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.

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.

Kale Slaw with Peanut Dressing

This is one of those recipes where I wish Will could tell you how awesome it is. I made a HUGE bowl of this stuff. He ate the entire thing, except for my bowl I had with dinner. I am going to have to make this pretty frequently... I can tell.

2 large bunches curly kale, center ribs discarded, very thinly sliced crosswise (about 10 cups)
1 yellow, orange, or red bell pepper
2 carrots, thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/4 c cider vinegar
1/4 c salted peanuts
2 tbsp packed light-brown sugar
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 c salted peanuts

Toss 2 large bunches curly kale, center ribs discarded, very thinly sliced crosswise (about 10 cups); 1 bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, halved crosswise and thinly sliced lengthwise; and 2 carrots, thinly sliced crosswise, in a large bowl. I used matchstick carrots & pulsed a few seconds in the food processor.

Puree 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1/4 cup cider vinegar, 1/4 cup salted peanuts, 2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt in a blender until smooth. Pour dressing over vegetables just before serving. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped.

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.

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.

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. :)