Bistro Italian Salad

This is a versatile one! This is actually a variation of a pasta that I saw on Pioneer Woman... I think hers was called "Pantry Pasta" because all of the ingredients were found in her pantry. If you can do it with pasta, I figure you can do it with salad!

I love this recipe for lunch because I usually am cooking for 1 or 2 and this recipe really utilizes all of my delicious leftovers. I cooked steak the other night using my Mediterranean rub, which can be found in my Mediterranean Lamb recipe. It was developed for the Lamb recipe, but really its good on anything. I used it on NY steaks. The leftover steak was perfect for slicing and putting on this salad. Most of the ingredients can be found in your pantry and I serve it with my Creamy Pesto Dressing . 

Ingredients:

2 cups Mescaline Greens

Leftover Steak 

1/4 cup Artichoke hearts drained and chopped

1/4 cup roasted red peppers drained and chopped

1/4 small haas avocado sliced

1/4 cup chopped mixed olives

1/4 cup of chopped pepperocinis

2 tbsp chopped almonds

Optional: 1 fried or hard boiled egg (if you need extra protein)

Assemble and toss... we all know how to make a salad. I don't need to spell it out for you. :) 

Sweet Potato Crusted Quiche

Quiche is one of my all time favorite dishes! This recipe takes it to a whole new, HEALTHY, level! Great for Breakfast served with fruit or Lunch served with a light green salad!

Ingredients:

For the crust:
1 large sweet potato- grated (should yield 3ish cups of loosely packed grated sweet potato)
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
2.5 tbsp clarified butter

For the filling:
8 eggs
8 ounces of isernos chicken breakfast sausage
3 slices bacon chopped (remember it has to be sugar less!)
1/3 cup diced onions
pepper
salt

Pre-heat oven to 400.

Heat up a large skillet to medium high and melt 2 tbsp clarified butter in the pan. Drop in the sweet potatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and lightly brown. With the remainder of the clarified butter, grease a standard pie dish. When the potatoes are cooked thoroughly and a little brown let them cook slightly so they are not uncomfortable to the touch. Starting with the center of the pie tin, begin making your crust. Gently make a solid even layer of potatoes around the bottom and sides of the dish applying a little pressure so that the potatoes are packed, not loose in the dish.

Put into the oven for 5-7 minutes to set the crust. When the crust starts to brown on the top, take it out.

In a large skillet cook your bacon. As soon as the bacon is about 2/3 of the way cooked drain excess grease and add the sausage and the onion. The little bacon grease that is left in the pan should be plenty to cook the onions and sausage in, no need to add more. As soon as they are fully cooked, dump them into the pie tin.

In a bowl whisk your eggs together and salt and pepper them to your liking. Dump the eggs over the sausage mixture. Put back in the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the eggs are set.

Done! Love love love this dish! The best part is that it is 280 calories for 1/6 of the quiche!! Perfect breakfast and keeps you full for a long time!