Spinach and Black Bean Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

I found THIS salad and it got my creative juices flowing.  (No pun intended.)  I created the following salad based on what I had at home.  I'm a little hesitant to publish it on the blog because I feel like it's a salad "in progress" but I also really loved the flavor and I just want to fine-tune it.  


We just bought a juicer this week and have really LOVED using it.  Yesterday I bought strawberries and they were already going bad.  (A major pet peeve of mine.)  Anyway, instead of adding the strawberries directly to the salad I made a dressing out of them.  However, I think adding the strawberries to the salad and pouring fresh squeezed lemon juice over this dish would be AMAZING.  


Ingredients:
1 can of black beans - rinsed and drained 
1 can of whole kernel corn - rinsed and drained 
1 avocado - chopped 
1 mango - chopped 
1 bunch of cilantro - chopped
1 bunch of green onions - chopped 
1 cucumber - cut in pieces 
Fresh Spinach - to your liking 
*Chopped nuts would be yummy on this, but I didn't have any.




Dressing:
1 cup fresh strawberry juice
1 Tbs strawberry pulp
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette
* whisk together and/or shake before serving. 


Put all the ingredients (and any extra you can think of) into a large bowl.  Use your hands to mix.  I like to sort of "mush" the fixins'  together so the flavors of the mango and avocado get onto the spinach leaves.  I poured the dressing over each portion of salad so it didn't go to waste, but you could add it to the whole salad if you wanted to.  


Let me know if you have any other ideas of items to add to this salad.  It was really yummy, but I do feel like something is missing. (Although, I think that I should have added more dressing.)  Good luck and ENJOY!  

Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Cucumber Salad

I found this recipe HERE while I was searching for HCG Diet recipes. I also found THIS recipe that made me think of adding the cucumber and making a salad. (I haven't tasted that recipe, but it looks good too.) The Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Cucumber Salad is so yummy I plan to enjoy it for years to come. I hope you like it as much as I do!

Serving Size: 1

Ingredients:

• 1 Cucumber, julienned
• Small - medium shrimp, 15 - 20
• Coconut Oil, 2 Tbs
• Garlic, 2 cloves
• Ground Red Pepper, a dash or two
• Minced (dried) onion, a few shakes
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 lemon, zested
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cilantro (chopped) to taste
• Green Onion (chopped) to taste 

Directions:

1. If shrimp is frozen, defrost it.
2. Julienne your cucumber. Toss your cucumber in a bowl with some sea salt, pepper, and dried minced onion, cilantro and green onion. (You could also add a little bit of lemon juice.) Set aside to "marinate."
3. Heat coconut oil in a skillet.
4. Add garlic (I use my garlic press) and ground red pepper, and a few shakes of the dried minced onion.
5. When the garlic and onion begin to brown, add the shrimp to your skillet. Cook the shrimp until golden, then flip those little buggers over and brown on the opposite side.
6. Now add your lemon zest and lemon juice. Let cook for a two or three minutes.
7. Optional: Salt and pepper to taste.
8. Put the warm shrimp over those flavorful cucumbers. Pour the rich "sauce" from the pan over your shrimp and cucumbers for an tasty dressing.
9. Toss and ENJOY!

**UPDATE - July 22, 2012: 

I found THIS way too cook shrimp.  I used all the same ingredients in the above recipe, but cooked it this way: 

1. Prehead oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with sides with foil.
2. Drizzle coconut oil on lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle the dry ingredients on top of the oil.  Lay SLICED lemons on top of the seasoning.  Lay the shrimp on top of everything.  
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Flip shrimp and cook for another 5 minutes, until light golden brown.

Thai Basil Chicken Fried Rice

I found this recipe in Tosca Reno's, "The Eat-Clean Diet, Recharged." It's an especially easy meal when you have leftover brown rice or chicken from another meal. It really was SO good. Full of flavor and it made the house smell amazing! I can't wait to have it for lunch tomorrow!

INGREDIENTS:

4 tbsps. coconut butter (if that's unavailable, use olive oil)

2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped

2 scallions, whites and greens, sliced

4 cloves of garlic, passed through a garlic press

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips

2 Thai red peppers, cut into ribbons (Or you could buy a bag of frozen mixed Asian veggies.)

2 tbsps. fish sauce

3 tbsps. oyster sauce

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 cup chopped fresh Thai basil

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 handful fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

A pinch of red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the coconut butter in a large wok over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and scallions and stir-fry for a few minutes until fragrant.

Add the garlic, chicken and red peppers, and stir-fry for four or five minutes.

Add fish and oyster sauces and sea salt, and stir fry it into the mixture. If it's too hot, reduce the heat under the mixture slightly.

Add the basil and rice, and stir-fry until it's heated through.

Serve hot, garnished with cilantro and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

NOTE: You can mix it up with beef strips or shrimp instead of chicken.

Picture Source

Cabbage Ramen Salad

For me, this salad was originally served as a meal at our sister Michelle's house. (She got the recipe from her friend, Erin Griffitts.) It's been one of my favorites ever sense! Every time I serve it or take it to a pot luck, everyone raves about it. Simple, easy, fast, and delicious. You can't beat that!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound Tri Color Cole Slaw Mix
• 1 bunch Green Onions, chopped
• 1 cup Slivered Almonds, toasted if you like
• 1 cup Salted Sunflower Seeds
• 2 pkgs Ramen Noodles (Chicken) broken and toasted. (It's easiest if you break it up before you open the bag.) Reserve the seasoning packet

Dressing:

• ¾ cup Oil
• ½ cup Sugar
• ½ cup Cider Vinegar
• 2 Seasoning Packets From Ramen

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all the salad ingredients together in a bowl. Make dressing
separately. Pour dressing over salad up to 1 hour before serving,
chill.

NOTES: If I want to make this a meal you can add shredded chicken.

Mug Cake

I got this recipe HERE. This is "user friendly" for phase 3.

Ingredients:

• 2 T almond meal/flour
• 1 T cocoa
• 3 pks of stevia
• 3 T half & half or cream
• 1 T coconut oil - melted
• 1 Egg

Directions:

1. Mix dry ingredients in a mug.
2. add wet ingredient & stir thoroughly.
3. Put in microwave for 90 secs or longer depending on strength of microwave.
   

Number of Servings: 1

Clean Crunchy Apple and Cabbage Salad with Sweet Curry Dressing

I originally got this recipe from THIS site. We've eaten it enough and I've made a few changes so I thought I would add it to our own little blog. The version I am posting is double the original recipe because (I think) it's easier. This salad is perfect for picnics and potlucks. *People won't even know it's super healthy because they'll be distracted by how YUMMY it tastes!* Because this version of the salad is so large I like to make and eat it all week long. I also send it with my husband for lunches. (He loves it!)

Salad:

1 bag of Tri-Color Slaw

2 medium apples, julienned (a tart and crunchy apple like Braeburn or Granny Smith works best)

2 handfuls (1-2 cups) dried unsweetened cherries (I used dried cranberries because it's what I already had.)

8 oz bag of chopped pecans, toasted

1 bunch of green onions, chopped

1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

2-3 cups shredded chicken (Cubed would work too.)

Pile all the ingredients into a bowl and hand toss it to mix.

Dressing:

1/2 cup cider vinegar

6 tablespoons olive oil

8 tbsp honey or agave nectar (depending on the sweetness you prefer)

6 tsp Dijon mustard

3 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

Mix the dressing and reserve. (You may or may not want to add ALL the dressing. You decide.) Pour dressing over the salad just before serving. Clean and absolutely DELICIOUS!

Brown Rice (its SOOOO yummy!)

My husband (Deland) grew up eating rice EVERY DAY. (He is Iranian after all.) And let me tell you I LOVE Iranian Style Rice. It is so yummy, buttery, and the crispy rice on the bottom of the pot is amazing! The problem is that I'm allergic to large amounts of butter. (It makes my butt bigger.) Plus I know brown rice is much healthier. So I did some research and came up with an amazing brown rice "recipe" that tastes different from the Iranian rice my husband and I love, but is equally yummy. (Deland eats it by itself.)

Enjoy! (And let me know what you think!)

INGREDIENTS:

• Brown Rice
• Beef Broth - Low Sodium
• Olive Oil
  
• Fresh Garlic - 3 or 4 cloves
  
• Dried, Whole Bay Leaves - 3 or 4
  
• Sea Salt - a dash
• Pepper - a dash
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Read the instructions on the bag.
   
2. Substitute beef broth for the water.
3. Substitute olive oil for the butter.
4. Add bay leaves, garlic, salt and pepper to the broth.
5. When it comes to a boil, add the rice.
6. Just follow the directions on the bag from here.

Simple Salsa

I got this recipe from the book, "Your Best Body Now," By Tosca Reno. It really is yummy. I used it over Mexican Chipotle-Marinated Pork Tenderloin (from the same book) and served it with Brown Rice. But I can't wait to try it with pita chips!

Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can (19 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup white onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. Serve with Mexican Chipotle-Marinated Pork Tenderloin, or over chicken with baked whole-grain tortilla or pita chips and a salad.

Friday Night Chili

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb ground bison or turkey 1 large onion, chopped fine 3 stalks celery, chopped fine 1 carrot, peeled and grated 3 cloves of garlic, crushed 2 T EVOO 1T molasses 1 can navy beans 1 can diced tomatoes 1 can red kidney beans 3/4 c chicken stock 1 medium sweet potato, peeled, cooked and mashed 1 T chili powder

DIRECTIONS:

heat 1 T of oil in skillet and brown meat.

Heat remaining oil and cook garlic, onion, carrot and celery until soft.

Add meat, chili, molasses, tomatoes and beans. Add chicken stock and mashed sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Number of Servings: 12

THIS RECIPE IS FROM THE BOOK, EAT CLEAN DIET FOR FAMILY AND KIDS, BUT I FOUND IT HERE.

Eat-Clean Egg Salad

SERVINGS: 1 cup of egg salad

DETAILS:

Egg Salad is the perfect school lunch! It’s hearty, tasty and takes no time at all to prepare. Trade the fatty, mayonnaise-laden version for this Eat-Clean recipe from my latest book, The Eat-Clean Diet for Family and Kids! Make sure to pack it in a cooler.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup / 60 ml fat-free cottage cheese
• 1 Tbsp / 15 ml skim milk
• 1 tsp / 5 ml mustard
• 4 hardboiled egg whites, diced
• 1 hardboiled yolk
• 2 Tbsp / 30 ml chopped green onion
• 2 Tbsp / 30 ml chopped celery
• Dash curry powder
• 1/4 tsp / 1 ml sea salt

PREPERATION: 

1. Whip cottage cheese and milk until smooth in medium-sized mixing bowl.
2. Blend remaining ingredients except egg whites with cottage cheese mixture.
3. Add diced egg whites to cottage cheese mixture. Mix well.

Yogurt Cheese

Ingredients:

• 2 Quarts low-fat plain yogurt, dairy or soy based.

Method for yogurt cheese:

1. Place 4 layers of damp cheesecloth in a fine mesh sieve or colander. Place the colander over a bowl.

2. Add yogurt and let it drain overnight in the refrigerator.

3. Discard the water from the bowl.

What Next?

The result of the draining process will leave you with a soft, creamy cheese-like product. In fact, it is lower in calories than cream cheese but can be used in its place. It is also lower in lactose, highter in protein, and lower in sodium than cream cheese. The best part is that it is all nautral.

You now have a wonderful base into which you can mix just about anything, since yogurt cheese readily takes on the flavors of whatever you choose to mix it with. It is sinfully rich and makes you think you are eating something naughty – but you aren’t.

Turkey Waldorf Salad

Ingredients:

• ½ turkey breast, roasted and cooled, skin removed, cut into 1/2 “ cubes – aprox. 1 ½ lbs

• 4 Ribs celery, trimmed and chopped

• 1 cup cored and chopped red apple OR 1 cup nectarines

• 1 bunch green onions, trimmed and chopped

• ½ cup walnuts

• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

• 1 cup yogurt cheese (you may need more depending on how big your turkey breast is)

• Juice of one fresh lemon

• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Preparation:

1. Place turkey, celery, apple, green onion, walnuts and cilantro in large salad bowl. Set aside.

2. In small mixing bowl, whisk yogurt cheese with lemon juice, sea salt and pepper. Pour dressing over salad ingredients. Mix until dressing coats other ingredients. Chill.

Fabulous No Bake Protein Bars

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Oats

• 4 Scoops Protein Powder

• 2 Tbs Ground Flaxseed

• 1/2 Cup Natural Peanut Butter

• 1/2 Cup Water

• Optional: Almond Butter

• Optional: Ground Pecans

• Optional: Dark Chocolate Chips

Instructions

1. Mix dry ingredients together - Oats, Protein, and Flaxseed. (You can add about 1/2-1/3 of the chocolate chips to the patter at this point. Use your personal preference.)

2. Mix in Natural Peanut Butter, then Water

3. Mix well, will be clumpy and take awhile

4. Line 8x8 glass pan with aluminum foil, then use your hands to pack the mix into the pan.
   
   Optional:

5. Spread a light layer of almond butter over the top (I let mine set out a little while to be soft)

6. Sprinkle ground pecans over the top of the almond butter.

7. Melt about 1/3 of the (total) chocolate chips in the microwave. Using a spoon, drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of your bars.

Place into the freezer for 35 minutes
Cut into 3 sections of 3 - wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate.

Tips & Bonus Information

Ok, I totally played around with these until I found something that I preferred taste wise. I use BSN Banana Cream Protein Powder. You can use gluten free or pure whey, whatever works for you. I love the taste of banana with peanut butter, it gives it great flavor! Without the topping the nutritional value of mine (depends on your protein, etc) Calories - 192 Protein - 13.35g Sugar - 1.6g Total Fat - 8.6g Sat Fat - 1.6g

Yield: 9 Bars
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes chill time

P.S. I got the recipe from HERE.

Turkey Chili

This is a simple and Clean Eating worthy recipe. It also has only basic ingredients but still YUM!

Ingredients

• 1.2 lbs lean ground turkey (I used 7% lean beef for the extra iron boost)
  
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 can diced tomatoes, ( no salt added)
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can black beans
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tbsp tomato paste (optional)
• 1-2 tbsp virgin olive oil

Instructions

Brown diced onion and diced garlic in olive oil with the cayenne and cumin powders. Add turkey, brown. Drain and rinse beans. Once the turkey is looking cooked add beans, diced tomatoes, water and tomato paste for the desired taste. Simmer and serve with your choice of topping.....i used either chopped fresh spinach or broccoli, Yum!

* You can add more or less cumin, cayenne and tomato paste depending on your needs.

*Tip: I cook in my cast iron Dutch Oven, or skillet when I can. I tend to need every extra iron boost I can get and this is proven to help.