CAPRESE SALAD

This recipe is the perfect way to use those beautiful tomatoes growing in your garden! With only a few fresh ingredients, you have a light, healthy, and delicious salad. So don’t let the summer slip away without making this amazing Caprese salad!

Caprese salad is my favorite way to use our garden tomatoes in the summer. Not only is it easy to put together, but it’s also healthy and amazingly delicious!

A great Caprese salad starts with great ingredients. This recipe is meant for summertime when tomatoes are at their juiciest, sweetest, and most flavorful. Of course, you can make this any time of the year, but it is best with fresh summertime tomatoes! Don’t worry if you don’t grow your own tomatoes; just be selective in the tomatoes you buy from the store or farmer’s market. Avoid tomatoes with blemishes or dark spots. The tomato should have a good weight for its size. A heavy tomato indicates juiciness. And lastly, the tomato should be very aromatic when you smell it near where the stem was attached.

Ingredients:

Besides the freshest and tastiest tomatoes, you’ll need only four other ingredients. Because there are so few ingredients, the quality of each is that much more important.

Mozzarella: The mozzarella should be fresh, soft, and packed in water. When you cut the mozzarella, you want to use a very sharp knife. Because the mozzarella is soft, a dull knife will squish the mozzarella instead of cutting it.
Basil: Only fresh leaves will do! I like to use large, whole leaves. If the leaves are smaller, you can use more than one leaf for each tomato.
Sea Salt: I keep sea salt on hand, and it’s my preferred salt in many dishes. I like sea salt for its coarse and crunchy texture. It also has a stronger salt taste.
Fresh ground pepper: When pepper is freshly ground, it’s significantly more flavorful than pre-ground pepper. When you grind pepper immediately before eating, the ground pepper has significantly less time to react with the oxygen, which allows it to maintain the flavor components that make it peppery. So if you don’t own a pepper grinder, I strongly recommend that you get one; you won’t regret it!

Balsamic Glaze:

I’m giving the balsamic glaze its own heading because it’s that important! The glaze really brings this dish together and gives it that “WOW” factor. With the perfect balance of sweet and tangy, balsamic glaze adds a delicious, deep rich color and intense flavor to this dish.

You can certainly buy balsamic glazes at the grocery store; I have, and they’re not bad. But nothing beats homemade. And it only takes two ingredients and fifteen minutes to make.

Combine the balsamic vinegar and the brown sugar in a small saucepan, and bring to a gentle boil. Then turn the heat down to medium or medium-low, maintaining a constant simmer. Stir the glaze occasionally and continue cooking until it has thickened and coats the back of a spoon (about 10 to 15 minutes). If the glaze is not thickening up, turn the heat up slightly. The finished glaze should have the consistency of warm honey. It will thicken some as it cools.

One word of warning…Turn on your stove’s exhaust fan! Cooking balsamic vinegar produces a very strong vinegar smell that will permeate your entire house. Turning on the fan will help some.

Caprese Salad

This recipe is the perfect way to use those beautiful tomatoes growing in your garden! With only a few fresh ingredients, you have a light, healthy, and delicious salad. So don't let the summer slip away without making this amazing Caprese salad!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10

Course Appetizer, Salad

Servings servings

Ingredients

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, about ¼-inch thick slices
2 medium tomatoes, about ¼-inch thick slices
basil leaves
sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
balsamic glaze, **You can find balsamic glaze in the grocery store, or you can make it yourself. I've included instructions on how to make homemade balsamic glaze below.

Homemade Balsamic Glaze: (optional)

1 cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup brown sugar, packed

Instructions

Arrange the sliced mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, and basil leaves in an alternating pattern on a plate (a slice of mozzarella, tomato, and basil leaf, repeat).
Lightly sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
Drizzle everything with the balsamic glaze with back-and-forth motions.

Homemade balsamic glaze: (optional)

Heat balsamic vinegar and sugar in a small pot or saucepan over medium heat.
Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to medium or medium-low heat, and maintain a constant simmer. Stir occasionally until the vinegar thickens and is reduced by about half (about 10 to 15 minutes). It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. The glaze should have the consistency of warm honey. (Be sure to turn on the stove fan, the smell of the cooking vinegar is strong).
Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before serving (about 15 minutes). The glaze will thicken some as it cools.
Store leftover glaze in the refrigerator and use it within two months.

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CLASSIC EGG SALAD

Egg salad is a classic recipe that is always a crowd-pleaser! Amazingly creamy and packed with flavor. Perfect for sandwiches, bite-sized appetizers, or served with crackers!

Every year around this time, I find myself with a bounty of brightly colored Easter eggs that need to be used – I just have a hard time throwing out perfectly good food! Of course, my kids eat some of the eggs, usually their favorite ones, but I always need to find a way to use the rest. So, without fail, I will make egg salad sandwiches. It’s such an easy and quick way to use up all those eggs! And everyone in my house loves this egg salad recipe, so it’s a win-win!

But honestly, you don’t have to wait for Easter to make this classic egg salad. It is just too delicious to have only once a year – not to mention it is incredibly easy. In about 25 minutes, you’ll have a delicious, protein-packed lunch, snack, or appetizer!

How to Boil the Perfect Egg Every Time!

Step 1: Place eggs in the bottom of a saucepan.

Step 2: Fill the pan with cold water, 1 inch above the eggs.

Step 3: Bring the water to a rapid boil on the stovetop over high heat.

Step 4: Once the water comes to a boil, cover the pan with a lid and remove the pan from the heat. Do not lift the lid. Set a timer for 12 minutes.

Step 5: Fill a large bowl with ice and water.

Step 6: When the eggs are done, use tongs to remove the eggs from the hot water and immerse them gently into the prepared ice water to cool for about 10 minutes.

Step 7: Gently tap the eggs against a hard surface and peel away the shell. Rinse the egg under cold water to remove any bits of shell.

Making Egg Salad:

Once the eggs are boiled, you are almost done!

Chop the eggs, don’t dice them; you want some texture to egg salad.
Measure out 2 tablespoons of relish and drain off any excess liquid. It makes your egg salad runny if you add too much liquid. But, don’t worry; you will still get the tangy punch of flavor from the relish.
Add all the ingredients; Miracle Whip, mustard, relish, salt, and pepper (mince the parsley if using) and gently fold everything together.

That’s it! I told you it was easy.

This recipe works great as a standard sandwich filler. Just add lettuce or spinach and top with egg salad.
It also works great for open-faced sandwiches (like in my pictures). I would recommend lightly toasting the bread (either French bread or baguette, sliced thin), then add a piece of lettuce and top with the egg salad. Garnish with minced parsley and paprika.
Serve with your favorite crackers for a delicious side dish or snack.

Classic Egg Salad

Egg salad is a classic recipe that is always a crowd-pleaser! Amazingly creamy and packed with flavor. Perfect for sandwiches, bite-sized appetizers, or served with crackers!

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 12

Course Salad

Servings servings

Ingredients

6 hard-boiled eggs
4 tablespoons Miracle Whip
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
2 tablespoons sweet relish
¼ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley, (optional)
paprika for garnish, (optional)

Instructions

Boil 6 eggs (*see notes below), peel, and chop.
Measure out the 2 tablespoons of relish and drain off any excess liquid.
Add all the ingredients to the chopped eggs and gently fold together. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Serve in a standard sandwich, an open-faced sandwich, or serve with crackers.
Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

This recipe works great as a standard sandwich filler. Just add lettuce or spinach and top with egg salad.
This also works great for open-faced sandwiches (like in my pictures). I would recommend lightly toasting the bread (either French bread or baguette, sliced thin), then add a piece of lettuce and top with the egg salad. Garnish with minced parsley and paprika.
Serve with your favorite crackers for a delicious side dish or snack.

How to Boil the Perfect Egg:

Step 1: Place eggs in the bottom of a saucepan.

Step 2: Fill the pan with cold water, 1 inch above the eggs.

Step 3: Bring the water to a rapid boil on the stovetop over high heat.

Step 4: Once the water comes to a boil, cover the pan with a lid and remove the pan from the heat. Do not lift the lid. Set a timer for 12 minutes.

Step 5: Fill a large bowl with ice and water.

Step 6: When the eggs are done, use tongs to remove the eggs from the hot water and immerse them gently into the prepared ice water to cool for about 10 minutes.

Step 7: Gently tap the eggs against a hard surface and peel away the shell. Rinse the egg under cold water to remove any bits of shell.

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SOUTHWEST CLUB WRAPS

If you are looking for a quick and healthy dinner idea that includes loads of flavor, look no further! These wraps are healthy, delicious, and completely satisfying.

We all need some go-to recipes that are easy and healthy, but we don’t want to sacrifice flavor just because we are trying to be healthy. And if you are anything like me, you want to break out of your salad rut once in a while. Don’t get me wrong, I love salads, but part of eating healthy consistently is keeping your food interesting. Wraps are a great way to mix it up, and honestly, the variations are endless!

Sauce: These wraps start with a southwestern-style sauce, ranch dressing, and barbecue sauce. I make a ratio suggestion for the ranch and barbecue sauce, but you can change that based on your preference. You can use any variety of barbecue sauce that you like. If you love barbecue sauce, add more! If you want a bit of heat to wrap, use a spicy barbecue sauce.

Cheese: You really can use any you like, shredded or sliced. My preference is Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, as I find they go perfectly with the other flavors of the wrap. I have even used sliced Gouda…and it didn’t disappoint! One suggestion, if you use shredded cheese, be sure to layer it on top of the sauce; the shredded cheese will stick to the sauce and will be less likely to fall out of your wrap when you are eating it.

Lunch Meat: Turkey works the best, as it is mild in flavor and allows the sauce to be the dominant flavor, and at the same time adds healthy protein to your wrap. However, you could certainly try other lunch meats and find a combination that you love.

Vegetables: This is where you can really get creative or even individualize the wraps. I love to load my wraps up with lots of lettuce; I’ve even used spinach when we had it growing in our garden. My husband loves olives, so I’ll load his up with extra. On the other hand, I don’t like olives, so I leave them out of mine. I do recommend using the peppers and cucumbers, as they add a nice crunch to the wrap.

For added flavor, we like to dip our wraps in the leftover sauce or make a little extra, if needed. We even save the leftover sauce for dipping carrots, bell peppers, or cucumbers. Our family prefers the ranch/barbecue combinations over just ranch for dipping vegetables. Try it!

My kids even enjoy getting involved in making the wraps to their liking, loading up on the things they like, and skipping the ones they don’t. I find they are more likely to eat vegetables if they have some control over which ones they get to eat. Otherwise, my kids will peek through the wrap suspiciously, concerned about what I might have slipped inside.

Southwest Club Wraps

If you are looking for a quick and healthy dinner idea that includes loads of flavor, look no further! These wraps are healthy, delicious, and completely satisfying.

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Prep Time 20

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Servings servings

Ingredients

Sauce:

¾ cup ranch dressing
⅓ cup barbecue sauce, (any brand will do)

For the Wraps:

tortillas, (use the large burrito size)
lettuce or spinach leaves
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
8 ounces shredded cheese or sliced cheese, (Monterey jack or pepper jack)
1 ripe avocado, sliced thinly
1 large red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
½ of a cucumber, sliced into thin strips
½ – 1 cup sliced black olives

Instructions

Sauce:

Combine the ranch dressing and the barbecue sauce in a small bowl. Mix well. Set aside.

Wraps:

Prepare all the vegetables by washing and slicing them as indicated on the ingredient list.
Begin assembling the wraps. Layout the desired number of tortillas. Start with the sauce, spread evenly over the entire tortilla, leaving about an inch around the edge. Layer the cheese and meat over most of the tortillas. Add the vegetables down the center of the tortilla.
Roll the finished wrap. To make a closed-end wrap, fold both the right and the left edges over the vegetables about one to two inches and then roll from the bottom. Be sure to press the ingredients into the center of the wrap as you roll the tortilla tightly.
To make an open-ended wrap, fold only one edge and roll tightly.
If you make a closed-end wrap, cut the wrap in two and eat half at a time.
Use the leftover sauce to dip the wrap as you eat it.

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GRILLED CHICKEN AND PEAR SALAD

Any day is a perfect day for a crisp, flavorful salad! This salad is perfect as a main course since it has your protein, fruits, and vegetables all in one! Of course, it also works as a smaller side salad, but it might steal the show!

When we want salad for dinner, this is our go-to! It has everything, protein, fruits, and vegetables. The homemade dressing is tangy and sweet and adds a zing of flavor, making this salad a home run! And it comes together quickly, so no-big-fuss for a delicious and healthy dinner.

This recipe is better with grilled chicken; it adds depth and richness to the flavor that baking or frying won’t give you; it’s also healthier. We pretty much have summer year-round here in Hawaii, so grilling is almost always an option for us. But if you prefer not to grill, or if it’s not an option for you, not a problem; you will still make a fantastic salad! I’ve included the directions for cooking the chicken on the stovetop below and in the recipe notes.

To grill the chicken, I brush the chicken with a bit of oil and lightly season with salt, pepper, and cumin on both sides. Next, I turn my grill on high and let it heat up for a few minutes. Then I grill the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side. Your grill temperature and cooking time will vary based on your grill and the thickness of the chicken. When grilling chicken, I ALWAYS use a meat thermometer to check if it is done. You do NOT want to eat undercooked chicken. Your chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 160F.

When cooking your chicken on the stovetop, season the same way you would for the grill. Heat your pan and one tablespoon of oil on the stove over medium-high heat. Place chicken breast in the pan and cook undisturbed for 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and continue cooking for another 7 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160F. Cooking time will always depend on the thickness of the chicken breasts.

Let your chicken cool down completely before slicing and assembling your salad; adding warm chicken will wilt your greens. While your chicken is cooling, you can toast the pecans. You can halve them or roughly chop the pecans and add them to a small skillet. Over medium heat, toast the pecans in a dry skillet (do not add oil), stirring, so they don’t burn. This process should take about 5 minutes, and they should be golden, fragrant, and crunchy.

As far as your salad greens go, any greens will work. This is totally up to your preference and/or availability. We grow both kale and spinach in our garden, so I like to use both to give my salad a variety of flavors and textures.

Any variety of pear will work as well. I like the color contrast and crispness of the Anjou pear (pictures above). But again, any will work.

Making homemade dressing is easy and delicious. Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender or mini-prep and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. That’s it! Use immediately or store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Grilled Chicken and Pear Salad

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 6

Servings side salads or 2 main entrée salads

Ingredients

3-4 chicken breast
cumin, for seasoning chicken
salt and pepper, for seasoning chicken
6 cups salad greens, any salad greens
2 medium pears, any variety
⅓ cup dried cranberries
⅓ cup chopped pecans, toasted
¼ cup feta cheese

Dressing

½-1 shallot, (depending on the size of the shallot) peeled
½ cup olive oil, extra virgin
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons Greek yogurt
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Instructions

Preheat grill on high heat. Brush chicken lightly with oil and season with salt, pepper, and cumin on both sides.
Add chicken to the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side. (Your grill temperature and cooking time will vary based on your grill and the thickness of the chicken). When grilling chicken, always use a meat thermometer to check if it is done. Your chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
Allow chicken to cool before slicing.
While the chicken is cooling, toast the pecans. Halve or roughly chop the pecans and add them to a small skillet. Over medium heat, toast the pecans in a dry skillet (do not add oil), stirring frequently so they don't burn. This process should take about 5 minutes, and they should be golden, fragrant, and crunchy.
Wash and slice the pears.

Dressing

Peel the shallot. Add the shallot and all the other dressing ingredients to a blender, mini-prep, or immersion blender and process for 30 seconds. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Shake thoroughly before using.

Notes

Cooking chicken on the stovetop: When cooking your chicken on the stovetop, season the same way you would for grilling it. Heat your pan and 1 tablespoon of oil on the stove over medium-high heat. Place chicken breast in the pan and cook undisturbed for 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and continue cooking for another 7 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160F. Cooking time will always depend on the thickness of the chicken breasts.

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