Chicken and Avocado Lettuce Boats with Buttermilk Dijon Dressing

This salad was SO good!  Perfect for summer!!!  The recipe comes from The perfect Pantry!

Ingredients:

For the dressing:1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp capers, chopped
1/4 tsp agave nectar
1/2 tsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 tsp fresh black pepper, or to taste

For the salad:2 cups diced cooked chicken breast (I use rotisserie chicken from the grocery store)
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1/2 cup diced cucumber
3/4 cup of cherry tomatoes
Handful of black olives, cut in half
Fresh dill weed (2 Tbsp chopped, plus extra for garnish)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Romaine lettuce leaves

Directions:

-  In a mason jar, shake together all of the dressing ingredients, and set aside.
-  Add the chicken, avocado, cucumber, green pepper, cucumber, tomatoes and olives to a mixing bowl.
-  Toss in a few tablespoons of chopped dill, and as much of the dressing as you like.
-  Stir everything well, then fold in the feta cheese.
-  Pile salad into the lettuce leaves.

The BEST Potato Salad EVER

Do you have a Red Hot & Blue in your neighborhood??  It is awesome Memphis BBQ and their potato salad is the best you will ever have.  During our summer BBQ's we always order a ton of it to go.  The only problem is there is only one location in my area and it isn't very close to my house so it is kind of a pain to pick it up.  So, I googled the recipe and made it yesterday for the BBQ we had at my house and it was AMAZING!!!  It tasted exactly the same.  I am so excited!!  The recipe is super easy too!  Some of my friends yesterday said they normally didn't care for potato salad but were going back for seconds!  It's that good!

 

Ingredients:

4 lbs. small red potatoes

4 large eggs

1/2 c. green onion top, finely chopped

1 1/4 c. mayonnaise

1 3/4 tsp. celery seed

1 3/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

-  Steam potatoes in an electric steamer for 45 minutes with the peel on.  You can boil them but they tend to be mushier.  Once steamed and cooled cut into bite sized pieces and set aside.

-  Boil eggs.  Once cooled remove shells and cut into bite size pieces and set aside.

-  In a large bowl mix remaining ingredients.  Add potatoes and eggs.

-  Mix gently.  You do not want to mash this salad.  It should be chunky!

Spinach, Stawberry and Candied Walnut Salad

My husband's and my good friends, Jeff and Jessica, are having their first baby on Monday. They invited us and another couple over for dinner before they enter the world of parenthood and sleep deprivation. She made an excellent meal as usual and I offered to bring anything she needed and a salad was requested. I didn't want to bring a "normal" salad with veggies and croutons so I searched and found two recipes I thought looked amazing so I took elements from both and combined them to make this salad! It turned out great and I will definitely make it again!

Ingredients:

1 bag baby spinach
1 bag romaine
1/2 purple onion, diced
1 carton of fresh strawberries, sliced
1 c. dried cranberries
1 c. walnut halves
1/2 c. sugar
Shaved Parmesan cheese (it calls for Feta but i can't have that right now, tear)
Raspberry vinaigrette

Directions:

- Place walnuts and sugar in a medium skillet and cook on medium to medium low heat until sugar melts.
- Pour candied walnuts on foil paper to cool.
- Meanwhile combine all other ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add walnuts and toss salad well.
- I usually let people add their own cheese and dressing. Everybody likes different amounts!
- Next time I make this I might add rotisserie chicken to it and make it a meal!

Guacamole Salad

I got this recipe off of Foodnetwork.com and LOVE IT! I am a HUGE guacamole fan and this is a fun little spin on it. It is awesome alone or on a chip! It feels summer-y and was wonderful paired with my burger recipe below.Ingredients:

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. diced red onion
2 tbls. minced jalapeno peppers, seeded
1/2 tsp. freshly grated lime zest
1/4 c. freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)
1/4 c. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled and diced

Directions:

- Place tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, onion, jalapeno pepper and lime zest in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and cayenne.
- Pour over vegetables and toss well.
- Just before you are ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad.
- Serve at room temperature.