Monday, April 16, 2012

Quick Summer Salads: Cucumber Chicken Salad

A great way to use up leftover grilled or rotissere chicken and super easy! No Carbs, and very filling!
***As always with my recipes, ORDER of ingredients matters!!

  • Chicken, cooked and cut into bite size pieces.
  • 2-3 TBS lemon juice preferably fresh squeezed
  • 1/2 cucumber, striped (remove 1/2 of the peel by making lengthwise stripes) 
  • Cajun seasoning (get the cheap one for $1 at the grocery)
Cut the cucumber lengthwise, then cut 1/4 halfmoons from each half. Place in bowl. Add lemon juice and toss, generously sprinkle with cajun seasoning and toss again, add chicken and toss. Let rest a few minutes so the chicken  soaks up most of the juice. Enjoy!

Friday, April 13, 2012

Quick Summer Salads: Avocado Salad (Tylor's favorite!)

Fresh and spicy! No carbs and totally addicting! The salt, lime, chili and avocado actually make the dressing for this salad.

***As always with my recipes, ORDER of ingredients MATTERS!!

  1. Juice of 1 Medium Lime (have an extra on hand in case the first one is "dry"
  2. 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
  3. 3/4th to1 Serranno chili pepper minced-depending on your bravery (do NOT touch with hands, if you do immediately coat hands in butter or milk then wash well with soap and water)
  4. 1 Avocado, skinned and chopped 
  5. 1 head romaine, washed and salad chopped (Holding head flat, make 2 lengthwise slices through head, then cut from tip to base in 1 inch increments for perfect bite size pieces.
  6. Pomegranet seeds or 1/2 chopped pear, and or grilled chicken.(Optional)
Put lemon juice and salt in a bowl, add chopped chili pepper and stir. Let sit while you chop the avocado, then add to bowl and stir. Let sit while you chop the romaine, add and toss. add any optional items and toss and serve....Enjoy!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Quick Summer Salads: Turkey Pineapple

This is one of those recipes you will just have to TRUST me on....It is fantastic. Try it, you'll love me later! :)
LOW carb, about 10 for a cup. Kid friendly!

  • 1 packaged UNCUT hickory smoked turkey breast (I buy Jennie O, usually $6-7 at market) chopped into pieces about 1/2" size cubes
  • 1 15oz can of pineapple chunks in juice NOT syrup!
  • 6 green onions, washed and chopped
  • 2 TBS of the juice from the pineapple
  • 2TBS mayo (NOT miraclewhip)
  • sprinkling of garlic salt, @ 1/2 tsp
Combine all in bowl and toss until all is coated..."dressing" on meat and pineapple should be the consistency of milk or cream. Enjoy.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Herbs and such....





I like to mix my own  herbs and spices, and grow them whenever possible. Here are a few of my favorites and some tips.

Growing Fresh: Nothing is better than fresh Herbs! If you are so inclined to do a small herb garden, I might suggest that you plant 6-8 heads of Romaine lettuce along side and 1 or 2 roma tomato plants. Romaine is easy to grow and each night when you make dinner, you can simply harvest the outermost leaves on each to make your salad. Add some fresh herbs and a tomato or 2 and you have an amazing FREE salad. (6-8 head of romaine will last us almost the entire summer!)

As the summer winds down and your herbs are enormous, you will want to dry them for use until you plant again. There are a few ways to do this:
  • The long way...Tie stems together and hang upside down inside until dry, then crumble leaves.
  • The fast way....Pick leaves, place between 2 paper towels and microwave 20 seconds at a time until leaves look wilted, put on counter for 5-10 minutes till cool and crisp. (discolors leaves but works well)
  • Oven: Same as microwave but on cookie sheet with no towels, 200 degrees for about 30-40 minutes.
I suggest buying some inexpensive spice jars, (Ikea has great ones) for storing your spices. Here are a few of my favorite mixes.

Italian: Equal parts oregano, basil and rosemary. (garlic powder and parsley can be added also)

Trilogy: Equal parts salt and onion powder + 1/2 as much white pepper -ie 4T+4T+2T. (fish tacos, grilled eggplant, grilled veggies, Mexican Skirtsteak, )

Blackened steak rub (1 T. Paprika, 1 T chili powder, 2 tsp. Salt, 1 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Garlic Powder, 1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper, 1 tsp. White Pepper, 1 tsp. Black Pepper
½ tsp. Dried Thyme, 1/2 tsp. dry mustard, ½ tsp. Dried Oregano (Blackened steak, hash browns, fried green tomatoes dip)

Mexican: Combine chili powder, cumin, coriander, garlic salt and onion powder. (grilled taco meat, skirt steak)

Fowl: 1/4c paprika, 1Tbrown sugar, 2t cayenne, 2tcinnamon, 2t dry mustard, 2t garlic powder, 2t onion powder, 1t salt. (thirsty bird, fish tacos, grilled lemon chicken)

Everyday: Base this on what you like! I use onion, garlic, basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, cayenne, and black pepper. (salads, sandwiches, grilling)

***Note: If you like your spices fine, measure out your mix and grind in a coffee grinder.