Top 3 Lunch Salads - LOW CARB

Back to school? Again? Whether you're going back to school or getting used to what I like to call "life after Summer" these three salads will help you get out of the funk and get excited again. I think it's really important to focus each day on the positive things in life. So why not start with food? When I was in school the only thing I looked forward to (besides leaving school at the end of the day lol) was LUNCH! So why not pack yourself an amazing salad to look forward to?  Here are my and Jasons top 3 lunch salads that I will be making A LOT come Monday because I am starting low carb again! I had my baby in March and now I am ready to jump back in so make sure you stay tuned to my YouTube Channel and this blog for updates, meal plans, recipes, and much more!

*Also subscribe to my YouTube channel through the video above- when I hit 10,000 subscribers I will be doing my first ever give away!* Enjoy!

Ham & Cheese Salad- Serves 1

4 thin slices Black Forest ham

2 thin slices American cheese

5 cherry tomatoes, but in half

1 green onion, sliced thin

2 cups spring mix lettuce

Layer 2 slices of ham and one slice of American cheese. Roll up and slice into pinwheels and repeat with the other 2 slices of ham and slice of American cheese. 

Slice tomatoes in half and thinly slice green onion. 

Top spring mix with ham and cheese pinwheels, halved tomatoes, and green onion. 

*I like to use Ranch dressing on this salad*

A-BLT-E Salad- Serves 1 

3 slices cooked bacon

2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped

1/4 cup chopped tomato

2 hard boiled eggs, sliced

2 Tbsp red onion, sliced or chopped

1/4 of an avocado 

garlic salt

pepper

red pepper (optional)

Chop up the romaine, tomato, avocado, and red onion. Slice the hard boiled eggs. Crumble the bacon.

Season the hard boiled eggs and avocado with a sprinkle of garlic salt and pepper. Optional- sprinkle a little red pepper on the avocado. 

Top the romaine with avocado, bacon, tomato, red onion, and hard boiled eggs. 

*I like to use Bleu Cheese dressing on this salad*

Italian Style Salad with Chicken- Serves 1

1 cup cooked chicken 

1/4 cup chopped pepper (I used orange bell pepper)

1/4 cup chopped tomato

2 Tbsp green olives, halved

2 cups baby romaine lettuce

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Parmesan crisps 

garlic powder

dried oregano

Chop, slice, or shred your cooked chicken. Season the chicken with a sprinkle of garlic powder and dried oregano. Choo the tomato, bell pepper, olives, and lettuce. 

Top the lettuce with chicken, tomato, olives, bell pepper, and then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Top with parmesan crisps and sprinkle all over with a little more dried oregano. 

* I like to make a simple vinaigrette of red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil for this salad dressing*

Low Carb Summer Chicken Bowls

It's here...!! My Summer Chicken Bowl recipe is finally ready to be viewed by the world. I have been making this for J's lunch prep for awhile now and when a meal is husband approved I feel like then you know-- it's ready to be shared. But really, this recipe is super easy and quick. I don't know about you but when I meal prep there are times when I feel like spending hours in the kitchen and really cooking... but then there are other times... those other times I know I have to meal prep but I really don't want to and I do it because I have to... well if you're also like me and wanna get in and out of the kitchen then make this easy chicken bowl and get back out and enjoy this amazing Summer while we still have it! Before we know it its going to be Fall and we are going to be into comfort food weather... and you better stay tuned because I have a ton of comfort food recipes up my sleeve!

Summer Chicken Bowl- Makes 1

1 cup baby spinach

8 mozzarella pearls

1 Tbsp pesto

pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

1 cup cooked chicken, shredded or diced

2 Tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried basil

8 cherry tomatoes (mine were equivalent to 2.5oz)

You will also need some olive oil and salt and pepper.

To start chop or shred your cooked chicken. In a small bowl combine chicken, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, basil, and oregano. Mix well until the cheese is incorporated with the chicken. Set aside
Next, prep the mozzarella- cut balls into smaller pieces if desired and mix well with pesto and a pinch of red pepper flake, set aside.
Next, cook the tomatoes. You can roast these in the oven or if you are impatient like me you can "roast" the tomatoes in a small sauce pan. Heat your pan over medium high heat with a small drizzle of olive oil. Add in your tomatoes along with a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. Shake the pan to cook the tomatoes on all sides until they are as blistered as you like. (see video above for reference)
Then it's time to assemble the bowls. I like to add in my spinach and then pile on the chicken, mozzarella, and tomatoes right on top.
*To enjoy this bowl cold just top with a drizzle of balsamic glaze or make a simple vinaigrette using olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
*If you are going to enjoy it warm then store the mozzarella separately until you are ready to eat. Microwave until warm and add mozzarella on top. Add balsamic glaze or vinaigrette and Enjoy!

Nutritional information for entire recipe (not including any dressing)

340 Calories

34 grams of Protein

4.3 grams of Net Carbs

low carb Wedge Salad

Every time Jason takes me to a steak house I crave the wedge salad. I love the refreshing crunch along side a nice juicy steak! I recently realized I can recreate that at home... yes, I really I am late to the party on this one. I shared my salad on Instagram and Snap Chat and I got quite a few messages saying to share the recipe. While this is so simple you can make it with your eyes closed, I decided to share my wedge salad with everyone! Serve this as a quick and simple lunch or as a side dish with your favorite grilled dinner.
My favorite way to enjoy this one is with a grilled strip steak and some grilled or roasted asparagus!

low carb Wedge Salad- Serves 1
1/4 head of iceberg lettuce
1/8 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/8 cup shredded red cabbage
4 cherry tomatoes, cut in half or fourths
3 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled up
Salt & pepper
+ your favorite salad dressing

To assemble, put your iceberg on a plate and break it apart a little.
Then add your dressing on top- this will help all the other ingredients to stick to it.
Then layer on the bacon, tomatoes, red cabbage and blue cheese crumbles.
Sprinkle with a little salt and some black pepper.
Enjoy!

Per Salad (without dressing)

204 calories

2.5 grams of carbs

12.7 grams of protein 

lil carb Italian Sub Chopped Salad

Per Entire Salad!

(without dressing, using the ingredients I used in my video)

472 Calories

25 Grams Protein

12.5 Grams Net Carbs

So.. at first I thought that getting bored with the same old foods was a bad thing. But after I started thinking about it I realized it's a GREAT thing!  By getting bored of foods it is keeping my mind sharp and forcing me to create yummy new recipes and put together new ideas. This next recipe was born in exactly that way. I was sick of the same old lunch salads I was eating and when I get sick of food I get sad. I really really love food and food should be an experience! Even if you're eating in your cubicle at work. You should still look forward to lunch. With this salad I get excited for lunch to come!!! Is it 12:01 yet? hehehe

lil carb Italian Sub Chopped Salad- 

Serves 1 as a meal salad or 4 as a side salad

2 1/2 cup lettuce blend

2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese- use fresh, grated, or mozzarella balls (see video)

1/4 cup cucumber

8 Kalamata olives

2 Tbsp roasted red peppers

1/4 cup yellow bell pepper

2 Tbsp red onion

5 cherry tomatoes

5 slices pepperoni

1 1/2 oz salami 

1/4 tsp dried oregano

Break apart lettuce leaves with your fingers into bite size pieces.

Then chop up everything else! Its that easy.

I like to combine in a big bowl then sprinkle with oregano and give a good mix with your favorite Italian dressing! My favorite is Kens Italian!

Pack this up for lunch, serve it as a side salad with your favorite dinner or enjoy right on the spot after you chop chop and drop!  Enjoy!

Low Carb Diet- Grocery Store Salad Dressing Favorites

Click on the video above to see me talk about my favorite salad dressings of the moment.

All low carb and all taste tested by me!  I love every one of these and I eat a TON of salads so I use them all!

Kens Steakhouse Blue Cheese

Hidden Valley Original Ranch

Kens Italian

Olive Garden Italian

Newmans Own Creamy Caesar

Raos Roasted Garlic Dressing

If you are interested in making your own salad dressings OR if you want some salad inspiration click HERE to get to my YouTube playlist with a list of salads and homemade dressings!

Happy Cooking everyone!

*This post and video are not sponsored*

lil carb Cheddar Bacon Ranch Salad-Meal Prep!

Prepping my meals ahead of time- especially lunch - is critical to my low carb lifestyle success.

The best feeling is waking up and being able to grab a salad I already prepped so I can be out the door and off to work in no time.

I have a few go-to salads and this is the first one in my easy lunch salad prep series. So stay tuned for more delicious salad ideas!

lil carb Cheddar Bacon Ranch Salad- Serves 1
2 cups your favorite lettuce blend, I use THIS ONE
2 Tbsp shredded cheddar
1/4 cup chopped cucumber
1/8 cup chopped red pepper
1 green onion, sliced thin
2 strips of cooked bacon, broken into bite size pieces
1 hard boiled egg
Ranch Dressing- I use Hidden Valley Original Ranch
Garlic & Sea Salt-optional-

Combine all of your ingredients in a tuber ware.
Put the dressing in a separate tuber ware and refrigerate until you are ready to eat!
ENJOY!

Per salad including 2 Tbsp dressing:
386 Calories
16.8 grams Protein
8 net grams Carbs


*The calorie, carb and protein calculations are for the exact products I use.
Remember to check your labels! *

lil carb Easy Chicken Dinner

Per Serving:

697 Calories

11g Protein

12g Net Carbs

This recipe is one of my favorites! I found it online while browsing for some new inspiration and every since that day I have made this dish countless times!  It is quick and simple for a weeknight but it can also impress some guests if you want to make an effortless yet SO flavorful dinner. I am all about effortless lately! Thank you Geoffrey Zakarian for your wonderful Pan seared Chicken and Olives recipe!

You can find the original recipe HERE!

My version with a couple shortcuts is below :)

lil carb Chicken & Olives*- Serves 2
*Geoffrey Zakarians recipe with a lil Piece of Hart twist*

Marinade:
2 chicken breast, pounded out thin
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp shallots, minced

Pan Sauce:
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/8 tsp dried basil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
2 tsp shallots, minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
extra chopped parsley for garnish
Salt & Pepper

Side Salad:
7oz bag of your favorite lettuce blend (I use endive, radio, escarole blend)
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper pinches

To start, pound out your chicken with the flat side of a mallot until it is thin but not breaking apart.
Then in a resealable bag combine all the marinade ingredients. Mix the bag with your hands to combine and set aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes. I do this while I prep my other ingredients.

In a large skillet add in the 3 tbsp of olive oil and heat over medium high heat.  Cook your chicken for 4 minutes per side (longer if they need it).
Remove them to a plate and cover with tin foil.

Combine the tomatoes, garlic clove, and dried basil with a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper and stir. set aside.

Lower your heat to medium and to the same skillet add the olives and the additional shallots. Stir for about 3 minutes.
Then deglaze the pan with the red wine vinegar. Scrap the bottom of the pan to release all the flavors.
Then add in the chicken stock. Let this bubble up for about 2 minutes until reduced by half.
Then stir in the mustard until it is all combined.
Then add in the tomato/garlic/basil mixture, turn off your heat and stir until everything is well combined.  Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper if needed.
Pour the pan sauce over the chicken and serve with the side salad.

Side salad- easy as pie- combine all the ingredients and toss to coat!

ENJOY!

lil carb Fresh Fig Salad

Watch me prepare this salad!

Our fig tree is thriving!  Actually thriving is an understatement... Jason has pulled off over 250 figs from our tree this Summer and it doesn't look like ti is slowing down yet!  I have been creating new fig recipes on the regs just to keep up with the over abundance we have!  This salad is everything your heart wants- crunchy, sweet, tangy, and delicious!  When I make salads I love to have a bunch of different textures and flavors- the key is to make sure all the ingredients go together- in this salad they definitely all do!  Grab some figs and make this!  In season fruits and veggies are the way to go!

lil carb Fresh Fig Salad- Serves 2-4

Salad:
1 1/2 cups arugula
2 cups kale, woody stems removed
5 fresh figs
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 oz goat cheese

Vinaigrette:
1 packet Truvia (1 tsp)
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp champagne vinegar OR red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper

Put all the vinaigrette ingredients into a mason jar and shake until everything is combine- OR you can whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl.
Set aside.
Rinse your figs under cold water and pat dry.
Cut off the top part where the stem is. Then cut in half. Cut bigger sized figs into quarters.
For the salad combine the arugula and kale in a bowl.
Top with toasted pine nuts, crumble the goat cheese on top, and arrange the fig pieces on top.
Drizzle with vinaigrette, toss lightly, and serve! ENJOY!

*Tip: Add protein to this salad for a complete meal!
Grilled chicken or grilled shrimp would be amazing!

lil carb Tuna Melt

Low carb sandwiches are right up my alley.  This melt came to me one day while I was making tuna salad and I just ran with it. It is surprisingly simple but really satisfied my craving for a tuna melt!  Plus - its only under the broiler for a short amount of time- just enough to melt the cheese so it's ready in no time! Perfect for hungry people like me who get hungry and want food in less than a minute. Yup- this works for me hehe

lil carb Tuna Melt- Serves 1

1/2 cup lil carb Tuna Salad, or fix tuna salad however you like
2 slices of tomato
2 slices of cheese, I use American
salt & pepper
2 iceberg lettuce cups, check out the how-to video above for how I make them

Preheat the broiler to high.
Cut the iceberg head so you make a cup shape. Discard the outer leaves and use the inner, crunchier leaves to make 2 lettuce cups. (Watch the how-to video above to see how I do this)
Put about 1/4 cup of tuna salad in each lettuce cup. Top each one with a slice of tomato and a little sprinkle of salt and pepper and lastly top with a slice of cheese.
On a foil lined baking sheet pop each lettuce cup under the broiler for 1-2 minutes just until the cheese melts- any longer will wilt the lettuce.

Let sit for about 1 minutes and then Enjoy!

lil carb Classic Tuna Salad

Watch me make this recipe!

*Spoiler Alert* - - -Tuna salad is not a new recipe- I have not invented anything new here. I am well aware of this haha BUT I wanted to share how I make tuna salad with everyone because whenever I make it I always get asked what exactly I put in it.  Lately I have been making a batch on Sunday and Jason and I have been eating it for lunch during the week on top of salads or I like mine with just a couple chunks of tomato. YUM!  It is a really great thing to use in meal prepping and
a nice way to switch up your protein. Plus I think tuna is a staple in any low carb diet so here it goes!...


lil carb Classic Tuna Salad
2 cans of tuna, I use Solid White Albacore in water----->
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp Mayo
1 tsp spicy brown mustard, I use Guldens----->
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp pepper
Salt to taste

Open your tuna cans and drain out the water well.
In a medium sized bowl add your tuna, red onion, celery, mustard and 1/4 cup of mayo.  Mix well. Add the additional 2 tbsp of mayo or even more until you get the desired creaminess. I find that 2 extra tbsp is perfect for me.
Then add in the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, pepper and a pinch of salt.
Mix again and taste. Add more salt until it is seasoned to your liking.
Enjoy!

lil carb Picnic Broccoli Salad

Watch me cook this amazing summer salad by clicking the video above!

Since we are right smack in the middle of the summer I wanted to share one of my favorite summer picnic salads.  Raw veggies are the star followed closely by fresh picked herbs and a light summer dressing.
This salad is a great substitute for the traditional picnic favs- pasta or potato salad- even though those are amazing...they have tons of carbs.  So I'm keeping it light with a low carb alternative!  This low carb salad pairs well with burgers, hotdogs, grilled chicken, really any summer dish.  Which is great because it can easily be made for a weeknight dinner as well as a potluck or a picnic!  When I bring this broccoli salad to a picnic or a BBQ I always get complimented on how great it tastes and people always want the recipes so here it is!

lil carb Broccoli Salad- Serves 8-10
 6 cups raw broccoli florets, cut into small bite size pieces
1 medium red or white onion, chopped small
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
8 slices bacon, cooked and broken into small pieces
3 Tbsp fresh chopped chives
Paprika

Dressing:
1 cup mayo
2 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 packet of Truvia or 1/2 tsp of your favorite granulated sweetener
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook the bacon until it is crispy.  Let it cool then break apart with your hands or chop into small pieces.  Toast the almond slices over a medium low heat until the nuts are fragrant.  Remove them from the heat and reserve.
Combine the broccoli, onion, almonds, and bacon into a large bowl.
In a separate bowl add all of the dressing ingredients and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper and pour over the broccoli mixture.  Mix well and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight to get the best flavor! When you are ready to serve garnish with chives and a sprinkle of paprika.

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The broccoli and chopped onion really bring a seasonal freshness to this salad.  The toasted almonds give an alternative crunchy texture and the creamy mayo dressing along with the fresh lemon juice  marries all the flavors together.

Try this out and let me know what you think!

lil carb Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Watch me make this!

I love making homemade salad dressings. I have already shared my caesar dressing but I have plenty of others up my sleeve.  The one I made today was a blue cheese vinaigrette.  We just got about 6 inches of snow outside and my diligent husband is outside shoveling and snow blowing.  He motioned from the window he was hungry and I knew telepathically he wanted a salad. How? I just knew. ha

Since he loves blue cheese and I happened to have blue cheese crumbles I went to work making my blue cheese vinaigrette so I could get it in the fridge to chill while I assembled the rest of the salad. Into a small mason jar I put olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, green onion, and blue cheese crumbles. Then I gave it a shake until it was combined then I put it into the fridge. 

Next I assembled one of Jasons favorite salads- spring mix, black olives, cherry tomatoes, pepperoncini peppers, rotisserie chicken and blue cheese crumbles!

Blue Cheese Vinnaigrette:

1/3 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tsp dijon mustard

2 Tbsp green onion

1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

Whisk or shake in a mason jar all ingredients except green onion and blue cheese crumbles until well combined. Then add in green onion and crumbles and give another quick shake or whisk. Chill until salad is ready. 

*The longer this dressing sits in the fridge the better it tastes! I like to make it and then allow it to sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours before I serve it!

*As a side salad I love to use spring mix lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and thinly sliced red onion!

ENJOY!

Lil Carb Caesar Dressing

Every weekend I sit down and write out my grocery list for the week.  It's become some what of a 'process'... I love to try new recipes so it takes time to think them up and do online research trying to find new, yummy ones to try. In my first post I mentioned that I had lost 40 lbs in preparation for my wedding in September.  I will go into exactly how I did it in another post-- coming soon!  But what I will tell now is that I have done just about every diet known to man and the low carb diet worked for me.  So even after the wedding is over the "diet" has become more of a lifestyle. If I eat certain carbs or sugar now I get really lethargic and just blah feeling.  It's kind of crazy to think that my body felt like that all the time but just got used to it. Scary. I stay away from most things white- flour, rice, sugar, pasta, bread....I know what you're thinking- how?! That has been my mission- turning my most favorite and even new recipes into a low carb version for my husband and I.  I wanted to share my menu for the next few days so everyone could see that even though its low carb it still can be good!  As I make some of the recipes I will share them and you can try them for yourself.   When posting a recipe I like to post a complete meal. That way you know what goes well together- I try to take the guess work out of it. So here's my menu:

• Paprika chicken served with sour cream gravy and a side of zucchini gratin with gruyere cheese
• Rosemary and garlic ground chicken burgers served over arugula 
• Teriyaki chicken breasts served with sriracha cauliflower
• Sausage and pumpkin soup made with organic pumpkin and spicy italian sausage
• Meatless zucchini lasagna served along side my famous meatballs
• Broccoli and cheese soup served with a ham and cheese cuban melt
• Chicken parmesan with homemade marinara and spaghetti squash 'noodles'
• Flounder filet with a garlic, almond, and caper sauce served over cauliflower mash
• Hard shell tacos made with my own taco seasoning blend and all the fixins

Those dinner options seem like a good mix of chicken, beef, sausage, and fish.  I try to vary it so dinner never gets boring. Plus I love cooking with all different ingredients. 

I'll let you know how they are! I'll try to share the recipes as I go.

Here's a little taste of what I whipped up tonight- Homemade Caesar Dressing!

I don't know what it is in caesar dressing but almost every one makes me sick. But I love it so much that I decided to go out and make my own.  I have perfected the recipe and I will share it with you here- you will be surprised how easy it is.

In a food processor add all the ingredients together and pulse until smooth:
1 Cup Mayonnaise- I use Hellmans regular
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp fish sauce- to avoid the anchovy I found this does the trick and you can find it in the international aisle in most grocery stores.
2-3 smashed garlic cloves- the food processor will do the chopping
1/4 tsp black pepper
Pinch of salt

Toss with some romaine and croutons and you're all set!

Homemade Caesar Dressing