Watermelon & Cucumber Salad

Summer season means watermelon is always in my fridge. It has just the right amount of sweetness and is a great low calorie snack full of vitamins A and D.

When hubs was growing up, his mom would always make melon balls and keep them in the fridge. I know, my mother-in-law is amazing!! I have picked up this trait from her and Hubs is quite happy. 

Turing watermelon into bite sized balls is just the perfect healthy, pop in your mouth, snack. Melon balls are so easy to make and can also be made from honeydew and cantaloupe!!

Okay, to make watermelon balls, you will need a melon baller like this one here. 

Go ahead and slice your melon in half. I chose to use a seedless watermelon which I would highly recommend. If you are balling cantaloupe or honeydew, be sure to remove the seeds. 

Press your melon baller into your fruit and spin the baller around completely. Just like magic, its a melon ball! 

Then you are left with this. Don't worry, I had myself a snack by eating a few bites of the leftover insides.

Now of course, I had to create a salad with some of my melon balls. That recipe is below!

printable recipe here! 

Watermelon and Cucumber Salad

naturally GF/DF

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh watermelon balls (or bite size pieces)

1 cucumber

2 green onions

2 T fresh basil

2 T lemon juice

1 T olive oil

1 T agave nectar (or honey)

1/4 t salt

dash of ground white pepper 

What to do:

Peel your cucumber. I like to leave some of the peel for the color and it just makes it look fancy! :) 

Slice your cucumber in half, lengthwise.

Line your halves up and slice in 1/4 inch slices.

Chop your basil.

Chop your green onions. Only use the white and light green parts for this recipe. You want that strong onion flavor because it mixes so well with the sweetness of the watermelon. 

Place watermelon, cucumber, green onions, and basil in a medium bowl. Stir together.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, agave nectar, salt, and white pepper.

Right before serving, pour the olive oil dressing over the watermelon and give it a toss. 

Thanks Y'all!

-Wise Wife

Watermelon Salad with Balsamic Reduction

I know what you are thinking, balsamic reduction? How the heck could I possibly be able to make that.  I promise you, it is SO easy to make!!! If you can boil water, you can make this reduction! It takes less than 5 minutes to cook and adds amazing flavor to a simple watermelon salad. 

I also use fresh mint in my watermelon salad. I grow fresh mint in my yard because it is so simple to take care of! All you need is good soil and remember to water and your mint will grow like a weed.

If you don't have a yard, or a good spot to plant an herb garden, opt for an herb pot! I have my mint in a separate pot because it gets so large, but I have small amounts of several other herbs in combination pots. Perfect for just the two of us. 

My rosemary plant started in a pot but quickly outgrew it. When we moved, I planted it in the ground and it has been thriving every since.  I have had my aloe plant for over a year now and have transported it into a larger pot without trouble.  Aloe is another one of those SUPER easy things to grow and lets be honest, I frequently burn myself in the kitchen. An aloe plant is the perfect thing to have on hand for me! 

I have blue cheese listed as an ingredient in this recipe. I didn't get to enjoy due to my dairy allergy, but Hubs loved it. Your choice if you want to use it or leave it out. 

Printable Recipe Here!

Watermelon Salad with Balsamic Reduction

Naturally GF

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh watermelon chunks

1/4 cup fresh mint

1/2 red onion

1 T capers 

2 T olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Crumbled Blue Cheese (optional)

What to do:

About 10 minutes before you are ready to serve your salad, start your balsamic reduction.

Add your balsamic vinegar into a small sauce pan. 

Bring to a SLIGHT boil.

Let it boil for 3 1/2 minutes and the vinegar has reduced by half.

Remove from heat and allow to cool. It will begin to thicken a bit and voila, you have your reduction! 

While your reduction is cooling, chop your basil.

Chop your onion into small pieces. 

Add all of the ingredients (except the balsamic reduction) into a medium bowl.

Stir it all together. 

Drizzle the balsamic reduction over each serving.

Thanks Y'all!

-Wise Wife 

Healthy Cinco De Mayo

I realize now, I should have shared this prior to today. Oops! Who says you can't have mexican food the day after cinch de mayo? I was on Pinterest, surprise, surprise, and came across a recipe for oven fajitas. That is SUCH a brilliant idea. Baking is a healthier way to cook and I love this idea! I tweaked it a bit and turned it into a fajita salad. I didn't make hubs eat a salad though. He did the traditional fajita in a tortilla and he loved it. 

I took the easy way out on the rice because I was lazy and it was SUPER convenient. I used zattaran's spanish rice that is gluten free.

You simply add a can of chopped tomatoes and water and bring to a boil. Take it down to a simmer and allow the water to absorb. Easy right? Yup! 

I added a SUPER simple black bean and corn salsa for a little appetizer. I served it with GF chips and enjoyed every bite. 

I so meant to top my salad with avocado slices and I completely forgot! I was so bummed when I got up to do the dishes and saw the avocado sitting on the counter. Anyway, Happy Eating! 

Black Bean Corn Salsa

Naturally GF/DF

printable recipe here! 

Ingredients:

1 can low sodium black beans

2 cups frozen corn, defrosted

1 cup fresh cilantro 

1 small red onion

1 red bell pepper

juice of 1 lime

2 T olive oil

1 1/2 t cumin

2 t Tabasco

1/2 t salt

1/2 t freshly ground pepper

What to do:

Drain and rinse your black beans to remove as much sodium as possible.

Rinse and roughly chop your cilantro.

Dice your onion.

Remove the stem and seeds from your pepper and then slice in strips.

Line up your strips and dice your pepper.

Roll your your lime on the counter before cutting open to juice. This will help release the juices.

Add all ingredients into a large bowl.

Stir everything together.

Cover with plastic wrap and put in fridge for at least an hour so the flavors can marry tougher. You can allow the salsa to sit overnight if you are making ahead. It will store in the fridge for about a week.

Serve with your favorite GF chips!

Fajita Chicken Salad

Naturally GF/DF

printable recipe here! 

Ingredients:

1 bound boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 red onion
1 bell pepper, I chose orange
2 t chili powder
2 t cumin
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t dried oregano
1/2 t salt
4 T canola oil, divided

1 1/2, 10 oz cans rotel
Shredded iceberg lettuce (store bought or shredded by hand)

What to do:

Preheat your oven to 400°.

Remove the stem and seeds from your bell pepper and cut into strips lengthwise.

Slice your red onion into rings.

Add chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and salt int a small bowl and stir to combine.

Add in 2 T canola oil and stir together.

Remove an excess fat from your chicken and cut into strips widthwise.

Add the remaining 2 T canola oil into a large baking dish and coat the bottom.

Add your chicken into the dish.

Pour your spice oil mixture over your chicken.

Add in your peppers, onions, and Rotel.

Stir everything together.

Bake for 35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

While your chicken is cooking, cook your rice according to package directions.

Start to build your salad with a bed of shredded iceberg.

Next add a layer of rice.

Top with your chicken onion mixture and if you want, the avocado.

Thanks Y'all!
-Wise Wife