Archives for salad

Big Ol’ Salad

It’s hard to follow up last week’s post with something more epic than giant old growth redwood trees, so I’m opting to share my favorite salad recipe. Simple and to the point, and oh so very filling! I have these salads 1-4 times a week, depending on my craving for a salad and they are always about the same, so here goes!

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Serves 2 adults

4-6 cups of mixed baby salad greens (this can be your favorite washed and ready to eat blend)
1/2 a cucumber, diced
1-2 carrots, diced
1/4 of an orange, red or yellow bell pepper, diced
2 green onions, diced
1 small radish, sliced extremely thin and then chopped even smaller (quartered)
1 tomato on the vine, chopped
2 pepperoncinis, diced
2 of your favorite veggie burger patties, cooked and cut into .5″ chunks
(I really like Sunshine burgers.)
2 TBSP. of your favorite dressing, homemade is best if you can! But if not, Annie’s makes a delicious Balsamic Vinaigrette

1. Pile all the greens high on a dinner plate.
2. Start with dicing the cucumber and placing half onto each dinner plate loaded with greens.
3. Continue down the list of ingredients in the same manner.
4. Top with your favorite dressing, making sure you measure it out first, so you don’t go overboard on the calories and fat. You don’t want to undue all the hard work you put into the salad. 🙂

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If you like more crunch, or “water lettuce” as my niece calls it, you can do 2-3 cups of the mixed baby greens and then 2-3 cups of diced romaine. I did that on this particular salad, because the blend we bought had some arugula in it, and neither of us are fans of arugula!

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The nice thing about adding a veggie burger to the top, is that it adds a filling and warm component to the salad. Not only is the salad volume huge, but you also get the rice and protein from the burger as well.

What is your favorite salad dressing?

Summer Pasta Salad

This recipe is perfect if you want something more filling, but not hot or too heavy. I used gluten-free pasta too, which really helps. I find it easier to digest than traditional wheat pasta. Since last week’s post was so long and involved, this week is going to be short and sweet. You just cook the pasta according to the package. After draining, simply rinse with cold water to help it cool and toss in remaining ingredients (see below) in a large bowl. THAT’S IT. Simple.

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1 serving size quinoa pasta (or your favorite GF pasta or wheat pasta)
1/2 of an english cucumber, chopped to your liking
1-2 tomato’s on the vine, chopped to your liking
1/2 an avocado, chopped (you get the picture)
4-5 cups mixed greens, chopped
2-3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
fresh squeezed lemon juice, from 1 lemon
1-2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
10-15 green or kalamata olives, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

This dish is best if you can let it chill for a few hours before serving and is great for leftovers!

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How has your summer been going so far? Are you enjoying the weekly Wednesday posts?