Perfect Salads - Dressing Up An Every Day Salad With The Fresh Fruits Of The Season

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Summer Salad

I love to add fresh fruits to my greens. I try to eat a giant salad of greens and raw vegetables for one meal a day. I like to add a large variety of raw vegetables to my salads. I combine about 7 or more different raw vegetables including romaine lettuce, spinach, kale, zucchini, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, green pepper, cabbage and purple onion. I also add garbanzo beans, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. During the winter months I enjoy grapes and oranges on my salads, but in the summer my salad rises to a whole new level with fresh berries, cherries and kiwi. The variety of flavors and textures are fantastic, sweet, crunchy, chewy.... and this is so great for our bodies.

Winter Salad

Instead of unhealthy croutons, I crunch up Trader Joe's Lentil Chips, Sea Salt & Black Pepper flavor.  These chips are full of flavor and baked with only 3 grams of fat per serving.

I make a giant salad once or twice a week and store the whole thing in a recycled lettuce or spinach container or fill mason jars, as you can see in my Food Tips. This keeps my salad as fresh as the day I made it. I don't add the beans, sunflower seeds or fruit until ready to serve.


Meat eaters can add cut up leftover chicken and turkey with some cheese as another addition to a salad.

There are so many options it's fun to experiment, and the salads are gorgeous as well as nutritious!

So, come on!    Eat those greens!!

Happy Mother's Day Mom

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I won't be spending Mother's Day with my mom this year, she is having a wonderful time in Idaho, with her new great grandson  Last year we had a good laugh about her famous Lemonade Pie that almost melted faster than we could eat it!

Good times for sure!     Here's to you mom...see you soon.

I hope you enjoy a delicious, mouth watering piece of one of my mom's favorite desserts!

Sweet & Sour Crock Pot Chicken

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This is one of those easy to prepare dinners that everybody will like and is healthy too. Use any type of chicken, I prefer breast. The original recipe suggest serving it over plain rice, but we like it with Vegetable Fried Rice.

If you prefer more sauce, double up the sauce ingredients. If you like it more "meaty" double up the chicken. Make this recipe gluten free simply by using a gluten free soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos.

Sweet & Sour Crock Pot Chicken               Serves 4-5

4 -5  chicken breasts, cubed

1 cup apple juice

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tsp ground ginger

1 Tbsp crushed red pepper

2 1/2  tsp minced garlic

1 1/3 cups soy sauce (gluten free if needed)

1 cup hot water

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 rounded cup of cornstarch

In a large skillet cook chicken for about 7-10 minutes. I cover it for the first few minutes to speed up cooking time. No oil needed.

Mix all other ingredients in crock pot. Add cooked chicken and stir well. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours.   Reduce to low for 4-5 hours, or until ready to serve.  Or cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Serve over your choice of rice. The Vegetable Fried Rice really makes it a complete dish though.

Chicken & Vegetable Fried Rice

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Chicken & Vegetable Fried Rice

1-2 Tbsp oil

1 cup finely diced broccoli

1 cup finely diced carrots

1 cup finely diced red, yellow, or orange bell pepper

1 cup peas, frozen

1 cup finely diced onion, or green onions thinly sliced

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp minced garlic

4 cups cooked brown rice, cooled

1/4 cup soy sauce (gluten free if needed) 

1 cup chopped cooked chicken breasts

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Heat oil or broth in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add all vegetables except peas. Saute 3-5 minutes. Add peas, ginger, and garlic. Cook another minutes or so. Stir in brown rice and chicken to heat, about 3-5 minutes. In a small skillet sprayed with a non-stick spray, scramble the 2 eggs. Stir the eggs into the rice mixture. Mix in the soy sauce and serve.

 

Vegetable Fried Rice

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Vegetable Fried Rice

1-2 Tbsp oil or 1/4 cup vegetable broth

1 cup finely diced broccoli

1 cup finely diced carrots

1 cup finely diced red, yellow, or orange bell pepper

1 cup peas, frozen

1 cup finely diced onion, or green onions thinly sliced

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp minced garlic

4 cups cooked brown rice, cooled

1/4 cup soy sauce (gluten free if needed) optional

Heat oil or broth in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add all vegetables except peas. Saute 3-5 minutes. Add peas, ginger, and garlic. Cook another minutes or so. Stir in brown rice to heat. Add more broth as needed and soy sauce if choosing. I like to offer soy sauce on the side for each person to add as they please.  This also allows me to use this mixture in soups and salads throughout the week. 

This recipe has become a staple at my house, I double the recipe so I have lots available in the refrigerator to use all week.  

Weight Watcher Points Plus count 5 points for each cup when prepared without oil.

Edible Flowers Grow On Kale Plants

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I guess I shouldn't be surprised these pretty little flowers are edible on my kale plants,  I just didn't consider the option. I was cutting off some leaves for my morning drink and our daily salads when I noticed all the plants were suddenly exploding with little buds and yellow flowers.  I mentioned it to my husband who then informed me he had heard they were edible.  So right then I cut some and returned to the kitchen.

I was already planning to make a vegetable stir-fry mixed with brown rice, so those little buds and flowers went right in too.  The flavor is very mild, and the color is very pretty.

Here is a picture of my stir-fry with the buds and flowers added.

I like to sauté fresh, finely chopped vegetables with some garlic, ginger, and vegetable broth. I then mix  in some cooked brown rice.  I use this rice and vegetable mixture all week in my pureed soup, mixed green salads, or serve as a side dish.  Sprinkle on some Bragg's Liquid Aminos or Soy Sauce (gluten free if needed) for an Oriental flavor.

Here I made a hearty salad with mixed greens, some of my rice and vegetable dish, garbanzo beans, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and crushed Trader Joes Baked Lentil Chips as a healthy crouton. I like this salad combination with a light Italian dressing like Wish-Bone Light Italian Dressing (it's Gluten Free)

So now there is another reason to grow kale this summer in your garden!

It's Shortcake Season - I made mine on the lighter side for this year.

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Make it regular or gluten free

A Lighter Shortcake                 Makes 8-12 Shortcakes

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup cold butter (or butter substitute)

3/4 cup low fat buttermilk (or dairy free milk with 1 Tbsp vinegar)

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (gluten free if needed, add 1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum to gluten free recipe)

Preheat oven to 450

In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients.  Cut in butter or butter substitute with a pastry blender until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

Using a fork, gently move flour mixture around as you add the buttermilk, stir very gently just to moistened.

Using your hand gently gather mixture into a large lump and knead a couple times right in the bowl - very gently.

Flour a flat area and roll or pat out dough to about 3/4" thickness. Using a round cookie cutter cut out 8-12 circles, or cut squares with a knife.  Place on a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes, or a nice golden brown.

Cool on a wire rack or wrap in a clean dish towel until ready to serve.

Slice in half and top with berries and ice cream or a non dairy frozen treat like So Delicious. Maybe even a favorite whipped topping.

Weight Watcher Points Plus followers should count each shortcake with 6 points if recipe made 12 shortcakes.

Fresh out of the oven

Sliced Fresh Strawberries

Here we have gluten free shortcakes on the far right, and regular on the left. Served with sliced berries and my favorite brand of dairy free frozen  treat, So Delicious Creamy Vanilla.

Gluten Free

Regular

                   

                                                                    ENJOY!!