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a balanced plate with room for dessert


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Chicken Waldorf Salad

I don’t think I have ever, in my 24 years, had Chicken Waldorf Salad before. Ever. Not in a restaurant, at a friend’s house, at a picnic, at a pot lock, and any other scenario you can think of. I’ve heard of it, I’ve seen it on menus, but I’ve never eaten it. I don’t know what overcame me to make it at home, but boy am I glad I did! I loved this dish. It was a nice break from all the “heavy” winter foods I’ve been eating and it was so simple to put together. I based it off a recipe I found on Eating Well. I think this will be my go-to recipe for using up  leftover chicken from now on!

Chicken Waldorf Salad
serves 6

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
2 tart apples, diced
2 large celery stalks, diced
1 cup red or green seedless grapes, halved
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup fat-free mayo
2 limes, juiced
4 teaspoons honey
salt and pepper, to taste
baby spinach

  1. Combine chicken, apples, celery, grapes, and walnuts in a large bowl.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, lime juice, honey, salt and pepper until smooth. Pour dressing over chicken and toss to combine.
  3. Serve immediately over a bed of baby spinach.


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Greek Salad

A quick, delicious way to use up your summer vegetables! Our garden is finally starting to produce some awesome tomatoes (heirloom, cherry, and grape) and I couldn’t be more excited.

Greek Salad

3 large tomatoes, chopped
2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

  1. Combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl. Mix to distribute ingredients evenly. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.


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Tangy Coleslaw

This was the perfect side to serve with the pulled pork sandwiches. The best part? Leftovers are even better. That’s right folks, make this coleslaw, stick it in the fridge and give it a few days to rest before you start shoveling it into your mouth.

Don’t like coleslaw? That’s ok. Make a batch and send it to me. I’ll take care of it!

Tangy Coleslaw

1 medium head cabbage, shredded
1 large red onion, diced
3 large carrots, grated
1 cup chopped celery, about 2 – 3 large stalks
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dry mustard
salt and pepper, to taste

  1.  Combine vinegar, oil, mustard, salt and pepper in small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. Combine cabbage, onion, carrots and celery in a large bowl. Pour dressing over and stir well to mix.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours or more before serving.


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Cucumber Salad

I’ve tried a ton of cucumber salad recipes I’ve found online and every single time, I was disappointed. I finally gathered up the courage to just wing it. Man, am I glad I did that – this turned out so darn good and it was even better the next day!

I served this as a side to the Pad Thai I posted about earlier.

Cucumber Salad

1 large cucumber, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon of finely chopped green onion
2 tablespoons sesame oil
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon honey
1 garlic clove, crushed

  1. Sprinkle sliced cucumbers with salt and set aside.
  2. Combine green onion, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, vinegar, soy sauce, honey and garlic in small bowl. Stir to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes.
  3. Toss cucumbers with dressing. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.


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Israeli Couscous Salad

Ah yes, another couscous salad. As much as I loved this recipe with grilled vegetables, I wanted to try something else. I wasn’t quite sure what to make, and I really didn’t want to go to the grocery store. I used this as an opportunity to use up some pantry and fridge items. Mostly, I wanted to get rid of the million limes I had left over from Mike’s birthday bash.

Have I mentioned that I love Trader Joe’s Israeli couscous?! Come to think of it, the chickpeas and olive oil were also from Trader Joe’s. I should just name this Trader Joe’s Israeli Couscous Salad!

See? I wasn’t kidding…

For being as random as this dish is, it turned out pretty darn tasty. I love that it requires so little cooking. I have 2 more boxes of couscous left and I really want to make more of this salad. But the thought of using up more of this couscous makes me want to cry. It’s hard to use up “valuable” food when you have to travel 2 hours to get more. Why oh why can’t we have a TJ’s in Appleton!?

Israeli Couscous Salad
serves 4

1 box Trader Joe’s Israeli Couscous*
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 3/4 cup vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 tomatoes, diced
1 medium cucumber, diced
3 limes, juiced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper, to taste

  1. Heat olive oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add in couscous and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until couscous is lightly browned.
  2. Add in vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool.
  3. Toss cooled couscous with remaining ingredients. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or overnight, if possible. Serve cold.


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Greek Pasta Salad

Yum.

This pasta salad is one of my faves. It’s quick and easy and completely from scratch. That’s right folks, no bottled salad dressing over here. I think the hardest part of this was using a Swiss Army knife to open the can of olives…

One day we will find our can openers. I refuse to buy another one because I’m pretty sure we have at least 2, maybe even 3, lurking in some unpacked boxes. Until then, we’ll have to rely on good ol’ Mr. Swiss.

Greek Pasta Salad

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound short pasta of choice, cooked and drained
8 ounces white button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
4 ounce can whole black olives, drained and rinsed

  1. Whisk together olive oil, vinegars, garlic powder, basil, oregano, and pepper.
  2. In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta and vegetables. Pour dressing over top, mixing thoroughly.
  3. Cover and refrigerate several hours, or overnight if possible.
  4. Sprinkle with feta right before serving.


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Spinach and Feta Pasta

This dish is really similar to the penne dish I posted about last Monday here. The taste was completely different though. Funny how a switch in cheese and a couple additional ingredients can make such a big difference, huh?

Spinach and Feta Pasta

8 ounces whole wheat pasta of your choice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
  2. Heat oil in large pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until onions are translucent.
  3.  Stir in tomatoes and mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are tender. Stir in spinach until wilted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  4. Mix with cooked pasta and top with feta cheese.


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Couscous Salad

When it’s hot outside and you have no air conditioning at home, the last thing you want to do is have the stove or oven running for a long period of time. The beauty of this recipe? It takes just minutes to make on the stove, and you can use the microwave if you want! This couscous salad is extremely quick and easy to make and the leftovers taste great!

Couscous Salad

Couscous Salad
serves 8

2 cups couscous
2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cucumber, chopped
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 cup feta, crumbled
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil the water with the butter and salt. Once boiling, add couscous and stir quickly. Remove from heat and cover. Let sit for 5 minutes. Stir with a fork to break up the clumps and set the couscous aside to cool.
2. Mix the cucumber, tomatoes, and onion together in a bowl. Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar, to taste. I used about 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar.
3. Pour the veggies and dressing over the couscous. Stir until evenly coated. Continue to add balsamic vinegar and olive oil as desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I love the taste of vinegar and will add copious amounts of it to whatever I’m eating. If you don’t like the taste as much, please feel free to use less of it!!