Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

This is a combination of two concepts you have seen before on here. My favorite Caesar salad dressing, and grilling romaine on salads. It's a hearty and healthy salad. Because I use chicken thighs, they cook up quick on the grill so it's a super fast weeknight meal too. 

• 1 package boneless skinless chicken thighs (about a pound) Trim them of fat
• 1 tablespoon Oregano 
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Lemon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• olive oil spray (like Pam)
• 4 heads romaine hearts
• 1/2 cup shaved parm
• 1 red onion sliced (big enough to grill but not too big, about 3/4 of an inch slices)
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Create dressing by combing in a blender or food processor: lemon juice, dijon, anchovy paste, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. 
2. Combine seasonings for chicken in a small bowl: oregano, salt, pepper, lemon pepper, and granulated garlic. 
3. Sprinkle each side of the chicken thighs with seasoning blend.
4. Cut each romaine heart in half and spray both sides with olive oil spray. 
5. Heat grill to medium high. Put chicken and onion slices on the grill. Turning each a few times. Chicken should be done in about 6 minutes each side. You want the onions to have a slight char to them.
6. After you remove chicken from grill, throw the romaine on the grill. Grill for 1-2 minutes each side until it starts to char. 
7. Cut the chicken into thin slices. 
8. When you pull the romaine off the grill, place it on the plate. Sprinkle with grated parmesan. 
9. Divide chicken and onion slices among the four salads.
10. Top each with shaved parmesan and dressing. 

Lunch Shortcut: Mediterranean Spinach Quinoa Salad

I am all about easy healthy lunches. I have never been very good at meal prepping, so this is something easy I can throw together before work in mornings and it tastes so good. I change up what I throw on top based on what we have around but this is the basic version. You can throw beats and peppers and other Mediterranean flavors in too! The key is a green layer, a grain layer, some beans and lots of yummy veggies. Let's eat.

Mediterranean Spinach Quinoa Salad

• 6 cups baby spinach
• 1 bag of frozen quinoa or grain mixture that steams in the bag (I love Simple Truth White Quinoa and Barley mix)
• 1 cup chickpeas
• 4 Radishes, cut into thin strips
• 1 cup (from can) artichoke quarters (then give them a rough chop)
• 10 grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup diced cucumber
• 1/2 cup feta
• the juice from one fresh lemon
• a few banana pepper slices (from jar)
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper

1. Divide the spinach into two bowls that have covers if you are taking for lunch on the go. 
2. Top each bowl with half of the following: quinoa, chickpeas, radishes, artichokes, tomatoes, cucumber, feta and banana peppers. 
3. To create dressing, combine lemon juice, dijon, olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper. Then divide that into two containers that seal well, so you can keep salad and dressing separate until you eat. 
4. Toss the dressing into the salad just before serving. 

 

ONE PAN: Roasted Salmon and Brussels Sprouts

It doesn't get much easier than roasting your entire meal in one big roasting pan. This meal is simple, delicious and hearty. I stumbled upon the concept on  Eating Well and took it from there. It feels indulgent because the flavors are rich but it's super healthy and good for you. If you aren't a Brussels Sprouts fan, first of all, TRY THIS, but if you still aren't convinced, it would work well with several different vegetables roasting under the salmon. I'd try cauliflower if I didn't love Brussels so much.

Roasted Salmon and Brussels Sprouts

• 14 large cloves garlic
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 6 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced into thirds
• ¾ cup dry white wine 
• 2 pounds wild-caught salmon fillets, skinned, cut into 4 portions
• 2 lemons cut into wedges

1. Preheat oven to 450. 
2. Mince 4 garlic cloves and combine in a small bowl with oil, 1 tablespoon oregano, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, lemon pepper and lemon juice. 
3. Halve the remaining garlic and toss with Brussels sprouts and 3 tablespoons of the oil mixture in a large roasting pan. Roast, stirring once, for 15 minutes.
4. Add wine to the remaining oil mixture. 
5. Remove the pan from oven, stir the brussels. Then place salmon on top. Drizzle with the wine mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oregano and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bake until the salmon is just cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes more. 
6. Squeeze one lemon wedge over the whole pan.
7. Serve with lemon slices. 

Cuban Cauliflower Rice Bowl

 Have you noticed I am really into "bowls." I love the concept of throwing a bunch of healthy stuff together. I also am apparently obsessed with Cauliflower. Which I didn't even notice until I started blogging these recipes and realizing how many involved Cauliflower. Well, it's delicious and I don't care. The inspiration for this one comes from this Eating Well recipe. I just kicked up the spices a bit.  I love that my Kroger lately has had a lot of presliced and prechopped veggies. It made this recipe so easy, bagged cauliflower rice, and presliced Sweet Potatoes and this meal was done so quickly! 

Cuban Cauliflower Rice Bowl

• 1 package of sliced sweet potatoes, or a medium sweet potato, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil plus 1 tablespoon
• 2 pinches salt plus ½ teaspoon, divided
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, divided
• ¼ cup orange juice
• the juice of two fresh limes
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bag cauliflower rice
• 1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed
• 1  avocado, diced
• ½ cup fresh salsa or pico

1. Preheat oven to 400°
2. Toss sweet potato in a medium bowl with 2 teaspoons oil, some salt and pepper,  chili powder and cayenne. Put in a single layer on a  baking sheet covered in foil. Roast until tender- about 10 minutes. 
3. To create a dressing, combine orange juice, lime juice, ¼ cup cilantro, 2 minced garlic cloves, cumin, oregano and a pinch of salt in a bowl. 
4. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cauliflower rice, a little salt and pepper.
5. Cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining ¼ cup cilantro.
6. To serve, divide the cauliflower among 4 bowls. Layer bowls with sweet potato, black beans, avocado and salsa. Drizzle each portion with the dressing.

All the Veggies and Chickpea Pasta

This is what you do when it's rounding out farmer's market season, and you have run out of ideas for "new" healthy things to do with zucchini and squash. You throw it all into a pasta. And in this case, you use a chickpea pasta because it's delicious, and filling and wonderful. This was our first time using a pasta that wasn't regular or whole wheat. I was shocked at how good it was, and how much less "pasta" I used because it filled me up more. We used the Banza Chickpea Penne, which is lower in carbs and higher in protein than regular pasta.

All the Veggies and Chickpea Pasta

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 head broccoli cut into small florets
• 1/2 yellow onion diced
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1-2 zucchini (depending on the size) cut into bite sized pieces 
• 1 squash cut into bite sized pieces 
• 1 large tomato diced
• 1/2 cup of snap peas, sliced on the diagonal into 1/2 inch pieces 
• 1/4 cup basil leaves cut into thin strips 
• 1 8 oz package chickpea penne (I use Banza)
• 2 oz fresh mozarella torn into pieces
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

1. Cook Chickpea pasta according to box. DO NOT OVERCOOK. And save about 1/4 cup of cooking water. 
2. In a large skillet (I mean a big one, you will eventually add the pasta in here too), heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent.
3. Add broccoli and squash to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and lemon pepper. Cook until it's tender but still has bite to it, stirring occasionally. 
4. Add in diced tomatoes and cook until heated through. Add in saved pasta water. Add in snap peas.
5. Toss in the pasta and stir to coat and combine well. 
6. Top each of four servings with mozzarella and fresh basil. 

 

Curried Eggplant and Mango Salad

Sometimes I think Eating Well can read my mind. Eggplant is plentiful at our farmer's market right now, and when searching for new ideas to use it this just happened to be a feature on Eating Well's facebook page. The flavors in this are fantastic and it's hearty and delicious and you don't miss the meat. You really want to lentils to be crunchy so I used canned. I can never seem to cook lentils from scratch to the right consistency.

Curried Eggplant and Mango Salad

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3 teaspoons chili powder, divided
• 3 teaspoons curry powder, divided
• 2 medium eggplants trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• ⅓ cup lime juice
• ¼ cup fresh prepared salsa like a pico (the kind you buy in the refrigerated section) 
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 15-ounce can lentils, rinsed
• 2 bunches scallions, coarsely chopped 
• 4 cups torn romaine lettuce
• 2 large ripe mangoes, peeled and diced 
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped roasted peanuts 
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cashews
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 500°F.
2. Combine 1 tablespoon oil with 2 teaspoons each chili powder and curry powder and a sprinkle of salt in a large bowl. Add eggplant and toss well. Spread the eggplant on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring once halfway through, until tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Thoroughly combine the remaining tablespoon oil, remaining teaspoon each chili powder and curry powder, ⅓ cup lime juice, salsa, honey, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the roasted eggplant, lentils and scallions; toss to combine. 
4. Serve the eggplant  on a bed of romaine. Top with mango, nuts, cilantro. 

Grilled Cauliflower Steak with Chimmichuri

If you think this is one of those new health trends that's only for super healthy people, you are wrong. It's good. No it isn't steak. But it's good. and in this case the perfect use of my leftover chimichurri sauce, find that recipe here, and use it for everything (Including this Steak Salad). This makes a really good meaty main dish. You could probably sear the cauliflower steaks in a ban if you don't want to fire up the grill. Below this makes 2 servings depending on how big the cauliflower is. 

Grilled Cauliflower Steak with Chimmichuri

• 1 large head cauliflower 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to season

Chimichurri Sauce 

• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 1 head garlic, cloves peeled, and minced very fine
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves only (my grocery store has been out of flat-leaf before and I used regular and it was just as good, just make sure you don't get much stem in there)
• 1 cup fresh oregano leaves
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup of Olive Oil

1. Cut 2-4 slices from center of cauliflower - about an inch to an inch and half thick. You can save the other ends of the cauliflower. 
2. Brush with olive oil each side of cauliflower steaks. Season with salt and pepper.
3. You can either bake or grill at this point. To grill - heat grill to medium high, and throw on there. Grill for about 10 minutes a side, until the cauliflower is charred and tender. 
4. To bake - start on the stove.  In a large oven-safe skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium-high. Add cauliflower steaks and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Carefully turn slices over. Place skillet in the oven and roast for 10-15 minutes or until stem is tender.
5. To make Chimichurri sauce:
1. Make a salmuera by bringing the water to a boil, then stirring in the salt until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.
2. Mince your parsley leaves, and oregano leaves and combine them with the garlic and red pepper flakes in a bowl.
3. Whisk in the vinegar, then the oil. Then whisk in your salt water salmuera. Stir it up real good and put in a jar or container with a tight lid.
6. Use about 2 tablespoons of sauce on each cauliflower steak and serve. 

*Makes 2 servings

*2 on Bryce's dish scale!