Bajio Crockpot Chicken by Simply Designing

This looks super yummy!!

Crockpot Chicken

4-5 chicken breasts
1/2 c salsa (I used mild but you can spice it up with hotter salsa if you like)
1 T cumin
1/2 c brown sugar (packed)
(1) 4 oz. can diced green chilies3/4 c Sprite (or similar drink)

• Place all ingredients in a crock pot
• Cook on low for most of the day (mine cooked for 6 hours)
• Remove chicken and shred
• Mix a couple spoon-fulls of corn starch with water and stir in crock pot to help the mixture thicken.
• Return shredded chicken to crock pot and mix
• Cook for approximately 1 more hour
• Serve with your favorite taco or taco salad fixings

Tortellini Salad by Yellow Song Bird

This looks so good! I love tortellini!

Tortellini Salad

Ingredients:

Vegetables ((zucchini, squash, bell pepper, mushrooms, onion, you name it!))
Pesto ((or ingredients to make your own, it's SO easy!))
Tortellini ((I buy the Buitoni kind that has cheese in it in the dairy section, but for a cheaper meal, just boxed pasta will do!))
Chicken Breasts 
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Parmesan 


Preparation:
-Chop vegetables 


-Heat up olive oil in skillet and cook veggies until they are browned a little and cooked through. I also season mine with some garlic salt.

-Once the veggies are done, put in bowl and set aside.

-Boil water and prepare pasta as shown on package.  

-Heat up more olive oil and season chicken with italian seasoning, garlic salt, and salt/pepper.

While the pasta & chicken are cooking, this is when I make my pesto. Toss some basil leaves, pine nuts, chopped garlic, parmesan cheese,  and olive oil into food processor and add olive oil until it is desired consistency.

-Slice or cube the chicken

-Drain the pasta

-Toss pesto, chicken, veggies, and pasta together in large bowl. Season with salt & pepper and sprinkle with fresh parmesan. 

Shrimp Salad on Cucumber Slices by Skinny Taste

I love me some cucumbers and shrimp! I would like to try this as an appetizer for Tyler and I one night, healthy and delicious!

Shrimp Salad on Cucumber Slices

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb cooked shrimp, peeled (weight after peeled)
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 tbsp red onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp light mayonnaise (I used Hellmann's)
• 1 tbsp fat free Greek yogurt
• Goya Adobo
• salt and fresh ground pepper
• 30 thin slices cucumber (about 1 large)
• chopped chives for garnish

Directions:

Combine shrimp, celery, onion, mayonnaise, yogurt, and season to taste with adoboand pepper. Arrange cucumbers on a platter, season with salt and top each slice with a heaping tablespoon of shrimp salad. Top with chopped chives for garnish.

Mexican Shrimp Cobb Salad by Skinny Taste

Tyler and I have been eating not so healthy lately, mostly because I love to cook and the fun things to cook are not always the least amount of calories! So I went on a search for a good salad and this is what I found:

Mexican Shrimp Cobb Salad 

For the Shrimp:

• 16 oz cooked large shrimp, peeled
• chipotle chili powder to taste
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• salt to taste

For the Salad:

• 6 cups romaine lettuce, shredded
• 15 oz black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup grilled corn kernels (I used Trader Joe's frozen roasted corn)
• 2 tbsp red onion, divided
• 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 seedless cucumber, diced
• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• 1 ripe hass avocado, diced
• 1 cup reduced fat Sargento Mexican Blend shredded cheese

Directions:

Rinse shrimp and chop into large chunks. Toss shrimp with a little salt, chipotle chili pepper, and fresh lime juice.

Combine drained beans, corn, red onion, cilantro, lime juice and salt to taste.

In a large glass trifle dish or clear bowl, layer salad ingredients starting with the lettuce, black bean mixture, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, cheese and shrimp on top.

Pasta Salad by Flamingo Toes

I am always looking for different variations of pasta salad, so this was perfect!

What you need:

1/2 of a 16 oz box of Cavatappi Pasta (you can substitute whatever you've got on hand but I love these little curls)

1 pint of cherry tomatoes

3 slices of bacon, cooked

1/2 bunch of fresh spinach

3-4 oz crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup garlic olive oil

1 teaspoon italian seasoning
a pinch of red pepper flakes - or more if you like it spicy

salt and pepper to taste

What  to do:

Start by cooking your pasta until it is just al dente. You want it cooked but still with a little bite to it.

Refrigerate until cool.

While your pasta is chillin, chop your bacon, spinach and cherry tomatoes.

Once your pasta is cooled, mix in your veggies, bacon and add the teaspoon of italian seasoning.
Add in your garlic olive oil, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste. (Which means keep tasting until you have enough salt and pepper. My favorite step. :)
Fold in your Feta cheese gently.
And that's it!! Soooo easy right?

You can serve immediately or you can pop it back in the fridge until you're ready to eat!

Avocado Chicken Salad by Paula Deen

Love avocado, so this recipe looks great!

Avocado Chicken Salad by Paula Deen

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked, diced chicken

3 cups cooked white rice

2 avocados, peeled, diced, and tossed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice

3/4 cup chopped onion

1 cup mayonnaise

1 to 2 teaspoons pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Avocado Dressing:

1 large avocado, peeled and mashed with 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

Dash cayenne pepper

Thick, crusty bread, multi-grain or sourdough, for serving

Lemon wedges, for garnish

Directions

Salad:

Mix all ingredients and chill. Pass with avocado dressing.

Dressing:

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Chill and serve alongside chicken salad.

Mozarella, Tomato and Basil Kabobs via Crafted Love

Saw these on Crafted Love's Blog and thought they would be so perfect for a dinner party!

What a cute way to showcase a Caprese Salad!

Check out her Blog at:

http://crafted-love.blogspot.com/2011/07/pinspiration-tomato-motz-basil-bites.html

Summer Salad by The Well Seasoned Nest

This salad would be great for a dinner party!

Orzo Pasta Salad with Black Beans and Cilantro

1 cup dry orzo, cooked a bit past al dente, but not mushy - rinse in cold water and drain well

1-2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

2-3 ears or corn, cooked and kernels removed (frozen can be substituted)

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1 small red onion or 3-4 shallots, chopped

cilantro, chopped

cumin

ancho chili powder

fresh lime juice (about 2 small limes)

olive oil

red wine vinegar

salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients.  (Make early in the day and refrigerate so the flavors combine.)

Grilled Salmon with Grapefruit and Orange Vinaigrette Dressing

This looks super interesting! Hope it's good! Seems like the fruit with Salmon would be good!

Grilled Salmon with Grapefruit and Orange Vinaigrette Dressing

Ingredients

• 2 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (1 to 1 1/4 inches thick)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• Cooking spray
• 8 cups mixed baby salad greens
• 1 (24-ounce) jar red grapefruit sections (such as Del Monte), drained

Preparation

• 1. Prepare grill.
• 2. Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper. Coat fillets and onion slices with cooking spray. Place fish and onion on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Cover and grill 5 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork and onion is tender.
• 3. Cut onion into bite-sized chunks; break fish into chunks. Place 2 cups salad greens on each of 4 serving plates; arrange grapefruit sections, onion, and fish evenly over greens on each plate. Drizzle Blood Orange Vinaigrette evenly over salads.

Recipe found at Cooking Light

Herb-Crusted Salmon with Spinach Salad

This recipe from Martha Stewart looks so good, and it was on the light and healthy menu, even better! I am excited to try this since we eat a lot of salmon--

Herb-Crusted Salmon with Spinach Salad

Ingredients

• 3 slices white sandwich bread
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 skinless salmon fillets, (6 ounces each)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 5 ounces baby spinach
• 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside. In a food processor, combine bread, parsley, and 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Pulse until coarse crumbs form.
2. Place salmon on prepared sheet; season with salt and pepper. Spread top of fillets with Dijon; top with crumb mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Roast until salmon is opaque throughout, 11 to 13 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine lemon juice and remaining oil; season with salt and pepper. Add spinach and onion; toss to combine. Serve salmon with spinach salad.

Zesty Spring Salad by I Love Naptime

I found this salad recipe on the blog I Love Naptime... it looks good! I love fruit, especially in the springtime, so this salad looked like a fun one to try!

Zesty Spring Salad

Ingredients:

1/3 cup almond slices or  pecans

2 TB sugar

Spring Mix Salad

2 kiwis

1 cup of strawberries

1/2 cup of raspberries

1/2 cup of celery

1 avocado

1 pear

zest of orange or mandarin oranges

Dressing:

2/3 cup olive oil

4 TB sugar

zest and juice of 1 large orange

zest and juice of 1 lime

Put together and serve!

Cannellini Tuna Salad

I found this recipe on a blog I follow called TidyMom... not that I am a mom, but there are some great crafting ideas and recipes! This one looks tasty and I might make it this week:

Cannellini Tuna Salad

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 

• 1 (12 ounce) can tuna in water, drained

• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and pat dry

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1-2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

• juice of 1/2 lemon

• kosher salt and cracked pepper, to taste

• handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

• 2 cups fresh spinach

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix cannellini beans, tuna and capers.  Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.  Gently fold in cherry tomatoes and half of the parsley.  Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve immediately on bed of spinach.  Garnish with remaining parsley.  (Can be served cold, just refrigerate tuna salad and place on spinach when ready to serve)

Bean, Corn, and Tortilla Salad

And another easy salad this looks so good! Tyler and I are really into the fun salads, so I think we will try this one this week as well!

Bean, Corn, and Tortilla Salad

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 can (15.5 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels (2 cups)
• 1/4 cup prepared medium tomato salsa, plus more for serving
• 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced (1 cup)
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed
• 3 plum tomatoes, thickly sliced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 (12 ounces) romaine hearts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 3 cups (3 ounces) broken baked tortilla chips
• 3/4 cup coarsely grated pepper Jack cheese

Directions

1. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine beans, corn, and salsa. Microwave just until warmed through, 1 minute. Stir in scallions, avocado, and tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Set bean mixture aside.
2. In a large bowl, toss lettuce and chips together. Divide evenly among plates; top with bean mixture and cheese. Serve immediately, topped with additional salsa, if desired.

Recipe found on Martha Stewart's website

Green Salad with Roast Chicken and Sweet Potato

Saw this recipe on Martha Stewart's website and thought it looked yummy and simple to make!! Think I will make this on Tuesday night!

Green Salad with Roast Chicken and Sweet Potato

Ingredients

• 1 whole skinless, bone-in chicken breast (about 14 ounces)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Coarse salt
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 sweet potatoes (10 ounces total), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 6 shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise (quarter if large)
• 1/2 head red-leaf lettuce, torn into pieces (2 1/2 ounces)
• 1/2 head frisee (2 ounces) , torn into pieces
• 2 1/2 cups baby arugula (2 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• Pinch of freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse chicken, and pat dry. Rub breast side with ginger and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large (12-inch) ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Place chicken in skillet, breast side down; cook until breast side begins to turn golden brown, about 4 minutes.
2. Turn chicken over. Add potatoes and shallots to skillet; turn to coat in oil. Transfer skillet to oven. Roast chicken and vegetables, turning vegetables occasionally, until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. While chicken roasts, put salad greens in a serving bowl; set aside.
3. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and vegetables to a plate. Add vinegar to skillet; cook over medium-high heat, scraping up brown bits from bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon, 30 seconds. Remove from heat; whisk in 1/8 teaspoon salt, the pepper, thyme, and remaining tablespoon oil.
4. Cut chicken into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Add chicken and vegetables to salad greens. Toss with warm vinaigrette.

Roasted Tomato and Basil Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

I found this recipe in a cookbook I own and thought I would test it out!

Roasted Tomato and Basil Vinaigrette 

Dressing after blended

Finished Product with some added fresh mozzarella cheese!


What you will need:
- 8 cherry tomatoes
- sea salt and ground pepper
- 4 leaves of fresh basil
- 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
(Makes about 1 cup)

To do:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place tomatoes on a small baking sheet and season well with salt and pepper
3. Roast in oven until the skins are blistered and burst (about 30 min)
4. Pour vinegar over the tomatoes and place back in oven for 5 min
5. Remove tomatoes and allow to cool.
6. Place in food processor to mash. add basil and olive oil.. process until smooth
7. Serve on salad ( can add cheese if you want!)

Salsa, Black Bean and Rice Salad

Since Tyler LOVED the black bean salad I started making back in September, I decided to try this new one that looks similar to the older one! Hope it is as good as the other salad!!

Salsa, Black Bean and Rice Salad

Looks light and easy to make!

Ingredients:

- 2 c. cooked long grain rice

- 1- 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

- 2 c. chopped tomatoes

- 1 c. chopped red pepper

- 1 c. whole kernel corn

- 2 green onions, thinly sliced

- 2 tbs. snipped fresh cilantro

- 1 c. salsa ( I use deli salsa)

- 4 ounces Monterrey Jack Cheese with jalapeno, cut into small cubes

- 1/4 c. light sour cream

How to:

1. Toss all items in a large mixing bowl!

2. Line bottom of bowl (s) with a lettuce leaf and top with mixture!! Add sour cream to the top!