Mom's Caesar Salad

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If you've followed me since the beginning of My Engineered Nutrition, then you know I have my fair share of family recipes. When you grow up following your mom and grandmother around the kitchen before you can even reach the counter, it's pretty inevitable that certain recipes will become so familiar you can almost taste them at their very mention.

If I had to trademark my mom with two recipes it would be her French bread and her Caesar salad.

Without a doubt, every dinner party, big gathering or special occasion my mom would bake her famous French bread (and then proceed to burn it while toasting 9 times out of 10 hehehe) and make her Caesar salad, always in the same large wooden salad bowl.

Ahem...Mom, if you're reading this - I would like to claim said wooden bowl in your will :) 

This salad is so simple (but oh-so delicious) and can quite possibly accompany any meal - it's THAT good. This is a much lighter Caesar salad than what you are used to, which is why I love it. It has such a bright flavor thanks to all the lemon juice, making it especially great for a summer salad! Pssst, remembered those Parmesan Garlic Croutons I post a couple months back? Those are GREAT which this salad!

Mom's Caesar Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients: 

Caesar Dressing (makes about 1/2 cup dressing)

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 3 lemons, juiced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the salad:

• 6-8 cups romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
• Parmesan Garlic Croutons
• Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

1. In your large mixing bowl combine garlic and salt. With the back of a spoon, mash the garlic with the salt to make a paste. Add Dijon and lemon juice and whisk together. Slowly drizzle olive oil into bowl while whisking. (Alternatively, you can make this dressing in a small separate bowl or jar, prior to tossing with lettuce.)
2. Add romaine lettuce to mixing bowl and toss to cover in dressing. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and divide salad between 4 plates. Finish with toasted Gluten Free Parmesan Garlic Croutons.

Nutritional Information (1 serving, does not include croutons or parmesan):

80 calories - 1 g Protein, 4 g Carbohydrates, 7 g Fat

Parmesan Garlic Croutons (Gluten-Free)

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Croutons are arguably the best part of a salad. Toasty, crunchy, garlicky cubes of bread which still have that chewy, soft center.

Let there be no mistake - these are not qualities you will find in store bought boxed croutons. Oh no, the best croutons are always homemade. 

I personally cannot stand boxed croutons.  The are usually hard enough to break a tooth on and are covered in a powdered flavoring of some kind. If I'm going to be putting croutons on my salad, the only way that is happening is if they are homemade. Croutons are SO easy to make and I'm going to go ahead and say that 100% of the time, they will taste better than anything store bought (gasp!).

While any loaf I bread technically can be turned into a crouton, I prefer to use BreadSRSLY Gluten-Free Sourdough. I HIGHLY recommend using this bread as not only is it some of the best sourdough I've ever tasted...it is also gluten-free. Win-Win! 

Aside from the bread, you only need garlic, olive oil and Parmesan cheese. It couldn't be any more simple than that.

I guarantee you won't ever think about buying boxed croutons again after you make these once. Throw these on a salad, your favorite bowl of soup...or simply eat them freshly toasted and warm out of the oven. I don't judge! 

Parmesan Garlic Croutons (Gluten-Free!)

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Bake Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups sourdough bread (gluten free), cut into 1" cubes - I recommend BreadSRSLY gluten-free sourdough, but any sourdough would do
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

Baking Accessories:

• Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper. 
2. Slice bread into 1" cubes. This should yield about 3 cups of bread. In a large mixing bowl, toss bread with olive oil and garlic. 
3. Transfer bread to baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, toss croutons on baking sheet and return to oven for another 5 minutes. 
4. After a total of 10 minutes of baking, sprinkle cheese over croutons and return to oven for a final 5 minutes to melt cheese and finish toasting croutons. 
5. Remove from oven and add to dish of your choice. If you would like to reserve for later use, these keep well stored in an airtight container. 

Nutritional Information (1 serving):

155 calories - 4 g Protein, 23 g Carbohydrates, 5.5 g Fat

Fennel, Fig and Arugula Salad

Fennel, fig and arugula - oh my! If you follow me on Instagram  (and if you don't...then what are you waiting for?) you KNOW I'm already loving fig season.

I decided I needed a recipe where FIGS were the star. This salad is so simple, but it allows you to appreciate the natural goodness of the ingredients. I absolutely love arugula in my salads. It is peppery and crisp! I add a bit more volume to the salad with baby kale - not as harsh and fibrous as standard kale. It is lovely and delicate in salads and provides a great balance to your mix of greens. 

Next let's talk salad toppings. Raw fennel bulb adds crunch with a subtle sweetness and provides a hint of licorice to the salad. Figs add such a great texture and flavor to this salad. I'm using Black Mission Figs in this salad, but really any variety will do. They have a smooth skin with a soft and chewy body filled with bursts of crunchiness from their seeds. The goat cheese rounds out this salad, providing a creaminess to the mix. 

The dressing is just as simple as the salad. I didn't want to overpower the raw goodness of the salad components. All I've used to dress this salad is a simple Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette: olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey. That's it. Celebrate the beauty of figs and try this salad ASAP!

Fennel, Fig and Arugula Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the salad:

• Arugula, 3 cups 
• Baby Kale, 1 cup
• Fennel bulb, shaved or thinly sliced, 1 cup 
• Figs, 8 (cut into halves or quarters)
• Goat Cheese, 4 oz
• Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette 

For the Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 3 tbsp
• Balsamic Vinegar, 1.5 tbsp
• Honey (preferably Raw Honey), 1 tsp
• Water, 1 tbsp

Directions

1. Mix together ingredients for the Vinaigrette. 
2. In a mixing bowl, combine arugula, baby kale and fennel. Toss with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette. 
3. Plate salads and top with figs and goat cheese. 

Nutritional info (Salad)

180 Calories - 5 g Protein, 26 g Carbs, 6 g Fat

Nutritional info (Dressing)

105 Calories - 0 g Protein, 3 g Carbs, 10.5 g Fat

Crunchy Asian Slaw

I've never been a huge fan of coleslaw. First off, I don't really like mayonnaise all that much and secondly, it usually doesn't have any sort of texture - basically a creamy, mushy mess. Some people dig it...I am not one of those people. I DO however LOVE this Crunchy Asian Slaw!

In my opinion, vinegar based coleslaw is far superior to mayonnaise based. I also think having a crunch and texture to your coleslaw makes a world of difference. The combination of red cabbage, napa cabbage, carrots and scallions with a dressing made from rice vinegar, sesame oil and lime juice is my definition of a good slaw.

This slaw is fantastic just on its own OR you could served it as a side with my Seared Ahi Tuna.  Need a bright and colorful dish to bring to a party or friend's barbecue? This is a great option! Its quick and easy. I love meals like this because they are delicious, filling and still an excellent healthy meal choice. Could you say the same after eating your traditional mayo-based coleslaw? 

Crunchy Asian Slaw

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 5 cups

Ingredients

For the slaw:

• Red cabbage, 3.5 cups shredded 
• Napa cabbage, 1.5 cups shredded
• Carrots,1 cup shredded
• Scallions, 3 sliced
• Cilantro, 1/4 cup chopped
• Sesame seeds, optional for garnish

For the dressing:

• Lime, 1 oz juiced
• Sesame oil, 1 tbsp
• Rice Vinegar, 2 tbsp
• Coconut Aminos, 1 tbsp (you could sub for soy sauce if you don't have coconut aminos)
• Sunflower butter, 1 tbsp (you could sub almond or peanut butter here as well)
• Ginger, 1/2 tsp grated
• Garlic, 1/4 tsp chopped

Directions

1. Mix together ingredients for the dressing. 
2. Combine all ingredients for the slaw (except for sesame seeds) in a large mixing bowl and toss with the dressing.  Plate and garnish with sesame seeds.

Nutritional info (1 serving, approximately 1 cup)

85 Calories - 2 g Protein, 9 g Carbs, 4.5 g Fat

Mango Lime Shrimp

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While the start to summer isn't technically for another month, Memorial Day always seems like the "unofficial start" to me. I'm also lucky enough to be heading to Mexico tomorrow morning (WOO!!)  so I'm definitely feeling the itch for summertime. This dish certainly gets me in the mood for some warm summer weather! 

I love the bright contrasting colors of this dish. It is served chilled and is light and flavorful. It could be served up on its own, on top of a bed of lettuce or with some tortilla chips, eaten like a salsa. I think this would be a great dish to bring to a summer cook out or pool party. 

This is so incredibly simple to make. I love it because you can either make it the night before (which I recommend to really let the flavors intensify) or if you are in a time crunch it can be made in only 15 minutes! 

You start by combining raw shrimp with a bit of coconut oil, lime juice and chili powder. While letting it sit to marinate, I chop up all the other ingredients - mango, red bell pepper, red onion and LOTS of cilantro! Throw the shrimp into a skillet over medium high heat to cook. This only takes 3-4 minutes so keep an eye on those shrimp. Continue to stir as they cook and once they are all pink remove from heat. 

Transfer shrimp from skillet to a large mixing bowl to cool, draining off the excess liquid. In a blender you combine remaining lime juice, cilantro, garlic cloves and salt to create the dressing for the salad. 

Give the shrimp a quick chop to cut into bite sized pieces. Combine with mangos, peppers, red onion and cilantro-lime dressing. Give this a good mix and you are all finished! Easy as that! 

Like I mentioned previously, the flavors are really best if you are able to chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before eating. Eat this by itself or if you have leftovers (like I did) you can get creative and make shrimp tacos! 

Mango Lime Shrimp

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb raw shrimp
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 3 limes, juiced (divided - 1 lime for shrimp, 2 limes for cilantro-lime dressing)
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 cup mango, chopped
• 2/3 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup cilantro, loosely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

1. Mix shrimp with juice of 1 lime, melted coconut oil and chili powder. Set aside to marinate.
2. Chop red onion, mango and red bell pepper while the shrimp is marinating. 
3. Over medium high heat, cook shrimp in a skillet for 3-4 minutes. They will cook up very quickly so be sure to remove from heat once they have turned pink. Transfer to a bowl to cool, draining the liquid from the shrimp and discarding. 
4. While the shrimp are cooling, in a blender combine the remaining juice of 2 limes, cilantro, garlic and salt. Blend until combine and the cilantro has been chopped. 
5. Give the cooled shrimp a rough chop to cut into smaller pieces. Combine shrimp with mango, red bell pepper, red onion and mix. Pour cilantro-lime dressing over top and stir to combine. 
6. Transfer mango shrimp to refrigerator to continue cooling and to allow flavors to intensify (recommended) or can be eaten immediately warm. 

Nutritional info (1 serving, approximately 1 cup)

187 Calories - 23.7 g Protein, 12.7 g Carbs, 4.6 g Fat

Enjoy!!