what's for dinner tonight {cheese ravioli salad}.

i'm a *huge* fan of summer eating. grilling out. fresh fruits and veggies. pitchers of sweet tea. and salads. lots and lots of salads. but i like having a variety of summer salad recipes on hand so i don't get bored with the same ones.

this is a salad my mom used to make when we were growing up. it's so delicious and full of flavor. i love the bright colors, too. very summery. and did i mention super easy? i didn't have a recipe, so i made up my own to recreate the one she used to make. so here you go; hope you like it as much as our family does!

cheese ravioli salad

* 1 lb. cheese ravioli
* 3 plumb tomatoes, cut into chunks
* 1 head of broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
* 1 clove of garlic, minced
* 2 T. olive oil
* 1 packet good seasons italian dressing, prepared
* 1/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese

- prepare veggies and dressing. heat olive oil in a saute pan, add garlic and cook for a minute. add broccoli pieces and saute until no longer raw, but still crisp and bright green. set aside.

- prepare cheese ravioli according to directions on package. drain.

- combine ravioli, tomatoes and broccoli and toss lightly with dressing. top with parmesan cheese and there you have it. the perfect summer salad.

you can eat this salad warm or cold and it's also equally yummy leftover. it's great as a side with grilled chicken or steak, a dish to bring to a party or potluck, or as a main dish for a lighter dinner. we had ours last night with some baked focaccia bread and it was oh-so-delish.

enjoy!

what's for dinner tonight {bean&corn salad}.

this is the *perfect* summer salad. it makes a huuuuge batch and is a healthy source of veggies and fiber. nick&i love it with fish, sandwiches, barbeque chicken... and honestly, on a day i've made it, we usually get in bed at night to watch "friends", each with bowls of this yummy salad :)

some of our best friends' mom makes this amaaaazing bean salad that i decided one day i needed to try to recreate. with a couple of attempts, i was able to make something that suited my fancy. this really is super delish.

i'll stop talking about it and just give you the recipe:

bean&corn salad

* 1 can dark red kidney beans

* 1 can light red kidney beans

* 2 cans cannellini beans (you could add a can of garbanzo beans instead of a second can of cannellini, but i prefer the cannellini; they are super creamy and just really yummy!)

* 1 can black beans

* 1 can corn

* 1 green pepper, diced

* 1/2 large red onion, diced

* 1/3 c. fresh cilantro, chopped finely

dressing:

* 1/2 c. white vinegar

* 1/2 c. canola oil

* 1/2 c. white sugar

* 1/2 T. garlic salt

* 1/2 T. salt

* 1/2 T. black pepper

* 1/2 T. ground cumin

- rinse and drain beans and corn. place in a large bowl (we use a huge tupperware bowl with a cover to keep right in the fridge!)

- prepare veggies and cilantro, add to bean&corn mixture. set aside.

- mix dressing ingredients, whisk well (i know it sounds like a lot of salt and other seasonings, but trust me... you're flavoring a whole lotta beans, and i like things well seasoned!). pour dressing over beans, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow flavors to marinate.

serve, enjoy, and bring to your next bbq :)

what's for dinner tonight {healthy chinese chicken salad}.

i *love* salads. i really, really do. and i really love chinese chicken salads... and yall know how much i love my crockpot, so this recipe changed my life.

seriously.

you need to try this!! lately whenever i cook something asian, nick doesn't love it so much. which is especially strange because i could "make" him a bowl of cereal for dinner and he would love it. i made a stir fry the other night with bok choy, carrot, water chestnuts, lean organic pork in soy sauce with fresh garlic and ginger... yum. he wasn't a big fan. i also make amazing peanut noodles with my own peanut sauce by whisking together peanut butter, soy sauce, honey and orange juice. he says it's too "peanut-buttery" {sigh} so... i was pretty sure he may not like this one, but i wanted to give it a try anyway.

end result: one. happy. husband. he loved it. maybe even more than i did, which is pretty amazing! here's the recipe. go make it. right now.

(note: this recipe is for 2 servings although you will have alot of dressing... just double other ingredients for larger serving amounts and keep the dressing the same; you should have enough of this dressing for four salads. adapted from fix it and forget it lightly cookbook, p.34)

healthy chinese chicken salad

marinade:
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 T. fresh ginger, grated
* 2 T. honey
* 3 T. low sodium soy sauce
* 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, frozen

dressing:
* 1/2 c. rice wine vinegar (i just used white since we had it on hand)
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 t. fresh ginger, grated
* 1 T. honey
* i added a few dashes of soy sauce, too... just season according to your preference

salad:
* shredded romaine lettuce
* 1 lg. carrot, julienned
* 1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
* 1 pkg. tofu shirataki noodles (LOVE these! they are lowfat, lowcarb, gluten-free and taste amazing!!)
* crushed peanuts for garnish (i used sunflower seeds since we didn't have any peanuts)

- whisk marinade together. place chicken in crockpot, coat with marinade. cook chicken on low 6 to 8 hrs. (note: i put my meat in frozen since i am gone in the afternoons... that way, it cooks longer and i find it is more moist this way)
- remove chicken from crockpot, set aside to cook. in a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients and whisk together.
- place lettuce, carrot and cilantro on plates. with two forks, shred chicken and place ontop of salads.
- remove noodles from package and rinse well in cold water. after thouroughly rinsing and draining dry, place ontop of chicken. drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with peanuts.

a-maz-ing. not even joking. and healthy, too which is a double bonus in our house.
nutritional facts: (130 calories, 2.5 g fat, 21 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate)

enjoy!