Coconut Chicken Salad with Warm Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

This.Is.Fantastic! The coconut breaded chicken screams summer and the salad with tomatoes and cucumbers are a nice compliment to the chicken. The dressing is yummy! The only thing I will say is, next time I make this, I will definately double the dressing recipe, Chris said his salad was too "dry."

This is really perfect, for the warmer months ahead, and they better be ahead here in MI, and I will definitely be making this again, Soon!

Note: Double the dressing recipe
Double Note: Shrimp instead of chicken would also be divine


from skinnytaste.com
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 3 • Serving Size: salad with 2 chicken tenders • Points: 8 pts • Points+: 8 pts
Calories: 397.6 • Fat: 11.0 g • Protein: 26.8 g • Carb: 32.5 g • Fiber: 4.4 g • Sugar: 10

6 (about 12 oz) chicken tenderloins
6 tbsp shredded coconut
1/4 cup panko crumbs
2 tbsp crushed cornflake crumbs
1/3 cup egg substitute or egg whites
pinch salt
olive oil spray
6 cups mixed baby greens
3/4 cup shredded carrots
1 large tomato, sliced
1 small cucumber, sliced

Vinaigrette
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp white vinegar (balsamic would work too)
2 tsp dijon mustard

Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients; set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine coconut flakes, panko, cornflake crumbs and salt in a bowl. Put egg whites or egg beaters in another bowl.

Lightly season chicken with salt. Dip the chicken in the egg, then in the coconut crumb mixture. Place chicken on a cookie sheet lined with parchment for easy cleanup. Lightly spray with olive oil spray and bake for 30 minutes turning halfway, or until chicken is cooked through.

Place 2 cups baby greens on each plate. Divide carrots, cucumber, tomato evenly between each plate. When chicken is ready slice on the diagonal and place on top of greens. Heat dressing in the microwave a few seconds and divide equally between each salad; a little over 1 tbsp each.

Strawberry, Pinenuts, and Feta Salad with a Zesty Lemon Dressing

I made this for lunch today and Chris and I each loved it! It reminded me of Spring and how I want MI to have Spring SOON! This salad so got me in the spirit for warmer weather and sunshine. The dressing is light and refreshing and yummy! We served it will roasted chicken and it was one delicious lunch. I will definately be making this salad again, maybe for Easter, we will see. Anyways, you must make this for a quick, healthy, satisfying lunch, you will not be disappointed, I promise.

Thanks Sisters Cafe for another amazing recipe
Note: I halved the salad and dressing recipe, since there was only two of us and it made a nice sized portion. So, I would say if you make recipe as it, it would probably feed 4-5 adults as a side salad.


3T fresh lemon juice
3T sugar
1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tbsp grated lemon rind
1/4 cup canola or light olive oil

3 cups fresh spinach
1 cup fresh strawberries ,sliced
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
Feta cheese to taste (I used Gorgonzola, because that is what I had, and it tasted good still)

In blender combine lemon juice, sugar, mustard, grated lemon rind and oil. Pulse until mixture is combined , thickened and sugar is dissolved.

In a large bowl, toss together spinach, strawberries, nuts and feta. Toss with enough dressing to coat.

Tricolor Pasta Salad

I love pasta salad, but I am in love with this one. This was a huge hit with my friends. I almost forgot I was dieting and would have eaten the entire thing myself, except I remembered I should be careful :) This is so good! The basil pesto and pinenuts just add so much flavor and jazz up an ordinary pasta salad. This would be great served as a side dish for a BBQ and I also think you could add some grilled chicken to make it a main dinner course. But, however you want it, just make it! It will change the way you view pasta salad.
from My Kitchen Cafe (www.melskitchencafe.com)

1 12 oz. package Pasta Rotini, tri colored, cooked and drained
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1 can black olives, sliced
¼ cups red onion, finely diced
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
6 fresh basil leaves, cut into strips
4 tablespoons basil pesto
2/3 cup creamy Caesar dressing
2 teaspoons sauté spice (equal parts black pepper, salt, and garlic powder)
½-1 cup toasted pine nuts

Cook pasta and coat with Caesar dressing while warm. Add the rest of the ingredients (minus the pine nuts) and toss. Top with toasted pine nuts.

Note: I served mine at room temperature, but Chris ate it straight out of the fridge and said that was good too!

Honey Lime Fruit Salad

I know, I know, you don't really need a recipe for fruit salad, I mean you just throw fruit in a bowl right? But, let me tell you something. Once you make this fruit salad, you will never eat it another way again. What makes this special you might be wondering? Well, what makes this stand out is the fresh taste of lime zest, the sweet, subtle hint of honey, and the poppy seeds not only make it look as pretty as a picture, it lends a good texture as well. Really, this fruit salad was so good! I cannot wait for the summer months where I can make this over and over and over. It is very refreshing and I felt like it was summer when I was eating it, even if outside shows me different :)


*Note: This fruit salad is best served right away (or at least within an hour of making) because the strawberries tend to stain the light colored fruit. It doesn't affect the taste at all but is a slight bummer for presentation.

*Serves 4

1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks, drained well
1 can mandarin oranges, drained well
2-3 ripe kiwi, peeled and sliced into thick half moons
1 cup green grapes, halved
1 cup strawberries, quartered
Zest from one lime, about 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon poppy seeds (optional)

Combine the fruit in a medium-large serving bowl. Add the lime zest and poppy seeds, if using, and gently toss. Drizzle the honey over the fruit and again, gently mix until the fruit is evenly coated with the honey. Serve.

Orange, Red Onion, Gorgonzola and Arugula Salad

In an effort of trying to lose weight this year, I have been cooking more health-fully! I have been placing my Paula Deen cookbooks on the shelf, (love you paula, but my body doesn't always) and I have been finding more nutrionally sound meals. From what I have found, I have not been disappointed and the food is yummy. So, I want to share my all time favorite recipes that are not only delicous, but good for you.

I made this recipe today, and oh boy, it was one of the best lunches I have had in a while. Delicious! It comes from a food blog entitled, Ginna's Skinny Recipes (www.skinnytaste.com). My friend, Michelle, introduced this blog to me and so far it has not disappointed me. The blog is all based off of weight watchers points, but since I am not following weight watchers, I like the fact that she includes calories and fat, fiber etc. as well. So whether you are following weight watchers or not, these recipes are perfect for the person trying to be smart when eating.

Now back to the salad. This salad instilled a love of arugula in me. I have never had it before, that I can recall, and now, I love it! It is a peppery green that is so yummy and tasty and jazzes up the spinach in this salad. Yum! I also now love Gorgonzola cheese thanks to this salad. The oranges didn't hurt either, and paired with the red onions, which I cannot eat enough of, this was the perfect salad. The simple to make dressing was out of this world! All the favors blended very well together and it has kept me full! It was the perfect lunch.

The recipe makes one generous serving, but can easily be doubled, tripled, etc. to feed a crowd as a side dish or starter course. I would also imagine, to make this a good dinner, you could add some grilled chicken. Enjoy!

Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 1 • Points: 5 pts
Calories: 241.7 • Fat: 13.7 g • Protein: 9.4 g • Carb: 22.2 g • Fiber: 4.0 g

1 small orange, peeled, chopped
3 tbsp crumbled gorgonzola cheese (blue cheese works great too)
sliced red onion (to taste)
2 cups baby arugula and spinach mix
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp honey
salt and fresh pepper

In a small bowl combine oil, balsamic, honey, salt and pepper and whisk well.

In a plate or bowl add baby greens. Top with oranges, onion and gorgonzola. Drizzle vinaigrette over the top and enjoy!!

Poppy Seed Salad with or without the Chicken

We served this salad as a side dish to Chicken A La King, so we did not add the grilled chicken, but the original recipe that I am posting calls for the chicken, so you can decide to make it with or without. It is so good and you will definately fall in love at first bite, so because you will be making this A LOT for now on, you can try both ways, with chicken or without. This definately got the most compliments at super sat out of all the food. This dressing is to die for! I love it and I am glad the ladies loved it too! Make this salad, it is great!

Salad:
Spinach leaves
Romaine leaves
Grilled chicken, sliced (Best if marinated in Lemon Grilled Chicken Marinade*, but if you don't have time then grill with lots of lemon pepper seasoning)
Red onion, sliced thinly
Crispy bacon, crumbled
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Toasted almonds (or you can sugar the almonds. Put sliced almonds in a pan with lots of granulated sugar (about equal amounts). Cook on medium heat until sugar melts, coating the almonds as they brown.)

*Lemon Grilled Chicken:
Juice of one lemon (~3 Tb lemon juice)
3 Tb oil
1 tsp minced garlic (~2 large cloves)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1 lb chicken breasts

Marinate the chicken overnight. For salad, dice the raw chicken and marinate it that way so there is more surface area to marinate. You can get away with marinating for a shorter amount of time this way. Grilling is best, but cooking in a skillet is great, too.

The best part... The Dressing**:
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp dry mustard
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tb Maui or Vidalia onion, chopped
2 cups canola oil
3 Tb poppy seeds

Mix the first 5 ingredients in a blender, then slowly add the oil, blending until thick. Stir in poppy seeds. Toss all ingredients together with generous amount of dressing before serving.

**This makes a lot of dressing! If you need a really big salad for a party then start with a large bunch of spinach, large head of romaine, 4 chicken breasts, 1 lb bacon, etc. I rarely make a salad that big so that is why there are no "amounts". So have fun with it - you're going to love it!

Grilled Pesto Shrimp and Summer Veggie Salad

Source: Sisters Cafe (I love this blog, amazing)

Okay, so I made this tonight for dinner and all I can say is, "Oh my, goodness it was good!" It made me realize that eating healthy isn't so hard after all. we made it tonight, because I want to continue eating a little healthier and because it gave us an excuse to fire up the grill one more time before summer is officially over. Seriously, try this. It is such a great way to use up all those summer veggies from your garden!

For the grilled veggies:
1 yellow and 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into large pieces
1 red onion, chopped into large segments
1 yellow summer squash, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
Olive oil (I used Extra Virgin and it was great!)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper


Either use previously prepared pesto or make a small batch of fresh pesto:
2 tbsp. pine nuts
2 tbsp. walnuts
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled (My garlic cloves were huge and so 2 was a little too much for me, so next time, I would use one if they are big)
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
3½ tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese


1 lb. uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined


For serving:
Spinach ( I don't like straight up spinach, too chewy for me, so I mixed spinach with romaine lettuce)
Tomato wedges
Crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
Heat a grill to medium-high heat. Oil the grates to prevent food from sticking.

To prepare the veggies for grilling, combine the bell peppers, red onion, squash and zucchini in a large bowl and toss. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat evenly. Set aside.

To make the pesto, combine the pine nuts, walnuts, garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Process 30 seconds. Add basil leaves, olive oil, salt, and pepper and process until smooth. Add parmesan cheese and process 1 minute. Set aside.

Thread the shrimp onto skewers for the grill. Once the skewers are assembled, use the back of a spoon or a pastry brush to smother the pesto onto both sides of the shrimp. Set aside.

Transfer the veggies to a grill basket and cook on the grill until they are crisp-tender, about 10-15 minutes (depending on the heat of your grill). Remove the grill basket from the heat and place the shrimp skewers on the grill in a single layer. Assemble the salads while the shrimp cook by tossing the grilled veggies atop a bed of spinach.
Allow the shrimp to cook just until cooked through, about 3-5 minutes (depending on the heat of your grill), turning once during cooking. Remove the shrimp from the skewers and place them on top of the salads. Top with fresh tomato wedges and crumbled feta cheese. Serve immediately.

Spinach Salad

My friend, Callie, made this for us one night at dinner and it is so good! We loved it.

1 10 oz bag of fresh spinach
½ cup grated Swiss cheese
½ pound bacon cooked and crumbled
1/3 cup chopped red onions
Fresh sliced mushrooms


DRESSING (prepare night before and refrigerate until needed)
1 teaspoon poppy seed ½ cup sugar
½ cup red vinegar 1 teaspoon salt
½ cup olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped onion

Place dressing on salad toss and serve

Cranberry Salad

Fantastic, and I don't even like cranberries!

1 – 16 oz. bag cranberries (washed)
Grind in vitamix ½ bag at a time with approx. 4 c. water – don’t over grind.
Strain to rid of excess water. Stir in 2 c. sugar and let sit overnight in bowl. In morning, drain again.
Cut up l lb. seedless red grapes
Add 1-1/2 chopped pecans
Add 1c. whipped cream
Mix all together,eat and enjoy. Stores well.

Mixed Green Salad with Raspberry Vinegrette

2 heads romaine lettuce
1/3 bag spring mix
1 cup cran-raisins
1 small container of strawberries
1 cup sugared pecans

Raspberry Vinegrette:

1/3 cup raspberry vinegar
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. minced white onion (fresh)
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

In a blender, combine everything but oil and poppy seeds. While blending on low, drizzle oil-very slowly. Remove from blender and stir in poppy seeds.

Hint: Dressing will turn gray if poppy seeds are added in blender.

Serves 15 people
Can be halved

The Best Ever Taco Salad

2 lbs. ground beef
2 packages taco seasoning mix
1 1/2 cup water
1 avocado
juice from one lime
1 head of lettuce, shredded
1 can red kidney beans (15 0z), drained
4 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 package Frito corn chips (10 oz)
2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Brown ground beef in large skillet. Drain. Stir in taco seasonings and water. Simmer, stirring occasionally. Chop avacado. Squeeze juice of lime over chopped avocado. Place ground beef, avacado, lettuce, kidney beans, tomatoes, cheese and corn chips in seperate bowls. Let each person make their own salad. Dress with cilantro lime dressing (see below)

Cilantro Lime Dressing

1 packet ranch dressing mix (1 oz)
1 cup mayo
1 cup sour cream
1 (3 inch) jalapeno pepper (cut and seeded)
2 Tbsp. chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped ciantro
juice of one lime

Blend all ingredients in a blender and refrigerate overnight.

Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

1 bag spinach leaves
Romaine lettuce
sliced fresh mushrooms
bacon bits
grated mozarella cheese
purple onion (optional)
jicama (optional)
craisins
caramelized almonds (almond accents toffee flavor brand work well)
Brianna's Poppy Seed Dressing (found at Fry's in the specialty salad dressing section)

Toss all ingredients and dress with the poppy seed dressing right before serving.

BBQ Chicken Chop Salad

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup bbq sauce

Marinate chicken in bbq sauce, then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Chop into pieces and refrigerate.

1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped
3 to 4 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 jicama, peeled and diced (recipe will survive if this is not added)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen sweet corn, thawed
1/2 lb. Monterey Jack Cheese, grated

Combine chicken in a large bowl with other ingredients and toss. Serve with Ranch Dressing, additional bbq sauce, and crispy corn tortilla chips

Autumn Salad

Fantastic salad. Even Chris loves this!

3 bags romaine lettuce (Dole's romaine is good)
6 apples or ripe pears, peeled and diced
1 container Athena's Greek Feta Cheese, crumbled
1 bag of Almond Accents toffee flavored brand
1 package Good Season's italian dressing
1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
1 Tablespoon sugar

Combine first 4 ingredients in a salad bowl. Prepare italian dressing according to the directions on the package. Add poppy seeds and sugar, shake.

DO NOT dress salad until right before serving
Note: This makes a salad to serve 12-15 people. Can easily be halved to feed one family.

Chicken Salad

Given to me by Alice Glidewell

This is the BEST chicken salad ever known. Seriously, whether on bread, croissants, rolls, salad, or on crackers it is so good.

3 cup cooked chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cup chopped celery or water chestnuts
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 large can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup whipping cream, unsweetened

Cook chicken any method you like. Cool and cut up in bite sized pieces.
While chicken is cooling, Whip cream and fold into mayo to make your dressing.
To the dressing bowl, add chicken, celery, and pineapple. Blend well.
Add pepper, salt, and chopped parsley. Fold together one last time.
Refrigerate at least 30 minutes prior to serving.

Variations: Add or substitute any of the following to the salad: 1 cup mandarine oranges, drained; 1 cup seedless grapes, halved; 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion; 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup sliced almonds (added just before serving).

Secret: The secret is the dressing, not so much what you add to the salad. So, if you want to add more dressing, go ahead, add more dressing.