Poppy Seed Chicken and Clementine Salad

Serves 4 (I made the dressing as is, but cut the chicken, clementines and greens in half because this was just for Chris and I. I was thinking I would use the dressing for another salad tomorrow, but half of it on two salads didn't seem like enough, so I used all of it. So I guess what I'm saying is, make your own call.)

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon water
1/2 small shallot, sliced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper
6 cups packed mixed baby greens
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (I used a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
4 clementines, peeled and separated into segments
1 cup grapes, halved

1. To make dressing, place vinegar, honey, water, shallot, mustard, oil, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper in mini food processor; process until shallot it finely chopped and dressing is well blended.

2. Combine greens, chicken, clementines, and grapes in large bowl; drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.

Results: This dressing was so good and really easy to make! This salad was amazing-so colorful and filling! Chris and I both loved it. I'll definitely be working this into the dinner rotation.

Recipe from Fresh, Fabulous Fast by Weight Watchers. (Are you sensing a trend lately?)

Steak Salad with Spinach and Oranges

Serves 4

1 (1-pound) sirloin steak, trimmed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 navel oranges
1 (6-ounce) package baby spinach
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted salted almonds

1. Spray grill rack with cooking spray. Preheat grill on high.

2. Sprinkle steak with cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Place steak on grill pan and cook 3-4 minutes on high. Reduce temperature to medium-high, flip steak and cook 3-4 minutes to desired degree of doneness. Transfer steak to cutting board and let stand 2-3 minutes. Cut across the grain into thin slices.

3. Meanwhile, to make salad, peel oranges, removing all white pith. Cut oranges into rounds; cut rounds into quarters. Place oranges in large bowl. Add spinach, tomatoes, lemon juice, oil and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; toss to coat.

4. Divide salad evenly among 4 serving plates and top evenly with steak. Sprinkle with almonds and serve.

Served with grilled red potatoes.

Results: I tell you, I wrinkled my nose up at putting any kind of rub on sirloin. It doesn't need it! But, I was wrong, because the cumin blend tasted so great on this steak. And can I give my husband some props for grilling this steak to PERFECTION. I mean, for realsies! Look at that picture!

So, in case you couldn't tell, I really liked this meal. I loved the cumin on the steak and the salad was yummy. Very filling and satisfying meal. Chris loved it too. I didn't even realize until I was typing in the recipe that I forgot the almonds. They would have been great on this salad.

The boys had this lovely creation. That's all Chris, baby!

This recipe came from the Fresh, Fabulous, Fast cookbook by Weight Watchers. If you can get your hands on one of these cookbooks, I HIGHLY recommend it. Almost every recipe in this book has been amazing. Or, Fabulous, I guess!

Citrus Chicken with Napa Slaw

Serves 4 (but we got a lot more servings out of this...)

3 Tbsp Eden Mirin (rice cooking wine)
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp canola oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
5 cups cabbage, all varieties, Napa, thinly sliced (I used a 12 oz pre-shredded package of slaw)
3 cups Chicken breast without skin, roasted, shredded (I used a rotisserie chicken)
1 cup shredded carrots
3 medium scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Crunchy chow mein noodles

1. Whisk together the mirin, lime juice, oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the cabbage, chicken, carrots, scallions, and cilantro; toss well to coat. Serve at once, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 hours.

2. To serve, sprinkle crunchy chow mein noodles on top.

Results: If you buy the ingredients pre-shredded/pre-cooked, this was super easy to put together! I thought this was really nice and fresh tasting and the leftovers held up well for several days. This would be a great salad to bring to a picnic or party, but as a "dinner", it wasn't that filling.

Recipe from Weight Watchers

Arugula-Pear Salad with Gorgonzola Dressing

Serves 4

1 pear, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 cups arugula
1/3 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup vegetable broth, reduced-sodium
4 tsp olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine, or cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, bruised (that just means to mash it lightly with the side of a big knife)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

1. Combine the pear with the lemon juice in a small bowl; toss to coat. Arrange the arugula and pear slices on a platter.

2. To prepare the dressing, combine the cheese, broth, oil, vinegar, garlic, and pepper in a small bowl; let stand at least 5 minutes to allow the flavors to blend, then remove the garlic.

Served with grilled chicken.

Results: Seriously. Go make this dressing. RIGHT NOW! It is amazing! This meal was so satisfying and tasty.

Recipe from Weight Watchers

Cheddar, Apple and Walnut Salad

Serves 4
Prep Time: Cooking Time:

olive oil cooking spray
4 slices uncooked turkey bacon
2 slices mixed-grain bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped, toasted
9 oz spinach, baby leaves
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
4 oz low-fat cheddar or colby cheese, cut into thin wedges
1 large apple, cut into thin wedges
6 Tbsp fat-free Raspberry vinaigrette

1. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook as package directs until crisp, about 4 minutes; remove bacon to a paper towel. Let bacon drain briefly then crumble into bite-size pieces; transfer to a large bowl.

2. Add bread cubes to same skillet. Cook over medium heat, tossing often, until slightly golden and crisp, about 3 minutes; remove to a plate and set aside. (This method did not work for me. I ended up toasted these in the toaster over with much better results.)

3. Transfer walnuts to bowl with bacon. Add spinach, endive, cheese, apple and dressing to bowl; toss to mix and coat. Put about 4 cups of salad mixture on each of 4 plates. Sprinkle each serving with about 3 tablespoons of homemade croutons.

Results: These tastes go perfect together! This was a delicious and filling salad. The jury is still out for me on turkey bacon. I'm not a big fan, but it was actually perfect in this dish, since it was more of a background flavor.

Basil Citrus Salad with Citrus Chicken

Serves 4 (or as a side salad, this could serve 8)

2 medium oranges
1 small grapefruit
5 cups mixed baby greens
1/3 cup red onion, thinly sliced
2 medium carrot, julienned
1/4 cup walnut halves, toasted
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 Tbsp vinegar, raspberry (I couldn't find raspberry vinegar, so I used raspberry vinaigrette)
1/4 cup basil leaves, shredded
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

1. Using a serrated knife, remove peel from orange and grapefruit and section fruit over a bowl to collect juices. Reserve 1/3 cup citrus juice. (Note: I didn't get that much juice in this method, so I did have to squeeze a bit out.)

2. In a large bowl, combine fruit with greens, onions, carrots and walnuts. In a separate bowl, whisk olive oil, vinegar, basil, garlic, and salt and pepper with reserved citrus juice until well-blended. Pour over salad. Toss well before serving.

Served with grilled chicken. (I zested the orange and grapefruit, then mixed the zest with some olive oil and used that at a marinade for the chicken.)

Results: This may be my new favorite salad! This was so fresh and citrusy, I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it! Perfect for a hot summer day. I made this a second time, without the basil, and it was good too, so if you don't have any basil, you don't need to rush out and get some. Although then I supposed you would have to call it "Citrus Salad" instead.

P.S. Bonus points if you spot the wrapper from the raspberry vinaigrette in my salad. Somehow it got mixed in with the lettuce. It wasn't that tasty.

Chicken Milanese with Arugula Salad

Serves 4
(I forgot to write down the prep/cooking times. This did take longer than I would have liked or thought, but there is a lot you could ahead of time. You could make the salad and the dressing, and also prepare the chicken up to the the cooking part.)

1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 bunches arugula (I used two handfuls)
1/2 medium fennel bulb, very thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered

1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, four 4 oz pieces
1 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 large egg
3 large egg whites
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 cup dried bread crumbs
cooking spray,
1 Tbsp regular butter
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste

1. In a small bowl, whisk together first four ingredients; set aside.

2. In a large salad bowl, combine arugula, fennel, onion and tomatoes; set aside.

3. Place chicken between two sheets of wax paper; pound until 1/3-inch-thick. Rub salt and pepper into both sides of chicken.

4. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Place bread crumbs in another shallow bowl. In a third shallow bowl, whisk together egg, egg whites, parsley and cheese. Dip a piece of chicken into flour; turn to coat and shake off any excess. Next, dip chicken into egg mixture; turn to coat. Lastly, dip chicken into bread crumbs, shaking off any excess ingredients. (You want to coat the chicken very lightly, not cover it with a heavy crust.) Set aside and repeat with remaining chicken.

5. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat. Melt butter in skillet (do not allow it to burn); add chicken. Cook chicken until coating is golden, flipping once, about 10 minutes; remove to plates.

6. Toss salad with dressing. Sprinkle chicken with lemon juice and serve
topped with salad.

Yields 1 piece of chicken and 2 cups of loosely packed salad.

Results: This was great! It did take longer to prepare than I would like, but it was worth it. Henry ate all of his, then downed Steven's as well. This is one of those meals that you can trick your husband into thinking he's eating more than he really is. We each only had a 1/2 breast serving, but it was very filling. The leftovers were great too, and the dressing was light enough that it didn't make the leftover salad wilt. A keeper!

Oh, one more thing...the Parmesan cheese was sort of wasted. Half of the cheese remained in the egg mixture and you couldn't taste it in the chicken. Next time I'll leave the cheese out of the egg and instead sprinkle it on the salad.

Coconut Chicken Salad with Warm Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Recipe from Gina's Skinny Taste

Serves 3 (hmmm...3? But, a perfect serving size for two adults, one child, and one child who stares at food.)

6 (about 12 oz) chicken tenderloins (I used a breast & 1/2, and cut them into strips)
6 tbsp shredded coconut
1/4 cup panko crumbs
2 tbsp crushed cornflake crumbs
1/3 cup egg substitute or egg whites (I used egg whites from 2 eggs)
pinch salt
olive oil spray
6 cups mixed baby greens
3/4 cup shredded carrots
1 large tomato, sliced
1 small cucumber, sliced

Vinaigrette
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard

1. Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients; set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 375°.

3. Combine coconut flakes, panko, cornflake crumbs and salt in a bowl. Put egg whites or egg beaters in another bowl. Lightly season chicken with salt. Dip the chicken in the egg, then in the coconut crumb mixture.

4. Place chicken on a cookie sheet lined with parchment for easy cleanup. Lightly spray with olive oil spray and bake for 30 minutes turning halfway, or until chicken is cooked through.

5. Place 2 cups baby greens on each plate. Divide carrots, cucumber, tomato evenly between each plate. When chicken is ready slice on the diagonal and place on top of greens. Heat dressing in the microwave a few seconds and divide equally between each salad; a little over 1 tbsp each.

Served with: Nothing. I didn't think this would be filling, but I was wrong. Very filling!

Results: Um...YUM! Gina has made up for the recipes I tried yesterday. This was delicious and filling. A great dinner. And that dressing is so good (and easy!), I'll definitely make that for other salads. Steven stared at his food. Henry ate all of his chicken, then devoured Steven's. Chris loved it too. KEEPER!

Steak, Fried Onions, and Potatoes Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Serves 4

1 lb very thin-cut beef (I used top round, thinly sliced and advertised as "skillet steak")
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for coating the meat
Grill seasoning
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 to 2 ounces crumbled blue cheese**
Salt and black pepper
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped arugula or watercress
1/2 cup canned fried potato sticks
1/2 cup canned fried onions**

**Notes: The original recipe called for 1/3 lb of blue cheese, which would have been a little more than 5 oz. I used 5 ounces and it was WAY too much. I would halve it, and go from there. Trust me. Also, if it's not Thanksgiving, it's surprisingly difficult to find fried onions. I finally found them with the canned vegetables.

1. Preheat a large grill pan (I used a skillet) over high heat. Coat the meat with olive oil, then season on both sides with grill seasoning. Cook the meat for 3 minutes on each side, then let it rest for 10 minutes to cool.

2. While the meat cooks, assemble the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the Worcestershire, mustard, and red wine vinegar. Stream in about 1/3 cup olive oil while whisking constantly. Stir in the blue cheese. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.

3. Chop the rested steak into bite-size pieces. Place the chopped greens in a salad bowl and toss with the chopped steak, potato sticks, fried onions, and blue cheese dressing.

Results: Rachel Ray said this recipe was (wait for it...) YUM-O! and with fried onions, how could she be wrong? It was just OK in my opinion, but Chris really liked it. There was way too much blue cheese, but I will say I loved the crunchy onions and potato sticks in the salad. This recipe was SOOOOO easy to make, so it's worth repeating on a busy night. I think I would add tomatoes or a red pepper to the salad.