Caprese Salad

Caprese salad came onto my radar in the past 5 years or so. I love it but I find it's not always on the menu at restaurants. It's so easy to make but for some reason, I never tried. My Mom gave me some fresh basil from her garden yesterday though and it popped into my mind to have for dinner. I had just bought tomatoes at the Farmers Market and I knew I had some mozzarella cheese. I quickly made a balsamic reduction and voila, half of our dinner was ready. The balsamic reduction was the hardest--all that whisking! But well worth it.

BLT Pasta Salad

I saw this recipe for a BLT Pasta Salad on Elizabeth's edibles and I had to try it. What a great idea! It made a very large batch so tons of leftovers and it definitely satisfies the pasta craving and is ideal for the summer 'cause it serves cold.

12 ounces corkscrew-shaped whole wheat pasta
12 ounces lean bacon
3 medium ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
6 tablespoons chopped scallions
2 cups of lettuce, chopped

Cook the pasta according to directions. At the same time cook the bacon until crispy. Set aside to drain and cool. Add the tomatoes and garlic to the pan and saute for a minute. Crumble the bacon and toss in a large bowl with the pasta and tomato mixture. Blend together the mayo and sour cream and add to the bowl along with the scallions. Mix with the pasta until well combined and serve chilled.

The Best Chicken Salad I've Ever Made

A few weeks ago, the wonderful people at Stonyfield Farm contacted me and sent me a bunch of coupons for their organic Greek yogurt, Oikos. I already eat their yogurt and drink their milk so I was excited to learn they made Greek yogurt too. This morning I was finally able to get to the store and pick some up. I proceeded to make the best chicken salad I've ever made. So delicious and healthy. Thanks Stonyfield for the great idea!


Chicken Salad

1 container Oikos Greek plain yogurt
9 oz. poached chicken
1 celery stalk, diced
1 TBSP mustard (dijon or spicy brown)
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 avocado, chopped
salt & pepper

Poach the chicken, then once cooled, shred it with two forks. In a bowl, combine the yogurt, mustard and lemon juice. Add in the celery, avocado and chicken and mix well. Salt & pepper to taste.