Avocado Salad – made with an abundance of rich and creamy avocados, vibrant tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, bright red onions and a fresh herb dressing. A healthy side that’s perfect for a summer lunch or dinner!
Avocado Salad
Servings:6
Prep Time15minutes
Total Time15minutes
Ingredients
1medium (12 oz)English cucumber,cut into quarters through the length then sliced
16oz.grape tomatoes*
1/2smallred onion,**sliced into small pieces
2mediumavocados(firm but ripe), sliced into bite size pieces
Dressing
1 1/2Tbspfresh lemon juice***
1 1/2Tbspred wine vinegar
3 1/2Tbspextra virgin olive oil
1tsphoney
1 1/2tsp mincedgarlic
1/4cup choppedcilantro
1/4cup choppedparsley
1/2tspdried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the dressing: In a small mixing bowl whisk together lemon juice, red wine vinegar, extra virgin oil oil, honey, garlic, cilantro, parsley, oregano, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a large bowl gently toss together cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and avocado with dressing.
Serve shortly after preparing.
Recipe Notes
*I like to use a multicolor blend of tomatoes for a more visually appealing salad but all red tomatoes work just fine too.
**For a slightly milder flavor red onions can be rinsed under water and drained well to help remove harsh bite.
***Lime juice can be substituted.
For a more refreshing salad you can use chilled ingredients and a chilled dressing (don't chill tomatoes longer than a few hours though, and wait to cut the avocado until ready to serve).
Bright, fresh and flavorful Greek Chicken Kebabs! Chicken breasts are perfectly portioned into bite size pieces, soaked in a delicious marinade then threaded onto skewer sticks with lots of fresh vegetables and grilled (or baked).
Greek Chicken Kebabs with Tzatziki Sauce
Servings:9- 10 kebabs
Prep Time30minutes
Cook Time20minutes
chilling time45minutes
Total Time50minutes
Ingredients
1 3/4lbsbonless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1 1/4-inch cubes
1/4cup + 2 Tbspolive oil, divided, plus more for grill
3Tbspfresh lemon juice
1Tbspred wine vinegar
3clovesgarlic, minced
2 1/2tspdried oregano,divided
1 1/2tspdried basil,divided
1/2tspdried thyme
1/2tspground coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2large red bell peppers, diced into 1 1/4-inch pieces
3small zucchini(nearly 1 lb), sliced into rounds slightly under 1/2-inch thick
1large red onion, diced into 1 1/4-inch wedges
Tzatziki Sauce
Instructions
For the kebabs:
In a bowl whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, 2 tsp oregano, 1 tsp basil, the thyme, coriander and season with salt and pepper to taste (I used 3/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper).
Place chicken in a gallon size resealable bag, pour olive oil mixture over chicken and press chicken into marinade. Seal bag and refrigerate 45 minutes to 2 hours (no longer than 2 hours or the chicken will start to get mealy because of the acidic ingredients). If using wooden skewers soak them in water for 30 minutes.
Drizzle and toss veggies with 2 Tbsp of the olive oil (I just left them on the cutting board and tossed them) and season with remaining 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp basil and salt to taste.
Preheat a grill over medium-high heat. Thread a red bell pepper, red onion, zucchini, 2 chicken pieces on to skewer and repeat twice.
Brush grill lightly with olive oil, place skewers on grill and grill until chicken registers 165°F (73°C) in center, about 8 - 12 minutes, rotating once halfway through cooking. Garnish with parsley, serve warm with tzatziki sauce.
Tzatziki Sauce – such a flavorful condiment that pairs amazingly well with so many dishes, or it makes a delicious dip with fresh vegetables or pita!
Tzatziki
Servings:6
Prep Time10minutes
Total Time10minutes
Ingredients
1cupwhole Greek yogurt,preferably Fage (important see notes*)
10oz. English cucumber**,peeled if desired, seeded
1 1/2Tbsp choppedfresh dill***
1garlic clove,finely minced (1 tsp)
1Tbspextra virgin olive oil
1Tbspfresh lemon juice
Sea saltor table salt, to taste and optionally black pepper
Instructions
Peel cucumber if desired (it adds a faint texture and a will lightly tint the dip, but this is optional to peel). Slice cucumber in half throught the length and use a spoon to remove seeds.
Chop cucumber into chunks, then add to a food processor.**** Pulse until cucumber is almost finely chopped.
Remove blade from food processor, then press cucumber against the sides of the processor bowl to remove some of the excess liquid, reserve liquid (proceed to step 1 in notes if you aren't using a very thick Greek yogurt).
Add yogurt, cucumber, dill, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice to a medium mixing bowl. Season with salt, and pepper if using, to taste.
Stir mixture until well blended. If you find it's a little thick for your liking you can pour in some of the reserved cucumber juice from the food processor.
If serving over warm food (like salmon, chicken, steak, gyro or cooked veggies) let rest at room temperature about 30 minutes. Store in refrigerator.
Recipe Notes
*If you are using another brand of Greek yogurt that isn't as thick as Fage then you will need to squeeze excess moisture from the cucumbers after finely chopping, to do so spread over paper towels and press out excess moisture or wrapping in cheesecloth and squeeze.
**10 oz. is about 3/4 of 1 medium English cucumber.
***Mint may be substituted for dill if preferred.
****If you don't own a food processor you can finely mince up the cucumber by hand.
This Chicken Stir-Fry is packed with nutritious veggies and coated in a flavorful stir-fry sauce. It’s easy to make and great way to use up all those veggies in the fridge. I first shared this recipe nearly 4 years ago but it’s one of those classics I don’t want you to miss out on so decided it’s worth revisiting.
Chicken Stir-Fry
Servings:5
Prep Time20minutes
Cook Time15minutes
Total Time35minutes
Ingredients
2Tbspsoy sauce,or more to taste
4tspcornstarch
3/4cuplow-sodium chicken broth
1Tbspoyster sauce
1tspsesame oil
1Tbsphoneyor brown sugar**
1lb.boneless skinless chicken breasts*,cut into 1-inch pieces
2Tbspvegetable oilor light olive oil
1 1/2cupssliced carrots(about 3 medium, cut about 1/6-inch thick)
1smallyellow onion,sliced (1 small)
2 1/2cupsbroccoli florets,chopped into bite size pieces, rinsed and leave water that clings to broccoli
1mediumred bell pepper,seeded and sliced into 1 1/2-inch long strips
1 1/2cupssugar snap peas,sliced into halves if larger
1Tbsppeeled and finely minced fresh ginger
3clovesgarlic,minced
Instructions
In a small mixing bowl whisk together soy sauce with cornstarch, then whisk in chicken broth, oyster sauce, sesame oil and honey. Set aside.
Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a non-stick 12-inch skillet (that's deep, or use a saute pan or wok) over medium-high heat.
Dab chicken dry with paper towels, season with a pinch of salt. Add chicken to skillet spacing pieces apart in an even layer.
Cook chicken through, turning halfway through cooking, about 6 minutes total (center should be 165 degrees and should no longer be pink). Transfer to a plate or sheet of foil, leaving oil in skillet.
Add another 1 Tbsp oil to skillet. Add in carrots and onions and saute 4 minutes.
Add in broccoli, bell pepper, peas, ginger and garlic and saute until nearly tender about 4 minutes.
Whisk soy sauce mixture once more, then pour into pan and cook, tossing constantly, until sauce has thickened and veggies are tender, about 1 - 2 minutes. Season with more soy sauce to taste if desired.
Serve immediately over white or brown rice. If desired sprinkle with red pepper flakes or sesame seeds or drizzle with sriracha.
Recipe Notes
*Boneless skinless chicken thighs will work great too. Add a few extra minutes to cook time as needed.
**For a sweeter stir-fry honey or brown sugar can be doubled or even tripled.
You can use other vegetables you may have on hand in this stir-fry. Good options include mushrooms, cabbage, zucchini, green beans, bok choy, baby corn, and bean sprouts. Just remember to add crisper vegetables first with the onions and carrots.
Recipe originally published March 10, 2015. Recipe modified to omit the marinating step to simplify the recipe, also mushrooms have been omitted to cut down on ingredients.
Healthy Black Bean Tacos just got a whole lot more exciting! These are loaded with flavor, they’re a breeze to prepare and the filling only needs to cook for 5 minutes! In other words say hello to a new favorite super fast dinner.
Black Bean Tacos {with Avocado Cilantro Lime Crema}
In a medium saucepan combine black beans, salsa, chili powder and cumin. Simmer mixture for about 5 -10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Slightly mash beans if desired.
Meanwhile in a food processor pulse together avocado, Greek yogurt, cilantro, lime juice and garlic until cilantro is finely minced. Season with salt and pepper to taste (if you want the sauce thinner you can add in 1 Tbsp water).
To assemble tacos, on each tortilla layer black bean mixture, avocado cilantro lime crema, lettuce, cheese and tomatoes. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Refrigerated salsa can be found in the produce section or in the refrigerated latin foods section of the grocery store. If using homemade use one that includes tomatoes, onions, cilantro and garlic.
This is about the top 1/3 portion of one medium bunch of cilantro, so use mostly leaves and some stem.
This is my preferred method for cooking corn tortillas for tacos (although those pictured were just warmed and browned with a flame): I brush the tortillas lightly with olive oil then cook them in a skillet over medium-high to medium heat until they begin to get golden brown spots on the bottom then flip and cook opposite side until lightly browned.
Nutrition does not include lettuce, cheese and tomatoes.
Easy Chicken Fajita Rice Bowl made in ONE PAN! It’s a simple chicken, black bean and rice Tex-Mex style dish that’s brimming with well seasoned, fresh flavor. With it’s simplicity and satisfying flavor it’s destined to become a new go-to dinner!
Chicken Fajita Rice Bowls (One Pan)
Servings:4
Prep Time15minutes
Cook Time30minutes
Total Time45minutes
Ingredients
1 1/4lbsboneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2Tbspolive oil
1cupdiced yellow onion
3cupchopped bell pepper(about 2 medium)
3cloves garlic, minced
1 2/3cupslow-sodium chicken broth
1(15 oz)can fire roasted tomatoes
1(15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 1/2tspchili powder
1 1/2tspground cumin
2cupsinstant brown rice
1 1/2Tbspfresh lime juice
3/4cupshredded Mexican cheese
1/3cupchopped cilantro
Instructions
Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in non-stick 12-inch saute pan or deep skillet over medium-high heat.
Add chicken, season with 1 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin and salt and pepper. Cook tossing occasionally until cooked through, about 7 minutes.
Transfer chicken to a sheet of foil and wrap to keep warm.
Return skillet to medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil then add onions and saute 3 minutes.
Add bell peppers and saute 3 minutes longer, then add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
Add in chicken broth, tomatoes, black beans, remaining 1 tsp chili powder and 1/2 tsp cumin and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil (liquid should bubble up in the center of pan not just the edges).
Add rice and toss well to coat and submerge in liquid, reduce heat to medium. Cover let simmer 6 - 7 minutes.
Remove from heat, let rest 5 minutes. Stir in chicken, lime juice, cheese and cilantro. Serve warm.
Recipe Notes
For additional spice flavor you can also add 1 tsp paprika and 1/2 tsp ground coriander to the broth mixture.
Optionally you can serve with diced avocado or Mexican hot sauce. If you love heat you can also saute a diced jalapeno with the bell peppers.
The BEST Quinoa Salad – made with nutritious quinoa and an abundance of fresh ingredients like cucumber, tomatoes and bell pepper. Plus it’s all finished with a delicious, bright lemon herb vinaigrette.
Quinoa Salad
Servings:5
Prep Time20minutes
Cook Time5minutes
Total Time25minutes
Ingredients
3 1/2cupsleftover cooked quinoa*(chilled)
1largered bell pepper
2cupsdiced English cucumber
1 1/2cupsgrape tomatoes,halved
1mediumcarrot,shredded (1/2 cup)
1/2cupchopped red onion,rinsed under cold water in a sieve and drained
1(14.5 oz) canchick peas,drained and rinsed
Dressing
1/3cupolive oil
3Tbspfresh lemon juice
2Tbspred wine vinegar
1/3cupchopped fresh parsley(chop somewhat fine)
1/4cupchopped fresh cilantro(chop somewhat fine)
2garlic cloves,minced (2 tsp)
Salt,to taste
Instructions
Roast red pepper directly over the flame of a gas stove or under broiler, turning occasionally using metal tongs, until charred all over. Transfer to a container and cover and let rest 10 minutes, then peel**, core and seed and chop pepper.
Meanwhile prepare dressing. In a mixing bowl stir together olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, parsley, cilantro, garlic and salt. Chill while you prep the remaining salad ingredients or up to 1 day.
In large bowl toss together quinoa, pepper, cucumber, tomato, carrot, onion and chick peas with the dressing. Serve within about 4 hours for best results. Keep salad chilled.
Recipe Notes
*To make 3 1/2 cups cooked quinoa you'll start with 1 1/4 cups dry quinoa, rinse and drain well first, then cook according to directions listed on package.
**Pepper doesn't need to be perfectly peeled. Mostly you just want to be sure to remove most of the charred skin.
Healthy Kale and Quinoa Minestrone Soup Recipe – a soup you can feel great about eating and serving, plus this hearty soup is amazingly filling. It’s jam packed with nutritious ingredients like quinoa, two types of pulses and an overload of vegetables!
Healthy Kale and Quinoa Minestrone Soup
Servings:8Servings
Prep Time15minutes
Cook Time1hour
Total Time1hour15minutes
Ingredients
1large yellow onion,diced (2 cups)
3medium carrots,diced (1 1/2 cups)
2stalks celery,diced (1 cup)
2Tbspolive oil
2cupsdiced zucchini(from about 2 small)
1red bell pepper,diced
3clovesgarlic,minced
7cupsunsalted vegetable broth*
1(28 oz) canunsalted crushed tomatoes
3 1/2Tbspchopped fresh parsley
1tspdried rosemary,**crushed
1tspdried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper,to taste
3/4cupdry quinoa
2cupsgreen beans,cut into 1-inch segments
1(15 oz) cancannellini beans,drained and rinsed
1(15 oz) canchick peas, drained and rinsed (aka garbanzo beans)
2cups (heaping)chopped fresh kale, thick ribs removed before chopping
1Tbsplemon juice
Shredded parmesan cheese,for garnish (omit or use vegan parmesan if making vegan)
Instructions
In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, carrots and celery and saute about 5 minutes, until softened. Add in zucchini, red bell pepper and saute 2 minutes, then add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.
Add in vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and allow soup to gently boil, covered for 20 minutes.
Add in dry quinoa and green beans then cover and cook 10 - 15 minutes longer.
Add cannellini beans, chick peas, kale, parsley and lemon juice and cook, uncovered, until kale has wilted, about 5 minutes.
Serve warm garnished with parmesan cheese if desired.
Recipe Notes
*Recipe originally called for 4 cups vegetable broth and 3 cups water but for more flavor I've omitted the water and increased broth. Also 1 1/2 tsp sugar have been omitted from the recipe, but if you think it needs it feel free to add it.
*You don't have to use unsalted broth and crushed tomatoes but if you are watching your sodium intake it's recommended.
**1 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning can be substituted for the thyme and rosemary.
Healthy and flavorful Black Bean and Corn Salad! It’s a simple salad jam packed nutritious black beans, fresh vegetables like corn, avocado and bell pepper and it’s all tossed with a vibrant cilantro lime dressing. A delicious Mexican style salad everyone will crave!
Black Bean and Corn Salad
Servings:6
Prep Time20minutes
Total Time20minutes
Ingredients
1(14.5 oz) canblack beans,rinsed and drained well
1cupfresh or frozen corn,thawed according to package instructions
1cupchopped tomato(Roma, cocktail, grape, etc.)
1cupseeded and chopped orange bell pepper
1/3cupdiced red onion,rinsed and drained
1mediumavocado,diced (fairly firm but ripe)
1smalljalapeno,seeded and minced (optional)
Dressing
3Tbspolive oil
2 1/2Tbspfresh lime juice
1/3cupchopped fresh cilantro
1clovegarlic,minced (1 tsp)
1tsphoney
1/4tsp eachground cumin and chili powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small mixing bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill until ready to use.
Add black beans, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, avocado and jalapeno to a large bowl.
Pour dressing over and toss gently to coat with dressing. Serve right away.
Recipe Notes
For extra flavor you can roast the bell pepper over a gas flavor or under the broiler, turning occasionally. Transfer to a bag to steam 10 minutes then peel away most of the blackened skin.
Another option is to grill the corn and the bell pepper for extra flavor.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with honey lime shrimp (or the shrimp I add to shrimp tacos) and coconut rice to make a full meal.
It was so lovely and sunny today that I decided to make us a salad for our supper. I loosely based the flavours on a traditional Nicoise Salad (which uses Tuna), but used chicken instead and added some potatoes for my Carb Loving husband!
My version was low carb, which meant no potatoes. Instead I had some leftover steamed asparagus that I used and some sliced cooked beetroot. In all truth I could not finish it, and it was delicious!
I have only recently discovered that you can roast frozen beans on a baking tray at the same time you roast other things like potatoes or meat. They come out beautifully. A bit caramelised on the edges, perfectly cooked, and the flavour is fantastic!
To be honest I have never been overly fond of frozen beans, but this way I love them. We are funny in our family, we like tinned beans . . . that's what we were brought up on.
I had some leftover Rotisserie Chicken from one we had bought at Costco. This is the chicken I used. You could could a couple of chicken breasts if you don't have any leftover. But the Rotisserie Chicken is lovely.
Roasted fingerling potatoes . . . just tossed with a bit of olive oil and seasoning and roasted along with the beans. Perfect.
Ideally you should use Nicoise Olives, but I didn't have any. I did have a mix of Kalamata and Green with small cubes of feta cheese. This is what I used. Yum!
Hard boiled eggs . . . I always use free-range eggs. Its the least I can do. I refuse to support an industry that is inhumane, and if I can find them I use RS PCB approved. Then I know for sure that they are really produced humanely. Want to know my secret to perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs. Its a electric egg boiler just like this one. They turn out perfectly no matter the degree of doneness you wish, every single time.
The dressing is a very simple one. Just lemon juice, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil, seasonings and fresh herbs. A simple vinaigrette. The original used 1 tsp of granulated sugar, which if you are not bothered you can use. I am bothered so I used a tsp of sugar substitute. Without it, the dressing would be very tart.
My low carb salad was every bit as visually appealing as Todd's full carb one, and just as delicious. Its very easy to leave out the carbs for on without affecting the other!
Yield: 2
Author: Marie Rayner
Chicken Nicoise Salad Platter
I have two ways of doing this. One is full carb and one is low carb. Both are delicious. Simple, easy and very pretty on a plate.
prep time: cook time: total time:
ingredients:
You will need:
Leftover Roast chicken
2 hard boiled free range eggs
1/2 (4 serving size) bag of haricots verts (I used yellow wax)
5 or 6 fingerling salad potatoes, washed and halved or quartered lengthwise (use only half the potatoes or leave out altogether if you are doing low carb)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
olive oil to drizzle
a mix of nicoise olives and feta cheese (or kalamata) (about 1/4 cup)
about 6 cherry tomatoes, halved (I forgot these)
For the dressing:
3 TBS fresh lemon juice
3 TBS white wine vinegar
3 TBS finely chopped herbs (I used parsley and dill)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp sweetener or granulated sugar
1 TBS Dijon mustard
salt and black pepper to taste
instructions:
How to cook Chicken Nicoise Salad Platter
Preheat your oven to 230*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with foil. Place the frozen beans on one side of the baking tray and the potatoes on the other side. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with some salt and black pepper. Toss each to coat. Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or so, until the potatoes are golden and the beans are beginning to caramelise just a bit. Remove and set aside.
Have ready two large dinner plates. Slice some roast chicken and put a portion on each plate. Peel and halve the eggs. Place two halves on each plate. Divide the potatoes between the two plates (Not if you are doing a low carb plate, then just put half the potatoes on one). Divide the beans between each plate also, as well as the olives, cheese and the tomatoes.
Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing. (You will have plenty. You can store any leftovers for a few days in the refrigerator for another time.) Drizzle some of the dressing over each and serve immediately.
If you are doing low carb, leave off the potatoes and replace with something else. Today I sliced myself up some cooked beetroot and had some leftover chilled asparagus. In all honesty I couldn't finish it all.
NOTES:
If you haven't got any leftover roast chicken (I used the breast meat of a Rotisserie Chicken), then you can always cook two chicken breasts to use in its place.
I hope you are enjoying these new recipes I am sharing. I would really love your feedback. I promise you there will be something deliciously sweet tomorrow. I am trying to stay away from those things as much as possible, but its not fair to punish Todd for my sinful ways.