Although hearty cold salads are a staple at summer picnics and outdoor gatherings, you shouldn’t wait that long to try this broccoli salad slathered with a creamy tangy kick-ass tahini honey dressing that has, what some may call, the boring broccoli, doing cartwheels. And just look at those bright colors – hello happy school or work lunches!
Classic Caesar Salad (gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soy free)
Caesar salad lovers rejoice!
Has it been way too long since you’ve had a caesar salad? A real caesar salad? Me too. This may not be the real thing but holy YUM is this close. You need this in your life, my friends.
If you think about it, there is really nothing original or unusual about a caesar salad yet it has been a popular starter since the 40’s. Some romaine lettuce leaves, dressing and cubed bread, yet when made with fresh garlic, crisp greens, and the right type of anchovy you have something extraordinary. This was one of my favorite salads way back when gluten and dairy were my so-called friends. And not something that can be made on-the-fly, you know. I tried. The catch: the dressing contains gluten, dairy, and egg. Oh right, that.
Simple End of Summer Peach Arugula Salad
Summer stone fruit has nearly run its’ course, which I take cue overstuffing my farmer’s markets bag (lucky to have this in southern California) without a care in the world as to what I’m going to do with them.
Stone fruit: they have a way of figuring these things out like ending up in this simple salad, or here or here. Though I’m a sucker for fruit desserts, I will admit sometimes there’s nothing better than leaning over the kitchen sink (preferably an empty sink) eating a big fat peach with its’ juices dripping down my chin, or arm, as I take a minute to enjoy the moment.
Chinese Chicken Salad
I adapted this Chinese Chicken Salad for dinner last night. I had the “original” (minus the noodles) while out with a friend at this popular pizza chain restaurant last week. As I’m eating, I thought: “Why not make this salad for dinner? … something light after all the sweets we have been eating since Thanksgiving”. Not that that’s all I have been feeding my brood, but it kinda feels that way. A light, easy dinner is just what we needed.
Black Rice with Curry Seasonal Vegetables
We had black rice with curried vegetables for dinner tonight. Black rice is a new food for our table. A food everyone embraced with enthusiasm, as they dug into a bowl of black and orange food. Fun food because it’s so out of the ordinary to see black rice on their plates. Or should I say Halloween food. It is Halloween week after all, why not have a little fun with food, right?
Cabbage Salad with Peanut Chili Maple Dressing
My favorite thing to order at Real Food Daily, a vegan restaurant in Los Angeles, is the yin yang salad. We are not vegan, but we go to vegan restaurants because we know there won’t be any issue with dairy accidentally getting into my children’s food. Living allergen-free and going out to eat don’t always work out well, so places like this are safer for us to go to. Most vegan restaurants have gluten free options. I know it can be confusing sometimes when I say dairy free and then post a chicken recipe. With some of my meatless recipes being egg-free I can share recipes with my vegan friends 🙂
Watermelon Panzanella Salad
For a simple weeknight dinner that is full of seasonal bright flavors you must try my twist on a classic panzanella salad…with watermelon! You may think of watermelon as too sweet for this recipe, but let me tell you it’s really, really good in this salad. I will warn you that the croutons are addictive, I tend to pop more than a few in my mouth as I’m preparing the salad. I also make them for salads and grind them in the food processor for an herbed breadcrumb. I serve this with a roast chicken as our protein…
Easy Millet Salad Recipe
Have you ever tried millet?
It tastes similar to quinoa, yet it has a little sweeter corn-like flavor, which I think goes well with so many ingredients. It also maintains a somewhat firmer texture when cooked than quinoa. I love that millet is alkalinizing to the body, easy to digest, and perfect for healing gastrointestinal issues. Not a claim, just according to research. I also love that it’s loaded with fiber, magnesium, phosphorus and protein. Yes, it’s healthy, super healthy but that doesn’t mean it tastes like tree bark!
Olive Chickpea Salad
Here is an olive chickpea salad that I just kind of throw together with whatever I have in the pantry. A huge hit around here with the Mediterranean flavors from the chickpeas and olives. We love simple salads. I don’t prepare many savory dishes based on a recipe, it’s more like whatever is in season or what I have in the fridge or pantry. The nice thing about living in California is that we have farmer’s markets every week with a wide selection of fresh seasonal produce. I use canned beans just because it’s so much easier. I envy those with the time to soak beans. This salad is satisfying on it’s own or as a side to anything really. Also really yummy in the summer as an oven-free meal. Enjoy!