My Version of the Famous Jennifer Aniston Salad

 

This salad is delicious and easy. Plus you can prep it the day before and even add the dressing. I just wait to add the nuts and feta until I'm serving or ready to eat. 

Salad

Kale – sliced thin

Persian cucumber – seeded and chopped

Radish – sliced thin

Garbanzo beans – drained and rinsed

Quinoa

Red onion – chopped & soaked in hot water to take the edge off

Parsley – chopped

Mint – chopped

Sliced almonds – toasted

Pistachios 

Feta – sprinkle at the end

Sumac – sprinkle at the end

 

Dressing 

Olive oil

Lemon juice

Dijon

Garlic smashed into a paste

Honey or syrup - just a tiny bit to offset the citrus

Salt

Pepper

Za’atar

 

You could use the recipe here or here if you want precise measurements. They are both probably great. 

Butter Lettuce Salad

Threw this together with things I had in the fridge for a little side salad. Delicious!

Butter lettuce

Radish

Persian cucumber

Chives

Avocado

Jennifer Fisher Mustard Vinaigrette

Greek Chicken Burger Salad

I saw this recipe on Jennifer Fisher's instagram feed and knew it was going to be a winner. It is so flavorful and delicious. Perfect leftovers too for lunch the next day. 

Greek Chicken Burger Salad

 

Chicken Burger

1 lb ground chicken

½ yellow onion, sautéed and softened in olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, minced and sautéed in olive oil

Dill – huge handful or two of fresh dill, chopped

Parsley – handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Squeeze of lemon juice and maybe a little zest

Jennifer Fisher universal salt

Pepper – lots

 

Mix ingredients and then form into 3 meatballs. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high-heat and add chicken. Flatten into patties. They don’t have to be perfect circles. Fry until browned and then flip to brown the other side.

 

Salad

Romaine

Cucumber

Tomato

Feta

Red onion

Green olive

Fresh dill

Jennifer Fisher Mustard Vinaigrette

Marnie Jean's Vegetarian Tacos

 

I'm obsessed with this cauliflower and garbanzo bean taco recipe inspired by my goddaughter Marnie. It was so good! I made a slight adjustment roasting instead of pan frying so I could do a larger quantity but either method would be great. She suggested sour cream on top so I made a little avocado sour cream sauce and added sliced jalapeño for some heat. The whole meal was perfection. 

 

Marnie Jean’s Tacos 

 

Tacos:

 

Cauliflower - cut into large chunks

Cabbage - sliced into ½ inch ribbons

Garbanzo beans - drained, rinsed and dried

Yellow onion, diced

Taco base/shell (we like casava or corn tortillas)

 

Toppings:

 

Avocado crema

Fresh cilantro

Jalapeno, thinly sliced

Fresh squeeze of lime juice

Hot sauce if you like but mine didn’t even need it

 

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

 

Cauliflower

Olive oil

1 t cumin

1 t coriander

½ t paprika

Salt

Pepper

 

Toss cauliflower with spices and oil. Add to a sheet pan and roast roughly 20-40 minutes depending on size. Flip once or twice and watch carefully. You want them to become golden but not burnt. 

 

Cabbage

Olive oil

1 t cumin

1 t coriander

½ t paprika

Salt

Pepper

 

Toss cabbage with spices and oil. Add to a sheet pan and roast roughly 5-15 minutes depending on size. You want it to roast and start to brown and caramelize.

 

Garbanzo beans

½ chopped yellow onion

Olive oil

1 t cumin

1 t coriander

½ t paprika

Salt

Pepper

 

Toss beans with spices, oil and onion. Add to a pan and roast roughly 10-15 minutes, tossing once or twice.

 

Avocado Crema

½ avocado

½ cup sour cream

Juice of 1 ½  limes

1clove of garlic, minced and smashed into a paste

½ - 1” jalapeno, minced

Small handful cilantro leaves

Salt

 

Combine in a blender or food processor. 

 

Once you have all the fillings and toppings ready, heat the tortilla in a touch of olive oil. Sprinkle with paprika and maybe a little rub of the cut edge of a lime. Once warm add the toppings and enjoy!

Israeli Chopped Salad

 

A chef I know made this for me and I loved it. I've been making it a lot lately. You can prep all the ingredients and then throw small batches together all week. It's clean, healthy and satisfying. 

Israeli Chopped Salad

Salad

Kale – sliced thin

Persian cucumber – seeded and chopped

Green onion – green and light green parts sliced

Parsley – chopped

Cilantro – chopped

Almonds – toasted

Pistachios – toasted

Tart cherries – chopped

Feta – sprinkle at the end

Sumac – sprinkle at the end

 

Dressing

Olive oil

Lemon juice

Splash of red wine vinegar

Garlic smashed into a paste

Pepperoncinis – minced

Salt

Pepper

Za’atar

Israeli Chicken Sofrito Dinner with Sides

This dinner was perfection. My new weekly go-to.
 
Israeli Chicken Sofrito 
Recipe here
I’ve made this a few times and every time I make a few adjustments. Tonight I made it with 2 legs and 2 thighs (skin on). Same sauce and spices. Added 1/8 t cayenne pepper. Next time I would add parsley or cilantro at the very end. 
 
Roasted Za’atar Carrots 
Recipe here (minus the yogurt sauce)
 
Sauteed Kale 
Recipe here
 
White rice
Day old so I reheated with 2 T butter and a splash of water

Shredded Chicken Taco Bowls

  

This is a new dinner I crave every few months. It’s so satisfying. It has it all… carbs, protein, spice, salt, crunch. I love it every time.

 

Shredded Chicken Taco Bowls

 

Shredded chicken (recipe below)

White rice

Cumin black beans (some version of this recipe)

Some type of cabbage slaw (this is the cabbage salad from Erewhon and I love it)

Iceberg lettuce, chopped

Cilantro

Jalapeno, sliced super thin

Tortilla chips

Steamed broccoli

Salsa

Sour cream

 

I plate it all divided so it looks pretty and then mix it all together before I eat it.

 

Shredded chicken

 

Chicken Tenders – 1 package

Simply Organic mild taco simmer sauce – 1 packet

 

Put the tenders in a small pan with the sauce and set to low for 30-45 minutes. Stir them around every so often and once they are cooked, use two forks to shred the meat. It should break apart very easily. Then leave in the sauce until you are ready to plate.

New Summer Salad Obsession

My friend Amy introduced me to this delicious summer salad and I'm obsessed. It's perfect right now with all the nectarines and tomatoes in season. Can't get enough of it. 

Arugula

Nectarines

Tomatoes

Fresh mozzarella (squeeze out the water)

Brianna's organic vinaigrette

Doug's Caesar Perfection

 

My friend Doug made a simple and perfect caesar recently. The best part was the introduction to croissant toast croutons. They were amazing and easy because you don't have to do anything to then except cube and toast, toss and toast, until golden.

Doug's Caesar Dressing

3 large garlic cloves
salt
pepper
1T mayo (I use veganaise)
1T Dijon
1T white wine vinegar
1T lemon juice
shaved parmesan
1t Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup olive oil (I used 1/3 cup because I like more of a punch)

* I added a teaspoon of rinsed capers out of habit. Nice add but not necessary.

In a food processor, blitz garlic with salt and pepper. Then add mayo, dijon, vinegar, lemon juice, parmesan, worcestershire sauce and blitz again. With it running, drizzle olive oil slowly to emulsify. 

Toss with romaine, fresh grated parm, and croissant toast croutons.

Teriyaki Chicken Thighs & Veggies

This is hands-down my new favorite dinner. I've been making it weekly and it's so easy and flavorful. 

Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

Recipe here

* I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil. I have been using skinless thighs and it's fine. I definitely trim the fat first and I made sure to do it on medium high, often with a heavy pan on top, so it really browns on the first side. I double the sauce and I add sliced green onion and sesame seeds at the end.

Stir Fry Sugar Snap Peas with Garlic & Sesame

Recipe here

* I followed the recipe except I use olive oil. I also waited a little bit to add the soy sauce and I use low sodium tamari. 

Grilled Asparagus & Green Onion

* I used asparagus plus the light green & white ends of green onion, tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and then grilled on the BBQ. Also works to broil it. 

 

Chicken Katsu with Cauliflower Fried Rice

 

Just made this tonight and it's my new favorite dinner....

 

Chicken Katsu with Cauliflower Fried Rice

 

I made a basic recipe for Chicken Katsu (flour, egg, panko) and added seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder) and toasted sesame seeds to the panko mixture. Then pan fry in mostly olive oil and some butter on medium/medium high heat until golden brown. Flip and brown the other side, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve with cauliflower fried rice, kimchi and sriracha plus a green veggie for a perfect dinner.

 

Cauliflower Fried Rice

 

Olive oil

1/3 onion, small chop

2 carrots, small chop

1/2 zucchini, small chop

Green onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 T ginger, minced

Cauliflower rice (frozen)

2 eggs, scrambled

Tamari or low sodium soy sauce

Toasted sesame seeds

 

Saute onion in olive oil over medium heat. Add carrot, zucchini and green onion. When almost done, add more oil, ginger and garlic. After a few minutes add ¾ bag of frozen cauliflower rice. Stir and heat for several minutes. When almost ready to serve, push everything to the side and melt 1 T butter in the pan. Add scrambled eggs and saute. Once cooked all the way, mix in with other ingredients. Sprinkle tamari and stir to combine. Finish with toasted sesame seeds and serve with sriracha and kimchi.

Gjelina Inspired Escarole Salad with Presvered Meyer Lemon Dressing

 

I had this salad recently and couldn't stop thinking about it so this is my best stab at recreating it. 

Gjelina Inspired Escarole Salad with Presvered Meyer Lemon Dressing

Escarole, rinsed and chopped into large pieces

Sliced almonds, toasted (or smoked almonds if you can find them)

Parmesan, freshly grated

 

Dresssing

 

Lemon rind of one preserved lemon (very strong flavor so maybe use ¾)

3 clove garlic, minced 

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 T honey

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

½-3/4 cup olive oil

Black pepper

 

Remove the flesh from a preserved meyer lemon, then rinse, chop up the rind and put in a blender. Add the other ingredients and blend until smooth. 

 

Toss the escarole with the dressing and top with toasted almonds and fresh parmesan. 

Gjelina Inspired Za'atar Roasted Carrots with Tahini-Yogurt Sauce

 

Za’atar Carrots with Yogurt Tahini Sauce

Inspired by Gjelina

 

Carrots – shaved and cut in half lengthwise or into chunks on the diagonal 

Olive oil

Za’atar

Cumin

Brown sugar

Sesame seeds

Salt

Pepper

Parsley or cilantro - optional

 

Preheat oven to 425. Toss all ingredients together in a bowl and lay out on a large cookie sheet. Roast for 8-10 minutes, then flip and roast for 8-10 more, until perfectly roasted. 

 

 

Yogurt Tahini Sauce

Inspired by GP’s recipe

 

3 T tahini

¼ cup boiling water

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced and smashed into a paste with the edge of your knife

¼ cup Greek yogurt

3-4 T freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ cup olive oil (or less)

Sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

 

Whisk the tahini and water together until smooth. Whisk in the remaining ingredients and taste for balance. Adjust as necessary. I like a lot of lemon and garlic but adjust as you like it. 

 

Spread yogurt tahini sauce on plate and then top with carrots. Sprinkle with parsley or cilantro for added flavor and color. 

Easy Weeknight Bone-In Skillet Pork Chops

 

Here is a recipe for easy weeknight pork chops…

 

Take pork chops out of the fridge and let come to room temp. Once they are room temp, put them between 2 sheets of parchment paper and pound to roughly 3/4" or so. Pat with a paper towel and then season both sides with:

Garlic powder 

Onion powder 

Lemon pepper 

Salt

Pepper

 

Add 2 T olive oil and 1-2 T butter to an oven safe pan (like a cast iron skillet) and turn heat to medium high. When it’s hot, add a tiny bit of chicken bouillon and stir to mix, then add the seasoned pork chops. over medium high heat with a few table
Brown and olive oil and butter and tiny bit bouillon. Once browned, flip and brown the other side. Once that side is also browned, transfer the pan to the oven until internal temp registers at 138-140 degrees. Remove and transfer to a plate. 

 

While those rest, add some minced garlic and rosemary to the pan and whisky all the juices and browned bits. Then add chicken broth to the pan, maybe ½ cup. Whisk it all together and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. After 5 minutes or so, pour over pork chops and serve hot. 

Arugula Salad w/ Chicken, Artichoke Hearts and Hearts of Palm

 

I can’t get enough of this salad and am making new versions every day. I’ve been really loving this version with chicken. 

Salad Base

Arugula

Micro greens

Artichoke hearts, sliced

Hearts of palm, sliced

Cooked chicken breast, sliced or cubed 

Optional Add Ons

Hemp seeds

Cooked asparagus

Cooked broccoli

Roasted beets

Mozzarella

Shallot Vinaigrette

1/3 cup olive oil
Juice of one lemon
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 T dijon mustard
1 T minced shallot

1/2 t honey
Salt and pepper

 

Cooked Chicken Breast

Preheat oven to 350. Melt 2 T butter and 2 T olive oil in an oven safe pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Brown chicken on both sides until a nice golden crust appears. Once both sides are browned, transfer pan to the oven and cook until internal temp registers to 165 degrees. It usually take 3-10 minutes depending on the side of the chicken breasts so I check the internal temp once or twice with a meat thermometer. Remove and let rest for a few minutes, then slice and enjoy!

Kevin's Tuna Salad

I got this recipe back in 2016 from my friend Kevin Erickson. I searched through my recipe file today to track it down and voila, here she is. Just as good as I remembered. 

Good quality tuna in olive oil

Veganaise

Kalamata olives

Celery

Capers

Pickles

Dill

Red onion

Pepper

 

Serve on bread or over arugula and micro greens mixture

Arugula Salad on Repeat

 

I needed a re-set so I've been trying to eat more salads lately. I made this amazing salad the other day and now it's on repeat - on it's own for lunch or with something else for dinner. 

Salad

Arugula

Micro greens

Artichoke hearts, sliced

Hearts of palm, sliced

Garbanzo beans, rinsed

Roasted golden beets (store bought with an amazing dressing)

Steamed broccoli

Mozzarella, cut into little strips or cubes

* Next time I will add toasted pine nuts

 

Shallot Vinaigrette

1/3 cup olive oil
Juice of one lemon
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 T dijon mustard
½ t fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 T minced shallot
Salt and pepper

Perfect Weeknight Dinner

Photo courtesy of Epicurious

I love a good fattoush salad and crave it every year when it's tomato season. Tonight I finally made it happen. I love this recipe because you can prep/chop all the ingredients and extra dressing and then you can whip together a fattoush salad for lunch or dinner very quickly for the rest of the week. I served this with chicken paillard and grilled asparagus for dinner. Perfection!

Fattoush Salad

 

Romaine

Persian cucumbers, peeled and seeded

Tomatoes

Radish

Green onion, green parts

Parsley

Mint

Pita or naan (I use naan), brushed with olive oil and toasted or broiled until crisp

 

Dressing (from Epicurious.com)

 

4 t ground sumac, soaked in 4 t warm water for 15 minutes

3 T lemon juice

2 T pomegranate molasses

2 garlic cloves, minced and smashed into a paste

2 t white wine vinegar

Fresh mint, minced

1/3-1/2 cup olive oil

Kosher salt

Pepper

 

 

 

 

Miso Glazed Salmon

I made this recipe up from looking at a few different versions online. It was so easy and so good.

Roughly….

3 T white miso

3 T mirin

3 T sake

1-2 T soy

1 T light brown sugar

1-2 t minced ginger

¼ t sesame oil

 

Marinate skin-on salmon for one hour. 

Sprinkle with sliced green onion. Broil for 8-12 minutes. Ish. Check after 6 minutes to see if skinny end should be cut off. 

Sprinkle with black sesame seeds and serve with white rice and a green vegetable.

* I usually cut the skinny half off and eat it while I wait for the rest, hence the teeny piece in the photo.

 

Mackay's Salad

Great salad recipe from my friend Mackay. I will be making this weekly because it’s so easy and delicious. 

 

Mackay’s Salad

 

Romaine

Croutons – homemade or Bay Cities

Green onion

Avocado 

 

Dressing

2 T veganaise

2 t Dijon

2 garlic cloves, pressed 

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup olive oil (roughly)

1/2 cup freshly grate parmesan

Salt and pepper

Baked Feta Pasta

 

Photo courtesy of The Washington Post

This recipe for Baked Feta Pasta went viral on Tik Tok during Covid. When tomato season started I was ready to try it and am now obsessed. It is so easy and so delicious. My only tip is to stir it together when you remove it from the oven, and ideally add the pasta asap. Don't let it sit for very long or the feta starts to harden and it doesn't get creamy. And don't forgot the chopped basil. It helps make the dish. 

Grilled Shrimp Skewers

Here is a basic marinade for Grilled Shrimp Skewers from Dinner at the Zoo blog.  I like to serve these with green beans cooked on the grill with olive oil, salt, and chopped garlic (added for the last few minutes so it doesn't burn) and either sautéed white beans with garlic, olive oil and seasoning or iceberg lettuce chopped with La Victoria taco sauce. Sounds weird but it's delicious. 

Lunch Obsession

 

I’m currently obsessed with this little lunch creation…

 

Brown rice cake

Good hummus * 

Squeeze of lemon 

Radish slices

Chives

Pepper

 

* I just discovered Ithaca lemon dill hummus and love it.

Emma's Chickpea "Tuna" Salad

 

Emma’s Chickpea “Tuna” Salad

1 can of chickpeas, drained, rinsed and mashed

Vegan mayo

Sweet relish

Organic celery

Salt & Pepper

 

Eat straight from the bowl, on an open-faced sandwich with avocado and seasoning, or scoop with a tortilla chip and top with a dot of hot sauce as shown above. 

 

Other options to mix in:

 

Fresh lemon juice

Shallot

Dijon

Herbamare 

Antioxidant Salad with Chicken Paillard

 

I had this salad recently and had to recreate it. It’s so good and satisfying. It also had bee pollen and pepitas but I prefer it without those. 

Antioxidant Salad with Chicken Paillard

Salad

Mixed Greens

Goji berries

Pomegranate seeds

Blueberries

Blackberries

Pistachios

 

Balsamic Vinaigrette

 

3-4 T balsamic vinegar

1 T Dijon mustard (heaping tablespoon)

2 garlic cloves, minced

Juice from one large lemon wedge

1/3 cup olive oil

Salt & pepper

 

Chicken Paillard

Boneless, skinless chicken breast – butterflied and pounded thin 

Garlic powder

Salt & pepper

2 T olive oil

2 T butter – don’t skip the butter!

 

Sprinkle cutlets with salt, pepper and garlic granules. Heat butter and olive oil in large sauté pan over medium high heat. When it’s hot, add the cutlets and cook until perfectly browned. When they are ready, flip and brown on the other side. If you used enough olive oil and butter, you should just be able to flip it. If not, you can add more. Once browned remove to a platter. Cut on the diagonal into little strips and serve with a lemon wedge. 

 

 * My kids love this chicken. It's great with caesar salad as well.