Wedge Salad with Cilantro Dressing

I don't know about you but I ate one too many treats during the Superbowl. I was probably eating my feelings...poor Broncos. But I'm ready to get back on track with healthy eating!

A quick meal doesn't always mean you need to pick up fast food and a healthy meal doesn't mean it takes 1 hour to prep. A simple wedge salad is always a good option to turn to. It's low in calories and you can load it up with whatever you want! We love having these staple ingredients in our house to turn to for an easy meal or snack!

Wedge Salad with Cilantro Dressing
8 SERVINGS 

PREP: 5 minutes           COOK: 20 (for bacon & eggs)           READY IN: 25 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 1 head iceberg lettuce
• 6 pieces bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
• 1/4 chopped red onion
• Ranch dressing or Cilantro dressing (see recipe below)

Cilantro Dressing

• 6 oz fat free plain greek yogurt
• 10 oz green salsa verde
• handfull of cilantro
• 1 teaspoon lime juice

DIRECTIONS

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1. Boil eggs for 15-20 minutes. When done cooking, let cool. Peel and chop. 
2. Cook bacon and chop. 
3. Finely chop onion.
4. Cut head of lettuce into 8 sections.
5. Drizzle with dressing.
6. Layer bacon, hard boiled eggs, onion, and feta on lettuce. 

NUTRITION FACTS

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  1 wedge w/o dressing   93 calories  6g fat   4g carbs   7g protein   2g sugar   

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  1 wedge w/ dressing   110 calories  6g fat   6g carbs   9g protein   3g sugar   

Pomegranate Pear & Apple Salad

I've fallen in love with many salads over the years, but this one is my favorite this time of year. The colors are perfect for the holidays and it's a nice mix of fruit and veggies. And it has pomegranates which is a huge score in my salad-book. :) I love those crunchy little fruit bites. I took this salad to a Christmas party last week that was potluck style and received many compliments on the dish. It's a flavorful salad that is tangy, tart, crunchy, sweet and sour. It's also very versatile. You could maybe even add mango, pineapple, or nuts to this salad and it would be wonderful! I used spinach, but you could also use baby greens or arugula and it would taste incredible. If you'd rather buy your dressing, it would be great pair with just about any vinaigrette. I'm all about working with what I have so I encourage you to do the same.

Pomegranate Pear & Apple Salad
12 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 0 minutes            READY IN: 15 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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SALAD:

• 6 cups chopped spinach
• 2 gala apples, cored and diced (use a tart, crisp apple if you don't have gala on hand)
• 2 asian pears, cored and diced
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/2 cup feta cheese

DRESSING:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey

DIRECTIONS

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1.  In a large bowl, combine spinach, apples, and pears.
2. Top with pomegranate seeds and feta cheese.
3. Wisk all the ingredients for the dressing together and pour on top, if you wish. (I serve my dressing on the side).

NUTRITION FACTS

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(salad without dressing)

    3/4 cup serving    52 calories   1.5g fat   8.8g carbs    1.5g protein    6.1g sugar   

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Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from epicurious.

Recipe Refresh: Spinach Artichoke Dip

Thanksgiving is coming, which means we dust off some of our favorite comfort foods. Of course there are all the traditional meal dishes, sides, and desserts, but there are also the pre-dinner foods that inevitably make a showing.

When I think of one of my favorite appetizers, a nice, creamy spinach-artichoke dip always comes to mind. While the traditional version of this decadent dip is often made with mayonnaise, butter, lots of cheese, and filled with fat and calories, this skimmed-down version is much healthier. With the addition of flavorful ingredients such as feta, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, though, this refresh will still satisfy!

Spinach Artichoke Dip
16 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 20-25 minutes            READY IN: 35-40 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 10-oz box of chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess moisture
• 1 10-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1-2 dashes of hot sauce (e.g. Tabasco)
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream
• salt and pepper 
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

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1.  Preheat the oven to 375ºF. 
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized skillet and add the onion, cooking until translucent. Add the garlic, spinach, artichoke, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Stir together about one minute, until heated through. 
3. Remove from heat and stir in the feta and yogurt, and season to taste with salt and pepper. 
4. Spread the mixture into an 8x8 (approximately) baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with Parmesan. 
5. Bake 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the mixture is hot and bubbling.
6. Serve hot with sourdough baguette slices or crackers. 

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1/4 cup serving of dip    53 calories   3.2 g fat   3.9 g carbs    2.9 g protein    .9 g sugar   

Original Recipe	Refresh Recipe
2 tablespoons butter,                           4 ounces cream cheese,   2 1/4 total cups cheese	2 tablespoons olive oil,                               4 ounces (1/2 cup) Greek yogurt, less than 3/4 cup cheese
In 1/4 cup: 106 calories 7 g fat (5 g saturated) 302 mg sodium	In 1/4 cup: 53 calories 3.2 g fat (1.2 saturated) 107 mg sodium

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Latin D'Lite cookbook by Ingrid Hoffmann.