I've Been On a Salad Kick Lately!

I have to thank my daughter for getting me to try a kale salad, I thought it was strange not to cook it, I thought it would be really bitter, I was wrong. Whole Foods makes a very popular kale salad here which is beautifully displayed in their deli, the demand is so great that sometimes they run out, I bought a small container one day on the advice of my daughter, and I was hooked!

Since then I've been making kale salads all different ways, here's one of my favorites. This nutritious and healthy salad can be put together in a few minutes, a nice alternative to the usual salad greens. Ingredients listed above, no measuring, just put as much as you want.

I had two blood oranges left that needed to be used so I made this simple salad consisting of oranges, raw onion rings, salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil. The combination together creates a great balance of flavor.

A good use for leftover chicken is to recreate it into a salad. Diced chicken, red onion, avocado, grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, torn fresh basil leaves and pine nuts tossed with some whole wheat bow tie pasta and fresh spinach drizzled with your favorite vinaigrette. Great for lunch or a light dinner.

Shrimp stuffed in an avocado has been around for years, what sets this apart is the 3 Citrus Aioli that's drizzled all over it. Scoop out one side of an avocado, dice into medium chunks and place into a bowl, add your cooked shrimp that has also been cut into medium chunks ( leave a few whole). Toss in grape tomatoes that have been cut in half, granulated garlic, fresh parsley and red onion, stuff it back into the other avocado half.

For the 3 Citrus Aioli, combine the juice of a lemon, lime and orange, whisk it into a good store bought mayonnaise until you get the right consistency and then drizzle all over. The citrus brightens everything up and goes perfectly with the shrimp and creamy avocado.

Enjoy, and Buon Appetito!