Fairy Garden Salad

June 14, 2019 Amanda Plott

We’re coming to the close of our ‘fantasy’ themed week of summer in my house. And since the initial recipe that I made was geared more towards the kiddos, I figured for this go-round I’d create something for the ADULTS. This fairy garden salad is loaded up with greens, sprouts, berries, and of course… edible flowers!

The way I see it? If I were a fairy, I would totally be eating flowers. That just seems like the fairy thing to do. Right? Right. That pretty light pink dressing there is definitely one of my new favorites. It’s got just enough tang and zip to make this salad really stand out. And of course… you can’t go wrong with PINK dressing…

Quarter Pounder Burger Salad (Sponsored)

August 27, 2018 Amanda Plott

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias #MorningStarFarms #MakeRoomOnYourGrill

I tell you, summer is not going to go down without a fight this year. It's been well over 100 degrees here in Austin, Texas and so far we're still hovering in the upper 90's and often with a heat index of 106+ - yikes! It's hot, but nothing is quite as hot as this Quarter Pounder Burger Salad.

Let's face it, we all know what a 'quarter pounder' is. We don't even need to add the 'burger' part to that phrase and we'll all understand what's being spoken about. A quarter pound patty that's got lettuce, tomato, pickles, maybe some onion, and of course special sauce!

While it's unimaginably hot outside and football season is officially kicked off, I decided the best thing to do was to cool off with a nice hearty salad ahead of any big game tailgating (or homegating.)…

Healthified Gorgonzola Port 'Blue Cheese' Dressing

February 27, 2018 Amanda Plott

I've been trying for years now to create a perfect blue cheese dressing/dip. I think that I've gone through a good ten different recipe variations by now, and none of them have really stuck. None of them were to the level that I wanted. None of them impressed me... until now.

I had all but given up in my quest. But then, my desire... nay, my need for a good homemade blue cheese dressing started back up a couple months back when I went to dinner at one of my favorite places where they happen to serve a salad that's served with a gorgonzola-port dressing...

Grilled Market Salad & Zesty Dressing (Chick-Fil-A Copy Cat)

February 18, 2017 Amanda Plott

So, I was telling my mom about one of my all time favorite salads at a pretty well known fast-food chain the other day when she was looking for some quick lunch options. Anytime the family wants to 'be bad' and have chicken nuggets at this place, I always tend to opt for their Grilled Market Salad. It's a really large hearty salad that's extremely filling and easily could be turned into two meals rather than just one.

That discussion got me to thinking about the salad, how good it is, and how simple it is too. Surely there had to be a way to make it myself! The hardest part would be the zesty apple cider vinaigrette. Thankfully, I found a good starting place and made a few more tweaks to that to get exactly what I was looking for after reading the ingredients on the actual dressing packet...

Steak & Potato Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

September 6, 2016 Amanda Plott

As a Stubb's Insider, all ideas, recipes, & opinions are entirely my own. Sauces, marinades and seasonings are provided to me on behalf of Stubb's Bar-B-Q.

Game day here in Texas is always a BIG deal. It's all about getting together with friends and family to eat good food, enjoy good company, and root on your favorite team. Hook'em Horns! Around here, it's always a good time.

Now, I know a salad isn't generally what someone might think of as being a tailgating or homegating food, but when you add 'steak and potatoes' to the phrase, it all starts to make a lot more sense. It's nice to shake things up and have options that are more outside the box; especially when it's still super hot outside and a nice hearty salad is just what the weatherman ordered...

Spring Asparagus Salad & Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

May 10, 2016 Amanda Plott

Spring vegetables are still in full swing for another couple of months, so naturally I'm taking full advantage of that. One of my favorite spring vegetables has to be asparagus. I love it's simple flavor and complete versatility to be the part of just about any meal. So, this week for lunch I decided to dive back into salads and thought that adding some cool asparagus to the mix would be perfect.

This salad is a great lunch, and would also make for a great side dish or used as part of a dinner time meal as well. Along the way I happened to come across some watercress this week, which is another fun spring green and also one that I've never had the pleasure of working with...