Chicken and Goat Cheese Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette

This week temperatures have reached 80 degrees.  I have really been missing the warm weather.  I am so ready for spring time.  I am also so ready for spring and summer fruits and veggies.  It's a little early in the season, but I decided to make a blueberry vinaigrette on top of a simple chicken and goat cheese salad.

Many dressings use a 1:4 ratio for vinegar:oil. Taste-wise I like a little more vinegar.  Calorie-wise, I like to spare a few calories and change that ratio to about 1:1 or sometimes 2:1.  You can vary the ratio depending on your taste preferences.  Dijon mustard may seem out of place, but it adds extra flavor and helps to emulsify the dressing.

What you'll need:
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp champagne vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup blueberries
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp olive oil

For the salad:
- 1 chicken breast, grilled then cut into cubes
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 1/2 cups arugula
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
- 1/4 cup red onion
- 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
- 2 tbsp

What to do:
Mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a food processor.  Pour over salad.  Recipe makes two servings.

Nectarine & Caramelized Onion Mini Pizza Appetizer

Fruit on pizza started becoming popular when people realized they loved the sweet-savory combo.  Regular pizza is all savory.  It's fatty and salty from the cheese and meats.  But adding in some fruit gives it a whole different character.  It can also be a good option, health-wise.   Adding fruits adds flavor without lots of calories, no saturated fat, and no sodium

This is a super easy appetizer.  I didn't even bother to make my own pizza dough.  I just used sandwich thins, which easily act as thin crust for the pizza.  I used a little bit of two different cheeses: mostly colby jack and a little parmesan.  The colby jack was just a pre-sliced piece of cheese made for sandwiches.  I used half of it.  I just tore off pieces and put it on the bread.  I caramelized the onions over very low heat for about 25 minutes. Two most important things to remember when caramelizing onions: 1. Cut them all in uniform size; 2. Do not burn the onions.  I created the pizzas, then put them in the oven set to broiler for 4 minutes.  Our broiler sets to 550*F, which is pretty high.  I would recommend a little lower about 475*F.

Nectarine & Caramelized Onion Mini Pizza Appetizer

What you'll need:
- 1/4 cup chopped white onion
- 1 whole wheat sandwich thin
- 2 tsp olive oil, divided
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 0.5oz colby jack cheese, thinly sliced or shredded
- 1 small nectarine, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp parmesan cheese

What to do:
1.  Preheat the oven on a broiler setter (heat coming from the top) to 475*.

2.  Heat a skillet over medium heat; add 1 1/2 tsp olive oil.  Add onions and stir frequency.  Cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.  Then lower the heat to low or simmer.  Continue to stir frequently for about 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

3.  Separate the sandwich thin halves.  Spread the remaining olive oil over the the insides of each; then spread the mustard on each; top with colby jack cheese, then caramelized onions, then nectarines, and finally the parmesan cheese.

4.  Place each pizza on a baking dish.  Put in the top 1/3 of the oven (but not on the very top level) and cook for 3 to 3 1/2 minutes.  Watch these carefully because they will easily burn.  Recipe makes 2 servings.

Nutrition Information
140 calories, 19g carbs, 4g fiber, 5g protein, 6g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 225mg sodium

Pomegranate Hummus Pizza

This is more like an open-faced wrap than a pizza, but I'm going to call it a pizza.  The bottom is round dough, it has a sauce, and it has toppings, so I say it can be called a pizza.  This particular pizza is much healthier than the typical Italian pizza.  Typical pizza is made with white dough (not whole grain), and lots of cheese (which is high in saturated fat and sodium).  In once slice of a 14" Pizza Hut cheese slice there are 320 calories, 13.5g protein, 35g carbs, 3g fiber, 13.5g total fat, 6g saturated fat, 4.5g monounsaturated fat, 2g polyunsaturated fat, 835mg sodium.  But does anyone stop at just one slice?

This "pizza" is not meant to be a healthier version of cheese pizza.  It is meant to be a new type of pizza.  It is made with whole grains and polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.  It is also made with fruits and vegetables to add fiber.  It is creamy from the hummus, sweet from the pomegranates, and has a bite from the red onions, and a bit peppery from the arugula.  This "pizza" is very filling so you won't need more than one!

Pomegranate Hummus Pizza

What you'll need:
- 1 whole wheat pita (~6" in diameter)
- 3 tbsp plain hummus
- 1/8 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds
- 1/4 cup baby arugula
- 1/4 cup shredded chicken
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- pinch of pepper
- 1/2 tbsp feta cheese

What to do:
1.  Spread hummus over the pita
2.  In a bowl, mix together the onion, pomegranate, arugula, chicken, lemon juice, pepper.  Add mixture on top of the hummus.
3.  Top with feta cheese.

Nutrition information
380 calories, 17g protein, 53g carbs, 9g fiber, 12g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 731mg sodium