Panzella Salad

     Sometimes you just don't want a heavy meal, so I found this very yummy salad recipe that I wanted to try.  It was fresh, crisp, and all around delicious!  Paired it with a simple German Potato Soup and bread and called it a night!

Recipe from Cooking Light

What you need:

1 TBsp unsalted butter

3 oz Italian Bread, crusts trimmed, torn into 1/4 inch pieces

3/4 cup fresh corn kernels

4 large ripe heirloom tomatoes, cored and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices

1 cup small multicolored cherry tomatoes, halved

1/8 tsp plus dash of kosher salt, divided

3/4 tsp fresh ground pepper, divided

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 cup baby arugula

3 TBsp mayonnaise

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp fresh chives, minced

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

3 smoked bacon slices, cooked and crumbled.

How to make it:

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add bread, sauté 5 minutes or until bread is toasted, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat, stir in corn.

Sprinkle tomatoes with dash of salt and 12 tsp of pepper, let stand for 5 minutes.

Combine remaining 1/8 tsp salt, remaining 1/8 tsp pepper, vinegar, and oil in a large bowl.

Add bread mixture and arugula, toss to coat.

Combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, and chives in a small bowl.

Arrange tomatoes bread mixture on a large platter.

Drizzle with mayonnaise mixture, sprinkle with bacon and basil then ENJOY!

Kale Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Quinoa, & Cranberries

     Since I have been doing this 10 Day Fitness Challenge these last few days, I have been looking at trying some new clean healthy meals to try.  My mom has been raving on and on about having kale salads, and they are the "IT" thing these days.  So, I looked on Pinterest and it seems to be true.  I found so many different recipes.  I decided to give this one and try and it was delish!  Can't wait to share it with you!

Recipe from Eat Yourself Skinny

What you need:

Salad
2 medium sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed)
1 TBsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
3 cups kale or mixed greens
1/4 cup dried cranberries

Dressing
1 TBsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 TBsp olive oil
1 tsp shallots (minced)
1 1/2 TBsp honey

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 425˚F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Rinse and peel the sweet potatoes, chopping them into 1/4 inch cubes.

Toss with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and chipotle chili pepper until completely coated.

Spread sweet potatoes on prepared baking sheet in a single layer and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, flipping them once.

While sweet potatoes are roasting, using a mesh strainer, thoroughly rinse the quinoa.

Add a 1/2 cup of water to a small saucepan and add rinsed quinoa.

Bring quinoa to a boil, cover, and reduce heat and simmer for about 13 minutes.

Remove from heat, keeping quinoa covered, and allow to sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

In a plastic container or mason jar with a lid, add all the ingredients for the dressing.  

Put on the lid and shake to combine the ingredients.

To assemble the salad, combine the kale, quinoa, and cranberries in a large bowl, toss with dressing.

Fold in the roasted sweet potatoes, then ENJOY!

Farro Salad with Creamy Feta Sauce

     My friend Jennie, brought this over for our Crafternoon, it was so good! Just had to have the recipe!

Recipe found at My Recipes.

Ingredients:

2 TBsp extra virgin olive oil

2 TBsp fresh lemon juice

2 TBsp green onions (chopped) 

2 tsp fresh oregano (chopped)

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 1/2 cups whole-grain faro (precooked)

1 cup tomato (chopped)

1 cup cucumber (peeled and thinly sliced)

1 cup organic canned chickpeas (rinsed and drained)

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley (chopped)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 (6inch) whole wheat pita

cooking spray

1/8 tsp paprika

1/4 cup 2% reduced fat Greek plain yogurt

2 TBsp water

2 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese (softened about 1/4 cup)

1.5 oz Feta cheese (crumbled, about 1/3 cup)

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the first 5 ingredients in large bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

Add cooked farro; toss gently to combine.

Combine tomato and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl.

Let stand 10 minutes.

Add tomato mixture to farro mixture; toss gently to combine.

Split pita into 2 rounds, cut each round into 6 wedges.

Lightly coat pita with cooking spray; sprinkle with paprika.

Arrange pita wedges on a baking sheet; bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until crisp.

Combine yogurt, 2 TBsp water, cream cheese, and feta, stirring with a whisk.

Serve with faro salad and pita chips and ENJOY!

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Original recipe from Pocket Change Gourmet

(I changed the quantities a bit to make less and boiled the potatoes to save time) 

Ingredients:

8-10 red potatoes

5 slices of bacon (cooked and crumbled)

2-3 TBsp butter (softened)

1/3 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayo

1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)

3-4 green onions or chives (sliced thin)

Salt & Pepper to taste

How to make it:

Boil potatoes till tender in the middle, drain, and let cool.

Cook bacon and crumble into pieces.

Peel then cut potatoes in cube bite size pieces.

In a large bowl, combine the butter, mayo, sour cream.

Stir in the bacon, cheese, and green onions/chives.

Then stir in the potatoes.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with extra bacon, cheese and green onions then Enjoy!

The Grand Buffet

Texas Caviar

Cheddar Cheese Spread

BLT Dip

Dill Pickle Dip

Wilted Spinach Salad

Caesar Salad

Broccoli Salad

Roasted Potato Salad

Roasted Corn Pasta Salad

Greek Pasta Salad

Zesty Fruit Salad

Grape Salad

Ooey Gooey Cake Bars

Milk Chocolate Brownies

Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Cotton Candy Cupcakes

Orange Creamcicle Cupcakes

Tasty Tuesdays

The Pampered Chef

Ingredients:

8 slices thick-cut bacon

6 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon  brown sugar, divided

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper   

2 packages (6 ounces each) fresh baby spinach   

1 medium Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into bite-sized pieces  (Use Apple Wedger)

1/2  cup thinly sliced red onion wedges  (Try Ultimate Mandoline or Veggie Wedger)

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar   

4 teaspoons  Dijon mustard 

Salt and coarsely ground black pepper   

4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut into wedges  (Try Veggie Wedger)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line Large Bar Pan with sheet of Parchment Paper. Arrange bacon slices in a single layer on bar pan. Top bacon slices evenly with 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar; sprinkle with black pepper. Bake 22-25 minutes or until crisp; remove bacon from bar pan to paper towel-lined plate and cool completely. Reserve 2 tablespoons bacon drippings from bar pan. Cut bacon into 1/2-inch pieces using Chef's Knife.
2. In Stainless (6-qt.) Mixing Bowl, combine spinach, apple and onion. Whisk remaining 4 tablespoons brown sugar, reserved bacon drippings, vinegar and mustard in Small Micro-Cooker® until well blended. Cover; microwave on HIGH 2 minutes or until bubbly. Pour over spinach mixture; toss to coat using Bamboo Spatulas. Season with salt and black pepper. Top with egg wedges and bacon pieces; serve immediately.