Pear Pomegranate Salad with Fruity Balsamic Vinaigrette

I’m sure your holiday meals are similar to ours; full of delicious, fattening, rich, buttery, heavy foods. I like making something light and refreshing so we don’t get completely off track this time of year. Plus when there are tons of pies, cakes, rolls, candies, etc most people don’t quickly grab veggies to put on their plate! Fill your plate half full of this salad and not only will you be less likely to overeat but you won’t have to feel as guilty about that pie you eat later! This is one of my go-to dishes to bring to any meal as it is so quick and easy and so healthy.

4 cups of fresh kale

4 cups of romaine lettuce, chopped
2 cups of spinach
1 cup of raw brussell sprouts, chopped
1 cup red cabbage, chopped
1 pear, thinly sliced
1 cup pomegranate arils
½ cup toasted/candied pecans
Pomegranate Balsamic Vinaigrette
½ pear, peeled and sliced
½ cup pomegranate arils
½ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp thyme

• In large serving bowls, combine salad ingredients and mix well.
• In a blender, combine vinaigrette ingredients and blend until smooth.
• Refrigerate at least an hour or until ready to serve.
• Drizzle vinaigrette over salad and serve.

Kale Salad with Sesame Dressing

Kale is an odd vegetable. I’m not completely sold on it yet. I do like it certain ways but this was the first time I tried to cold/raw. It has a very distinct flavor and texture but it is packed full of nutrients.  This salad is very crisp and refreshing. It is also very simple to make. The dressing really accentuates the bold flavor of the kale. This would be a good, healthy addition to your holiday meal – swap it for something not so healthy (maybe the cheese ball??)

8 oz of fresh kale (organic is best)

½ cup shredded carrots
½ cup shredded cabbage (we used red)
Dressing
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil (you really need this to get the full flavor)
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar or honey
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (heat in a skillet for about 5 minutes to toast seeds)

• In a large serving bowl, combine kale, carrots and cabbage.
• In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients.
• Drizzle dressing over salad and refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving.

Avocado Shrimp Salad

This is perfect for lunch. It is very easily portable to take to work or wherever. My only suggestion is to eat this within one or two days of making it or your avocados will brown. It will still taste fine, just won’t be as pretty. This is another recipe that is a perfect use for leftovers. We grilled some shrimp and corn one day and had extra. Makes for a quick fix on a busy day! Serve this with some crackers or tortilla chips. You could even make a lettuce wrap out of it. Makes 2 servings.

10 shrimp, cooked, peeled and diced

1 avocado, diced
¼ cup of corn (or one small ear of corn)
1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 lime, zest and juice
½ tsp cilantro
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp garlic, minced
¼ tsp black pepper

• In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until ready to serve. Keeps 1-2 days in fridge.

Cucumber Spring Rolls

These cute little guys are perfect for lunch or a snack. I get tired of eating salads for lunch at work so one day I decided to throw these rolls together. They turned out great. My son also enjoyed eating them as they were more “fun” than most of the things we have for lunch. Serve these with some ranch dressing or try my Asian Sesame dressing (found with this salad). They are also just fine by themselves. Depending on how thick you slice your cucumber, this makes about 6 rolls.

1 large cucumber

2 radishes
4 baby carrots
1/4 cup cabbage

• Using a mandolin, slice the cucumbers lengthwise (about 1/8” thick). Discard the slices with a lot of seeds, if desired.
• Chop radishes, carrots and cabbage into thin strips.
• Place a slice of cucumber on a cutting board and sprinkle on radishes, carrots and cabbage.
• Carefully roll up cucumber slice and secure with a toothpick.
• Don’t fill the slices too thick or they won’t roll very well.

Meditteranean Salad

This little salad is a real treat. I love the mixture of the olives, peppers and cheese. They provide a nice salty mixture to the fresh salad blend. I basically took things I like to add to a deli sandwich and turned it to a light and refreshing salad. It is perfect for lunch by itself. This is just for one serving, but you can easily double or triple for more people. Enjoy!

1 cup mixed salad greens (I used spinach, romaine, red leaf, and arugula)

2 small pepperoncini peppers, from a jar, sliced into rings
3 kalamata olives, chopped
½ large tomato, chopped
1-2 oz of shredded chicken, cooked
1 Tbsp feta or blue cheese
1 tsp Greek dressing

• Put salad greens in a large cereal bowl. Add in peppers, olives, tomato and chicken. Top with cheese and drizzle over salad dressing. Serve immediately for best results.