You are probably wondering why I'm calling this Cucumber (No Pasta) Salad instead of just "cucumber salad". Reason being--it STARTED as my very, very favorite pasta salad recipe and turned into this!

Here is the thing: pasta isn't bad for you (whole wheat, quinoa or brown rice please!) in moderation. However, pasta is a trigger food for me. So in my weight loss/get-abs journey I steer clear. It is so hard, but I know when noodles hit my lips it is a fast and scary downward spiral for me. I know it, so I plan for it by just avoiding it except for very rare occasions.

This pasta salad was actually my mom's recipe. Yall, I would make it with an entire box and it would be gone in a day and a half (see--downward spiral). I would eat a big bowl for lunch, snack, and dinner. Now that I have my super awesome portion control containers and realize what a serving SHOULD have been I look back and realize I was eating about a week's or more worth of carbs in a day. Yikes. No WONDER I wasn't seeing any give in my clothes! So, yes you could make this with pasta and measure it properly, but now that I make it this way I realized I don't think I was after the pasta, I was after the cheese, onion and ranch. ha!

Gather Up:

1/2 cup homemade ranch dressing
4 cucumbers- peeled and diced (seeds removed!)
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
1/2 red onion, diced small

Dump it all in a bowl and stir. Serve chilled!

If you follow my portion control system, measure a serving in your green container. Count as: 1 green, 1 blue, 1 orange

If you want to know more about this portion control system and how you can join my next accountability group (we start the first Monday of each month!) shoot me an email. I promise I am a super fun and sweet person. I don't bite ;) BrittanyLerbakken@gmail.com

My husband will tell you that he hates kale. I admit that I have served it to him in some not so tasty ways, but that was before I really got to know kale. So you are in luck and you get to benefit from my mistakes and only eat it in the most scrumptious ways. Even Dave will eat this recipe!

Gather Up:

2 bunches of kale. Ribs removes and ripped into small pieces.
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, mashed
1/2 tsp sea salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (and extra for garnish)

Mix olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.
Pour mixture onto kale and toss and massage with your hands. Let this sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
Next, dump your Parmesan into the kale and toss. Serve with a few extra large shavings of parm as garnish!

**Kale is not like other lettuce. It is hearty and will keep in the fridge, without getting soggy, for several days!**

If you follow my portion control system, I would measure this in your green container and count it as: 1 green, 1/2 blue, and 1 tsp.