Hearty "Beat the Head" Salad

Sorry I haven't been blogging, I've been on vacation in Texas and and Florida for the past almost 2 weeks! While the vaca was nice, I have missed blogging so it's good to be back!

On another happy note, thanks for all the well wishes about my blood test for Celiac Disease. I just got the test results back and I don't have it!!! I am very relieved, but still planning to go back to being mostly gluten free since I feel so much better when I am. Thanks again for all of your support!

I got home from work last night and my apartment was stifling; the weather has been unseasonably hot, and the apartment building is not turning on the air conditioning until next week (which may be a good plan considering the temperature dropped back down to the 40's at night). Regardless, I was not willing to turn on my gas stove or oven because it really heats up my apartment, so I decided to make a hearty salad that would serve as dinner.

This salad is big enough for one, but you can easily make it for multiple people as well. I haven't included measurements for the veggies because you should feel free to mix & match or subsitute as you please!

Hearty "Beat the Heat" Salad

Ingredients:

Salad:
lettuce spring mix
baby heirloom tomatoes
orange pepper
scallion
cucumber
hearts of palm
small red beans (or chickpeas or edamame)
dried cranberries
almonds

Dressing:
1/2 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp agave
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
pinch of black pepper
shot of sriracha

Directions:

1. Combine salad ingredients.
2. Blend dressing and pour over salad. Serve immediately.

The cost:
lettuce: 1.99
tomatoes: 2.49
pepper: 1.29
cucumber: 2.29
hearts of palm: 1.39
beans: .69

Grand total: $10.14 (serves 4-6)

Snap Pea & Blood Orange Salad w/ Balsamic Vinaigrette

I had a leftover bag of snap peas that I wanted to use in a salad, but frankly my fridge revealed very few other vegetables (I was going grocery shopping later that evening). One of my twitter friends had suggested a while back that blood orange and balsamic are great flavors together, so I decided to make a balsamic vinaigrette and top everything with some chopped nuts from the previous nights candied nut adventure.

Snap Pea & Blood Orange Salad w/ Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1 bag snap peas
3 blood oranges
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp light olive oil
shot of agave
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
pinch of black pepper
handful of chopped nuts

Directions:

1. Cut snap peas into bite-sized pieces and place in bowl. Segment and blood oranges
2. Squeeze blood orange juice from center/membrane and combine with vinegar, oil, and spices. Pour over peas, tossing to coat.
3. Top with chopped nuts and serve.

The cost:

snap peas: 2.39

blood oranges: leftovers (2.99)

other ingredients: <1.00

Grand total: 3.39ish

Dinner Party (Part 3 of 5): Balsamic Glazed Chickpeas w/ Red Swiss Chard

I had originally planned to do roasted brussel sprouts for my dinner party veggie side dish, but the red swiss chard looked so amazing I just couldn't resist (it hasn't looked good in MONTHS). I decided to pair the chard with chickpeas for texture, and caramelized onions and balsamic vinegar for flavor. It was the hit of the night! (Note: So I didn't realize I had already posted a similar recipe, but this one uses a different kind of chard, and has a super awesome picture!)

P.S. Check out parts one and two of the dinner menu, and stay tuned for coconut curry chicken and banana cake with candied walnuts later this week!

Balsamic Glazed Chickpeas w/ Red Swiss Chard

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, cut into quarters and sliced thinly
1 large bunch red swiss chard, cleaned
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp honey or agave
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
pinch of black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large skillet and saute onion until soft, 4-5 minutes.
2. Remove stems from swiss chard and cut into bite-sized pieces; add pieces to onions and cook 6-8 minutes more until onions are caramelized.
3. Add chickpeas and honey/agave and stir to combine. Deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar, then add salt and pepper. Cook 5-6 minutes until liquid has reduced.
4. Tear or cut swiss chard leaves into bite-sized pieces and add to skillet, turning to coat in balsamic reduction. Cover with a lid for 1 minute, just until leaves are wilted. Remove from heat immediately.

The cost:
onion: .45
chard: 2.29
chickpeas: .79
other ingredients: <.50

Grand total: $4.03; serves 8

Balsamic Glazed Chicken & Peppers

I took a trip to Penzey's spice store this past weekend and came away with a great haul of fresh spices including spicy-lemony Aleppo pepper. Its inaugural dish was last night's dinner, balsamic glazed chicken breasts with pepper in 4 ways--red, yellow, orange, and Aleppo :)

Balsamic Glazed Chicken & Peppers

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, cut into quarters and sliced thinly
1 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 each red, orange and yellow bell peppers, cut into strips
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 chopped green onion (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large skillet and saute onion until soft, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and peppers and cook 8-10 minutes more.
2. Sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides of chicken breasts. Add to skillet and cook 2-3 minutes on each side to brown. Add vinegar to deglaze pan, turning contents to coat. Cover and cook 3-4 more minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Garnish with chopped green onion.

Serve over rice or quinoa with this citrus-y fennel salad or this zesty cucumber salad.

The cost:
onion: .45
garlic: .5
bell peppers: 3.49
chicken: 5.99

Grand total: $9.98; serves 2 + lunch for tomorrow (well, for AK anyway :))