NOLA Detox

     As suspected, the trip to New Orleans was one eating and drinking adventure after another. Jambalaya, gumbo, cheesy grits, po boys, fried green tomatoes, beignets... you name it. The only southern menu item I didn't want to get involved with was the nutria, which is basically an oversized rat with bright orange teeth. Noooo thank you! 

     On top of all the unhealthy eating lately, I'm also going to the Madonna concert tonight and I plan on doing some serious dancing - I obviously don't want to be too full. So with that said, it's going to be a salad kinda night.

Shrimp and Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad

Ingredients: 
1 bag baby spinach
1/2 cup pistachios, de-shelled
1 lb. strawberries, quartered
1 lb. deveined and peeled jumbo shrimp, tails on
5-6 pieces thick-cut bacon
1/3 cup goat cheese
4 tbsp. Brianna's Rich Poppy Seed Dressing

Directions:
Cook bacon in large frying pan until done. Reserve 2 tbsp. of the bacon fat in the pan. 
Dice bacon into bite size pieces and set aside.
Add shrimp to the frying pan and cook in bacon fat until done, about 3-4 minutes on each side.
Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl and serve immediately. 
     

Case of the Monday's

     You know those days where you feel like the universe is just not aligning? Well, today was one of those days for me. One issue after another and not one of those problems coming with a simple solution. Needless to say, when it came time to decide on what to have for dinner I needed something quick and easy. I walked into Whole Foods with every intention of buying one of their pre-made meals, but then - the vibrant pile of peaches caught my eye. I picked up one ingredient after another until I realized I had a pretty good salad going on.

Peach and Prosciutto Salad

Ingredients: 
2 peaches, sliced
1 bunch arugula
1/4 lb. prosciutto, shred
1/4 cup fresh mozzarella, diced
1 1/2 tbsp. fresh mint leaves, minced
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and toss with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 
Serve with crusty bread and a side of olive oil and vinegar to dip. 

Chickity China...

     I have had the biggest craving for a chinese chicken salad lately. It's weird because I honestly haven't had one in as long as I can remember, but for some reason I just can't get it out of my head. It's time to give in. 

     Rather than go for the fried wonton infested version you can find at any chain restaurant I'm opting for my mom's recipe. Unfortunately, her salad does not call for chicken, which I could probably do without - my boyfriend on the other hand will eat two platefuls and then ask me where the "entree" is. You see, a salad without some sort of protein does not qualify as a meal in any man's mind, so here's a TFD: If you are serving this salad to any males - throw in some meat. 

Mandarin Almond Salad

Ingredients:

1 head Romaine lettuce, torn

1 cup celery, chopped

3 green onions, chopped

1 tbsp. flat parsley, chopped

11 oz. can mandarin oranges

1/3 cup slivered almonds, caramelized*

2 baked chicken breasts, shredded

Salad dressing to taste, recipe follows

*TFD: If you want to stick to the healthy approach, toasted almonds also taste delicious in this salad

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and toss with dressing.

Mandarin Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil*

4 tbsp. sugar

4 tbsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Dash of Tabasco sauce ~~~ CLH

*TFM: Canola oil can be substituted

Directions: 

Mix all ingredients together in a sealable container and let it sit in refrigerator overnight. (TFM: Shake the dressing really well from time to time, so the sugar does not build up).

Health Kick

     My boyfriend is a runner and I am, well...not. Every so often, however, he can convince me to join him on a short jog along the lakeshore path. Tonight was one of those nights. Working out always tends to kick those bad cravings (major plus), so tonight I'm just going to whip up a nice protein packed salad for dinner. 

Chicken Summer Salad

Ingredients:

Shredded chicken, recipe follows

½ cup caramelized pecans, recipe follows

1 (6 oz.) package fresh spinach

½ cup blue cheese, crumbled

1 granny smith apple, cored and sliced into bite size pieces

½ cup fresh raspberries

4 tbsp. Brianna's blush wine vinaigrette (Brianna's Salad Dressing)

Directions:

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl and serve immediately.

Baked Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on chicken breasts and bake for 25 minutes.

Let chicken cool, then shred into pieces.

Caramelized Nuts

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. brown sugar

½ tbsp. butter

½ tbsp. corn syrup

½ cup nuts, pieces and halves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt sugar, butter and corn syrup in a small saucepan on medium-high heat. Mix in nuts and stir for 5-7 minutes until fully coated.

Transfer to parchment lined baking sheet and toast in oven for 3-4 minutes.

Allow nuts to cool.

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     To round out the meal, serve salad with roasted garlic and crusty bread. It's extremely simple and tastes soooo yummy!

Roasted Garlic

Ingredients:

1 head of garlic

2 tsp. olive oil

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Cut the head off of the garlic bulb to expose the individual cloves. 

Drizzle olive oil over garlic head and wrap in aluminum foil. 

Bake for 30-35 minutes.