{Taco Salad}

Taco Salad–the perfect weeknight meal after a lifetime weekend of overeating! I know it’s the middle of the week but after the last few weekends/weeks of eating as much as I have been, I felt like I needed to post a main course salad recipe. And the great thing about taco salad is that it really does still feel like a main course. The only tricky part is if you’re using store bought dressing, you need to be careful about which brand you buy–some of them are packed with calories! The fresh avocado on top is the only way to go in my opinion, but I’ve learned that we Californians are just a bit avocado obsessed…

Here’s the recipe!

Serves 2

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Ingredients:

2 cups fresh romaine lettuce

1/4 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 cup black beans, rinsed

1 cup tortilla strips

1/2 avocado, sliced

1 tablespoon cilantro dressing

Steps:

Combine all ingredients (except avocado) in a small bowl and toss.

Top with avocado slices.

Enjoy!

{Grilled Salmon Salad}

Since I guess it’s my new favorite thing to do, I stopped by the fish market again this weekend to grab some fresh salmon and cod. Jeff’s not a huge salmon eater so what looked like a small piece of salmon actually ended up being way too much for one night. So what do you do with a big hunk of leftover grilled salmon? Add it to a salad for lunch the next day, of course! Here’s the deal, though–you have to call it grilled salmon salad and then everyone will be impressed…right?

Here’s the recipe!

Grilled Salmon Salad

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Ingredients:

1oz. grilled salmon, broken into smaller pieces
2 cups romaine lettuce, rinsed, dried, and chopped
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup marinated artichoke hearts
1 tablespoon feta cheese
1 tablespoon peach vinegar (red wine would also work)
1/2 tablespoon good quality olive oil
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Steps:

In a medium size bowl, combine salmon, lettuce, walnuts, red onion, artichoke hearts and feta cheese. Top with vinegar, olive oil, and lemon juice, and mix well.

Enjoy!

What do you do with leftover salmon or fish?

{Potato Salad}

To me, nothing says summer like potato salad. And with the end of my lazy summer days suddenly in sight, it seemed like the perfect thing to make to hold onto these last few days before the craziness of life sucks me back in.

I’ve made potato salad quite a few times over the years but never seem to make it the same way twice. It’s something that constantly evolves and changes, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse, depending on my mood, the contents of my fridge, and how willing I am to confront the needed fat to make good potato salad.

I’m happy with this recipe, although I did have spice it up a bit after it sat in the fridge overnight–it’s hard to really tell what the flavor is going to turn out like when it’s warm.

Potato Salad Recipe
Makes about 4 cups

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Ingredients:

1 lb. small potatoes (I got a medley of colors just to keep things interesting!)
2 hard boiled eggs
1/2 cup celery, minced
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped finely
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika

Steps:

In a large pot, bring potatoes to a boil. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes, then drain, let cool, and chop. I like to leave the skins on but peel if you prefer.

In a saucepan, bring eggs to a boil. Once boiling, continue to cook for 10 minutes, then drain, peel, and chop.

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, eggs, celery, green onions, mayo, mustard, salt, pepper, and paprika. Mix together well and refrigerate for at least one hour, preferably longer.

Do you have a favorite potato salad recipe?