Power Spinach Salad with Chicken and Farro

It seems unreal that I'm back here.  It's probably been like 2 years, I don't even know!  All I know is that my passion for food and cooking has never gone away, life has just taken the front seat.  Now that my children are 13, 12 and 9, I find myself in the car most of the day dropping off, picking up, waiting in line, etc.  Which means my time in the kitchen is quick and to the point most nights.   No time for pictures, or writing down recipes, it's all quick and off the top of my head.
Anyway, I figure it's a new year and a new opportunity to get back to what I love...sharing my recipes and ideas with anyone who wants to listen.  Who knows, maybe I'll surprise myself and do this once a week :)
A few weeks back I decided to do my bi-annual detox meal plan.  Pretty much it consists of low-carb, no sugar, no alcohol, low-fat, high "good for you" foods :)
I stuck with it for about 14 days.  It always feels good to cut out sugar.  I don't know why I crave it so, but when I do without for 14 days, I actually enjoy not having it!!
This was a salad I made myself for lunch during my detox.  It was more than satisfying and I felt so good about myself while eating it!  I cooked the chicken and the farro the day before, so it was very, very simple to throw together.
If your unfamiliar with Farro, I suggest you give it a try.  You can find it just about anywhere now...I found mine at Trader Joe's.  It's a grain that is nutty and satisfying.  It has about 7 grams of protein per serving and I believe (don't quote me) that it's a low-gluten food.  It's not gluten free, but has less gluten than wheat.  You can serve it as you would rice, you can add to soups, you can use it cold in salads, or you can eat it for breakfast like you would oatmeal.  It may be good mixed in some yogurt!

Here's my take on a power salad, hope you enjoy!

POWER SPINACH SALAD WITH CHICKEN and FARRO (serves 1 )

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken 
• 1/2 cup farro, cooked according to package directions (I cooked mine in chicken broth)
• avocado slices
• grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• cucumber sliced, about 1/4 cup
• canned garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 Tbsp. crumbled feta
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach
• half fresh lemon
• 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• salt and pepper

Directions:

  Place the spinach in a bowl or on a plate.  Pile up all ingredients over spinach except lemon, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.  In a small bowl whisk together vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Squeeze in some of the lemon juice.  Pour a small amount over salad and stir.  Use more dressing if desired.  

Enjoy!!

Mediterranean Cucumber Salad

So the picture above was taken on one of my iphone apps, which is why it looks a little different.  Our camera needed a re-charge.

This salad is light and crunchy.  The english cucumbers work best for this salad because they don't have a lot of seeds.  I served this inside a pita filled with falafels, hummus, and sliced avocado.  It's easy and delicious...you could even add a little fresh oregano if you want some herb flavor.  Enjoy!

Mediterranean Cucumber Salad 


INGREDIENTS: {serves 4}

• 1 english cucumber, sliced lengthwise into fourths, then cut into 1 inch dice
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, cubed or crumbled
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced
• 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon
• 1 Tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

 Sliced cucumber lengthwise in half then slice each half down the middle {I like to cut out any seeds}. Cut 1-inch dice and place in a medium bowl.  Add the tomatoes, olive, and cheese.  Drizzle in the olive oil, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Toss gently. Serve alongside any mediterranean dish or stuffed in a pita.  

Spinach Salad with Pancetta and Pine Nuts

It seems like forever since I've posted anything on here!  Sometimes I feel like I'm just trying to keep up with day to day things, that all of the "extra" things get pushed to the side.
All of the recipes I've been wanting to post are piling up and hopefully this week I'll be able to get them all up!  I'm gearing up for a big race this weekend and I'm getting super pumped!  Hoping to get lot's of rest and good food in my body to set the pace for a successful race day!
Here's the recipe for a very simple but tasty salad.  I served this salad alongside some grilled chicken sandwiches and it was really good!


Spinach Salad with Pancetta and Pine Nuts {serves 4}

SALAD INGREDIENTS:

• 1 bag organic baby spinach, rinsed well
• 1/4 cup diced pancetta
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/2 large red onion, sliced
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 {6 oz.} package soft goat cheese, crumbled

DRESSING INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 Colavita Balsamic Glace {it's a balsamic reduction that is sweet}
• 3 Tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tsp. sugar
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
  Rinse spinach well and set aside in large bowl.  Heat a medium skillet to medium and saute pancetta until cooked through {about 5 minutes}.  Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate and quickly place sliced red onion in same pan.  Add a little olive oil if needed, season onions with salt and pepper and saute until onions are caramelized {about 5-10 minutes}.  Remove onions, toss with 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, and set aside.
For dressing, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.  **If you can't find the balsamic glace, don't worry...just use balsamic vinegar.
Combine the pancetta, pine nuts and onions in the bowl with the spinach.  Pour dressing on top and toss.  Crumble goat cheese on top of salad and toss gently.  Enjoy!

Roasted Beet Salad with Oranges, Walnuts, Dried Cherries and Goat Cheese

Adapted from FRESH EVERYDAY COOKBOOK by SARA FOSTER

Well, I was a busy girl yesterday! I planned a Sunday dinner for my family around some of the goodies I got in my Harvest Box. The menu was this salad: Roasted Beet Salad with Oranges, walnuts, dried cherries and goat cheese. The beets, so beautiful in three different colors, were roasted in an easy marinade. The oranges were from my parent's orchard and even though they're the last of the oranges for the summer, they were still sweet and juicy! All of the contrasting colors and textures in this salad make it not only tasty, but beautiful to look at!! The main course was Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder with Sweet and Salty Glazed Onions along with Roasted Potatoes, Fennel and Carrots.

The Salad and Pork recipe come from one of my most favorite cookbooks: FRESH EVERYDAY by SARA FOSTER. I actually changed around the salad recipe a bit, omitted a couple things and added a few things of my own. If you ever have the chance to look through her cookbook, you will find some of the most amazing recipes ever!!

INGREDIENTS: (Serves 6)

• 3 medium beets (red, golden or any combination), trimmed of greens and washed well.
• juice of 1 orange
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 oranges, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
• 1 Cup glazed walnuts (store bought or homemade)
• 3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
• 1 cup dried bing cherries
• 1 large bag Organic Mixed Lettuce

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place beets in a baking dish. Pour the orange juice, olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, and 1/4 cup water over beets and season with salt and pepper. Cover the baking sheet tightly with foil and roast the beets until they're tender when pierced with a knife, 40-45 minutes. Uncover and let beets cool to room temp. ** Reserve cooking liquid.

3. Peel beets and cut them into 1 inch chunks. Arrange about 1 cup of lettuce on individual plates. Layer orange slices, beets, walnuts, goat cheese and cherries.

4. Whisk the reserved beet liquid and pour over the vegetables, season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Roasted Beets just out of the oven

Look at what pretty colors these beets are!

Spinach Salad with Mangos, Candied Pecans & Goat Cheese

I was once again in the mood for goat cheese the other night, but wanted to make something light and easy. I found this recipe on Epicurious (love that site!) and tweaked it a bit to make this fresh & tasty salad. Since a salad isn't quite enough for us big eaters, I grilled some chicken breasts and placed them on top of the salad. The kids pretty much stuck to the chicken and mangos...which is fine with me! We rounded out the meal with some really yummy seeded rolls from TJ's (find them in the freezer section). Oh, and if you don't feel like making these pecans, you can totally buy the ones that are already candied (those are just as good)!

INGREDIENTS:

• Cooking Spray
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

**Line a baking sheet with foil then spray. Combine sugar, oil & vinegar in small saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Continue boiling for 3 minutes, until sugar dissolves. Spread on baking sheet and separate nuts with fork. Let cool completely.

• 6 0z. bag baby spinach or a combination of mixed greens. I had some fresh lettuce from my neighbor, so I combined the spinach with the lettuce (it was good)
• 1 large Mango, pitted and cut into chunks
• 6 oz. Goat Cheese, crumbled
• Candied Pecans
• Grilled or Cooked Chicken Breasts (optional)
• 4 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
• Sea Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

**Toss spinach. Whisk together oil, vinegar, salt & pepper then pour over salad. Next top with mango, pecans and goat cheese.

Chinese Chicken Salad

Wow! What an insanely busy and tiring past couple weeks! I started out planning my baby's 5th birthday party and ended with a SUPER sick little birthday girl. She's on the mend now, but with all of that going on, life has been FULL! I have quite a few recipes that have been piling up, so I'm going to try to bust out a few right now. So...I'm gonna start out with a great spring/summer meal that my entire family LOVES! Enjoy!

Chinese Chicken Salad

• 4 Boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts- seasoned w/ salt & pepper, cooked & shredded or cut up in small chunks
• 1 head Cabbage, shredded
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 pkg. Top Ramen noodles (broken in the bag)
• 1/2 Cup slivered almonds (toasted together with sesame seeds in small pan)
• 1/4 Cup sesame seeds

Dressing:

• 6 Tbsp. Seasoned Rice Vinegar
• 4 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 Cup Olive Oil or Canola Oil

Directions:

This is a great salad to prep early in the day. Cook chicken then cut up, shred the cabbage, slice the green onion, make the dressing, toast the nuts together, then throw it all together just before dinner. Ok, so it seems like quite a few steps, but it really is super easy & very yummy!

The chicken tastes really good cut up then cooked on stove-top, but sometimes I opt for baking in the oven covered in foil, then it can be really easy to shred (and not as dry). When making the dressing, sometimes I'll add an extra splash of rice vinegar. Be sure to get the "seasoned" rice vinegar, as it adds much more flavor. Then whisk in the oil at the end.

This salad is great for potlucks as it feeds an army!!