Cafe Chicken Chopped Salad Bowl

 This recipe is all about a tasty Chicken Chopped Salad Bowl that's packed with protein from chicken breast, cucumbers, avocado, and chickpeas. It's served on a bed of romaine salad mix and topped with scallions. The recipe includes a list of ingredients and easy-to-follow steps to whip up this nutritious and flavorful meal, perfect for lunch or dinner. Enjoy! 😊 Serving size - 2

Ingredients   

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb.)
• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 ripe avocado, diced
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 6 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 
• 3 cups romaine salad mix
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: feta cheese, for garnish or you can use your favorite Ranch Dressing 

Directions

1. Preheat your grill or stovetop pan over medium-high heat.

2. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Grill for about 6-7 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Remove from the grill or stovetop and rest.

3. In a large bowl, combine the romaine salad mix, diced cucumbers, chickpeas, avocado, and sliced scallions.

4. Slice the grilled chicken into strips and add to the salad mixture.

5. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to create the dressing.

6. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine all the ingredients.

7. Serve immediately, garnished with feta cheese if desired.

Option- instead of step #5, you can use Ranch Dressing or what ever you like from your pantry.

Antipasti Salad

  Antipasti Salad

This Antipasti Salad is a delicious mix of flavors and textures, perfect for sharing with friends! It's got fresh veggies, cured meats, cheeses, and a tangy dressing. You can throw in mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, feta cheese, and hard-boiled eggs. The dressing is super simple, too—just olive oil, red wine vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Just mix everything up, drizzle the dressing, and you're good to go. Feel free to tweak the ingredients to your liking!😋

Ingredients

• 2 cups of mixed green salad (like arugula, romaine, or spinach)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup of cucumber slices
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup black and green olives
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, sliced (optional)
• 1/2 cup pepperoncini or banana pepper rings
• 1/2 cup cubed feta cheese or fresh mozzarella balls
• 1/4 cup Parmesan shavings (for garnish)
• 6-8 slices of cured meat (like salami, prosciutto, or mortadella), rolled
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
• Fresh basil leaves (for garnish)

Dressing

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
2. To assemble the salad, layer the salad greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions in a large serving bowl or platter.
3. Arrange the rolled cured meats, feta cheese cubes, olives, and pepper rings on top of the greens. If using, tuck in hard-boiled egg quarters and roasted red peppers.
4. Drizzle the dressing: Pour the prepared dressing over the salad just before serving. Toss gently or let guests serve themselves.
5. Garnish: Add Parmesan shavings and fresh basil leaves for an elegant touch.

Special Note 

You can always adjust the ingredients to suit your preferences—perhaps adding artichoke hearts, marinated mushrooms, or even croutons for extra crunch. Bon appétit! Let me know if you'd like a variation or help with a different recipe.

Cooking from the Pantry - Salads are not just for summer

Quinoa Salad

Salads are not just for summer but for all year round. They can be crisp and light, stimulating and spicy, or substantial and satisfying.  Imagine tempting appetizers, complementary accompaniments, refreshing palate cleansers, or filling main course, and don’t forget that fruit salads make delicious desserts.  How about mixing fruits and veggies together which also makes wonderful salads. So get creative with making salads with endless possibilities.  In addition to making salads, continue to keep clean eating by making your only salad dressings too. 

Ingredients

Makes – 6 servings

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• ½ cup diced red onion
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar  (organic / raw unfiltered)
• ½ yellow bell pepper (dice)
• 1 medium tomato (diced) (tomato only no seeds or pulp)  
• 1 medium english cucumber, peeled, diced
• 4 tablespoons pitted, sliced kalamata olives
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 4 tablespoons fresh mint leaves chopped
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste  

Let’s make this!

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and gently blend well. Covered and let marinate in the refrigerator for about an hour or longer. 

                                                                            

Quinoa - Trying to add more healthy whole grains to your diet? Choosing quinoa is a nutritious and easy to prepare whole grain to begin with. Yes, quinoa is healthy, but just how healthy is it? Get the straight nutritional facts and nutrient data about this healthy gluten-free and low-fat grain. Quinoa is a great food not just for vegetarians and vegans, but for anyone looking to lower their cholesterol or add fiber to their diet.

 

Apple Cider Vinegar - is a helpful health tonic that has shown promise in helping diabetes, cancer, heart health, high cholesterol, and weight loss, and for years people have used apple cider vinegar as a folk remedy to lower fever and aid indigestion. Reach for apple cider vinegar to cure everything from the hiccups to common cold symptoms.