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...

Healthified Chicken Salad Stuffed Tomato

August 23, 2016 Amanda Plott

Maybe it's the south in me, but I love me some chicken salad. And I don't mean chicken... on a salad. I mean actual chicken salad; shredded chicken combined with all sorts of wonderfulness to make for a perfectly sweet, salty, crunchy, soft, simply-complex bite.

The first time I ever saw chicken salad stuffed into a tomato was at this place I worked in the summer while I was in college, Stone Werks Big Rock Grille in San Antonio Texas. They had this wonderful salad that mainly consisted of a stuffed tomato that you could get loaded with either chicken or tuna salad. It was simple and also ended up being one of my favorite dishes at the place with the more rich chicken salad being brightened up with the citrus of the tomato. Yum!...

Southwest Grilled Pork Tenderloin Salad

July 13, 2016 Amanda Plott

I've been challenged again this year! They say that the best cooks know how to utilize any ingredients placed in front of them. I'd like to think that my handy skills with creating 'pantry' meals from my kitchen aids me in this.

Today I put my chops to the test in this Chopped At Home Challenge with Sargento®! My goal was to create a recipe within the theme of 'grilling' using all of the secret “basket” ingredients; pork tenderloin, cherry/grape tomatoes, broccoli, and Sargento Chef Blends 4 State Cheddar. Of course, looking at the last three ingredients my mind instantly went to a chef or cobb salad. But, what to do with the pork? Being from Texas, my first thought was grilled pork with a spicy seasoned kick. The spice is what kicked this off into a twist on a southwest salad...

Mediterranean Lunch Bowl

July 5, 2016 Amanda Plott

After this busy holiday weekend that was full of cooking out and even a few drinks, I was really looking forward to getting something fresh and green and clean in my system today. It's amazing how just a few guilty pleasures can leave you dragging behind, no matter how careful or conscious you are! Needless to say, I was well prepared with my shopping list having it's fill of mostly produce this week.

This mediterranean lunch bowl really hit the spot, being full of bright veggies and protein too! I kept the 'recipe' rather light and simple since coming down off of a busy (and rather long) weekend leaves me scrambling to get everything back in order. So, this would make an excellent make ahead grab-and-go lunch for work too!...

Italian 'Sub' Salad

June 15, 2016 Amanda Plott

One of my favorite 'sub' sandwiches is an Italian or a 'Grinder'. It's usually loaded with Italian meats such as salami and pepperoni, provolone cheese, and plenty of vegetables including tomatoes, olives, pepper rings and lettuce. Yum! It's a powerhouse of bold flavors with lots of zest and zing! Flavor, flavor, flavor.

So, today I decided to turn that favorite sandwich of mine into a salad. Why? Mostly because we're getting into the high end of the heat index here in Texas now and I don't even feel like toasting bread for fear of adding heat to the house. Yes, I'm absolutely serious about that...

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...

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