Ina Garten's Watermelon and Arugula Salad

Hi, guys! How are all your summers going? We're continuing to squeeze all the fun and play we can out of this one. Hope you're all doing the same! Here's a salad for you!

This is a nice little summer salad- it's light and refreshing. Enjoy!

Recipe (serves 6):

1/2 pound arugula leaves

2 pounds seedless watermelon, cut into bite size cubes

1/3 cup good olive oil

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 pound Parmesan cheese, shaved into shards

In a large bowl, place arugula and watermelon. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pour enough dressing over the arugula and watermelon to moisten. Toss well and serve it up on salad plates. Finish by shaving the parmesan over the salad. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.


image by Briana

Cucumber + Tomato + Feta Salad

This salad is sooooo cool and crispy and refreshing and zesty and tangy and the list of yummy adjectives could go on and on and on!  I found the original recipe here.  Then I modified it to cut out some of the fat, sugar and add a bit more flavor!  Have a great weekend everybody!!!

Here's what you need:
For the vinaigrette whisk altogether:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 packets of Truvia or 4 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne(optional, but I highly recommend it:)


For salad mix together:
2 cups cherry or heirloom tomatoes, halved
2 Large cucumbers, peeled, halved vertically and sliced
1/2 of a red onion, sliced
3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled


Original recipe at jennysteffens.blogspot.com
Modified by Kara
Image by Kara

Sesame Chicken Salad

Hi, there! I hope you are enjoying the New Year so far! After all the indulgence of the holidays, I'm ready for lighter meals. How about you? This salad fits that bill and it takes 15 minutes to throw together. Enjoy!


Recipe (makes 4 salads):
2 carrots, washed and peeled into thin ribbons
10 ounces of greens, I used a combo of spinach and romaine
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
3 radishes, washed and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1 store bought rotisserie chicken, shredded or left-over roast chicken or cooked chicken breasts thinly sliced, etc.
Dressing:
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated finely
2 generous tablespoons rice vinegar
2 generous tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, you could also use honey
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil


In a large bowl, combine carrots, salad greens. onion, radishes, sesame seeds, and chicken. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the ginger, soy sauce, sugar and vinegar. Whisking constantly, slowly add the oils in a steady stream. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad. Toss to coat. Divide among plates and serve. 


image by Briana
salad inspired by a Real Simple recipe

Trusty Caprese Salad + Sunday Drives

We've been going on lots of sunday drives up in the mountains this summer. We've seen lots of gorgeous scenery, dreamy sunsets, tons of deer, and even a big moose the exact color of dark chocolate! Lily has been hoping to see a cougar, but we haven't...yet. After we take a drive, we are always a little hungry and need something light for supper, so I throw a caprese salad together. If you were to open my fridge at any time throughout the summer- you'd always find the ingredients to make a proper caprese. I love using Newman's Balsamic Vinaigrette to dress the salad. It comes in light and regular and I think both are delicious. Make a caprese this weekend, especially because tomatoes are at their peek! Here are a few pics:

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by! Please keep passing the word along about our new URL. We really, really appreciate it. See you all next week!

images by Briana

Strawberry Spring Salad

Hey, guys! How is your week going so far? I hope all is well in your necks of the woods. Here is a Springy salad for ya:

This salad makes a lovely lunch. You could also omit the chicken and serve it as a side salad for dinner. Enjoy!

Recipe (yield 6-8):

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 lb strawberries, rinsed and sliced thinly

2 10 oz containers lettuce you (I like to do 1 container of romaine for the crunch and then for the other container I use a green leafy variety)

1 4 oz container Blue cheese crumbles

1 2.25 oz bag sliced almonds (find these in the baking section)

1 16 oz bottle Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette

To prepare the chicken breasts, I like to marinate them in a little of the Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette. Place chicken breasts in a bag or container and splash about 1/4 cup-1/2 cup in with the chicken. Refrigerate and let marinate for at least an hour (you can always go longer if your situation permits).

When the chicken has finished marinating, remove from fridge. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. If you have a grill pan, use that. When the skillet is hot, add chicken and let sear for 3 minutes on each side. Turn heat down to medium-low, cover and cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until done. The chicken breast should feel firm.

Remove chicken to a cutting board. And tent with tinfoil. Set aside.

In a large salad bowl, add lettuces, strawberries, blue cheese. Toss to combine.

Remove foil from chicken. You can either slice it thinly or shred it. I opted to shred mine.

Place shredded chicken in salad bowl with other ingredients.

Pour dressing over the top of chicken. Start with 1/8 cup and then add more as needed, but be careful not to over do it. Toss to combine and coat.

Serve immediately.

Side notes and variations: You can always candy the almonds (if you are going to candy the almonds I would suggest using whole almonds, not sliced), which is a delicious option. You could also use walnuts instead of almonds. Both are delicious!

image by Briana

Bean & Couscous Salad

Okay, first and foremost a big THANK YOU to all who took the time to give us your feedback on the things you are interested in seeing on this blog! It helps us so much to know what direction to take and to know we are meeting your needs! So thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! Here is a recipe I adapted from one I found at allrecipes.com! This salad has been lunch for two days straight! It's quick, easy and full of fresh and zesty flavor! And packs a great healthy energy punch to get you through a long afternoon! In my case those afternoons consist of chasing 2 toddlers around and I love it!;) Have a happy and safe weekend everyone!!!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups chicken stock

1 cup uncooked couscous

1-15.25 oz can whole kernel corn, drained well

1-15.5 oz can pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed well

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper(ground red pepper)

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

a pinch of salt, to taste

In a small saucepan heat the chicken stock to boiling. Then add the couscous, cover and remove from heat. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Fluff couscous with a fork to separate any clumps and add to the other ingredients. Mix thoroughly and eat! Or refrigerate until chilled and then enjoy!

Note: We now have a healthy icon in the breakdown to categorize any recipe that fits!:)

image by Kara

Asian Noodle Salad

This, my friends, is a salad that will KNOCK.YOUR.SOCKS.OFF! Loaded full of cool and crunchy fresh vegetables, hearty linguine noodles and lightly toasted cashews, this salad has it all! And the dressing??? It packs a serious punch with savory soy sauce, fresh jalapenos, garlic, cilantro and ginger! I guess you could say it's the icing on the cake! I have craved it every single day since my Mom and I made it! Our wonderful Momma found this recipe on Pioneer Woman's website! We modified it a little, and couldn't be happier with the flavorful results! This salad will for sure be a mainstay on the family table from now on!

Salad ingredients:

1 pkg Linguine noodles, cooked to al dente(firm not soggy), rinsed and cooled. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to cooling noodles to avoid them sticking together.

1/2 head of Napa cabbage, rinsed and thinly sliced

1/2 head of red cabbage, rinsed and thinly sliced

1 six oz bag baby spinach, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips

1 orange bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips

1 1/2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed

1 small bunch cilantro, stems removed and chopped. Reserve 1 tablespoon for the dressing.

4 green onions, thinly sliced

2 large cucumbers, peeled, halved and sliced

1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas, sliced in half vertically, so the peas inside are halved.

1 cup raw cashews, lightly toasted in a skillet

Mix all prepared vegetables together in a large bowl.

Add linguine to vegetables once it has cooled completely.

For dressing:

1 lime, juiced

8 tablespoons olive oil

8 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/3 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

Mix all ingredients in a blender for 20-30 seconds.

Pour dressing over salad and mix to coat evenly.(Add a little more soy sauce after the fact, if you need more punch and salty flavor:)

Then serve and enjoy every tangy, savory and spicy bite!!!!!!

Original recipe from the Pioneer Woman

Modified by our Momma

Thankyou to Momma for being the hand model!

images by Kar

Balsamic Roasted Sweet Potatoes + A Chopped Salad w/ Roasted Beets

Randy has been working late a lot, so dinner around here has been a major afterthought. Think: cold cereal, Taco Time drive-thru, yogurts, and pb&j.....I should still be making good meals for the girls (well, one is nursing, but....well, you get the idea) and I, but I haven't. Tonight, Randy, had to pull another late one so I decided that I would make a real dinner (finally) and we would pack it up, take it to his work and eat it all together! When I told Randy that we were going to come up and bring dinner he got so excited....made me wish I would have done this sooner, like four days ago sooner....I'm a slow learner...

It turned out to be a lovely little meal. I came up with the Balsamic Roasted Sweet Potatoes after seeing a lot of fun recipes floating around the web using a variety of vegetables, glazing them with balsamic and oil and then roasting them. I can't wait to try other vegetable varieties in the future!

Here is the breakdown:

Side note: Roast the sweet potatoes and beets at the same time if you like on separate racks in the oven. Scroll down to see preparation of beets on Step 1.

Recipe for Balsamic Roasted Sweet Potatoes (will feed four):

3 sweet potatoes (gosh, you could use yams even!)

1 large yellow onion

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced (strip the leaves off the stems and mince leaves)

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced (strip the needles off the stems and mince needles)

2 cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt and pepper to taste.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, pour in your 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar. Slowly whisk in extra virgin olive oil. Add thyme, rosemary and garlic. Whisk to combine. Set aside. Peel onion and cut into 1 inch size pieces. Take all the onion pieces and add them to the balsamic mixture. Mix around until all pieces are thoroughly coated. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the onion pieces out of the mixture and place them on a rimmed baking sheet (jelly roll pan). Don't discard the balsamic mixture- you will need it to coat the sweet potatoes. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1-2 inch pieces. Try and keep pieces uniform for even cooking. Add sweet potato pieces to the balsamic mixture. Mix around to thoroughly coat each piece. Using a slotted spoon, scoop all sweet potato pieces onto the rimmed baking sheet. Use the slotted spoon to incorporate the onion and sweet potatoes together and to evenly spread them across the surface of the rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Start with a tablespoon of both. You can always add more after roasting. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Stir the onions and sweet potatoes a couple times during roasting. This helps brown them up evenly. When sweet potatoes are brown on the edges and fork tender, the mixture is done. Remove and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe for Chopped Salad w/ Roasted Beets (will feed 4-6):

4 smallish-medium beets (any variety)

8 slices bacon

9 oz leafy lettuce such as baby arugula or spring greens

1 large granny smith apple, peeled and diced

Heaping 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

4 oz container crumbled gorgonzola cheese

Dressing: Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette or you could use the Light version which is good as well.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wearing an apron to protect your clothes from the beet juices, wash and scrub beets thoroughly. When finished, trim the top (the long leafy parts) off all the way down to the actual beet. Now trim the squiggly little root off the bottom. Now you are ready to wrap them in foil for roasting. Wrap them like you would a potato for baking. Just before wrapping with beet and foil are in your hand sprinkle a little kosher salt over the beet with your free hand. When all beets are wrapped with foil place them on a rimmed baking sheet to contain beet juices that will surely leak. I also like to wrap the baking sheet with foil so I have one less thing to wash in the end. Place the baking sheet with beets in your pre-heated 375 degree oven and roast for 35 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and set aside, allowing them to cool.

The little white bits are kosher salt.

2. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium to low heat. When done, let bacon slices strain on paper towels.

3. If you were able to buy walnuts that were already toasted, GREAT! If not, here is what you'll need to do: In a small skillet, pour in your heaping 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts. Turn the heat on to medium. With a spoon or using some wrist coordination, keep the nuts constantly moving so they don't burn. You will smell a toasting smell though, which is what you want. The nuts should be done in a matter of minutes. Remove nuts from skillet and allow to cool on a plate.

4. Take your lettuce and pour it into a large serving bowl.

5. Take your diced apple and pour it over the top of your leafy lettuce.

6. Take cooled bacon slices and chop into large pieces on a cutting board. Add chopped bacon to the lettuce and apple.

7. Take cooled walnuts and add them as well.

8. Add your whole container of gorgonzola cheese.

9. The beets should be cool enough to handle now. Unwrap the beets on a cutting board and discard the foil. Slice beets into wedges (you'll be serving these on the side of the already dressed and tossed salad). Again, be careful as the beet juices are highly pigmented and could potentially stain clothing, etc.

10. You are now ready to toss and dress the salad. I tossed this particular salad with Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette (you can find it on the dressing aisle). It's REALLY delicious and convenient. It also comes in a Light version, which I tried on a caprese salad my good friend, Kelli, made and it was really good as well. Toss the salad with just enough dressing to moisten. Plate and serve the chopped salad immediately with 4-5 beet wedges rested on top or to the side.

I love eating action shots.

Don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY (click link or scroll down to find it) if you haven't already! Kara and I have loved reading through all your comments....you guys are the bees knees.

images by Briana

salad recipe inspired by one found in House Beautiful mag

Snickers and Granny Smith Apple Salad

Back when I was in culinary school, a group of my classmates and I would get together once a week and have a dinner party. They would pair different wines with different courses and whoever was hosting made sure there was plenty of grape juice in the fridge for me and Bri.:) The meals we prepared ran the full spectrum from extravagant to down home! On one such "down home" night, one of my classmates brought a Snickers salad for dessert. She is from South Dakota and apparently this is a very popular dish where she is from and throughout the midwest. To that point, I had never heard of Snickers salad and I'm not gonna lie, I was a little hesitant to try it! But then I did and I was hooked! Traditionally it is called Snickers salad but I felt it necessary to add Granny Smith Apple into the title since Granny Smith's are so abundant in this dessert! Also I made one adjustment in the original recipe, opting to add some vanilla pudding to give it more body and flavor! It is so good and super quick to throw together! And healthy right?? I mean, with all those apples in there it has to count for something?!!:)

6 Granny Smith apples, cut into just smaller than bite size cubes

6 Snickers bars, (regular size, not king size) cubed same size as apples

1 container lite Cool Whip (8 oz)

1 box vanilla pudding (3.4 oz)

If you haven't already thawed your Cool Whip, do so now. In a large bowl combine the cubed apples and Snickers and set aside. In a medium bowl make your pudding using the pie directions. Once it has thickened, add the thawed Cool Whip. Don't worry if the mixture becomes runny. Pour the pudding mixture over the apple and Snickers mixture and stir to coat well. Serve immediately or put in the fridge to stay cold!

images by Kar

Nordstrom's Cilantro Lime Salad with Grilled Flank Steak

Okay my friends! This has got to be one of my ALL-TIME favorite salads! Whenever I get a chance to eat at a Nordstrom Cafe, I will always order this salad! The cool thing is, is that every Cafe makes this salad the same way except for the protein that goes on top! For instance, in the Murray store it is garnished with grilled shrimp, in Costa mesa it's grilled flank steak and in Vegas I believe it's chicken. Yum! I would take the dressing from this salad over ranch anyday! It is spicy, zesty, savory and sweet! A total circus for the mouth! Beat that!

For the dressing you start with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. The original recipe calls for chipotle paste for which I have never seen in a grocery store. So it's easy enough to whip up your own!

Empty the can of chipotle peppers(sauce included) into your blender.(I used the Magic Bullet. It's small and so convenient in the kitchen.) Blend until as smooth as possible.

It will be about the same consistency as tomato paste. Set aside.

Note: Chipotle puree can be stored in your refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Now for the actual recipe!:)

In your blender add:

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

2 teaspoons garlic, minced very fine(if you have a garlic press I suggest using it. I use my garlic press all the time when minced garlic is called for in a recipe. It makes life a lot easier and you don't have to worry about your fingers smelling like garlic for a whole week after handling it!:)

1 leveled tablespoon chipotle puree

3 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt(you can use regular table salt as well, just plan on using a little less. Perhaps a 1/3 teaspoon)

1/2 of a bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

3/4 cup canola oil

Blend all ingredients together, making sure it is mixed well and completely emulsified.

This recipe makes just shy of a pint. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. Use within 48 hrs.

This is a 1 1/2 lb London Broil. It is a tougher cut of meat, but prepared correctly it can still be tender and delish! By all means use the cut of meat you would like! Heck, use beef tenderloin if it suits you!;)

I sprinkled both sides of the steak with a little kosher salt. Then I poured about 1/2 cup of my freshly made Chipotle-Lime dressing over the top to marinade! Cover and put in the fridge for 1-3 hours! Continue the steps below once you are ready to grill the meat.

Take two ears of corn and set them over medium high heat for 8 minutes. Turning every 2 minutes with metal tongs for even grilling. Set aside to cool.

Place steak on grill with medium high heat. Grill 6 minutes per side.

Note: This is for a 1 1/2 - 2 inch thick piece of meat. Whether your meat is thicker or thinner, grill it for the same amount of time. You will understand why in the steps below.

Take meat off grill and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Slice tougher cuts against the grain of the meat not with it! And slice it thin! The meat will likely be anywhere from medium-rare to medium. If you like your meat this temp, have at it. At my house we are more on the medium well side. So I finished cooking the meat in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes! The 6 minutes per side of grilling is for flavor and grill marks.(eye appeal) So finishing it off in the oven is ideal. Any longer on the grill and your meat will become charred! This is why the thickness doesn't really matter!

Shuck the two ears of corn and hold the stem end in your hand with the other end pointing down on a cutting board. With a sharp chefs knife trim the kernels off the cob vertically from top to bottom.

4 roma or plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 cup monterey jack cheese, freshly grated

2 prewashed, packaged, bags of spring mix(salad)

Mix corn, tomatoes, red pepper and spring mix with the chipotle-lime dressing in a large bowl. You may have a little dressing left over depending on how much dressing you like on your salad. I personally don't like salads drenched and becoming soggy with dressing so I had about 1/3 cup leftover. Next, divide the mixed salad between 5 plates sprinkle each with some of the grated monterey jack cheese and then garnish with 2-3 slices warm steak! YUM!

images by Kar

Refreshing Southwest Salad

This yummy salad is usually a regular part of the spread at family get togethers. It is a simple solution for eating healthier and the best part is, you don't have to sacrifice flavor!

Ingredients needed:

2 heads romaine lettuce, washed, dried and chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cans red beans, drained and rinsed

2 cans sweet yellow corn drained

6 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

For dressing mix in a liquid measuring cup:

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon tarragon

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

1-2 teaspoons kosher salt(to taste)

Combine all of the vegetables and beans in a large salad bowl. Then drizzle the salad dressing over the top and mix to evenly distribute the dressing throughout.

image by Kar

Tomato-Mozz Summer Salad

Sorry it's taken me all day to post! Phew, been a busy week so far.

We had some family over for a little bbq tonight and I made this salad. I've been eyeing these little cherry sized mozz balls at the store for awhile now and have been itching to use them in a recipe. I finally decided to pick them up today and make something happen. I did a twist on the classic caprese.

3 12 oz containers Mozzarella Fresca cherry size marinated mozzarella

3 cups grape tomatoes (you could also use cherry tomatoes), rinsed

2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced

sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

A few shakes of balsalmic vinegar

On a cutting board, slice each grape tomato in half on a diagonal (it looks prettier this way). When I finish slicing a tomato I place the two halves into a medium sized bowl and so on. When finished, take 1 container of mozzarella and pour all the contents over the tomatoes. Be sure to scrape out all the herbs and spices as well. Take a colander and place it in your sink. Pour the contents of the 2 remaining containers of mozzarella into the colander. When finished draining and the oil has seeped out of the colander, pour mozz balls into the bowl with the tomatoes, marinade, and mozzarella. Add fresh minced basil. A couple pinches each of salt and pepper should season it nicely, but you can always add more if you like. You can also shake in some balsalmic vinegar right now if you like. Fold and stir gently until all combined. I covered mine and refrigerated it for a couple hours before serving time. Should keep in your fridge for a couple days.

The only thing that would've made this salad better was if I could have used some grape tomatoes from my garden. Maybe in another week or two.....MmmmMmmmMmmm!

image by Briana

Post Edit: I've seen the cherry sized mozz at most grocery stores alongside the cheeses. If you are local, I'm positive Harmon's in Orem will have them. I'd be curious to see if Costco carried them...

Farm Stand Supper

I love all the various farm stands that pop up around town in the summertime. It’s so refreshing to be able to buy things that are in season and also support our local farmers (I also love the convenience of being able to pull right up and peruse, all the while my 13 week old and two year old are sitting comfortably in the air conditioned car). Using fresh, seasonal ingredients will make a world of difference in the meals you produce. An otherwise boring pasta salad can be turned into something extraordinary with the addition of a few of summers finest bounties. Add a little olive oil, S&P and some luscious melon for dessert and you’ve got yourself a light, summer supper that sings.

Recipe:

10 oz box of Rotini pasta (I really like the look of farafelle (bowtie), but didn’t have any in my pantry)

6-7 medium tomatoes, seeded, excess juices removed, and diced

4 ears of corn, husked and silks removed

1 heaping cup of arugula

1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Italian parsley for garnish

Boil pasta according to package instructions. Drain in colander and set aside. Bring water to boil in a large pot. Add corn on the cob and blanche for two minutes. Be careful not to let it go for much longer than this. You want the corn to have a nice pop when you bite into it. When two minutes is up, remove corn from pot with tongs and let cool in a medium bowl. When corn has cooled enough to touch, take a sharp knife and slice down the length of the cob, removing the kernels in long strokes into the medium size bowl. Follow this procedure for the remaining cobs. Add diced tomatoes, arugula, and pasta to the bowl with corn. Toss and stir to evenly disperse all ingredients. Drizzle and toss in olive oil. S&P to taste. Add S&P a little at a time until you reach desired taste (Remember: You can always add, but can’t take away). Serve pasta immediately (salad tastes better when it’s just shy of warm). Refrigerate left-overs.

Side note: I would’ve loved to have tossed in some fresh basil in this recipe, but didn’t have any on hand.

Post and recipe by Bri.

Quick And Healthy Bean Salad

DO NOT under ANY circumstance let the word healthy throw you off! This salad is 100% delish! Fresh, savory and slightly spicy it is a great compliment to any Mexican fiesta or as a quick lunch all on its own!

Combine all ingredients in medium sized bowl

1- 15 oz can kidney beans, drained (black, red or pintos work as well:)

1- 15 oz can whole kernel sweet corn, drained (white shoepeg works also:)

1- 4.5 oz can chopped green chilies (optional, for added spice and heat:)

3- medium roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/2 of a small red onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon cumin

sea salt to taste (regular table or kosher salt works great too:)

Mix and enjoy! Serves 4. Although you probably won’t have any, leftovers should be stored in the fridge.:)

Recipe and Post by Kar

image by Kar

Albacore Tuna Salad Wraps

Ahhh LUNCH! 1 out of 3 of my most favorite meals of the day!;) When Bri and I lived in Arizona, we would frequent a restaurant called Wild Flowers! This place has the most amazing breakfast and lunch menu! My mouth waters just thinking about it! On their lunch menu they had a tuna salad sandwich that was HANDS DOWN, the best I’ve ever tasted! So naturally when I moved back to Utah and Bri, our brother Mac and I started working as corporate chefs, I wanted to try and duplicate it as part of a lighter fare option for the Execs we worked for. I love it! They loved it! Win! Win!

3 large romaine lettuce leaves, white end cut off, rinsed and patted dry

Mix the following:

2- 5 oz cans albacore tuna, drained. Canned white chicken may be substituted. YUM!

4 Tbs light mayo

1 tsp dried dill

1/4 of a Red and Delicious apple, chopped

2 Tbs sliced almonds

Spoon a third of the mixture into the center of each leafy part of romaine. Pick up, fold like a taco and enjoy!

Recipe and Post by Kar

image by Kar