Tabbouleh with Baked Pita Chips Recipe

Herbed Cucumber & Tomato Salad Recipe

Ingredients
2 cucumbers, diced
4 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp fresh parsley
1 tsp fresh mint
1 tsp fresh basil
1 tbsp grape seed oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions
1. Mix together oil, vinegar, honey, lemon juice, salt and pepper to make dressing.

2. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and toss with dressing.

Serves: 4-6

Hummus Avocado Wrap

Ingredients
4 large flour tortillas
2 cups romaine lettuce
1 avocado, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced

4 tbsp feta cheese

4 tbsp hummus

1 small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions
1. Mix together mayonaise and lemon juice.
2. Heat tortillas in microwave for 15-20 seconds.
3. Spread hummus on each tortilla.
4. Arrange romaine lettuce on top of each tortilla, then avocado slices, bell pepper, onions and feta cheese. Drizzle lemon juice evenly over each tortilla.
5. Roll tortillas up tightly and serve Servings: 4

Mediterranean Style Lentil Soup

I learned a little secret from the chef at one of my favorite Mediterranean restaurants in town. She puts a heavy dose of lemon juice in her lentil soup. Since then people have told me you can also use lime juice but I still prefer the lemon juice. I also use chicken noodle soup as a base vs. chicken broth. I don't know why, I like the noodles I guess. If you're not into it, you can use regular chicken broth instead and it's still delightful and filling. I use precooked lentils so I can whip this up quickly.

Ingredients
1 (20oz) package precooked lentils
1 can condensed chicken noodle soup
1/2 cup frozen spinach
10 baby carrots, sliced
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 stalks celery, sliced
4 tbsp butter
2 cups water
1 lemon, juiced
Pita bread

Directions
1. Melt butter in pot over medium heat and saute garlic.

2. Add remaining ingredients to pot. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

3. Cut pita bread into triangles, toast and serve with lentil soup.

Simple Homemade Coleslaw Dressing Recipe

Get ready to ditch jarred dressing because you can actually make your own homemade coleslaw dressing with just mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar. It's so much better than jarred dressings! This simple recipe is really all you need to bring out the natural flavors of the vegetables. In fact the vegetables bring out the flavor in the dressing and vice versa, so make sure to include the green peppers. In my opinion, that's what really makes this coleslaw awesome — the combination of these specific vegetables and the homemade dressing. So if you're using prepackaged coleslaw mix, make sure to add diced green peppers and onions.

My favorite way to eat coleslaw is with seasoned or waffle fries. I take my fries and dip them in the coleslaw and oh my goodness... my mouth is seriously watering right now just typing this. You just gotta try it. It's kinda like the fries dipped in a chocolate milkshake thing but ever so slightly more healthy.

Ingredients
1 bag baby carrots, finely shredded
3 green peppers, finely chopped
1 head cabbage, shredded
1/2 onion, finely chopped

Dressing
1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 tbsp vinegar
4 tbsp sugar
salt & pepper to taste

Directions
1. Finely chop or shred carrots, peppers and cabbage in a food processor (the ninja master prep works the best for this recipe).

2. Stir in mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Chill for at least an hour. Toss and serve.

Serves: 10-12

Dinner idea:  Bacon-barbecued chicken, coleslaw (with homemade dressing) and baked beans... mmmm mmm!!

Easy Chicken Fajitas Recipe

This is a fantastic and easy chicken fajitas recipe. It's a winner with the whole family so this is one of our new go-to weeknight meals and also one we cook when friends come over (just double the recipe). To keep it healthier and lower in carbs, you can eliminate the tortillas and serve the chicken mixture over top of the rice and beans. It's still so delicious this way! Either way, here's how to make these awesome fajitas:

Ingredients
1 red, 1 yellow pepper sliced
1 red onion
4lbs chicken breasts, sliced
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp cooking oil
4 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
12 flour tortillas

Toppings & Sides
1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (4oz) can green chilies
Sour cream as desired
3 cups rice, cooked
1 (14oz) can black beans, cooked
Fresh cilantro

Directions
1. In a skillet, heat oil and 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add green peppers and onions and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. In a separate skillet, heat 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add sliced chicken. Sprinkle with salt, cumin and chili power, toss and cook thoroughly for around 15-20 minutes. Transfer chicken to skillet with peppers and onions and keep warm on low.

3. Heat tomatoes and green chilies in empty skillet over high heat for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Serve chicken fajita mix in tortillas, topped with fresh sprigs of cilantro, tomatoes and sour cream. Serve with black beans and rice on the side.

Serves: 4

Things you may need to make this:

  

Fruit and Cheese Kebabs

Here's a fun alternative to fruit salad — fruit kebabs! They are very festive and are great for kids' parties. I cut skewers in half with wire cutters and that seems to make the perfect sized portion of fruit and cheese. As a time-saver, you can get the cheese that comes in cubes. All you need is:

1 package cheese, cubed
3 apples
1 small package of grapes

Slice the apple and cheese. Skewer the ingredients, alternating fruits with cheese. Serve in a festive bowl. No utensils required!

Love this dish? I got it at Marshalls. Here's one similar on Amazon and if you buy it using the link below, you are helping support our site. =)

Spicy Salmon Patties Recipe

The red pepper flakes and lemon add a little zing to this recipe. These are cheap and easy yet will impress your guests!
16 oz pink salmon
2 eggs
1/4 cup fresh or dried parsley flakes
2 tbsp scallions
1/4 cup italian bread crumbs
Juice from 1/2 of lemon
Red pepper flakes to taste

Serve with tarter sauce or try this easy homemade sauce:
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp lemon juice
1. Prep salmon: remove skin; crush bones with thumb and index finger leaving them in for added calcium.
2. Knead together salmon with eggs, parsley, scallions, bread crumbs, lemon juice and red pepper flakes. 
3. Cook in a lightly-oiled cast-iron pan over medium heat until golden brown. Serve warm, with sauce.

Yield: 4 patties

We cook these in our a cast iron pan. It's great for meat and for going to stove top straight to the oven. They are a pain to clean but a little steel wool does the job for me. I also use mason jars to store my left over sauce. I have them in all sizes but the half pint size works great for dressings and sauces. I like the plastic lids because they're easier to keep track of for every day use. 

Barbecued Hawaiian Kebabs Recipe

Here's an amazing recipe perfect for summertime. Serve it up for dinner or for your next barbecue. Goes down smooth with a Corona & a lime!

1 package bacon

1 11oz can pineapple chunks (or use fresh pineapple)

1 small package grape tomatoes

1lb raw shrimp (use frozen or fresh)

1 sweet vidalia onion, cut into chunked wedges

Barbecue sauce

Soak wooden skewers in water (as you can see I did NOT do this which is why they got burned). Cook bacon on a cookie sheet at 400˚ for about 5-10 minutes or until cooked but not crispy. Drain bacon and set aside. Peel shrimp and wrap in bacon. Skewer ingredients, alternating. Grill on medium heat until shrimps cooked through, about 3-5 minutes on each side. Brush with barbecue sauce and serve hot.

Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad Recipe

This is a really appetizing and filling low-carb meal idea: Start with the chicken salad and serve with a side of steamed or raw broccoli and low-carb bread toasted with a slice of cheese. I got this simple recipe from my cousin Meg after having it at her house. I don't normally like chicken salad, but this was so light and fresh tasting, compared to other chicken salad I've had, that I ended up asking her what was in it. I think it's the cranberries and walnuts that give it an nontraditional flavo.

Try it topped
 with fresh tomatoes

Ingredients

6-7 chicken breasts, shredded
1 cup mayo
1/3 cup dijon mustard

1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup celery, finely chopped
1/4 tsp paprika
salt & pepper to taste

Directions
1. Boil or cook chicken breast in salted water, in a Crock-Pot until thoroughly cooked then remove and shred.

2. Add mayo, dijon mustard, cranberries, celery, walnuts and salt & peper. Best if chilled for at least 1 hour before serving.

Serves: 6-8

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus Recipe

2 bunches of asparagus

4 tbsps oil

3 tbsps garlic, minced

1/2 onion, pureed

Coarse salt

1/4lb prosciutto (optional for vegetarians)

Chop or snap off tough ends of asparagus.  Mix together garlic, oil and onions and brush over asparagus. Wrap 1 slice prosciutto per each piece of asparagus. Bake for 10-15 mins at 400˚ or grill.

Serves: 4-6