The star of this salad is the cannellini beans that are mixed in with the chopped vegetables. The beans are perfect for if you want to go meatless! *However, if you do want to add meat to this meal, try: za'atar crusted chicken, baked lemon tilapia, OR lemon-pepper salmon!*
INGREDIENTS
-14oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
-1/2 container cherry tomatoes
-1/2 red bell pepper
-1/2 cucumber
-1/2 red onion
-~15 Kalamata olives, seedless
-1 container low-fat feta cheese
-3 tablespoons pepitas
-1 bag chopped romaine lettuce
-1 lemon
-1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
-1/2 teaspoon oregano
-1/4 teaspoon salt & 1/4 teaspoon pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Prep the vegetables. Halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the bell pepper, quarter and dice the cucumber, small dice the red onion, and halve the Kalamata olives. Add the cannellini beans, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, and Kalamata olives to a mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
2. Divide the cannellini-vegetable mixture evenly among 3 quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jars.
3. Next, add the feta cheese evenly among the mason jars. Add 1 tablespoon of pepitas to each mason jar. Then fill the remainder of the jars with chopped romaine lettuce. Refrigerate until ready to eat.
4. To make a Greek vinaigrette, add the juice of 1/2-1 lemon, extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper to a small mason jar. Shake to combine.
5. When ready to eat, pour the salad into a bowl and drizzle with 1/3 of the Greek vinaigrette.
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*Za'atar Crusted Chicken: Pound chicken flat with meat mallet. Season both sides of chicken with soy sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and za'atar spice blend. Add to a skillet with olive oil over medium heat. Cook about 5-6 minutes per side, remove from skillet, and allow to rest before slicing.
*Baked Lemon Tilapia:Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle tilapia with olive oil and lemon juice on both sides. Season both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Add to an oiled sheet pan, top with lemon slices, and bake about 15 minutes.
*Lemon-Pepper Salmon: Season both sides of skinless salmon with lemon-pepper seasoning. Add to a skillet with olive oil over medium heat. Cook about 4-5 minutes per side. At the end, remove from heat and drizzle with small amount of ponzu or soy sauce.