Light Broccoli Salad

I have been meaning to post this recipe for over a month now - and in that time, I've probably made this 10 times and I'm not exaggerating. Will requests this for lunch ALL the time. It's an excellent lunch because half of the recipe is 310 calories. So I make one batch, we split it, and we each have a BIG bowl of this stuff for lunch.

1/4 c finely chopped red onion
1/4 c light mayo
1/4 c plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp salt/pepper, or to taste
4-5 c chopped broccoli florets
1/4 c slivered almonds
1/4 c dried cranberries (or golden raisins)
2 tbsp real bacon bits

In a large bowl, whisk together light mayo, Greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar, honey, and salt + pepper. Add everything else and toss well. You can eat it immediately or put it in the fridge for later. The longer it sits, the better it is. But we usually eat ours right after I make it and it's delicious regardless!

Lentil Salad with Capers and Balsamic-Dijon Dressing

I could eat this for lunch every day! Will and I split this and each had a good size bowl. Very filling and healthy!

1 c dry brown lentils (I used green... not sure if there's a difference besides color)
5 roma tomatoes
2-3 oz baby spinach
1/4 c chives (or shallot or green onion)
2 tbsp capers

Dressing:
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced


Cook lentils according to package directions, leaving firm, not mushy. While lentils are cooking, make the dressing: in a small bowl combine all ingredients and whisk. Roughly chop the spinach and chives, and dice tomatoes. Place in a large bowl.

When lentils are done cooking, drain, and immediately add to large bowl with spinach and tomatoes. The heat from the lentils will slightly wilt the spinach. Add the dressing and capers and stir to combine.



Original recipe found here.

Edamame Chickpea Feta Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

Whoa! WHOA! I was looking for a dish full of protein that we could eat alongside the Weight Watchers Cabbage Soup. Found it! Full of protein and fiber, and it's delicious!

6.5 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1/2 of a 15oz can) (I used the whole can)
1 1/2 c edamame, shelled and cooked
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 english cucumber, seeds removed, chopped (I used a regular cucumber)
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 c red-fat crumbled feta cheese

For the Lemon Tahini Dressing:1/3 c tahini1 lemon, juiced1 garlic clove1/4 tsp sea salt
4 tbsp water (more or less depending on the texture of the dressing you want)1 teaspoon olive oil

In a large mixing bowl combine the first 7 ingredients (chickpeas through the feta cheese) and mix. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. In a blender blend together the ingredients for the lemon tahini dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine and serve.

Original recipe found here.

Raw Rainbow Pad Thai Salad

This time of year, every time I make something I think - "Can I do this during the school year?" Answer: YEP! Spiralize everything on Sunday, and make individual containers. This could easily be my lunch every day.

Also - this was my first time to try hemp seeds!

Sweet potato noodles were for Cajun Sweet Potato Noodles!

Salad:
1 medium zucchini, spiralized
2 large carrots, julienned (I spiralized)
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 c thinly sliced red cabbage (I also spiralized this!)
1/2 c frozen edamame, thawed
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 tbsp hemp seeds
1/2 tbsp sesame seeds

Peanut dressing:
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 c PB2 (powdered peanut butter, go ahead and mix it with water)
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp water
2.5 teaspoons pure maple syrup (or other sweetener) (I used Stevia)
1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp freshly grated ginger



Prep vegetables. Add the zucchini, carrots, pepper, and cabbage into one or two large bowls. Toss with hands to combine.

Prepare the dressing by processing all dressing ingredients in a mini processor (or simply whisk by hand). The dressing may seem a bit thin at first, but it thickens as it sits.

Top bowls with edamame, green onion, hemp seeds, and sesame seeds. Pour on dressing and enjoy!

Original recipe found here.

Skinny Pineapple Chicken Salad

OMG. This is my new obsession. This is SO good. I love the crunchiness the carrots & almonds add, plus the sweetness of the pineapple. Light mayo and Greek yogurt make it way healthier than regular chicken salad. I will be taking this for lunch for sure!!

2 ½ c cooked chicken breast, chopped
8 oz can crushed pineapple in 100% juice, drained
¼ c roasted almonds (I used slivered almonds)
½ c matchstick carrots
¼ c green onions, finely chopped
¼ c light mayo
¼ c plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
4 Flat-Out Flatbread wraps (I used a 60 cal low-carb tortilla)

In a medium size bowl, combine chopped chicken, pineapple, almonds, carrots, and green onions. Toss to combine. In a separate bowl, combine light mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Whisk ingredients together. Transfer mayo mixture to chicken mixture and stir well to combine all ingredients. If you want to make a wrap, add equal parts of chicken salad to the center of each Flatbread wrap. Roll and fold each wrap tightly. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Original recipe found here.

Delicious Marinated Tomatoes & Cucumbers

I could have eaten the entire bowl of this! I made some lower cal substitutions from the original recipe - It called for 3/4 c olive oil! I used 1 tbsp and it was perfect. In fact, I think that would be SO oily with 3/4 c. I also used a sugar substitute in place of the real sugar. I liked getting to use so much of my fresh basil and parsley! Delicious, fresh summer side!

3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp sugar (I used a sugar substitute)
1½ tsp garlic salt
1½ tsp seasoned salt
¾ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
½ c red wine vinegar
4 green onions, sliced
6 whole Tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 large cucumbers, seeded & chopped

Whisk together everything except the tomatoes/cucumbers. Add the tomatoes and cucumbers and toss to coat.  Marinate in the fridge! YUM!

Original recipe found here.

Chickpea & Tomato Salad with Fresh Basil

Definitely going to take this as part of my lunch during school. The recipe is two servings, coming in at 245 cal. But it's really filling! I will probably even split the recipe into 3 servings next time. We only get about 20 minutes to eat when it's all said and done, and even then I can never eat much because there is just too much on my mind. Too much to do! But anyway, this is SO good!

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
About 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
25 large basil leaves, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp honey
pinch of salt

Toss all ingredients together and chill for at least 20 minutes, allowing all the flavors to merge. Then EAT!

Original recipe found here.

Broccoli Grape Harvest Pasta Salad

Another healthy, delicious pasta salad I'll be taking for lunch. It's so yummy! The original website has nutritional info. Yum!

1/2 (16 oz) box  farfalle (bow-tie) pasta

1 lb fresh broccoli

1/2 c light mayo

1/2 c non-fat plain Greek yogurt

1/3 c sugar

1/3 c diced red onion

1/3 c red wine vinegar

1 tsp salt

2 c seedless red grapes, halved

6 cooked turkey bacon slices, crumbled

1/4 c chopped pecans

 

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets from stems and separate into small pieces.  In a large bowl, whisk together mayo, yogurt, sugar, red onion, vinegar and salt and toss with broccoli, hot cooked pasta and grapes.  Stir to coat.  Cover and chill for up to 3 hours.  Stir in bacon and toasted pecans just before serving, enjoy!

Original recipe found here.

Orzo Salad with Chickpeas and Feta

This is delicious! I made this to take for lunch. Will got home, tried it, and now he has to take it for lunch too. It's that good. Very healthy as well. In fact, it's so good I feel like I should take it to a family event soon or something. The original recipe was Minted Orzo Salad with Chickpeas and Feta. I don't like mint unless it's with chocolate or something sweet, so I left it out.

4 cups chicken broth (this is to boil the orzo in... just use water if you want)
1 1/2 c dry orzo pasta
1 (15oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 c crumbled fat-free feta cheese
3/4 c finely chopped red onion
½ c chopped celery
2 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped

Red Wine Vinaigrette
1/4 c red wine vinegar
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp honey
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic

Cook orzo in boiling chicken broth until tender, or just according to package directions in water. Whatever. Drain and rinse orzo. Combine with chickpeas, feta, red onion, celery, and basil in a large bowl. Set aside. Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a blender and pulse until well combined. Pour over the orzo salad and toss to coat. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Original recipe found here.

"Skinny" Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

Oh wow, now THIS is the best way to eat spaghetti squash! I had this for lunch today and it is so good. This could also be a side, but I like to use it as a meatless main dish.

1 medium-sized spaghetti squash
1 tbsp butter
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 c milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1 tbsp 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 tbsp extra for topping
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
crushed red pepper flakes and fresh parsley, for optional garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking dish with foil and stab spaghetti squash all over with a fork. Place in dish and bake for 1 hour. Let cool 10-20 min. Using a large knife, cut spaghetti squash in half and let cool. After it cools a little, spoon out the seeds and strands in the middle.

For the sauce, melt butter in a small pot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in flour, cooking for another minute while stirring. Whisk in milk until no lumps remain. Once hot, add cream cheese and stir until smooth. Remove from the heat. Stir in Parmesan, salt and pepper.

Spoon sauce equally into each spaghetti squash half. Gently pull up the spaghetti strands to coat as much as possible with the sauce. Top with extra Parmesan and place under the broiler of your oven for 2-3 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Top each half with a pinch of red pepper flakes and fresh chopped parsley, if desired. Serve hot.

Original recipe found here.

Laura's Cobb Salad

This is my Mimi's Cafe inspired cobb salad. I like going to Mimi's when I want a big, delicious salad... specifically their cobb salad. It comes with bacon, turkey, avocado, green onions, egg, tomatoes, and crumbled bleu cheese. I always order it without the bacon and turkey and get fat-free balsamic vinaigrette. Their lettuce is always so fresh and it's a really big bowl of good quality lettuce, with excellent fresh toppings lined up across the salad. YUM.

So, that's the back-story for this salad I made for lunch today. It was AMAZING. I was like... "Man, I could eat this EVERY DAY!!" Again, this isn't really a recipe, I'm just sharing with you what I had for lunch. This is my version of their awesome salad. I had to skip the avocado because mine were not ripe yet. Maybe next time.

lettuce
2 tbsp turkey bacon bits
3 tbsp red-fat crumbled feta
diced tomatoes
1 tbsp sliced almonds
4 green onions, sliced
1 hard-boiled egg, diced
fat-free balsamic dressing (or whatev)

Light Asian Salad

Well, this isn't really a recipe... just a quick salad I threw together for lunch today. But it was sooo good I wanted to share and it's only 240 calories! It was so big and it took me forever to eat. Also, let's face it, I have the time...

Lettuce (whatever kind you like)
1 pkg mandarin oranges (packed in water)
1 small cucumber, diced
water chesnuts (I used about 10)
2 tbsp sliced almonds
3 tbsp red-fat crumbled feta
2 green onions, sliced
sesame seeds (couple sprinkles)
2 tbsp Kraft Light Asian Toasted Sesame dressing

This really doesn't need instructions. You know, lettuce, toppings, dressing... etc. :)