Zucchini Ribbon Salad

4 to 6 servings 

Salad:

4 zucchini (no bigger than 8"), cut into ribbons

1/3 cup Toasted pine nuts

Shaved asiago, Parmesan, or Pecorino  cheese 

4 cups Arugula

Dressing:

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp honey mustard 

1 tsp minced garlic 

1 tsp oregano

1/4-1/2 tsp salt

1/4-1/2 tsp black pepper

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add zucchini ribbons, cover pot, and set heat to very low/warm. Cook zucchini for 3 min, until tender but still has some crisp to it. Drain and rinse with cold water. Spread onto baking sheet and pat dry with clean paper towels. Toss gently with dressing. Let marinate for 30 min. 

To serve, 

Arrange arugula on plate. Top with zucchini. Sprinkle pine nuts and shaved cheese on top. 

Moroccan Marinated Carrot Salad

After finding such a dish at a local Moroccan restaurant (shout out to Casablanca, in Warrington PA!), I just had   to find a recipe that was just like it! This one turned out perfect! 

Moroccan Carrot Salad 

Source: http://moroccanfood.about.com/od/saladsandsidedishes/r/carrot_salad_paprika_cumin.htm

"Sliced carrots are boiled then marinated with Moroccan spices, herbs, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. Serve warm or cold. You can dice the carrots if you prefer, but slicing them is the traditional presentation."

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh carrots, peeled and cut into 1/8" slices

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

2 cloves garlic, smashed 

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp sweet paprika

1/4 tsp smoked hot paprika

Boil the carrots in salted water, about 15 minutes or until just tender -- fork should go into piece easily with just a little resistance. Drain, and rinse or immerse carrots with cold water to cool and stop further cooking. Drain again, and try to dry them gently, as this will keep from diluting the marinade. 

In a medium pan, sauté the garlic cloves in the olive oil over low heat, 2-3 min. or until garlic is golden. Discard the garlic, and add the carrots, lemon juice, and spices. Sauté over low heat for another 3-4 minutes, and remove from the heat. Stir in cilantro. 

Serve the marinated carrots either warm or chilled. (I prefer to chill it, then take it out about 60-90 min before I plan to serve it). 

Chicken Salad with Grapes & Toasted Pecans

Chicken Salad
TMP Adaptation
Serves 4

½ cup eggless light mayo
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 packets of Truvia or Stevia zero-calorie sweetener
⅓ cup diced celery
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked, cubed
⅓ cup pecans, toasted, chopped
2 tsp chia seeds
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved

Directions:
What directions? Mix these goodies up in a bowl, cover & chill in the fridge for a while, and enjoy!

Nutrition data for adapted version (from MyFitnessPal.com), per serving:
283 kcal
17 g fat
25 g protein
11 g carbohydrate
2 g fiber
6 g sugar

Whole Foods Sonoma Chicken Salad
Serves 4-6

“This chicken salad is one of our classic Whole Foods Market dishes. The tender chicken breast, crunchy pecans and sweet grapes in each bite are hard to top.” -From The Whole Foods Market Cookbook

Ingredients

Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
5 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Salad
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup pecan pieces, toasted
2 cups red seedless grapes
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
Directions

Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to dress the salad. This can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the chicken breasts in one layer on a baking pan. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes until completely cooked through (Juices should run clear; no pink in the center) Remove cooked chicken breasts from pan; let cool for 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate.

When the chicken is cold, dice into bite-size chunks and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in pecans, grapes, celery and dressing.