Smoked Sockeye Salmon and Kale Salad

I have been sick this week and have not had much of an appetite.  Today was my first day back in the kitchen and this salad was just what the doctor ordered.  My energy had returned within an hour of eating this salad, which was the perfect dose of protein and healthy fats.

Smoked Sockeye Salmon and Kale Salad

Ingredients:
1 bundle fresh kale, torn into small pieces
1 avocado, pitted and cut into pieces
1 package Trader Joe's smoked sockeye salmon, cut into pieces
2 tbsp. olive oil
juice from 1 lime
lemon pepper
Asiago cheese, freshly grated

Directions:
Tear the kale into small pieces and place in a large bowl.  Toss the kale with the olive oil.  Slice the avocado, drizzling with lime juice and sprinkling with some pepper.  Tear the smoked salmon into small pieces and top with lemon pepper.  Arrange the avocado and salmon over the kale and grate Asiago cheese over the top.

Smoked Sockeye Salmon and Kale Salad

Smoked Trout and Artichoke Salad

I originally set out to create shrimp salad before I discovered that my shrimp had gone bad. Still, I was able to improvise by using the Trader Joe's Smoked Trout that I bought a few days ago.  The smoky flavor of the trout really compliments the artichokes and lemon pepper.  Also, for those of you who are not big fans of seafood, trout has such a mild flavor and by purchasing it smoked, it saves on the work of cooking it.

Smoked Trout and Artichoke Salad:

Ingredients:
1 package of smoked trout (found in the refrigerator at the store)
1 package frozen artichokes (steam in the microwave then drain)
2 tbsp. Miracle Whip
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 small onion, chopped finely
1 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. parsley

Directions:
Steam the frozen artichokes in the microwave and drain off the water.

In the meantime, combine the Miracle Whip with the lemon juice.

Add in the steamed artichokes, onion, and spices.  After flaking the trout into the bowl, combine all ingredients well.  Allow to chill for about 30 minutes before serving. 

We enjoyed this dish on its own, but it would also be awesome served with crackers or pita chips for those of you who are not following a Ketogenic diet.

Smoked Trout and Artichoke Salad

Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad with Colby Jack

We have found that cooking a large batch of chicken before the work week begins is a great way to make packing healthy, Keto friendly lunches more quickly when we need them.  We've also found that cooking our chicken for less time at a higher temperature yields juicier chicken.  McCormick's  has an awesome line of seasonings for meat and we have not been disappointed with any of them.  For this recipe, we used the Molasses Bacon Spice Blend.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad with Colby Jack:

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
McCormick Grill Mates Molasses Bacon blend
1 bag of prepared lettuce (we used Trader Joe's Cruciferous Crunch)
4 pieces of bacon, cooked and drained
Ken's Steakhouse Ranch Dressing
Colby Jack Cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Prepare the chicken breasts by sprinkling the Molasses Bacon blend on both sides of the chicken.  Place them in a greased shallow baking dish.

Bake for 25 minutes.

While the chicken is baking, prepare a bed of the Cruciferous blend.  Once the chicken is done, slice into pieces and load onto the salad, topping with crumbled bacon, Ken's Ranch, and Colby Jack.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad

The Trader Joe's Cruciferous Crunch is fantastic with this recipe!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

This spinach salad is perfect for bringing myself into a summer kind of mindset.  Such a delicious combination!

 

Strawberry Spinach Salad:

Ingredients:

1 bag raw spinach leaves

1 container of strawberries, tops removes and cut in halves

 Couple of handfuls of shelled sunflower seeds

6 slices turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled

Poppy Seed Caramelized Onion Dressing (I used Safeway Selects)

Directions:

Cook and crumble the turkey bacon.  I cooked mine in the microwave with a paper towel over it to soak up any grease.  Cut the tops off of the strawberries and chop into halves.  Arrange spinach leaves in a bed on the plate.  Top with strawberry halves, sunflower seeds, and turkey bacon crumbles.  Drizzle the dressing over the top and enjoy!

Avocado Salad + Blue Corn Tortilla Chips = Gluten Free Nachos

Turns out that I am completely in love with the combination of avocado greatness and being able to still enjoy tortilla chips on occasion since this blue corn and flax seed variety it gluten free.  Even if you're not someone going gluten free, this is one that you will love too.

Avocado Salad and Blue Corn Nachos:

 

Ingredients: 

3 avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced

1 can Rotel, drained

1 small can black olives, drained

1 can chickpeas, drained

2 tbsp. dried parsley 

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. garlic salt

Blue Corn Tortilla Chips

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine avocados, Rotel, black olives, chickpeas, parsley, vinegar, olive oil, cayenne pepper, paprika, and garlic salt.  Toss to coat all of the ingredients with the vinegar and olive oil.  Top each blue corn chip with the avocado salad.  This dish will be served cold.

Open Faced Tuna Salad Melt

One of my favorite items to pack in my lunches for work is tuna.  This recipe is a great way to change up the traditional tuna sandwich and by being an open faced sandwich, you'll save calories from an additional piece of bread.

Open Faced Tuna Salad Melt

Ingredients:
1 cup spinach leaves
12 slices of tomato
6 slices swiss cheese
6 slices of multi-grain bread
1 garlic clove, minced
1 package – 12 oz. tuna
½ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. Tabasco sauce
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup red onion, chopped finely

Directions:
1.)  Preheat the broiler to high.  

2.)  In a bowl, combine the red onion, mayonnaise, mustard, red wine vinegar, Tabasco sauce, salt, pepper, tuna, and garlic.  Stir to make sure all ingredients are coated.  

3.)  Top the slices of bread with cheese, broiling until bubbly.  

4.)  Arrange two tomato slices and 1/3 cup of the tuna mixture on top of each slice of bread.  Place the spinach leaves on top of each bread slice.

Greek Couscous Salad Topped with Goat Cheese

This is a recipe I adapted from one I found online since I love trying culturally diverse foods and am borderline obsessed with couscous.  This recipe makes a huge batch, which makes it even more perfect for having leftovers for lunches to take to work.  And as if it needs another selling point, this couscous salad has no meat involved, just good whole grains and veggies.

You'll need:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 cups water
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups whole grain Israeli couscous
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cucumber, seeded and diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz. can chickpeas
1 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup goat cheese
Sliced kalamata olives

Pour two tablespoons of olive oil into the water and bring to a boil.  Pour in the couscous and the lemon juice.  Cover and cook on low, stirring often until all of the water is absorbed.  Transfer the couscous to a mixing bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Mix thoroughly and garnish with olives and feta cheese.  The salad can be served warm or at room temperature.