Cucumber Tomato Salad

We fell in love with this salad when we did the Beachbody Ultimate Reset, and it has become a staple on our menu. It's quick & easy to toss together. Even my husband can do it! We have it for lunch, dinner, or a snack! If we use it as a side salad, we just do a 1/2 recipe each. I've even made it for parties, and it's always a hit. 

Serves 2:

4 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 med cucumber, peeled partially, cut lengthwise, sliced
2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp chopped red onion
2 Tbsp chopped fresh (or 2 tsp dried) Italian parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh (or 2 tsp dried) basil
Himalayan or Sea Salt to taste (optional)
Herbal seasoning blend of your choice to taste (optional)

Combine vinegars, lemon juice, and oil in a bowl; mix well. Set aside. Combine cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, parsley, basil, salt, and herb blend in a large bowl; mix well. Add dressing; gently toss and serve!

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Wow! This was delicious!! I found this recipe online, and I am in love! My husband couldn't stop raving about it, and he's already asking me to make it again! Little does he know that I have two more already made for breakfast. ;)

Ingredients:

Serves 4:

• 2 acorn squash, cut in half, seeds removed
• 1 tbsp coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 lbs  turkey breakfast sausage
• salt & pepper to taste
• 4 eggs (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat over to 375 degrees.
2. Place the acorn squash, cut side down, on a cookie sheet and back 20-25 minutes or until the squash is soft when you press on the skin. Remove from the oven and let cool a little.
3. While the squash is cooking, heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and saute until the onion turns translucent.
4. Add the turkey breakfast sausage. Cook the sausage, breaking up the sausage as it cooks, until no longer pink. 
5. Turn heat to low.
6. With a spoon, scoop out the insides of the squash being careful not to go through the skin.
7. Mix together the squash and the meat until well blended. 
8. Scoop the mixture back into the shells. 
9. **Optional** With a spoon, make a well inside the mixture, and crack an egg into the well. 
10. Bake for 10-15 minutes (or until the egg is cooked to your liking).
11. Enjoy!! 

You could also put the filling into a baking dish instead of the individual squash skins. It would be great for a party! 

Chicken BLT

My husband and I are starting a whole foods nutrition plan, so I'm finding creative ways to make food without grains or dairy. This Chicken BLT was fantastic!! The chicken is the bun! You can cook the chicken ahead of time, and reheat and stuff when you're ready! 

Ingredients:

4 Chicken breasts, boneless skinless

6 strips Bacon, cooked

Spinach

1 Tomato

1 Avacado

1/4 cup Pico de Gallo

Preheat oven to 350.

Season chicken. I used salt, pepper, garlic, and Old World seasoning from Penzey's. 

Bake chicken 15 min per side or until cooked through. 

While the chicken is cooking, mash the avocado, and mix in the pico. 

Slice the chicken in half lengthwise, but don't cut all the way through. Fill with spinach, tomato, bacon, and avocado mixture. 

Enjoy!

***I know bacon is sketchy with the whole foods plan. There are some places out there have bacon that fits into the criteria. But I'm going at this with a 80% accuracy, because I am NOT perfect and trying to be brings on too much stress. And let's be honest, it's bacon! Bacon makes everything better!