Paleo BLT Salad

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Have I mentioned my favorite thing about going Paleo? 

Bacon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is good on everything and with everything. Shrimp? Check. Brussels Sprouts? Check. Salad? Eggs? Wrapped around Chicken? Wrapped around asparagus? Check, check, checkity check check.

So clearly, I am finding ways to work it into as many meals as I can. I threw together this salad the other day and it was honestly one of the best salads I have ever eaten. It was like a BLT, made all-star with crunchy sunflower seeds and sweet-n-sour pickled cabbage. And don't even get me started about adding balsamic glaze to a bacon-laden dish... Amazing.

Paleo BLT Salad

Ingredients for one salad:

• 1-2 cups salad greens of choice (I used arugula because duh)
• 2 pieces of cooked bacon, cut into small bite-sized bits
• 1/4 red tomato, de-seeded and cut
• 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
• 1 tbsp chopped onion
• Pickled red cabbage (optional but really works well in this salad!)
• Balsamic glaze (or any balsamic vinaigrette)

Directions:

1. Toss all ingredients and serve!

Creativity and Lettuce Tacos, With a Little Bit of Kundalini

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How was your weekend? 

Mine was wonderful, with just the right combination of activity and rest. Friday, fiance and I went on a date. Then, Saturday, we did an insanely hard Spinning class, then I went to Blogger Book Club, and then we had dinner with one of our fave couples at a schwanky restaurant in West Town. Yesterday, we relaxed, had a yummy breakfast at The Breakfast Club, and tried our first session of Kundalini Yoga!

Delicious spread at Blogger Book Club, hosted by Kelsey

Yummy dinner at Leopold in West Town

Swirlymon Coffee at The Breakfast Club

Creativity and Kundalini? 
Yesterday, fiance and I decided to take a yoga class at the gym. Neither of us were feeling up for anything highly aerobic, because we were both absolutely wiped and needed a day to rest. So, we saw something called 'Beginner's Yoga' (we are not beginners, mind you) on the schedule, and decided to give it a try.

Totally not what I was expecting. As it turned out, the instructor taught Kundalini Yoga. I know, you thought the "Kundalini" in the title was an Italian dish, didn't you? I don't blame you. Fun fact, though: I don't like Italian dishes. I legitimately dislike pasta (notice there are like zero pasta recipes on my food page).

Anyway, apparently, Kundalini as a yoga practice is meant to "cultivate the creative spiritual potential of a human to uphold values, speak truth, and focus on the compassion and consciousness needed to serve and heal others" (yes, I'm quoting Wikipedia again). Most of what I got out of that explanation was the part about cultivating the creative spiritual potential.

So, what's the deal with Kundalini Yoga? It was just alright. The instructor had us do small repetitive movements for about 2 minutes each, combining it with breathing techniques. I'll admit that I did feel some heat in my arms, and, at one point, in my abs... but, when I'm spending an hour in a class, I expect a bit more than that.

That said, who knows. Maybe my creativity has been increased in its wake. Who knows what kind of magic I'll whip up today?!

Lettuce Tacos? 

Fiance loves himself some Turkey Tacos. They're lean, they're mean, and they're just darn good. It's been our Sunday Night meal for a while now.

But there's one thing I just don't love about it, which is what I call the vehicle. The taco shell, itself (or it-shell-f? ha). Just as your car is a vehicle to get you to Hobby Lobby (loveeeeee), the taco shell is really just a vehicle to get that turkey and cheese goodness into my oh-so-happy mouth. I could eat more of the turkey and less of the taco shell.

Enter large lettuce heads. Bib lettuce, if you will. I grabbed a head of it for $0.99 at the grocer. Now, I can get my fill on that delicious protein, instead of spending on the carby carb carbs.

It's kind of like if skinny fish tacos and turkey lettuce wraps had a baby. You could also do something similar with Swiss Chard, and it would be a bit more hearty, so you could really load those babies up with meat.

Really, though. Check it out. His and hers tacos?

Questions...

• How was your weekend? I want to know!
• What have you done creatively this week - in the kitchen or elsewhere? 

Cilantro Chicken Swiss Chard Wraps (with Teriyaki Sauce)

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Swiss Chard is my new best friend. Seriously. Any of you low carb dieters out there ought to introduce yourself to Swiss Chard. Go ahead. Don't be shy. Just walk right up and... take a bite. 

Why? Because Swiss Chard is the perfect substitution for any of the following: bread, sandwich wraps, tortillas, taco shells, etc etc etc... Basically, anything that you used to use as any sort of wrap.

I've seen numerous "lettuce wrap" recipes (and even created one of my own, many moons ago) that use regular big pieces of lettuce. These are surely delicious (as I said, I've tried them!), but I do have two issues...

1. First, regular P.F. Changs-inspired lettuce wraps take far too long to make. There is too much chopping and slicing and dicing and mixing and measuring... so, while some of you methodical and detail-oriented folks may thrive on the recipe, it's just not feasible for my tiny little attention span... Good thing these Swiss Chard Wraps are easy and have half the ingredients!
2. Second, the large lettuce leaves typically used in P.F. Changs-inspired lettuce wraps break quite easily. This creates a physical mess on my plate as well as an emotional mess when I fail to get all of the food into my mouth. Oh. The. Agony. Good thing these Swiss Chard Wraps are unbreakable (seriously) and actually act like a wrap, instead of breaking all over your plate!

Have I convinced you yet? Come on! Just try a bite...

Cilantro Chicken Swiss Chard Wraps

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Calories: 209
WW Points (Old): 4
WW PointsPlus (New): 5
Servings: 4


Ingredients:

• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts - Either 3 regular chicken breasts or 8 thinly sliced (I used 1 package of thinly sliced chicken breasts for quicker cooking and cutting)
• 3 tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon Cavender's Greek Seasoning
• 1 cup of Cilantro, chopped
• 4 stalks Green Onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Sunflower Seeds
• 2 Tablespoons Teriyaki Sauce (look for a low-sugar version, if possible)
• Lemon Juice from 1 Lemon
• 8-10 large leafs of Swiss Chard, rinsed
• Optional: Shredded cheese to top

Directions:

1. Place chicken breasts in a medium pan with White Wine Vinegar over medium heat. Sprinkle half of the Cavender's Greek Seasoning on top of the chicken breasts. After 10-12 minutes, flip each piece of chicken and sprinkle the other side with seasoning, then cook for another 10-12 minutes, or until there is no visible pink meat within a cut chicken piece.
2. While chicken breasts are cooking, chop cilantro and green onion and place in a medium bowl.
3. Once chicken breasts are cooked, chop into small pieces (mine were less than 1/2 inch on each side... you're welcome to be more or less picky!) and add to the bowl with cilantro and green onion.
4. Add sunflower seeds, teriyaki sauce, and lemon juice to the bowl and toss or shake well.
5. Serve with rinsed leaves of Swiss Chard, which can be used just like a lettuce wrap or tortilla/taco wrap. Garnish with your chosen shredded cheese, if desired!

Recipe | Insalata Mista (Mixed Salad)

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Do you love this salad, jam-packed with protein and fiber? Lend me some sugar...
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I HAVE A DREAM... that, one day, this country will rise up and rise up and live out the true meaning of this creed: "We hold that this truth should be made more evident: That NOT ALL SALADS ARE CREATED EQUAL!"

• Your regular restaurant-ordered salad has a bed of huge, dry, leafy greens that are too big to fit in your mouth without successfully smothering your cheeks in dressing.
• Your regular restaurant-ordered salad has a few festive bits and pieces thrown over that bed of leafy greens.
• Your regular restaurant-ordered salad's "festive bits and pieces" are comprised of baked, battered, and/or fried crud like croutons, fried tortilla strips, or breaded chicken, which add heaps of calories and saturated fat for your net intake for the day.

The solution? This salad.

• This salad has no bed of huge, leafy, too-big-for-your-mouth greens. Instead, you've got bite size pieces of nutrition-packed spinach.
• This salad has far more than "a few" festive bits and pieces. Instead, you've got a bowl full of delicious festivity, interspersed by the occasional spinach loveliness.
• This salad's festivity is neither baked, battered, nor fried. Instead, the festivity includes chick peas and black beans, which are full of protein and fiber, and tomatoes, which add important nutrients (like phosphorous, calcium, iron, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C) to your diet.

Nutritional Information for Main Course*

Nutritional Information for Side Dish*

Last week, Justin and I were thinking about dinner. We were hungry - hungry enough for more than just a leafy salad - but not willing to throw lifestyle to the wind and pig out. We came (to Jewel). We saw (the veggies). We conquered (...the world?). Here's the recipe...

Greek Chicken Garlic Salad

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It's the season of new years resolution. Yeah, I know, I've been beating this point to death... But, with so many resolutions to lose weight, work out, and eat better, I'm hearing a lot more chatter around the office about calories, nutrition, and food. 

A salad a day sounds like a great plan... and it is, provided that you're eating the right salad. If you're eating out, be careful -- many seemingly "good" salads are actually "bad" ones. Don't. Be. Fooled.  Some salads at TGI Fridays, Applebees, and California Pizza Kitchen will run you between 1,000 and 2,000 calories (don't believe me? Read this post). A rule of thumb: Avoid croutons (and toppings like tortilla chips and crispy noodles), creamy dressings, and most Mexican themed salads. For more tips, click here.

This week, in honor of your new year's resolution to eat healthier (or count calories, or get in shape, etc, try this: Instead of shelling out the cash (and calories) for a daily salad at your favorite restaurant, stop by the grocery store and picking up the supplies to make your own.  Here's a recipe for Greek Chicken Garlic Salad (for more Salad Recipes, check out my Food page).

Ingredients (Salad):

• 2 heads of lettuce
• 6 baby carrots
• ½ Onion
• Fresh grated sharp cheddar (to taste)
• 2 chicken breasts or 2 cans of chicken
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• Greek Lemon seasoning 
• 1 handful Sliced almonds (or other available nuts)

Ingredients (Dressing):

• 2/3 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ tablespoon honey

Preparation Directions:

1. Saute chicken, Olive Oil, and Greek Seasoning over medium-high heat for 15 minutes (or until cooked). I started with two cans of chicken because it was all I had on hand and this was a last minute improv kind of meal... so, being pre-cooked, the time was much shorter than it would be for raw chicken breasts.
2. Chop lettuce and onions to your personal preference (I cut the onion into thin, 1 inch pieces). Cut carrots to preference (I cut them into small, 1/4 inch thick discs).
3. Combine lettuce, onion, carrots, and almonds in a bowl. 
4. Grate fresh sharp cheddar on top
5. Add cooked and seasoned chicken
6. Prepare dressing by combining all 5 ingredients and mixing well.
7. Serve!

 

Here are some links for further reading:

MSNBC 5 Restaurant Salads That Are Worse Than A Whopper

Men's Health 20 Salads That Are Worse Than A Whopper

Men's Health Best Bottled Salad Dressings