Salads Archives

Category: Salads

16
Sep
2019

Wild Rice Salad in Pumpkin Vinaigrette

23 Shares

Enjoy this wild rice salad, with dried cranberries, cauliflower, green onions, and toasted pecans, seasoned with an easily made pumpkin vinaigrette!

Do you enjoy chilled rice salads? The only time in my life I’ve ever had a rice salad was on a houseboating adventure about 20 years ago with another family and we were served one with dinner! I remember it well, because it was so good!

Fast forward to THIS rice salad, which comes from a recipe I stumbled upon while looking through some old cookbooks of mine. Wild rice salad in pumpkin vinaigrette sounded very interesting to me, so I made it, with only a couple slight changes.

WOW! It is delicious, and very easy to make! Here’s how to make this great salad or side dish:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Long Grain and Wild Rice

The rice is made using a long grain and wild rice boxed mix (4.35 ounce or 6 ounce box). I used a Rice-a-Roni Long Grain and Wild Rice box mix that came with the seasoning mix in the box. It is easily found in grocery stores nationwide.

Prepare the rice exactly according to the package directions, and then set it aside, once done, until it cools completely (approx. 25 minutes).

Toast The Pecans While Rice Cools

While the rice is cooling, toast the chopped pecans. There are two ways to do this. Choose which method works best for you:

#1- Place chopped pecans in a dry skillet, and cook over low heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, until lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove from heat. Let cool.
#2- Lay chopped pecans in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake in 350° F oven for 8-10 minutes until lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove from heat. Let cool.

Make The Pumpkin Vinaigrette For The Wild Rice Salad

While the rice is still cooling, whip up the easy to make pumpkin vinaigrette, which will dress the wild rice salad!

In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, white wine vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Whisk until fully blended, and then slowly drizzle in the olive oil, while still whisking. Continue to whisk until all ingredients are fully blended and emulsified.

Make The Wild Rice Salad

Place the cooled wild rice into a salad bowl. Add the toasted pecans, dried cranberries, cauliflower, and chopped green onions to the rice. Gently stir to combine.

Pour all of the pumpkin vinaigrette over the salad, and gently stir well, to fully combine all the wild rice salad ingredients with the vinaigrette.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. This allows time for the flavors in this salad to really intermingle for best taste!

Serve The Wild Rice Salad in Pumpkin Vinaigrette

After the wild rice salad in pumpkin vinaigrette has been fully chilled, it is time to serve and enjoy it! Fluff the salad up a little bit with a fork, and it’s ready to serve!

All that is left to do is grab a fork… and dig in! I really think you will love this wild rice salad as much as we do! It’s delicious!

Crunchy toasted pecans, cauliflower, chewy dried cranberries and pumpkin vinaigrette combine to make a fantastic tasting wild rice salad you’ll be proud to serve!

We loved this salad, and enjoyed it for several days afterwards as leftovers! One of our sons stopped by for a visit, and he sampled it (many times-ha ha!), and loved it, as well.

Hope you will enjoy making and eating this delicious wild rice salad, too! Thanks for stopping by and please come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, and have a great day.

Looking For More Recipes Featuring RICE?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few you might enjoy include:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Original recipe source: “Southern Living 2009 Annual Recipes Cookbook”, published in 1999 by Oxmoor House, Inc., page 195.

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

5 from 1 vote

Wild Rice Salad in Pumpkin Vinaigrette

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Chilling Time (Inactive)

2 hrs

Total Time

2 hrs 30 mins

Enjoy this wild rice salad, with dried cranberries, cauliflower, green onions, and toasted pecans, seasoned with an easily made pumpkin vinaigrette!

Category: Salad/Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: wild rice salad

Servings: 8 (1/2 cup per serving)

Calories Per Serving: 223 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Salad:

4.35 ounce Long grain and wild rice mix (boxed mix w/ spices)
½ cup chopped pecans , toasted
1 cup cauliflower , chopped into tiny 1" florets
½ cup dried cranberries
¾ cup green onions , chopped

For Pumpkin Vinaigrette:

¼ cup canned pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
⅓ cup olive oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the wild rice mix according to package directions, and set aside once done, until it cools completely (approx. 25 minutes).
While the rice is cooling, toast the chopped pecans. There are two ways to do this:
#1- Place chopped pecans in a dry skillet, and cook over low heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, until lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove from heat. Let cool.
#2- Lay chopped pecans in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake in 350° F oven for 8-10 minutes until lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove from heat. Let cool.
While rice is still cooling, make the vinaigrette. In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, white wine vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Whisk until fully blended, and then slowly drizzle in the olive oil, while still whisking. Continue to whisk until all ingredients are fully blended and emulsified.
Place cooled wild rice into a salad bowl. Add pecans, cranberries, cauliflower, and green onions. Gently stir to combine. Pour all of the pumpkin vinaigrette over the salad. Gently stir , to fully combine all salad ingredients with vinaigrette. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. This refrigeration allows time for the flavors in salad to really intermingle for best taste! After refrigerating, fluff the salad up with a fork, and serve. Enjoy chilled OR at room temp!

Nutrition Facts

Wild Rice Salad in Pumpkin Vinaigrette

Amount Per Serving (1 (1/2 cup per serving))

Calories 223 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Sodium 153mg7%

Potassium 173mg5%

Carbohydrates 23g8%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 8g9%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 1285IU26%

Vitamin C 8mg10%

Calcium 19mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

29
Jul
2019

Fruit Feta Green Salad with Candied Pecans

categories: Salads

20 Shares

Pin20

Yum

Fruit feta green salad with candied pecans & poppyseed dressing is a Panera copycat recipe, with romaine lettuce, strawberries, pineapple, blueberries & oranges!

My sweet, long time friend Debbie and I had lunch a month or so ago at a local Panera Bread restaurant. We both ordered their chicken poppyseed salad, which had lots of yummy fruit in it! I came home after my lunch, determined to make this incredibly delicious salad at home, and came up with this recipe.

The restaurant serves the salad with toasted nuts on top (and chicken breast slices), but I wanted to change it up a bit! I made candied pecans to garnish the top of the salad, and left off the chicken. Also used my homemade poppyseed salad dressing, and this colorful and yummy salad was a HUGE hit! We made it a meatless meal, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I’ve made this fruit feta green salad several times since then, as well. We’ve tried it with other salad dressings, as well. We took this salad with my poppyseed dressing on it (made to serve 10) to a potluck dinner recently, and it received very good reviews there, also! Here’s how to make 2 LARGE individual salads (we had them for our meal!).

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Candied Pecans

Make the candied pecans first, or make them ahead of time, early in the day. They will need time to dry out after cooking, so plan ahead. Place pecan (or walnut) halves (or large pieces) in a large, non stick skillet. Add brown sugar, cinnamon and a tiny bit of water to the skillet. Stir to combine.

Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the liquid has dissipated, and the pecans are covered in a sticky glaze. Transfer the candied pecans to a piece of aluminum foil that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Separate pieces with 2 forks, and let them dry (at least 30 minutes).

Mix Up The Poppyseed Dressing

If making my homemade poppyseed salad dressing, simply mix the ingredients together, and refrigerate until ready to use. It only takes a few minutes to whip up, and I heartily recommend it! The dressing even has a tiny bit of red onion in it, which is also in Panera’s salad!

Prepare The Fruit and Feta

Cut and slice the oranges (I used blood oranges in these photos!), strawberries, and pineapple. Canned pineapple chunks can be used for convenience, but fresh pineapple tastes wonderful, too!

TIP: To cut the oranges so they look good in the salad, slice the peel off, from top to bottom following the curve of the orange. Cut all white pith off, then section and cut into chunks. Shown below is a Valencia orange.

Have the fruit prepped and ready to go, along with the feta cheese crumbles and the fresh blueberries.

Time To Make The Fruit Feta Green Salad!

Now it’s time to build these beautiful salads! Place the chopped romaine lettuce into individual salad bowls or onto salad plates.

Arrange the oranges, strawberries, pineapple, and blueberries around the top of the salad. Sprinkle the salad with the feta cheese crumbles.

Top each fruit feta green salad with some of the dried candied pecans. Drizzle your favorite salad dressing over the top, and serve! We enjoyed these big salads for dinner, as the main course! However, if you want the extra protein, add some cooked chicken breast slices! YUM!

What Kind Of Salad Dressing Goes With This Salad?

We think poppyseed salad dressing tastes the best with all that fresh fruit! We’ve enjoyed these salads several times already! My husband has tried Catalina dressing on his salad, and liked it, as well. I’ve tried this fruit feta green salad with a light balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing, and it was good, too!

But we STILL think poppyseed dressing tastes the BEST! Ultimately, YOU DECIDE. These are just helpful tips, for your enjoyment of this delicious fruit feta green salad. There are some lovely poppyseed dressings available in most grocery stores, if that is more convenient!

Isn’t That A “Bee-Yoo-Tee-Full” Fruit Feta Green Salad?

I’m drooling already, just looking at it. We truly LOVED this delicious salad. Juicy colorful fruit, crunchy candied pecans, and salty feta, along with crisp romaine lettuce and tasty salad dressing make this one FANTASTIC salad!

I hope you will consider trying this recipe for fruit feta green salad with candied pecans! It is a perfect salad to enjoy on a hot, summer day! Have a great day, friends. Make it a GOOD one.

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

You can find all of my salad recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorites you might enjoy include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so. If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

0 from 0 votes

Fruit Feta Green Salad with Candied Pecans

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

30 mins

Fruit feta green salad w/ candied pecans & poppyseed dressing is a Panera copycat recipe, w/ romaine, strawberries, pineapple, blueberries & oranges!

Category: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fruit feta green salad

Servings: 2 large individual salads

Calories Per Serving: 391 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Candied Pecans

10-12 pecans , roughly chopped or halved
1/4 cup water , use a little bit less!
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

For Poppyseed Dressing (if making homemade). You will have extra left over!

¼ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup vegetable oil
⅓ cup granulated sugar
¾ Tablespoon poppyseeds
2 teaspoons chopped red onion
½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
¼ teaspoon salt

For Salad

4 cups romaine lettuce , chopped
1 cup fresh strawberries , sliced
1 cup pineapple chunks , fresh (OR canned & drained)
1 medium orange , peeled, cut into chunks (use 2, if using mandarins)
⅓ cup fresh blueberries
⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make The Candied Pecans:

Note: Make the candied pecans first, or make them ahead of time. They need time to dry out after cooking, so plan ahead.
Place pecan (or walnut) halves (or large pieces) in a large, non stick skillet. Add brown sugar, cinnamon and a tiny bit (approx. 3-4 Tablespoons) of water to skillet. Stir to combine. Cook 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until liquid has dissipated, and pecans are covered in a sticky glaze. Transfer candied pecans to a piece of aluminum foil that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Separate pieces with 2 forks, and let dry (at least 30 minutes-preferably more).

Make Salad Dressing:

If making poppyseed dressing, mix salad dressing ingredients together until combined, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Create Salad:

Place chopped romaine lettuce into individual salad bowls or onto salad plates. Arrange the oranges, strawberries, pineapple, and blueberries around the top of the salad (and cooked chicken pieces, if using). Sprinkle salad with feta cheese crumbles. Top each salad with some dried candied pecans. Drizzle poppyseed dressing or your favorite salad dressing over the top, and serve!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: Caloric calculation does NOT include poppyseed salad dressing, since many types of salad dressing may be used.

Nutrition Facts

Fruit Feta Green Salad with Candied Pecans

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 391 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Fat 11g17%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 22mg7%

Sodium 294mg13%

Potassium 860mg25%

Carbohydrates 72g24%

Fiber 10g42%

Sugar 61g68%

Protein 8g16%

Vitamin A 8582IU172%

Vitamin C 110mg133%

Calcium 237mg24%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

14
Jun
2019

Greek Garbanzo Salad

categories: Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetable Dishes

31 Shares

Pin31

Yum

Delicious Greek garbanzo salad, with kalamata olives, feta cheese, cucumbers, peppers & light dressing, is vegetarian, gluten-free, and super easy to make!

Do you enjoy garbanzo beans? If you do, then you will love this absolutely yummy Greek garbanzo salad! This little legume (also called a chickpea) is a protein packed, and fiber filled super food in my book! This delicious salad can be served as a side salad OR as a meatless option for a main course.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Other Salads Using Garbanzo Beans

Two other dishes I really enjoy using garbanzo beans in are Nanci’s 4-Bean Salad, and Lemony Chickpea Salad. They are so light, and flavorful, and I hope you will consider checking out these recipes, as well. Both of these salads take only minutes to pull together, so they are perfect, convenient dishes to prepare on busy days!

How To Make This Greek Garbanzo Salad

The first thing you need to do is prepare the (totally EASY) dressing for the Greek garbanzo salad. Place minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and a small amount of salt in a medium sized salad bowl, and mix until combined. See how easy that was?

Add the drained garbanzo beans, bell peppers (orange or red), cherry tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, and fresh parsley and oregano (can substitute dried oregano).

Give the ingredients a good stir, so they are fully combined with the dressing on the bottom of bowl. **Do not add the cucumber and feta cheese at this time, unless you are serving the salad right away.**

For Best Flavor, Let Salad Marinate In Refrigerator

For the very best flavor, I recommend placing the salad (covered) in the refrigerator for a couple hours minimum. This will give the salad a good chill, AND let the flavors mingle and get to know each other! You can even let the salad marinate overnight, if desired!

Before Serving The Greek Garbanzo Salad, Add Final Ingredients

Right before you serve the salad, add the chopped cucumber (they should be nice and crunchy), and the crumbled feta cheese. Toss, to combine.

NOTE: I mixed both the feta and cucumbers into the Greek garbanzo salad, but you can also mix in the crunchy cucumbers, toss to combine, and then top the salad with the feta, if desired.

Now you’re ready to serve this cool, crispy, colorful, and flavor-filled Greek garbanzo salad! The salad has a wonderful taste thanks in part to the feta cheese, simple lemon dressing and tangy kalamata olives. YUM!

Here is a close up view (below) of a forkful of the Greek garbanzo salad… ready to eat! My husband and I loved this simple salad. Our grown son (a vegetarian) popped in for a visit, and tried this salad. He loved it, too!

Hope you will consider trying this delicious Greek garbanzo salad. It truly is very good, and would be a perfect side dish to serve on a hot, summer evening! The salad will keep well for several days, covered in the refrigerator! Have a great day, friends.

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have a nice variety of delicious salad recipes for you to enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Original recipe source: “The Skinnytaste Cookbook”, by Gina Homolka, published 2014 by Clarkson-Potter Publishers, page 146.

0 from 0 votes

Greek Garbanzo Salad

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Total Time

15 mins

Delicious Greek garbanzo salad, with kalamata olives, feta cheese, cucumbers, peppers & light dressing, is vegetarian, gluten-free, and super easy!

Category: Salad/Side Dish

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: Greek Garbanzo Salad

Servings: 5 (1 cup servings)

Calories Per Serving: 141 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Salad Dressing

2 garlic cloves , minced
3 Tablespoons lemon juice , fresh squeezed
1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt

For Salad

2 cups canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas) , rinsed and drained (gluten free)
1 cup cherry tomatoes , quartered
½ cup red (or orange) bell pepper , chopped
¼ cup red onion , chopped
¼ cup kalamata olives , pitted and chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley , chopped
½ teaspoon fresh oregano leaves , chopped (OR 1/4 tsp. dried)
1½ cups English cucumber , chopped ( or regular cucumber, seeded)
⅓ cup feta cheese , crumbled

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and salt in a medium sized salad bowl, and mix together until combined.
Add the drained garbanzo beans, bell peppers (orange or red), cherry tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, fresh parsley and oregano (can substitute dried oregano). Give the ingredients a good stir, so they are fully combined with the dressing on bottom of bowl. For the very best flavor, I recommend placing the salad (covered) in the refrigerator for a couple hours minimum. This will give the salad a good chill, AND let the flavors mingle and get to know each other! You can even let the salad marinate overnight, if desired!
Right before you serve the salad, add in the chopped cucumber (it should be nice and crunchy!), and crumbled feta cheese, and toss to combine. NOTE: I mixed both the feta and cucumbers into the salad- you can also mix in the crunchy cucumbers, toss to combine, and then top the salad with the feta, if desired. Serve, and enjoy! Refrigerate any leftovers.

Nutrition Facts

Greek Garbanzo Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 141 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 9mg3%

Sodium 638mg28%

Potassium 267mg8%

Carbohydrates 15g5%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 850IU17%

Vitamin C 33.2mg40%

Calcium 92mg9%

Iron 1.4mg8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

28
May
2019

Classic Tuna Salad

categories: Lunch - Quick and Easy, Main Dish Salads, Main Dishes, Salads, Seafood

341 Shares

Pin335

Yum6

Classic Tuna Salad is a filling, healthy, delicious entree salad that’s Weight Watchers friendly (ZERO points Freestyle), and is ready in 10 minutes!

Do you enjoy tuna salad? We sure do, but typically we enjoy it on sandwiches. My husband likes to add hard boiled eggs and mayo to drained tuna, and that’s about it! Recently I stumbled upon a recipe for classic tuna salad that can be served as a quick lunch or dinner main course, and decided to give it a try! YUM!!!! The entire salad took under 10 minutes to make (including chopping and slicing the veggies). That’s a WIN, in my book.

The tuna salad is so delicious (even as leftovers the next day) I thought I would share it with you today. This recipe was adapted by a Weight Watchers member from a cookbook recipe she had. Even if you are not following a WW plan, this is a very filling, low calorie and delicious salad.

This recipe for classic tuna salad uses non fat Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise to cut out some fat calories and make it compatible with a Weight Watchers Freestyle eating plan. That small change made this salad have ZERO Freestyle points (for those of you who follow a WW plan and know the over 200 foods that have a zero points value).

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make This Classic Tuna Salad

Truthfully, there is nothing even remotely difficult involved in making this delicious tuna salad. Simply prep the veggies, by cutting, chopping and slicing. Seen below are the chopped dill pickles, celery, fresh parsley and chives (from our garden), and red onion.

Once you’ve “prepped” the veggies, place them in a medium sized bowl with drained albacore tuna, spices, lemon juice, and non fat Greek yogurt.

Combine all the ingredients, adding a little bit more Greek yogurt if necessary, to reach the consistency you prefer. I started with 3 Tablespoons, then added just a smidge more.

Time To Enjoy A Classic Tuna Salad

Once everything is combined, you are ready to enjoy this wonderful ZERO point, flavor-packed, classic tuna salad! It is often said you eat with your eyes first, so I served it on a bed of chopped iceberg lettuce, and surrounded this classic tuna salad with a sliced Gala apple!

The salad LOOKED good served this way, and the crunchy sweetness of the apple tasted GREAT alongside this delicious salad!

There you have it! A healthy, and quite filling entree salad that has ZERO Freestyle points if you follow a WW plan. That works for me! Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. By the way, I had the exact same lunch the very next day, as well! It really is a great tasting lunch or dinner!

I sure do hope you will consider trying this delicious classic tuna salad recipe! Even if you are not following a Weight Watchers plan, I am confident you will really enjoy this delicious salad. Have a wonderful day!

Looking For More MAIN COURSE SALAD Recipes?

You can find all of my entree salad recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. Here’s a few favorites you might want to check out:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Recipe Adapted From: The Cookbook “Well Fed 2: More Paleo Recipes For People Who Love To Eat”, by Melissa Joulwan, published by Smudge Publishing. Recipe was adapted by a WW member, then posted in WW connect community.

0 from 0 votes

Classic Tuna Salad

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Total Time

10 mins

Classic Tuna Salad is a filling, healthy, delicious entree salad that's Weight Watchers friendly (ZERO points Freestyle), and is ready in 10 minutes!

Category: Entree/Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: classic tuna salad

Servings: 4

Calories Per Serving: 143 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2 cans albacore tuna (in water) , drained (7 oz. per can)
1/4 cup red onion , finely chopped
1 rib celery , finely diced
1/4 cup dill pickle , finely diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley , chopped
2 Tablespoons chives , finely chopped (fresh or dried)
1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice , freshly squeezed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 dash cayenne pepper
3-4 Tablespoons non fat, plain Greek yogurt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Drain tuna, and cut, chop or slice the veggies.
Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl, and stir well, to fully mix all the veggies and spices with the tuna and non-fat Greek yogurt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (can also be eaten immediately).
To serve, place a rounded large scoop on a bed of chopped lettuce, or make into a sandwich, whichever way you want to enjoy this classic tuna salad. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Classic Tuna Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 (1/4 of total))

Calories 143 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Fat 3g5%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 42mg14%

Sodium 540mg23%

Potassium 312mg9%

Carbohydrates 2g1%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 25g50%

Vitamin A 460IU9%

Vitamin C 7.7mg9%

Calcium 39mg4%

Iron 1.2mg7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here is one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

08
Mar
2019

Kale Orange Salad

categories: From Our Veggie Garden, Salads, Vegetable Dishes

23 Shares

Pin23

Yum

Kale Orange Salad, topped with a creamy citrus vinaigrette, crumbled goat cheese, fresh oranges, and jalapeño slices, may surprise you with just how GOOD it tastes!

KALE… most people either LIKE it or HATE it! I happen to like it. Several years ago I found a recipe for a kale and citrus salad online, from Ree Drummond, also known as The Pioneer Woman. She had ordered a similar salad at a restaurant in Hollywood, loved it, then went home and recreated it! I enjoy her cookbooks and recipes, so I knew this kale orange salad just HAD to be GOOD!

Our little backyard raised bed garden, at the time, happened to be overflowing with kale! I use our homegrown kale in my recipe for Olive Garden’s “Zuppa Toscana” Soup (a favorite), so I try to have it around. After reading through the ingredient list, a kale orange salad sounded very interesting, so I harvested a bunch from our garden, and made this salad! YUM!

My husband and I really enjoyed this unique salad (and he’s not a HUGE kale fan)! It’s also easy to make, which is always a big PLUS in my book! Here’s how to make this delicious salad:

Scroll Down For a Printable Recipe Card At the Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Kale For The Salad

Rinse and drain the kale thoroughly, then place the leaves onto a cutting surface. Using a sharp knife, remove the long stem from the middle of the leaves (discard the stems). Once de-stemmed, thinly slice the kale, a handful of leaves at a time. Place all the sliced kale into a large salad bowl, and set aside.

Make The Salad Dressing For The Kale Orange Salad

Place the orange juice, olive oil, white wine vinegar, granulated sugar, minced garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk these ingredients together until fully blended. Add the sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt, if using), and whisk again, to blend fully. The finished salad dressing will be smooth and creamy.

You will need beautiful, peeled orange chunks for this salad. Below is a handy photo of how to peel an orange to get perfect little chunks, without all the bitter tasting white “pith” attached!

Cut a slice off the bottom of the orange. Stand up the orange with the sliced edge on the bottom. Carefully cut off the peel, from top to bottom, following the curve of the orange. Remove all the white “pith” from the outside of the orange. Slice the peeled orange into chunks.

Assemble The Kale Orange Salad

Gather the salad bowl and the rest of the ingredients when ready to build the salad. This includes the thinly sliced kale, seeded and thinly sliced jalapeños, citrus salad dressing, orange chunks, and the goat cheese. (Oops… sorry about the slightly blurry photo).

Pour HALF the salad dressing over the sliced kale, and give it a good toss. Add the oranges and the sliced jalapeños, and toss again, to ensure everything is covered with salad dressing. If the kale orange salad needs a bit more dressing, add more, until it is to your liking. TIP: Any extra salad dressing can be stored (covered), in the refrigerator for several days, and can be used on other salads.

Use a fork to crumble up the goat cheese, and add it to the kale orange salad right before you serve it! Give the salad one final toss, to combine ingredients, then serve!

We enjoyed this simple, but yummy salad, along with a piece of pan seared creole salmon, and a small baked potato! The creamy goat cheese, along with the sweet oranges and creamy citrus salad dressing really make this a delicious side salad!

I hope you will consider trying this kale orange salad, and have a feeling you will be pleasantly surprised with the taste (even if you’re not a big KALE fan!). Have a wonderful day!

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Original Recipe Source: http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/salads/kale-citrus-salad/

0 from 0 votes

Kale Orange Salad

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Total Time

20 mins

Kale Orange Salad, topped with citrus vinaigrette, crumbled goat cheese, fresh oranges, and jalapeño slices, may surprise you with just how GOOD it tastes!

Category: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: kale orange salad

Servings: 6

Calories Per Serving: 127 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Salad:

1 bunch kale , rinsed, stems removed
1 large orange , peeled and cut into chunks
1 medium fresh jalapeño pepper , seeded/sliced very thin
4 ounces goat cheese (chevre)

For Salad Dressing:

1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic , minced
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 Tablespoon sour cream , or plain Greek yogurt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare kale: Rinse and drain kale thoroughly, then place leaves onto cutting surface. Using a sharp knife, remove long stem from the middle of the leaves (discard the stems). Once de-stemmed, thinly slice kale, a handful at a time. Place sliced kale into a large salad bowl; set aside.
Make The Salad Dressing: Place orange juice, olive oil, white wine vinegar, granulated sugar, minced garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk together until fully blended. Add sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt, if using), and whisk again, to blend fully. Finished salad dressing will be smooth and creamy.
Build Salad: Pour HALF the salad dressing over sliced kale in bowl; give it a good toss, to distribute salad dressing. Add orange pieces and sliced jalapeños, and toss again, to ensure everything is coated with salad dressing. If salad needs a bit more dressing, add more until it is to your liking. TIP: Any extra dressing can be stored (covered), in refrigerator for several days, and can be used on other salads.
Use a fork to crumble up the goat cheese, and add it to the kale orange salad right before you serve it! Give the salad one final toss, to combine ingredients, then serve! Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Substitutions for the orange chunks in the Salad: 3 tangerines or clementines.

Nutrition Facts

Kale Orange Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 (1/6th of total))

Calories 127 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 9mg3%

Sodium 79mg3%

Potassium 182mg5%

Carbohydrates 7g2%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 2475IU50%

Vitamin C 50.4mg61%

Calcium 74mg7%

Iron 0.7mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

25
Feb
2019

Cranberry Orange Quinoa Salad with Pecans

categories: Salads

113 Shares

Pin113

Yum

You’ll enjoy this delicious Cranberry Orange Quinoa Salad with toasted pecans, covered in a honey-orange dressing! It’s gluten-free, and very easy to make!

Well, this cranberry orange quinoa salad with pecans may not LOOK “crazy fancy”, but it sure is delicious! This gluten-free quinoa salad is a very simple looking salad, but it packs a whole lot of flavor! You can learn more about quinoa here. I found the recipe on Pinterest, and thought it would be fun to try another new recipe using QUINOA!

Recently I made Cranberry Orange Israeli Couscous (using pearl couscous), and we loved it! Because of that, I thought it might be fun to try another recipe with the same flavor combination, but use QUINOA and a slightly different salad dressing. This “superfood quinoa” salad is the result… simple to make, and very flavorful!

Scroll Down for A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Cranberry Orange Quinoa Salad

The first thing you will need to do is rinse the quinoa! You can use a mesh strainer for this. Bring 2 cups of tap water to a boil on MEDIUM-HIGH heat in a medium-sized saucepan.

Add the rinsed quinoa to the pan, stir to combine, then bring the water back to a boil. Once water begins to boil, put a lid on the pan, and turn the heat down to LOW. Let the quinoa cook for about 15 minutes, OR until all the water has been absorbed by the quinoa.

Remove the saucepan from the heat once the quinoa is done. Remove the lid, then fluff up the quinoa, using a fork. Transfer the quinoa into a large salad bowl, and let it cool for about 10 minutes.

Make The Salad Dressing While Quinoa Cools

While the quinoa cools, make the honey orange salad dressing (it’s so easy!). Place the salad dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

The ingredients for the dressing are olive oil, fresh squeezed orange juice, apple cider vinegar, orange zest, honey, turmeric and thyme. Whisk the salad dressing ingredients together until they are fully combined.

Pour the honey orange dressing over the warm quinoa, and stir well, to fully mix together. Once combined, add the dried cranberries into the cranberry orange quinoa salad, and stir well.

Taste a bite of the salad, and lightly season with salt and pepper, if desired. Place the salad (covered) into refrigerator, and let it chill for at least 30 minutes.

Toast Pecans Before Adding To Cranberry Orange Quinoa Salad

Toasted, chopped pecans will be the last thing to add to the chilled cranberry orange quinoa salad right before you serve it! There are TWO ways you can toast the pecans… dry toasting them in a skillet, OR baking them in the oven. Your choice. I dry toasted them in a skillet.

To toast them in a skillet: Place chopped pecans in a dry skillet. Cook on low heat, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes until they become fragrant. To oven bake: Preheat oven to 350° F. Put the chopped pecans onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes.

Whichever method you use to toast the pecans, remove them from the heat when done, and let them cool BEFORE adding to the salad. Once cooled, stir them into the refrigerated cranberry orange quinoa salad.

That’s it! Now the cranberry orange quinoa salad is finished, chilled, and ready to serve! Fluff it up a bit with a fork again, and dig in! Simple, yet tasty!

Hope you enjoy this easy, tasty cranberry orange quinoa salad. Each serving is about 1/2 cup or so, for a total of 5 servings. Any leftover salad stores well in the refrigerator, for 3-4 days, if covered well, or in an airtight container. Have a great day!

Looking For More QUINOA Recipes?

You can find all of my published recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few of our favorite recipes with quinoa include:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Original Recipe Source: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/cranberry-pecan-quinoa-salad-with-honey-orange-dressing/

0 from 0 votes

Cranberry Orange Quinoa Salad with Pecans

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Total Time

25 mins

You'll enjoy this delicious Cranberry Orange Quinoa Salad with toasted pecans, covered in a honey-orange dressing! It's gluten-free, and easy to make!

Category: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cranberry orange quinoa salad

Servings: 5 servings

Calories Per Serving: 251 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Salad:

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup pecans (chopped) , toasted

For Honey-Orange Salad Dressing:

1 medium orange , zest AND juice
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon honey , or agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
salt and pepper, to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Rinse the quinoa in a mesh strainer. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil on MEDIUM-HIGH heat in a medium-sized saucepan. Add rinsed quinoa to the pan, stir to combine, then bring water back to a boil. Put a lid on the pan, and turn heat down to LOW. Cook quinoa for about 15 minutes OR until all the water has been absorbed by the quinoa. Once done, remove pan from the heat. Fluff up the quinoa, using a fork. Transfer quinoa to a large salad bowl, and let it cool for about 10 minutes.
While quinoa cools, make the salad dressing. Place ingredients in a small bowl (olive oil, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, orange zest, honey, turmeric and thyme). Whisk until fully combined.
Pour the dressing over warm quinoa, and stir well. Once combined, add dried cranberries, and stir well. Taste a bite of the salad; lightly season with salt and pepper, if desired. Place the salad (covered) into refrigerator, and let it chill for at least 30 minutes.
Toasted, chopped pecans will be the last thing to add to the chilled salad right before you serve it! There are 2 ways to toast pecans: 1) Toast them in a skillet: Place chopped pecans in a dry skillet. Cook on low heat, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes until they become fragrant. 2) Oven bake: Preheat oven to 350° F. Put the chopped pecans onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes. However you choose to toast the pecans, remove from heat when done; let them cool BEFORE adding to the salad. Once cooled, stir them into the refrigerated salad, fluff with a fork, and serve! Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Cranberry Orange Quinoa Salad with Pecans

Amount Per Serving (1 (1/5th of total))

Calories 251 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 2mg0%

Potassium 268mg8%

Carbohydrates 36g12%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 11g12%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 60IU1%

Vitamin C 13.9mg17%

Calcium 32mg3%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

25
Jan
2019

Cranberry Orange Israeli Couscous

categories: Salads, Side Dishes

5.0K Shares

Pin5.0K

Yum6

You’ll love this easy to make, delicious cranberry orange Israeli couscous and pecan salad, topped with a wonderful homemade orange herb vinaigrette!

Several months ago I discovered “pearl couscous“, or as it is also called “Israeli couscous”. This tiny pasta is called “ptitim” in Israel, and apparently was developed there, back in the 1950’s when rice was scarce. This tiny little pasta is about the size of a pearl, which also helps to explain it’s name.

I had already used this type of couscous in soup, and in another salad. When I found a recipe that closely resembled a salad found at Trader Joes, I saved it to my Pinterest boards. However, I kept “thinking” about making the recipe for a couple weeks, so finally I made my own cranberry orange Israeli couscous!

I made a couple minor changes to the recipe, but found it to be an absolutely EASY and delicious salad to make, in about 15 minutes. Now, we can’t stay out of it (seriously!)… it’s sooo good! Here’s how to make this delicious side dish or salad.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Toast The Pecans For the Cranberry Orange Israeli Couscous Salad

This step is very easy to do while the couscous is cooking, which will also save you time. Place the chopped pecans (or walnuts) in a dry skillet on medium heat.

Continue to cook and stir occasionally, until you can begin to smell them. Keep an eye on the nuts while they toast, so you don’t burn them!

This step usually only takes 3-4 minutes. Remove the pecans from the skillet, and let them cool down.

Cook The Israeli Couscous

To cook the couscous, first bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the couscous to the water, and let it cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the couscous is finished cooking, pour it into a colander and let it drain. Place the drained couscous into a large serving bowl.

Add the chopped green onions and dried cranberries to the couscous. It already looks pretty, with the pop of color, right?

Mix together the ingredients for the orange herb vinaigrette in a small container. I used a measuring cup, and simply blended the vinaigrette with a fork, until fully combined.

Once fully combined, pour the dressing over the warm couscous, green onions and dried cranberries. It is best to add the dressing while the couscous is still warm, because it will absorb more of the dressing. Stir well, to blend the salad and coat everything with the dressing.

Add the chopped pecans or walnuts to the couscous, and stir to combine. OPTIONAL: If you are not going to be serving the cranberry orange Israeli couscous right away, you can wait (if you want) to add the pecans until just before serving, for maximum crunch!

Once all ingredients for the cranberry orange Israeli couscous are blended, cover the salad, and let it chill in the refrigerator. This salad is at it’s very best, flavor-wise, after it has time to chill, and the flavors have really developed.

The Cranberry Orange Israeli Couscous Is Ready To Eat!

When ready to serve, give it a quick stir (to “fluff it up”), then enjoy this amazing tasting side dish or salad! It is absolutely DELICIOUS!

We “might” have dipped into it for dinner, lunch, and (*cough, cough*) even breakfast! It is so incredibly GOOD.

There will enough couscous for about 10 servings, so there is plenty to go around! Hooray! Now that we have eaten it all, I guess it’s time to make some more! YUM. Any leftover cranberry orange Israeli couscous salad will keep for several days, if placed in an airtight container, and kept in the fridge.

I really believe you will LOVE this delicious cranberry orange Israeli couscous salad. Once made, it truly was hard to stay out of it! My fork kept wanting just one more taste, and how could I say no to my fork?

Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to check out ALL of my recipes which are located in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. Have a great day, and please come back soon for more recipes.

Looking For More Couscous Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have some delicious recipes featuring couscous on my blog, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Recipe Adapted From: http://artisanalfood.blogspot.com/2011/12/israeli-couscous-with-cranberries-and.html

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

5 from 2 votes

Cranberry Orange Israeli Couscous

Prep Time

7 mins

Cook Time

8 mins

Total Time

15 mins

You'll love this easy to make, delicious cranberry orange Israeli couscous and pecan salad, topped with a wonderful homemade orange herb vinaigrette!

Category: Salad/Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cranberry orange Israeli couscous

Servings: 10 side servings

Calories Per Serving: 320 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2 cups Israeli couscous (uncooked)
1¼ cups chopped pecans , lightly toasted
1¼ cups dried cranberries
3 scallions (green onions) , chopped (white and green parts)

For Orange Herb Vinaigrette:

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil (or canola/grapeseed)
1½ Tablespoons white wine vinegar (or champagne vinegar)
1 orange (juice and zest)
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper, to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place the chopped pecans (or walnuts) in a dry skillet on medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until you can begin to smell them. Keep an eye on the nuts while they toast, so you don't burn them! This step usually only takes 3-4 minutes (to save time, toast pecans while couscous is cooking). Remove the pecans from the skillet, set aside and let them cool.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add couscous, and let it cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once finished cooking, pour couscous into a colander; let it drain. Place couscous into a large bowl. Add the green onions and cranberries.
Mix together the ingredients for the orange herb vinaigrette in a small container. I used a measuring cup, and simply blended the vinaigrette with a fork, until fully combined. Once combined, pour dressing over warm couscous, green onions and cranberries. Add the dressing while the couscous is still warm, because it will absorb more of the dressing. Stir, to blend the salad.
Add the chopped pecans or walnuts, and stir to combine. Once all ingredients for couscous are blended, cover the salad, and let it chill in the refrigerator. This salad is at it's very best, flavor-wise, after it has time to chill, and the flavors have developed. When ready to serve, give it a quick stir (to "fluff it up"), then enjoy this amazing tasting side dish or salad!

Nutrition Facts

Cranberry Orange Israeli Couscous

Amount Per Serving (1 (1/10th of total))

Calories 320 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Sodium 4mg0%

Potassium 152mg4%

Carbohydrates 44g15%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 13g14%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 75IU2%

Vitamin C 7.8mg9%

Calcium 28mg3%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

18
Jan
2019

Sesame Chicken Salad with Ginger Dressing

categories: Chicken, Main Dish Salads, Main Dishes, Salads

105 Shares

Pin105

Yum

This simple, delicious Asian-inspired Sesame Chicken Salad features pan seared sesame crusted chicken breasts, on mixed spring greens, topped with homemade ginger salad dressing!

Wow… this sesame chicken salad with homemade ginger dressing tastes AMAZING! I found the original recipe in one of my OLD Weight Watchers cookbooks, while looking through it a couple weeks ago, and KNEW I wanted to try it!

This salad was a huge hit with my husband and I when we first tried it! Talk about quick and easy meals… this one has it all! The entirely EASY sesame chicken salad (and ginger dressing) was prepared in under 30 minutes, had GREAT flavor, and filled us up!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Ginger Dressing For The Sesame Chicken Salad

The yummy ginger salad dressing for this salad is incredibly simple to make, in only a few minutes! Place the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, minced ginger, mustard powder, sesame oil and crushed red pepper into a small saucepan, and whisk to blend.

Bring the ginger salad dressing ingredients just to a boil, on medium heat. Once it begins to boil, remove the pan from the heat. Set the pan aside, until you’re ready to serve the sesame chicken salad. See how easy that was?

Prepare The Chicken Breasts For Sesame Chicken Salad

Place the sesame seeds, salt and pepper onto a large piece of wax paper. Mix them with your fingers, to blend the ingredients. Spread them out on the wax paper.

Lightly coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the sesame seed mixture, one at a time. Set chicken aside once coated. Repeat, until all chicken breasts are covered. NOTE: I found that I needed to use more sesame seeds to cover all 4 chicken breasts. Just mix up another quick batch, if you find you will need more topping.

Cook The Sesame Chicken

Heat the vegetable oil in a large, non-stick skillet on medium heat. Once the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the chicken breasts. Once the chicken hits the pan, do not disturb while it cooks.

Cook the sesame chicken for about 4-6 minutes, then carefully turn over and cook the other side 4-6 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through, and the outside should be golden brown, when done. Once the chicken is done, place the pieces onto a cutting board, and let the chicken “rest” for 3-5 minutes. Slice each chicken breast into diagonal slices (about 4-6 slices per breast).

Serve The Sesame Chicken Salad With Ginger Dressing

Arrange cold, mixed salad greens on individual serving plates or in bowls. Use a spatula and transfer each sliced chicken breast onto the top of each salad. Be sure to keep the chicken slices for each breast all together! Lightly sprinkle sliced green onions over the top of each piece of sesame chicken.

Drizzle the ginger salad dressing over each sesame chicken salad, and that’s it! You are ready to serve this delicious dish! Serve immediately. Seriously – Grab a fork, and DIG IN! I really think you will LOVE this delicious meal! There is a lot of flavor, the chicken is tender, and this sesame chicken salad is quite satisfying!

My husband and I enjoyed this dinner, AND we liked it so much we had another sesame chicken salad (with the leftover chicken and dressing) the next night for dinner, too! That means it REALLY was good!

Hope you will try this delicious main course salad… it is truly easy and delicious! Have a GREAT day, and please come back again soon for more yummy recipes!

Looking For More MAIN COURSE SALAD Recipes?

You can find all my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorite main course salad recipes include:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Original Recipe source: One of my cookbooks titled “Weight Watchers – Great Cooking Every Day”, published 2001, by Weight Watchers International, Inc., page 45

0 from 0 votes

Sesame Chicken Salad with Ginger Dressing

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

Total Time

22 mins

Delicious Asian-inspired Sesame Chicken Salad features pan seared sesame crusted chicken breasts, on spring greens, topped with a ginger salad dressing!

Category: Main Course Salad

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: sesame chicken salad

Servings: 4

Calories Per Serving: 237 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Ginger Dressing:

2 Tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh ginger peeled, minced
1 Tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil (dark)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

For The Chicken And Salad

3 Tablespoons sesame seeds (white) , or more, as needed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 chicken breast halves (1/4 lb. each) boneless, skinless
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
6 cups spring greens mix (or romaine) , rinsed, shredded
1/4 cup sliced green onions , optional (for garnish)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To Make Ginger Salad Dressing:

Place soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, minced ginger, mustard powder, sesame oil and crushed red pepper in a small saucepan, and whisk, to blend. Bring to a boil, on medium heat. Once it begins to boil, remove pan from heat. Set aside.

To Prepare/Cook Chicken:

Place sesame seeds, salt and pepper onto a piece of wax paper. Mix with your fingers, to blend. Spread them out on the wax paper. Lightly coat chicken on both sides with the mixture. Repeat process until all chicken breasts are covered. NOTE: I found that I needed to use more sesame seeds to cover all 4 chicken breasts. Just mix up another quick batch, if you find you need more.
Heat vegetable oil in a large, non-stick skillet on medium heat. Once oil is hot (but not smoking), add the chicken. Once the chicken hits the pan, do not disturb while it cooks. Cook chicken for 4-6 minutes, then carefully turn over and cook the other side 4-6 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through, and the outside should be golden brown, when done. Once done, place chicken on a cutting board, and let it "rest" for a couple minutes. Slice each chicken breast into diagonal slices (about 4-6 slices per breast).
To Serve: Arrange mixed salad greens on individual plates or in bowls. Use a spatula and transfer each sliced chicken breast onto the top of each salad, keeping the slices for each breast together! Sprinkle sliced green onions over chicken. Drizzle ginger dressing over each salad, and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Sesame Chicken Salad with Ginger Dressing

Amount Per Serving (1 salad with dressing)

Calories 237 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 72mg24%

Sodium 707mg31%

Potassium 565mg16%

Carbohydrates 8g3%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 26g52%

Vitamin A 755IU15%

Vitamin C 15.3mg19%

Calcium 72mg7%

Iron 1.9mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

29
Oct
2018

Spiralized Carrot Salad in Lemon Ginger Dressing

categories: Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetable Dishes

76 Shares

Pin76

Yum

Spiralized Carrot Salad in Lemon Ginger Dressing is a delicious, fresh veggie side dish! It is easy to make, using a vegetable peeler OR spiralizer!

This spiralized carrot salad is really delicious! The salad itself is made with fresh crispy carrots and flat leaf Italian parsley. An easy to make lemon ginger salad dressing is where the magic happens! Once “dressed”, this simple side salad shines!

If you have a spiralizer, you might also enjoy trying Sweet Potato Sage Noodles. It’s a nice, hot side dish that is also very simple to make!

Here are the directions to make this Spiralized Carrot Salad, and I really hope you enjoy this simple, great-tasting dish.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of the Page

Do I Need A Spiralizer To Make This Carrot Salad?

Well, that’s the best part! You DO NOT have to own a special machine to make this dish! The salad can be made using a simple kitchen appliance called a spiralizer OR it can just as easily be made using a good old hand held vegetable peeler!

The salad tastes just as wonderful with long shreds of carrots as it does with curly spiralized carrots! YAY!

How To Make Spiralized Carrot Salad

The first thing to do is slice the ends off the fresh carrots. Once they are cut off, use a vegetable peeler to peel the carrots. Discard peels and end pieces. Easy!

Using A Spiralizer Appliance To Make This Salad

If you own a spiralizer, place the carrot in machine (with a fine shredding blade on it). Spiralize the carrots onto a plate or into a medium sized bowl.

Spiralizing carrots works best if you begin with large, wide carrots (at least 2 inches across).

Using A Vegetable Peeler To Make This Salad

If you do not own a spiralizer machine, no problem! Most people don’t! Simply use your hand held vegetable peeler to make long shreds of the carrots. Do this by peeling the length of the carrots to get nice long shreds.

To Make Lemon Ginger Salad Dressing

In a small bowl, mix together lemon juice, honey, lemon zest, ginger, minced garlic, rice wine vinegar and salt.

Once mixed, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, while whisking. Continue to whisk until the salad dressing has emulsified.

Prepare The Salad

Place the spiralized (or shredded) carrots into a serving bowl. Add roughly chopped flat leaf parsley, then stir to combine ingredients.

Pour the lemon ginger salad dressing over the spiralized carrot salad. Toss the salad, to ensure that all the carrots are covered with the salad dressing.

Once the spiralized carrot salad is covered with dressing, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to chill.

TIP: For maximum flavor and best results, let the salad refrigerate for at LEAST 15 minutes!

Time to Eat The Spiralized Carrot Salad

When ready to serve the spiralized carrot salad, simply remove it from the refrigerator. Give it a final toss before dishing it up and eating!

This spiralized carrot salad is really GOOD! The fresh tasting lemon ginger dressing is a perfect flavor combination for this simple, crisp salad! The finished salad will keep for 1-2 days, if stored (covered) in refrigerator.

Thanks for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, and have a GREAT day!

Interested In Other Side Salad Recipes?

If you enjoy a good side salad like we do, you might consider trying some of my other recipes. These side salad recipes include:

These and many other salads can be found in the Recipe Index, shown in the menu bar at the top of each blog post! I hope you will give this recipe for carrot salad a try, and as always, I trust you will enjoy it, as much as we do!

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Recipe Adapted From: http://girlinthelittleredkitchen.com/2015/06/spiralized-carrot-salad-with-lemon-ginger-dressing/

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Spiralized Carrot Salad In Lemon Ginger Dressing

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Refrigeration

15 mins

Total Time

25 mins

Spiralized Carrot Salad in Lemon Ginger Dressing is a delicious, fresh veggie side dish! It is easy to make, using a vegetable peeler OR spiralizer!

Category: Salad, Vegetable Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: spiralized carrot salad

Servings: 4

Calories Per Serving: 150 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

3 large carrots , peeled
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley , chopped

For Lemon Ginger Salad Dressing

1 large lemon (juice AND zest)
1 teaspoon honey
1 inch piece of ginger , peeled and finely minced
1 medium garlic clove , finely minced
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Slice the ends off the carrots. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the carrots. Discard peels and end pieces.

Using A Spiralizer

If you own a spiralizer, place the carrots, one at a time in machine (with a fine shredding blade on it). Spiralize the carrots onto a plate or into a medium sized bowl. Spiralizing carrots works best if you use large, wide carrots (at least 2 inches across).

Using Vegetable Peeler

If you do not own a spiralizer machine, no problem! Simply use a hand held vegetable peeler to make long shreds of the carrots. Do this by peeling the length of the carrots to get nice long shreds.

Make Salad Dressing

In a small bowl, mix together lemon juice, honey, lemon zest, ginger, minced garlic, rice wine vinegar and salt. Once mixed, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, while whisking. Continue to whisk until the salad dressing has emulsified.

Make Salad

Place the spiralized carrots into a serving bowl. Add roughly chopped flat leaf parsley, then stir to combine. Pour salad dressing over salad. Toss gently to coat salad completely. Cover dish with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to chill. For maximum flavor, let the salad refrigerate for at LEAST 15 minutes. Once chilled, serve, and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Spiralized Carrot Salad In Lemon Ginger Dressing

Amount Per Serving (1 (1/4 of total))

Calories 150 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 330mg14%

Potassium 193mg6%

Carbohydrates 7g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 4g4%

Vitamin A 9335IU187%

Vitamin C 8.2mg10%

Calcium 23mg2%

Iron 0.5mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

05
Oct
2018

Lemon Herb Couscous Salad

categories: Lunch - Quick and Easy, Salads

43 Shares

Pin43

Yum

Lemon Herb Couscous Salad, with cucumbers, raisins, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, fresh herbs, tossed in a light lemon dressing is an easy to make, tasty side dish!

I found this recipe for Lemon Herb Couscous Salad online a while ago, and on a whim, decided to make it! Whoa! This recipe uses Israeli Couscous (also called Pearl Couscous). It is different in shape and texture from traditional couscous. You can read about the differences here.

My husband and I loved this easy to prepare salad. We had it with dinner, then enjoyed the leftovers for days afterwards (recipe serves 8). We would both sneak into the refrigerator and grab a few bites for lunch or a quick snack. It’s SO GOOD!

The flavors in the lemon herb couscous salad seem to get better day by day, as the fresh herbs mingle. That’s great news, because this salad will keep for several days in the refrigerator, if covered well.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Lemon Herb Couscous Salad

One of the things I find helpful is to prep the veggies and pecans before beginning. Once the veggies (English cucumber, tomatoes and fresh herbs) are chopped and diced, the recipe is easy peasy!

How To Toast The Pecans Or Walnuts For This Salad

The pecans (or walnuts, if using) are very easy to “toast” before adding to the lemon herb couscous salad. Simply place chopped nuts into a dry skillet.

Cook the pecans on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they become fragrant. This will take about 5-6 minutes. If you want to save time, you can cook the nuts while the couscous is cooking.

Pearl couscous (also known as Israeli couscous) is used in this recipe. To cook it, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Add couscous; and then continue to cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Make The Salad Dressing

While the couscous is cooking, make the lemon dressing. Whisk the ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.

The salad dressing contains olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, honey, salt and pepper. It is simple to make in about a minute, and has a very light, fresh taste!

Dress The Lemon Herb Couscous Salad

Once the couscous is finished cooking, drain it in a strainer. Immediately pour the warm couscous into a serving bowl, and pour the lemon salad dressing onto couscous.

The lemon herb couscous salad will absorb more of the salad dressing if combined while still warm. Stir, to fully combine the ingredients.

Put The Rest Of The Lemon Herb Couscous Salad Together

Once you have added the salad dressing, and mixed it in, it is time to add the other ingredients. Add diced tomatoes and English cucumber to bowl. Also add the toasted pecans, dried cranberries, raisins, and fresh chopped herbs.

The recipe for this lemon herb couscous salad calls for 1/2 cup of fresh chopped herbs. I used flat leaf parsley, basil (3-4 leaves), dill (2 Tablespoons) and 4 mint leaves.

You can use any combination of fresh herbs that you prefer, adding up to 1/2 cup total.

Once the lemon herb couscous salad is mixed together, it is ready to serve! I transferred the salad to a pretty bowl, and garnished it with a sprig of fresh dill.

Is This Salad Eaten Hot Or Cold?

This lemon herb couscous salad can be eaten warm OR cold! The first night we ate it at room temperature with our dinner. Excellent!

I refrigerated the leftovers and we ate it cold for lunch the next day! Guess what? It tastes GREAT both ways… warm or cold!

The leftovers last for a few days, if refrigerated, and the flavors get even better with time!

Time To EAT!

My husband and I absolutely LOVED this lemon herb couscous salad! We had it as a side dish to accompany our dinner of Pan-Seared Creole Salmon and garlic bread. It was fantastic!

The salad is full of flavor, with chewy raisins. dried cranberries, and crunch from the English cucumber and toasted pecans. Plus, the herb combination really makes this salad shine!

I hope you will consider making this Lemon Herb Couscous Salad for yourself! We really enjoyed it very much! If you enjoy it, too, be sure to check out my recipe for Cranberry Orange Israeli Couscous and Asian-Inspired Couscous. They are so good!

Have a wonderful day. May it be full of hope, joy, encouragement and blessings!

Interested In More Side Salad Recipes?

Be sure to check out my Recipe Index at the top of each page, to find ALL my recipes and more salad dishes like this one. The list includes recipes for Southwest Quinoa Salad, Tuna Pasta Salad, Black Bean, Corn and Tomato Salad, 4-Bean Salad, and Broccoli Salad, to name a few!

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Original Recipe Source: Adam and Joanne Gallagher at https://www.inspiredtaste.net/12689/lemon-and-herb-couscous-salad-recipe/

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Lemon Herb Couscous Salad

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

20 mins

Lemon Herb Couscous Salad, w/ cucumbers, raisins, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, fresh herbs, tossed in a light lemon dressing is an easy, tasty side dish!

Category: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: lemon herb couscous salad

Servings: 8 servings

Calories Per Serving: 219 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Salad Dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
4 Tablespoons lemon juice (fresh)
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For Salad:

1½ cups dried Israeli Couscous (also called Pearl Couscous)
1 medium English cucumber , diced
1 large tomato , diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, dill, mint, basil) , combined to make 1/2 cup total)
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans (or walnuts)
1/8 cup dried cranberries
1/8 cup raisins

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Dice cucumber, tomato, and herbs, Toast chopped pecans by placing them into a dry skillet. Cook pecans on medium heat, stirring, until they become fragrant. This takes 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat when done (to save time, you can toast pecans while couscous is cooking).
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add couscous; continue to cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. While couscous is cooking, make the lemon dressing.
Make salad dressing by whisking olive oil, Dijon, salt, pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, and honey in a medium sized bowl.
Once couscous has finished cooking, drain it (but do not rinse). Immediately pour warm couscous into a serving bowl. Pour salad dressing onto couscous. (the salad will absorb more of the salad dressing if combined while warm). Stir to fully combine.
Add diced tomatoes, cucumber, toasted pecans, cranberries, raisins and chopped herbs to salad. NOTE: The recipe for this lemon herb couscous salad calls for 1/2 cup total of fresh chopped herbs. I used flat leaf parsley, basil (3-4 leaves), dill (2 Tablespoons) and 4 mint leaves. You can use any combination of fresh herbs that you prefer, adding up to 1/2 cup total.
Once the lemon herb couscous salad is mixed together, it is ready to serve! Garnish salad, if desired, sprig of fresh dill or parsley. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Lemon Herb Couscous Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 (1 cup serving))

Calories 219 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 158mg7%

Potassium 121mg3%

Carbohydrates 29g10%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 345IU7%

Vitamin C 8.8mg11%

Calcium 15mg2%

Iron 0.8mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

Category: Salads

Prepare The Long Grain and Wild Rice

Toast The Pecans While Rice Cools

Make The Pumpkin Vinaigrette For The Wild Rice Salad

Make The Wild Rice Salad

Serve The Wild Rice Salad in Pumpkin Vinaigrette

Looking For More Recipes Featuring RICE?

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

Find Me On Social Media:

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

Make The Candied Pecans

Mix Up The Poppyseed Dressing

Prepare The Fruit and Feta

Time To Make The Fruit Feta Green Salad!

What Kind Of Salad Dressing Goes With This Salad?

Isn’t That A “Bee-Yoo-Tee-Full” Fruit Feta Green Salad?

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media: Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks! Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks! Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Other Salads Using Garbanzo Beans

How To Make This Greek Garbanzo Salad

For Best Flavor, Let Salad Marinate In Refrigerator

Before Serving The Greek Garbanzo Salad, Add Final Ingredients

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media: Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks! Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks! Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

How To Make This Classic Tuna Salad

Time To Enjoy A Classic Tuna Salad

Looking For More MAIN COURSE SALAD Recipes?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media: Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks! Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks! Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Prepare The Kale For The Salad

Make The Salad Dressing For The Kale Orange Salad

Assemble The Kale Orange Salad

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

How To Make Cranberry Orange Quinoa Salad

Make The Salad Dressing While Quinoa Cools

Toast Pecans Before Adding To Cranberry Orange Quinoa Salad

Looking For More QUINOA Recipes?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Toast The Pecans For the Cranberry Orange Israeli Couscous Salad

Cook The Israeli Couscous

The Cranberry Orange Israeli Couscous Is Ready To Eat!

Looking For More Couscous Recipes?

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

Find Me On Social Media:

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

Make The Ginger Dressing For The Sesame Chicken Salad

Prepare The Chicken Breasts For Sesame Chicken Salad

Cook The Sesame Chicken

Serve The Sesame Chicken Salad With Ginger Dressing

Looking For More MAIN COURSE SALAD Recipes?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Do I Need A Spiralizer To Make This Carrot Salad?

How To Make Spiralized Carrot Salad

Using A Spiralizer Appliance To Make This Salad

Using A Vegetable Peeler To Make This Salad

To Make Lemon Ginger Salad Dressing

Prepare The Salad

Time to Eat The Spiralized Carrot Salad

Interested In Other Side Salad Recipes?

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

Find Me On Social Media:

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

How To Make Lemon Herb Couscous Salad

How To Toast The Pecans Or Walnuts For This Salad

Make The Salad Dressing

Dress The Lemon Herb Couscous Salad

Put The Rest Of The Lemon Herb Couscous Salad Together

Is This Salad Eaten Hot Or Cold?

Time To EAT!

Interested In More Side Salad Recipes?

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

Find Me On Social Media:

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks