Salads are a perfect way to get in tons of fresh vegetables, quality protein, and healthy fats. But having the same boring salad every day gets OLD real quick. Below are 4 of my favorite go-to salads, perfect for lunch, dinner or to bring and share at parties!
SALAD #1: SIMPLE POWER SALAD
Serves 2
• 3 cups of leafy greens (spinach, arugula, kale, mixed greens)
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• ½ avocado
• ¼ cucumber peeled, chopped and seeded
• 1 green onion chopped
• 1-2 teaspoons of nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons of hemp seeds
• 6-8 olives
• ¼ cup almonds
• 1 tablespoons of tamari sauce or coconut aminos
• 2 teaspoons of avocado oil
• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
• salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste (dressing)
INSTRUCTIONS
• For the dressing blend the almonds, avocado oil, apple cider vinegar, tamari/coconut aminos, and seasoning till creamy.
• Toss together the salad, veggies, and chopped hard-boiled eggs. Top with nutritional yeast, hemp seeds, and avocado and drizzle with creamy dressing!
SALAD #2: KALE SALAD WITH QUINOA AND PUMPKIN SEED
Serves 2
• ½ bunch kale leaves (about 6 cups), chopped
If raw kale bothers you then steam for 2-3 minutes to make it easier to digest
• salt to taste
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• ¼ cup tahini
•1-2 tsp honey
• ¾ cup quinoa cooked
• ½ cup toasted tamari pumpkin seeds (see recipe below)
•1 avocado
INSTRUCTIONS
• Place kale leaves in a large bowl and massage for about 2 minutes with the lemon juice to help soften the kale. A little salt can be added to help drain some of the kale juices and soften it up a bit as well. Transfer kale to a fresh bowl (and discard any liquid from the kale) and mix it with the tahini & honey. Toss with the cooked and cooled quinoa, avocado, and pumpkin seeds.
TOASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS
• ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 tablespoon wheat-free soy sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
• Mix pumpkin seeds and tamari in a small bowl and let sit for at least 15 minutes so the tamari can be absorbed. Place seeds flat on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven at 350°F degrees for 10 minutes, flipping at least twice. The seeds are done with they are dry and crunchy.
SALAD #3: GREEK CHICKEN AVOCADO SALAD
Serves 3-4
• 2 large skinless boneless chicken breasts, halved to make four fillets
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (or 2 large garlic cloves, minced)
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Cracked pepper
• 4-6 cups leafy greens
• 2 large cucumbers, halved lengthways peeled and sliced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
• 1/3 cup feta cheese
• 1/2 cup) pitted Kalamata olives, halved lengthways
• 2 avocados
INSTRUCTIONS
• Whisk together all the marinade/dressing ingredients in a large, shallow dish. Pour out 1/2 cup to use as the dressing; reserve in the refrigerator for later to use as the dressing.
• Add the chicken to the remaining marinade in the shallow dish and evenly coat; cover and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.
• While chicken is marinating, prepare all of the salad ingredients (except for the avocado) in a large bowl and mix.
• Heat a large grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and add to the pan along with any marinade leftover in the bowl. Grill or pan-fry until the chicken is golden on the outside and cooked through, (about 5-6 minutes each side).
• Remove chicken from the pan and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Slice thickly and arrange over salad. Slice avocados and arrange on salad. Drizzle with the reserved dressing you set aside and serve!
SALAD #4: CHICKEN TACO SALAD WITH GUACAMOLE
Serves 2-3
• 1 butternut squash or 2 medium sweet potatoes chopped
• 1 heaping teaspoon of sriracha
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
• 1-2 teaspoons of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of dried ginger powder
• 2-3 tablespoons of raw honey
• couple tablespoons of water
• 1 head of cauliflower, finely chopped into very small pieces or a bag of frozen cauliflower rice
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• dash or two of cayenne (be careful, can get very spicy!)
• 2 boneless chicken breasts (cut into 1” pieces as thin as possible) or 12-16 oz ground chicken
• Siete Tortilla Chips
• 2 to 3 cups mixed greens
• guacamole (see recipe below)
INSTRUCTIONS
• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Slice the squash or sweet potato into chunks and put them in a medium roasting pan and top with a drizzle of olive/avocado oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes
• Turn heat down to 400°F and remove
• To begin the rest of the taco filling, combine the spices: garlic, ginger, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Toss cubed chicken into the spice mixture.
• In a large pan over low heat cook the onions, stirring occasionally so they “melt” and become soft rather than browned. This may take 10-20 minutes. Whisk the sriracha, sweetener, and two tablespoons of water in a small bowl.
• Bring the temperature up to medium and add the chicken pieces and stir until well mixed. Add the sriracha mixture and cook till chicken is cooked through.
• Then add the cauliflower and stir for several minutes.
• When everything is well cooked and soft, remove from heat.
• On a bed of greens add the roasted squash or sweet potato and top with the “taco filling”, 1 serving of Siete chips, and guacamole (recipe below).
HOMEMADE GUACAMOLE
• 2 avocados
• half of a red onion, peeled and finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• grated lemon/lime peel
• fresh cilantro (optional)
•1/2 teaspoon of sriracha
• salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Mash all ingredients together in a bowl to desired consistency. Store covered in plastic wrap with the avocado pit in the dish to keep from browning as much as possible. If it does brown, simply stir it up, it’s perfectly fine to use.