 cup celery, diced 1/2 cup black olives, sliced 2 green onions, chopped 2 fresh jalapenos, chopped and seeded … Continue reading →

Making a Magnificent Meal from Summer’s Harvest

It’s prime picking season for some of summer’s most bountiful crops. Strawberries, blueberries, peaches, cherries, tomatoes and summer squash are at their peak and ready to be showcased in your next meal. The good news is that you don’t have to have a green thumb to make a magnificent meal from summer’s harvest. Rather, visit local farmer’s market or shop at a grocer with a quality produce section, and then use the season’s best selections in these fabulous recipes: FRESH PEACH AND RASPBERRY CRISP Ingredients for Filling: 6 fresh peaches, stones removed and sliced 1 cup fresh raspberries 1/2 cup … Continue reading →

Lite and Healthy Summer Recipes

Whether you are trying to maintain your bikini-ready bod for trips to the pool or you simply want to escape the heat of the kitchen when the temps are hovering near 100, the following healthy dishes really hit the spot on a sweltering hot summer day: MEDITERRANEAN PITA POCKET Ingredients: 2/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons mayonnaise Juice of 1 fresh lemon 3 tablespoons water 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano Salt and black pepper 4 cups spring mix lettuce or baby spinach 4 cups hearts of romaine lettuce, chopped 4 Roma tomatoes, halved and … Continue reading →

Simple Summer Sandwiches

With summer here and the temperatures on the rise, no one wants to be slaving away in a hot kitchen. The following sandwich recipes don’t require turning on the oven or firing up the stove. Rather, they allow you to serve your family a hearty and healthy meal without breaking a sweat. GREEK TURKEY WRAP Ingredients: 1 (8-ounce) cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup feta cheese 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives 4 (8-inch) spinach flavored flour tortillas 1 pound sun dried tomato turkey, thinly sliced 1 cup baby spinach leaves 1/4 cup thinly sliced cucumber 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion … Continue reading →

Simple Summer Soups

Soups during the dog days of summer? It doesn’t seem practical, right? On the contrary, chilled soups are a delicious way to cool off during the sweltering summer months. In addition, with all of the fresh produce being offered at local farmer’s markets and in your own backyard, the following recipes should come in very handy: SUMMER MINESTRONE Ingredients: 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 medium onion, chopped 1 medium carrots, peeled and chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped Salt and pepper 1 tablespoon dried basil 4 large garlic cloves, minced 1 medium sized zucchini, diced 1 medium yellow summer squash, … Continue reading →

Lite and Healthy Summer Recipes

If you are struggling to fit into last season’s swimsuit, then you might be interested in the following recipe line-up. These dishes prove that reducing calories and fat doesn’t mean sacrificing taste and texture: SPICY FISH TACOS Ingredients: 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt 1/4 cup Lite mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon lime zest 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro Few dashes of hot sauce 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 pounds fresh white fish fillets (ahi, grouper, halibut, or tilapia) 2 sliced red, yellow peppers 10 small flour tortillas 4 cups … Continue reading →