We have the ultimate chicken/tuna salad recipe for you! It takes a little bit more time to make than regular chicken or tuna salad, but it’s so worth it! This salad has Greek yogurt garlic ranch mayo instead of your regular mayonnaise. It also has veggies like grilled peppers, celery, carrots, and red onion. Without any further ado, here is the ultimate chicken or tuna salad that you must make today!

The ULTIMATE Chicken or Tuna Salad Sandwich Recipe!

We guarantee that this will be your new favorite chicken or tuna salad recipe!

Ingredients

• 2-3 cups shredded chicken or 4 cans of tuna (drained)
• 2 green onions (sliced)
• 1 red bell pepper (roasted, peeled, seeded and diced)
• 1 yellow bell pepper (roasted, peeled, seeded and diced)
• 1 small carrot (peeled and grated)
• 2 celery (finely diced)
• 1 small red onion (diced)
• 1-3 avocados, slightly mashed (number of avocados depends on how many sandwiches you’re making)
• salt and black pepper

For the Greek Yogurt Garlic Ranch

• 2/3 cup Greek yogurt
• 2-3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
• 2 tbsp chives (chopped)
• 1 tbsp fresh dill weed (chopped)
• 1 garlic clove (chopped and smashed into a paste with a pinch of salt)
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Salad

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Mix in as much of the Greek Yogurt ranch mayo as you like.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
3. Serve as sandwiches, slightly mashing an avocado on top or spreading the avocado on one or both slices of bread.

For the Greek Yogurt Garlic Ranch

1. Place Greek yogurt in a strainer lined with cheesecloth over a bowl. Cover the strainer and allow excess liquid to drain for about 1 to 2 hours.
2. In a bowl, stir together yogurt, mayonnaise, parsley, chives, dill, garlic paste, garlic powder, and onion powder.
3. Stir in buttermilk.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Wrap and refrigerate for several hours before adding to salad.

 Photos: Parsley Sage and Sweet.

This shrimp salad sandwich is made with celery, red onion, tomatoes, olives, mayonnaise, and of course, shrimp! For a bit of extra yummyness, it’s piled high onto a sliced croissant. You can add lettuce leaves if you like, or even fresh spinach. For a healthier choice, try substituting the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt. This salad can be made the night before, and assembled easily into a sandwich the next morning for work. Moist and delicious, perfect for summer, we’re sure your co-workers are going to be green with envy!

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Photos: Escape From Fisherman’s Warf, Real Mom Kitchen.

Who needs store-bought salad dressing when home-made is way better? Here are 4 salad dressing recipes that you need to know by heart! Use them as dressing, or as a dip. Our home-made Italian dressing can even be used to marinade fish or chicken! Making your own home-made salad dressings are super simple and quick to make, even if you are short on time.

Easy Ranch Dressing

This dressing is best when made fresh, but it can sit for up to 3 days in the fridge. This recipe makes enough to dress 1 salad.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp buttermilk
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp rice vinegar (optional)
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder (optional)
• 1-3 tsp finely chopped fresh chives, mint, or parsley (optional)

Instructions

1. Whisk together buttermilk and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper.
2. If you like, whisk in rice vinegar, garlic powder, and herbs.
3. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Blue Cheese Dressing

This dressing is perfect as a dip, or drizzling over iceberg lettuce topped with bacon bits. This recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups of dressing, and can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Ingredients

• 1 cup blue cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. In a bowl, use a fork to mash mash the cheese and sour cream together until a chunky paste is formed.
2. Mix in buttermilk, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper

Balsamic Vinaigrette

This balsamic vinaigrette is a salad staple that every cook should know. Really simple, this barely even needs a recipe. With only 4 simple ingredients, this dressing is simple to make but big on flavor. Makes about 1 cup of dressing. This dressing will keep on the counter for several weeks, but refrigerate if you add any fresh ingredients

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper
• Extras: mustard, shallots, garlic, fresh/dried herbs, honey or brown sugar.

Instructions

1. Mix olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a jar or other air-tight container.
2. Add a big pinch of salt and a little bit of black pepper to taste. Screw on lid and shake well.
3. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Italian Salad Dressing

Red and white wine vinegar add plenty of punch to this salad dressing. The mustard adds the perfect tanginess and also thickens the dressing, while the honey helps balance all the ingredients. This dressing is not only for salads, but can be used as a marinade for fish and chicken, too. You can also use it as a veggie dip. This recipe makes 1 1/2 cups of dressing, and can be stored in the fridge for several weeks.

Ingredients

• 1 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 2 tbsp finely chopped shallots
• 2 tbsp finely chopped red bell pepper
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp salt (add more to taste)
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried marjoram
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients in an air-tight jar or container.
2. Shake well until the mixture is well-combined and until it has thickened.
3. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Photos: The Kitchn.

Wondering why you can’t shed those extra five pounds? Has your doctor suddenly taken an interest in your blood pressure? Checking the contents of your fridge could give you the answer to these questions. Check out these 10 foods that you need to get rid of ASAP!

1. Butter

Although real butter is better for you than margarine, eating too much saturated fat can contribute to weight gain. Eating a little now and then is okay, but you already get saturated fat from full-fat dairy products, meats, and baked foods. Adding butter on top of that is just extra fat that isn’t necessary. If you get butter cravings, try spreading avocado on toast or crackers instead.

2. Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is nothing more than fat and calories. Try using mustard in your sandwiches. Mustard has less fat than mayonnaise, and there are tonnes of different varieties to choose from. If you still can’t resist using mayonnaise in your sandwiches, grab a jar of pesto and use that with a small amount of mayonnaise. Your sandwich will taste amazing, but will have fewer grams of fat.

3. Processed Cheese

Individually wrapped cheese slices or cheese in a can are loaded with preservatives. If you love cheese, stock up on extra-sharp cheddar. Who needs fake cheese when you can have the real thing? By using the real deal, you can use less of it to get the same taste.

4. Pickles

Pickles contain a lot of salt and no nutrients. Toss the pickles and get your hands on sauerkraut. Sauerkraut is great on sandwiches or on the side. It also has cancer-fighting antioxidants and probiotics.

5. Flavored Yoghurt

Flavored yoghurt is chock-full of sugar and calories that will spike your blood sugar and get in the way of that beach body you’ve been working so hard for. Ditch it for plain yoghurt instead. You can always add honey or frozen cherries to it if you like it sweet.

6. Diet Soda

Diet sodas are lower in calories than full-sugar sodas, so drinking it is okay, but not exactly beneficial to your system. Artificial sweeteners have been linked to many problems, like risk of stroke or heart disease. Instead, sick to plain water.

7. Lunch Meat

Deli slices may seem healthy, but they usually contain a lot of salt and nitrates, which have been associated with cancer. Instead of lunch meat, use fresh chicken or turkey breasts. Fresh poultry meat  is lower in calories, salt, and fat. If you’re looking for a way to get even more protein into your diet, you may wish to take a look at delicious options like these protein snacks to gain muscle and help you look and feel your best.

8. Ranch Dressing

Our favorite salad dressing actually packs a lot of saturated fat and calories without much nutrition.  Next time when you get the urge to snack on some veggies, try this delicious dip: put some cottage cheese in a blender along with herbs, garlic, and ranch-flavored powder. This dip contains a lot of protein, especially if you buy cottage cheese with probiotics.

9. Apple and Cranberry Juice

Although not all juice is bad for you, the ones loaded with sugar definitely are. Apple and cranberry juice are heavy on sweetener, and don’t provide much nutritional value, either.  Instead, buy 100% grape or cherry juice. The purple pigment in grape juice actually helps promote cardiovascular health, just like a glass of wine. The red color in cherry juice comes from the anthocyanins, which help improve recovery time after a workout by lowering pain and inflammation.

10. Whole Milk

Whole milk has more calories than the other varieties, and the extra fat that it contains will raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower your HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Try using almond milk or coconut milk instead of cow’s milk. Both contain healthy fats, and you can use them in cereal, coffee, or smoothies.

Photos: Milk Works, Walmart, Web Exhibits, British Corner Shop, Fine Art America, Kaczuszka, The Lunch Tray, Eckrich, State Symbols USA.