Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

I love a good salad, especially in the summer!  It's a perfect quick lunch or light dinner.  My friend passed this one along to me a few years ago and I still love to pull it out and serve it for a filling, but lighter meal.  This salad is packed full of amazing and the dressing has just a little zip that will leave you wanting more.

Ingredients:
Dressing
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Salad
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 cups chicken, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup avocado, diced
1/3 cup red onion, thin slices
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained*
1 cup corn

*kidney or pinto beans are also good

Directions:
To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients, stir until well mixed.  To prepare salad, combine lettuce and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Optional topping - tortilla strips*. Serve immediately and enjoy!

* You can easily make 21 Day Fix tortilla strips by using corn tortillas.  Brush with a little olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.  Use a pizza cutter to cut into thin strips.  Toast for a few minutes until lightly toasted.  2 corn tortillas count as one yellow.

Italian Caprese Chopped Salad

Hello summer!  This salad is so fresh, simple and screaming summer.  I love all things Mediterranean and this dish is a favorite. If you're measuring out your cheese intake, you can add the amount of cheese that you'd like to your individual serving.  

2 packages grape tomatoes, sliced in half
Fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
12 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, diced into cubes
sea salt and pepper, to taste

In a serving dish, combine tomatoes and basil,  Pour balsamic vinegar over them and stir until evenly coated.  Before serving, add in mozzarella, sea salt and pepper to taste.  Stir and serve.

{skinny} Chicken Salad

I don't know about you, but I eat much healthier when I plan ahead.  If I'm hungry and grab whatever is quick and easy, it's usually not so healthy.  If I plan ahead and prepare some healthy snacks and meals to have on hand when hunger hits, it's much easier to stick to healthy eating habits.  This is one of my favorites.  The original recipe is from Jillian Michaels and makes 4 cups.  Each 1/2 cup serving only has 118 calories.  I like to make a double batch and keep the extras in the fridge to pull out for a quick lunch or snack.  You can serve it sandwich style on whole wheat bread, scoop it up with whole grain crackers, roll it up in a leaf of lettuce or eat it just plain.  So many options.  And speaking of options, this recipe is very versatile.  If you're not a fan of the grapes, just leave them out.  Not so fond of the celery?  Replace them with cucumbers.  Cashews are my favorite nut but you can switch them out for another kind if you have a different favorite.  I've listed some optional seasonings that I like to add in (not all at the same time though!).  Play around with it and find the seasonings that do it for you.  Make this salad yours and enjoy a yummy, guilt free, protein packed meal!

Ingredients
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and cubed
1 cup red seedless grapes, cut in half
1/3 cup chopped cashews
1/3 cup non or low fat plain greek yogurt
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1 tsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Optional seasonings and herbs:  chili powder, garlic salt, cumin, paprika, green onions, parsley, cilantro

Directions
Put the cubed chicken into a large bowl. Add the grapes and cashews and toss gently to mix the ingredients. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, celery, honey, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pour the dressing over the chicken and stir gently to coat. Season to taste.  Store the salad in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.