Island Turkey Salad

A summer salad filled with island flavors that is both scrumptious and easy to make!

Island Turkey Salad

An easy way to make a quick summer weeknight meal is to make a Main Course Salad (or Entree Salad).  These are dishes that are filling enough to be full meals.  They are filled with protein, vegetables, carbohydrates, and fat which rounds out a full meal.  Today's main course salad is my Island Turkey Salad.  So easy that it will be cooked in 30 minutes, but you will have to allow for a 30 minute, quick marinade as well.  So plan ahead a little on this one and you can do the marinade right on the counter while you prep the other ingredients and the dressing.

Tender turkey tenderloin is the star of the show.  It's marinaded in teriyaki sauce to provide it with great flavor.  Then it's grilled either using an outdoor grill or an indoor grill pan for quick cooking.  Toss together a salad of lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, jalapenos, radishes, and pineapple for that zesty tropical island flavor.  Quickly make my homemade honey mustard dressing to drizzle all over the salad and dinner is complete!

You'll have a wonderful island meal in know time.  Perfect for the summer when we don't want to heat up the kitchen and dinner needs to be on the table fast so you can enjoy the long summer evenings.  I'll be out by the pool if you need me!

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

Salad:

• turkey breast tenderloin (from a 24 oz 2-pack)
• teriyaki marinade sauce
• tomatoes
• red onion
• jarred sliced Jalapeno peppers
• cilantro
• red leaf lettuce
• radishes
• canned pineapple tidbits
• Optional garnish: crispy won tons, chow mein noodles, or tortilla chips

Dressing:

• Dijon mustard
• honey
• Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• olive oil
• lime 

Substitutions and Variations

• Greens:  choose your favorite lettuce

• Don't like cilantro:  use parsley instead

• Vegetables:  Add sliced bell peppers, broccoli, or any vegetable you like

• Dressing:  Although the homemade honey mustard dressing is simple to make you can purchase pre-made dressing from the store

• Can't handle the heat:  leave out the jalapenos (although the jarred ones are not really hot)

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Turkey tenderloins come in a package of two.  

• Make sure to get a teriyaki marinade and not a thick sauce.

• I used this sauce to keep it keto/low carb friendly.

• Make sure to cook the turkey until the temperature reads 160 degrees.

• Rest the cooked turkey 5 minutes before slicing.

• Serve on a platter or large salad bowl for presentation.

Items you may need:

• Salad bowls - white ceramic, good for pasta

• Large Vegetable/Salad bowl - floral stoneware

• Oval platters - set of 2 white or blue

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Island Turkey Salad

serves 4

1 turkey breast tenderloin (from a 24 oz 2-pack)
1/2 cup teriyaki marinade sauce
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 large red onion, sliced
2 teaspoons jarred sliced Jalapeno peppers, chopped
1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
6-8 cups of red leaf lettuce, chopped

1-2 radishes, thinly sliced
8 oz can pineapple tidbits, drained
Garnish: crispy won tons, chow mein noodles, or tortilla chips

Dressing
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice

Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a jar or small bowl.  Set aside.

Combine the turkey and the teriyaki sauce in a ziploc bag and allow to marinate on the counter for 30 minutes while the turkey comes to room temperature.

Mix the tomatoes, onion, jalapenos, cilantro, and salt in a medium bowl.  Chill until ready to serve.

Grill the turkey over medium-high heat (indoor or outdoor grill) until fully cooked about 8 minutes per side.  (Meat should reach 165 degree internal temperature).  Discard the marinade.  Allow the turkey to rest for 5 minutes.  Slice in to strips.

Assemble the salad by arranging the lettuce on a platter or serving bowl.  You can also arrange in 4 individual bowls.  Top with some of the chilled tomato mixture, pineapple, radishes, and sliced turkey.  Add garnish if desired.  Drizzle with the dressing and serve.

Greek Chicken Bowls

My Greek inspired chicken bowl is the perfect 30 minute meal to eat all summer long!

Greek Chicken Bowls

Another 30 minute meal coming your way!  I've been on the hunt trying new quick and easy dishes all summer and this one is perfect for a weeknight meal.  

I used a rotisserie chicken that I shredded up. But you can use any leftover chicken or grill, poach, or bake your own.  Add pearl couscous ( Larger round pasta balls thank Moroccan couscous) as your base  and fill the bowl with garbanzo beans, red onion, bell pepper, cucumber, tomatoes and feta cheese.  I drizzled a little store bought Tzatziki dressing over the top and dinner is done!  The flavors of Greek food made simple in a simple grain bowl.   Can't beat the flavors or the ease of making this dish.  

Time to enjoy summer!

What Ingredients do I need?

• pearl couscous

• cooked shredded chicken breasts - rotisserie or leftover baked, grilled, or poached chicken

• garbanzo beans (chickpeas) - canned

• orange bell pepper

• red onion

• cucumber - I used English

• grape tomatoes

• feta cheese - I like to buy this in a block and crumble it myself

• Tzatziki bottled dressing - store bought

Substitutions and Variations

• Try adding black olives

• Grains:  Try a grain such as bulgur, quinoa, or farro as the base

• Switch around the vegetables - try sauteed eggplant or zucchini

• Season the chicken - you can easily add a Greek seasoning blend to the chicken and heat it in a skillet before adding it to the bowl.

• Skip the dressing or try a Greek Vinaigrette, or just a dollop of Tzatziki

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Prepare the peal couscous first and then do all your vegetable chopping while that is cooking.

• Serve warm or cold

• Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days

• Great for meal prepping

Products you may need

Pearl Couscous

Saucepan

Wooden Spoon Set  on sale!

Bowls - white embossed ceramic

Bowls - Earth Tones

Chef's Knife

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Greek Chicken Bowls 

Serves 4

1 cup of pearl couscous
1 1/2 cups water
1 lb. cooked shredded chicken breasts, warmed
1 15oz can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 orange bell pepper, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 English cucumber diced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
4-5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
Tzatziki dressing

Bring water to a boil. Add couscous and salt. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

To make bowls, divide couscous among 4 bowls. Divide up the chicken,  garbanzo beans, cucumber,  bell pepper,  tomatoes,  red onion,  and feta.  Drizzle with Tzatziki dressing and serve warm.  

Mediterranean Avocado Boats

Buttery avocados are turned into boats to hold a Mediterranean flavored salad filled with juicy tomatoes and heavenly mozzarella pearls.  Now this is a salad!

Mediterranean Avocado Boats

Summer brings a bounty of produce and I love making quick and easy dishes using all the fresh ingredients that's available.  I'm all about quick weeknight (and weekend) meals when it is hot out.  Eating minimally processed fresh foods are not only healthy for you they are easy to prepare.  They also fit in a variety of diets such as low-carb, keto, Mediterranean, Whole 30, and vegetarian.

Today's side dish is not only pretty but it packs in the flavors of the Mediterranean.  A salad of tomatoes and mozzarella balls (called pearls or Ciliegine) and tossed with some basil, olive oil, and heavenly balsamic vinegar.  This salad is then piled on top of whole avocado halves that form a boat to hold the salad.  So cute, and soooo yummy!  They're on the table in 30 minutes with little fuss and no cooking. Serve this along with any grilled protein, sandwiches, burgers and dogs, or even kabobs.   This is the best kind of side dish in my book!

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• extra virgin olive oil - choose a good one that you enjoy the flavor of since this is a prominent flavor in the salad.

• balsamic vinegar  - like olive oil these come in a wide range.  choose one you like (from Modena IGP are good)  Rule of thumb:  The ingredient list should say grapes or grape must as the first ingredient listed

• yellow and red cherry tomatoes 

• feta cheese - I like to purchase feta in a block and crumble it myself

• fresh basil

• ripe but firm avocados - see how to pick an avocado below under kitchen tips

Substitutions and Variations

• Tomatoes:  grape tomatoes or diced Roma tomatoes would work.

• Cheese:  go for mozzarella balls or even goat cheese.

• Simple salad:  if you don't want to make the avocado boats just dice the avocado and toss them in the salad along with the tomatoes and cheese.

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Picking an avocado:  

• Depending upon when you buy your avocados to make this dish you might want to choose slightly unripe avocados.  This way, the ripening process can take place at home, and you can use the avocados when they reach the ripeness you want.  If making this dish the same day look for ripe but firm avocados.




• Ripe avocados should be dark green, almost black, or are dark green with black speckles.  




• Texture: The bumpier the avocado, the riper it is  




• Firmness: Gently squeeze the avocado, and it should give slightly but not feel mushy

• Preparing the avocado:
• Halve the avocado - Starting at the stem end you want to cut in to the avocado until you reach the pit and then slide your knife down lengthwise until you reach the stem again.  Don't cut across along the equator.  Twist the two halves in opposite directions to separate them.

• Remove the pit - Hold the avocado half containing the pit  skin side against your palm of your hand.  Using caution here:  You want to stab the pit with the base edge (the part next to the handle) in to the pit.  Twist the handle and the pit should remove from the flesh.

• Peel the avocado -  You can either run a spoon between the skin and flesh of the avocado or If you have a firmer avocado, you can use your fingers to gently peel back the skin.   

• Make Ahead:  Make the salad ingredients (tomatoes, cheese, basil, and dressing) and chill.  When ready to serve prep the avocados and assemble.

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Mediterranean Avocado Boats

serves 4

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper
1 cup yellow and red cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 ripe but firm avocados, halved and pitted

In a bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl combine the tomatoes, cheese, and basil.  Add a Tablespoon of the dressing and toss until coated.

Scoop out each avocado half in one piece from its peel and place them cut side up on a platter.  You want the flat side up that shows the indentation from the pit.  Sprinkle with a little salt and top with the tomato salad mixture.  Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad and avocado.  Garnish with extra basil leaves if you want.