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Friday, January 27, 2012
Recipe Get back on track with 3 seriously delicious salads
Posted By Kelly Davis on Fri, Jan 27, 2012 at 5:05 PM
As January comes to a close and February is on the horizon, some of you might be feeling a little defeated in your New Year's resolution to eat healthy. Let’s face it. A lot of people fail at their resolutions to eat healthier, not because they don’t want to succeed, but because they set rules that are too restrictive.
I’m all about easy, delicious, and healthy guidelines. Not rules.
And here’s a guideline you can easily keep: eat a salad a day. But not just any ol’ salad. Eat a delicious, healthy, beautiful salad, full of creative and fresh ingredients — salads that use whole and filling foods.
These three salads will leave you feeling good about your food choices, without neglecting your tastebuds.
ORANGE AND POMEGRANATE SALAD (serves 1)
3 cups loosely packed baby spinach
1/2 navel orange, peeled and separated into segments
1/4 cup pomegranate arils
1 oz. goat cheese 2 Tbsp. walnut pieces
Place spinach on a plate. Layer oranges, pomegranate arils, cheese, and walnut pieces. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the orange balsamic vinaigrette dressing (recipe follows).
Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
juice of 1/2 navel orange (about 1/3 cup)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well to combine.
SOUTHWEST SHRIMP SALAD (serves 1)
1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
4 oz. large shrimp
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups loosely packed mixed greens
1 medium Roma tomato, diced
1/4 cup frozen corn, defrosted
1/4 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 avocado, diced
2 Tablespoons jalapeños, diced
Warm olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper over shrimp. Add shrimp to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on one side. Flip and cook and additional 1-2 minutes on the other side, or until flesh is pink on both sides.
Plate mixed greens. Top with shrimp, jalapeños, tomatoes, corn, beans, and avocado. Drizzle with two tablespoons of the honey lime vinaigrette (recipe follows).
Honey Lime Vinaigrette
2 Tablespoons grape seed oil
Juice of 2 limes
Zest of 1 lime
1 Tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well to combine.
SUN-DRIED TOMATO AND CHICKEN SALAD (serves 1)
1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
3 oz. boneless chicken breast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups loosely packed arugula
1/4 cup jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
1/4 cup jarred hearts of palm or artichoke hearts
1 oz. gorgonzola
2 Tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
Warm olive oil in a pan on medium high heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken. Add chicken to pan and cook for 5 minutes on each side, or until center is cooked through, when sliced. Chop chicken into bite-size pieces.
Plate arugula. Top with chicken, roasted red peppers, hearts of palm, cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes. Drizzle with oregano vinaigrette (recipe follows).
Oregano Vinaigrette
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well to combine.
Make these salads a part of your usual lunch and dinner rotation and you’ll be well on your way into making your resolution a habit.
How do you keep salads fresh and creative?
Kelly Davis is a blogger, freelance writer, food enthusiast, and native North Carolinian. When she's not training for a race or cooking something delicious in the kitchen, she's writing, reading, snuggling her dachshund, or plotting her next project. You can keep up with Kelly's antics and recipes on her blog, Foodie Fresh.
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