Posts filed under ‘Soups and Salads’
Easy Spring-y Egg Salad
I discovered my love for radishes a few months ago. Their crunchy texture and semi-spicy kick make these little veggies a great snack with hummus or a lovely addition to any salad. I even added them to my egg salad for a quick and easy lunch – the contrast of the creamy eggs with the crunchy radishes made for a winning combination!
Easy. Flavorful. Light. Basically, this recipe is springtime in a salad.
For a really quick prep, I boiled the eggs*, let them cool a bit and peeled them the night before. This step made it really easy to whip up the salad in less than five minutes on my lunch break 
I enjoyed this dish with gluten free oat crackers and slices of fresh cucumber. It held me over for several hours due to all the protein and the combo of complex carbs, my tummy and I were happy!
Easy Spring-y Egg Salad
Ingredients
4 hardboiled cage-free eggs, peeled and chopped*
2 scallions, chopped
3-4 radishes, small diced
1-2 Tbsp Vegenaise (or mayo)
1 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream or more mayo)
1 tsp dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 to 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Directions
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and stir until combine. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed and enjoy!
Serve with flax crackers, rice crackers or gluten free oat crackers or gluten free bread
*Nearly-no effort hard-boiled eggs:
1. Put eggs in a medium pot that will fit one layer. Cover with cold water, about 1 inch over the eggs. Bring to a boil, cover and then turn off heat. Let eggs sit for 10-11 minutes and then plunge the eggs in cold ice water to stop the cooking. Peel while running under cold water.
Tip: Use older eggs. The eggs shells peel much more easily after several days of refrigeration due to the pH level of the albumen.
My Favorite Taco Salad Bowls
All the nacho photos from my last post made me crave Mexican food! Off I went to the grocery store to pick-up ingredients for our go-to taco bowls.
We make this dish in some form or fashion at least twice a month – sometimes I use cooked rice, millet or quinoa instead of the shredded lettuce as the base. When I have avocado on hand, I will make guacamole and plop a big scoop on top instead of the plain yogurt. If you do not eat meat, you can make this meat-free by increasing the beans to 3-4 cups and adding 1-2 cups of a cooked grain as the “meat filling”. Gotta love options
My Favorite Taco Salad Bowls
Ingredients
Spice mix*
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika (you could use a heaping 1/2 tsp smoked paprika for a different but lovely smoky taste)
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
2 tsp coconut oil, butter, ghee or other neutral oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups cooked beans (pinto or black)
3/4 lb ground meat (turkey, bison, chicken, beef)**
3 tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeno, deseeded and deveined and minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
For serving
shredded lettuce
shredded cheese (omit for dairy free or use dairy-free cheese)
plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, optional
avocado cubes or guacamole, optional
Directions
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add meat and onion and cook until meat is cooked through.
2. Stir in the spice mixture and beans, then toss to combine. Cook for about 5-6 minutes while preparing the tomatoes.
3. In a small mixing bowl, toss fresh tomatoes, lime juice, cilantro and jalapeno.
4. Add shredded lettuce to your bowl, top with bean-meat mixture and spoon on the tomato-lime mixture. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, avocado and greek yogurt/sour cream and enjoy! Serve with sturdy chips and use as spoons if you are like me
Serves 4-5
*If you prefer to use a pre-made spice pack to save time, feel free to substitute Southwest Taco Seasoning from Simply Organic.
**For a vegetarian dish, increase beans to 3-4 cups and add 1-2 cups of your favorite cooked grain. Crumbled tempeh might even work here as well!
Thai Turkey and Cabbage Soup
In between the bouts of Spring weather in Helena, we have still experienced some on and off dreary and chilly spells. When those days come around, I’ve been craving warm soup with a side of warm cooked grains.
I say a side of cooked grains because that’s one of my food quirks – I prefer my rice/quinoa/pasta/amaranth/oats separate from my main dish especially when it’s really saucy or contains a bunch of liquid. It’s a “soggy issue” I guess
Burrito bowls – rice always on the side
Pasta with meat/veggie sauce – pasta is always separate
Curry or chinese food over rice – yep, the rice is always separate
Of course my pickiness doesn’t always work when eating out but when I’m the “boss” in my own kitchen, I can cater to my craziness Same goes for this soup; Chris was thoroughly satisfied with a big bowl of brown rice with the soup ladled over the top but I enjoyed the soup just like this:
Cabbage, carrot and diced tomatoes are swimming in a spiced coconut milk broth and finished with slices of turkey. Light yet hearty, this soup was enjoyed for both lunch and dinner. Feel free to add cooked rice, quinoa, pasta or even potatoes (for grain-free) to bulk up the meal…or just serve them on the side if that’s your preference as well
Thai Turkey and Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
1 Tbsp coconut oil (butter, ghee or other oil could be used)
1 lb turkey breast cutlets, sliced into 1/2 inch strips (chicken could be subbed)
1 onion, thinly sliced or diced
1 serrano pepper, deseeded and deveined, finely chopped (omit if you don’t like spicy)
3 carrots, sliced (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 tsp Thai green curry paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1- 2 Tbsp fresh minced ginger (I used the latter, I love ginger)
1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
4-5 cups chicken stock or broth (I used homemade stock)
15 oz can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1-4 tbsp chopped cilantro (I used 1 Tbsp of the dried variety on hand, I would have preferred 1/4 cup of fresh)
2-4 tsp coconut aminos to taste (could sub gluten free soy sauce, Bragg’s aminos or tamari)
1-2 cups coconut milk (depends on how much broth/liquid you want your soup to have)
juice from one lime
black pepper to taste
Directions
1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add turkey strips and cook for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in onions, carrots, serrano, curry paste garlic and ginger and cook for another 3-4 minutes until onions start to turn opaque, stirring often.
3. Add in the cabbage, chicken broth, and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Stir again and reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer 10 minutes or until veggies are tender.
4. Stir in cilantro, coconut aminos and coconut milk and let simmer for 1-2 minutes until heated through. Stir in lime juice and season with pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and enjoy!
Recipe Notes: I made this on the stove but I bet this would be a delicious as a slow cooker meal and make the turkey extra tender: throw it all except the last 4 ingredients in a crockpot with the meat and onions on the bottom and cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 4-5. Stir in the cilantro through lime after it cooks and serve.
Mediterranean Salad with Grilled Salmon and Dijon-Dill Vinaigrette
There’s a little Mediterranean restaurant in Helena that Chris and I like to frequent called The Mediterranean Grill. The menu ranges from Italian cuisine to Turkish, Moroccan and Spanish offerings. Though I typically do not order salads at a restaurant, their Insalata D’Estate particularly stood out to me one evening so I took a chance and ordered it.
I was intrigued and captivated by the flavors and colors in this salad — juicy oranges, crisp bell peppers, crunchy cucumbers, fresh tomato AND sun-dried tomatoes all topped with a perfectly cooked piece of salmon and a garlic-y dijon-dill vinaigrette. It was filling while still relatively light and when I left that night, I was determined to recreate my version at home.
I am proud to announce this salad is delicious and refreshing! This dressing is a tad bit different than the original from what I can remember but it’s still yummmmmmy!
Mediterranean Salad with Grilled Salmon and Dijon-Dill Viniagrette
Ingredients
For fish
2 (6 oz) salmon fillets
salt and pepper
olive oil
For salad
6-8 cups fresh baby greens
1 small orange, peeled and sectioned
1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced
1 small Roma tomato, diced
1/4 cup green or red bell pepper, diced
a few thick slices of red onion (I mimicked how the restaurant prepared it but next time I would dice the pieces smaller)
2-3 sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
juice from half of a lemon (about 1 Tbsp, or you could use more wine vinegar)
1 to 2 Tbsp freshly chopped dill (you could probably used dried, about 1 tsp)
1/4 tsp salt
2. Prepare vinaigrette, add all ingredients except for fresh dill into a blender cup and blend for 30 seconds or until emulsified. Add in dill and stir until well combined. Set aside and let flavors meld.
