Tag: vegetables

Cucumber Herb Salad

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This fresh salad is tangy, herby and makes a great foil for a light Summer protein.

gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, paleo

Cucumber Herb Salad

1 -2 medium cucumbers, sliced into thin rounds

Sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 small wire or red onion, sliced into thin moons

1-2 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped

2-4 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

3-4 Tbsp chives, snipped

2 tsp garlic powder

1-2 Tbsp lime juice

2 Tbsp sesame oil

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Generous cracks salt & pepper

Combine all ingredients but the cucumber and onions to form a dressing. Toss with the veggies and serve with your favorite protein – or on a thick slab of toasted bread.

Serves 2

Pepper Relish & Potatoes

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This recipe is based on the Turkish dish Ezme, but is here served as a hearty dip for slacker dinner nachos.

I served this dip 1 day slathered on a sub roll to support thinly sliced steak and the next alongside crisped potatoes as a barely-involved nacho-style dinner.

Yum either way.

gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan

Pepper Relish & Potatoes

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp dried mint

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 cup parsley

10 – 15 cherry tomatoes

1 cubano or Serrano pepper, chopped

2 big green chilis, chopped

1 Tbsp tomato paste

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses

Big pinch red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp sumac or lemon powder

2 Tbsp olive oil

Salt & pepper

Small new potatoes

Spray garlic oil

Your favorite seasoning (I used Tony Sachery’s Cajun)

Preheat your air fryer to 400F for 3 mins.

Slice your potatoes into thick slices. Chuck into the pre-heated air fryer basket & spray with a couple hits garlic oil. Shake a generous portion of Cajun seasoning over top. Shake & repeat.

Air fry, shaking a few times, 20-ish minutes or until browned + crisped to your liking.

While the potatoes work, add the rest of the ingredients to your food processor.

Whiz until just a little chunky. Taste and add salt & pepper to taste.

Makes 2-4 servings potatoes; 2-4 servings ezme.

Beet & Olive Salad

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Another weird one, but another goodie. This salad is rich & filling due to the carbs + fats, but interesting enough to serve as a light lunch.

gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan

Beet & Olive Salad

4-6 pre-roasted & peeled beets, chopped

1/2 cup your favorite olives, chopped

1 medium shallot, minced

2 Tbsp capers, fried until just-crispy

Juice + zest of 1/2 a lemon

1/4 cup olive oil

3 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped

3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1 avocado, chopped

1 large hand full baby spinach per serving

Generous sprinkle red pepper flakes

Generous sprinkle your favorite nut (I used slivered almonds)

Flake salt & cracked black pepper

First, tear or roughly chop your beets, spray with oil and air fry 15 – 20 mins, shaking a few times, until a bit crispy around the edges.

In a large bowl, whisk the shallot, lemon, oil, herbs & red pepper.

Toss all the rest of the ingredients into the dressing; top with cracked pepper + flake salt.

Serves 2-3 for lunch

Thai Chopped Salad

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Bold in flavor, this Thai-inspired chopped salad is great for a make-ahead lunch.

gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, paleo, low-carb

Thai Chopped Salad

2 medium roasted beets, skinned and chopped

1 large carrot, diced

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

7-8 English breakfast radishes, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 thumb ginger, minced

1 head romaine, ribboned

2 large scallions, chopped

3 Tbsp lime juice

1 tsp maple, date or coconut syrup

1/4 cup nut butter

2 Tbsp coconut aminos, soy sauce or tamari

1 big pinch cayenne or other spicy ground pepper

1 tsp sesame oil

Flake salt & black pepper

1/2 cup toasted nuts – peanuts, almonds, or whatever kind of nut butter you used

In a large salad bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, lime juice, syrup, salty sauce, sesame oil and spicy pepper to form a dressing. If this ends up being a touch thick, thin out with a splash or two of water.

Add the veggies to the bowl and toss.

Add the lettuce and toss again.

Serve topped with flake salt, cracked pepper and roasted nuts.

Makes enough for 4 if your head of romaine is large

Korean BBQ Restaurant Salad

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This is my stab at re-creating (and enhancing) the table salad served at my favorite local Korean BBQ joint. Every time I see this salad I get excited about blueberries, so I added them to mine. I also added a splash of vinegar. Delicious.

gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, paleo

Korean BBQ Restaurant Salad

Half a package arugula

Generous amount pomegranate arils

Big hand full blueberries

Big hand full sliced black olives

1-2Tbsp ground toasted sesame seeds

Splash fruity vinegar

10-12 cherry tomatoes, halved

Sprinkle olive oil

Generous sprinkle flake salt & black pepper

Toss all ingredients in a large salad bowl & serve with your favorite protein.

Makes 2 big salads

Seared Peach Pesto Salad

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This is a nice salad as a meal. Serve with your favorite protein for a complete boost.

Gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan

Seared Peach Pesto Salad

4 Saturn (or other variety) peaches, cut into bite sized pieces

4 heads baby gem lettuce, chopped

200g green beans, snipped into bite sized pieces

Garlic oil

Salt & pepper

Red pepper flakes

Soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos

Hand full of pine nuts

2 Tbsp of your favorite pesto

Juice 1/2 large lemon

A couple teaspoons water

First, sear the green beans and then the peaches in a little garlic oil in large pan over medium-high. Hit with salt & pepper and a little soy at the very end.

Add the peaches and green beans to a large bowl when done.

Chuck a big handful of pine nuts into the still-warm pan and shake around to toast.

Chop or rip the lettuce and add to the bowl.

To make the dressing, shake the pesto, lemon juice, generous cracks pepper & salt and a little water to make the dressing.

Toss and garnish with the pine nuts.

I served mine with a protein and topped with a little extra spice and black pepper.

Serves 2 as a big lunch salad

Caesar Potato Salad

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I’ve been craving a good Caesar dressing ever since DH and I had lunch at that Italian restaurant during Ramadan and he got a pretty great salad I was sad I couldn’t partake in (cheese).

So I thought about it, worried about coddling eggs, and came up with another plan. And than abandoned that plan (involving the 1 brand of good vegan Parmesan I’ve found because it has abandoned the country). This version is naturally dairy-free and is no less delicious than I wanted it to be. Serve hot or cold.

gluten-free, dairy-free, pescatarian(ish)

Caesar Potato Salad

10 – 12 small white potatoes, chopped

2 tsp anchovy paste

Juice 1/2 lemon

2 cloves garlic

3 egg yolks

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp fish sauce

2 tsp mustard powder

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1/3 c olive oil

2 tsp capers

2 spring onions or a small shallot, minced

Salt & fresh cracked black pepper

Add the potatoes to a pot with enough nicely salted water to cover. Boil 6-8 mins or until tender. Drain.

Add the rest of the ingredients (minus the capers and shallots or spring onions) to a blender and process, drizzling the olive oil in slowly. Taste and add more salt or pepper if necessary.

Toss with the potatoes, capers and alliums and serve hot or cold.

Serves 4 – 6

Chili Garlic Cucumber Salad

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So good. I’m thrilled chili garlic sauce is having a moment – I’d completely forgotten about how damn delicious it makes pretty much everything.

This is a nice and light salad – perfect for a quick lunch, or you can beef it up with orzo or soba for a really nice company side. If you need it up, I’d double the dressing.

gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan

Chili Garlic Cucumber Salad

1.5 Tbsp chili garlic crisp sauce

1 Tbsp sushi vinegar

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp lime juice

Salt & pepper

3 small Persian cucumbers, chopped

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

150 g small sweet peppers, cut into rings

1/4 c red onion, cut into thin half-moon slices

4 Tbsp mixed herbs (I used dill, lemon thyme and mint), minced

2 Tbsp sushi ginger, chopped

Optional mix-in: rotisserie chicken or other protein

Mix all liquids together in a large bowl to form a dressing. Toss in all the veggies & ginger. Mix in your protein if desired.

Serves 2

Miso Peach Salad

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This is a nice little salad – a little salty, some nice umami and a punch of heat.

gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan

Miso Peach Salad

1 tsp white miso

2 Tbsp balsamic glaze

3 Tbsp olive oil

Dash lime juice

Dash of heat – I’ve been using chili garlic sauce from Indifoods and adding more to each serving before eating

Salt & pepper

3 small cucumbers, chopped

500g mixed greens

1 kohlrabi, peeled and julienned

3 peaches, chopped

20 cherry tomatoes, halved

Optional toppers: tikka spiced chicken, crunchy seed mix, flaky salt & cracked pepper

In a big bowl, whisk the miso, balsamic, oil, lime juice & heat to form a dressing.

Toss the rest of the ingredients in the dressing and serve with optional toppers.

Serves 3 as a big salad

Steak Salad with Spicy Mango Dressing

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This is a fantastic lunch – or dinner – salad. It’s quick to make, bright and fresh, and with a hit of protein.

gluten-free, paleo

Steak Salad with Spicy Mango Dressing

Dressing:

1 mango

1 thumb ginger

4 cloves garlic

3 Tbsp orange juice

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 Tbsp soy sauce

Sprinkle red chili flakes

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp sesame oil

2 Tbsp hot & sweet sauce from Indifoods

Juice of 2 limes

Salt & pepper

Salad:

Leftover cooked steak

~ 1/2 c radish, sliced thin

3 small cucumber, sliced into thin half moons

1/3 – 1/2 c frozen peas, thawed

500g baby spinach

10-20 cherry tomatoes, halved

Assemble all dressing ingredients in a blender. Whiz to combine.

In a large bowl, assemble all salad ingredients and toss.

Toss with dressing and serve – I top with my favorite seedy salad topper mix.

Serves 3-ish if you’re having a big lunch salad