Fall Spinach Salad

Fall Spinach Salad
From the kitchen of Stephanie

1 pear (chopped)
Feta
Organic Baby Spinach
Green onion (divided)
Candied Pecans
Rice Wine Vinegar (about 3-4 tbsp)
Yellow Mustard (about 1 tbsp)
EVOO (about 2 tbsp)
1/4 tsp sugar (raw or coconut)
Salt (1/2 tsp)
Pepper (to taste)
Garlic ( 3-4 cloves minced)

Toss for first 5 ingredients together. Mix last 6 ingredients together for the dressing, plus the onion part of the green onion. Add dressing to spinach mixture and enjoy! :)

Healthy Taco Salad

Healthy Taco Salad
From the kitchen of Stephanie


Ingredients:

1 cup Kale (deribbed and chopped)
1 heart of Romain (chopped)
4 oz of extra lean ground turkey
Taco Seasoning (I prefer Trader Joe's...no additives and great flavor)
1/2 Yellow Onion (chopped)
2 Green Onions (chopped)
1/4 cup of Light Mexican Cheese Blend (I also use Trade Joe's...no GMO's)
1/4 of an Avocado
Tortilla Chips (I used the Reduced Guilt Trader Joe's Tortilla Chips...great flavor)
1/2 cup Tri-color Bell Peppers (chopped)
1 lime
2 TBSP Salsa (I prefer the Homestyle Salsa Especial from Trader Joe's)


1. Cook the ground turkey with about 1-2 tsps of the taco seasoning (depends how spicy you'd like it to be) along with the onions. Literally all I did to cook this meat was use a non-stick pan, dumped the meat in with the onions, sprinkle the taco seasoning on top and I added a couple tablespoons of water...no oil, no butter, no sprays.
2.While the meat is cooking, chop all of the veggies
3. When the meat is done, combine all ingredients together (this makes one BIG serving or two smaller servings).

Nutrition:
(for the whole thing)
383 Calories, 8 grams of fat, 39 grams of carbs, 49 grams of protein



***The only thing I think I'd do different next time is add some pinto beans to the taco meat once it's mostly done cooking.

Susan's Homemade Croutons

Susan's Homemade Croutons
From the Kitchen of Susan Reid

3-4T olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
6 (1 inch) slices French bread, cubed

Combine all ingredients in large zip loc bag; seal and shake well. Spread cubes on a 15X10 jellyroll pan; bake at 425 for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes.

My Chicken Caesar Salad

My Chicken Caesar Salad
From the kitchen of Stephanie

Organic Romain Lettuce
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
Texas Toast Caesar Croutons (I choose these because there is no High Fructose Corn Syrup or you can also make homemade ones)
Newman's Extra Virgin Olive Oil Caesar Dressing
Organic Chicken Breasts (2)

Directions:

1. Marinate the chicken in Salad Dressing (in an oven proof dish) for 1-2 hours
2. Cook Chicken at 375 for 35 minutes covered (in the same dish you marinated the chicken in), 5 minutes uncovered
3. While Chicken is cooking, wash and chop lettuce (I like to put paper towels in the bottom of my bowl and them put the lettuce on top to catch any extra water that drips off. Place bowl of lettuce in fridge.
4. Once the Chicken is done, I take it out and let it sit for about 5 minutes before chopping.
5. While waiting for the Chicken to cool, I shred the Parmesan onto the lettuce and add Fresh Cracked Pepper to taste
6. Then add the diced, warm chicken and croutons
7. Finish with adding dressing and toss...serve immediately

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Creamy Cucumber Salad
From BiggestLoserClub.com
A lighter version for summer's bounty

Typically, this classic salad is made by dressing the cucumbers with full-fat sour cream or heavy cream. We lighten the salad by using reduced-fat sour cream and mixing it with yogurt.

Ingredients
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/3 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
1½ teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 large cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 medium Vidalia or other sweet onion, thinly sliced
In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, yogurt, vinegar, sugar, salt (if using) and pepper.

In a medium bowl, combine the cucumbers and onions. Add the dressing and toss to coat well.

Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to blend all the flavors.

Yield: 8 Servings

NUTRITIONAL VALUES
Calories: 44
Fat: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 7 g
Protein: 1 g

Greek Salad

Greek Salad
From BiggestLoserClub.com

A delicious way to eat your veggies!

Extremely light and lemony, this is one of Chef Devin Alexander's all-time favorite recipes for eating lots of veggies.

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
4 pitted kalamata olives, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
4-5 tablespoons lemon juice, preferably fresh-squeezed, divided
½ medium cucumber, seeded and chopped
½ medium red or orange bell pepper, chopped
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup finely-chopped red onion
1 ounce (heaping 1/4 cup) crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese, divided
1 small (4 ounce) grilled chicken breast, sliced (optional)

In a serving bowl, combine the parsley, olives, and garlic. Whisk in 4 tablespoons of lemon juice. Add the cucumber, bell pepper, tomato, onion and 3 tablespoons of the cheese. Toss to coat the ingredients with the dressing. Taste and add 1 tablespoon more lemon juice, if desired. Scatter the chicken over the salad, if desired. Top with the remaining cheese.

Makes 1 entrée salad if served with chicken or 2 side salads without.

1 serving (1/2 recipe without chicken) has: 106 calories, 5 g protein, 15 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, trace polyunsaturated fat, 2 g monounsaturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 315 mg sodium

Healthy Greek Salad

Healthy Greek Salad
From BiggestLoserClub.com
A favorite dish that cuts the sodium

If you're grilling chicken this weekend, here's the perfect salad for it. This recipe uses plenty of fresh lemon juice to create a dressing that bursts with flavor!

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste
1 teaspoon freshly minced garlic, or more to taste
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup 3/4" cubes cucumber
1 cup 1" cubes red bell pepper
1 cup 1" cubes Roma tomato
6 kalamata olives, cut in half lengthwise
1 ounce all-natural light feta cheese, cut into 1/8" cubes
4 ounces grilled chicken, cut into slices
1/2 teaspoon dried mint leaves

In a small resealable plastic container, shake together the lemon juice, garlic, and oil to make the dressing.

In a large bowl, toss the cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, olives, cheese, and the dressing. Transfer the salad to a large serving plate. Top it with the chicken and then the mint, crushing the leaves slightly with your fingers as you sprinkle it over the salad. Serve immediately.

Makes 1 serving

Per serving: 346 calories, 35 g protein, 26 g carbohydrates (13 g sugar), 12 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 71 mg cholesterol, 6 g fiber, 863 mg sodium

Grilled Corn Pasta Salad

Grilled Corn Pasta Salad
By: Taste of Home

8 Servings Prep: 20 min. + soaking Grill: 25 min. + cooling

Ingredients
4 large ears sweet corn in husks
1-1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions
Carefully peel back corn husks to within 1 in. of bottom; remove silk. Rewrap corn in husks and secure with kitchen string. Place in a stockpot; cover with cold water. Soak for 20 minutes; drain.
Grill corn, covered, over medium heat for 25-30 minutes or until tender, turning often.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. When corn is cool enough to handle, remove kernels from cobs and place in a large bowl. Add the pasta, tomatoes, zucchini and olives.
In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients. Pour over salad and toss gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional Analysis:
One serving (1 cup) equals 164 calories, 6 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 382 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 5 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges:

Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad
From BiggestLoser.com

Dijon mustard lovers will like this twist on traditional chicken salad

This deceptively creamy dressing has about 1/3 of the calories and 1/4 of the fat usually found in a similar sized serving.

1 pound trimmed, boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons fat-free plain yogurt
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup seedless grapes, cut in half
1/3 cup chopped red apples

Preheat a grill to high heat.

Rub the chicken on all sides with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill it for 3-5 minutes per side, or until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Allow the chicken to cool, then cut it into bite-sized cubes.

Meanwhile, in a large glass or plastic mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil, the yogurt, and mustard. Add the chicken, celery, grapes, and apples. Gently toss the mixture well to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over a bed of lettuce leaves or on sprouted grain or multi-grain bread.

Makes 4 servings; 3 cups.

Per 3/4 cup serving: 173 calories, 27 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 66 mg cholesterol, trace fiber, 233 mg sodium

Shrimp, Crab and Avocado Salad

Shrimp, crab and avocado salad
From the Kitchen of Susan Reid


½ lb each cooked shrimp and fresh lump crabmeat

1 mango

¼ c each extra-virgin olive oil, rice wine vinegar, fresh lime juice

¼ c cilantro, minced plus sprigs for garnishing

1 jalapeno chile, minced

½ shallot, minced

sea salt and ground pepper

½ head butter lettuce

1 avocado, diced

lime wedges for serving



Peel and dice shrimp. Pick over crabmeat for shell fragments.



Peel, pit and finely dice mango. In a bowl, stir together mango, olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno, and shallot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add shrimp and crabmeat and stir to combine.



Finely shred lettuce. In 4-6 clear glass tumblers, arrange lettuce in a layer on bottom. Top with crab mixture. Spoon avocado on top and garnish with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs. Serve at once.

Mango Quinoa Salad

Mango Quinoa Salad
From BiggestLoser.com
Ali Vincent's protein-loaded treat!

Season 5 champ Ali Vincent showed contestants this week how to make this delicious snack. Or you can have it with fish as a side dish for dinner or put it in a wrap.

2 cups cooked red quinoa (at room temperature or cold)
1 mango diced
1 handful of chopped cilantro
1 15-ounce can of black beans
1 red bell pepper chopped
6 green onions thinly sliced
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons fresh lime juice

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, oil and lime juice. In a big bowl, combine all other ingredients. Drizzle liquid mixture over the salad, and toss until well combined. Chill for about an hour.

Makes 6 servings

Per serving: calories 240; Total Fat 8g; Sat Fat 1g; Cholest 0mg; Sodium 10mg; Total Carb 34g; Fiber 7g; Sugars 9g; Protein 7g.

KFC Cole Slaw

KFC Cole Slaw
By: Todd Wilbur

If you've ever seen a clone recipe for KFC Cole Slaw floating around on the Internet, it probably looks like this. That's because this formula has become one of the most copied & pasted recipes from the first book, "Top Secret Recipes." It's also one of the most requested recipes on the TSR Message Board. So, to fulfill all those requests, and to stake claim to a recipe that's rarely sourced as a TSR original, here's the killer recipe to clone the world's best slaw. And, because I love to out-clone the "copycats", I'm going to take it one step further. Tune in next week for an original version of this clone recipe that tastes just like the real thing but includes only five ingredients...and is completely fat free! Don't be lieve it? Be here next Monday.

8 cups finely chopped cabbage (about 1 head)
1/4 cup shredded carrot (1 medium carrot)
2 tablespoons minced onion
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Be sure cabbage and carrots are chopped up into very fine pieces (about the size of rice).
2. Combine the sugar, salt, pepper, milk, mayonnaise, buttermilk, vinegar, and lemon juice in a large bowl and beat until smooth.
3. Add the cabbage, carrots, and onion, and mix well.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Serves 10-12. (http://www.topsecretrecipes.com)

Chinese Chicken Salad

Chinese Chicken Salad
From the kitchen of Sarah Frenzel

For the Chicken part of the salad.. you can saute or crock pot chicken (if you crock pot the chicken... make sure it is really wrung out...not to wet when you put it in the salad.

Then I do romaine lettuce, carrots, water chest nuts, chopped green onions.
I also saute in butter about a 1/2 cup of slivered almonds, 1 brick of borken up top ramon (no seasoning), and sprinkle in seasame seeds.
And, you can buy a dressing; or I make one up sometimes with soy sacue, rice vinegar, sugar, and ginger. I don't have a recipe for this though... just to taste.

Quick Salad Suppers

Quick Salad Suppers
From BLC (Biggest Loser Club) News email
4 steps to whipping up a healthy meal in a flash

When you're facing the fridge and thinking what in the world am I going to whip up for dinner? There's always a salad. Consider these your salad supper building blocks:

Start with Lettuce
Unless you live in a remote fishing village, the produce section of your local supermarket has something beyond iceberg lettuce. Today you can buy a variety of types of head lettuce, including green leaf, red leaf, and romaine lettuce. This is a great place to start.

Add Some Protein
To make a simple salad into a main meal, you'll need to add protein to meet your nutritional needs. Stay within the Biggest Loser meal recommendation by choosing a lean protein without the added fat calories; look for protein sources that provide fewer than 50 calories for every 7 grams of protein, such as salmon (50 calories per ounce), chicken and turkey breast (35-40 calories per ounce), tuna and shrimp (30 calories per ounce), and nonfat cottage cheese ( 30 calories per ounce).

A Little Carbohydrate
You may find that a salad with a small amount of carbohydrate is more satisfying. Healthy carb additions include garbanzo beans, black beans, kidney beans, quinoa, wild rice, sweet pototo, corn, peas, toasted whole wheat pita or a few whole wheat crackers.

And Some Salad Dressing
The leading source of fat in a woman's diet is salad dressing! Can you believe that? Of course you can since going a little heavy on the dressing makes your healthy salad more like a greasy cheeseburger! Every tablespoon of oil packs 120 calories so use sparingly; dip your fork, look for light dressing, or go with the calorie-free option of balsamic vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon.

Cool Cucumber Salad

Cool Cucumber Salad
From: SparksPeople.com Recipes

Ingredients

1 large cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
Pepper, to taste


Directions

In a medium bowl, combine cucumber slices and onion slices; set aside. In a small bowl combine remaining ingredients. Add dressing to cucumber and onion, toss well. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

Nutritional Info
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 106.4
Total Fat: 10.3 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 304.1 mg
Total Carbs: 3.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.7 g
Protein: 0.5 g

Makes 4 servings.

Variation on Salad with Chicken

Variation on Salad with Chicken
From the kitchen of Vicki Lawhorn

Shredded lettuce, mix chicken strips (since you don't want to cook them, just buy them in the deli section) and mix up with poppyseed dressing (enough to cover). Spoon chicken over lettuce. Top with sliced strawberries, mandarin oranges, slivered almonds, and more poppyseed dressing. I added avocados, because a salad isn't a salad without them. It's really yummy!

HOT CHICKEN SALAD

HOT CHICKEN SALAD (it's kind of a lot of work; so make 2!)
Shared be Renee Hill
From the Kitchen of Sarah Frenzel

2 cups diced chk (or I put it in crock pot, with chk broth and shred it (3-4 breasts)
1-2 diced green onions
1 1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3 diced hard boiled eggs
2 1/2 tsp. lemon or lime juice
1 1/2 cans creamy chk and much soup
1/2- 3/4 cups mayo
1 1/2- 2 cups cooked rice
nature seasons (or salt, pepper, garlic salt, etc.)
Potato chips

mix all in a large bowl
put in casserole dish
sprinkle crushed potato chips on top

bake uncovered- 375 for 30 min.

Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad
From the Kitchen of Kim McManus

I like to use grilled chicken (but you can use your favorite kind of chicken) in bite size chunks
Cherry tomatoes cut in half
Fresh parsley
Hellmann’s Mayo (it does make a difference)
Half-n-half
Lemon juice
Salt to taste
Dash of Black pepper
Garlic powder (optional)

Take about 4 very rounded tablespoons of mayo into a mixing bowl. Add juice from ½ a lemon. Mix together. Then whisk in half-n-half until it is a thick dressing consistency. Add salt to the dressing.
Add your chicken, tomatoes, and fresh chopped parsley to the dressing, add a dash or two of black pepper. And enjoy.

I use the garlic powder if the chicken doesn’t have a lot of flavor.

If I don’t have the fresh parsley then I’ll add fresh spinach leaves instead and it is equally as good. It is very yummy on crackers or fresh croissants.

Healthy Baseball Tailgating

Healthy Baseball Tailgating
From BiggestLoser.com

SunShine shows how to tailgate without guilt!


Fruit Salad
3 cups strawberries
1 cup mango
1 cup kiwi
1 cup blackberries


Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Calories: Approximately 50

Black Bean Salad
1 cup cooked broccoli
1 1/2 cup low sodium black beans
8 oz. carrot slaw
1 cup chopped cucumber
1/4 cup galeos toasted sesame dressing
1/2 cup roasted/no salt sunflower nuts


Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: Approximately 115

Spinach and Rice Salad

Spinach and Rice Salad
From the kitchen of Margot Bass (from Aunt Sherry)

1 cup brown rice
2 cups spinach, thin slices
green onions
chopped celery
1/2 cup italian dressing
1 TBSP soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
2 slices cooked bacon

Cook rice according to package directions and let cool
Combine soy sauce, italian dressing, and sugar
Pour over warm rice
Store in refrigerator
Before serving add: celery, onion, spinach, and top with crumbled bacon

Serves 4-6 people