Simple Steak Salad

I whipped this simple steak salad up last week with some leftover steak and it was soooo delish! It's a perfect use of leftovers or made on it's own! I will say, though that using leftover steak helped me get this on the table in like 10 minutes :) And the dressing...to die for! It would be perfect over steak and roasted potatoes as well!

Oh, and this recipe is very "California" -- so if you don't like some of the "California" items (i.e artichoke hearts), feel free to leave them out and substitute something you like! That's the beauty of cooking for yourself!!

Ingredients
(serves 2)

Salad:
Several handfuls of mixed baby greens
1 can artichoke hearts, drained (packed in water)
1 avocado, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 thinly sliced red onion
About 1 lb. grilled steak (flank works great!)

Dressing:
1 garlic clove, minced
1 big handful cilantro, minced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Juice of one lime
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt/pepper to taste

Instructions
1. Whisk all dressing ingredients together; set aside.
2. Assemble veggies on salad and pile steak on top. Drizzle with the delicious dressing!

Foodie Friday ~ Simple Summer Dinner

Happy Friday!!!! Well, school officially started yesterday, soccer season started and we practice 4 days a week, I started back to work 2 days a week and basically, I DON'T WANT TO COOK!!  :)

This meal is the PERFECT "I DON'T WANT TO COOK!" meal because it's super fast, doesn't require ANY cooking and it's light, fresh and healthy--exactly what I want right now!!

This simple meal literally comes together in about 5-10 minutes. The *key* ingredient is balsamic glaze...have you tried this?? I use it on pizza too! Check out this yummy pizza HERE.

It's found right near the regular balsamic vinegar in pretty much any grocery store these days. It's sweet and thick and you can drizzle it on everything from salad to pizza to ice cream! Check it out!

Any brand will do--i usually buy the store brand. It looks like this ~

Caprece Salad with Arugula
Serves 2-3

Caprece Salad
1 8oz package fresh mozzarella, sliced (found in the gourmet cheese case)
2 large, ripe tomatoes, sliced
A handful of fresh basil leaves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsamic Glaze
Salt/Pepper

1. Arrange slices of tomato and mozzarella on a plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and plenty of balsamic glaze. Sprinkle basil over the top and serve!

Arugula Salad
Several handfuls of baby arugula (get the washed, prepackaged kind)
Salt/Pepper

Dressing:

Juice of one lemon
2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (i just eyeball it)
 
1. Whisk together lemon juice and olive oil. Pour over arugula and season well with sea salt and lots of fresh ground pepper. Serve salad alongside Caprece Salad.

 This is one of our summertime favorites! Pair it with a crisp, chilled white wine and live it up in these last days of summer, my friends!!!


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Crunchy Noodle Saad

Today I've got the perfect little summer side salad for you! It's a pretty popular recipe--some people call it "Ramen Noodle Salad" and there are tons of different versions of it, but this is mine :)

This recipe is the perfect backyard BBQ dish or great for a picnic since there is no mayo--just toss the salad with the dressing up to 30 minutes before serving.

Crunchy Noodle Salad
(serves 4-6--double for a crowd)

Salad ~ 
1 packet dry Ramen noodles (discard spice packet)
1 bag (about 10 oz) bagged coleslaw mix
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3-4 scallions, diced
1 can mandarin oranges
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 to 1 cup shelled edamame (I used the frozen kind, thawed)

Dressing ~

1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup white wine or rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup olive oil (or less)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes (optional)

1. Whisk together dressing ingredients, season to taste and set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 400. Crunch up the ramen noodles until they are in small pieces. On a cookie sheet, toss noodles together with the slivered almonds. Bake for 3-4 minutes until toasted and golden brown.
Lazy Girl Note ~ Skip this step if you are in a hurry...but I will say it adds an awesome layer of flavor!

3. In a large bowl toss together remaining salad ingredients; add toasted noodles and almonds.

4. Toss with dressing and chill for 15-30 minutes or serve immediately.

I served this salad with just a grilled chicken breast that I brushed with a little teriyaki sauce.

Dinner is served!!!!


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Foodie Friday ~ Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Happy Friday!!! This is a recipe inspired my my oldest daughter, Brooke. It combines two of her favorite dinners of all time ~ Chicken Caesar salad and penne pasta! This recipe is delicious, easy and can feed a CROWD!

Here's the dressing I always use for my Caesar Salad ~

Giard's Caesar Dressing ~ Maybe you have your fave Caesar dressing, but Giard's dressings are all SO GOOD. I also love their Chinese Chicken Salad dressing.

*********************************************************************************

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
5-6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 box Penne pasta, cooked and cooled
2 faux grilled chicken breasts, diced (method HERE) or any leftover grilled/cooked chicken will work (diced)
Cherry tomatoes (to taste)
1-2 cups Caesar croutons (I use store bought)
1/2-1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup to 1 cup Caesar dressing (to taste)

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; chill until ready to serve.

2. When you're ready to serve it up, squeeze the juice of the lemon over the top and toss with Caesar dressing and Parmesan cheese.

That's all she wrote. To Brooke, it's heaven on a plate. I know you'll love it too!!

Have a wonderful weekend!!! See you back here for Seven on Sunday!

Foodie Friday: Avacado Chicken Salad

I'm going to admit this up front--my mother in law makes the best chicken salad. Ever. It's creamy and delicious goodness that I can eat by the bowlful. Delicious? Yes. Figure Friendly. Um....no. Someday, with her permission, I'll share this recipe. In the meantime, since everyone is still on their New Year's weight loss high, I'm posting my version that will help you stick to those New Years resolutions a bit better...

Avocado Chicken Salad
2 cups shredded chicken (easiest to use a cooked, rotisserie chicken!)
1 avocado, diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Juice of one lime
1-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup greek yogurt, plain
Salt/Pepper

1) Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Refrgerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors marry.

2) Season with salt and pepper, if needed.

3) Serve with pita bread, regular bread or over a bed of greens.

Super fresh and yummy. Just what you need this New Year!!

XO ~ Casey

Recipe Wednesday: Salads Part 2

Back in July,  I gave the recipes for two of my favorite "entree" salads--salads that you can have as a meal. The salads today are two of my all-time favorite green salads. I make these two salads ALL. THE. TIME. If I can't think of a good side dish (or I'm too lazy to make one), I always turn to these salads.

Side Salad #1: Cafe Green Salad--this recipe is from Melissa D'Aribian on Food Network.  Of course, I modified it a little :) The dressing is homemade, delicious and of course, EASY!!

Cafe Green Salad

Several large handfuls of mixed greens

Dressing (double if you are using lots of mixed greens):

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 splash of soy sauce
1 pinch of sugar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. To make dressing, whisk together first 4 ingredients. Slowly drizzle in olive oil and whisk well until the olive oil is combined.

2. Pour dressing over greens and serve immediately.


Side Salad #2: Arugula Salad--This salad is hardly even a recipe! We use this salad as a condiment, too-- We'll top burgers or sandwiches with it or have it alongside a "heavy" meal like steak and potatoes. It's the perfect light complement! You can also stir it into a pasta salad to add a hint of freshness.

Arugula Salad

Several handfuls of baby arugula (get the washed, prepackaged kind)
Salt/Pepper

Dressing:

Juice of one lemon
2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (i just eyeball it)
 
 1. Whisk together lemon juice and olive oil. Pour over arugula and season well with sea salt and lots of fresh ground pepper.

Seriously, I should call this a 30 second side dish! SOOOO easy!

This is one way we eat this salad...with grilled steak and garlic fries! Might be my all-time favorite summertime meal!

 XO ~

Casey

Recipe Wednesday: Salads Part 1

In the summer, I love having "salad night." Here are two salads that are quick, easy and delicious! These salads are meant to be main course salads. Later, I'll share my favorite "on the side" salads.

Although I make my own dressing quite often, these two salads call for dressings that I can't make nearly as good as the bottle :) They are the Giard's brand dressings and I get them at Safeway--which is affiliated with Vons, Dominicks, Tom Thumb, Carrs and Randalls--so you should be able to buy it at any of these stores! They often go on sale for Buy 1, Get 1 Free, so that's when I stock up.

Salad 1: Chicken Caesar Salad--This is Brookey's all-time favorite dinner. She LOVES this salad!!! The Caesar dressing is perfect and you can taste the lemon in it, which is rare in bottled dressings.

Chicken Caesar Salad
- Several cups of chopped romaine lettuce
- 1-2 cups of poached chicken (click here to see my post on cooking chicken)
- Juice of one lemon
- 1 cup croutons (store bought or homemade, I do both depending on the time I have!)
- A few tablespoons Girard's Caesar Salad dressing (see below)

Optional Ingredients
- 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
- Black olives, sliced
- Parmesan cheese, grated

This dressing is the KEY ingredient!!

1. Shred chicken and toss with about 1 tablespoon of dressing; set aside.

2. Chop lettuce, place into a large bowl and pour the juice of 1 lemon over the top of the lettuce (the lemon is optional but gives the salad an extra fresh kick!)

3. Top lettuce with croutons, tomatoes/olives/Parmesan (if using).

4. Toss salad with a few tablespoons of dressing, add in the chicken and you're ready to eat!


Salad 2: Chinese Chicken Salad--I'm not sure if there is really anything "Chinese" about this salad but the dressing bottle DOES mention it, so I'm just going with it :) All I know is that it's delicious!

Chinese Chicken Salad
- Several cups of chopped romaine lettuce
- 1-2 cups of poached chicken (click here to see my post on cooking chicken)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cucumber, chopped
- 1 can mandarin oranges (chopped fresh oranges work, too but more work for you!) :)
- 1 handful dry Chow Mein noodles (in the Asian aisle...they add a great crunch!)
- A few tablespoons of Girard's Chinese Chicken Salad dressing

Here's the KEY INGREDIENT:

1. Shred chicken and toss with about 1 tablespoon of dressing; set aside.

2. Combine all other ingredients, add in the chicken and toss with a few more tablespoons of dressing. That's all she wrote :)

If you poached a bunch of chicken per my crockpot method, these two dinners literally come together in minutes!

Enjoy! XO

Recipe Wednesday: Orzo Salad

I'm a huge fan of mayo-based side dishes like macaroni salad, potato salad and this corn salad--it must be the Midwest in me :) But during the summer, mayo isn't always the best options for outdoor BBQ's and picnics. This orzo salad is the PERFECT summer side dish. It's mayo free, travels well and feeds a crowd. Plus, you can mix and match the ingredients any way you like!

This recipe makes a ton, so feel free to half it :)

Orzo Salad
1 box orzo, cooked to al dente
**1 jar of oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, chopped OR 1 package of non-oil packed sun dried tomatoes (usually in the produce section)
**1 can of artichoke hearts, chopped
** 1 cup of sliced kalamata olives
1/2 cup chopped basil
1/2 cup chopped mint

** These are my go-to add ins for this salad, but add anything you like...cherry tomatoes, chopped red onion, white beans, cucumber and bell peppers are all great, too!

Dressing
Juice of one lemon
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

1. Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside
2. Mix together remaining ingredients, toss with dressing and serve immediately. If packing and taking to a picnic, leave off the herbs and dressing. When you're ready to serve, tear the herbs and toss with the dressing.

Happy Summer!!!!!

Recipe Wednesday: Corn Salad

I found this recipe on one of my favorite recipe blogs and I modified it just a bit. I made this "salad" over Memorial Day weekend to have alongside BBQ chicken and it was awesome! Ok, not exactly low fat but it's FANTASTIC to have with anything grilled! You can make it all summer long or bring it to your next backyard BBQ potluck--I promise it will be a hit.

Backyard BBQ Corn Salad

2 cans of sweet corn, drained
1/2 small green pepper, chopped
1/2 small red pepper, chopped
2 scallions (whites and greens), chopped
1/2 cup mayo (you can use slightly more or less, I typically like less mayo). I used low fat mayo.
1 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar
2 big handfuls of Chili Cheese Fritos OR good tortilla chips (gotta have this crunch and saltiness...it MAKES the dish!!). Note: before this recipe, I had NEVER bought Chili Cheese Fritos! LOL!

** You can swap up the veggies any way you want...you can use red onion, jalapeno, different peppers, and chopped tomatoes would be great!

- Mix first 6 ingredients. Chill. Add the chips right before serving.