Chicken and Brown Rice Salad

INGREDIENTS

For the salad:

• ½ cup cooked brown rice

• 3-4 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded

• red bell pepper chopped

• large carrot shredded

• green onions sliced

• chopped fresh cilantro

• dry roasted peanuts, almonds or cashews

For the dressing:

• 3 ½ tablespoons lime juice

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 ½ teaspoons sesame oil

• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

• 2 cloves garlic minced or pressed

• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Dressing makes 6 servings: divide ingredients in half to make less.

INSTRUCTIONS

• Add chicken, bell pepper, carrot, green onions, and cilantro to bowl with rice. Stir to combine.

• In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over salad and stir to evenly distribute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve salad at room temperature or chilled, topped with peanuts.

Tips: Put 1/6 of dressing into a small container and take with your lunch.

Green Power Salad

Ingredients

• broccoli, florets chopped

• cooked edamame

• avocado, sliced

• cucumber, peeled, thinly sliced

• Roasted cashew halves

• fresh spinach

For the avocado dressing:

• 3/4 cup Greek yogurt

• 1 avocado, mashed

• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

• Chop up veggies and place in glass tupperware container at night for lunch the next day.

• Place 1/4 of dressing mixture in a small container.

• Top with protein of choice about 3 oz.

• For vegan option you can keep it as is or add 1/2 cup chickpeas or black beans

Dressing makes 4 servings.

Vegan Mediterranean Wraps

Ingredients

• 1 medium cucumber

• ½ teaspoon (plus a couple pinches) of sea salt divided

• 1 medium tomato diced

• 1/4 red onion diced

• 1/4 green pepper diced

• 4 tablespoons chopped kalamata olives

• 1 can chickpeas

• 200 grams (7 oz) coconut yogurt or greek yogurt

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

• 1 clove of garlic minced

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• Pepper to taste

• 2 cups (112 grams) chopped lettuce

• 4 large tortillas or raw wraps or gluten free tortillas or corn tortillas

Instructions

• Grate half the cucumber and sprinkle it with a pinch of salt. Place it in a strainer over a bowl and leave it to drain while you chop all your veggies. Also dice the other half of the cucumber. Combine the diced cucumber, tomato, red onion, green pepper, and black olives.

• Drain and rinse the chickpeas and put them in a bowl. Smash them with your hands or with a fork.

• Squeeze as much water out of the grated cucumber as possible. In a bowl combine the grated cucumber, vegan yogurt, dill, garlic, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper.

• Add 3 tablespoons of the tzatziki to the smashed chickpeas along with ½ teaspoon of salt and pepper. Mix well.

• Make the wraps with a handful of lettuce, smashed chickpeas, mixed diced vegetables and a few dollops of tzatziki. If you like you can toast the finished wraps in a dry pan over medium-high heat. Start seam side down to keep them from unwrapping.

Makes 4 servings

How to make this balanced regular meal:

1. Add chicken or shrimp

Tips:

1. to save time buy a good quality tzatziki

Chicken Caprese Salad Meal Bowls

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

• 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts 14 oz total

• salt & pepper

• 3 cups cherry tomatoes halved

• 1 bunch basil leaves whole but removed from stem

• 1 cup baby bocconcini

Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

• 1/4 teaspoon dijon

• salt & pepper

Instructions

• Cook quinoa according to package directions. Allow to cool.

• Heat oven to 425°F. Toss the chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil & balsamic vinegar. Season with salt & pepper.

• Bake chicken breasts for 22-28 minutes, until cooked through. Allow to rest 5-10 minutes before cutting into cubes

• Shake together vinaigrette ingredients.

• Portion out meal prep bowls: 1/2 chicken breast, 1/2 cup cooked quinoa, 1/4 cup bocconcini, 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, and basil leaves. Drizzle with vinaigrette (see *)

Makes 4 Servings

Notes

* To keep basil 'fresh': Try to keep the basil at the top of the bowl, away from anything wet like the tomatoes, and avoid drizzling the basil with the vinaigrette. Avoid chopping the basil, leaving the leaves whole. You could alternatively use a basil paste like this one or leave the basil out until just prior to serving.