Quick Roasted Salmon Over Spinach and Grapefruit Salad

Making healthy food choices is always a goal of mine, but now that I’m pregnant I have a much bigger reason to focus on it!

There are just SO many pregnancy rules these days, it’s really exhausting – everyone has opinions and does things their own way. I’m trying to follow just a couple of reasonable rules: everything in moderation, be mindful of what I am putting in and on my body. As you can see these are normal food/life rules to follow as well. I made this salad last week when all I wanted was takeout, but I knew I had a few things already at home that could turn into a tasty and nutritious dinner. Salmon – lean protein and omega 3s, spinach – folic acid and iron, grapefruit – vitamin c, etc.

 
Quick Roasted Salmon Over Spinach and Grapefruit Salad

Ingredients:

Salmon

One grapefruit, segmented

Spinach or spinach/arugula mix

Feta crumbles (leave off for dairy free option)

Nuts of some sort, I used pepitas but anything salted and toasted will do the trick to add the necessary crunch

Dressing:

Olive oil – 1 part

Red Wine Vinegar – 2 parts

Small squeeze of juice from the Grapefruit

Kosher Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Salmon:
Small sprinkle of our Homemade Taco Seasoning (side note — I keep a batch of this seasoning in a ball jar with my spices because I love it so much, and it makes it so much easier just to have it)

Touch of salt and pepper

Drizzle of olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

Line baking sheet in aluminum foil for easy clean up
Place salmon skin side down, if no skin spray aluminum foil so it won’t stick. Roast for 375 for 8-10 minutes

Remove skin with spatula (should be easy when lifting salmon from the baking sheet) then place warm salmon on top of dressed salad.

Enjoy!

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Tuesday’s Table – Kale Salad with Quinoa, Feta and Crasins

On Saturday night I had Jonathan Waxman’s excellent Kale Salad at Adele’s in Nashville. It reminded me that I haven’t made one of my favorite kale salads in a while, and I have never posted it on our blog before. One of my dear friends introduced me to this salad over a year ago, and I have made it many times. It is inexpensive, healthy, and keeps well! It will keep in Tupperware in your fridge from Mon-Th/Fri. And that’s usually exactly when I eat it – the work week. It is the perfect, easy lunch to take with you to work or to have all ready to eat in the fridge.

  

  

Kale Salad with Quinoa, Feta, and Crasins

Salad:

1 large bunch of kale, washed well, dried, and torn/chopped into small bits

1/2 c. cooked quinoa, prepared according to package

1/4. c. crumbled feta

1/4 c. crasins

1/4 c. toasted pepitas/pecans/pine nuts (pick your favorite or use whatever nut you have, just toast them first)

Dressing:

2 Tbs. olive oil

juice of one lemon

1 small clove of garlic, minced

1 tsp. dijon mustard

freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Directions:

While you are preparing your quinoa according to its packaging (boiling water, letting it absorb said water, etc.), wash and dry your kale. Kale can be quite sandy so really rinse each leaf, then let dry. Once mostly dry pull leaves from their stems and tear or chop into small bits.

Prepare dressing.

  

Combine dressing with kale.

  

Add crasins, feta, nuts (that need to be toasted, do this on your stove top in a matter of 3-5 minutes – make more than you need and save them. You will use them!) and hot quinoa. I like adding the quinoa as soon as it’s finished cooking so it can help almost soften the kale.

  

Put in air tight container and in your fridge.

I make this on Sunday night and have it several days during the week. I love it! I also love that its a cold salad but tastes a bit like fall. Perfect for our in between weather!

Enjoy!!

All American Classic – Chopped Grilled Chicken Salad

This salad is such a good, All-American summer time classic. Yummy, basic, and so very easy. Plus it is sure to be a crowd pleaser for everyone  in your crew. It’s not like this is a ground breaking idea or real recipe, but I hope it can give you some inspiration for an easy, summer dinner leading into this holiday weekend! 

Chopped Grilled Chicken Salad

Chicken Breast with your favorite marinade, grilled. The longer it marinates the better it will be. Be sure your chicken is grilled low and slow (indirect heat is best), plus let it rest for 10 minutes once it comes off of the grill.

Cucumbers, chopped

Tomatoes, chopped

Grated sharp cheddar cheese

Pickled Red Onions – check out our recipe This is such an easy dish do this and they will keep all summer in your fridge! They really are great on everything.

“Homemade Ranch Dressing” – in quotes because I use the packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning but I combine 1/2 c. Fat Free Greek Yogurt, 1/2 c. Mayonnaise, 1 c. Milk and it seems to make the very best dressing! Tastes like such a splurge but is mostly healthy.

Chopped romaine and any other combination of greens that you have in your fridge. For this I used spinach and romaine and always add ANY fresh herbs into your greens and toss them together. Dill, parsley, basil, cilantro – it does not matter it will be delicious and add such an element of freshness to your salad.

Toss your greens lightly with ranch then assemble your salad. Add a touch of additional dressing to the grilled chicken, then top with freshly cracked black pepper and serve.

  

Tuesday’s Table – Mexican Street Corn Salad

Mexican Street Corn has been one of those trends the past few summers that I just adore. So many of my favorites: fresh, sweet summer corn, Mexican flavors, creamy cheesy goodness. Yum. I have said that I wanted to make it time and time again. Finally over the weekend we were going to a cookout and I knew this could be my side dish! Instead of preparing straight off of the grill I wanted to achieve the same tastes but have my dish ready once we went over to our friend’s home so I simply turned your typical Mexican Street Corn into a salad. 

At the cook out we had a simple and festive Memorial Day Menu of hamburgers, cole slaw, this corn salad with bomb pops for dessert. When was the last time you had a bomb pop?! Our menu was the perfect combination of summery and satisfying dishes. 

  
Mexican Street Corn Salad 

*The amount of all  ingredients can be adjusted according to number of people*

6-10 Ears of Corn

Canola Oil (to wipe down corn before grilling)

Juice of 2 Limes (or more to taste)

1-2 Tbs. Mayonnaise

1-2 Tbs. F Free Greek Yogurt

1 Diced Vidalia onion

Large handful of washed, chopped cilantro (divided)

1 c. Feta (divided)

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne

Shuck corn, wipe down with a bit of canola oil, grill for approximately 8 minutes, turning at least once. 

Once corn has several noticeable charred bits, remove from grill.

In small bowl combine remaining ingredients to make dressing.

Cut corn off of the cob into a large bowl, also scrape the back of your knife and scrape the remaining bits and juice of the cob into the bowl.

  

Add dressing to corn, stirring gently.

  

Top with feta, cilantro and any remaining spices.

Enjoy!

Cali-Style Chopped Salad with Shrimp and Creamy Cilantro, Avocado Dressing

This salad was dreamt up last night based on the things that I had in my fridge, freezer and pantry. Living in Nashville fresh seafood is tough so I am a firm believer in buying the best Gulf caught frozen shrimp to keep on hand.

This is one of the easiest salads ever! Presentation is key, but even if everything were tossed together it would still look and taste amazing. Most importantly you only need to make two of the components: the shrimp and the dressing

Cali-Style Chopped Salad with Shrimp and Creamy Cilantro Dressing:

Shrimp –

    

I used apprx. 3/4 of a pound for two of us 

1 tsp Chili Powder

1 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 Tbs. Olive Oil

Thaw and Pat Dry then toss with spices and oil

Heat, non-stick pan; add shrimp; cook about two minutes per side

Remeber, shrimp cook SO very quickly and the worst thing you can do is over cook them. My shrimp needed just less than two minutes on each side, flipping once. Watch them fairly closely and once they start to turn white/opaque on the first side flip them over.

These would also be great on a grill pan or on the grill.

Truly these guys can be marinated and cooked in 5 minutes!

Creamy Cilantro Avocado Dressing – 

   

Plain, Non Fat Greek Yogurt – one cup/little carton

2 Tbs. Canola Oil

1 tsp. White Wine Vinegar

Two handfuls of Cilantro (1/2 of a bunch)

Juice of one lime

1 clove of garlic (or 1 tsp of minced garlic)

1/4 of avocado (not pictured bc I used the only bit of a very ugly avocado that was still green — make use of what you can, folks!)

1 tsp. salt

2 little pinches of sugar

Throw everything in a mini food processor and then you’re done! 

Dressing will make enough for 6+ salads.. I have put mine in a small Tupperware container in my fridge and it will keep until the expiration of the yogurt you used… Be sure to check that before discarding.

Salad –  

  
 
Chopped Romaine Lettuce

One can of black beans, drained and rinsed

One can of shoepeg corn, drained and rinsed

Chopped tomatoes

Feta Cheese

For a chopped salad layer your romaine first then add your rows of corn and black beans, tomatoes, dressing, feta and shrimp!

This salad is one that any guy is happy to eat because there is enough to it i.e. it’s satisfying and the flavors are great! Guys don’t have to know the base of the creamy dressing is Greek yogurt.

Side note, I have left over corn, beans and dressing since I only made two salads last night so I’m already looking forward to putting them to use somehow this weekend.

Enjoy this salad AND the LONG weekend my friends!!!