Caprese Salad with Balsamic Glaze

One of my favorite things to make for company or bring to a dinner party is a simple Caprese Salad.  It is hands down the easiest thing you can throw together but packs a serious presentation punch!  If you can slice up a tomato and some mozzarella than you can make a caprese salad.  And if you have followed my blog at all, you know I am a firm believer in the balsamic glaze from Trader Joe's and guess what, here is yet another recipe where I use it!

Brussel Sprout and Bacon Salad with an Orange Vinaigrette

I think by now everyone knows I have a love affair with brussel sprouts.  They are so good!  But one thing I haven't done is prepare them raw.  I have grilled them and roasted them and sauteed them so I figured it was time to figure out a way to eat them raw.

Mini Caesar Salad Cup Appetizer - With Bacon, Avocado, and Crispy Onion Strings!

I don't think I have ever met a Caesar Salad I didn't like.  Well, except maybe ones that have the whole anchovies on them, I can't do that and I have to pick them off.  One of my favorite things is fun takes on the caesar salad, one of which is adding avocado, bacon bits, and crispy onion strings to it!  Because well add any one of those things to just about anything and it makes it soooo much better, so why not add all three!  These little 2-bite caesar salad cups are perfect for a cocktail party.  There are no utensils required!  It's a salad you can eat with you hands, so well, everyone is going to love that!

Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken Salad

I would say a new yummy salad for a new year but we have been making this salad for a while now and it's a staple in our house!  I just am finally blogging it!  This chicken has to be one of my favorite grilled chicken recipes.  We have made it a million times and it comes out perfectly every time.  It is so flavorful, so easy to just throw on the grill and makes the perfect topping for a healthy salad, or pair it with some rice and grilled veggies or throw it on top of a loaded baked potato!  I can't praise this grilled chicken enough and when you throw it on top of a salad with avocado, black olives, tomatoes, and shallots with a champagne dressing, you have me hooked!  

Creamy California Pasta Salad

Ok, ok, ok, I know this is totally a summer recipe and Starbucks has already come out with their Pumpkin Spiced Latte which means its "fall" but here in Southern California we have a (surprisingly) hot week with temperatures being 90+ (unheard of in coastal San Diego).  So with this heat wave I decided I can still make "summer" dinners even though it is September.  And with that, I give you my Creamy California Pasta Salad.  It's even better if you eat it on the beach!  It has to be like the easiest dinner there is, and the best part is, you can make it early and then eat it whenever you want!  And the leftovers the next day are just delish!

Family Style Buffalo Chicken Salad

Buffalo Chicken Salad is one of my favorite salads, and this family style version with grilled chicken instead of the traditional fried chicken is a healthy substitution to one of the best salads.  Everyone in your family will love it!

A HEALTHY take on a Taco Salad [Spinach, Arugula, and an Avocado Dressing!]

I don't know about you, but I am a sucker for those taco salads that they serve in the fried taco shell bowls.  The only problem is, there is nothing healthy about a giant deep fried taco shell, the ice burg lettuce the use to make the salads, and the calorie rich, creamy ranch dressing they smoother all over it.  Thats why we ventured out to try and give it a make over and make it a little bit better for you!  

We swapped the fried taco shell bowl for a baked one, ice burg lettuce for spinach and arugula, and that fattening ranch dressing for our homemade Avocado, Cilantro, Lime Dressing.

fancy caesar salad [spinach, kale, avocado - whats not to love?]

Caesar salad is a classic and one of our favorite salads, but we like to give it a little makeover and fancy it up a bit and make it a little better for you.  Instead of iceberg lettuce opt for a combination of spinach and kale.  Instead of some boxed croutons, slice a baguette and toast some up yourself!  Then a secret ingredient: AVOCADO!  The entire Just a Darling Life team here is obsessed with avocado, we will add it to just about anything.  Here is our take on the caesar salad, the fancy caesar salad!  Or dare we call it, a DARLING Caesar Salad!