Ready to dig into a satisfying salad?

While this Asian chicken salad recipe isn’t the most original idea I’ve had in the kitchen, it’s still pretty satisfying.

Sesame Chicken Slaw 
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons agave syrup
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 head green cabbage, shredded (about six cups)
2 cups diced chicken breast
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced thin
⅓ cup chopped green onions
⅓ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup unsalted, dry roasted peanuts

Whisk lemon juice, soy sauce, agave syrup, minced ginger and sesame oil together to create dressing. Combine remaining ingredients in a large salad bowl and drizzle with dressing. Use tongs to toss and serve salad.

Make-Fast Mondays: Meatball mania!

Who doesn’t love a good meatball? While handmade always beats the competition, I’m also a big fan of buying a bag of frozen meatballs when there’s not enough time or motivation to start from scratch. Simmer pre-made meatballs with a jar of your favorite marinara, serve with creamy polenta (so easy when using the technique described in this recipe) and top with fresh basil and you’ve got a delicious dinner takes about 30 minutes to make, doesn’t require much prep work and won’t leave you washing dishes all night.

Meatballs with Marinara and Creamy Polenta 
1 pound bag frozen meatballs
25-ounce jar of marinara sauce
1 cup polenta
1 quart chicken broth
2 bay leaves
Fresh basil, sliced, for garnish

Bring chicken broth to a boil in large saucepan.

While waiting for broth to boil, place meatballs and marinara in large sauté pan and cover, cooking over low-medium heat and stirring occasionally, until meatballs are thoroughly heated, roughly 30 minutes. 

Once broth is boiling, gradually add polenta and bay leaves, stirring for a minute or two, before reducing heat to low and covering the saucepan. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring the polenta for a minute every 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat and discard the bay leaves. Divide polenta between four dishes. Top each dish with meatballs, marinara and basil.

Make-Fast Mondays: Dill-icious Pasta Salad

Tonight’s Make-Fast Monday dinner is the end result in taking what I love about this recipe and ramping it up while scaling back the pasta. The end result is an entree-worthy pasta salad loaded with delicious shrimp, crunchy cucumber and a delightfully dilly dressing. It’s easy to prep all the components of this salad while boiling water and cooking your pasta. It’s also worth noting that I used Trader Joe’s Brown Rice  & Quinoa Fusilli Pasta, a new favorite, but a whole-wheat pasta would also yield similar results. 

Shrimp and Cucumber Fusilli with Dill Dressing 
¾ cup olive oil
5 tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ cup chopped dill
⅓ cup white wine vinegar
8 ounce fusilli, cooked al dente and rinsed with cold water
4 green onions, sliced
1 pound Persian cucumbers, halved and cut into thick slices (English cucumber would also work)
1 pound cooked medium shrimp, tails removed and deveined
1 cup fat-free crumbled feta

Blend olive oil, Dijon, dill and white wine vinegar in a blender until smooth and creamy. Combine remaining ingredients in large bowl, and stir in dressing until everything’s evenly coated.