When I first learned of Fattoush Salad, I felt like I hit the jackpot. All the fresh vegetables, and the crunch of seasoned, toasted pita scattered within the salad…does it get much better? I don’t know about you but I need a little crunch in my salads – I have a weakness for crunchy croutons so I try to healthfully swap for nuts instead. Toasted whole wheat pita (I love the Joseph’s brand) is another go-to of mine after discovering this Middle Eastern inspired salad.

My version of Lebanese Fattoush Salad isn’t as traditional as it could be. I didn’t have sumac on hand and most recipes you will see do use sumac (it is dark in color and has a tangy lemony flavor) so instead I used za’atar which is a blend of spices that does typically includes sumac. Traditionally made or not, this is one of my favorite salads. This is the za’atar spice I use, thanks to my friend Liz‘s recommendation years ago.

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Since February, I’ve been working hard at the gym to transform my body. Sounds extreme, I know, but really I’m just focused on building muscle and losing fat so honestly it’s not just about weight loss but more about inches and how my clothes are feeling. I experienced my first “success” last weekend that caught me off guard when I begrudgingly put on a pair of jeans (I hate wearing jeans, they make me cranky) and they surprisingly fit very well. It was a bit of a shock to me because although I have lost 8 pounds on the scale since the beginning of the year (it goes up and down after each weekend, weekends are tough for me), I haven’t really noticed since I typically wear workout clothes or leggings most days. Wearing jeans comfortably has always been a goal of mine and I call this major progress!

One of the most important things I’m working on right now in addition to my gym workouts is nutrition. I’m dedicated to using My Fitness Pal every day to track what I’m eating. I’ve been doing this 50 days now and I have to say, it really has trained me to stop before mindlessly eating or making a food choice I know I’ll regret later. Do I still eat pizza with my family on Saturday night? Yes, but less. I also drink a beer and eat tacos with my husband at lunch on Sunday, but just one beer (and too many tacos) and I try to walk extra later so my Fitbit can tell me how many exercise calories I burned to make me feel a little better. Or I just lay around on the couch and work extra hard at the gym the next day. I’m living a good, balanced life right now and seeing changes in my body and myself when it comes to food and I do think it has to do with being so much more mindful than I was before. It is not extreme weight loss and body transformation, it’s slow and steady and habit forming and that’s encouraging.

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Click here to pin this Mexican Slaw Salad with Black Beans recipe.

(This post is sponsored by Bush’s Beans.)

Did I miss Taco Tuesday? Yea, I think I did this week. Well, save this recipe for next week then. Or don’t….there’s always Taco Thursday right? In my house there usually is.

My family and I eat Mexican inspired food at least once a week. Nothing fancy – tacos or tostadas are a favorite, so are quesadillas. Right now I’m totally obsessed with corn tortillas so that’s what I’ve been using a lot of but I am starting to miss my old stand by whole wheat tortilla quesadillas too. Corn tortillas have the best flavor in my opinion, but the larger flour tortillas hold a lot more filling and you can really get creative with those fillings at dinnertime – especially on the “clean out the fridge” type days.

What’s great about Mexican food is how simple and fresh it can be. I know a lot of restaurant Mexican dishes are smothered in cheese and sauce and that’s okay, but my favorite dishes are always the ones that boast fresh and colorful ingredients like veggies and beans. Cheese is of course a necessity when it comes to Mexican, but you can really pile on the veggies with all the cheese and it all balances out.

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Whenever I see avocados on sale at my grocery store (10 for $10 – best deal ever!), I can’t help but buy a million of them. My daughter, my youngest son and I can eat avocados every day so they really don’t go to waste when I bring home a bagful, especially since I’ve learned that keeping them in my fridge helps them last longer. Normally I just serve our avocados sliced up in a salad, smashed on toast or straight up for the little ones, but every now and then I get adventurous and throw them into a smoothie or make a dressing like this Creamy Avocado Lime Dressing.

I love including avocados in quesadillas like these Bean and Avocado Quesadillas (SO good!) or as a topping for Black Bean and Egg Tostadas (these are not just for breakfast – I love them for lunch and dinner too).

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This post is sponsored by Bush’s Beans.

You’ve heard the saying you eat with your eyes right? I totally believe in that saying, for me the more colorful a dish is the more appealing it looks to me. This Summer Black Bean and Corn Salad is one of those dishes that I like to think is colorful enough to eat … and eat … and eat plenty of, whether it’s a side dish for dinner at your house or a salad you bring to a neighbor’s barbecue.

Black Bean and Corn Salad – easy summer side dish

This is one of those side dish / salad recipes that comes together easily with a bunch of ingredients you may already have in your fridge and pantry. The corn makes it a little extra special because it’s super sweet and fresh summer corn cut right off the cob, but if all you have is frozen corn at the time then go for it anyway – just run it under some water to quickly defrost and dry completely before quickly sauteing it.

The avocado is a fun add in because it adds just a bit of creaminess to the salad when combined, along with a little extra protein along with the black beans. And the cheese…crumbled cojita cheese (or even feta if you can’t get your hands on cojita) takes it over the top.

You’ll love this black bean and corn salad on fish tacos or even on it’s own (or in taco salads like how I’ve been eating it for a couple of days).

It’s seriously so good.

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We’ve been eating a lot of great veggie meals lately.  I gave up meat for the last two weeks of Lent and have kind of been on a roll since then.  I haven’t completely given it up, I won’t be able to resist my grandpa’s homemade Italian sausage or chicken parmagiana, but for the most part am trying to cut down a bit and incorporate more veg meals during the week for the whole family.  My husband has surprisingly embraced our “new” way of eating (he’s also been enjoying Jamie Oliver’s new show with me and thought Food, Inc was a huge eye-opener…so happy about that!)…and though he’s not complaining about our veggie meals, I know he’s missing his steak.

So the other night, I pulled a nice piece of flank steak out of the freezer and grilled it up.  It was seasoned nicely and simply with salt and lots of fresh ground pepper…and after it cooked and rested, I sliced it up real thin and assembled these Steak Fajita Enchiladas.  I actually made the enchiladas three ways that night to suit all of our tastes.  My husband ate his as shown…I opened up a can of vegetarian refried beans and used it as the filling along with the sauteed peppers and onions and of course cheese for myself…and for the kids, it was simply refried beans and cheese.  It was easy enough to accommodate everyone’s requests and we all really enjoyed our dinner.

Steak Fajita Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• flank steak, seasoned with salt and pepper, grilled or broiled, sliced thin against the grain
• 2-3 peppers sliced thin (red bell, poblano, hungarian - your choice - I used all three)
• 1 large onion
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano (or regular oregano)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cups Pepper Jack cheese (or something milder), shredded
• can Old El Paso Verde Enchilada sauce
• 2 green onions, chopped (optional)
• whole wheat wraps or tortillas

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tb oil and add sliced onion and peppers.  Add chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
3. Warm tortillas in microwave (on plate with moist paper towel) for about 20-30 seconds.  Start to assemble tortillas by first adding a small amount of cheese, sliced steak and vegetable mixture.  Roll up tortillas to form a "cigar" and place into a baking dish sprayed with non stick spray.  Once all enchiladas are assembled, pour sauce over all of the wrapped tortillas.  Add a layer of cheese and place in oven.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned and sauce is bubbling.  Garnish with chopped green onion if desired.

Serve with Spicy Slaw Salad for a great meal!

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I’m a big lunch person…and what I mean by that is that a few slices of turkey between two slices of bread usually doesn’t cut it for me.  I enjoy having a good lunch…I usually work out in the mornings so let’s just say I have a nice appetite right around lunch time.  I play with different salad ideas a lot because it’s so easy to prepare for them if you take the time to think ahead (precut veggies, bagged lettuces, leftover roasted veggies, crumbled cheese and deli meats…ideas are endless).  And once I find a salad I like, it usually makes an appearance more than once a week. Check out this post on my weekly salad prep if you are interested – doing this always helps me eat more salad during the week!

This recipe for hummus chicken salad caught my eye over the holiday break.  I found it in the Home Cooking The Costco Way cookbook that Costco gives out at their stores usually once a year.  My sister in law Paula is nice enough to pick one up for me each time, and I’m so thankful for that because the three Costco cookbooks I have are full of great recipes!  Most of the recipes include products they carry but can easily be substituted with similar products if unavailable.

I liked this chicken salad a lot…I’m a big fan of hummus and not so much a big fan of mayo so this recipe really worked for me.  I used leftover rotisserie chicken from the deli and Sabra Lemon Hummus.  I also squeezed additional lemon for dressing over my plate since I was eating it more as an entree salad.  The photo in the book suggests serving the Hummus Chicken Salad in lettuce cups or wraps, which looked delicious.  This recipe makes 4 servings so store it in some tupperware in your fridge for an easy lunch or light dinner!

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Hummus Chicken Salad

• Author: Aggie's Kitchen
• Category: Chicken

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Swap out mayo for something a little healthier – hummus! You’ll love this low-carb, low-calorie Hummus Chicken Salad. Great for lunch or meal prep!

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Sabra Hummus (or your favorite hummus, though I love Sabra!!)
• 2 tablespoons finely diced celery
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup cubed grilled chicken breast (or any leftover chicken)
• 1 lemon juice
• Bread or salad greens, for serving

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Instructions

1. In a large bowl, stir hummus, celery, green onions, bell pepper, salt and a sprinkling of pepper.
2. Add chicken and water (or lemon) and stir until mixed thoroughly.
3. Serve with bread or over your favorite salad greens.

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Notes

Recipe slightly adapted from Home Cooking The Costco Way

More ideas for healthy lunches using hummus:

Sriracha Shrimp and Hummus Lettuce Wraps

Greek Salad and Hummus Pita Pizza

Also last week the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club met up sharing delicious Soups and Stews.  I unfortunately was unable to participate due to too much traveling and not having it together but I didn’t want you to miss out on what the ladies cooked up!  Here’s what was on the menu:

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