Big Salad Energy – Episode 4

Welcome to Episode 4 of Big Salad Energy! Just a reminder, each recipe makes six, 32 oz. jar salads and two, 16 oz. jars of dressing.

Also, each of these are perfect salads without putting them on spinach. If you’re looking for a hearty, flavorful, and easy veggie packed meal prep, these are perfect. I would suggest adding the dressing or at minimum a drizzle of olive oil with salt and pepper if you’re not adding them on top of greens with dressing. They will keep all week in the fridge!

Chicken and Potato Salads

with caesar dressing

Ingredients and Directions

• 2 chicken breasts
• 8 oz green olives
• 1 ball mozzarella pearls
• 8 oz fingerling potatoes
• 1 yellow bell peppper
• 1 small purple onion
• 1 bunch Italian parsley
• 1 Tbsp. dried dill (fresh would be better)
• 1 Tbsp. Nature’s Seasoning
• 1/2 cup white wine (I used a pinot grigio I already had open)
• olive oil
• spinach for the base of your salad

For the Dressing

• 1 and a half cups mayo
• 1 cup and a half cups sour cream
• 6 anchovies
• 1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• zest of one lemon
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• salt to taste
• water to thin

Drizzle a pan with olive oil, coat your chicken breasts in Nature’s, and sear on both sides until you have some nice color. Turn the heat to medium and add the wine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Remove to cool.

Wash the fingerling potatoes. Boil in salted water for about ten minutes, just until fork tender. Cool, chop into bite sized pieces. Toss with olive oil, a little Nature’s, and dill.

Chop the onion, bell pepper, and parsley. Separate your mozzarella pearls and drain the olives.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. If you’re going to leave this as is, without fresh spinach to turn into a salad salad, I would add a 1/2 cup of olive oil mixed with 1 Tbsp. of Dijon mustard into the mix.

For the dressing, blend all ingredients, adding water to your desired thinness. Taste and adjust to your preference. (I’m still trying to find the PERFECT Caesar dressing…I will let you know when it’s for real.)

Pepperonie and Roasted Eggplant Salads

with whole grain mustard vinaigrette

Ingredients and Directions

• 12 oz. pepperoni
• 1 eggplant
• 1 ball mozzarella pearls
• three bell peppers – red, yellow, and orange
• 1 purple onion
• 1 bunch parsley
• 1/2 jar roasted red pepper
• 1 tsp Cavender’s
• spinach for the base of your salad

For the Dressing

• 2 cups olive oil
• 1/2 cup champagne vinegar
• 1/2 cup whole grain mustard
• 1 Tbsp. oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Chop the eggplant into small cubes. Toss in olive oil and Cavender’s. Spread evenly over a foil lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes or so.

Chop the pepperoni into quarters. Chop the bell peppers (fresh and roasted), onion, and parsley. Once the eggplant is cooled, add to a large bowl with all other ingredients and toss together.

For the dressing, whisk all ingredients together. This is a dressing that needs to be shaking well before you spoon it on. It’s PACKED with flavor and a little goes a long way.

Chicken, Chickpea, and Pepperjack Salads

with creamy onion dressing

Ingredients and Directions

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 can chickpeas
• 8 oz. pepperjack
• 3 bell peppers (red, orange, and yellow)
• 1 purple onion
• 1 bunch parsley
• 1 cup bacon bits
• olive oil
• Nature’s Seasoning (for the chicken)
• spinach and romaine for the base of your salad

For the Dressing

• 16 oz. onion dip (I like Dean’s French Onion)
• 8 oz. sour cream
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• zest of one lemon
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• water to thin
• salt and pepper to taste

Season the chicken with Nature’s Seasoning and sear until cooked through in a pan with olive oil. Let cool and chop into bite sized pieces.

Chop the block of pepperjack into cubes. Chop all other veggies. Drain the chickpeas.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

For the dressing, blend all ingredients together. Thin with water to desired thickness.

Enjoy! And let me know if you make one!!

Also, bonus pic of Tipsy receiving her meal prep tax. Sometimes it’s cheese, sometimes chicken, today it was anchovies.