Fresh Berry & Endive Lettuce Salad ...

I'm always in the market for new salad ideas. As I was shopping at the produce market, I came across this beautiful head of Endive lettuce. I had to have it in my basket, as I perused around the market. I though of what I wanted to do, and all the things I had that could accompany this lettuce ...

I had already picked up a few pints of fresh raspberries upon entering the market. At first strawberries came to mind, the price was a little to high for me so I didn't get them this round. The raspberries would do just fine with the endive along with a nice raspberry vinaigrette to take the bitterness out of the endive.  

I love having a nice Seasonal salad, especially when I can get an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. I like to go early in the mornings when hardly no one is out shopping. Don't be in such a rush when shopping for foods, sometimes you may overlook the bumps and bruises. Check for firmness, even when you are shopping for fresh berries. You gotta eat them and you don't want to get home with berries you may have to toss. You know if you find them and you see some that may have juice leaking, I don't purchase those. of course you may have one or two bad ones. In a pint of about 20-25 raspberries or blackberries, it does matter when it gets to be 5 that's nearly 1/4 of the pint .... 

This salad can be your main meal or served as a side dish to the meat of your choice. The color shout summer and fall! ... Endive is one of those lettuces where a little goes a long way. It's light, which give you room to pile on the extras. I like the use of berries because  it gives you an alternative to the traditional salad extras. Cucumbers can be chosen for many salads, I love to have that extra crunch ...

For this salad I used ... 

7-8 roughly chopped Endive Lettuce Leaves ... 

1/4-1/2 pint of Raspberries ...          1/4-1/2 pint of Blackberries ...         1/2 Cucumber cut or diced up ...   Top with Raspberry Vinaigrette or your choice of salad dressing ....

Please share and ENJOY! ♥

Sliced Pan Seared Chicken Breast on a bed of Warm Tomato Avocado & Brown Rice Salad ...

Do you ever get tired of eating the same ole thing over and over again? I felt that way today. My son at times, get into the spell of cooking. He believes he can make a meal that is healthy and hearty in the same. He does a great job, but he also, likes to eat rice with every meal. I'm not a big rice fan. So when he insisted on cooking dinner for the family, I thought, what can I do with the rice to kick it up a notch ....

Here's what came to mind to go with what he had cooking ...

He started the meal off with Pan Seared Chicken Breast and Brown rice ...

Although I love chicken and rice, I have to have something a little more appetizing for my taste.  Since he began the meal I wanted to finish it off . What better way than to have a nice salad added to complete the meal. I had on hand, some avocados and roma tomatoes. How would that taste mixed in with the rice, I wondered? Being the adventurist that I am ... 

 I diced up 1 roma tomato along with 

 1/2 an avocado (left over from the other day). And mixed in 1c of brown rice. Make sure the rice is still warm so that the avocado will melt a little onto the rice and season to taste ... 

I have to say, the taste was better than I had anticipated. I'm sure you can do this with orzo pasta, quinoa and even make a risotto out of this dish alone. Well, that's next on my list ..  

After plating the salad, I topped it off with sliced chicken breast. The colors were so beautifully blended, I couldn't wait to take a fork full ... What an explosion in my mouth! This meal will continue to be in rotation at my house ... 

Please share and ENJOY! ♥

Extra Fine Green Beans, Baby Carrots, Yellow Peppers & Shrimp over Brown Rice ...

Because of my hectic work schedule, I'm always looking for simple ways to prepare a meal. The least ingredients the better, since I don't always have a lot of time for early preparation. Simplicity can be your best friend at times, even when you have quite a few hungry mouths to feed ...
You can make up a batch of rice and freeze it serving single or double serving sized containers, until you're ready for it. It's makes it easier for those of us that are in a crunch for time. You can either re-heat in the microwave or soak in boiling water for 1-2 minutes.

For this meal I just used some simple ingredients already in the fridge/freezer...
Brown rice, shrimp, baby carrots and yellow bell pepper, tossed up with 2tbls of olive oil.

My granddaughter is not a big meat eater, she loves shrimp and fish more so than any other meats. By making the vegetables the major part of your meal, meat is not always necessary, as many believe.

1/2 bag of frozen green beans 

1/2 bag of shrimp (tails removed)

1 single serving bag of baby carrots

1/2 bell pepper sliced 

2tbls of oil

Heat skillet and add oil. Toss in sliced peppers, green beans and carrots. Cook until carrots are fork tender and add in your shrimp(you can use any meat you like at this point). Give a toss until shrimp are done  2-3min .... 

Yes, I used my granddaughters baby carrots for this meal. Because they were the tiny carrots I wanted and I didn't have to cut up any carrots. It's all about saving time. Even if you don't have children or grandchildren you can still purchase the single servings for yourself. They are great for snacking and to add in your lunches, if you pack lunch for work ... Also you have to make the meals kid friendly. When they see you using their food items, they will be more incline to eat it. My grand daughter was like, "Grandma, are those my carrots  you're using?"  

She enjoys being able to help me shop and see, how the meals come together with what we've purchased. 

<------ "Grandma are those my carrots you're using??" 

Simplicity is the key to a happy healthy life. There's not always the need to cook up a large heavy meal, especially when you're hungry in a hurry ... 

If your family is anything like mine, you'll make this meal several times over... 

Please share and ENJOY! ♥

7 LAYER SALAD ...

You ever been the one, who someone, has designate you to be the salad bringer of the event. Not just sometimes, I am always that person among my family! ...

Our family picnic was around the corner, my nice called to see what I was making. Not really sure, I told her I was still thinking on it. She suggested I make the sea food salad ( see what I mean)  she had tasted many times over (I'll have to post that one later), I didn't think so. That's what I'm requested of every event we have, not this time. I had already purchased some spring mix and baby butter lettuce, to myself I thought to make a salad. But I wanted it to be something they had never had before. Not knowing it would grow in to this gorgeous looking salad we have here ....

I called it 7 layers because, I piled up seven layers of fruits and vegetable onto each layer of salad. You Have ... Blackberries, Strawberries, Whole Cherry Tomatoes (cut them in half if you like), Shredded Carrots,  Sweet Baby Bell Peppers, Kiwi and Cucumbers ... To top it, I used bacon crumbles. If you choose to top it, use what ever you like or not at all, to make it vegetarian or vegan friendly ... Salad dressing, your choice of course ... Please don't limit yourselves to what I used as my layers, use what would appeal to your taste in a salad ... 7 Layers at that ... 

This salad could be the main dish, for your event or family dinner. My family enjoyed seeing all the beautiful colors as well as the taste, I'm sure yours will too ... 

Please share and ENJOY! ♥

CHUNKY TUNA SALAD ...

I'm all for making tuna fish the traditional way with, tuna, eggs, relish and mayo. As times change, so does our eating habits and taste. So the other day I found these wonderful Sweet Potato tortilla chips. They were great alone, as I began snacking I thought, I need some tuna fish to go with these.

Still with tuna on my mind, today I decided to follow through. As with everything, I try not to be traditional. Or, as traditional as some may be ...  Starting with my first ingredient, these little beauties are wonderful in any salad that calls for cucumbers. 

Pickling Cumbers

Because I wanted this tuna fish to be extra chunky like salsa. I added all the items I knew would stand up on a tortilla chip. Be inventive, it's your meal and you can have all that you like in it. Don't go crazy, or you'll have a big mess ...

INGREDIENTS:

2 Eggs sliced

1/2 Red Onion diced

1 Pickling Cumber sliced & diced

1/2 Avocado diced

1 Roma Tomato diced

1 can of Albacore Tuna drained

2tbs each of Honey Mustard & Ranch salad dressings (optional)

mix all ingredients well ...

Serve with Tortilla or Bagel chips.
 Or, the chips of your choice ... 

ENJOY ♥

♥♥♥♥

Strawberry & Lemondrop Melon Smoothie ...

What a refreshing way to start, put an end to, or just enjoy your day. None other than to have yourself a delicious smoothie. This Strawberry Lemondrop Melon Smoothie was very light and refreshing. The taste was not over powering, nor did it have a lingering after taste. As I continue on my health journey I'm always looking for exciting and new foods to add to my acquired taste.

As mother and I were shopping at Meijer, I came across a melon LEMONDROP MELON by KANDY that I thought was a cantaloupe. It looked like one, but had a yellowish color to it. They were $2 each, so I grabbed a few and went on my way.

Because I'm always looking for ways to enjoy and blend my fruits and vegetables. What other way can I enjoy this gorgeous melon, other than to slice it up and have at it. Being the smoothie maker that I am, why not mix it with one of my most popular summer fruits? The Strawberry. The summers here in Michigan can be a bit scorching, so we need as many ways to keep hydrated.




Here's what I did to create this smoothie ...

1/2 lemondrop melon cut into chunks

7-10 whole strawberries stems left on

8oz coconut water  of your choice

1 1/2c ice crushed or cubed your choice

Blend well and ENJOY ♥

**please visit Kandy Lemondrop Melons page on facebook to enjoy many more recipes**

LEMONDROP MELON ... by KANDY

The Lemondrop Melon. Just in case you've wondered about this melon, here's a peek inside. You would think it's a cantaloupe because of the similarities in skin, size and color. This melon also looks similar to the honeydew melon on the inside. The taste is sweet and sour, resembling that of a golden delicious apple ...

These melons are new to our markets here in the Detroit Michigan area. You can find them at Meijer, Sams Club and Westborn Markets. These will be one of the melons, you won't go with out adding to your shopping cart.

You can gather more history on The Lemondrop Melon by visiting KandyLemonDropMelons on facebook ....

So the next time you come across this melon, pick up one or two ... it's a keeper ~.*))