Dine and Dance: July Date Night In Box

We got back last weekend from our 24 day vacation to Michigan. When we got home our Date Night In Box was waiting for us....at our neighbor's house. The mailman failed to follow the instructions to stop our mail.... thank goodness for great neighbors! We were pumped to get it!

July's date was all about dining, dancing, and dashing.

Part of the instructions were to have the partner who doesn't make dinner as often, cook for the night. However, Nate and I both like to cook, and both cook dinner frequently, so we decided to make dinner together. It was a homemade pizza (one of my favorite meals!). We had a lot of fun! DNI provided our chef hats, pizza crust, pizza sauce, parmesan, and Italian seasoning. I personally loved wearing the chef hats. It put a silly spin on things, and I know that we can use them to bake with Gabe in the future (he has one of his own too!). The pizza turned out delicious! Pepperoni and banana peppers, which is a combo we frequently do at home or order in anyway. The menu spoke to my Italian soul. There was a vegetarian option as well. Gabe helped us make our dessert before we went to bed so we could refrigerate it and eat it cool: Cannoli dip with mini chocolate chips. All I can say is YUM!

While the pizza was cooking we did a choreographed dance. There were three dances to choose from: a fun wedding dance, a hip hop routine, and an old school dance number. Nate and I chose the wedding routine. I laughed SO HARD. I'm not the best dancer, and normally I don't get out on the dance floor unless Whitney's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" comes on, or I've had a couple of cocktails. The moves weren't hard (which I'm sure was on purpose), and Nate made up some silly moves of his own that kept me laughing the entire time.

After dinner and dancing we played a competitive game called Date Dash. We each took turns reading a card and giving 5 answers that corresponded to the category in 30 seconds. I won! Some of the cards were tricky, which made it even more fun. Then we played a game to find out which pizza is our spirit animal. Nate and I were both supreme. I guess we REALLY know that we're soulmates now. ;)

As always, we had a blast and can't wait for August! If you want to get in on the fun, here's the link to grab your own box!

Pesto Farro Salad

Farro is delicious. If you haven't had it, I definitely recommend it. There's something about the texture that makes us crave this salad weekly. Farro is the star ingredient, but the pesto, fresh arugula, cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella pearls make it a delicious meal. 

We get our farro and vegan pesto from Trader Joe's. You should be able to find farro at your local grocery store with the other grains (rice and quinoa).  If you can't, you can always make a swap with rice or orzo. You can also substitute the vegan pesto with store-bought or homemade pesto.



Pesto Farro Salad, Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 Cup farro, uncooked 
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 
• 1 1/2 cup arugula
• 1/2 cup mozzarella pearls, halved 
• 1/2 container Trader Joe's vegan pesto (or a 6-8 oz jar store-bought pesto) 

Instructions

• In a large saucepan, cook farro according to package directions
• When the farro is done cooking, drain any water that remains, place in a medium serving bowl
• Stir in the pesto 
• Add tomatoes, arugula, and mozzarella, stir to combine

That's all there is to it! It's a really simple, delicious and healthy recipe. It's perfect for a busy middle-of-the-week dinner when you don't want to spend a lot of time preparing a meal. It's also a great side dish to bring to a potluck. If you don't want to eat it as a full meal you can always add a protein (grilled chicken, yum!) and have it as a side dish. Hope you enjoy!

Chopped Salad with Grilled Chicken and Mango Dressing

As we start our trek back from vacation (we've been gone since June 26th!), my body is craving routine and fruits and veggies. Last year when we got back, by Nate's request, we had a salad week. I'm excited to add this one to our rotation for Salad week this year! It's loaded with chopped veggies, has a killer, homemade, mango dressing and is topped with grilled chicken breast....YUM! There are a few steps included in this recipe, but once it's all tossed together it's totally worth it. Let's do this!

Chopped Salad with Grilled Chicken and Mango Dressing, Serves 2

Dressing Ingredients

• 1 cup ripe mango, chopped 
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves (packed if you would like more cilantro flavor) 
• 1 tsp red chili pepper paste 
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped 
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar 
• 3/4 tsp sea salt 
• 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

Salad Ingredients

• 6 cups spring mix, divided 
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 mini cucumbers, diced 
• 1 bell pepper, sliced thinly, divided 
• 1 mini avocado, diced 
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped 
• 1/2 cup mango dressing, divided 
• 20 plantain chips, crushed and divided

Instructions (Dressing)

• Place mango, cilantro, chili pepper paste, garlic, red wine vinegar, and salt to your blender 
• Blend on low until combined 
• Slowly add the olive oil until dressing thickens to desired consistency

Instructions (Salad)

• Marinate the chicken in 1/2 cup of mango dressing for 30 minutes to overnight (the longer you marinate, the stronger the flavor) 
• Grill the chicken to an internal temperature of 165°, let chicken rest for 5 minutes
• Divide spring mix, 3 cups each, on serving plates 
• Add 1 chopped cucumber, 1/2 sliced bell pepper, 1/2 diced avocado, 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro to each plate. 
• Thinly slice chicken breast and place on top of the salad 
• Pour desired amount of remaining dressing salad 
• Top with crushed plantain chips
• Enjoy! 

The fresh flavors of this salad, and the homemade dressing, will leave you craving it over and over again. I wouldn't be surprised if you add it into your favorite rotations for summer like we do!

Crunchy Chicken Salad over Sweet and Tangy Slaw

I'm all about meals that I don't have to cook in the summer. I don't love turning on the oven or even cooking on the stovetop--especially when it's hot out. Yes, we have air conditioning... I'm just a baby when it comes to being too hot. Anything that I can whip together with ingredients from the fridge is a win in my book. This one is full of veggies and is a perfect lunch for a hot day.

Crunchy Chicken Salad Over Sweet and Tangy Slaw, Serves 1

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 
• 1 Tbsp olive oil 
• 1 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp dijon mustard 
• 1 packet stevia (optional) 
• Sea salt and ground black pepper (to taste; optional) 
• 2 cups coleslaw mix
• 1 small apple, chopped, divided use
• 1 (5oz) can chicken breast (drained)* 
• 1/4 cup plain (0%) Greek Yogurt
• 1/4 cup chopped celery 
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional) 

Instructions

• To make dressing: combine vinegar, oil, soy sauce, mustard, and stevia (if desired) in a small bowl; whisk to blend 
• Season with salt and pepper, if desired; whisk to blend. Set aside. 
• Combine coleslaw mix, half chopped apple, and dressing; toss gently to blend. Set aside. 
• Combine chicken, yogurt, celery, garlic powder (if desired), and remaining half appl in a medium bowl; mix well. 
• Top coleslaw mixture with chicken salad. Serve immediately. 

You could totally make a huge batch of the slaw as a topping for burgers or as a side dish for a potluck BBQ. As always--I'd love feedback if you try this recipe! It's one of our favorites in the summer.

*If you'd rather use tuna in this recipe you can definitely do that. Substitute your 5oz of chicken breast for 5oz of light albacore tuna packed in water, drained.