How to Build a Better Lunch or Dinner Bowl ::infographic::
Cucumber Feta Salad with Lemony-Dill Dressing
Sometimes I like to play this game in winter where I turn on my space heater, put on reggae music and pretend it’s not frigid and frightening outside. If I were an animal, I might be a bear considering I have a innate desire to hibernate when temperatures drop, sidewalks turn into ice skating rinks, and my legs start to look like alligator tails. During one of these recent exercises in wistful imagination, I decided that creating a summery salad in the dead of winter would make me feel just a little bit brighter on what was an otherwise gloomy day.
Cucumber met feta. Feta met dill. Dill danced with yogurt, lemon and garlic. What resulted was an easy, tasty and refreshing January-denial salad. Dill does have its winter merits as it’s loaded with immune system-boosting vitamins A and C. I hope this recipe transports you to a sunny beach somewhere and leaves you feeling nourished, both body and soul.
Cucumber Feta Salad with Lemony-Dill Dressing
[makes approx. 6 side-dish servings]
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of feta cubes
- 5 small Persian cucumbers (or 2 regular)
- ¼ cup plain yogurt (I used nonfat)
- 2 small cloves of garlic (or 1 big)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh dill
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
- Cut cucumbers into half rounds (or however you like your bite-size pieces to look). Toss together in a large bowl with feta cubes*.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together yogurt, lemon juice, minced garlic, chopped dill, olive oil and black pepper to taste. Resist any temptation to add salt as feta is quite salty already.
- Add dressing to feta and cucumber and toss to combine.
- Top with fresh dill and a few cherry or grape tomatoes if you have them on hand. Bon apetit!
*Note: I used block feta, which is cheaper and holds its shape better than pre-cut or crumbled feta. The block I cut up was about 3 cubic inches.
Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad with Lime, Cilantro & Tahini Dressing
As seasons change, so too does our palette. Whether you ascribe to seasonal dietary changes as those who practice Ayurvedic nutrition do or not, most of us would agree that when the warmth of early fall burns out and winter sets upon us raw veggies and icy lemonade no longer sound so appealing. If we carefully, our bodies tend to crave warming foods—think roasted vegetables, soups and heating spices. We’re all far more likely to go to an Indian restaurant now than amidst the stifling heat and humidity of August.
While our natural instincts may lead us to butternut squash and parsnips, there are those of us that still need a good salad every now and again. A warm salad might just be what many of us need in order to give into the turning times while still feeling grounded and nourished. This warm salad, featuring vitamin-A rich sweet potato and fiber-rich chickpeas, is filling yet light, full of flavor yet detox-friendly.
Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad with Lime, Cilantro and Tahini Dressing
(makes 4 servings)
What You’ll Need:
Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad:
- 2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs), skin-on and cut into cubes
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Pinch of sea salt
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- 1/4 yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cups prepared chickpeas (canned works too)
Lime, Cilantro ad Tahini Dressing:
- 2 small garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/4 yellow onion, finely diced
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1/4 cup tahini
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
How to Make It:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the sweet potato, spices, olive oil and a few pinches of sea salt. Toss until all pieces are evenly coated. Roast on a baking sheet for 30 min, or until soft.
- Remove from the oven and let cool.
- While the sweet potatoes roast, make the tahini dressing. In a food processor (or blender), add all ingredients and mix until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. You may opt to add a little water to thin it out.
- To bring it all together, combine the sweet potatoes, chickpeas, onion and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Add 3/4 of the dressing, gently folding it into the mixture and serve with the additional dressing on the side.
Be sure you enjoy this recipe right away. Otherwise, set aside the portion of salad you don’t plan to eat undressed and save a small container of the dressing. You can reheat the salad when you’re ready and top with the tasty dressing. This is a great salad to bring to work and keeps well in the refrigerator for up to four or five days.
Plum, Kale and Feta Salad
To me, a grilled or sautéed fruit salad with fresh, dark leafy greens and local, melt-in-your mouth cheese is a birthday gift all in itself–hopefully my friend Jeanine agreed because that’s what she got for her big day this year.
Technically I flambéed the fruit instead of sautéeing, but that was a fun, scary and somewhat over-my-head cooking technique that I might not recommend to my broader audience.
It all started when I received some gorgeous prune plums in my from the farmer basket last week…
And then, I saw my butter sitting, bored, out on the counter (where it should be, in my opinion, much of the time) and my vermouth coyly eyeing me up from across the bar. Just like that, an idea was born – (cooked) Plum, Kale and Feta Salad! I love how culinary creativity works. You look around at what you have and you see if maybe, just maybe, those ingredients could be combined to form something truly delicious.
I knew right away what I would do with the plums – a little butter and sweet alcohol go a long way with these guys – but I new I’d have to balance out the sweetness with some bitter, creamy and salty notes. In comes the dino kale, which I find a bit more tasty but still as nutritious as curly kale; domestic feta, which I got from my favorite online grocery store Relay Foods that is ideal for when convenience takes precedence (and where you can save $30 on your first order of $50 or more); and some toasted pine nuts and mint for some texture and brightness.
Plum, Kale and Feta Salad with Fresh Mint and Pine Nuts
What You’ll Need:
- 1 pint of prune plums (or 3 medium purple plums), pitted and quartered
- 4 cups of dino kale, washed and roughly chopped
- 1 cup fresh feta cubes
- 1 Tbs unsalted, organic butter
- 2-3 Tbs (a “splash”) sweet vermouth
- Juice of 1 small lemon
- 1-2 Tbs olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
How to Make It:
- Melt butter is a sauté pan over medium heat until it starts to brown but not burn. Add cut plums to your pan and turn the heat up to medium-high for 1-2 minutes. Add a splash of sweet vermouth (any sweet wine or aperitif would work in a pinch). Cook about another minute, or until the liquid is pretty close to completely evaporated. Remove prunes from pan and let cool.
- In a large bowl, mix together kale, lemon, olive oil and salt and pepper. Massage the kale for a minute to work the dressing into the leaves.
- Combine the kale and plums together, cover, and set it in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Once it’s party time, add your toasted pine nuts, shredded mint leaves and feta cubes (I like this and all cheese at room temperature). Give it a good mix and enjoy!
If you want to look forward to getting gorgeous baskets of fresh produce each week and want to save 20% off your first 4 deliveries, sign up for From the Farmer and use code “MOARfit” at checkout.
Kale Salad with Meyer Lemon, Pomegranate and Cumin Dressing
Sweet and smoky. Tangy and herbal. Light and rich. My Meyer Lemon, Pomegranate and Cumin Dressing takes kale salad to another level. I know, sometimes I’m not so humble. Seriously though, my dear friend Jeanine can attest that this salad dressing is all those things and then some. Add a handful of pistachios and dried cherries to the mix and you have a healthy side dish for all your summer meals and an easy contribution to any cookout.
If you read last week’s post (Pomegranate Power Bites), you probably already picked up that I’m on a pomegranate molasses kick. How could I not be? The stuff is packed with the powerful immune system-boosting antioxidant, vitamin C. It also contains several B vitamins which help your body produce energy and maintain healthy muscular, cardiovascular and nervous system function. It’s also super flavorful so a little goes a long way!
KALE SALAD WITH MEYER LEMON, POMEGRANATE AND CUMIN DRESSING
For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 Meyer lemon
- 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tbs pomegranate molasses
- 1 Tbs cumin
- 1/2 tsp pink Himalayan sea salt
- 1/4 fresh basil leaves
For the salad:
- 6 cups kale, de-stemmed and chopped
- 1/4 cup roasted, unsalted pistachios
- 1/4 cup unsulphured tart cherries
Directions:
- Dress 6 cups (or heaping handfuls) of chopped kale with 2/3 of the dressing – set the rest aside for serving.
- Massage the kale leaves for a minute then cover and refrigerate for at least one hour (and up to 24).
- When ready to serve, add in the pistachios and dried cherries. Add what remains of the dressing to taste.
Warm Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing
Given the nature of my work as nutrition coach and food educator, it’s not uncommon for my boyfriend to ask me for healthy lunch and dinner ideas. It always makes me really happy to get this request, and it always leads me down a rabbit’s hole of research and recipe development. Too health-conscious to recommend the good ol’ American classic, sandwich and chips, and too obsessed with creating crave-worthy food to suggest a mere green salad, I always take his requests as a challenge. I only succeed when the recipe meets my tried and true trifecta: keep it simple, pack it full of nutrient-dense whole foods and make it taste damn good.
This Warm Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing checks all three boxes. I typicaly have the majority of these healthy ingredients on hand (sweet potatoes, chickpeas, onions, non-fat Greek yogurt, lemons, garlic and cilantro), so it was a no-brainer for me and having now significantly influenced his shopping cart I knew it wouldn’t be a stretch for him. Plus, it takes only 4 easy steps to bring this meal together!
Warm Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing
(makes 4 servings)
What You’ll Need
For the Warm Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad:
- 2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs), peeled and cut into cubes
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp each ground nutmeg, cloves, ginger
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- Sea salt
- 1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 of a medium red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
For the Greek Yogurt Dressing:
- 1 medium garlic clove (finely minced if you don’t have a food processor or blender)
- Juice of one lemon
- 1/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- 2-3 Tbs water
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the sweet potato, garlic, spices, olive oil and a few pinches of sea salt.Toss until all pieces are evenly coated. Roast on a baking sheet for 30 min, or until soft. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- While the sweet potatoes roast, make the Greek yogurt dressing. In a food processor (or blender), add all ingredients and mix until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. You may opt to add more water to thin it out.
- To bring it all together, combine the sweet potatoes, chickpeas, onion and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Add half the dressing, toss (careful not to mash up the potatoes) and serve with the additional dressing on the side.
Enjoy this recipe right away. Otherwise, set aside the portion of the salad you don’t plan to eat undressed and save a small container of the dressing. You can then reheat the salad when you’re ready and top with the creamy, lemony-goodness.
Inspired by Smitten Kitchen.
White Asparagus & Shiitake Mushroom Salad w/ Balsamic Reduction
In need of an idea for a quick summer salad that tastes delicious? I was too. Salad’s can get boring, especially for those of us that eat them on the regular. It’s important to change up the ingredients to keep your interest (and this healthy habit) alive and well.
On my first trip ever to the AdMo Harris Teeter, I was inspired at the sight of white asparagus. The pale sister of glowing green asparagus, white asparagus is rare to find fresh in the US. Luckily, I caught the tail-end of prime asparagus season and seized the opportunity to snag this porcelain beauty.
This spring treat boasts a pretty impressive nutritional profile. Not only does Asparagus provide a natural liver detox, it is fortified with folate and vitamins E, A, and C to help protect you against heart disease. Folate, or B9, has also been linked to cellular regeneration (aka healing power). Vitamin E is shown to help fight Type II diabetes, and vitamins A and C will steel you against certain types of cancer and cataracts. Asparagus also contains potassium (as does its green cousin the avocado), which helps lower blood pressure and may reduce LDL cholesterol (that’s the bad kind).
Having selected my star ingredient, I decided to pick up some yummy shiitake mushrooms and arugula to round out the salad. For dressing, I decided to go sweet and simple with a balsamic reduction. The mild white asparagus paired nicely with the earthiness of the mushrooms, bitter bite of arugula, and sweet finish of balsamic.
Give this easy recipe a whirl for yourself, and if you aren’t lactose-intolerant or vegan, a hit of pecorino romano shavings would be delicioso!
Warm White Asparagus & Shiitake Mushroom Salad:
(Serves 4)
What You’ll Need:
- 3 tbs olive oil
- 1 bunch white asparagus (substitute green if unavailable)
- 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced thin
- 5 oz arugula (or 1 bag/box)
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 cup good balsamic vinegar (for the reduction)
How to Make the Salad:
- Thoroughly wash your mushrooms, asparagus and arugula (unless pre-washed).
- In a large saucepan, heat 1 tbs olive oil over medium heat. Add your asparagus, spreading it into a single layer, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 min or until al dente (you can get a fork in but the spear doesn’t slip right off). Remove from heat and slice into 2 inch pieces.
- Simultaneously with step 2, heat another large saucepan with 2 tbs olive oil over medium heat. Add your mushrooms and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté until mushrooms begin to brown, or about 5 min. Remove from heat but leave the pan on your stove. Add your arugula to the same pan and give it a quick warm up for 1-2 min.
- Plate immediately, starting with the warm arugula as your base and equally dividing the asparagus and shiitake between four plates.
- Drizzle with the balsamic reduction (recipe below) and enjoy!
How to Make the Balsamic Reduction:
- Pour your balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.
- Turn down the heat so that the boil reduces to a simmer.
- Stir occasionally and allow to simmer until the vinegar has reduced by at least half – though I liked to let it go longer for a thicker consistency.
- Allow to cool then drizzle over your plated salads to finish.
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad w/ Pine Nuts
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad w/ Pine Nuts
- 12-15 brussels sprouts, shredded (yield 6 cups)
- ½ cup pine nuts
- 1 tsp olive oil
- pinch of sea salt
1. Using mandoline, shred brussels sprouts 1/8″ thick–yield should be approximately 6 cups. Place shredded brussels sprouts in a large colander and wash thoroughly.
2. Pre-heat oven to 350° F. Toss pine nuts in olive oil and salt and spread on a small baking sheet. Bake in pre-heated oven for ~5 min, checking frequently to be sure they don’t burn.
3. In a large bowl, combine shredded brussels sprouts, toasted pine nuts and lemon vinaigrette (recipe below), massaging the ingredients to thoroughly coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Lemon Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 4 tbs fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbs minced shallot
- 1 tbs corse Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
- 1/2 tsp honey
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- salt & pepper to taste
1.Combine all ingredients in a small glass bowl. Whisk vigorously to combine.
Sweet Sesame Raw Kale Salad
If you’re reading my blog, chances are you know what kale is. Chances are even greater that you’re mildy obsessed with it. If this hasn’t happened yet, just you wait, pretty soon you’ll be buying the 2 lb big bag and putting this green goodness into anything you can think of–and for good reason!
Kale gets its emerald green hue from high levels of two disease-fighting carotenoids (lutein and zeaxanthin). These nutrients are part of the cellular makeup of your eye and help protect those peepers against harmful blue light and ultimately macular degeneration–the leading cause of eyesight loss in Americans over 60.
You like to see right? (Rhetorical question obviously.) Seriously though, go buy some kale and make this raw salad (or my kale chips) and do your part to protect that precious vision. Life is too beautiful not to see it through.
Sweet Sesame Raw Kale Salad
What You’ll Need:
- 2 tbs toasted sesame seeds
- 2 tbs sesame seed oil
- 2 tbs rice vinegar
- 1 tbs light soy sauce
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 tbs fresh ginger, grated
- 6 cups (or handfuls) curly kale, chopped
How to Make It:
- Mix all ingredients except kale in a mason jar (or any small container with a snug lid). Give the contents a good shake until combined.
- Put chopped kale (stems removed) in a large mixing bowl. Pour dressing on top and massage kale (yes, massage) for 1-2 min until thoroughly coated. (Manipulating the raw kale like this helps the dressing seep into the leaves, softening the kale and making it easier to digest.)
- Cover and let marinate in the fridge for at least an hour. I like to leave mine overnight.
BONUS TIP: this makes for a yummy dressing on just about any salad. Try it over cold soba noodles or shredded romaine with some raw cashews, blood orange segments, and lightly pan-fried tofu for a healthy vegetarian lunch.
10-Day Cleanse: Recipes (8-10)
Kale Citrus Salad with Chickpeas
Ingredients:
- 1 orange, squeezed (4 tbs)
- 2 tbs apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbs sesame oil
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- black pepper (and salt for the non-cleanse version)
- 2 cups of curly kale or dinosaur kale
- 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 tangerines, peeled and separated into sections
- 2 tbs sunflower seeds
- 1 tbs sesame seeds
- 1 cup chickpeas
How to make it:
- In a large bowl, squeeze fresh juice of one orange and add apple cider vinegar, sesame oil, cayenne pepper, black pepper and 1 clove minced garlic. Whisk to combine.
- In same the bowl, add kale and cabbage. Massage the dressing made in step 1 into the leaves of the kale and shreds of cabbage for at least 2 minutes. Let the kale to sit and marinate for 30 min or more.
- Add shallots, red pepper, tangerine sections, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and chickpeas and toss to combine.
- Let the whole salad marinate in the fridge overnight, then enjoy!
Warm Vegetarian Quinoa Salad
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup quinoa, uncooked
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 tbs coconut oil
- 1/2 eggplant, diced
- 1 small zucchini, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, diced
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- black pepper (and salt for the non-cleanse version)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup red kidney beans
- 1/2 cup chickpeas
How to make it:
- In a medium saucepan, toast quinoa over medium-high heat for 1-2 min, being careful not to let it burn. Add water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 min or until all water is absorbed.
- While quinoa cooks, heat coconut oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add diced eggplant and zucchini and cook for 7-8 min, or until veggies are tender. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and cook for another 2-3 min. Remove from heat.
- When quinoa is done, remove from heat. Add sautéed veggies to quinoa, add black pepper and chili powder, and give it a good mix. (Note: when you’re not on the cleanse, add salt–it’ll taste yummier)
- Wait 5-10 minutes then add diced red pepper, red kidney beans, and chickpeas to the quinoa mix.
- Taste for seasoning, adjust, and enjoy!