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!
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!
This is one of my very first recipes when starting on my low carb journey. This recipe was stuck in a long post about my weekly menu from almost 2 years ago! So I am reposting it and reminding everyone that this is a great onion-dip alternative! This dip tastes amazing with cut up veggies! I especially love dipping cucumber slices! But if you want caesar dressing just thin it out a little with half and half or heavy cream- whatever you have! So much flavor, low carb, simpleeeee! What more could ya want!?! lil carb Caesar Dip & Dressing
1 Cup Mayonnaise
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp fish sauce- to avoid the anchovy paste 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
-Taste and add a pinch of salt if you think it needs it.
---For dressing follow exactly above then: Add in 2 Tbsp heavy cream or half n half
In a food processor add all the ingredients and pulse for about 45 seconds until smooth!
For a caesar dip the above recipe is perfect! I like to dip veggies into this dip as an onion dip alternative. People love it! For a dressing just thin it out a little and you are all set for caesar salads!
I love this salad dressing! I have been making it for years and it really is perfect. Everything seems to taste better when it's homemade and salad dressing is so super easy to make why not make it at home? Plus it sounds better when you say "I made this dressing"- lol! Plus these ingredients are probably already in your pantry! There's really not much more to say- you need to stop reading this post and get in your kitchen and whip up this dressing!
lil carb Italian Dressing
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 Tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp paprika
1 packet of Truvia OR 1 tsp of your favorite sweetener
Juice of 2 lemons
1/8 tsp Italian seasoning
1-2 garlic cloves- cut in half (based on garlic preference)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
Combine all of the ingredients in a salad dressing jar (like my pic), mason jar, or small bowl.
Whisk or shake until combined. I let mine sit in the fridge overnight to really develop all the yummy flavors! Let dressing sit at room temp for a few minutes before serving and shake well before pouring.
Great on salads, grilled veggies, steamed veggies, pasta salad, potato salad, broccoli salad- whatever you like!
Since today is Super Bowl Sunday I figured it was my duty to share my go-to blue cheese dressing. The ingredients are most definitely inside of your fridge as we speak so really the only thing you might need is the blue cheese crumbles!
Use this as a salad dressing or dip your wings into it! That is what I am going to do!
lil carb Blue Cheese Dressing:
1/2 Cup Mayo
1/4 Cup Half & Half
1/4 Cup Sour Cream
1 Tsp Worchestershire Sauce
1/2 Cup Blue Cheese Crumbles
1/2 Tsp Pepper
Salt To Taste
Whisk first 4 ingredients together until well combined then add in salt, pepper and blue cheese crumbles. Fold together until well mixed. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge so flavors can develop for about 1 hour then serve with dip, on a salad, or with your favorite wings!
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!
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!
lil carb Fresh Fig Salad- Serves 2-4
I love this salad dressing! I have been making it for years and it really is perfect. Everything seems to taste better when it's homemade and salad dressing is so super easy to make why not make it at home? Plus it sounds better when you say "I made this dressing"- lol! Plus these ingredients are probably already in your pantry! There's really not much more to say- you need to stop reading this post and get in your kitchen and whip up this dressing!
1/4 Cup Sour Cream
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. 