Apricot Chickpea Salad

February 8, 2023 Amanda Plott

So, I’ll be honest here in saying that I never really buy or use apricots a whole lot, and I’m not entirely sure why either. They taste good, fresh or dried so it’s not that I don’t like them. I just never really think to use them. But, this salad dressing just sounded really good to me for son reason or another. It’s sweet, but tangy, and yet has just a little bit of a kick from the ginger in there. It’s really one of my new favorite things on the planet.

This salad is a really good mix of textures and tastes. You really won’t miss meat here. And you won’t miss the dairy either. Somehow everything else going on really keeps you from focusing on what’s not there so that you instead focus on what is there. And that’s a lot of goodness!…

Air Fryer Grilled Cheese

December 1, 2022 Amanda Plott

After the rush that was last week, I've kept it pretty simple this week. And nothing is more simple than a grilled cheese. This Air Fryer Grilled Cheese takes it a step further, leaving you making the famous American sandwich hands free in the air fryer. The best part is that you get a perfectly crisp toast on the outside and an ooey-gooey melted cheese on the inside. You truly can’t go wrong here.

There isn’t a whole lot here to healthify or make better-for-you while also keeping with the classic. I started this sandwich off with Texas toast, because there’s no other way to have the sandwich if you’re aiming for traditional. But, you could definitely swap the bread out for something whole wheat or sprouted grain. Today though? I want CLASSIC…

Cheeseburger Salad Jar

September 25, 2022 Amanda Plott

It’s the weekend so why not do a little bit of meal prep work ahead of the work week? These Cheeseburger Salad Jar are super easy to make and are the equivalent of a cheeseburger turned into a salad and then shoved into a jar for ease of grab-and-go lunch on the run. It’s got everything in there that you know and love about a traditional cheeseburger.

Ground beef, lettuce, tomato, pickles, cheese, and of course special sauce for dressing! It doesn’t have to stop there either. I also drizzled a little bit of ketchup and mustard over mine because it gave it even more of that cheeseburger feel!…

Butternut Squash Salad + Maple Vinaigrette

September 13, 2022 Amanda Plott

Yes, another salad! This Butternut Squash Salad is a little different though since it’s got a lot of fun Fall flavors packed into it and it’s super easy to make. The homemade maple vinaigrette has to be one of my all time favorites, and it’s easy to see why. This salad starts off with a base of greens. I went with a mixture of baby spinach and a spring blend, but arugula would be a good option too!

After that it’s loaded up with oven roasted butternut squash, cranberries, feta cheese, and YES even bacon! The homemade maple vinaigrette might sound strange, but trust me, you’re going to love it. I used a bourbon aged maple syrup, but you can use any kind you want so long as it’s actual factual maple syrup, and not just flavored like maple syrup. Trust me, there IS a difference…

Instant Noodle Jars

September 7, 2022 Amanda Plott

Lunch time meal prep at it’s finest! I’ve been on it with jar salads lately, and no one can stop me except for myself. I did decide this week to do something a little different than salad in my jars though. This time I went with soup! Look, we all like those cup of noodles or instant noodles. But, they’re filled with a LOT of nonsense and even more sodium. So - we’re changing that today with making our own version!

These Instant Noodle Jars are fresh, full of flavor, and couldn’t be more simple to make. They’re better for you than the dried pre-packaged ones, annnd you get to control everything that goes into them; which is probably the best part of it all…

Taco Jar Salad

August 29, 2022 Amanda Plott

If you can’t tell, I’ve been in jar salad mode for a while now. For me, it’s super easy to accidentally skip out on lunch, so having prepared jarred salads ready to go in my fridge means that I don’t have any excuse to miss out on a meal! These Taco Jar Salad are another great option too. You get a lot of bang for your buck here since there technically isn’t any salad dressing. We’re using salsa here!

The salsa naturally gives the salad a dressing of it’s own that is low in calories and in guilt. Which means you get to load this salad up with all the more taco goodness. We’re talking beans, corn, cheese, tomatoes. All of it! Even the meat and cheese…