White bean and tuna salad

I was excited about this recipe, hoping it would pack a ton of flavor and be something awesome for lunches. However, there was way too much onion, and I used a small red onion! I might try it again, but the texture of the tuna and beans was also a bit too much to deal with.

White bean and tuna salad-adapted from Everyday Italian by Giada de Laurentiis
Total time: 5 minutes
Serves 4

• 2 (6 ounce) cans tuna in oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar

In a large bowl add tuna, salt and pepper. Using a fork, break up the tuna into bite sized pieces, then gently toss in the beans and onions. Drizzle with red wine vinegar and season with more salt and pepper to taste. 

Black eyed pea salsa

We were having my sister-in-law Angie over for dinner last night. My go to appetizer/snack is guacamole. I went to the store yesterday, but all the avocados weren't ripe enough or were way past ripe. I then decided to try this salsa instead. Scott was very upset when I told him I was substituting a bean dip for our favorite guacamole.

In the end, we really liked this salsa. It was fresh and a nice change. The apple cider vinegar really added an extra kick to the salsa flavor. This sits well overnight too!

Black eyed pea salsa-adapted from The New Cookbook by Better Homes and Gardens
Total time: 5 minutes
Makes 2 cups

• 1 15-ounce can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 small red pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Tortilla chips for serving

In a serving bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve with chips.

German Cucumber Salad

I made this recipe as I had accidentally bought too much yogurt and needed to use it up. It didn't hit anything out of the park, but maybe I'd like it more in the summertime?

German Cucumber Salad-adapted from Stumbling Upon Happiness
Total Time: 10 Minutes
Serves 2

• 1 cucumber
• 1 large tomato
• 1 small onion
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon dill
• Pinch of salt

Slice the cucumber, tomato and onion into thin slices. In a large bowl, mix together dill and salt. Add yogurt and lemon juice until well combined. Mix in vegetables until well combined. 

Tuna Chef's Salad

For one of my shower's my cousin gave me a wonderful salad set. I was so excited to finally use it! When I made this salad, I figured it was going to be just another salad-nothing special about it. Was I wrong! I thought the tuna really added to it and made it flavorful. We also made some killer hard boiled eggs to go with it!

Tuna Chef's Salad-adapted from 5 Ingredient 15 Minute Recipes by Pillsbury
Total Time: 10 Minutes
Serves 4

• 9 ounces iceberg lettuce
• 10 ounces tuna, drained if in a can
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Croutons and dressing of your choice for serving, optional

In a large salad bowl, arrange tuna, eggs, carrots, cheese, and crutons over the lettuce. Serve on four plates with dressing of choice on the side.

Kale Salad with Bleu Cheese

My work has been partnering with Growing Power to allow us as employees access to fresh produce every week. And it has been awesome. I've been getting kale almost every week, and this was the first recipe I tried. I received it from my aunt. The chef featured in the original link's video is someone she works with!

I absolutely LOVED the dressing and will definitely be making that again. I went a little heavy handed with the bleu cheese, but, what can I say? I love that stuff. I didn't toss the salad, so I was able to eat this for a few days afterwards with dressing on the side.

Kale Salad with Bleu Cheese-adapted from Kare 11
Total Time: 10 Minutes
Serves 6

• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons ground mustard
• 4 cups kale, destemmed and chopped
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 1 cup bleu cheese crumbles

In a blender, combine cider vinegar, honey, salt, black pepper, olive oil and ground mustard. Blend on high for one minute. Refrigerate if not using immediately.

In a large bowl, combine all other ingredients and toss to mix. If desired, toss in salad dressing, or serve on the side.

Italian Chicken Salad

So I'm back on again. I'm terrible at getting busy and not blogging. It also sometimes gets me into not cooking as well. I feel like since I can't keep up on the blog I shouldn't keep up on the cooking new things (I resort to tacos...a lot). Silly I know, but oh well. Back to it, like I said!

This recipe was made back in February (gawd, I'm so behind!), but I remember really liking it! I made the chicken the same day, which adds to the recipe time, however, if you have leftover chicken it's a great mixture too! Use your favorite lettuce and I'm also thinking that next time we'll be adding some sun-dried tomatoes!

Italian Chicken Salad-adapted from Super Simple Chicken Recipes by Betty Crocker

Total Time: 25 Minutes if cooking chicken, 10 if using pre-cooked chicken

Serves 4

• 2 cups cut-up chicken
• 1 head romaine lettuce
• 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 4 1/4 ounces sliced kalamata or black olives
• 1/4 cup Italian dressing

In a large bowl, toss all ingredients until well coated. 

Recipe Redo: Salad with Green Beans and Peanut Dressing

I decided to try this recipe again. The second time around this turned out great! I love the flavor of the peanut butter. It tastes so fresh, but this makes a lot of salad, so cut it in half if there aren't a lot of you eating! In the original recipe, I didn't write where I found this, so I guess this is an original now??

Salad with Green Beans and Peanut Dressing
Serves 6
Total Time: 15 Minutes

• 1 bag (16 ounces) frozen french cut green beans
• 1 head lettuce
• 1/2 bunch green onions, chopped into 1/4 inch slices
• 3 tablespoons bottled minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon sliced ginger
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 jar (18 ounce) smooth peanut butter
• 1-2 cups warm water
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 jar (8.5 ounce) hoisin sauce
• 1/4 cup soy sauce

Thaw green beans in a colander and pat dry to remove excess water. Clean lettuce and cut into bite size pieces if necessary; set aside.

In a food processor, combine the green onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno. Process until uniform. Add the oil and process briefly to form a paste.

Transfer paste to a large bowl. Add peanut butter and 1 cup warm water. Add the remaining water, 1 tablespoon or so at a time, if necessary to make dressing a smooth consistency. Whisk in cilantro, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce.

Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispies

Yesterday, I kind of went on a baking spree. To make the Peanut Butter Cup Banana Bread, I accidentally bought way too many peanut butter cups. Instead of just stuffing my face with all of them (which I really do not want to do), I decided to make more food to share with others. These were definitely the best of the night! Super easy and just a great twist on regular rice krispie treats, which are, in and of themselves, amazing.

Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Treats-adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

Total Time: 15 Minutes

Makes 16 bars

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup corn syrup
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups rice krispies
• 6 bite sized peanut butter cups (or 3 regular size), chopped

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and corn syrup and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, remove from heat and stir in peanut butter until smooth. Carefully stir in rice krispies and peanut butter cups. Spoon into an 8x8 baking dish and cool before serving.

Clubhouse Salad

My new favorite thing is hearty salads for my meals. Adding some awesome protein and a bit of sweetness is just the most tasteful and filling thing that doesn't weigh you down. Although this is a super basic recipe and you could add whatever you'd like to it, I'd certainly follow it again!

Also, in the picture is Wishbone's Guacamole Ranch. Go try it. It's amazing. That reminds me. The one thing I would add to this recipe--avocado!

Clubhouse Salad-adapted from 5 Ingredient, 15 Minute Recipes by Pillsbury
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves 6

• 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
• 10 ounces chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breasts
• 3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
• 4 ounces dried cranberries
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 3/4 cup ranch dressing (or your favorite dressing), on the side

For next time:

• 1 avocado, sliced

In a large bowl, toss all ingredients with the exception of the dressing. Serve with dressing of choice.

Avocado and Edamame Salad

Ever since I found this recipe, I've been excited to make it. It's go som great super foods! Can you say edamame AND avocado? And those are two of my new favorites. The dressing had great flavor, the edamame was crunchy and the avocado gave it that sweet, oily taste! I would highly recommend this the next time you need some good, healthy lunch or snack foods!

This salad, along with the dressing, actually lasted an extra couple of days pretty well! The only exception being the avocado browning slightly. It's not like lettuce salads that get soggy right away.

Avocado and Edamame Salad-adapted from Joy the Baker
Total Time: 10 Minutes
Serves 4

• 16 ounce bag frozen shelled edamame, thawed
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated, fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• Pinch of salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup sliced green onion
• 5 to 8 radishes, sliced
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced
• Sesame seeds

Heat the edamame in a microwave safe bowl for about 5 minutes until warm and slightly tender.

In the meantime, make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, ginger, honey, rice vinegar, olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, combine cooked edamame, green onions, radishes and avocado and top with sesame seeds. Toss with prepared dressing and serve.

Mango-Shrimp Salad

We don't make many salads for dinner. I always enjoy eating them when I go out to eat, but it just doesn't seem the same at home. This salad, and the dressing we used, was really good! The recipe just calls for already cooked shrimp, but I did sauté them in some butter and salt and pepper for a little extra flavor. We also put the dressing on the side, as we weren't sure how we were going to like it. Pick up some sesame ginger dressing--it's delicious! Up to you what you decide to do.

Mango-Shrimp Salad adapted from Pillsbury's 5 Ingredient 15 Minute Recipes
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves 4

• 1 bag (10 ounce) mixed salad greens
• 1 pound cooked, deveined, peeled shrimp, tails removed
• 1 ripe medium mango, seed removed, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup fresh snow pea pods
• 3/4 cup sesame ginger dressing

In a large bowl, mix salad greens, shrimp, mango and pea pods. Pour dressing on top and toss to coat.

Tuna Salad with Sushi Flavors

Sushi is one of our all-time favorite things. It is just so refreshing and delicious! We haven't learned to make our own (I want to take a cooking class!), but we still will go out from time to time for it. This definitely isn't sushi, but it had some great sushi-ish flavors. It isn't something I would make again, because of the wasabi. I like a little bit, so I went a little light on it in the recipe, but it was still too much for me. But if you love wasabi definitely try this! It's so quick and easy to make!

Tuna Salad with Sushi Flavors

Tuna Salad with Sushi Flavors-adapted from Perfect One Dish Dinners  by Pam Anderson
Total Time: 5 Minutes
Serves 8+

• 2 cans (6 ounces each) tuna in water, drained and mashed to a paste
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 3 teaspoons wasabi paste
• Sesame rice crackers
• Pickled ginger, for garnish

Mix tuna, green onions, mayonnaise, and wasabi in a small bowl. Place a heaping teaspoonful on each cracker. Garnish with ginger.

White Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

This was such an interesting sauce. I'm not quite sure I liked it, but I still might try it again some day.

White Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches-adapted from Betty Crocker
Total Time: 10 Minutes
Serves 6

• 1 cup light mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 6 hamburger buns
• 2 cups angel hair coleslaw
• 3 cups shredded deli rotisserie chicken
• 12 hamburger dill pickles

In small bowl, mix mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice, black pepper and red pepper with wire whisk.

On each bottom, place 1/3 cup coleslaw, 1/2 cup chicken, 2 tablespoons white barbecue sauce and 2 pickle slices; cover with bun tops. Refrigerate remaining white barbecue sauce in covered container up to 1 week. 

Spinach Artichoke Jalapeno Dip

As you can tell from the blog, I rather enjoy making spinach dip of any kind. I usually prefer the warm dips, but cold dips are nice for when you know it will need to sit out for awhile. This was a little different, but in the end I really liked it! The bits of jalapeno made for just enough kick to make it interesting. I still prefer this artichoke dip, but this is a close second!

Spinach Artichoke Jalapeno Dip-adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Total Time: 15 Minutes

Serves 8

• 1 block (8 Oz. Size) Cream Cheese
• ½ cups Sour Cream
• 2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
• ½ pounds Frozen Spinach, Thawed And Pressed To Remove Fluid
• 1 cup Chunky Chopped Marinated Artichoke Hearts
• 1 clove Garlic, Chopped And Lightly Toasted In A Little Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Chopped Jalapeno Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
• ¼ cups Grated Parmesan Cheese (fresh Is Best)
• ½ teaspoons Salt, Or To Taste
• ⅛ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper, Or To Taste

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise until well blended. I use either an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer for this.

In a blender, pulse-blend spinach, artichoke hearts, and toasted garlic. Do not blend too fine. Add to the cream cheese mixture and mix well.

Fold jalapeno peppers, lemon juice, and Parmesan into the above mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chill for several hours to blend flavors. Serve with vegetables, crackers, or a variety of breads torn or cut into bite-sized chunks.

Zucchini Salad

I told Scott I was making zucchini as part of dinner and he gave me this look. Then told me he doesn't like zucchini unless its cooked. Then I brought this out with the fish. And he was thoroughly impressed! It was such a refreshing salad! I totally would double or triple the recipe to take to a pot luck. It was different but delicious! I'd give it 4/5 overall!

Shredded Zucchini

Final Product!

Zucchini Salad adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine

Serves 4

Total Time: 10 Minutes

• 2 zucchini
• 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper
• 3 cups baby arugula

Shred the zucchini in the large holes of a grater. Roll up in a kitchen towel, squeeze out an excess liquid, and return to a bowl. Stir in tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, mix with arugula.

Chicken Salad

I've never made chicken salad before. I honestly don't know if I've ever even had it. It always looks pretty good though. So I came across a recipe in the Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook (which is one of the best beginner cookbooks out there-fyi!) and decided to try it! I'm a sucker for not reading recipes the whole way through before I go to cook them so I couldn't chill this like I was supposed to for the first time we ate it. I'll definitely do that next time but it still turned out great! I just poached some chicken to use, but you could use the rotisserie chicken or leftovers or whatever you choose! Overall, we'd give this a 4/5!

Chicken Salad over Arugula Greens

Chicken Salad-Adapted from Better Home's and Garden's New Cookbook

Serves 4

Total Time 1 1/2 hours

• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup chopped celery (1 stalk)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion (2)
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
• 1 teaspoon fresh basil or 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Bread or mixed salad greens (optional)

In a medium bowl combine chicken, celery and green onion. For dressing, in a small bowl stir together mayonnaise  basil, salt and pepper. Pour dressing over chicken mixture; toss to coat. Cover and chill for 1 to 4 hours. Serve as a sandwich filling on bread slices or over salad greens.

Kalamata Olives and Sun-Dried Tomatoes on Cream Cheese

This is a great, simple recipe that is great as a snack (as I use it) or as an appetizer for a party. You can mix all the ingredients together for a daily dip, or put the basil, olives and tomatoes neatly on top for a nice-looking kind of dip. Both taste great! When I first made it, I just put the ingredients on top of the cream cheese (pictured below). I didn't eat all of it, so I ended up mixing it together in a tupperware container to eat as a snack later! The cream cheese definitely tones town the saltiness of the olives and tomatoes. I had some troubles finding fresh basil, so I used dried basil leaves and only put in 1 tablespoon so not to overwhelm the dish. 3/5 This isn't something I'd make all the time, but it definitely will be made again! Oh! And I finally am remembering to take my own pictures again! They aren't quite as pretty as the ones online, but they're mine :)

Kalamata Olives and Sun-Dried Tomatoes on Cream Cheese

Kalamata Olives and Sun-Dried Tomatoes on Cream Cheese-adapted from Pillsbury.com
Total Time: 10 Minutes
Serves 10

• 20 kalamata olives, finely choppped
• 2 tablespoons, finely chopped, drained sun dried tomatoes in oil
• 1 tablespoon oil from sun dried tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, or 1 tablespoons dried basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• Assorted crackers for eating

In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients except cream cheese and crackers.

To serve, option one: place softened cream cheese on a platter and spread evenly across. Spoon olive mixture over cheese evenly. Serve with crackers.

Option two: mix cream cheese and olive mixture together. Serve with crackers.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Wraps

So this is really a recipe that doesn't need a recipe. You can really make it your own. But I wanted to give credit where credit is due. We got the idea for this recipe one night from Pillsbury's Fast and Healthy Cookbook (definitely one of our favorites). If you are new to cooking, or just like to add cookbooks to your collection, buy this one (pictured below)! Almost everything we have made from here has been fantastic!

Chicken bacon ranch wraps are probably mine & Scott's go to wrap. It's simple and always delicious. We're huge ranch fans! I love that this recipe calls for the rotisserie chicken. I think this is genius! When you just don't feel like cooking or don't have the time, just pick up an already cooked chicken at the store! We've put it in casseroles, salads, and now, wraps! It's always delicious and just makes life easier-which is always good! 

This recipe is definitely a 4/5. You can make this to your liking. We added some onions, and realized we like a little more lettuce in the wraps as well. Use what you have on hand to make it your own! We didn't do the first step in the recipe. We just made our wraps as we wanted. But you can definitely make everything ahead of time to have a week's worth of wraps! One last tip-heat the tortillas to make the rolling go smoother!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Wraps
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves: 8 Wraps

• 2 1/2 cups shredded deli rotisserie chicken
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 4 slices cooked bacon
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1 cup fat-free ranch dressing
• 1 package flour tortillas for burritos (8 inch)
• 4 cups shredded lettuce

In a large bowl, gently mix all ingredients except tortillas and lettuce. Cover; refrigerate up to 3 days. (if desired)

To make 1 wrap, in a small microwavable bowl, microwave generous 1/3 cup chicken mixture, loosely covered, on High 30 to 45 seconds or until hot. Spread chicken mixture on tortilla and top with 1/2 cup shredded lettuce. Roll up.

Salad with French Beans and Spicy Peanut Sauce-Try Again

**Update 12/28/2013**
I posted an update to this recipe here.

An Asian-inspired dish. Adapted from Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Cooking 2.


Salad with French Beans and Spicy Peanut Dressing
Serves 6
Total Time: 15 Minutes

• 1 bag (16 ounces) frozen french cut green beans
• 1 head lettuce (recipe called for frisee lettuce, I used spinach)
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, for garnish
• 1/2 bunch green onions, chopped into 1/4 inch slices
• 3 tablespoons bottled minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon sliced ginger
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 can (8.5 ounce) cream of coconut
• 1 jar (18 ounce) smooth peanut butter
• 1-2 cups warm water
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 jar (8.5 ounce) hoisin sauce
• 1/4 cup soy sauce

Thaw green beans in a colander and pat dry to remove excess water. Clean lettuce and cut into bite size pieces if necessary; set aside.

In a food processor, combine the green onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno. Process until uniform. Add the oil and process briefly to form a paste.

Transfer paste to a large bowl. Whisk in cream of coconut. Add peanut butter and 1 cup warm water. Add the remaining water, 1 tablespoon or so at a time, if necessary to make dressing a smooth consistency. Whisk in cilantro, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce.

The Verdict
2.5/5. This had WAY too much peanut butter. I would use only half of the jar, if even that. The hoisin sauce has excellent flavor, and I was about the use the whole jar! I omitted the jalapeno-simply because I forgot to buy it. This is definitely a recipe that makes six FULL servings, so don't make more than you need! I'm not 100% set on making this again, but we'll see...

Creamy Cucumber Salad

A refreshing change to plain ol' cucumbers!

Creamy Cucumber Salad
Total Time: 5 minutes
Serves 6

• 4 teaspoons prepared horseradish
• 4 teaspoons coarse-grain mustard
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 small cucumbers
• Bagel chips, crackers, or toasted bread

In a bowl, whisk together the horseradish, mustard, sour cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper until smooth. Halve each cucumber lengthwise and thinly slice.  Add the cucumbers to the dressing and toss to coat. Serve the cucumber mixture with bagel chips crackers or toasted bread.

The Changes/Lesson/Verdict

2.5/5. No changes were made. It was good, but not great. I don't know what I would do to change it, but the mustard flavor is very strong.