Fruited Spinach Salad

Tyson's company is doing another "bake-off", but this time it's more of a "cook-off" I guess because it's a side-dish contest.  Since I tied for First in the dessert competition, I have some high expectations placed on me!  The main dish is burgers, so I wanted to do something light and summery, and plus, Tyson requested this salad!  He asked what it's called, and I said, I guess "Fruited Spinach Salad".  The salad kind of adapts to the season, so since berries are still in season, I used a lot of that this time, but just use whatever you like and that is available.  Here's the details:

Ingredients:-bag of baby spinach, micro-greens, and/or arugala (I usually do a blend of spinach and arugala)
-mixed seasonal fruit: this time I did raspberries, thinly sliced strawberries, and thinly sliced nectarines....I just add enough so there's a good balance between green and the fruits (in the Fall, using apples and/or pears is good)
-two handfuls of dried cranberries (dried cherries or apricots are excellent, too)
-handful of sunflower seeds
-2 avocados, diced
-I cup crumbled Feta

Other options: add diced walnuts or almonds, add diced chicken, a little onion, any other fruits you think would be good


Dressing:
-equal parts balsamic, olive oil, and honey---I place the ingredients in a jar, nuke for about 10 secs., and then put lid on jar and shake.

Directions:
Rinse and prep your fruits and greens.  Then place in a large bowl.  Add the dried fruit and seeds, and lightly toss the mixture.  Sprinkle the avocado and feta on top.  Prep dressing and drizzle on top.  Enjoy!

Yummy Way to Start the Day, pt. 2

There's only a few things I like to eat in the morning (the rest of the day is no problem!), so when I find something I like, it's a staple.  One of my favorite breakfasts, especially in summer, is fresh fruit drizzled with nut butter.  It sounds a little strange, but once you try it, you'll be hooked!

To make:
Just place in a bowl bite size bits of your favorite fruits.  I usually prefer a combination of banana and berries.  Grapes are good, too.  I don't know if citrus fruits would be the best, but anything you have is good...peaches, apples, whatever. 

Then you just scoop a little nut butter and drizzle on top....now sometimes the nut butter is clumpy, so you just have to kinda stir to get it softer.  Any nut butter works.  My favorite is Hazelnut Butter, but I've only found this in Oregon and Germany, so here in AZ, I stick with Almond Butter or Peanut Butter.
***For extra energy I sometimes add some ground flax meal on top.

This is a yummy, nutritious meal, and soon to be a favorite!

BBQ Tofu Sandwich

Tyson and I started eating less meat about a year ago, as we simply can't afford to buy organic meat all the time.  Plus I read "Fast Food Nation" and some other books I shouldn't have...

So to supplement, I started venturing into the world of tofu.  The taste is not bad, as it really just takes on the flavor of whatever you're cooking with, however the texture takes some getting used to.  Tofu Stirfry is a great way to start intoducing it, but I could only handle so much stir-fry!

So here's a recipe I kind of created:

Ingredients:
1 pkg. extra firm tofu, water drained, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
1 c. BBQ sauce of your choice
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 sweet potato, sliced into 1/4 inch slices and roasted (takes about 20 mins at 375)
1 avocado, sliced
cheese of your choice, sliced
lettuce
buns
****All the toppings are just my suggestions, but you can vary/omit whatever

Sauce:
equal parts mustard and mayo and a tablespoon of poppyseeds


Directions:

Cover slices in BBQ sauce and let rest for about 15 minutes.

Heat a non-stick pan with a little oil, and place tofu slices on at medium heat.  Cook each side about 5 minutes.

While tofu is cooking, put some sauce on the buns, and then layer the toppings.  Once tofu is done, add that to your topping-full buns, and then eat!