Triple Berry Blue Cheese Quinoa Salad

Berry Blue Cheese Quinoa Salad just makes me smile, for so many reasons. The salad personified is ME, call it “Jennifer Salad” because it’s all about the things I am and love. It’s sweet without being cloying, packed with the season’s best berries including blueberries, raspberries and strawberries (or any combo there in). It’s bold with a blast of blue cheese crumbles. It’s got a lot of attitude and texture, with layers of flavor to keep every bite interesting. It’s hearty and healthy, fills you up without being too dainty. And finally, it’s portable and ready to go, standing up to a mealtime on any adventure.

Berry Blue Cheese Quinoa Salad is a scrumptious side dish featuring blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and a blast of bold blue cheese. Can be made ahead for an easy dinner side dish or meal prep friendly for lunch!

Read on to get this delicious, meal prep friendly quinoa salad: Continue reading

Bacon & Egg Breakfast Salad with Maple Apple Cider Vinaigrette

It may seem strange to wake up to a green salad and glass of water when we live in a coffee and donut world. But, trust me, starting your morning with large, fully-loaded salad for breakfast is a great way to get a jump start on your daily nutritional goals and fuel up for an active day. It’s probably been around 10 hours or more since you last ate and, if you’re anything like me, your body is starving for a hearty, healthy, balanced meal. 

A breakfast salad like my Bacon & Egg Breakfast Salad with Maple Apple Cider Vinaigrette will power up your morning with good taste, good protein and 3+ servings of fruits/vegetables. Read on the get all the details and recipe. Continue reading

Fiesta Mexican Roasted Corn Salad

Fiesta Roasted Corn Salad is a south-of-the-border inspired side dish for summer cookouts and family gatherings. Not only is this Mexican corn salad colorful, but is extra delicious with a creamy homemade dressing that always conjures up memories of nibbling on smoky-sweet elotes (Mexican street corn), sitting on a curb, with sauce smeared on my chin, sweat dripping down my back and concerned only with the detail of finishing my snack! Fiesta Roasted Corn Salad - Mexican-inspired side dish

Eating roasted corn on the cob can awkward though (well, for me anyway) and a little harder to make for a crowd (you need a lot of grill room).  Because I wanted to make corn to share at a big event, prepping it as a salad was the perfect option and easily scalable to fit the number of guests I’m expecting, from just 5 and my normal dinner table to 50 or more.  Read on to get my personal take on a traditional esquites salad  . . . as they call a similar dish in Mexico. Continue reading

Pineapple Edamame Salad with Ginger Wasabi Cashew Butter

Sometimes the day calls for thinking creatively, especially if you remembered lastminute about an invitation to a social event where you were asked to bring a side dish. Saving the day was my Pineapple Edamame Salad with Ginger Wasabi Cashew Butter Drizzle was invented with literally what I had on hand. It’s definitely a creative fruit salad!Pineapple Edamame Salad with Ginger Wasabi Cashew Butter Drizzle

Sure, I could have stopped by the store and grabbed a bag of chips and salsa to present the hostess but, as a healthy food blogger, that usually doesn’t faire to well and sounds something like this “Oh, I was expecting you to bring one of your homemade fit and fabulous creations . . .. but this looks . .err, good,” said with manufactured enthusiasm. So, read on to get this super easy, four ingredient fruit salad recipe you can make in five minutes: Continue reading

Fiesta Five-Veggie Potato Salad

Say “Hello,”  . . . err,  make that “Ola,” to my Fiesta Five-Veggie Potato Salad – it’s a delicious addition to your next family dinner or for pot lucks, outdoor grilling, and other casual entertaining. Packed with loads of vegetables (as the name implies), this south-of-the-border inspired salad is nothing like those monochromatic, bland, sit-in-your-stomach-like-lead potato salads of yore.

Fiesta Five Veggie Potato Salad a yummy, southwestern inspired side dish.

Instead, this simple to make southwestern potato salad is colorful, kicked up in flavor and lighter yet packed with plenty of vitamins and important nutrients. Read on the get the recipe and all the yummy details. Continue reading