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.

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

Rosemary Apple Chicken Salad

I love chicken salad. I’ve eaten and made multiple variations in the past but one in particular stands out in my mind. Before it closed, a local health food store called Sandy’s in Houston made a chicken salad that was to die for – it had big chunks of chicken, chopped apple, toasted pecans and Vegenaise. Sounds simple enough but it was SO delicious! Come to think of it, it was Sandy’s chicken salad that got me hooked on Vegenaise, and I’ve used it ever since!

Of course I had to try and recreate this favorite of mine! I’ve lightened up my own version by incorporating plain Greek yogurt to achieve the authentic creaminess of a hearty chicken salad. I do use a bit of Vegenaise since I love the flavor but you could either substitute mayo or use more yogurt if you prefer. For an ultra-quick lunch, I used leftover chopped rotessierie chicken but feel free to use your own cooked chicken of choice. I’ve already eaten two shares of this salad - served as lettuce wraps as well as slathered on my newly baked sandwich bread with Timtana- and both were equally delicious!

What is your favorite version of chicken salad?

Rosemary Apple Chicken Salad

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups cooked boneless, skinless chicken, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1 small apple, chopped (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup) – you could sub or add grapes if desired
1 large stalk celery, chopped
3 Tbsp raw or toasted pecans, finely chopped
1/3 cup plain yogurt (I usually use Greek)
1 to 2 Tbsp Vegenaise or mayo (depending on how creamy you want the salad)
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Add all ingredients into a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine. Enjoy!

Good served as a sandwich, with crackers, over a bed of lettuce or in lettuce wraps!

Easy Rice Cooker Artichokes with Vegan Dip

Happy Father’s Day to all you wonderful dads out there, including my fabulous father! Sadly, our family is all spread out across the country today and aren’t able to spend time together but that doesn’t mean we aren’t thinking of you!

This photo is from a couple years back (is this one better, Dad?)...but I can't find many others of just the two of us besides my wedding photos! Dad, next time we are together, a photo shoot is in order... ha! : ) Love you!

I wanted to share a simple dish for you today as we are  in a bit of a time crunch to meet some friends this afternoon for a hike Sometimes simple is the best, so here I have a quick and fool-proof method for steamed artichokes…in the rice cooker! After prepping the artichoke, you basically set the button and let it cook. Can it get any easier than that? Plus the dipping sauce is three ingredients and can be made in 15 seconds. I have to give props to my MIL’s boyfriend, Patrick, for passing along this cooking method a while back. This is the best steamed artichoke I’ve ever had, and it allows the leaves to get so tender that you get more “meat” off the leaves.

These are great for a snack, appetizer or as part of a meal, if you are a fan of artichokes then you have to try this!

Easy Rice Cooker Steamed Artichokes with Vegan Dipping Sauce 

Ingredients

1 or 2 large artichokes (depending on how many you can fit in your cooker)

For Sauce

A few tablespoons Vegenaise (or mayo, if preferred)
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. To prep the artichoke, take scissors and cut off the thorned tips of all of the leaves (if they have the thorns). Optional, since this is mostly for aesthetics as the thorns soften with cooking and pose no threat to the person eating the artichoke.
2. Slice about 3/4 inch to one inch off the tip of the artichoke and pull off any smaller leaves towards the base and on the stem.
3. Cut off the steam on the bottom so the artichoke can sit right-side up. If you like to eat the stem, peel the fibrous outside and cook alongside the artichoke if desired.
4. From the top with a large knife, cut a hatch-mark from the top all the way to bottom reaching the heart in an X formation. This will help the inside cook as well as the outside leaves.
Below is the artichoke after prepping.

4. Place the artichoke(s) in the bottom of the rice cooker and pour water over the top so it gets down in the leaves. The bottom of the rice cooker should have about an inch of water.
5. Close the top and turn the setting to “brown rice cooking mode” and press start. If you do not have brown rice cooking mode, enter the regular rice cooking mode and it should turn out as well. The artichokes should cook 30 to about 45 minutes. To check doneness, very carefully pull a leaf away from the body of the artichoke (be careful of the steam!). If it pulls away easily, it’s typically done, or you can taste test by seeing how easily the meat pulls off the leaf to your preference.
6. For the dipping sauce, add all Vegenaise, lemon and pepper into a small bowl and mix. Dip leaves and heart* into sauce and enjoy!

*When all leaves are removed, you can eat the best part – the artichoke heart! With a spoon, scrape out and discard the “choke” (the inedible fuzzy part part) covering the artichoke heart. The remaining bottom of the artichoke is the heart. Cut into pieces and dip into sauce to eat. SO good!