When I was creating my goals for the new year I left one off: be a better vegetarian. It’s not that I’ve been sneaking in a steak here and there. I have been a good vegetarian in that sense. I just didn’t eat as many vegetables as I should. But that is going to change.
Salads have been my go-to meal this month. I’ve shared these restaurant salad hacks before in other posts, but they weren’t the star. Each recipe is so good, though, I figured they deserved a post of their own!
Who doesn’t love the salads from Olive Garden? It’s easy to make at home-plus you can put as many (or few) olives as you like in your bowl when you make it yourself!
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 2 Tbs vegetable oil
- 4 Tbs Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbs lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp parsley flakes
- 2 Tbs sugar substitute
- Combine ingredients in blender and blend.
- Serve over red leaf lettuce with your favorite salad toppings. (I recommend Kalamata olives, pepperoncinis and croutons.)
The Grilled Caribbean Salad from Chili’s has always been a favorite. Here’s it’s pictured with teriyaki grilled chicken. Now that I’m a vegetarian, I find that I enjoy it just as much without the chicken. The secret to the Caribbean Salad is the delicious honey lime salad dressing. (And yes, it’s totally easy to make at home!)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 Tbl sugar or sugar substitute
- 1 1/2 Tbl apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 Tbl sesame oil
- 2 tsp lime juice
- Combine all ingredients in the blender and blend.
- Serve over romaine lettuce with pineapple, mandarin oranges and dried cherries. Add tortilla strips for a crunch.