Fast & Fresh: Southwestern Chicken Salad

I love salads...especially in the summer!  

They are light, satisfying, full of variety, and easy to make!

Well, this post is actually a modified "Product Review".  Dole has been advertising these new salad kits and I decided to try one.  They are quick right?

So I picked the Southwestern Salad Kit. It's made with iceberg and romaine lettuce, sharp white cheddar cheese, taco ranch dressing, sour cream, and tortilla strips. 

This would make a great lunch but, I decided to dress it up a bit for a dinner entree with some sliced grilled chicken.

This dinner needs no recipe.  I just butterflied a chicken breast, and marinaded it in Brianna's Santa Fe Blend Salad Dressing!!  So YUMMY!

Grill your chicken on the indoor grill pan, or outdoors, like I did.

Cut up your cooked chicken in slices.

Prepare the salad, and top with chicken!

Simple....and delicious!  Love the taco ranch dressing, and the chicken is so moist!

This great for a quick meal.  I would say that Dole's salad kit serve 2-3 people as an entree, and 4 as a side salad.. I hope you will try one of Dole's salad kits, they're quite tasty!

What's your favorite prepared salad??

Fast & Fresh: Grilled Pita Pizza

It's hot out, I'm hungry...and I don't want to deal with the heat in the kitchen!

To solve this dilemma I'm keeping it light, using fresh ingredients, and keeping the heat to a minimum...the kitchen heat that is!

So I bring to you a summer series of recipes that I call,

"Fast & Fresh"

• Simple ingredients
• Fresh and healthy
• Easy prep
• Delishhhh taste!

First up, is my Grilled Pita Pizza.  These are a low carb individual pizzas that you whip using pita bread.  This makes for a light and crispy crust, which reduces the amount of total carbs. 

It's summer, go light and enjoy the different variations of crusts that you can utilize.

By using the outdoor grill you reduce that hideous kitchen heat! Yeah! 

Using ingredients such as freshly grated mozzarella cheese and fresh basil helps give this pizza a flavor that's tasty and light.  

These individual pizzas are great for lunch, or as your main dish at your next BBQ.

Let's make grilled pita pizza!

Heat your gill to medium high heat.

Place your pita breads flat on the grill rack and toast each side for about 2 min or until it is toasty brown .  Remove from grill.

Now, the fun part!  You can have each person create their own pizza using various toppings.  We were craving pepperoni pizza so that what we used.

Top your pita breads with pizza sauce.  You can use fresh tomatoes, pureed into a sauce with Italian herbs added. YUM!  or you use your favorite store bought sauce...whatever works! The key is to get a great sauce with a flavor you love.

Add fresh shredded mozzarella cheese.  Top with turkey pepperoni (tastes really good and keeps the fat content down!)

Place the pizzas back on the grill.  Grill with the cover down about 5 min until cheese is melted and the meat is heated through.

Add fresh basil on top! Smell that fragrance??

And voila!  Your pizzas (masterpieces) are done.

Sorry but MGG and I have to try this NOW!

Grilled Pita Pizza

serves 2

Ingredients:

2 pita breads
1/2 cup pizza sauce (homemade or store bought)
3/4 cup shredded fresh mozzarella
turkey pepperoni
basil leaves

Directions:
Heat your gill to medium high heat.

Place your pita breads flat on the grill rack and toast each side for about 2 min or until it is toasty brown . Remove from grill.

Top your pita breads with pizza sauce. Add fresh shredded mozzarella cheese. Top with turkey pepperoni.

Return to grill and cook with the lid down about 5 min, until cheese is melted and meat is heated through.  Add fresh basil and serve.

Linked to:  Your Recipes My Kitchen

Summer Fruit Gazpacho

I'm not a fan of Gazpacho...

Nope.  Just not in to the whole cold tomato juicy thing....

So...when I ran across this Fruit Gazpacho in one of my favorite cookbook's the recipe just leaped off the page and said....Eat Me!! I'm REALLY Good!

The cookbook is Cooking Light's "Cooking through the Seasons".  You can see a picture of the book on the right side of my blog in my Cookbook Corner.  Great book!

Amazing recipe!  This is my new summer favorite cold soup.

It's great on it's own or would be great as a side dish to some grilled fish, chicken, or pork. It's spicy like a salsa, Latin in flavor, yet fresh and fruity.  Delishhhh!

It's very easy to make, it just is a lot of knife work...great time to enhance those knife skills!  A one bowl wonder that you make ahead, and will keep well in the frig for days.

So let's make Summer Fruit Gazpacho...

Get out a good sharp knife.  Dice up your tomato, honeydew, and cantaloupe and place in a medium sized bowl.

Next, dice up your mango, cucumber (seeded), and nectarines.  Place in the bowl.

Dice up your onion and add it to the bowl.  Next, add your orange juice. 

Chop up your fresh basil and mint.  Add it to the bowl.  Add your lemon juice, sugar, and salt.
Next, chop your jalapeno, mince it fine.  You can add more for stronger heat.

Now mix it up really well.  Stick it in the frig for about 2 hours to meld the flavors. 

Voila, you have Summer Fruit Gazpacho!!

Look at the colors...!

YUM!   So tasty!

Summer Fruit Gazpacho

adapted from:  Cooking Light's Chunky Tomato Fruit Gazpacho

Servings  4 (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

1 cup finely chopped tomatoes
1 cup finely diced honeydew melon
1 cup finely diced cantaloupe
1/2 cup finely diced mango
1/2 cup finely diced seeded peeled cucumber
3/4 cup finely diced nectarines (about 3 medium)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup finely chopped Vidalia onion
1/8 cup chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.