Salads For Days

In an effort to eat more healthy foods and lose some weight, I have committed to #DailyVeggies, making sure I have at least one serving of vegetables every day. Since I detest most cooked vegetables, this means that a meal-sized salad is my best veggie option. Therefore, #SaladaDay has become my usual lunch. Of course, salads don't have to be boring or bland - not at all! There are many variations and possibilities when it comes to salads. I thought I would share some of my favorites with you, and please feel free to share your ideas with me! I'm always looking for more ideas!

Basic chicken salad: romaine lettuce mix, grilled chicken, corn, bacon bits, cheese, and a light drizzle of thousand island .

Taco salad: mixed lettuce, taco seasoned beef, queso blanco sauce, salsa, sour cream, and cheese. No dressing needed!

Deconstructed sandwich salads: basically the ingredients of a sandwich, placed on top of a salad. This one was lettuce and radicchio mix, chopped steak strips, half an avocado, lowfat provolone cheese, and Green Goddess dressing.

Extra protein salads: for those days when you need more protein, adding navy beans, hummus, and boiled eggs to the salad gives it both flavor and protein kick.

Tuna salad: these days you can get flavored tuna packets in a variety of flavors. I don't usually like tuna, but the ranch flavor is really good! Here's lettuce mix, ranch-flavored tuna, navy beans, peas, cheese, and Green Goddess dressing.

Think outside the box: salad doesn't always have to start with a leafy green base. Try other combinations like beans, tomatoes, avocado, eggs, different cheeses, or other vegetables that strike your fancy. I'd like to hear what ideas you come up with!

Crockpot Noodle Casserole

This recipe is basically an adaptation of my Tuna Noodle Casserole recipe that I made in the crockpot and substituted chicken and turkey instead of tuna. It was an easy two-hour meal in my pressure cooker crockpot, and turned out tasty and filling. I didn't have fresh chicken handy, so I used a can of chicken and a can of turkey for the meat. I also used a can of roasted garlic cream of mushroom soup instead of plain, which gave it a wonderful savory flavor!

Ingredients:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk or 1 can of evaporated milk mixed with water
1 cup water
1 cup shredded cheddar or fiesta blend cheese, divided
3/4 cup peas, frozen or canned
Garlic powder, seasonings as desired
1 1/2 cup cooked chicken, turkey, or tuna
3 cups dry medium egg noodles

Mix the soup, milk, and water together in the crockpot. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese with the peas, seasoning, and meat, and mix thoroughly. Add the noodles and stir to cover the noodles with the liquid mixture. Cook on low setting for 4 hours or high setting for 2 hours. Check that the noodles are tender and most of the moisture is absorbed, if not cook longer. Top with the other 1/2 cup cheese and cook for another half hour. Serve and enjoy!

Salsa Chicken Bake

This meal was born of Pinterest ideas (who am I kidding?! Most of my recipes are tweaked Pinterest finds!), and hubby heartily approved and went back for seconds. It's easiest made in the oven, but could probably be modified for the grill or even a skillet. I made taco rice in the skillet while the chicken and bean mixture baked, then topped my serving with sour cream. It was very tasty and filling!

Ingredients:
Chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn, frozen or canned
3/4 cup salsa
1/2 cup queso blanco sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheddar or fiesta blend cheese

Preheat the oven to 400. Spread the beans and corn evenly in the bottom of a large oven or casserole dish. Trim the chicken strips and arrange them on top of the bean mixture. Spread the salsa and queso evenly on the chicken strips and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes, checking occasionally. When chicken is cooked through, remove from the oven and serve with rice or tortillas. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheesecake (No Bake)

I have to tell you, this SO hit the spot!! I had been wanting pumpkin cheesecake when I came across this easy recipe. I was good and let it chill overnight...then ate half of it for breakfast the next morning!

Ingredients:
1 premade graham cracker crust
1 16oz block cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 brown sugar
1 15oz can pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
8 oz cool whip, thawed

Blend cream cheese, sugar, and brown sugar till creamy. Add pumpkin, vanilla, and spice and mix well. Fold in cool whip. Pour mixture into graham cracker crust and smooth with a spatula. Let chill 4-6 hours or overnight before serving. Enjoy!

Tortellini Alfredo with Spinach

This was a relatively simple meal to make. It would have been easier with two pans, but my electric skillet worked just fine. I used a package of premade tortellini and a package of grilled chicken for this tasty, easy dinner. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
Butter or olive oil
1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 package premade tortellini
1 cup cooked chicken
1 jar garlic alfredo sauce

Lightly sautee the garlic in heated butter or oil. Add the spinach and sautee until wilted. Set aside.

Boil the tortellini according to the directions on the package till tender, drain. Add the chicken, sauce, and garlic spinach mixture. Simmer all ingredients together until heated through, stirring frequently. Serve and enjoy!

Easy Chicken Fried Rice

After having Chinese takeout a few times, I fell in love with fried rice. I decided to try making it on the truck, and after researching a few recipes, I figured I could make it with ingredients I had on hand - leftover soy sauce packets from takeout, pre-cooked grilled chicken, and ready rice. We really enjoyed the result and plan to make it again!

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked chicken
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 package garden vegetable ready rice
2 eggs

Chop the cooked chicken into small pieces and place in a warm skillet with 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Coat the chicken in the soy sauce and heat it through. Add the rice, breaking down any chunks, and the third tablespoon of soy sauce. Sautee together. Push the rice and chicken mixture to the edges of the skillet, opening an area in the middle of the skillet. Add the eggs into the center of the skillet, scramble them with your spatula, and allow them to cook until firm, stirring the rice mixture to keep it from burning. Chop the eggs into small pieces and mix them in with the rice and chicken. Serve and enjoy!

Glazed Pumpkin Bread

Autumn is here! There's something about the crispness in the air and the beauty of changing leaves that makes autumn one of my favorite seasons. Of course, as the weather changes so do our food cravings. Soups, chilis, and casseroles are the perfect comfort foods for chilly fall days, and pumpkin-themed recipes are a must! This easy recipe makes a moist, dense pumpkin bread, not overly sweet but packed with spice and autumn flavor. The glaze on top adds the perfect kick to make this a recipe you'll definitely want to try this autumn!

Feel free to try adding complementary ingredients, such as chocolate chips or dried cranberries. The glaze is pretty easy, although it can be made easier by simply warming up cream cheese frosting instead. Either way, this bread is best served warm with a little butter...yum!

Bread Ingredients:
1 box spice cake mix
1/2 cup sugar
1 can pumpkin puree
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk

Glaze Ingredients:
4 oz cream cheese, softened or spreadable
1/2 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 and grease 2 loaf pans. Mix the dry cake mix and sugar together. Add pumpkin, spices, eggs, and milk until smooth.

Divide evenly into loaf pans and bake for 50-60 minutes. Bread is done when top is golden and no longer looks liquidy. Let cool 10 minutes then remove from loaf pans.

Combine glaze ingredients and beat till smooth. Spoon or drizzle glaze over pumpkin loaves. Serve warm and enjoy!