Southwest Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Avocado Cilantro Dressing

Ingredients:
for the salad-
2 large sweet potatoes
2 tbsp oil
1 heaping tsp cumin
1 heaping tsp chili power
1/2 tsp cinnamon
salt/pepper
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of sweet corn, rinsed and drained
2 Romaine hearts, chopped
1 c sweet chili pistachios

for the dressing-
1 avocado
1 single serve cup 0% plain Greek yogurt
2/3 c water
1 c cilantro
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt, to taste
2 tbsp lime juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Chop sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Combine oil, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon into large Ziploc bag. Add chopped sweet potato pieces to Ziploc bag. Seal and toss until potatoes are well coated with oil and spices.
3. Turn sweet potatoes out onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from oven, season with salt and pepper to taste, stir potatoes around on sheet. Return to oven for an additional 15 minutes.
5. While potatoes finish cooking, pulse avocado, yogurt, water, cilantro, garlic powder, salt (I use just a pinch), and lime juice in blender until smooth.
6. In a large salad bowl, combine lettuce, corn, black beans, cooled sweet potatoes, and pistachios. You can add dressing and toss all ingredients until coated evenly, or serve dressing on the side.

This recipe was modified from www.pinchofyum.com

yields about 6 servings

Taco Salad

Ingredients:

8 c dark leafy greens
1 1/4 lbs extra lean ground turkey
1/8 c water
1 can black beans, no salt added, rinsed, drained
homemade taco seasoning
2 mangos, diced
1/2 c homemade guacamole
1/2 c salsa (no sugar added)

Directions:

1. Add ground turkey to large skillet over medium high heat.
2. While turkey is cooking, add spices together for taco seasoning in a small dish. When turkey is no longer pink and cooked through, add taco seasoning and water to cooked turkey. Stir together until turkey is well coated with seasoning.
3. Add black beans to cooked turkey. Simmer about 5 minutes, or until black beans are cooked through.
4. Divide leafy greens between 4 bowls (about 2 c in each bowl). Add 1/2 c of turkey and black bean mixture on top of greens. Top with mango, 2 tbsp. guacamole, and 2 tbsp. salsa.

Yields 4 servings, serving size 1 salad

Pepperoni & Mozzarella Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

2 c pasta, dry

1 bottle Bolthouse Farms Cesar Parmigiano Yogurt Dresssing (found in refrigerated produce section)

1 c mini turkey pepperoni

8 oz. Mozzarella Fresca pearls (found with specialty cheeses)

1 c grape tomatoes, halved

1 tsp basil, ground

dash of salt

dash of black pepper

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente.

2. Drain pasta and transfer to mixing bowl. Allow pasta to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

3. Add dressing, salt, pepper, basil, and pepperoni. Stir until pasta is well coated with dressing.

4. Cool in refrigerator for 1-2 hours. After cooled, mix in mozzarella and tomatoes. Stir until well coated.

 

Yields about 15 servings, serving size 1/2 c 

4 points on Weight Watchers Points+ System

 

I am in no way affiliated with Weight Watchers.

Chicken & Berry Salad

Ingredients:

10 chicken tenderloins (about 1.5 lbs), cooked, chopped (I usually season mine with salt, pepper, and chili powder and bake at 350° for 30 minutes)

1/2 c + 2 tbsp fresh, blueberries

1 1/4 c purple grapes (halved if they are large)

1/4 c + 1 tbsp fetta cheese crumbles

8-10 c lettuce (I used a mix of baby lettuces) 

1/2 c + 2 tbsp Bolthouse Farms Honey Mustard Yogurt Dressing (found in the refrigerated produce section of the grocery story)

Directions:

1. Place five bowls on the counter top. Assemble salad as follows in each bowl:

-about 2 c lettuce

-2 tbsp blueberries

-1/4 c grapes

-1 tbsp fetta cheese crumbles

-2 chicken tenderloins, chopped 

-drizzle 2 tbsp Honey Mustard Dressing over the top

 

Yields 5 servings, serving size 1 salad

5 points on Weight Watchers Points+ System

 

I am in no way affiliated with Weight Watchers.

BBQ Chicken Tenderloin Salad with Avocado dressing

Ingredients:

1/2 c (5.3 oz.) Stonyfield nonfat organic Greek yogurt
1 avocado, mashed
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained, rinsed
1.5 lbs chicken tenderloins

1/2 c homemade bbq sauce (or your favorite kind), divided 

Cherry tomatoes

12 c lettuce (any variety)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top of the foil. Set aside.

2. Rinse and pat dry chicken tenderloins. Season both sides of each tenderloin with salt and pepper. Place chicken on wire rack. Brush the top side of each tenderloin with 1/2 of the BBQ sauce. Reserve the remaining BBQ sauce. 

3. Bake chicken in oven for 15 minutes.

4. Remove chicken from oven, flip, and brush on remaining BBQ sauce. Place back in oven and bake an additional 15 minutes.

5. While chicken finishes baking, add avocado, salt, pepper, lime juice, garlic, and yogurt to food processor. Puree together. Add extra virgin olive oil and blend until well combined. 

6. Remove chicken from oven and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes. Slice each tenderloin into bite-sized pieces.

7. Build your salad by placing two cups of lettuce in each bowl. Add the following to each bowl:

about 3 tbsp of corn

about 3 tbsp of black beans

5-7 cherry tomatoes

1.5-2 BBQ chicken tenderloins, cut into bite-sized pieces

8. Drizzle each with 2 tbsp avocado dressing.

 

Yields 6 servings, serving size 1 complete salad with all listed components 

8 points on Weight Watchers Points+ System

 

I am in no way affiliated with Weight Watchers.

 

Recipe modified from www.sharedappetite.com

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Ingredients:

2 bags steamable red potatoes (3 lbs total)

6 hard boiled eggs, cooled, diced

1/2 c onion, chopped

1/4 c celery, chopped

1 jar Hormel 50% reduced fat real bacon crumbles

1 c reduced fat mild cheddar cheese

1 c light mayonnaise

1 c sour cream

1 tsp yellow mustard

2 tsp sugar

Directions:

1. Steam potatoes according to package directions.  Remove from packaging and allow to cool completely. Dice potatoes into quarters or eighths when cooled.

2. In a large bowl combine potatoes, hard boiled eggs, onion, celery, bacon crumbles, and cheese.

3. In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, and sugar until well combined. Pour into large bowl with potato mixture. Fold ingredients together until all are well combined and coated with mayonnaise mixture.

4. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. 

 

Yields 15 servings, serving size 1/2 c

Grilled Steak Chopped Salad

Ingredients:

5 c Mediterranean blend lettuce

7.5 oz. grilled steak, cooked, sliced

1/8 c glazed pecans

1/8 c reduced fat blue cheese crumbles

1/4 c dried cranberries

1/8 c Hormel 50% less fat real bacon crumbles

2 medium d’anjou pears, diced (you could use apples in place of pears)

1/4 c T. Marzetti Light Poppy Seed dressing

1/8 c Bolthouse Farms Extra Virgin Olive Oil Original Balsamic Vinaigrette

Directions:

1. Cook steak as desired. Allow to cool and slice into strips. 

2. In a large bowl combine lettuce, diced pears, pecans, cranberries, and bacon crumbles.  

3. Drizzle both salad dressings over lettuce and toppings. Top with lid and shake until dressing coats ingredients evenly.

4. Divide salad mix evenly into bowls (about 2 1/4 c into each bowl). Top each salad bowl evenly with strips of cooked steak and 1/2 tbsp each of blue cheese crumbles (you could also mix the blue cheese into the salad but the rest of my family doesn’t like it, so I add it separately on top).

 

Yields 4 servings, serving size 2 1/4 c salad mix + about 2 oz. cooked steak strips

6 points on Weight Watchers Points+ System

 

I am in no way affiliated with Weight Watchers.

 

Recipe modified from espressoandcream.com