Quick Greek Chicken & Grain Salad

This is something I threw together on a Sunday for some healthy lunches during the week.

1c. Pedon 10 minute Italian 5 grain mix (from Costplus here)
      (this is a par-cooked blend of spelt, barley, whole grain long rice, kamut wheat and oats)
2c. Beef stock/broth

Cook grains in microwave or stove according to package direction. While grains are cooking, prepare the rest of the salad, mixing together:

1 cucumber, diced, ends discarded
1/2 onion, diced (white or red)
1 (6oz) carton reduced-fat feta cheese
1 (12.5 oz) can chicken, broken up somewhat (usually happens enough when mixing)
1 can sliced black olives
11/2 Tbs Greek Seasoning  (I use Mt. Eolus from Savory Spice shop here)
1/3 c. red wine vinegar (plus more to taste)
2/3 c. olive oil (plus more to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

Add cooked grains to salad mix, mixture, mix well, and it's ready to eat! Add more olive oil/vinegar to taste, depending on how much 'dressing' you want. I refrigerated mine overnight to let the flavors meld, so if you have time I recommend that. Also, in the spirit of my favorite "nest" concept, and adding more healthy veggies, I ate it on top of a bed of spinach. This makes about 4 servings.

Chickpea Goat Cheese Salad in Pita Pockets

So easy, my husband assembled it! Again, from my pins, I had this recipe: Chickpea Salad that I wanted to try. I pretty much followed the recipe, except using US measurements and using Greek Yogurt in place of the mayo. It turned out really delicious! All you do is chop some lettuce and slice a little onion, then dump all the ingredients in a bowl and mix!

We doubled it but only used 1/2 onion total, and there's enough for 4-6 servings (depending on if they are husband- or wife-sized). I'm having it for lunch today in half of a whole wheat pita pocket. Super stoked as I tasted a bit this morning while transferring to a lunch sized plastic container and it's delicious and amazingly goat-cheesy considering the amount that's in it.

Cauliflower Carbona of Course

I've had this Cauliflower "Alfredo" sauced pinned for a bit, and I've been wanting to try it. Who doesn't want a healthy way to get their creamy pasta sauce on!?! I have to say, I definitely give this a 10/10...it's amazingly velvety and rich-tasting. I followed the exact recipe above, adding a Tbs or two of Olive Oil and maybe 1/4 c. of Parmesan cheese to the puree. What did I use it in? Well, Carbonara of Course!

I just cooked up some whole wheat linguine, fried 6 slices of bacon cut into 1" strips, then sautéed mushrooms in 1/3 of the bacon grease+1 Tbs of Olive Oil, adding a tsp or so of Rosemary leaves and salt and pepper to taste. I also had a small amount (maybe 1/4c) of frozen peas, so I tossed those in with the mushrooms too.

In the spirit of my earlier Spinach Noodle Nests, I placed the pasta on a bed of spinach (why not, it's an extra veggie and texture, and I love the hybrid pasta bowl/salad mixture!!), then topped with some sauce, mushroom mix, a bit more sauce, and then topped with 5-6 of the 1" pieces of crispy bacon. Yum-o! It made about 4 servings, with plenty of sauce left over to freeze (yes, reviewers say it freezes well). I see a Cauliflower crust white pizza in our future...