Healthy Mozzarella Chicken Salad

So, I made this salad of deliciousness for lunch! I was feeling guilty that I had bought a big bag of spinach thinking I was going to have a salad everyday for lunch... pssh yeah. We'll I made good use of it today and it was much bueno!

Ingredients:
1-2 tsp EVOO
1 minced garlic clove
Pinch of salt
1 tsp sriracha
3-5 oz of chicken tenders
Sprinkle of mozzarella cheese
Sprinkle of Italian seasonings and pepper
Large handful of spinach

Warm up the oil and them add the chicken, salt and pepper. Let cook for a bit and then add the fresh garlic, sriracha sauce, and seasonings. Cook until chicken is just about done and then sprinkle some mozzarella cheese and let it melt just enough to stick to the pan a little bit. Then put on top spinach and drizzle the rest of the oil as dressing.

It was seriously amazing.

Pre-baked Chicken Salad

I am about as lazy as they come, however, I am also a perfectionist. So instead of cutting corners, I look for ways that I can do things more effectively, but still keep them quality. This is how freezer meals came about in my home. That is also how this idea came about. Because we live 45 minutes from the nearest grocery, I buy a lot of things in bulk, including chicken. It's always hard to buy a lot of chicken, freeze it, defrost enough for just my husband and I. so I decided that I would just bake it all. I usually like my chicken grilled, however, my husband was gone rafting again, and it's hard to get our ginormous grill out of the storage shed a lone. So, I bought a bunch of chicken breasts from the store, placed them on a cooling rack that was on top of a cookie sheet with tin foil, seasoned them, and put them in the oven at 350 degrees for about half an hour. Voila.

I give you delicious, and really easy, chicken. I love using McCormick Grill Mates Roasted Garlic and Herbs seasoning. And my very favorite part about this whole thing? I only have to deal with nasty raw chicken once!

I will usually put the chicken that I don't eat in the freezer for a quick, easy defrost later. Mostly, I will put it in salad, but it (as I have posted before) is really good with any veggies.

For my salad, I just grab a bag of romaine lettuce, shred some chicken, and cut up some strawberries. And have you ever tried this with poppy seed dressing? Brianna's Poppy Seed Dressing has become my new addiction.  Honestly, I am in love. I don't even care if it has a bucket full of sugar... Okay, I do, but I go lite on the dressing.

In my opinion, you need to do things that will help you eat what is healthy. I am so sick of salad with lemon juice... You don't even want to know, because it's that unappetizing for me to talk about.

Does anyone have any other salad ideas? I don't see myself getting sick of this anytime soon, however, strawberries are not cheap at our grocery store, so sometimes I don't have them on hand...

Crock Pot Taco Soup

On Saturday, my husband was gone all day river rafting. Which, I actually didn't mind, because it was the first time I'd been home in three weeks, and I had a lot of stuff that needed to get done! Laundry, scrubbing the kitchen floor, cleaning the bathroom, cleaning our bedroom, and the dishes were piled a mile high. I love my hubby, but I can get a lot more done when he isn't home. 

We live in the very bottom corner of Southeastern Utah. It can get really hot very quickly (I have strawberry plants that survived the winter and are already producing!), however, on Saturday, it was a cold and rainy day. The kind of day that I love. It was a perfect day to make a yummy Taco Soup! Which had actually turned into a blessing when my husband came home freezing - he'd been rained on while on the river and hadn't been able to warm up yet. 

Crock Pot Taco Soup

1 pound lean ground beef 

1 packet taco seasoning

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups water

2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

2 15 oz can kidney beans - drained and rinsed

1 can corn - drained

Precook the ground beef and add the taco seasoning packet, following the directions on the packet. Add the garlic and onion to the hamburger and cook until they are tender. Add everything to your crock pot and cook on high for 1 hour, or low for 2 hours. 

I ended up one and a half-ing the recipe, and added a can of black beans instead of another can of kidney beans. I like to put a little cheddar cheese, sour cream, and Fritos in it, however, it is delicious plain, as well. Also, you can use shredded chicken in place of the ground beef. 

Jalapeño Turkey Wrap

First off, buy the Jalapeño Greek Yogurt from Costco. This stuff is amazing for dips, or to use in place of salad dressing, or as a spread on sandwiches. 

Then all you need is some good quality sliced turkey, some lettuce, and tomato or whatever toppings you want to add. 


It's no sub but it's pretty darn good for being a healthy meal! 

Lemon Pepper Tuna Sandwich

I am all for simplicity when it comes to cooking food, especially lunch. I am a sucker for sandwiches! Today I was craving tuna fish, and I have been trying to listen to my body so I made it... with some alterations to make it healthier.

Here's what I did:

I mixed one can of tuna in water with about 1 tbs EVOO, the juice of half a lemon, and some pepper. Put it on some Ezekiel bread with some lettuce and sliced olives. Then I ate it. It was surprisingly delicious! 

I wanted to add some cucumber to it too but I didn't have any, but I think it would make it even more yummy! 

You can also omit the bread and just use lettuce if you are really watching your carbs, and it is just as good! Ezekiel bread is super healthy though, and if you are going to eat bread, you should make sure it is as whole an unprocessed as you can get it. Always look for 100% whole wheat!

I'm not exactly a pro at photographing my food, so sorry about the lame pictures.