Healthier Honey Mustard Dressing

 Long time no....blog? Yep; sorry! I've been sticking to most of my tried and true recipes so it's been a little while since I've tried anything new...until the other day!

I have several tasty salad recipes...but that's not what this is. THIS is a salad dressing recipe! This healthier Honey Mustard Dressing recipe is tangy with just the right amount of sweetness. Feel free to use as a dip for chicken as well.

It makes 8 servings, 2 Tbs each. Enjoy!

Honey Mustard Dressing

Ingredients:

~1/2 c reduced-fat plain Greek yogurt

~3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

~3 Tbsp. raw honey

~3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

Combine yogurt, mustard, honey and vinegar in a medium bowl; mix well. Slowly add oil, whisking constantly, until well blended. Store in refrigerator.

Spicy Chicken Mason Jar Salad

 When life hands you lemons.....typically I don't make main course salads in the middle of winter. However my stove had to be moved out of the kitchen recently for a remodel but I didn't want to skip my usual meal prep. And here in Ohio, even in winter, we keep our grill "available" when the mood strikes us :) So, I cooked some chicken outside, on the grill, in the snow, then brought it inside to complete this yummy and easy salad.  Plus don't the layers look pretty in the jar? 

Spicy Chicken Mason Jar Salad

Ingredients:

~ 1T Ranch dressing (Make your own to be free of artificial ingredients/preservatives or use T. Marzetti Simply Dressed)

~1/4 cup low sodium taco seasoned black beans (drained)

~1/4  cup multi color peppers, slivered

~4-6 grape sized tomatoes, whole

~2T red onion, slivered, 

~1/2 cup grilled chicken (marinated in hot sauce), chopped

~Fill remaining jar with lettuce of choice

~garnish top with cilantro and green onions

~add sliver of lime to top of jar to be squeezed when ready to eat. 

*Layer ingredients as listed with dressing on the bottom. This is important in order to keep the dressing away from the tender cut veggies and lettuce.

Multiply recipe based on number of salads you are making. Put on lid and store upright in fridge.  Salads stay fresh for three days.  I make salads on Sunday for Monday-Wednesday lunches.  Store upright in fridge.  When ready to eat shake to distribute dressing and hot sauce.  Enjoy from the jar or pour into a bowl.

~Bonus: I seasoned the black beans with my homemade taco seasoning so I wanted to share the recipe with you!

Taco Seasoning Recipe

~1T Chili powder 

~1 1/2 tsp cumin 

~1/2 tsp paprika 

~1/2 tsp salt (less for a low sodium version) 

~1/4 tsp garlic powder 

~1/4 tsp onion powder 

~1/4 tsp dried oregano 

~Combine all of the above.  To be used with one pound of chicken breast or with one pound of lean ground turkey or lean beef OR in the case of this recipe use 1T of this taco seasoning and toss with 1 can of black beans.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

 

When you think buffalo chicken, you probably think of breaded, messy, Buffalo wings with a ranch or bleu cheese dip, right?

While that can be an occasional indulgence on game day, it would not be something I'd eat on a regular basis to feel fueled and energized :).  HOWEVER-when the buffalo chicken craving hits, I've found something just as flavorful with a healthier twist (grilled chicken) and instead of dried out carrots and celery, a big fresh salad is waiting underneath!

This recipe starts by having you make your own buffalo sauce. Don't worry~it's easy (and you can still use your favorite hot pepper sauce (think Frank's Red Hot) as the base. 

Buffalo Sauce:

~3/4 c hot pepper sauce

~2 Tbsp+2 tsp ghee (or butter, preferably organic and grass-fed)

~1/2 c water

~1/4 tsp sea salt (optional; I found this was too much; the hot pepper sauce already has salt in it)

~1/2 tsp garlic powder

~1/2 tsp onion powder

~1/2 tsp ground smoked paprika

~2 tsp cornstarch + 2 tsp water (combine to make a slurry)

Combine hot sauce, ghee (or butter), water, optional salt, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium, gently boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add cornstarch slurry; cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute or until thickened.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

~3 c chopped cooked chicken breast

~1/4 c buffalo sauce (from above recipe)

~3 c coarsely chopped romaine lettuce 

~1/2 c matchstick sized carrot pieces

~1/2 c matchstick sized celery pieces

~1/2 c bleu cheese crumbles (optional; sub feta or other cheese here)

Combine chicken and buffalo sauce in a medium bowl; mix well. Set aside. Combine lettuce, celery and carrots in large bowl. Divide mixture between four serving bowls. Top evenly with approx. 3/4 c chicken and 2 Tbsp cheese. I personally used Garlic Expressions dressing instead of ranch dressing and found it delicious! You can use your favorite dressing (just make sure it has least additives/preservatives).  Feel free to add other chopped veggies in your salad. This is what my meal prepped salad looked like, packed up and ready to go, with a side of fresh fruit and a "topping" for my salad (or could be a snack for later...roasted chickpeas! Be on the lookout for this recipe...coming soon)

Watermelon Summer Salad

 

I'll admit, when I first came across this recipe, I thought "those ingredients together don't really sound good"~Boy was I wrong! This is probably one of the most delicious salads I've had all summer. During a small pool party recently I kept going back for seconds...and thirds!  There are still plenty of warm days ahead and watermelons to buy to make this delicious combination! As a plus I already had some fresh basil in my garden :) 

Watermelon Summer Salad

~8 cups cubed seedless watermelon

~1 cup sliced English cucumber (or your favorite type)

~2 oz feta cheese

~zest of 1/2 lemon

~4 fresh basil leaves, chopped

~sea salt for garnish

Cube the watermelon, slice the cucumbers into half moons, chop the basil and zest the lemon.  Arrange the watermelon and cucumbers on a platter. Sprinkle with feta crumbles, lemon zest, basil and sea salt. Taste and adjust the flavors as desired. (For example, you could add freshly ground black pepper or a drizzle of olive oil.)

Serve immediately. Enjoy! 

Rainbow Quinoa Summer Salad

August may be here, but it doesn't mean summer is over yet!! I recently reminded my private online health and fitness accountability group (and myself) about the superfood quinoa! If you take a little time to cook this during meal prep, you can use it throughout the week or even freeze it for later use.  However, if you are really short on time, you can find already cooked quinoa in most freezers at the grocery store; just check the ingredient label to make sure there aren't any preservatives in it.

I decided to make this refreshing, veggie and protein packed salad this week. The vegetables I used just happened to be what I had on hand; but you can sub what fresh vegetables you have to make it your own.

Here's the recipe:: Enjoy!

🌈Rainbow Quinoa Summer Salad

~1 cup dry quinoa-cooked per package directions

~1 orange pepper, finely chopped                                                    

~3 ears fresh corn 

~1 large tomato, diced

~1 medium cucumber, chopped

~1/2 cup red onion, chopped  

~1 T minced garlic  

~1 T fresh basil, finely diced                                       

~2 T. extra virgin olive oil

~Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients and chill prior to serving.

Mason Jar Southwest Burrito Bowl Salads

Seriously mason jar salads are amazing, They have made my lunch this week extra special!

This one is great because it has all the ingredients of a Chipotle burrito bowl but way HEALTHIER. Ground turkey instead of beef, a heck of a lot less sodium, and a clean eating southwest dressing.

Here's the recipe:

-1 tablespoon of southwest salad dressing (see below)

-1/4 cup of black beans

-1/4 cup of brown rice

-2 tablespoons onion, finely diced

-1/4 cup of orange pepper, diced,

-1/2 cup of taco seasoned lean ground turkey

- 1 1/2 cups shredded leafy green lettuce, -1 tablespoon of fresh cilantro.

Southwest Salad dressing:

Per salad use:

- 1 tablespoon of T Marzetti simply dressed ranch dressing

-1/2 teaspoon of homemade taco seasoning

-add hot sauce to taste.

Directions:

1. Cook ground turkey in a skillet with taco seasoning until golden brown


2. Cook brown rice in a saucepan until soft


3. Chop onions, bell pepper, lettuce, and cilantro


4. Prepare salad dressing and set aside


5. Arrange in mason jars by this order: 1 tsp salad dressing, black beans, brown rice, bell pepper, turkey, lettuce

** For the homemade taco seasoning, check out this post:

http://www.trishzfitness.com/homemade-taco-seasoning/

[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Rainbow Chicken Salad

Rainbow Chicken Salad

I am positive that I not only have one of the tastiest salads this week, but the most beautiful as well! Don't you just love all the colors that veggies bring?

This recipe is for a Rainbow Chicken Salad (I actually chose to use turkey cutlets instead!) and layers perfectly for mason jar salads that can be eaten throughout the week.