Power Salad

It's funny how your body tells you things sometimes.

Like that you NEED to eat a salad. It's great when you can have a craving that you have no regrets whatsoever giving in to! 

Slightly adapted from recipe found at What's Gaby Cooking?

Ingredients

2-3 cups fresh spinach

1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 long english cucumber, chopped or sliced

6 green onions, sliced

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 avocado, sliced

Place spinach in a large bowl, then arrange remaining ingredients on top of the spinach. 

I topped this salad with this delicious raspberry vinaigrette. 

Enjoy!

- Arianne

Raspberry Vinegrette

Original Recipe found at What's That Smell?

Ingredients

3/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 cup frozen or fresh raspberries

1/4 cup water

2 Tablespoons honey

Place all ingredients in a blender and mix for 30 second. Pour on desired salad and enjoy!

- Arianne

Wild Rice and Barley Salad with Dried Cranberries

Slightly adapted from recipe found on Scrumpdillyicious

Ingredients

1/2 cup uncooked brown and wild rice mix

1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley

1 3/4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 Tablespoons vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Place the rice, barley, and broth in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Place the rice mixture into a medium sized bowl then add chickpeas and cranberries.

Combine the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk together. Pour this over the rice mixture and toss well. Cover and chill until ready to serve, then add the chopped basil and mix well.

Enjoy!

- Arianne

Tomato Corn Salad with lime Dressing

A simple refreshing summer salad!

Ingredients

For the Salad : 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 fresh or frozen corn kernels 

2 cups halved cherry or grape tomatoes

2 tablespoons chopped, fresh cilantro

crumbled feta cheese

For the dressing : 

1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1-2 garlic cloves, minced 

Directions  

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the corn, and heat until soft (3-5 minutes). Cool corn slightly and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil and minced garlic cloves. In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, cilantro, cheese and corn. Toss the salad with the dressing, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or cold. Enjoy - Alex

Slightly adapted from Mels Kitchen Cafe

Rainbow Chicken Salad with Almond Honey Mustard Dressing

Wow. This salad is truly incredible! It has all the right flavours in all the right ways! I honestly could go on and on. But just look.

This is perfection plated.

Now go make this immediately! 

It is THE best salad I have ever had the pleasure of devouring. The dressing definitely makes the dish.

Recipe from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients

Salad

2 teaspoons olive oil

8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 cup fresh blueberries

2 cups halved grapes

3 cups chopped green-leaf lettuce

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup sliced or chopped almonds

Dressing

3 Tablespoons almond butter

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

3 Tablespoons water

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

1/2 Tablespoon raw honey

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sauté the chicken in the hot oil and season with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Stir frequently until cooked through and golden brown. Set aside to cool. While chicken is cooling, prepare the fruits and vegetables. Place all the salad ingredients in a large bowl. They may either be arranged by ingredient, or all tossed together. 

To prepare the dressing, puree all the dressing ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Pour onto salad and enjoy!

- Arianne

Thai Pork Salad

Original Recipe by Stephano Faita

Ingredients

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion thinly diced

1 Tablespoon minced ginger

1 garlic clove minced

1 pound ground pork

pinch of cinnamon

pinch of cumin

pinch of red pepper flakes

juice of 2 limes

2 Tablespoons fish sauce

2 teaspoons honey

1 bunch of spinach leaves

1/2 cucumber cut into matchsticks

1-2 carrots cut into matchsticks

Heat the oil in a large skillet, then add onion, ginger, and garlic until cooked softened. Add the pork and stir frequently until cooked through. Add the spices. Prepare the sauce by combining lime juice, fish sauce and honey. Arrange leaves on a plate, then top with carrots and cucumber slices. Add the cooked pork to the salad and top with the sauce. 

Enjoy!

- Arianne

Spinach and Quinoa Salad with Roasted Acorn Squash and Avocados

I was craving a hearty salad last week and looked around my kitchen to see what I had on hand. I had an acorn squash that needed to be used up along with some avocados. I thought, why not put them together somehow, and this salad creation was born. The dressing recipe is from Food Lush Blog and I love it because it doesn't require any dairy unlike most poppyseed dressings out there. It was the perfect combination and a very satisfying lunch!

For the Salad

1/2 acorn squash
olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup dry quinoa
1/2 cup water
2 handfuls of baby spinach, or greens of your choice
1/2 avocado, sliced

For the Dressing  

Juice and zest from one orange
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small shallot
1 tablespoon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
1-2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Salad Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the acorn squash lengthwise, remove seeds and brush the insides with olive oil. Place cut side down on a lined baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes or until soft. Meanwhile rinse quinoa and place it in a small pot with 1/2 cup water. Cover and bring to a boil. When it starts to boil, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes until done. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes then fluff with a fork. Place your salad greens in a bowl and mix with cooled quinoa. When the squash is cooked, cut into smaller pieces and lay them on top of the salad and quinoa mixture along with the avocado slices. Drizzle with the orange poppy seed dressing.

Dressing Directions
Place all the ingredients except poppy seeds in a blender and mix well. Add poppy seeds and pulse once or twice just to mix them in. I added honey to mine because I wanted my dressing to be on the sweeter side, but that it totally optional! You can adjust the ingredients to your liking. Enjoy! - Alex

Chickpea and Pear Arugula Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Ingredients

For the Salad (single serving)

1 large handful of arugula

1/2 pear sliced

1/3 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon chia seeds

1 Tablespoon crumbled feta cheese

For the Dressing

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon honey

1 garlic clove crushed or grated

salt and pepper to taste

Arrange salad ingredients. Whisk together dressing ingredients, then drizzle over salad and enjoy!

- Arianne

Warm Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad

I decided to make this salad for dinner tonight, but was a bit unsure of how it would turn out.

Turns out it is amazing! One of my new favourites for sure, and pretty simple to whip up.

Original recipe from Blissfulbblog 

Ingredients

1 medium sweet potato (about 2 lbs.), peeled and diced

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper 

1 15oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 red onion finely chopped

1/2 cup fresh parsley finely chopped

Dressing

1 medium garlic clove

juice of 1 lemon

3 Tablespoons of well-stirred tahini

3 Tablespoons water

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425F. 

Place sweet potato cubes in a baking dish and stir with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tender. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a pan to cook the chopped onion. Cook onions until translucent and tender, then set aside.

To make the dressing, grate the garlic with a microplane grater, or press to make a somewhat smooth paste and place in a small bowl. Add all other dressing ingredients and whisk to blend. The sauce should be easily poured. Add more water if needed to reach desired consistency. 

Combine the sweet potatoes, chickpeas, onions, and parsley in a large bowl, then add the tahini dressing. Stir gently to combine. Serve warm and enjoy!

The Big Vegan Bowl

When this beautiful big bowl of deliciousness from Oh She Glows popped up in my reader yesterday I just knew I had to make it immediately! Luckily for me I had all of the ingredients on hand and got to work right away. It was quick to throw together, and the results were amazing and kept me full for hours! I am drooling just thinking about it. 

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, chopped into cubes

1 (15 oz can) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

1 large carrot, peeled and julienned

cabbage or vegetable of choice, shredded

couple of handfuls of greens for the base (optional)

lots of hummus

sliced avocado

pepitas

parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

2. Spread out the chopped potato on one half of the baking sheet and drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss potatoes until coated and sprinkle with fine grain sea salt. 

3. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and place on a large tea towel and pat until completely dry. Discard any skins that fall off. Transfer chickpeas to the other half of the baking sheet and drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon of oil. Rub them around with your hands until lightly coated. Generously sprinkle with fine grain sea salt and your choice of spices. (I used garlic powder and cumin.)

4. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 15 minutes, then remove. Flip the sweet potatoes and roll around the chickpeas. Place back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes until the sweet potatoes are lightly browned and fork tender and the chickpeas are golden. 

5. Cook the quinoa while the roasting is going on. Rinse the quinoa then place in a medium pot. Add 1 cup of water and bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce the heat to low/medium. Simmer covered for 14-17 minutes until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5-10 minutes to steam if needed. Fluff with a fork.

6. Assemble the bowls : Add a couple of handfuls of greens to the bowls (I used spinach). When the roasted potatoes and chickpeas are done, let cool for 5 minutes then add them on top of the greens. Followed by carrots, cabbage, avocado, and hummus. See picture for how I plated it. Garnish hummus with pepitas and finely chopped parsley. 

7. Serve and enjoy! 

*Makes 2 large bowls

Prosciutto and Brussel Sprout Salad

If you like brussel sprouts, you'll love this salad. If you don't like brussel sprouts you will love this salad. It's that good! Even my husband who's not a fan in general went back for SECONDS!

Original recipe found at Pinch of Yum

Ingredients

1 lemon

1 orange

1/2 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

1/2 cup prosciutto pan fried and crumbled

4 dozen brussel sprouts

1 cup almonds 

1 cup grated Romano cheese

Juice the lemon and orange into a small container and pour in olive oil in a steady stream while whisking to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper, then refrigerate until ready for use.

Shred the brussel sprouts up to the stems using a grater or mandolin. 

Place almonds in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. 

Cook the prosciutto and crumble. Add all ingredients together, including lemon-orange mixture and toss. 

- Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1 (1 1/2 pound) butternut squash, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup apple cider, or apple juice
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces baby arugula


Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the butternut squash in a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Transfer onto lined baking sheet and bake in oven for 15-20 minutes turning once, until tender. Add the cranberries and walnuts to the pan for the last 5 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, combine the apple cider, cider vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 6-8 minutes until the cider is reduced to 1/4 cup. Remove from heat and whisk in the mustard and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place arugula in large salad bowl and add the roasted squash mixture. Spoon just enough vinaigrette over the salad to moisten and toss well. Enjoy - Alex


Recipe from Barefoot Contessa

Corn, Tomato & Basil Salad

Adapted from recipe found at Girl Makes Food

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

3 cups corn

2 garlic cloves minced

5 - 6 grape tomatoes

1/4 cup basil (measured, then minced) 

cracked pepper and sea salt to taste

Heat the coconut oil in a pan, then add the corn and garlic. Fry until cooked through, and slightly browned. Transfer to a bowl. Slice the grape tomatoes, then add them and the basil to the corn and mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper.

(Don't substitute the coconut oil, it's what really makes this salad!)

Simple and delicious!

- Enjoy!

Easy Potato Salad

I got this recipe from my friend Elyse who got it from her awesome Mother in law! I love it when people share their tried and true recipes! I had never made potato salad before this, and I'm so glad my first experience making it was a good one. This recipe is a keeper for sure. Thanks Elyse!

The recipe says to just use however much of each ingredient you and your family will eat but I did the following. Feel free to adjust and change it to your taste! 

Ingredients 

15 mini potatoes, boiled until fork tender and cut into cubes

3 hard boiled eggs, cooled and diced

1/2 Cucumber, peeled and diced

3 Celery stalks, chopped

1/2 Tomato, diced

2 tablespoons Green onions (I used chives)

1/4 Cup Miracle whip/Mayo (I will do a little less next time)

Celery Salt, to taste

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions 

Boil potatoes until fork tender and cut into cubes. Hard boil eggs then dice. Dice up cucumber, celery, tomato and green onions. Add miracle whip to taste. Sprinkle with celery salt and salt and pepper to taste. 

Enjoy- Alex

Chicken Souvlaki Pasta Salad

Pasta salads are the perfect meal for those crazy-hot summer days where taking any time to cook or bake anything is simply out of the question.

This recipe was inspired by just that - the heat! I really wanted chicken souvlaki wraps, but there was no way I was up for making some homemade tortillas. So this is what it turned into, and it was de!

Chicken Souvlaki Marinade

2 chicken breasts

Juice of 1 lemon

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves minced

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon thyme 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Chicken breasts may be diced, marinated then placed on skewers, or marinated and barbecued whole. 

Thoroughly mix all ingredients except for chicken in a bowl or large zip-top plastic bag. Then place chicken into bag and mix well, ensuring all chicken has been covered. Marinate in the refrigerator for 10-30 minutes. Barbecue until cooked through.

Pasta Salad

250g fusilli noodles

1 large tomato

1/2 large cucumber

1/4 cup thinly diced red onion

1 cup tzatziki sauce

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Cook noodles and rinse in cold water to cool.  Dice tomato, cucumber, and red onion. Place all ingredients, including cooked chicken into a large bowl and mix thoroughly. 

Enjoy!

-Arianne

Sesame and Cilantro Vermicelli Salad

     Recipe from Simply Recipes

Ingredients

Honey soy dressing : 

1/4 cup grapeseed oil or corn oil (I used olive)

3 tablespoons of dark sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper flakes or chili powder

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce

Salad: 

8 oz vermicelli

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/4 thinly sliced and chopped red pepper

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, but do not rinse. 

While the pasta is cooking, combine the grapeseed oil, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes in a small sauce pan and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and add the honey and soy sauce. Mix well. 

Combine the cooked pasta with the dressing in a large bowl until the pasta is well coated. Cover and chill for several hours. When ready to serve, mix in peanuts, green onions, red pepper. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds. 

The recipe is supposed to serve 4-8 people. Is it bad that I ate the whole thing myself? : ) 

-Alex

Greek Quinoa and Avocados

I stumbled upon this recipe last summer and it is my most favourite quinoa recipe of all time. I take it to potlucks, dinners, and BBQ's and get asked for the recipe every single time. Just this weekend, my father in law told me the salad tasted, "alive." Ha ha. It really is so fresh tasting, and filling too! Make it tonight, you won't regret it!

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked, rinsed quinoa

2 cups water

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup shredded fresh spinach

1/3 cup finely chopped red onion

2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Spinach leaves

2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled and sliced

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

In a small saucepan combine quinoa and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Place in medium sized bowl.

Add tomatoes, spinach and onion to the quinoa. In a small bowl mix together lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and add to quinoa mixture. Stir to combine.

Place additional spinach leaves on 4 plates. Lay the avocado on top of the spinach leaves. Divide quinoa mixture between the 4 plates and on top of the avocado slices. Top with crumbed feta cheese.

(I usually just chop my avocados into cubes and put them right into the salad itself, but either way will be de!).

Enjoy! - Alex

Simple Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

 Recipe from Martha Stewart
Photograph by Everglow Photography
(Gluten free option, dairy free option, egg free)

Ingredients

2 Pounds of fresh plum tomatoes
1/4 Cup fresh basil leaves
1 Tablespoon flat leaf parsley
2 Garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 pound pasta ( I used True Roots ancient grain penne pasta - You can find it at Costco. It is organic, non GMO and gluten free!)
Grated parmesan cheese (optional, for serving)

Directions

Finely chop tomatoes, basil, parsley, garlic and mix with olive oil in a small bowl. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain pasta and toss with the raw sauce. Sprinkle with  salt, pepper and parmesan cheese on top.

Enjoy! -Alex

Tomato Basil Quinoa Salad

Slightly altered from The Diva Dish

Photography by Everglow Photography

(Gluten free, Egg free, Dairy free option)

Ingredients

2 Cups of quinoa, cooked

2 Cups of navy beans, cooked

3 1/2-4 Cups diced tomatoes

1 avocado

2 Cups fresh spinach

1-2 Tablespoons fresh basil (or more if desired)

Dressing 

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, pressed 

zest of one small lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions 

In a small bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients (except for cheese) and set aside. 

In a food processor blend the spinach and fresh basil and set aside.

In a large bowl add quinoa, beans, diced tomatoes, and avocado, chopped greens and dressing. Mix until well combined. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Add parmesan cheese if desired. Place in fridge until ready to serve. The colder it tastes, the better! 

Enjoy! Alex

Tomato, Avocado, Mango Salad

Photograph by Everglow Photography

This salad is to die for.

So ridiculously simple, and so de! 

(What more could you ask for??)

1 10oz. Package of grape tomatoes halved

1 large mango

1 avocado

Dice the mango and avocado and toss all ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Scarf.

This salad may be enjoyed as a side dish, or as a whole meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

As much as I'd like to take credit for creating this salad, that award goes to my wonderful husband!

Enjoy!

- Arianne