Avocado and Egg Salad

I picked up a bag of 5 very large, and almost ripe, avocados at Costco one day last week.  They are absolutely delicious... is there anything more delightful than a perfectly ripe avocado?  I have been trying to think of new ways to eat them up... and came up with this Avocado and Egg Salad for dinner.

I want to try a few new things that I hope The Captain will enjoy as well.  He is not always very keen on the creamy texture of plain avocado.

In the Spring and Summer when we are spending more and more time outdoors, I keep some things on hand in the refrigerator to put together quick meals.  Hardboiled eggs is one of my favorite go-to items... so while I washed and cut up some greens, The Captain peeled some eggs, and our dinner came together rather quickly.

And it was wonderful!  I am sharing the ingredients I used for 2 fairly large dinner salads.  I think the next time I make this, I will try adding some crumbled bacon and some capers for garnish and a flavor boost.

Avocado and Egg Salad
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 cups salad greens, washed and dried
• 10 grape tomatoes cut in half
• 3 or 4 thin slices of red onion
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 mini cucumber, cut into slices
• 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and slices
• 1 large avocado, washed, peeled and cut into chunks
• Salt and pepper

For the dressing:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/1/2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
• splash of lemon juice

Directions:

1. Place the salad greens in 2 serving bowls and set aside
2. Put the tomatoes, red onions, parsley, cucumber, eggs, and avocado in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Mix the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over the eggs, etc in the mixing bowl.
4. Toss gently.
5. Spoon the mixture over salad greens and serve with salt a pepper to season.

Per serving.

Weight Watchers SP = 8.  *

Calories 273

Saturated Fat 5g

Sugar 2g

Protein 9g

* Using the Weight Watchers Recipe Builder (which will not add points for the onion, cucumber, tomatoes, and parsely, it comes to 8 SP. If you calculate using the N.I. it will come to 9 SP)

Not only pretty but delicious and filling too!

The Captain had some rye bread toast with his!

Printable Recipe

If you are interested in learning more about the health benefits of avocados and other interesting facts about them, please check out this article called 13 Health Benefits of Avocado.

Tell me you love avocados too!  What is your favorite way to serve them?

If you like this idea, I hope you will PIN it!

You Don't Have to Be a Foodie to Enjoy a Good Vinegar...

There is hardly a day goes by without my digging into a salad of some kind.  My lunch is usually a very large huge plateful of salad with some lean protein for staying power, topped by a tasty dressing… and my dinner plate often has a salad of some kind on it as well.

It isn’t seasonal for me. I am not one who starts to crave fresh, crunchy veggies when the weather starts to warm up… perhaps because I live in a Mediterranean climate where the temps are fairly moderate all year long. I love fresh, raw, crunchy veggies all year round.  And in mass quantities.

My salads do vary a great deal from day to day, and week to week. I tend to get into a groove with a particular taste or ingredient and enjoy it to the fullest before moving on to the next.  For example, a few weeks ago, most of my salads had some capers and green olives on them with some light feta that I found at Trader Joe’s last time we crossed the border. 

And sometimes my concoctions get quite creative when I have bits and pieces in the fridge that need to be used up.  Do you do that too?

My salads usually start out with some mixture of greens: romaine, spinach, chard… and sometimes I have mixed greens that come pre-washed in cello bags.  I also like a bit of cabbage, and the pre-packed slaws and broccoli slaws are a favorite.  I love those little English cucumbers, green onions, white mushrooms, and grape tomatoes.

Then I add some protein: canned tuna, chicken, wild salmon, sardines, or leftover chicken, pork, roast beef, or even slivers of lean deli ham.  Hard boiled eggs are a favorite, and I might opt for cheese occasionally too.  Feta is usually my favorite.

I like to change the flavor and the crunch factor with little extras such as capers, olives, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds,hemp seeds, or even slices of fruit such as pears, strawberries and blueberries… I have even been known to toss in chunks of cooked leftover squash or a few green peas occasionally. 

My salads are often very simple… and other times quite elaborate.  The sky is the limit!

And I have thrown all the 'rules' about what goes with what out the window.  For instance, I thought I would never put tomatoes and fruit in the same salad, but when in Colorado this past Summer, I ordered a Chicken and Raspberry Salad from a golf course lunch menu, and it came with cherry tomatoes. And I loved it.  Who knew?

I have found a few commercially prepared dressings that I like…. Trader Joe’s has a couple and so does Kraft… I have even been known to choose Wishbone fat free Blue Cheese... (sssshhh!) but for the most part, I like to make my own dressing.  And the ingredients I choose will depend on the items in the salad.  If I use an oil, it will be a light extra virgin olive oil or perhaps a light grape seed oil that has little to no flavor of its own.  I also have a little stash of flavored oils that my friend Kate gave to me a while ago.

And I love to use flavored vinegars.  Open my pantry door and you will find a good variety: apple cider, red wine, light and dark balsamics, rice, raspberry, and even white…. and lately a couple of new stars on the shelf that I am very excited to tell  you about. 

They are Cucumber Blush Vinegar and Morning Meadow Honey Vinegar, 2 of the many flavors that are handcrafted by Mr. Vinegar… a home-based operation in Hamilton Ontario.  I was thrilled when Joyce (would she be Mrs. Vinegar?) offered to send me some… and I have been enjoying them immensely ever since.

These bottles are 155ml in volume… that is about 5 to 6 ounces for my American friends.

I chose to try the Cucumber Blush Vinegar first.  It is their best seller.  Mr. Vinegar describes it thus:

“100% whole cucumbers are pureed and then fermented fully with Merlot. A precise balance offering fresh spring like flavours with Merlot at the front and crisp late after notes of cucumber on the finish. Oak aged.”

Looks like wine!

I chose to use it on a simple salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, and white onion slices over a bit of cottage cheese… no oil… just spooned a bit of the vinegar over the top. I thought that would be a true test of of the taste.

Look at the beautiful color.

A bit of pepper and voila!  Lovely.

I have also used it several times mixed with a bit of EVOO.  I particularly like it on salads with feta cheese.

And I have also added a spoonful to a chilled glass of Mott’s Garden Cocktail… makes a lovely non-alcoholic cocktail!

I chose to try the Morning Meadow Honey Vinegar over a salad that has fruit in it.  From the Mr. Vinegar web site:

“100% pure Ontario Honey is first fermented into a quality Meade. It is then fermented to very high quality honey vinegar and aged in Apple Wood. Honey flavours at the front and lasting wild flower after notes.”

Golden nectar!

I made a lovely lunch salad with a few well-chosen ingredients that I thought would go nicely with the slight sweetness of the vinegar… spinach leaves, white onion, ripe pear, light feta, and a few pecans.  Drizzled the Morning Meadow Honey Vinegar over the top.

Mmmmmm.

And I have also mixed it with EVOO and enjoyed it over other salads with berries, too.  It is truly special.

The Captain is not normally a vinegar fan but he really likes both of these because they are light and tasty.. not the normal over-tart or sometimes even sour taste that we tend to associate with commercially-made vinegars.

All of the vinegars in the line-up take at least a year to make.  And Mr. Vinegar has won 17 international awards… 2 of them being double gold.  It’s not hard to see and taste why. They do not contain sulphites, colouring, or artificial ingredients.

So, where can you find Mr. Vinegar, to learn more about the company, see the growing line of products (yes, there is a mustard now, too) and get your hands on some for yourself?

Check the web site…  Mr. Vinegar … you can order directly from there.  

And do look for them at The One of a Kind Christmas Show in Toronto from November 27th through December 7th, 2014.  You can also find Mr. Vinegar at FEAST in Toronto, on Queen Street West.

Here is Mr. Vinegar himself… Roger Lambert. Picture from

The Christmas One of a Kind Show web site.

Are you a fan of flavored vinegars?  Have you a favorite?

Simple Summer Salad

It is hot here this Summer!

The great thing about that, aside from enjoying the sunshine and blue sky, it makes me want to eat a bit less, and a lot lighter.

This simple Summer Salad is an old favorite. I can remember my Mother making it for the family on hot Summer nights.  I have been enjoying it ever since.  It is simple and nutritious, and quite pretty, too.  It can be made several hours ahead if you like, and kept cold. It is a great picnic take-along too. Make up a big batch; just keep it on ice till it’s time to eat.

I love the crunchiness of the veggies, and the small zing of the white vinegar is just the right touch for this light and cool side dish.

 

Summer Salad
Makes 2 servings

• 1 medium tomato, core removed, sliced
• 4 or 5 very thin slices of white onion. separated into rings
• 1 small cucumber, sliced very thin
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 4 Tbs white vinegar
• Dashes of salt and pepper

1. Layer the veggies in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
2. Mix the olive oil and white vinegar together in a small bowl and spoon over the veggies.
3. Refrigerate at least 20 minutes.
4. Stir and refrigerate another 20 minutes.
5. Divide into 2 small serving bowls and serve cold.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 1.
Calories 63; Protein 1g; Carbohydrate 6g; Fat 5g; Fibre 1g.

Layer the prepared veggies in a wide bottomed bowl.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on them.

Spoon the marinade over the top.

Stir part way through the cooling process to make sure all veggies are being coated with marinade.  If you are leaving refrigerated for a few hours, do this a couple more times.

Divide into serving bowls and enjoy!

Printable Recipe

What’s your favorite simple Summer salad?

If you like this recipe, won’t you please consider sharing this post on Twitter via @WeCanBegin2Feed and Pinning it, too?

Spicy Asian Chicken Breast on Salad Greens

The first time I put this meal together was a couple of weeks ago, and it was designed to meet several needs.

You see, my sister and her husband were on their way to visit with us for a few days.. from Calgary.  It’s a comfortable 2-day drive from there to Vancouver Island, but they weren’t sure where they would spend that first night along the way, and they had no idea what time they they would board a ferry from the mainland.  They run every couple of hours this time of year.

I wanted to make sure that I fed them a nice dinner that first night with us, but there was no way to know just when they would arrive – nope, they don’t use their cell phone!  So, I wanted to have something to put together quickly, at whatever time they might appear.

My sister is following a very high protein, very low carb food plan, and I know that she eats a lot of chicken breasts.  My brother in law is not a fan of plain baked chicken breast at all.  I am eating mostly Paleo these days, and The Captain… well he will eat pretty much whatever I put in front of him, other than cauliflower or obvious broccoli!

So, I opted to make salads with slices of baked chicken breasts… but not plain chicken breasts as I might use if I was making Caesar salad.  No, these chicken breasts had been marinating all day in the refrigerator, in a lovely mixture of Asian inspired ingredients. I wanted something with lots of flavor that would be nice and tender and moist.

I baked them in the oven and just as I was taking them out, the buzzer sounded and our guests arrived!  It was perfect timing, because we had time to visit and enjoy a drink (club soda with fresh lime juice for the ladies) while the chicken breasts cooled enough for  me to slice them and assemble the salads for our dinner.

They were a bit hit!  Either that, or my guests were tired and very hungry, I am not sure which really.  But The Captain loved the meal and asked for it again this past Saturday… so I decided to make note of the ingredients I put together in the marinade and write this blog post.

Spicy Asian Chicken Breast on Salad Greens
Makes 4 servings

• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 3 Tbs Mirin or sushi seasoning
• 2 Tbs white or rice vinegar
• 1 packet Splenda or Stevia (use sugar, honey, or even omit)
• 2 Tbs soy sauce, tamari soy sauce, or coconut aminos
• 2 tsp dark sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 or 3 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 1 tsp ginger root, grated fine
• salad greens of your choice, enough for 4 plates

1. Mix the onions, Mirin, vinegar, sweetener, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, garlic and ginger in a small bowl and then place in a container large enough to hold the 4 chicken breasts. 
2. Allow chicken to marinate at least 2 hours – you could leave overnight – in the refrigerator.
3. Discard marinade and then bake chicken in a 375° F oven for approximately 45 minutes or until done.  Test with meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast.
4. Allow to cool about 15 minutes before cutting crosswise on an angle into slices approximately 1/2 inch thick.
5. In the meantime, place salad greens on 4 serving plates.
6. Arrange chicken slices on salad greens and serve.

Per serving, including salad greens.
Weight Watchers P+ = 8.
Calories 329; Protein 45g; Carbohydrates 6g; Fat 13g; Fibre 2g.

The exact N.I. is going to depend on the size of your chicken breasts and the ingredients you choose, of course.  These chicken breasts were fairly large, about 5 ounces each after baking.  And I have counted all of the marinade ingredients, not taking into account that most of it is actually discarded.  For greens, I used Romaine lettuce, cucumber and some broccoli/cauliflower/carrot slaw. Shhhh, don’t tell The Captain!

I did make up a dressing to have just in case the chicken breasts came out too dry, but didn’t need it at all. In case you think you might like to have some, it was a mixture of:

• 2 Tbs soy sauce
• 2 Tbs rice vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, peeled, smashed and minced
• 1/2 tsp fresh ginger root, grated

If my guests had not arrived when they did I would have refrigerated the baked chicken breasts and then sliced them quite thin before adding to the salads.

It would make a really nice lunch or picnic box addition, too, I am sure.

Plated greens…

Topped with baked chicken breasts.

Printable Recipe

How do you acomodate different food/nutrition needs when people come to visit?

Strawberry Salad with Roasted Garlic

Here is one of those truly fabulous ideas that I wish I had thought of myself… and after you read this you may well wonder why you didn’t think of it too.

But thankfully, Kristina did, and wrote a blog post about it that appeared in my inbox one day last week… and I kept it there, to remind me to get the ingredients to make it, SOONER rather than later.

The only other time I have ever eaten roasted garlic was on a friend’s boat… she served it with camembert and crackers as an appie before dinner.  I remember that I really liked it but have just never had an occasion to try it myself.

Kristina’s Raspberry and Roasted Garlic Big Salad was just the motivation I needed.
Well, I went hunting for fresh raspberries yesterday in my favorite local markets… the berries growing here are not quite ready to pick yet… but they were just so darned expensive that I didn’t buy any.  But I did spy some lovely strawberries and thought they might do just as well.

So today, after The Captain washed our balcony deck and watered the flowers and tomatoes and herbs and strawberries, we decided we should have lunch out in the sunshine and I knew this salad would be perfect. A sunny and beautiful day deserves a sunny and beautiful lunch!

I referred to Kristina’s post on how to roast the garlic and then did that right away so it would be cooled before lunchtime rolled.  You cannot imagine how great it smells as it is cooking. MMMmmmm.  I am sure everyone walking past my open windows enjoyed it as well.

And of course I made enought for both of us… if you love garlic as much as we do, you won’t have to ask why!

I didn’t make it up EXACTLY like Kristina did, so will give you my ingredients and the recipe for the little dressing I made too, but you will have to check her original post to get the low-down on roasting the garlic…  it was truly fabulous! 

We both really enjoyed it and I will be making it again, certainly… but I think next time I will use a whole head of garlic for each salad. It is THAT good!  I might even add some slices of baked chicken breast and serve it for dinner.  It is absolutely company-worthy too.

Of course my Weight Watchers friends may gasp at the N.I., but just use fewer cashews and you can lower the fat content easily...

Thanks to Kristina for the great idea – and of course  her lovely photos always add to the temptation to make up her recipes, too.

Strawberry Salad with Roasted Garlic
Makes 2 servings

• 1 head garlic, roasted and cooled
• 3 cups mixed salad greens, washed and dried
• 2 mini cucumbers, sliced
• 10 strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 cup raw cashews

1. Tear the salad greens into bite size pieces and divide between 2 serving bowls or plates.
2. Add half of the cucumbers, strawberries, and cashews to each bowl.
3. Gently squeeze roasted garlic cloves out of their papery coverings and place half of them into each bowl.
4. Toss the salads and then spoon the dressing over the top before serving.

Strawberry Dressing
Makes 2 servings

• 1 medium strawberry
• 2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp olive oil
• drizzle of lemon juice
• dash of salt

1. Mix all ingredients and then spoon half over each salad.

Per serving, salad and dressing.
Weight Watchers P+ = 9.
Calories 326; Protein 10g; Carbohydrate 24g; Fat 24g; Fibre 4g.

Printable Recipe

Raw head of garlic, sprinkled with EVOO, salt and pepper…

and roasted…. cooling on the counter.

Mine and his… waiting to be dressed with….

this little mixture.

The final product, ready to enjoy.

A sunny day and a sunny salad… I need some new unbreakable dishes for al fresco lunches.

Yup, it’s all for you!

What d’ya think?  Are you a garlic fan?

Have you ever roasted garlic?

Any other ideas as to how to enjoy it, other than on crackers?  Maybe roasted chicken?

Massage Your Kale for Quickie Salads

I had never heard of massaged kale until I read a blog post by Tamara at fitknitchick about making it up and keeping it in the refrigerator, in order to have a quick base for salads when you need it.

I thought it was an interesting idea, and then quite promptly forgot about it.

Now, I am a big fan of kale… I like it baked into Kale Chips, and I love using it in soup, or in my White Bean and Kale pasta sauce, and I also like to use it in place of, or with, spinach when I make Coconut Chicken.

I had really never thought to use raw as a salad green.  I just assumed the kale leaves would be too tough for that.  Oh, boy, was I wrong!

Whenever I find what we call curly kale at my local market for a really great price, I stock up.  Then I wonder what I am going to do with it all!  (Do you ever do that?)

Well, Tamara’s method for massaged kale is such a good idea.  All you do is mix the washed and torn kale leaves with a nice dressing, and then store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 or 5 days… taking enough to make your salads as you need, and leaving the rest behind. 

The dressing makes the leaves a bit softer after a couple of days, and it really does make a nice base for lots of different salads.

I made a batch of massaged kale this past week using the following method and I got 3 good sized salads out of it. Now when I have salad for dinner, I have a plate full, so if you don’t eat as much as I do, you might get more servings out of it.  Of course you might want to use the whole thing for one big salad to serve many… up to you, but the method is the same.

Massaged Kale
Enough for 3 dinner salads

• 1 bunch kale, large stems removed and leaves torn… washed and dried in salad spinner

Dressing

• 1Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbs lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and minced

1. Mix well and then pour over the kale in the bowl.
2. Massage the dressing into the kale with your hands for a few minutes. Kale leaves should be completely covered with dressing mixture.
3. Cover bowl and place in refrigerator for up to 5 days
4. Use as needed for salads.  Give the remainder a stir, cover and refrigerate till needed.

If you are a Weight Watcher, and counting Points Plus, then the only thing to be concerned about is the olive oil which has a P+ value of 1 for each tsp of oil. So, for the whole recipe, the P+ value is 3.  You can divide that by the number of servings you make and eat.

The possibilities for salads are only limited by your imagination and your tastebuds. 

When I made my first salad with the massaged kale, I added a bit of torn red lettuce leaves to it… then some slices of grape tomato, mushroom, onion, and cucumber, and then topped it with some roast chicken breast, oregano, and dark balsamic vinegar.




I was so good that the next day, I used some more.  This time my salad was made of slices of red pepper, onion, mushroom, and cucumber, and topped with pieces of a navel orange, some roast pork loin and drizzled with blueberry balsamic vinegar.  I also blanched some green beans to eat alongside.

I think you could probably massage your kale with any oil and vinegar combination you like too, or even a nooch and vinegar combo instead of the olive oil and lemon juice that I used… and I am sure you could leave out the garlic too, but why would you?

Have you tried massaged kale yet?

What is your favorite salad green?

Summery Avocado Boats

Sometimes I just crave avocado... they are one of my very favorite foods.  Rarely do I ever manage to purchase one that is ready to eat, and often I have to wait several days.

All week long I have been coaxing an avocado along into the perfect state of ripeness... checking it every day.  Finally today was the day it was just right to eat.  I spent quite a lot of time this morning trying to decide how best to enjoy it.

I came up with this simple, but pretty, salad to have at lunch.  I call it Summery Avocado Boats.  I am sailor after all....



SummeryAvocado Boats
Makes 2 servings

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/2 large yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 4 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

For the Dressing

• 2 tsp olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon or 1 Tbs lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 1 Tbs ciliantro, chopped
• Dashes of salt and dried oregano

1. Put all of the dressing ingredients into a small bowl, combine well and set aside to let the garlic work!
2. Put the yellow pepper, green onion and tomatoes into a medium bowl.
3. Wash the avocado and cut it in half end to end.
4. Gently scoop the flesh away from the avocado shell.
5. Cut the flesh into smallish chunks and fold them into the other salad ingredients in the medium bowl.
6. Add the dressing to the salad and stir gently.
7. Spoon half othe mixture into each of the two avocado shells and serve with a dash of salt and a sprig of cilantro for garnish.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 4.
Calories 152; Protein 2g; Carbohydrate 9g; Fat 13g; Fibre 4g.

Prepared dressing and set aside to give the garlic a bit of time to work.

Put peppers, onion, and tomatoes into a medium bowl.



Wash, cut and scoop avocado.  I do this just before I am going to use it so it doesn't turn brown from oxidization.

Add avocado chunks to salad, then dressing and fold altogether gently.

Scoop half of the mixture into each shell to make boats!

I served with whole wheat bagels and Laughing Cow cheese wedges.

Printable Recipe

My Mango Jicama Chicken Salad on Spinach Leaves

This seems like an odd combination of ingredients... mango, jicama, and chicken... but it is delicious and the dressing is really unique and tasty.  I hope you will try it!

You all know that I have been a lifetimer with Weight Watchers for many many years... recently they decided to reward continuing lifetime members by giving us free access to e-tools on their web site.  I am not used to having access to it yet so don't think to look at the recipe listings very often.

However, this past week I had a mango that I wanted do do something special with, so I access the recipe section of the Weight Watchers site and found a recipe called Tropical Mango-Jicama Chicken Salad... well I just happened to have a jicama on hand, too, and some chicken breasts... so I based this dinner on that recipe.  I chose to serve it on a bed of spinach leaves to give it some added bulk to make it dinner-worthy. 

I was thrilled to find yet another dish to add cilantro to... we have a huge pot of it growing on the balcony!

I will present this recipes as I made it up, but if you want the original, just google the title... you will find several instances of it on various sites. It calls for lime juice and I didn't have any on hand, but if you do, use it in place of the lemon juice... it would be even better, I think.

My Mango Jicama Chicken Salad on Spinach Leaves
Makes 2 dinner-size servings

• few slices of sweet onion
• 1Tbs lemon juice
• 1 tsp olive oil
• few dashes of cumin
• dash of hot pepper sauce
• 2 small chicken breasts, cooked, cooled and cut into chunks
• 1/2 fresh mango, peeled and cut into small chunks
• 1-1/2 cups jicama, peeled and shredded
• 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 2 cups fresh spinach leaves, washed and dried

1. Combine the onion, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin and hot pepper sauce in a large bowl.
2. Let it stand for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure onion is coated well.
3. Add the chicken, mango, jicama, and cilantro.  Toss and mix well.
4. Divide the spinach leaves between 2 plates
5. Divide and serve the salad mixture over the top of the spinach.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 6.
Calories 242; Protein 23g; Carbohydrate 20g; Fat 8g; Fibre 7g.

So easy... just combine and serve on plated greens.

Printable Recipe

That Beautiful Berry and Chicken Salad... yeah, THAT one.

I have been seeing ads on television this week for a new salad at Wendy’s that has berries and chicken and almonds… my mouth waters whenever I see the pictures on the screen.  It looks fantastic… so I decided to make up a version and have it for dinner.

I am pretty happy with the results, especially the dressing!  We both thoroughly enjoyed it and I know I will be making this over and over, all summer long.

Here is how I put it together.

Mixed Berries and Chicken Salad With Strawberry Dressing
Makes 2 servings

• 3 cups mixed salad greens, washed and spun dry
• 4 ounces cooked and cubed chicken breast (I used a can of Kirkland seasoned chicken breast)
• 2 Tbs chopped white onion
• 10 slices of long English cucumber, slivered
• 2 small white mushrooms, washed and sliced
• 4 fresh strawberries, washed and sliced
• 1 cup mixed frozen berries, thawed (mine has blueberries, blackberries and raspberries)
• 1/2 ounce slivered almonds

Strawberry Dressing
Makes 2 servings

• 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, washed and sliced
• 1 Tbs white vinegar
• 1 Tbs water
• Dash of Stevia or Splenda, your choice
• 2 tsp olive oil 

1. Tear the mixed salad greens and divide between 2 serving bowls or plates.
2. Divide the rest of the ingredients between the 2 bowls and layer on top of the greens in the order listed.
3. Prepare the dressing by placing the strawberries, vinegar and water in a blender and puree.  Add the olive oil and combine well.
4. Pour the dressing evenly over each of the 2 salads before serving.

Per serving, salad and dressing.
Weight Watchers P+ = 7.
Calories 276; Protein 31g; Carbohydrate 19g; Fat 10g; Fibre 7g.

Before dressing...

And after...

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Quinoa Mediterranean Style

In my ongoing quest to get more protein into our diets, and more whole grains too, I have been turning to quinoa more and more lately.  It is so versatile and seems to change with the mood of the flavors I serve with it.

When I make it, I usually cook a bit extra and store it in the fridge for up to a couple of days.  I do like it cold as a salad base, and also with yogurt and fruit.

I made this recently on a warm evening for dinner. It was really tasty and filled our bellies quite nicely!  If you don't have the dried sprouted beans on hand, use about 1/2 cup of cooked beans per serving.  And, any kind of chopped onion will work.  I used red onion, but green onions would also be really good here.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Makes 2 servings

• 1/2 cup quinoa, dry measure 
• 1-1/2 ounces sprouted beans, dry measure
• 2 small fresh mushrooms,  sliced thin
• 2 Tbs chopped onion
• 2 Tbs sliced black olives
• 1/3 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 2 cups canned diced tomatoes
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 4 tsp white vinegar
• Dashes of oregano and basil
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook the quinoa according to package directions and allow to cool at room temperature for a few minutes, then chill in the refrigerate at least one hour.
2. Cook the sprouted beans according to package directions, drain, and let cool at room temperature for a few minutes, then chill in the refrigerate at least one hour.
3. To assemble the salads, place half of the quinoa and half of the sprouted beans into each of 2 serving bowls.
4. Add half of the mushrooms, onion, black olives, bell pepper, and tomatoes to each bowl.
5. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil with the vinegar, oregano, and basil.  Mix together well and pour half over each salad.
6. Stir each salad to mix the ingredients, season with salt and pepper, then serve. 

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 8.
Calories 364; Protein 13g; Carbohydrate 64g; Fat 5g; Fibre 12g.

Start assembling ingedients by putting quinoa and sprouted beans into the bowl.

Add the mushrooms, onions, peppers, olives and tomateoes.

Mix the oil and vinegar in a small bowl with oregano and basil... if you have fresh, even better.

Pour the dressing over the salads and stir well to combine.

Season with salt and pepper, and then serve.

Printable Recipe