I always like the New Year because it feels like a fresh start. And I especially feel that way about what I eat.
After the indulgences of the holidays I always like to find guilt-free, tasty recipes that make me feel good.
I told my husband that 2014 is going to be "the year of the salad" for us. We are good at eating vegetables. David and I both love them (Lainey is another story), but we typically eat them cooked... sauteed really, unless they're Brussels sprouts, and then we bake them.
But it's starting to feel boring and a little too predictable. I believe it's time we seriously expanded our vegetable repertoire and for me that's expanding into the world of salads. But how? The problem is that when I think about lettuce and dressing, I'm just not that inspired.
My husband is not a fan of mayonnaise, so I'm always on the lookout for non-mayo salads. I made this Italian roasted potato salad that was absolutely delicious! Because of the egg, it could even act as a main course!
To give you some ideas for your Labor Day BBQ, I wanted to post my recipe for delicious summer grilled corn salad and show you these cool retro 1950's Labor Day printables we're giving away.
First, the corn salad...
This is our special Chinese chicken salad served in pretty wonton cups. Wouldn't these look great on a buffet table adding a nice splash of color?
The salad is tangy and crisp, made with shredded chicken, napa cabbage, radicchio, romaine, and carrots.
This cold sesame appetizer is our go-to recipe for any potluck that we're invited to. What's great about it, is it's simple to make, and can sit out for a while at a party and the flavors just keep getting better. It got a great earthy flavor from the soba and sesame seeds, with a little bit of heat to make it interesting.
Ingredients:
If you need to put together a super quick appetizer with a lot of flavor, this pasta caprese salad is it!
It's simple to make, and all I recommend is using super fresh ingredients (and not overcooking the pasta). I use farmer's market cherry tomatoes, yummy virgin olive oil, fresh lemons for the lemon juice, and the best buffalo mozzarella I can find. And I have to say I get so many compliments on this. Here's how to do it:
I love trying out new recipes, especially during holiday weekends when my husband and I have a little more time to cook and... taste.:)
Here are some of the things I'm planning to make this Labor Day weekend. (Click on the photo or link to go to the recipe.) What are you thinking of making?