Ok so now that we are into spring I know that my body SHOULD be starting to kick this carb addiction and begin to crave leafy salady type things (right?!). We are hopefully over this cold weather that makes me want to hunker down under my synthetic duvet and store up energy for some unforeseen grain shortage. I mean, let's be honest here...I won't be able to justify that this extra poundage is just "winter weight", like I do for my little porky yorkie, Ripley, who like myself has put on a pound or two (or ten - for me not her) over the winter. So here I am on this fine spring morning digging through my plethora of cookbooks, as well as the net, in search of a few core recipes that I will be able to use and recycle into new variations in the weeks going forward.
There has been one that has been a standout for me over the past little while that even my veggie-resistant spouse has asked for on more than one occasion. I don't think that it ever came from any one recipe - more like the mother of invention when I was stuck for a meal one night. It does require quite a bit of chopping, but I swear that it is worth it, because it can sit in the fridge for at least a few days, and the flavors meld and are better the second day.
Jen's Healthy Spring Salad
1 Pepper of your choice roughly chopped (red, yellow, orange or green)
1 large tomato that you have taken most of the seeds out of and chopped
1/2 English cucumber chopped
There has been one that has been a standout for me over the past little while that even my veggie-resistant spouse has asked for on more than one occasion. I don't think that it ever came from any one recipe - more like the mother of invention when I was stuck for a meal one night. It does require quite a bit of chopping, but I swear that it is worth it, because it can sit in the fridge for at least a few days, and the flavors meld and are better the second day.
Jen's Healthy Spring Salad
1 Pepper of your choice roughly chopped (red, yellow, orange or green)
1 large tomato that you have taken most of the seeds out of and chopped
1/2 English cucumber chopped
1 large handful of fresh flat leaf parsley chopped coarsely
1 large handful of fresh mint chopped coarsely
1 tin of chickpeas drained and well rinsed (you can also use other types of beans but this is my fav)
1-2 green onions chopped (you can also use red onion or shallots)
Any other veggies that might be sitting around in the crisper that you enjoy including broccoli florettes, cauliflower florettes, cubed zucchini etc.
1/4 cup Kraft fat free Italian dressing (or any other low-cal dressings of your choice other than ranch or anything "fruity". I have also added a combination of good olive oil and white wine vinegar. If you do this, you want to make it more vinegary that you probably normally would.
Serve over a bed of any of your favorite lettuce-like greens or eat on its own.
Variation # 1: add in one cup of cous cous that has been "cooked" by adding in one cup of boiling water and allowed to rest covered for five minutes.
Variation # 2: add in one cup of any other whole grain that has been cooked according to package directions including barley, wheat berries, millet, etc.
Variation # 3: Top with a cooked and sliced chicken breast or a grilled piece of tuna.
If you wanted to make the core salad stretch even farther I would start off on day 1 with the core salad, day 2 I would add in the grains and day 3 I would top with the chicken/tuna.
1 large handful of fresh mint chopped coarsely
1 tin of chickpeas drained and well rinsed (you can also use other types of beans but this is my fav)
1-2 green onions chopped (you can also use red onion or shallots)
Any other veggies that might be sitting around in the crisper that you enjoy including broccoli florettes, cauliflower florettes, cubed zucchini etc.
1/4 cup Kraft fat free Italian dressing (or any other low-cal dressings of your choice other than ranch or anything "fruity". I have also added a combination of good olive oil and white wine vinegar. If you do this, you want to make it more vinegary that you probably normally would.
Serve over a bed of any of your favorite lettuce-like greens or eat on its own.
Variation # 1: add in one cup of cous cous that has been "cooked" by adding in one cup of boiling water and allowed to rest covered for five minutes.
Variation # 2: add in one cup of any other whole grain that has been cooked according to package directions including barley, wheat berries, millet, etc.
Variation # 3: Top with a cooked and sliced chicken breast or a grilled piece of tuna.
If you wanted to make the core salad stretch even farther I would start off on day 1 with the core salad, day 2 I would add in the grains and day 3 I would top with the chicken/tuna.
Cheers and happy eating!
1 comment:
LOL...sadly, at my house it's more like "sitting around in the slimer", which is why frozen veg rules.
This looks yummy.
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