Health & Fitness

Random Light Recipes w/ RJ! – Salad Edition

Alright everyone, get prepared: the glutton is going to be making a string of veggie-based recipe takes (approximately three) to celebrate the most underappreciated food group of all. Trust me, we’ve all been there at one point in our lives, be it in our youth or adulthood: a time where we looked at a plate of veggies and felt sorely disappointed while you wished that French fries counted as a salad.



If you haven’t felt that way, you’re a mutant.



I kid, I kid. In all seriousness, part of the reason I wanted to make this take is because I always find myself wondering how to include more veggies into my meals without getting bored of the usual beans & carrots and green salad. So, for this take, I’m going to present to you four different types of salad that break away from the traditional garden greens or bacon ranch on iceberg lettuce – because, in case you didn’t know, throwing a bunch of cream, bacon, and cheese on top of lettuce doesn’t make for a very healthy salad.

DISCLAIMER: The images used below are from GOOGLE. I will eventually get to a point where I take pictures of my recipes myself, but since I do them in large quantities this isn't always possible. Please keep in mind that the actual product will likely look different than the image.



Without further adieu, here are four of my favorite salad recipes!




Creamy Broccoli Salad



What You Need:


- 4 Cups of broccoli, chopped into florets


- 1 Red bell pepper, diced


- ¼ Cup thinly sliced red onion


- ½ Cup shelled sunflower seeds, unsalted


- ¼ Cup shredded cheddar cheese


- ¼ Cup low fat mayo


- ¼ Non-fat Greek Yogurt


- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard


- 3 Tbsp dill (fresh or dry, whatever you have)


- 1 Tbsp lemon or lime juice



How you’ll make it:



- Cut your broccoli from its stem into small florets. Rinse with cold water and pat dry. Transfer to a salad bowl.


- Dice red pepper into 1/2” cubes and add to bowl.


- Shave red onions using a mandolin, so they are in thin rings. Cut rings in half and add to bowl. If you don’t have a mandolin, very carefully use a sharp knife.


- In a separate bowl, mix together mayo, yogurt, mustard, lemon, dill and sunflower seeds. Pour overtop of salad and mix. Top with cheddar.


- Allow salad to refrigerate anywhere from 30-120 minutes. It isn’t mandatory but it enhances the taste.


Random Light Recipes w/ RJ! – Salad Edition




Yogurt Caesar w/ Brussels Sprouts



What you’ll need:

- 1 Romaine heart, sliced into ribbons


- 2 Cups brussel sprouds, shaved


- ½ Cup radicchio


- 2 Pieces turkey bacon, sliced


- ½ Cup Bolthouse Yogurt based Caesar dressing


- 1 Tbsp lemon juice


- Cooking spray


Random Light Recipes w/ RJ! – Salad Edition

A reference for the dressing.



How you’ll make it:



- Slice your Romaine heart into thin ribbons. Rinse with cold water and pat dry. Transfer to a salad bowl.


- Rinse brussel sprouts and pat dry. With a mandolin, shave thinly and add to salad bowl.


- Slice radicchio into thin ribbons. Rinse and pat try. Add to salad bowl.


- Sprits veggies with lemon juice and set aside.


- Slice turkey bacon into thin chunks. Saute in a pan w/ cooking spray until crisp. Transfer to bowl or plate and pat w/ paper towel to absorb access oil.


- Add turkey bacon to salad and then add dressing. Toss together and viola!


Random Light Recipes w/ RJ! – Salad Edition



Tri-Tomato Salad



What you’ll need:



- 2 Ripe Roma tomatoes


- 1 Cup red cherry tomatoes


- 1 Cup yellow cherry tomatoes


- 2 Large cloves of garlic, shaved or minced


- 2 Tbsp olive oil


- Salt & Pepper


- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar



How you’ll make it:



- Quarter Roma tomatoes into chunks. Transfer to salad bowl.


- Slice red & yellow cherry tomatoes in half. Transfer to bowl


- Shave or mince garlic. Sprinkle over tomatoes. I personally shave it with a handheld zester.


- Toss tomatoes with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season and serve.



PROTIP: Try adding some lettuce, spinach, or cucumber if you want to add a little green to this salad!


Random Light Recipes w/ RJ! – Salad Edition

Closest image I could find without taking an actual picture myself.



Asian Mango Salad



What you’ll need:



- 2 Semi-ripe mangos, sliced


- 1 Red bell pepper, sliced


- ½ Red onion, thinly sliced


- 3 Leaves iceberg letter, sliced into ribbons


- ¼ Sweet chili sauce


- 1 Tbsp lime juice



How you’ll make it:



- Skin and slice your mango into long strips. Pat with paper towel and transfer to salad bowl.


- Slice bell pepper into strips as well. Transfer to bowl.


- Once again, slice onion w/ mandolin or with a knife into thin rings then slice in half.


- Slice lettuce leaves length wise into thin ribbons. Add to salad bowl.


- Sprinkle veggies with lime juice.


- Add sweet chili sauce and toss to coat.


Random Light Recipes w/ RJ! – Salad Edition

Pretty much exactly what it looks like.



So that is all for my take on salads ladies and gents! These are without a doubt my four all-time favorite salads and they almost never fail to impress (if they do I can’t be held accountable, your friends just hate salad clearly) and certainly provide a refreshing new take in the salad game. So get chopping, tossing and serving and let me know how you liked them!

Have a good one guys.

Random Light Recipes w/ RJ! – Salad Edition
Post Opinion