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Greek Salad with Avocado

This healthy Greek salad with added avocado and an easy-to-make Greek salad dressing is just the right recipe for simple no-cooking eats all summer long.

Sometimes the classics are just what the doctor ordered. Especially when it’s Dr. SummerHasArrived who’s making the house calls.

Now that we’re moving into the dog days of summer after the 4th of July binge, it’s time for us all to clean up our act and binge on clean eating instead of all of the crapola.

Standard-staple recipes in and out of the kitchen are what I’m craving now. You know, the simple stuff. Recipes that let summer’s best ingredients shine.

This Greek salad with avocado is exactly what the doctor ordered. It’s fresh, crunchy, tangy and above all, delicious. It has the basic flavors of a traditional Greek salad but with that extra somethin’ somethin’ to make your Mediterranean heart happy and healthy.

continue to the recipe… about Greek Salad with Avocado

Mediterranean Tomato Salad

This easy, healthy tomato salad is studded with fresh Mediterranean flavors to eat a simple side salad or a topping for chicken, fish, steak or pork. It goes with everything—it’s like the salad version of The Bachelorette.

Through every stage of my calling as a home cook, my love of tomatoes is one thing that’s never wavered. The other could very possibly be my love of anything and everything with a pucker.

Yep. Pickles, capers, olives, and kisses included.

While this Mediterranean-flavored tomato salad is optimal at the height of summer’s tomato season, it’s lightly brined, bright with lemon goodness makes grocery store tomatoes totally acceptable any time of year.

Summer’s simple salads are calling our names. So what are you waiting for?continue to the recipe… about Mediterranean Tomato Salad

Arugula Salad With Shaved Parmesan Three Ways

The fresh bite of this arugula dinner salad with a simple lemon dressing and shaved Parmesan is made three ways for three easy salad recipe ideas to go with any dinner’s main course meal.

Choosing a main course dinner idea is pretty easy to do. But when it comes to rounding out the meal with some extra plant nutrition, it can add another layer of what-to-make-wondering to your meal planning.

That’s why I depend on a few simple recipe ideas for side salads and dressings that are easily customized to dress up or dress down, depending on what extra ingredients I have on hand.

That’s why this easy 5-ingredient arugula salad recipe with big flakes of salty parmesan is often where I get my start.
continue to the recipe… about Arugula Salad With Shaved Parmesan Three Ways

Creamy Dilled Red Potato Salad

This easy potato salad skips the mustard, egg, and celery to keep things super simple with a sauce of mayo and sour cream (or healthy Greek yogurt) over slightly smashed baby red potatoes to create a super creamy potato salad that’s brightened up with a dose of fresh dill ready to eat any day of the year.

“This is my new favorite potato salad” he declared as he scooped another forkful straight from the mixing bowl and into his already munching mouth.

I gotta admit, I was somewhat shocked by my husband’s declaration.

“But what about my Mom’s Classic Very Best Potato Salad?” I retorted. ‘It’s a total classic! It’s always been our favorite! And it’s one of the most popular recipes on the blog!” And by the way, had he totally forgotten about my German Potato Salad and my Loaded Baked Potato Salad, too?

If I had to guess the reason he loves this potato salad so much, it’s because it’s so perfectly creamy without the extra crunches of celery or pickles, so it’s a more similar bite to his favorite baked potato with just a bit of onion to add a little heat and dill to add that fresh factor. But even better, it’s so simple to make.

It’s creamy. It’s dreamy. And it’s delicious.

continue to the recipe… about Creamy Dilled Red Potato Salad

Easy Greek Chicken Kebabs

Boneless, skinless chicken breast marinated in the traditional Greek flavors of lemon, garlic and oregano then threaded on skewers with a few veggies makes these grilled chicken kebabs an easy and healthy weeknight dinner winner.

Dinner on the grill makes up about 95% of our summer dinner cooking routine, and with so much variety to be had (pork, steak, shrimp, and even cheese!) cooking skewers and kebabs is an easy, all-in-one healthy dinner that take as little as 15 minutes to marinate only about 15 minutes for the chicken kebabs to cook on the grill.

I’m not sure when I dropped the shish in shish kebabs, but whether you spell them kebabs or kababs, or maybe call them skewers too, these small chunks of chicken threaded on wooden or metal skewers with vegetable chunks are incredibly versatile to make.

Nearly every cuisine has it’s own ethnic flavor of chicken kebab (Indian, Turkish, Middle Eastern, Japanese and Thai) as a popular street food to eat on the go.

But today we’re staying at home to make our own, and cure my summertime Mediterranean flavor-craving with grilled Greek chicken kebabs, all day, all the way, babe-ae.

How to Make the Greek Chicken Marinade

This greek marinade is my favorite go-to recipe for anything and everything chicken and it does double duty as a dressing for salads too.continue to the recipe… about Easy Greek Chicken Kebabs

Crunchy Asian Cucumber Watermelon Salad

All it takes to make this super simple, totally fresh, cucumber, watermelon and red bell pepper salad is a few minutes of chopping and an easy sesame and lime-flavored Asian dressing for a totally crunchy bite.

“But wait, I was going to make my Mediterranean panzanella salad…”

My recipe making plans were foiled once again. I had my heart set, but when my husband told me he was making his favorite Asian chicken lettuce wraps to take with us for our outdoor concert picnicking with the Drive By Truckers at SLC’s Red Butte Gardens, I said, “Hey, no big deal, I can switch things out to go with that.”

So with a simple pivot and a few ingredient swaps, I created a salad the fit right into my husband’s Asian-inspired menu plans.

That’s what I love about super simple recipes like this one: it doesn’t take much to change it to fit any ethnic flavor profile, creating something totally fresh and totally new that fits into whatever you’re craving now. Plus,because it’s sturdy ingredients, this one is a great salad for potlucks or brunch, lunch, or dinners, and it holds up in the fridge, even for a few days.continue to the recipe… about Crunchy Asian Cucumber Watermelon Salad

Thai Chicken and Cucumber Salad

My favorite Thai flavors are lightened up in this chicken and cucumber salad with almond coconut blend almond milk subbing in for full-fat coconut milk.

This post is in partnership with Almond Breeze

When my sister was in high school she spent her season year on a year-long foreign exchange school program with a host family in Thailand. She was just 17. And ready to expand her horizons. That’s only five years from how old Smudge is right now. Looking back I wonder if I could let Smudge go to a foreign land like my mom did with my sister?

My mom made it through that year (barely) and since then we’ve all been back to Thailand with my sister Holly, and thus the whole family has become enamored with Thai food. So this year when my sister and her family came home to spend the holidays with all of us, it was far from shocking that one very important item on the agenda was going out for Thai food.

My mom has a favorite restaurant she frequents for her favorite Thai chicken salad. After “borrowing” just one bite, I was a fan too. And I knew my version of that chicken salad was destined for you here on le bloggity blog.continue to the recipe… about Thai Chicken and Cucumber Salad

Roasted Chicken, Butternut Squash and Guacamole Rice Bowls

Sheet pan roasted chicken breasts, butternut squash and red onion served with black beans, brown rice and guacamole make this a healthy meal in a bowl that is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner.

This post is in partnership with Wholly Guacamole

Hey rockstar! Who’s ready to make beautiful music in the kitchen with me?

This is one of those recipes that you’ll be applauding all week long. Why? Because it’s healthy, super simple, it’s perfect for meal planning to pull together for a simple dinner and you can take it on the road for lunch at work or school.

And because it’s healthy, loaded with protein and good for you ingredients, you just might be able to fit into those skinny leather jeans after all. How many rock ‘n roll references can we compose in this post? Let’s just take note (DOH! another one!) and see.continue to the recipe… about Roasted Chicken, Butternut Squash and Guacamole Rice Bowls

Easy Mexican Coleslaw Recipe

This super simple Mexican-flavored coleslaw is perfect for picnics, BBQs and potlucks because its mayo-free and takes just a few minutes to toss together.

There are some recipes I slave over. Working, reworking and working them again to make them just perfect.

That’s not this recipe.

Instead, this recipe came together the very first time I made it. It was perfect from the get-go, and I’m not the only one who said so. I made it up to serve for a family BBQ with an upcoming recipe for some DELICIOUS Mexican-inspired pulled pork I made with this salsa that I’ll be sharing soon. Because if you know one thing about pulled pork, you know it needs a little crunchy kick to add to it.

Not that pulled pork is the ONLY thing this coleslaw is good with. It’s tasty as a side for pretty much any chicken, steak or seafood, especially when you’re looking for something with a little texture and crunch. I’m also planning on serving it alongside enchiladas as an alternative to salad. It’s totally adaptable that way.

This recipe is tried, tested and approved, and I KNOW it’s one you’ll have the same success with too.continue to the recipe… about Easy Mexican Coleslaw Recipe

Spiralized Refrigerator Quick Dill Pickles

These quick and easy dill pickles cured in the refrigerator deliver amazing pucker power and are ready to eat in just a few hours time.

My mom always called these dilly cucumbers. For as long as I can remember, they’ve signaled the height of summer. I can vividly remember standing in the kitchen as a kid. It was usually after coming inside from re-enacting Sound of Music with the neighbor kids (I NEVER got to be Gretel), riding my bike and hitting jumps like the boys did or practicing hitting tennis balls against the brick carport wall.

Pokemon Go? Musical.ly? Not even. We were outside doing and going. All. Day. Long.

We didn’t have air conditioning at our house. Instead the swamp cooler in the hallway at the end of the kitchen tried as hard as it might to chug out cold air in the dry, always oppressive, Utah summer heat.

Like we’ve always said, “It’s a different kind of heat. Not humid. Just damn hot.”

continue to the recipe… about Spiralized Refrigerator Quick Dill Pickles

Tomato and Hearts of Palm Salad

This light and healthy salad takes just 10 minutes with a sharp knife for a little slicing and chopping to pull together and is the perfect addition to any potluck barbecue.

Yes, I’m a meat eater—minus my 8 month stint as a wanna-be vegetarian a few years back. But for me, weekend barbecues aren’t really about what side of red meat is going to be charred to perfection on the bar-B. Instead I like to get little (or big) tastes of lots of different dishes, and sides are my favorite—creamy, crunchy or tangy.

A BBQ-side-dish-smorgasbord is more my style.continue to the recipe… about Tomato and Hearts of Palm Salad

Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Chicken

A simple balsamic dressing does double duty as a marinade for the chicken in this light and healthy, fresh spinach, avocado and strawberry salad.

The best recipes are made from muscle memory.

These are the recipes you’ve made time and time again, with so much repetition you really don’t even think about what you’re doing when you make it, you just do.

These recipes aren’t really even recipes at all. They’re just the wonderful result of what happens when you take the basics and then add a twist here and a switcheroo there, all depending on what’s fresh and seasonal and hanging out in the fridge.

This spinach salad is exactly one of those recipes and finds itself as my lucky lunch at least once a week. And if I love it that much I’m betting you will too.

Isn’t that the perfect reason to share?

continue to the recipe… about Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Chicken

Creamy Yogurt Cucumber Salad Recipe

Greek yogurt spiked with garlic, dill, lemon and mint dresses crunchy cucumbers for a favorite, refreshing and creamy summer salad that’s so simple to make.

Well would you look at that??!! I GOT SERVED!

No, I didn’t run a red light with sirens a-blazing in the rear view, and I didn’t get ambushed on my way into the nail salon by some sketchy looking stalker who then delivered papers to call me to court. Whew. Not this time anyway…another story for another day.

This is a good thing, and one I’m honored to share thanks to a fellow food blogger who I think is tip-top talented. In the words of David Byrne (with a slight alteration to the lyrics), “Wow, how did I get here?“

According to Kristin, it’s from recipes like this cucumber salad that put me in her sights.

continue to the recipe… about Creamy Yogurt Cucumber Salad Recipe

Southwest Quinoa and Grilled Corn Salad

This healthy salad features protein-packed quinoa and beans, grilled corn, queso, and a yummy honey-lime vinaigrette, for an easy and delicious side dish.

I’m partial to recipes that put me somewhere in the vicinity of where their flavors hail from.

New England Clam Chowder. Texas Toast. California Cobb. Baltimore Pit Beef Sandwiches. Long Island Ice Tea. Clink-a-link with that loaded drinky drink.

I suppose I think if I close my eyes and simply say the dish’s name over and over, then take a bite, maybe it will teleport me to a seaside port or salty desert oasis.

Sort of I Dream of Jeannie-esque, except I’m wishing for food instead of my master. Or maybe they’re one in the same?

I served this recipe at my daughter’s family birthday party to several quinoa virgins who were more than pleased with their second helpings. Or maybe thirds?

continue to the recipe… about Southwest Quinoa and Grilled Corn Salad

Garlic and Herb Gnocchi Salad and Better Blog Retreat 2014

A few weeks ago I gathered with a group of blogging friends for a weekend at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, UT. The purpose? To kick off our shoes and cozy up on the couches to learn from one another in an easy and relaxed setting. It’s the best way to conference in my book.

Even with the constant drone of tweets, Instagrams and Facebook updates, not to mention our actual blog posts, you’d think we’d all be totally in tune with one another. But working in a virtual space makes it hard to connect with peers. While I could tell you a lot about what’s going on in each of my blogging friend’s lives, there’s nothing better than connecting in person.

Thats why Maria and I assembled a group of bloggers to spend the weekend at a lovely mountainside Deer Valley home where we could all hang together and talk about new ways to better our blogs, our businesses and share ways to find balance between work and our personal lives. Because when your business is on 24 hours a day, you have a tendency to be too.

Today I’m sharing some of the highlights of what I learned at the retreat with you. For my fellow food bloggers, I hope you’ll find it helpful. And for non-food bloggers, I think you’re going to love this Garlic and Herb Gnocchi Salad I’m sharing at the end of this post. It’s a win win either way!

continue to the recipe… about Garlic and Herb Gnocchi Salad and Better Blog Retreat 2014

Dill Cucumber Salad and 5 More Super Simple Cucumber Salads

In our house, when it comes to cucumbers the mantra is “the more, the better.”

I hear the chanting of “CUKES! CUKES! CUKES” almost as loudly as “USA! USA! USA!” combined with a bunch of screaming at the TV during the final game of the World Cup. What an amazing ride that was!

From cucumber martinis to homemade bread and butter pickles and my crunch-a-licious Greek salad with avocado—and cucumbers, of course—these elongated melons are always around.

When it heats up outdoors, we keep it cool inside thanks to the constant opening of the refrigerator door to dip into our favorite—and insanely easy—cucumber salad. Please don’t report our non-eco-friendly behavior to the energy police. It’s simply a casualty of summer snacking and sometimes that short blast of cold air is exactly what the day calls for.

My husband is a fiend for cucumbers and while he’s known to eat a cucumbers sprinkled with salt in the same fashion others eat bananas, this Dill Cucumber Salad has made its way into his heart. And his cuke-obsessed belly.

We’ve tried to grow cucumbers ourselves, but for one reason or another they are never a success. So I leave the cucumber growing to the professionals and put my cucumber talents where they do best: eating them.

continue to the recipe… about Dill Cucumber Salad and 5 More Super Simple Cucumber Salads

Roasted Potato Salad with Bacon Dressing

Who is ready for summer? Who is ready for summer fun? And summer trips? And who wants to go on trip with me and a few other bloggers to see where the food on our tables actually comes from? I’ll fill you in on that opportunity right after this potato salad fills you up. Memorial Day conjures up a serious craving for barbeques and deck time. Which translates to grilling and potato salad for most any red-blooded American. And even a few border straddling Canadians. It’s the start of summer so let’s ring it in right.

This recipe is an adaptation of one my sister in law makes for nearly every BBQ feast at their house. While Chad is busy pulling his smoked salmon or ribs out of the smoker, Audrey has usually whipped up a simple, roasted potato salad that is supremely delish.

G Dawg and I were craving something similar last weekend when we had a few friends over for eats and sips. With a few errant strips of bacon languishing in the fridge, he got all inspired to create a riff on Audrey’s recipe, sans the mayo. Why no mayo? Probably because we’re a house divided on mayo/Miracle Whip preference and he didn’t want me giving my two cents on what tastes better. However I did lend my opinion on his recipe documentation skills as he scribbled his notations on a napkin. He’s a mad scientist in the kitchen with no time to dawdle around looking for paper.

Napkin notations or not, his potato creation was spot on: Create a hot bacon dressing to be soaked up by crispy, roasted, bacon spruced potatoes. Inspired it was, leftovers it was not. These babies went fast and hard and happily so.

To ring in barbeque and picnic season, I’m going to be featuring several of my favorite potato salads perfect for every occasion from canyon cookouts to luncheon main dishes. There’s so many options you’ll be potato-sized in no time.

continue to the recipe… about Roasted Potato Salad with Bacon Dressing

Dessert Nachos with Strawberry, Mango and Avocado Salsa

This is the thing I like about nachos. If you agree, you’re invited to the party. If you don’t, I’ll be the first to pass along an elementary-style lunch tray to ensure all of your primary food groups stay at arm’s length of one another.

Nachos. They’re layers upon layers of my favorite tastes. A little bit of salt, a lot of spice, maybe a little bit of protein—if I’m feeling the urge to act like a well-rounded adult—all blanketed in cheese, aka the glue that melds this flavor bomb together.

Last week I asked my friends on Facebook for help on what recipe they wanted to see this week: spring pasta or salsa? By the looks of today’s post I think you can see which dish came out as the clear winner.

The confirmation that this recipe was the clear winner came from my Smudge who declared it would had judiciously been added to her birthday party menu. This is serious stuff folks. Maybe it received this exclusive validation because she had become invested in the recipe as my scribe, studiously practicing her cursive skills as I dictated the ingredients and portions. By the way, I DO know there is no “t” in avocado. Most of the time. Can you even tell the difference between my handwriting and a 3rd graders? Aye—yi—yi. Scary.

Cinco de Mayo is on the calendar for this weekend’s celebrations replete with menus full of chunky guacamole, tacos (you gotta try this fried avocado version), enchiladas and a serious round of salsa. I thought about adding to the Mexican madness by recreating a standard savory affair, but headed off on a bender, pointed South and conquered the sweeter side of the border, thanks to mangos in my refrigerator in dire need of a destination resulting in this Mango, Strawberry and Avocado Salsa.

continue to the recipe… about Dessert Nachos with Strawberry, Mango and Avocado Salsa

Greek Lemon Pasta Salad Plus 5 Great Sides

Ah, Friday. Thank you for finally showing up on my doorstep.

It’s been a week of surprises and quick moves that have called for backbone, agility and patience. Some of the news has been trying for my family and some has given me drive and inspiration. For myself, things are a-changing and I’m totally ready for it. My dance card is filling up. But more on that soon enough.

Lately I’ve had a hankering for pasta. What’s my deal with carbo loading? I’ve been dreaming of salty plus crunchy the little pasta bowl in my head. Feta = salt. Kalamata olives = salt. I think I have it covered.continue to the recipe… about Greek Lemon Pasta Salad Plus 5 Great Sides