Greens & Yellows Summer Salad with Smoky Grilled Chicken

Another salad idea that packs a protein punch and a sweet summer kick! It's also a pretty assortment of bright greens and yellows that sets off the dark red-browns of the grilled chicken, if presentation matters to you! 

The health benefits of legumes are always so highly praised, and edamame is no different, being high in protein, dietary fibre, folate and Vitamin K. Spinach, of course, is a dark, leafy green, full of iron and Vitamins A, C, and B. Nectarines are a great source of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and give this salad some juicy sweetness. Chicken breast is an excellent lean protein, but the chili powder seasoning is also rich in Vitamin A and minerals like potassium and phosphorus. Avocado acts as a nutrient booster, helping your body to better absorb the goodness in all of these ingredients! 

To cook the chicken, you will need a two-sided grill or a BBQ. 

Makes 2 dinner sized salads

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tsp white vinegar
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• enough chili powder to coat chicken breast (approx 1 1/2 tbsp)
• 3/4 cup frozen edamame beans
• 3/4 cup frozen corn
• 3 cups baby spinach
• cucumber
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 nectarine
• Dressing: 
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp tarragon

A couple hours in advance, trim any fat off chicken breasts, then sprinkle seasoning, covering all sides of the chicken. Set aside in fridge, allowing marinade to soak in. 

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small pot over high heat. Add frozen edamame and corn. Boil for 3min, strain in colander, and let cool completely. 

To cook the chicken, I use a 2-sided grill (like a George Foreman). Warm up the grill, then place chicken breasts in center and set timer for 8-10min, depending on thickness of chicken. 

Meanwhile, wash and dry baby spinach, and divide evenly over two plates. 

Very thinly slice as much cucumber as you want in your salad. The more cuke, the more crunch! I slice into paper thin coins. Arrange over half of the spinach bed on both plates. 

Slice avocado in half and remove the seed. Slice each half in half, then carefully remove the skin from the flesh. Place avocado flesh in a bowl of cold water for a minute (the cold water bath will ensure the avocado doesn't turn brown). Remove from water, and slice each quarter into 4, then arrange over the other half of the spinach bed on both plates. 

Slice nectarine into slim wedges around the pit (may take some patience!). Arrange over salad. 

Sprinkle the cooled edamame and corn over salad. 

Mix all dressing ingredients together and drizzle over salad. 

Slice grilled chili chicken and serve along with salad. 

Asian Quinoa Salad with Mango & Snow Peas

Summertime! 'Tis the season for dreaming up new creations so the salad rotation doesn't get dull. I like my salads filling enough to be a main dish, so quinoa usually works its way into the mix. Today's inspiration? Asian! Because mangoes are on sale, and my boyfriend can't get enough of snow peas. 


I feel extremely guilty though for using store-bought salad dressing in this recipe... I always make my own dressing, but there's a bottle of Litehouse Toasted Sesame in the fridge that needs using. As guilty as I feel, thank goodness the dressing is guilt-free, meaning zero grams of fat! Whew. 

Serves 4

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• Chicken marinade: 

• 1/2 tsp bombay curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper 
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne
• 1.5 cups quinoa (3 cups water)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 25 snow peas
• top half of a bunch of green onion
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 carrot
• 1 large, ripe mango
• juice 1/4 of a lemon
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1/3 cup Litehouse toasted sesame ginger dressing (fat-free)

Trim any fat off chicken breast and dice roughly into 1cm cubes. Marinade with seasoning, and set aside in fridge (can be done the night before, or just an hour prior to cooking, so flavor sets in). 

Bring water, quinoa, salt and ground coriander to a boil in a medium pot over high heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce to low and cover for 15min. 

stripped snow peas

Meanwhile, wash and prepare all your fruit and veg. With the snow peas, this next step has been firmly ingrained in me thanks to years of helping my mom out in the kitchen... Feel free to skip this step if you don't mind a bit of chewy toughness in your snow peas. Instead of just trimming the ends, she taught me to take each of the ends and strip them down so the tough stringy parts on each side of the peas are removed. Slice each snow pea into 3-4 bite size pieces. Set aside.

Dice the green half of a bunch of green onion and place into large salad bowl. 

Roughly chop enough fresh cilantro to fill 1/4 cup and add to large salad bowl. 

Peel then shred carrot, using a medium grater slot. Add to large salad bowl. 

diced mango

By now, the quinoa should have finished cooking. Remove from heat, fluff, then add sliced snow peas to the quinoa, allowing the heat from the quinoa to lightly steam the snow peas. Fluff again, then let cool completely. 

Remove skin from mango, using a peeler or sharp knife. Dice, then add to large salad bowl. Toss all ingredients in the salad bowl so far with the juice of a quarter of a lemon. 

Sesame sprinkles on chicken.
Golden brown chicken.

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a small pan over high heat. Add cubed chicken to the pan and sprinkle sesame seeds over chicken. Cook for 10-15min, turning chicken pieces so that all sides are golden brown. Remove from heat and cool completely before adding to salad bowl. 

Once chicken, quinoa and snow peas have cooled, add to salad bowl and toss with salad dressing. Enjoy! 

Fourth of July Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

Time to get festive and turn my usual chewy chocolate chip/raisin oatmeal cookies into Fourth of July cookies! 

Yields 12 large cookies, or up to 20 smaller cookies

• 1 cup whole wheat flour 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 1/3 cups rolled oats (not instant)
• Red, white & blue M&Ms**
• Optional:  1/2 cup almonds, chopped.  

 ** Normally made with either 1/2 heaping cup raisins or 1/2 heaping cup chocolate chips mixed into the batter. 

Preheat oven to 375°C. 

Line 2 cookie sheets with tin foil. 

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

In another large bowl, beat canola oil and white sugar with a hand held mixer until smooth (about 45sec). 

Using a plastic spatula, mix brown sugar, egg and applesauce in with the oil and sugar. 

Stir in the dry ingredients, then the oats (** at this time, mix in raisins/chocolate chips if using instead of M&Ms).

Drop the batter by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Decorate with as many red, white & blue M&Ms as you like!

Bake for 11min (they should look dull on the surface). Slightly under-baked for moist and chewy cookies! 

Transfer the cookies from baking sheets to cooling rack and cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temp.

chocolate chip version