Super Salads

The first section of the grocery store I push my cart to is the Produce section. I figure a cart FULL of bright reds, yellows, purples, and greens leaves less room and desire for all the other stuff perched on the shelves. As a budget minded shopper, knowing I’m paying a pretty penny for the fresh produce also deters me from tossing unnecessary items into my cart.

Since becoming a member at Costco and discovering their rain forest of fresh, and often organic, produce, this habit has reached a whole new level. Last weekend, my sister, hubby, and I went grocery shopping and by the time we left fruits and veggies, the cart was half full. #sorrynotsorry

The creativity it took to fit all those colors into my fridge was quite impressive.

As a vegetarian, I eat a lot of salads. To keep from getting boring, I like to add a variety of textures and flavors. Below I’ve listed my favorite mix ins and if you keep scrolling, you’ll find a recipe for a deliciously crunchy salad.

{Salad Success Mix-ins}

  • Red, Yellow, or Orange Bell peppers
  • Celery
  • Black beans
  • Chickpeas
  • Quinoa
  • Slivered almonds or walnuts
  • Cranberries
  • Apples
  • Blueberries
  • Mushrooms
  • Avocado
  • Butternut squash

{Super Salad with Asian Chicken}

[Ingredients]

  • 1 1/2 cup mixed greens
  • 1 1/2 cup spinach
  • 1 yellow pepper
  • 1 orange pepper
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 can of black beans
  • 1 zucchini
  • 1 summer squash
  • 2 chicken breasts or 1/2 block tofu
  • 1/2 large onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Sweet Red Chili Sauce

[Directions]

  1. Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Set aside.
  2. On a separate cutting board, with a clean knife, dice onion and 1/2 of an orange pepper. Dice garlic & set aside.
  3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, spray with PAM then add onion and bell pepper to pan. Cook for a few minutes, stirring often, then add chicken.
  4. Saute until chicken is cooked, reduce heat to low then stir in 2-3 TBSP of sweet red chili sauce.
  5. While the chicken is cooking, rinse greens, peppers, zucchini/squash, and beans.
  6. Using a clean cutting board and knife, chop peppers, zucchini, squash, and avocado.
  7. In a large bowl, layer greens with chopped toppings. Top with chicken & serve with dressing of choice.

Cheers,

Danielle

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