Dukan Diet

Memorial Day means the unofficial beginning of summer in the U.S., or as I like to think of it, the beginning of Salad Season!  I love those warm summer days when a big plate of salad seems like the perfect lunch, and I'm always looking for ideas for my next salad creation.  This Barely Blanched Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad with Red Bell Pepper, Radishes Red Onion, and Cashews was inspired by a salad I bookmarked years ago on a blog that's no longer posting.  I changed it quite a bit from the original salad and it took me a couple of tries to get it right, but I love all these ingredients and this final version of the salad is definitely a keeper.

(Updated with new photos and step-by-step instructions, August 2013.)  One interesting thing about blogging is how it becomes a record of what foods you're craving at different times of the year.  I've confessed how my mid-winter craving for tomatoes leads to recipes like  Pinto Bean Salad with Avocado, Tomatoes, Red Onion, and Cilantro.  It happened again in 2009, when I spotted the recipe for Greek Salad with Avocado, Shrimp, and Caper Vinaigrette from Nick's Fishmarket Maui in the R.S.V.P. column in Bon Appetit Magazine, and tomatoes jumped into my basket the next time I was at Costco. I did enjoy those mid-winter tomatoes, but if you're making this in the summer with fresh garden tomatoes it will be even better!  Another ingredient that really made this salad special was the caper vinaigrette.  I adapted the restaurant's recipe a bit, but I'd never leave out the capers, which were a brilliant addition here.

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and this tasty salad with chicken, black beans, and red peppers with avocado dressing is something I love when the weather gets hot.  I normally post my Phase One Friday favorites on Friday morning, but I'm sharing this one early because tomorrow morning I'll be heading out bright and early to attend the BlogHer Food 2013 Conference.  This year the conference is in Austin, Texas, where it's definitely hot enough to make you crave this type of salad; enjoy!)

It's hot, hot, hot outside, and whether you're looking for a cold side dish to take to a party or just something that's an eat-it-cold meal idea, this Chicken, Black Bean, and Red Pepper Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing is going to hit the spot, I promise.  If you really want to avoid cooking you can make this with leftover rotisserie chicken, but if you don't have that poaching two chicken breasts is still pretty quick and easy.  This salad stayed good in the fridge for several days, especially if you stir in a little more of the spicy avocado dressing to perk up the flavors.  Enjoy!

Re-discovering a recipe is always fun, and while I was unpacking from the move I found this old favorite rice salad recipe in a set of binders with recipes I clipped from cooking magazines back in the days before the internet.  The salad was called Roman Rice Salad, but unfortunately I didn't write down where I found it, and I couldn't find anything with that name online.  I made this salad many, many times through the years with white rice, dried basil, and chopped bell pepper, but I loved this updated version with brown rice, fresh chopped basil, and rings of pepper from sweet mini-peppers.   

This Broccoli and Radish Salad Recipe with Gorgonzola is a healthy red-and-green salad for your holiday buffet!

(Easy Broccoli and Radish Salad with Gorgonzola was updated with better photos, December 2014.)

Everywhere you look on Pinterest and on the blogs there are Christmas cookies, and even though I do have a few ideas for low-sugar and sugar-free cookies, truthfully I'm tired of the sweets and ready for something green and crunchy!  This Easy Broccoli and Radish Salad with Gorgonzola is the kind of simple salad I'd make for myself for a quick lunch, but don't you think the bright red and green colors (and the use of creamy Gorgonzola cheese) make this something you can get away with for a Christmas salad?  Personally I would head right for this on the buffet table.

Before we get to the recipe, let's talk about healthier salad dressing.  Blue cheese dressing is definitely a limited food if you're following the South Beach Diet or trying to focus on healthy eating.  But I love blue cheese dressing, and for years I've been buying Lighthouse Chunky Blue Cheese and mixing it half-and-half with buttermilk for an easy and more diet-friendly blue cheese dressing that still tastes wonderful. That's the dressing I used for this easy salad, but if you have a favorite dressing recipe, I'm sure homemade dressing will be even better.  (And if you're making homemade blue cheese dressing eight days before Christmas, more power to you!)

The holidays are absolutely the hardest time of year to stick to a more carb-conscious eating plan, and when I go to a party I'm always grateful if the hosts offer a few healthy-eating options.  And when I'm taking a pot-luck dish, I always try to take a lower-carb favorite that's something I love so I won't feel deprived if there end up being lots of other things I don't want to eat.  I already have a favorite red-and-green chicken salad that's amazing if you're a green olive fan.  But this week I bought one of those packs of shredded rotisserie chicken meat from Costco (so handy!) and the idea for this Rotisserie Chicken Christmas Salad with Avocado, Red Pepper, and Lime popped into my mind.  And even though I am a very bad blogger for not sharing this with you sooner, this will still be delicious if you make it long after Christmas is over.

Cucumbers. Avocado.  Cilantro.  Lime.  Let me get those four ingredients out there just in case anyone turned up their nose at this idea because of the canned tuna, which admittedly is not everyone's cup of tea.  I wasn't much of a canned tuna lover myself until I discovered my favorite tuna packed in olive oil, and now I find myself reaching for it regularly, especially during the summer months.  This Cucumber Avocado Salad with Tuna, Cilantro, and Lime is something I came up with recently on one of those days when I was standing in front of the fridge wondering what to make for lunch.  My first time I just made one serving (and gobbled it up) and then the next day I worked on the actual recipe and took these photos.   And if this particular salad with tuna doesn't grab you, look after the recipe for some other ideas for tuna salads that are great for summer.

Ingredients

Preparation

1. Bring about 2 inches of water to a boil in the bottom of a steamer. Add
the green beans to the top part of the steamer, cover, and steam for 5
minutes, or until tender.

2. Place the beans in a large bowl and add the cilantro, radishes, and
feta cheese.

3. Sprinkle the oregano over the salad, then season with pepper. Mix the
vinegar and oil together in a small bowl and pour over the salad. Toss
gently to mix well.

4. Transfer to a serving platter, surround with the tomato wedges and
chill until ready to serve.

Makes 4 serving

Source; http://www.popweightloss.com/green-bean-salad-with-feta-cheese/