Mix it Up

If variety is the spice of life, then it is also the measure of a good salad. Last week I put together a pretty killer Italian chicken salad with a great mix of greens, veggies and cheese. In an effort to expand outside of my typical romaine lettuce box I purchased some arugula. The salad started with some sliced red and green peppers, red and white onion, poblano pepper, and some mushrooms that I had cut into 6ths. These veggies were sauteed up in some EVOO and placed to the side to await inclusion into the salad party.



For the chicken I pounded it out nice and thin before dusting it with some basil, oregano, salt and pepper and then cooked it in some EVOO. I think that it is good to have more surface area for a chicken salad so that you can spread the chicken to as many bites as possible. I let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes and then sliced it thin.



For the lettuce mix I opted for some chopped romaine, a few mixed greens, organic spinach, and some arugula for great texture and peppery undertones. The greens were all tossed into a bowl and topped with the veggies and chicken. To finish off the salad I added a little light Italian dressing with some mozzerella and parmesan cheese. The heat from the veggies and chicken melted the cheese slightly and made for one delicious salad. Salad does not just have to be something you eat to feel good about the rest of your meal. Salads can be fun and exciting with countless flavor combinations. From one who didn't start eating salad until recently, trust me, salad can be the best meal of your day. The key is to just mix it up!!

Roasted Pepper Soup with Turkey Sausage and avocado.

Yesterday here in Minnesota it was snowy and left one feeling in the mood for something warm and comforting. As I was looking through the fridge and cupboard I noticed that I had some chicken stock waiting to be used. My immediate thought was to make some sort of soup. Since I am still on this no carb diet I knew that rice and noodles could not come into play. Also, beans were out of the question because that is also part of the forbidden foods in this dietary challenge. I had one yellow pepper and one orange bell pepper in the veggie drawer that practically jumped into my lap. So here is what I did...

I took the two peppers whole and placed them in a baking dish with half of a white onion and one Roma tomato (that had been cut in half) and a clove of garlic. I drizzled all of the veggies in a little EVOO and sprinkled some sea salt on top. These veggies were placed under the broiler to roast up. On the stove I began heating some EVOO in a medium sauce pan to saute up 1/4 of an onion that I had diced and three cloves of garlic that were also diced. Once the onion and garlic were nice and browned up I added 48 oz of chicken stock and two turkey sausage links. I checked on the roasting veggies and turned them as they began to brown. The sausages took about 10 minutes to cook in the boiling stock. They were removed from the stock and allowed to cool before cutting them into small chunks. After I felt that the peppers were fully roasted I removed there seeds and stems. The fully roasted veggies were pureed with about 12 oz of chicken stock until they were smooth. I used an immersion blender, but you could use a regular blender or food processor. The puree was added to the chicken stock on the stove and stirred together to combine. I also added a small can of green chilies, 1 T oregano, 1 tsp of paprika, and salt/pepper. I sliced the sausage into chunks and threw them back into the pan. Just before serving I added about 1/2 cup of low fat sour cream and stirred it all together until it was smooth and creamy. To garnish I added some avocado and tomato. You certainly could have added salsa, cheese, corn chips, any number of things. When I do it again I will use 2 tomatoes and maybe three bell peppers.

The reality is that soup provides you with countless options, modifications, and variations. Once you have your basic stock together you have a myriad of possibilities to tantalize your taste buds. Winter will be here (at least in MN) for at least two more months, so lets get some soup going!!

*Sorry I don't have more pictures. I was in a bit of a hurry when preparing this.*