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California Avocado Ranch Chicken Salad
This creamy rich, California Avocado ranch chicken salad recipe is a delicious, easy, everyday dairy-free recipe, it is also Paleo, Keto and Whole30 compliant!
When it comes to easy meals on the go, for me, it always starts with quality protein and healthy fat. A meal that starts with these two staple macronutrients means more balanced blood sugar, adequate satiation and satisfaction levels and less of a need for all day snacking.
Whether you follow a paleo approach to your eating, keto or low carb, if you are simply focusing on a balance nutrient-dense, whole foods diet, this simple recipe can be made with leftover batch prepped shredded chicken or a roasted or rotisserie chicken and it’s great for prepping ahead for the week for easy quick lunches or even a quick breakfast option.
Serve on top of your favorite greens in California Avocado boats, on your favorite toasts or with crackers, however you want to enjoy it.
We love chicken salads for easy, fast meals. Most weeks I prep a few pounds of shredded chicken in the Instant Pot or we grab a rotisserie chicken at the market, this makes for fast meals and lots of versatility. You can also buy pre-cooked chicken, or make shredded chicken in a slow cooker with enough chicken broth to cover and cook it for 4 hours on low.
This California Avocado Ranch Chicken Salad features my easy-to-make, dairy-free avocado ranch dressing with California Avocados as the star of the show, bringing rich, creamy goodness without dairy or eggs. Best part, you can use this amazing California Avocado ranch dressing here in the chicken salad, or whip it up quickly and thin it out a bit to dress your favorite salad or leave it on the thicker side for a delicious dip for fresh veggies.
I love how quickly this can get put together with minimal ingredients and so much satiating and flavorful goodness.
California Avocado Ranch Dressing
gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, egg-free, nut-free, whole30, keto, AIPPrint Pin RateIngredients
- makes approx. 8oz dressing
- 1 Fresh California Avocado, seeded
- ¼ - ⅓ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk*
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon chives
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon garlic
- ½ teaspoon onion
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a food process or the butcher of a high speed blender. Start with the 1/4 cup of non-dairy milk, continuing to add more as needed to reach your desired consistency, you may want to add upwards of 1/2 cup for a thinner dressing. You can also use a hand-held immersion blender.
- Cover and refrigerate; eat within 3-5 days.
Notes
Recipe notes:
Add as much non-dairy milk or water to thin to your desired consistency
You can use fresh herbs in place of dried, I recommend approximately 1 tablespoon of each of the herbs. 1 small clove of garlic and 2 tablespoons fresh onion
Depending on your dietary preferences, to make your California Avocado Ranch dressing creamy like a traditional ranch dressing you can also add in 1/4 cup greek yogurt or 1/4 cup avocado oil mayonnaise
California Avocado Ranch Chicken Salad
gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, paleo, Whole30, Keto, AIPPrint Pin RateServings: 4 servingsIngredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced, chilled
- ¼ cup diced celery
- ¼ cup dice red onion
- ¾ cup California avocado ranch dressing, more or less to taste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add the chicken, celery and onion to a medium mixing bowl. Add desired amount of avocado ranch and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to eat. Serve in California Avocado, on toast, over a salad or enjoy as is.
- Refrigerate, eat within 3-5 days.
This post is sponsored by the California Avocado Commission but all opinions are my own.
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Lemon Basil Vinaigrette {paleo, keto, vegan, AIP, Whole30}
This Lemon Basil Vinaigrette is the key to take any dish from ‘meh’ to “HELL YEAH”! This aromatic, bright, fresh dressing is super versatile, it’s keto, paleo, vegan, Whole30 and AIP compliant and a must to have on hand!
The secret to tasty home cooking is little more than understanding how to properly and season even the most basic foods. Salt and pepper, garlic and acid, fresh herbs – it’s all so simple and so impactful. This simple vinaigrette combines all of that into one tasty dressing, sauce or finishing move!
To know me is to know that I live for a daily Big F*ckin’ Salad and roasted veggies are my favorite thing ever. This Lemon Basil Vinaigrette is perfect on these, drizzled over cauliflower rice, on top of roasted chicken or steak, drizzled over a frittata or eggs, over your favorite fish and so much more.
This recipe was originally shared as part of this delicious Mixed Green Salad with Steam Fried Veggies and has since turned into a staple around here. It’s like a chimichurri of sorts.
This Lemon Basil Vinaigrette comes together in just about 5 minutes and you can store it for up to 7 days in the refrigerator, but I promise it won’t last that long.
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Mixed Greens Salad with Steam Fried Veggies and Lemon Basil Vinaigrette {Paleo, Keto, AIP, Vegan, Whole30}
This fresh, colorful, veggie-loaded Mixed Greens Salad with Steam Fried Veggies and Lemon Basil Vinaigrette is simple-to-make, loaded with flavor and perfect for holiday entertaining!
Disclosure: This post and recipe were created in collaboration with Dole Fresh Fruit and Fresh Vegetables. As always, all opinions, ideas and text are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that allow me to create new and special content like this for Tasty Yummies.
This recipe is not be far off from the usual fare you will find around here, but the inspiration that got me here might be.
Let’s take a big big step back, come along with me. We are going all the way back to 1928. Disney’s Mickey Mouse made first on-screen debut in Steamboat Willie, a seven-and-a-half-minute animated short film that would become a classic, as it introduced to the world, one of the most iconic characters of our time!
Another American classic, we all know and love, Dole, is collaborating once again with Disney to celebrate Mickey’s 90th Anniversary, highlighting fresh takes on iconic recipes and bringing brand new inspired dishes honoring a True Original and the two brand’s long-time friendship.
To know me and my husband is to know that Disneyland and Mickey Mouse have become a part of our own story. When we moved to Southern California nearly years ago, before the moving truck ever hit the road, before we even had the keys to our new home, we had our Disneyland annual passes in our hands. On our trip out to California to find our house, we committed that once we found where we would be living, assuming we had a few days left in the trip, we would be “Going to Disneyland”.
Over the years since we have lived here, we have celebrated birthdays and anniversaries at Disneyland, we have taken nieces, nephews, parents and friends. We even created original artwork for Disneyland in collaboration with their WonderGround Gallery in Downtown Disney, where we silkscreen printed the posters live, in front of the gallery.
Disneyland and Mickey Mouse are synonymous with our Southern California life, so of course I was excited to be a part of DOLE’s celebration of Mickey Mouse. Dole and Disney have a rich history of working together toward happier, healthier families, and encouraging kids of all ages to eat better and be more active, so this celebration of Mickey’s 90th has come together in a big and tasty way and I am honored to be a part of it.
For me, I wanted to stay true to the food I always create and share with all of you, so no Mickey Mouse cupcakes or decadent Disneyland treats, I wanted to find a subtle a way to pay homage to ‘ol Steamboat Willie and his humble beginnings and really highlighting Dole’s beautiful fresh produce. In fact right know you can actually find DOLE® fresh fruits and vegetables featuring Mickey Mouse throughout the decades. How fun is that? Around here I have been referring to this as the Steamboat Willie Salad and it features one of my favorite ways to prepare fresh vegetables – Steam Frying. Rather than the simple steamed veggies prevalent in the 1920 and 30’s – we are taking steam cooking up a notch.
You all know that I am not anti-fat by any means, I think healthful fats play a very important role in a healthy, well balanced diet, so this isn’t about reducing fats and oils at all, steam frying is merely a simple, easy and flavorful way to prepare fresh vegetables. It takes the classic steamed vegetables up a notch in a fun and flavorful way. What I especially love is you can prepare the veggies ahead of time and serve them on the finished salad cold or room temperature, if you’d like, which makes this salad perfect for your holiday entertaining. No taking up space in the oven for roasting, no messy oil-splattering as you pan fry and no mushy, boring steamed veggies. Ready in no time, a beautiful, center-piece salad, loaded with nutrient-dense, colorful veggies – truly the best of all worlds.
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Big F*ckin’ Salad (B.F.S.) // How to Build the Ultimate Salad that Doesn’t Suck
Tasty Yummies Big Fuckin’ Salad. Big Fucking Salad. Big F*ckin Salad.
If you’ve followed me on Instagram for some time, you know that the Big F*ckin’ Salad is a total staple in my kitchen, and yah ok, my potty mouth is also a staple in well, life – but I do my best to keep is mostly PG-ish, most of the time! Nearly every single day, in the Brickey household, we rip a colossal nutrient-dense salad for a meal. It’s a great way to get it loads and loads of important nutrients in one sitting, it’s filling, easy to make, fun to get creative with and they are just dang yummy! I actually feel like if I build an amazing B.F.S. at least once a day, I can be certain no matter what the rest of my day looks like, I am getting a huge dose of super important nutrients. Generally in the summer months, it’s what’s for dinner most nights, but oftentimes it’s lunch and I’ve even been known to crush an epic Big F*ckin’ Breakfast Salad, too! One of my favorites.
I am finally walking you through my basic formula for building the perfect loaded up Big F*ckin’ Salad, so you can be a B.F.S-building Queen (or King). As far as I am concerned, all you need for a successful B.F.S. is quality greens, protein, fat, some crunchy stuff (from extra raw veggies or other add-ons) and an amazing homemade dressing. That’s it.
Best part about a daily B.F.S? You can be sure you are loading yourself up with tons of plant based nutrients, lots of fiber and of course some quality fat and protein. Follow my formula and make yourself a B.F.S. every day to get in your nutrients and I promise you will never ever get bored.
First things first, get yourself a SOLID gigantic bowl for your B.F.S. I love our huge wide bowls for Ikea (seen here), but I am not mad about a big salad being served in a gigantic mixing bowl (glass OR metal), either.
Tasty Yummies Big Fuckin’ Salad. Big Fucking Salad. Big F*ckin Salad.
GREENS + PROTEIN + VEGGIES + FAT + DRESSING
(+ extras if you want ’em)First major rule of the B.F.S. Club:
there are NO RULES!! -
Banh Mi Salad {Keto, Paleo, Whole30}
Banh Mi Salad. This is a delicious take on Vietnamese classic sandwich, the Bánh mì. Keto, paleo, Whole30 and gluten-free, this deconstructed take on one of my favorite sandwiches is loaded with flavor, fresh crunchy vegetables and so much color. I cannot wait for you to try this one.
Alright all my keto, paleo, Whole30 pals, you didn’t think I would leave you hanging on this whole Banh Mi thing, did you? I shared my delicious gluten-free Banh Mi Sandwich a few weeks back, as part of a Sammie Smackdown Contest with Canyon Bakehouse, all for a very good cause, but a lot of you, like me, are generally on that grain-free train. I feel ya, I feel better that way, too! But, there’s no reason we can’t get it on these sammie vibes, in our own way. Enter the Banh Mi Salad, my new favorite thing!
I entered my tasty take on this classic Vietnamese sandwich, the Banh Mi, to try to win $10,000 for my charity, Joyful Heart Foundation. Joyful Heart is a leading national organization with a mission to transform society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse and support survivors’ healing. Through healing, education, and advocacy, they are paving the way for innovative approaches to treating trauma, igniting shifts in the way the public views and responds to these horrific acts of violence and reforming legislation to ensure justice for survivors – and ultimately working to end this violence, forever!
Voting is still open. It remains open until August 20th and you can vote up to 3 times a day for my sandwich, with extra votes coming in if you share on social media and sign up through email to win a years worth of gluten-free bread! Head over to the Sammie Smackdown contest on Canyon Bakehouse’s website and help me by voting EVERY SINGLE DAY until the contest ends on 8/20. It would mean the world to me to win this money for this incredible, privately funded organization, doing such important work.
In the meantime, if sandwiches and bread aren’t so much your thing, you need to make this epic salad, inspired by that sandwich. All the flavors, tastes and vibes, without the bread. (And yes, I am aware that Banh Mi literally translates to bread, so this becomes an oxymoron of sorts, but I am OK with that.) If you are following a paleo or keto approach to your eating or maybe just doing a Whole30 and looking to have something fun, this salad is for you!!
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Radicchio Salad with Bacon Lardons, Manchego & Six Minute Egg {gluten-free, keto}
This Radicchio Salad with Bacon Lardons, Manchego & Six Minute Egg is inspired by a delicious meal I had at Tasty n Alder early this year to Portland, Oregon. This salad straight up swept me off my feet and left a lasting impression on this self-proclaimed salad-a-holic!
Traveling is one of my very favorite things to do. I feel alive when I am exploring new places and I always return to the home I love so much, feeling inspired by the people, the cuisine, the history, traditions and stories.
This year has already been off to a really great start for my travels and as always, my cooking and my recipes that I create after I return to my kitchen, are absolutely inspired by the places I visit.
All that to say that I would LOVE to take credit for the brilliance of this incredible Radicchio Salad with Bacon Lardons, Manchego & Six Minute Egg. But alas, this one comes by way of an epic meal I had while traveling. Of course. This from a recent trip to Portland, Oregon, the mecca of amazing, inspired, seasonal, real food eats. This salad is my recreation of quite possibly one of THE best salads I have ever had in my entire life. Right? I know, that’s a pretty HUGE statement, especially for a self-professed salad lover such as myself.
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Paleo Buffalo Ranch Dressing {dairy-free, whole30, keto}
Like my classic dairy-free ranch dressing, this Paleo Buffalo Ranch Dressing has turned into a bit of a staple around here. It’s creamy, rich and loaded with the flavors of classic Buffalo Chicken Wings, without the dairy or sketchy ingredients of most store-bought salad dressings.
At this point, we all know how I feel about Buffalo-style foods. After 30+ years in that city, it certainly left a mark on my heart, well, I suppose in this case, my palate. I’ve been in Southern California over 5 years now and I will ALWAYS have a large bottle of Frank’s Red Hot sauce in the fridge. Because when in doubt, make it Buffalo-style. I love a few dashes of that stuff on my scrambled eggs, on simple grilled meats and of course, on my Big F-in Salads.
This Paleo Buffalo Ranch Dressing adds the spicy flavor of classic Buffalo wings to classic ranch and it will add a kick to any boring salad, it’s a great dip for raw veggies, it’s perfect for roast potatoes or homemade french fries (your standard potato AND sweet potato) and I even love drizzling it over a big huge bowl of roasted veggies, like Brussel sprouts or broccoli.
Of course, if you are making some crispy Buffalo wings, (might I suggest Mark’s crispy grilled chicken wings) this Paleo Buffalo Ranch Dressing is the perfect compliment for even more flavor. I am not trying to tell you what to do, but definitely if you are making my Crispy Paleo Chicken Tenders, this Paleo Buffalo Ranch Dressing is an absolute must there, too.
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Wilted Kale Salad with Warm Mustard Shallot Vinaigrette and Spicy Butternut Squash Croutons
This Wilted Kale Salad with Warm Mustard Shallot Vinaigrette and Spicy Butternut Squash Croutons is winter’s answer to a green salad! Loaded with nutrients and pops of color and SO much taste it’s dreamy as a side or plop your favorite protein on top and make it a meal. The squash croutons? Sure I know they aren’t croutons, but with a little finesse we get a subtle crisp to them that are better than any boring ‘ol bread crouton.
It’s winter and salads often become a distant memory for many. I get it, cold, crispy raw salads just aren’t that appealing to me either, when there’s a chill in the air. I crave warming, comforting and cozy. But, I have made a commitment to my daily #BFS (Big F&%$ing Salad). I find this practice is a great way to ensure I get a big blast of daily nutrients, no matter what!
This is a salad for the winter. With kale as the shining star, this is the perfect way to get in those nutrient-rich greens in the cooler months. Kale is exploding with disease-fighting phytochemicals and it’s one of my most favorite whole-food sources of cognition-boosting nutrition. Here’s what Max Lugavere has to say about kale:
Dark leafy greens like kale and spinach are a top source of lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids which have been the focus of numerous recent studies.
In volunteers, supplementing with lutein and zeaxanthin led to faster processing speed. 1http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0108178 This effect was significant “even when testing young, healthy individuals who tend to be at peak efficiency,” wrote study authors.
In another study, human subjects with higher levels of lutein and zeaxanthin did better on a test of working memory, while their brains seemed to be working more efficiently when observed under fMRI.2https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-international-neuropsychological-society/article/relationship-of-lutein-and-zeaxanthin-levels-to-neurocognitive-functioning-an-fmri-study-of-older-adults/128FA33729CB102A1DC5ACAAFF7D972D
Finally, lutein (found in egg yolks, spinach and kale) was associated with greater crystalized intelligence—the ability to use learned knowledge and experience—in older adults. 3http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnagi.2016.00297/full
References
1. ↑ http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0108178 2. ↑ https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-international-neuropsychological-society/article/relationship-of-lutein-and-zeaxanthin-levels-to-neurocognitive-functioning-an-fmri-study-of-older-adults/128FA33729CB102A1DC5ACAAFF7D972D 3. ↑ http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnagi.2016.00297/full -
Slow Cooker Shredded Beef – Three Ways {Paleo, Gluten-free}
We have fully entered the season of busy. Easy weeknight meals are one of the things you guys ask for most, and this is also the struggle I see with many of my nutrition clients, simple, approchable meals for the busy work week. So, today I am sharing one of my favorite, simple slow cooker recipes, that comes with 3 different variations, so you won’t get bored. You could literally make this dish every single week as part of your meal planning and mix it up a million different ways.
My favorite thing about each of these recipes are the many varying ways to serve it up:
- lettuce wrapped
- on a salad
- over cauliflower rice (or traditional grains, like quinoa or millet)
- over zucchini noodles
- in any kind of veggie bowl
- filling for tacos, fajitas, burritos or enchiladas with your favorite tortillas
- sandwich
- filling an omelette
- nachos
- add to soups or stews
- stirred into a scramble or frittata
- add to fried rice or fried cauliflower rice
- over ramen noodles
- just spooned straight into your face!
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Grilled Watermelon Salad with Arugula, Feta and Charred Limes
Fruit and I have certainly had our ups and downs over the years. I like to describe our tumultuous connection using the Facebook relationship status of “it’s complicated”. In the past couple of years as I have worked very, very hard to get my gut issues under control, despite the usual suspects, I have come to find that many fruits, especially those highest in fructose to be one of THE biggest triggers in my chronic bloating, gas and general gastric upset.
This isn’t exclusive to me and it’s actually quite common with folks that struggle with bacterial imbalances in their gut, SIBO, leaky gut, etc. Fruits high in fructose can cause fermentation in the gut, which can lead to some not-so-pleasant after effects.
It took me some time to discover that fruit was one of the biggest culprits and more, it was hard for me to understand how a nutritious, healthful whole food, like fruit could be create such gnarly side effects. Seemed wrong. It was in experimenting with a low FODMAP protocol that I found some of the greatest relief and while there are still some fruits today, that I have to be careful with and mindful of how much I consume, it has changed so significantly over the last few years as I have worked hard to heal my gut and get my gut bacteria in better balance.
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5 Minute Green Goddess Dressing / Dip {Dairy-free, Paleo, Whole30}
This gorgeous, vibrant Paleo Green Goddess Dressing is ready in under 5 minutes and it’s loaded with so much flavor. This creamy, dairy-free Whole30-compliant condiment can be served up as a salad dressing, dip, sauce or spread. Sorry not sorry in advance if you become as addicted to it as we are!
I am not sure exactly where the term “Green Goddess” originated when speaking of a tasty green dressing, but I am not mad about it. Not at all. Clearly something this beautiful, brilliant and delicious is female! DUH.
I have seen many many iterations of the Green Goddess dressing and many call for yogurt or other dairy and ALL the green things. This particular rendition gets it’s creaminess from avocado and delicious avocado oil mayonnaise. There is a prominent basil flavor and aroma which is peppery and fresh, with parsley is a backup singer. If you want to have some fun, swap out the basil with cilantro (I’d say go with more like 1/2 cup since it’s a bit stronger), swap lime for the lemon and add jalapeño. Voila, another version of this amazing sauce.
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Kale Salad with Balsamic Roasted Beets, Horseradish Tahini Dressing and Spicy Maple Pepitas
DOLE® Fresh Vegetables is a sponsor of Tasty Yummies. DOLE® provided me with Organic Salad samples for the purpose of this post, as well as compensation for my time. All content, ideas, and words are my own.
You guys know how I feel about my daily greens and more importantly about the quality of all the foods that we eat in our household. Sourcing organic is of top priority to me so when I received word that DOLE® was expanding their organic product line to include new salad mixes, I was beyond excited to get into the kitchen and start creating with them.
It is an absolute given that at all times I have organic baby spinach and/or kale in the fridge. Whether it’s wilted down in my morning eggs, tossed into a blended smoothie or the base of an epic, seasonal salad I find these to be the most versatile veggies to always have on hand.
If I am being fully honest with you, I have been known to just save a fistful of baby spinach or baby kale into my mouth mid-day if I have been slacking on my greens consumption. Hey – you do what you gotta go sometimes.
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Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad
Today is an exciting day! Well yes, it’s election day. Which is obviously HUGE, I hope for my American readers that you’ve already gone out and voted. But, it’s also book release day for my friend Alexis of Lexi’s Clean Kitchen. Her debut book Lexi’s Clean Kitchen hits stands today and this is an absolute must for your kitchens. Featuring over 150 delicious paleo-friendly recipes to nourish your life, this cookbook brings the focus to achieving health and happiness through the simple concept of eating clean. With a collection of fresh, creative yet practical and approachable recipes, Lexi makes eating at home, easy, tasty and fuss-free.
For those of us with gut issues, Lexi has a similar path to her healthy lifestyle, so her story brings feelings of familiarity and with that that instant connection. Lexi’s Clean Kitchen delivers an abundance of healthy meals packed with amazing flavor, like Thai Meatballs, Classic Chili, One-Pan Arroz con Pollo, Maple-Glazed Salmon, and Sriracha Lime Chopped Chicken Salad, with healthier options of your favorite indulgent foods, like French Toast Sticks, Perfect Waffles, Birthday Cake, Easy Sandwich Bread, and more!
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Our 15 Favorite Summertime Salads
I know we are creeping closer to summer’s end, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We still have several weeks left of summertime abundance and then, of course, the magical swing season where summer and autumn meet for a brief time and the produce is extra special. For now, I plan to continue to celebrate and indulge in all that the summer’s markets and local farms and gardens have to offer.
Our 15 Favorite Summertime Salads:
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Grilled Romaine Salad with Blueberries, Avocado and Creamy Lemon Tarragon Vinaigrette
As I sit to write the posts for this website, 2-3 times a week, often I find myself lacking the words. I am no writer, have never claimed to be. I am sure my sentence structuring is atrocious, I am certain my posts are littered with typos and poor punctuation skills. I generally didn’t start this website to share my personal thoughts on life or my beliefs, as often as they do trickle into the pages by default. I mostly have always had a strong desire to help make a difference for those, like me, that struggle with their health, are challenged by navigating the ever-evolving landscape of eating and food and what it truly means to be well.
As our worlds are all constantly changing and shifting, as life seems to get busier than ever for us all, I find myself more called to want to simply live my life without a filter, to share my experiences in all their realness and hopefully, simultaneously, inspire you to be excited about getting into the kitchen and tapping into your own creativity. I want you to approach food and your health without fear. I want you all to feel empowered to be your own advocates and to never settle for anything other that feeling amazing, every day. My hope is also that through sharing my recipes, how-to’s and other tips here on the website and on social media, that everyone knows eating well doesn’t always have to be about the crazy flavor combos and complicated ingredients that you can only buy online or at a specialty food store. I think we all have to admit that even though weeknight meals deserve a little flair sometimes, a totally boring, basic
bitchmeal of veggies and some baked fish, that isn’t exactly instagram-able – that’s totally OK, too. -
Turkey Club Chopped Salad with Aioli Vinaigrette {Paleo-friendly}
I have jokingly said this before, but I truly, deep down, really mean it. My husband has become somewhat of a muse for me in the kitchen. Or one of my muses I should say. First and foremost, from a heavily selfish place, my own autoimmune conditions, food intolerances and sensitivities are my biggest creative driving force when it comes to recipe development. I also, of course, find so much joy in creating for all of you and your varying dietary challenges and lifestyles. All that said, my husband happens to be one of those more and more rare specimens whom isn’t afflicted with any food allergies or issues. He’s a tank, he can eat anything and everything, he’s healthy as a horse and he generally doesn’t have to worry too much when it comes to food.
He is, as he says it “on the Beth plan”, at home, as I do all of the cooking and I generally don’t hear a complaint out of him. However, when we eat at restaurants some of his decision-making is so far askew from my own and how we eat at home, that I can (apparently) look at him like he has 3 heads, while he orders. It’s mostly a curiosity of how and why he would still want certain things after eating how we do, I am always curious how eating a bunch of starchy, grainy carbs before a meal can feel good, when he generally eats grain-free at home. I get it though, he didn’t exactly sign up to eat this way, it’s somewhat by default. But, I digress, I don’t give him
too muchshit, however I do take note. I take these opportunities to know that I can come home and recreate certain foods to be more healthful, to remove some unneeded processed foods and to hopefully win him over with an even better, cleaner version. It’s a game of sorts for me and the winner is always him. -
How-to Make Salad Dressing
“The usual proportion of vinegar to oil is one to three, but you should establish your own relationship.”
Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French CookingA well-crafted dressing or vinaigrette is a thing of profound beauty. Delicate, yet prominent, understated while still making a statement. To me, the finesse found in the subtleties of a good dressing says a lot about someone’s skills in the kitchen and on that same note, it is one of THE most simple tasks to master. Ready in under 5 minutes, homemade dressings and vinaigrettes are one of the best ways to start the process of ditching store-bought, processed foods – making it a very budget and health conscious option.
Since they only really require three main ingredients, base (oil), acid and seasonings, you can pretty much make any flavor profile you can think of, with any combination of ingredients available in your kitchen. From here, knowing this simple formula and the any options, you can get creative, adjust to your preferences and you can come up with an unlimited supply of varying staple dressings.
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Summer Squash Salad with Basil Vinaigrette and Crispy Prosciutto
Summer is definitely all about the fuss-free eating, but to me, it’s also all about enjoying the abundance. With so much beautiful produce in season, there is no shortage of foods to be inspired by and get creative with.
To me, zucchini gets all the love during the summer and admittedly, I likely eat a farm’s worth myself every year. But lest we forget about the yellow summer squash, the beautiful golden sibling to the zucchini. While the flavor is very similar, the only real major difference is their skin color, so I find the yellow squash to be as equally versatile as the zucchini and it too is a mainstay in my summer kitchen.
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Greek Potato Salad
This light Greek Potato Salad is full of a bright, fresh tang from the freshly squeezed lemon juice, an incredible fresh crunch from the red onions and cucumber this all comes together with the fresh fill and oregano to create perfect Greek flavors. Step away from the mayo and opt for my family’s favorite summer side dish.
Summertime is the time of quick meals, picnics, BBQs and cookouts. As much as I am a big fan of mayonnaise, I have never been able to get down with the idea of it on my cold salads. I have never enjoyed it on potato salad, coleslaw or pasta salad. Not sure why. Maybe it’s too many picnics in my youth, seeing the salad and the mayo baking away in the sun, no one has a care in the world. I won’t ruin it for those of you that like it, but it’s just not for me.
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Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon
With summer nearly upon us, we are already planning a summer of BBQs, cookouts and picnics. While I am not a mayo hater by any means, I have always felt indifferent about traditional mayo-based potato salads. It’s just not my thing, something about it doesn’t sit well with me. I think it’s years of seeing it sitting in the sun at picnics, uncovered looking all gnarly. Yuck.
I have over the years developed several variations instead on vinegar and herby based potato and sweet potato salads that have become staples at all of my summer shindigs. That is until this Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon from Heather Christo’s book Pure Delicious. For the foreseeable future, this may just give all other potato salads the boot! It’s that good.
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Raspberry Vinaigrette
Happy Friday, friends! I am still away on a little anniversary getaway with my husband. We’re in Palm Springs soaking up all of the desert goodness, celebrating 9 years of marriage and 13 years since our first blind date. We try for a vacation every year for our anniversary, it’s so important for us to stop the clock, step out from our busy lives and just celebrate each other for a few days. Especially since we both work from home, going away is a really nice opportunity to just be with each other, without the distractions of our work and life. We get to relax, talk, reminisce and most excitingly, nap in the middle of the day, just because we can.
I think one of the (many) things I love most about our love, is that Mark still has the ability to surprise me, even after all of these years. He’s always keeping me guessing and on my toes and he is always willing to try something I made, just to support me.
