Cilantro Lime Dressing with a Kick

It is really not easy to eat healthy.



I have developed some pretty healthy eating habits over the past 15 years. It is quite common for me to eat about 7-8 salads per week, often more. However, I am sure my health conscious readers are well aware that while a salad can be your best friend, it can also be a deceitful little enemy. I used to think a good rule of thumb was if you really like the salad, it is probably bad for you.



That doesn't have to be true if you focus on bringing rich flavors to a hearty salad. I have to be creative by giving myself enough variety in salads so I don't get sick of eating them. Of course, I have my go-to options for some healthy take-out or dining-out. Here are some of my favorites in the LA area:

Chicken Chow Salad - Lulu's Cafe
Greek Salad (with chicken) - Trimana
The Cowboy Salad (I sub low cal honey mustard dressing for the blue cheese dressing w/honey drizzle) - Mixt Greens
California Chicken Salad (86 croutons and pasta with low cal ranch dressing) - California Chicken Cafe
Debbie's Chopped Salad (eat it with a big spoon!) - Factor's Famous Deli
Raw Salad with chicken (this is no longer on the menu, but they will make it if you ask)- Tender Greens

By focusing on hearty flavorful ingredients, a salad can be healthy and still satisfying. This simple dressing will add so much flavor to any salad, you will not need to add all the things that would make it bad for you to feel satisfied. You also do not need too much of the dressing itself. I added a couple tablespoons to a big bowl of my southwestern chicken salad . I couldn't get enough.



The recipe from Women's Health Magazine, calls for safflower oil (something basically no one has in the pantry) so I used olive oil instead.



Cilantro Lime Dressing with a Kick

(recipe adapted from Women's Health Magazine)

1/2 tsp hot sauce
3 tsp lime juice
2 tbsp cilantro
1/4 c oil (olive oil or safflower oil)

Blend the first 3 ingredients in a blender and then add the oil to blend.

Spoon Me Up

Spoons are underrated.



Eating salad with a spoon is the new thing (in my kitchen at least). When you pack a salad with lots of little goodies like beans, corn, chopped veggies, etc, chop everything up and use shredded lettuce. Scoop it all up with a big spoon, and you will be sure to get a taste of everything in each delicious bite.

Now, I have a little something to say about salads. Some unsolicited advice, if you will...

I have been eating salads since I was 10 years old and was on my 25 pound weight loss journey. Salads can be a very satisfying way of filling you up with a variety of good-for-you foods. On the other hand, they can be a horrible trap, packing in a thousand calories when you include all the cheese, dressing and other toppings. Here is a little checklist of things you need to be on the lookout for when ordering a salad at a restaurant:

Creamy dressings - 2 tablespoons of a thick dressing (which is a serving size) can cost you more calories than everything else in the salad combined. Tip: If you must have the creamy fatty dressing, order it on the side, and use less than half of it on your salad. If it is not enough (I suspect it should be if you spread it out), supplement it with a lighter dressing, some vinegar or avocado.

Cheese - Flavorful cheeses go a long way. Avoid mild cheeses (like mozzarella) that need to be piled on to make a difference. Instead, stick with cheeses like feta, goat cheese, blue cheese or parmesan with rich sharp flavors; you don't need very much to make in impact so use them sparingly.

Nuts - Nuts are good for you, but they are still packed with calories and fat. They are a great addition to a salad to add some real substance to keep you full for a long time, but they should be enjoyed in moderation. You should also be careful about the word, "candied" when it comes to nuts. Avoid candied nuts altogether when you are eating a salad. Candy is for dessert.

Meat - Don't use salad as an excuse to order chicken fingers at a restaurant. If you wish to order something as bad for you as fried chicken, you are better off ordering just the fried chicken with a side salad or side of veggies. Disguising chicken tenders in a salad costume will only encourage you to eat more of them. A better option is grilled chicken, steak or even some kind of fish to add substance and protein to your salad. There are plenty of ways to spice up the meat on your salad (e.g. see my almond crusted tilapia which is ever so lightly fried and then baked - also the recipe below uses hot sauce to add bursts of flavor to the grilled chicken).

The following list (provided by Dailyspark.com) include some salad you may want to think twice about before ordering at a restaurant, mainly because if you order one of these, you might as well eat a burger and fries (not gonna lie, burger/fries = ultimately more delicious than any salad):

Chili's Quesadilla Explosion Salad (1390 calories / 89 grams of fat)
Ruby Tuesday's Carolina Chicken Salad (1,129 calories/71 grams fat)
Chili's Southwestern Cobb Salad – 1,080 calories/71 grams
Chili's Boneless Buffalo Chicken Salad – 1,070 calories/77 grams
Quiznos Roasted Chicken Flatbread Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing – 1,070 calories/71 grams fat
Quiznos Chicken Caesar Flatbread Salad – 1,020 calories/69 grams fat
Macaroni Grill Chicken Florentine Salad – 1,020 calories/17 grams
Baja Fresh Charbroiled Steak Tostada Salad – 1,230 calories/63 grams fat

I like to make salads that I can pig out on or eat as much as I want guilt free. Now here is a salad you can feel about eating:



Southwestern Spoon Salad:

1 package shredded lettuce
1 large tomato, chopped
1 small can golden corn (drained thoroughly, about 7.5 oz)
1 can black beans, drained thoroughly
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
light ranch dressing (you need very little for this salad since it has so much flavor on its own)
handful of shredded cheese (any kind - optional, and not even needed in my opinion)
handful of chopped cilantro
1 avocado, sliced
2 chicken breasts, cooked, cubed
hot sauce

Cook the chicken however you like (grill, bake, chop and pan fry).
Once the chicken is coooked and shredded (or cubed) transfer to a large ziploc bag. Add some hot sauce and shake the bag to coat the chicken lightly (use as much or as little as you want. I definitely used way too much! I suggest you add it little by little so you can always stop when you feel you have used enough. If you do not like hot sauce, you can switch it out for bar-b-q sauce which also makes for a nice southwest flavor).
In a large glass dish, layer 1/2 of the lettuce, tomatoes, corn, black beans, peppers, onions and chicken (reserving a little of each ingredient for the top as well).
Top it all with the rest of the lettuce, the reserved bits of each ingredient and the shredded cheese (if using). The spread out some avocado slices and sprinkle with cilantro.
You may or may not need dressing, but if you do...go with light ranch!

Eat out of a huge bowl with a big spoon. And since you are being so good, throw in a couple tortilla chips :]

Ham it Up

Always wanting to be the center of attention...



I remember being described as a ham when I was growing up. What can I say? I like to make jokes, even bad ones. I was in some fantastic school musicals in high school including: Annie Get Your Gun, West Side Story, Music Man and 42nd Street. I am not sure that if you met me at this point in my life you would picture it. It really depends on whom you ask.

West Side Story is by far my favorite musical; it is also my favorite movie. I played the role of 'Anita' (played by Rita Moreno in the movie). She is one of my favorite characters of all time. She is smart, snappy, saucy and sexy. Playing that role in high school was one of my favorite memories growing up. I got to belt some great alto solos and trot around the stage, tossing my hair, stomping my feet and flapping my Spanish-style skirts. The accent came easily to me as I simply impersonated my Puerto Rican mother.

My musical days are behind me, but you may catch me occasionally singing a show tune in the car or impersonating my mom at the dinner table. Speaking of dinner table, Spanish, music and ham...I made something TASTY last week.



After Christmas dinner, we were left with what had been the center of attention that day: the ham. I have never eaten so much ham in my life in the days following the holiday (not that I am complaining), but I needed a way to put some of those leftovers to good use. Black beans slow-cooked with ham and tomato did the trick. Beans are the musical fruit after all. I like this recipe because you do not have to start with dry beans to get them to turn out flavorful. The only problem is I don't know that I can ever be satisfied eating black beans right out of the can without making them this way ever again.



Hasty Tasty Black Beans with Ham

(recipe adapted from Chef John Folse & Company - makes 6 - 8 servings)*

4 (15-ounce) cans black beans, undrained
1 pound lean or low-fat cubed ham
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onions, diced
¾ cup red bell peppers, diced
2 tbsps minced garlic
½ tsp ground cumin
3 tbsps chopped fresh cilantro
¼ tsp dried thyme
1 (10-ounce) can Rotel tomatoes
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 Cup fat-free chicken stock
salt and black pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large pot over med-high heat.
Saute onions, bell peppers and garlic until tender.
Add the ham, and cook for 3 minutes.
Add cumin, cilantro and thyme, and saute for 1 minute.
Mix in the Rotel tomatoes and tomatoe paste.
Once the tomato paste is blended, add the chicken stock and black beans.
Turn up the heat to bring the beans to a boil.
Reduce to simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

*I altered the original recipe (which was for a black bean soup) to make them thicker, more of a dish to serve over rice.



I also roasted a whole chicken, seasoned with a Goya rub, lemon, onions, olive oil and garlic.



To make the chicken, simply follow the cooking times and technique from my previous post, and season it however you like. I removed the skin from the chicken in the previous post, but I did not in this one. They were equally tender and dare I say moist so do whatever you prefer. You cannot really go wrong here.



Per an episode of Dr. Oz I watched during my vacation, I am trying to leave a couple bites of food on my plate after every meal.



...starting now, that is.

Give me a Break.

I know I have mentioned the concept of “Sammy Days” in my previous, non-food related blog. Basically, “Sammy Days” is a term that refers to the self-appointed days off my brother and I would take during high school. This is not to be confused with sick days or planned days off for a special trip or vacation. These were literally days that I was basically too tired or lazy to go to school, and they were never decided upon in advance. I know this all sounds bad, but I like to think that my “Sammy Days” provided the right amount of freedom and self-responsibility I needed to respond positively to the high school experience. My brother and I have both become very self-motivated adults; I feel that this fact can be attributed, at least partially, to our common use of the “Sammy Day” or our shared tendencies to realize when enough is enough when dealing with teachers, books, and dirty looks.

Everybody needs a break at some point. Good things can come out of being given the opportunity to relax and/or be lazy like this slow cooker recipe. It is almost too easy. This will by far be the greatest return on your cooking time/effort investment you have ever seen. This meal is so complete and tasty, it cannot be easier and it is nearly impossible to mess it up. Try this recipe when you need a break, but you do not want dinner to reflect that in any way.

Sammy Day Mexican Chicken:

(adapted from Recipe Zaar)

4 frozen, boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 15oz can golden corn
1 15oz can black beans
1 15oz jar salsa (however spicy you like it)
1/3 C hominy (optional)- this adds a little more of a grainy flavor as if you like that sort of thing.
4 oz reduced fat cream cheese (the original recipe calls for 8 oz of regular cream cheese, but I think a half-package is plenty, and I cannot tell the difference between the reduced fat and the regular, but adjust as you will)

Just throw the chicken, corn, black beans, salsa, and hominy (optional)into a slow cooker.



Cook on a high setting for 4-5 hours or on a low setting for 6-8 hours.
For the last 1/2 hour, place the cream cheese (in chunks) on top of the mixture.



Mix it all together. The chicken should just fall apart as you mix. I try not to mix it too quickly so that the chicken stays in slightly thicker shreds. You can serve over white or brown rice in a bowl, over tortilla chips for some intense nachos, or you can stuff it in a tortilla for a nice fat burrito. For a burrito, feel free to add rice, tomato, lettuce, or anything else...not that you really need anything more than just the chicken mixture; it definitely stands alone.