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!

Quinoa, Caper and Tomato Salad

This week was a milestone for me. A small milestone, but still something to celebrate in my little world. So what’s all the fuss about? I ate RAW cherry tomatoes AND actually liked them! (Mom, are you proud?) Yes, I feel it’s necessary to celebrate the small victories — life is more fun that way

Since I can remember, those crunchy little grape tomatoes always freaked me out. (I told you before I was bit crazy but…) this is very odd since I love all forms of cooked tomatoes and I order (thin) slices of tomato on my sandwiches. Must be something about the texture and the intense tomato flavor burst that weirded me out…until now!

This yummy quinoa salad won me over! Juicy tomatoes, fresh corn and bright lemon juice pair really well with the nutty quinoa and salty capers and cheese. I served this “salad” as a delicious light lunch with a green side salad. If you are looking for a healthy make-ahead dish that can be served chilled or at room temperature, give this a go. If you want an added protein boost, feel free to add cubed chicken, cooked shrimp or tempeh for a quick one-dish meal.

Quinoa, Caper and Tomato Salad 

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, uncooked and rinsed
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (or water)
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium cob of corn, kernels removed (or about 1/3 – 1/2 cup kernels)
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup shaved or very thinly sliced red onion (or sub 3 green onions, sliced)
2-3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (or more if you want)
1-2 Tbsp olive oil (a large drizzle)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp capers
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese (for vegan, use a couple tablespoons of nutritional yeast or omit)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a dry medium saucepan, add quinoa and cook over medium heat for two minutes stirring constantly to lightly toast. Add garlic and broth/water and bring to a broil. Cover and reduce the heat to simmer over medium-low for 10 to 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed.
2.Remove from the heat, add corn kernels immediately and let sit covered for 5-6 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool.
3. In a medium mixing bowl add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Add quinoa-corn mixture and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Have you enjoyed any particular foods lately that used to make you dislike?

White Bean-Tuna Salad Melt

I finally feel that Spring has arrived! The days are getting longer and I am loving every additional minute of natural light and sunshine.

A few days, I ran home from work for a quick meal and was able to whip up this open faced white-bean tuna melt in about 10 minutes…plus I had 15 minutes to actually sit down and eat while soaking in fresh air on our front porch. I don’t remember the last time I sat down to eat lunch and it was a nice change of pace

This easy salad was not pre-meditated but I will be making it again soon. All I knew is that I wanted tuna salad yet celery and carrots were no where to be found. Instead, I had 1/2 cup of cooked white beans and several radishes in the fridge so into the mixing bowl they went! The cooked beans extended the mayo a smidge and complimented the tuna while the radishes added crunch and freshness. I tossed in hemp seeds because I was feeling adventurous and added fresh lemon juice for flavor and brightness.

I ate many large spoonfuls of this tuna salad by itself and halfway through decided I wanted a sandwich. Some days I can be indecisive Either way it was delicious!

White Bean-Tuna Salad

Ingredients

1 6-oz can of no-salt-added tuna, drained (I used wild caught sustainable)
3-4 radishes, stems trimmed and diced
1/2 cup cooked white beans
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp Vegenaise, mayo or greek yogurt (or a combo) I used all Vegenaise since I love the flavor – more or less to taste
1 Tbsp hemp seeds, optional (1 1/2 Tbsp sunflower seeds, walnuts or almonds would also be delicious)
2-3 Tbsp radish greens, washed and chopped (optional for color – a handful of arugula would be great in this!)
squeeze of fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

For Sandwich Melt Option:
1 slice of gluten free bread for every 1/3 to 1/2 cup of tuna salad (I used frozen French Meadow’s honey multigrain)
1 slice of swiss cheese (I used Jarslburg) or provolone

Directions

1. To prepare the salad, combine the beans, mustard, mayo/yogurt and lemon juice in a small mixing bowl. Slightly mash a few beans if you want a creamier texture, completely optional.
2. Add in remaining salad ingredients (tuna, radishes, greens, hemp seeds) and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add in additional lemon, mustard or mayo to taste to your liking.*
For Melt:
3. Toast bread lightly if needed (mine was frozen) and remove from oven. Set toaster oven to broil while you assemble the sandwich. Place one slice of cheese on the bread and mound 1/3 to 1/2 cup of tuna salad on top. Place under the broiler for a few minutes until cheese begins to melt. Remove and enjoy immediately!

Recipe Note: After making the melt, I realized I should have put the cheese on top of the tuna salad…it’s up to you which way you prefer it!

*If you are staying away from grains or looking for low-carb options, omit the bread and the cheese and enjoy this tuna salad over a bed of lettuce or alongside veggie sticks.

**If using all greek yogurt, a bit more mustard and lemon juice may need to be added for added flavor