3 Picnic Worthy Sandwiches

Independence Day is this weekend! I can hardly believe it. If you’re packing up for a picnic on the fourth or any summer day this weekend here are 3 of my favorite picnic worthy sandwich recipes:

1. Crab Salad & Mango Sandwich
2. Num Pang Tiger Shrimp Sandwich
3. Sweet & Crunchy Wasabi Tuna Salad Sandwich

What are you doing &/or making for the fourth? I'd love to know, so comment below! If you make any of these sandwiches be sure to snap a pic & then tag me in your photos on instagram (@mrshoh or #HeatherOMade)!

Spinach Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing

Hoboken is only a mile square but it has a ton of great restaurants.  Among them are some tasty Cuban spots like La Isla.  It's a casual little place with rarely an empty seat with tons of tasty dishes on it's menu. One of my favorites is the spinach salad. It's just fresh with a combination of sweet and savory flavors as well as creamy and crunchy textures.  It's not a terribly complicated salad it's just the care they take to pile it on the plate.  It's really a feast for the eyes and the tastebuds too.  It's great on it's own or you can add shrimp or chicken to if if you want to "beef" it up. If you're ever in Hoboken, NJ I definitely recommend stopping by La Isla for a meal, if you aren't you can make a salad inspired by this great spot right in your own kitchen!

Wholefoods California Quinoa Salad

This weekend Chris & I stopped at Wholefoods for lunch. I got a small container of what Wholefoods called California Quinoa Salad.  It was just what I wanted, light but satisfying & most importantly not greasy making it the perfect salad during a heat wave. Upon finishing my tasty choice, I peeled the sticker from the container -like any rational gal that blogs about food- & stowed it safely in my purse so I could recreate it when I got home.

I made a huge batch (my recipe is very generous) that I plan on eating for lunch for several days.  The best part is there's no mayo in the salad so even if you don't have a fridge nearby it's great for summer lunch or a picnic outside.

Crab Salad & Mango Sandwich

Summer maybe coming to a close & Labor Day looming,  I'm still craving summer seafood like this crab salad & mango sandwich.  I made these for dinner the other night when I came home late from work.  Luckily, they're super easy to mix together (ahem, no cooking ok a little if you count toasting bread) & even easier to eat so they're perfect for dinner in a pinch.

Happy Labor Day to you all & especially to those who made it possible. Ciao ciao summer.

What are you making for your Labor Day barbecue or picnic, maybe a crab salad & mango sandwich?  Just in case I jotted down the recipe for you below.

Crab Salad & Mango Sandwich Ingredients

• 2 cups crab meat (I used the stuff from a can!)
• 1 tablespoon mayo
• 1 shallot (finely chopped)
• 1 lemon (zest & juice)
• 2-4 whole wheat rolls (depending no the size & portion control you're after)
• salt & pepper
• 2 cups baby field greens
• 1/2 mango sliced (do yourself a favor & get the pre-sliced container at your deli it can cost more than a whole one but if you haven't mastered cutting a mango yet (like me) you'll save more money this way!)

Make it!

1. Combine crab, mayo, shallot, lemon zest & juice of half a lemon.  Season with salt & pepper.
2. Cut rolls in half & toast under the broiler (or skip this step all together).
3. In a separate bowl toss the baby field greens with the rest of the lemon juice & season with salt & pepper.
4. To create each sandwich cover the bottom half of the roll with slices of mango, top with a heap of crab salad.  Then pile the greens high & cover with the top of the roll, squish it down & cut it in half. Serve & enjoy.

Fresh Herb & Fruit Chicken Salad

 

Chicken can get kind of monotonous so I'm always looking for new ways to make it.  I had some leftover grilled chicken in the fridge, so on a whim I chopped it up & added a bunch of fresh ingredients for a fresh & simple dinner.  How do you make your chicken without getting bored of it? Please share!

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups grilled chicken (cut into cubes)
• 1/2 english cucumber (cut into cubes)
• 1 carrot (shred with a box grater or make curls with a veggie peeler)
• 1 clove garlic (mince)
• 1 mango (cut into cubes)
• 5 mint leaves (chiffonade) 
• 5 basil leaves (chiffonade)
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 cups baby arugula

Dressing Ingredients:

• juice of 2 limes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

Make it:

1. Toss all salad ingredient together in a bowl.
2. In a smaller bowl or measuring cup mix all dressing ingredients together.
3. Toss salad with dressing & serve immediately.

Crab Stacks

Inspired by the tasty crab stack we enjoyed in San Francisco I attempted my own version. I'd say it was a success! Oh and I should mention there's no cooking involved in this one either (just chopping and smooshing)! 

I got a little photo happy, so make sure to check out the photos & my recipe after the jump!

A Green Vegan Smoothie

Watch out green eggs and ham there's a new player in town. His name is kale.

A couple of weekends ago Jennifer (my twin), Kara (one of my besties since elementary school) and I had an unnaturally long conversation about our love for kale. (Yes the green leafy "it" veggie du jour.)  Sauteed with garlic, crisped in the oven, tossed with fresh veggies in a salad - kale is just good no matter how you slice/dice/cook it.

I will eat kale in a box
I will eat kale with a fox.
And I will eat kale in a house.
And I will eat kale with a mouse.
And I will eat kale here and there.
Say! I will eat kale ANYWHERE!

If you've never tried it, you must - look what happened to Sam I am. If you don't cook, give this green vegan smoothie a whirl!

Ingredients:
1 handful of kale
1/2 a ripe mango (cubed)
1 frozen banana
1 cup coconut milk

Make it:
Blend it all together until smooth! Stick a straw in it and enjoy!

Tip#1: Frozen bananas are your smoothie's BFF. Just before your bananas turn completely brown (or even if they already are and fruit flies could be there any minute) peel them, cut them up, zip them up in a plastic bag and stick them in the freezer.  You'll never need to add ice or sugar to your smoothies again!

Tip #2: If it's still not sweet enough for you, add some agave or honey.

Tip #3: I may or may not have found out the hard way (and some stitches later) that you should ALWAYS UNPLUG your immersion blender before cleaning the blade.

Mangoes-Well-With-Everything Salsa

mouse over to see what's inside :)

One of the first things I found out about Chris was that he loves mangos!  I too love mangos so it was obvious we needed to get married.

Mangos never last long at our house. I like making them with savory things for dinner. This is a quick easy recipe for making mango salsa that you can serve up on tacos or add some leafy greens and call it a salad! Hope you have fun making this and even more fun eating it!