Chicken Salad with Peaches and Blue Cheese (Feta)

This recipe has been up since I first starting typing up our favorite recipes. A great summer meal that is on frequent rotation in our kitchen. And, since I'm extra lazy these days- I often skip the recommended vinaigrette and use a little bit (because those peaches are so juicy) of my favorite poppy seed dressing.

Ingredients:

Salad
2 heads romaine lettuce, cut crosswise into 1-inch strips.
1 rotisserie chicken, meat sliced into bite-size pieces
2 peaches, roughly chopped (with or without peel)
3/4 cups (3 oz.) crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup (2 oz.) almonds, roughly chopped

Vinaigrette
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Arrange lettuce, chicken, peaches, cheese, and almonds on a platter or on individual plates.

2. Whisk together the vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad.

This can be customized to what you prefer, or what you happen to have in the refrigerator.
Instead of peaches... sliced pears, halved red grapes
Instead of romaine...spinach, arugula, spring mix
Instead of blue cheese... goat cheese, feta
Instead of almonds... walnuts, pecans

Serves 4-6.

from Real Simple: Meals Made Easy

Pomegranate Poppy Seed Salad

1-2 heads romaine lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces OR spring mix & baby spinach
pomegranate seeds
1/3 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup sliced almonds/walnuts/pecans
Brianna's Poppy Seed Salad Dressing



    Combine lettuce, pomegranate seeds, feta, and almonds. Add a bit of dressing and toss gently. This dressing goes far, so start with a little and add more as needed.

Cranberry Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

10 oz baby spinach, stems trimmed
1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans (or walnuts)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/2 cup feta cheese
1 large tomato, diced
1 avocado, diced

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together and toss. Dress with your favorite vinaigrette, like Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette.

Serves 6-8.

Poppy Seed Layer Salad

This is great for a side salad, or a light dinner- serve it with great fresh bread.

Ingredients:

10 oz baby spinach (can use 1/2 romaine)
1/2 lb grated Swiss cheese
4-6 bacon strips, cooked, then crumbled
1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced or diced
baby bella mushrooms, sliced (optional)
small carton of lowfat cottage cheese

Directions:

1. On a large platter or on individual plates, assemble salad by creating a base of greens, layer of Swiss, bacon crumbles, red onion, optional mushrooms, and a small amount of cottage cheese. The cottage cheese does not need to be distributed all over.

Serve with poppy seed dressing-homemade- or Brianna's.

Serves 4.