OhYaGood

Whole Food Lover + Recipe Hacker

Tuscan Tuna Salad

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Did I mention I’m doing Whole30? Probably not since it’s more like the Whole26. Don’t judge. I haven’t had the will power to stick with it because of a family Christmas celebration, Leo’s birthday and a little happy hour. I know. I’m weak but I’m glad to have still do it partially. My joints feel better, I’m not as tired and huge bonus, my clothes fit better. Who knows, maybe I’ll just stick with this way of eating giving myself a break here and there.

I’ve noticed these COLD winter months can be really hard to get excited about salads or just fresh produce in general. I have a natural desire for carbs and heavy, warm foods. Maybe that’s why I gravitate towards a salad that’s mostly protein and room temperature, like this tuna salad. This one is packed with lots of flavor and keeps me full all afternoon with 27 grams of protein. AND it’s Whole30 approved.

Tuscan Tuna Salad
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 1-2
Ingredients
  • 1 4oz can of tuna in water
  • a handful of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 2 tablespoons olive tapenade, I like Trader Joes
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • ¼ cup diced cucumber
  • ¼ cup diced sweet pepper
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • a squeeze of lemon juice
  • a dash of red wine vinegar
  • salt and pepper
  • fresh basil
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients together and serve
  2. Garnish with fresh basil

 

Autumn Quinoa Salad

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My husband and I were just in NYC where the food was of course outstanding. I only “cheated” with one dinner indulging in some fantastic gluten and soy filled ramen at Ivan Ramen. It was heavenly but I certainly paid for it with an instant headache and all swollen the next day. Nothing a little hike on the Brooklyn bridge couldn’t fix.

One of my favorite meals was at a place called Tiny’s near our hotel in Tribeca. It was an egg dish with crispy quinoa served with greens and poached eggs. Similar to a hash. Definitely something I’ll have to try in the kitchen. For now though, I need to detox which means salads every damn day, including this little gem.

Autumn Quinoa Salad
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: American
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • ½ cup roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash, 1-1½ inch cubes
  • 1 Tablespoon oil, I used avocado
  • 2 cups arugula
  • ½ cup quinoa
  • 4 slices of bacon, chopped
  • 10 dried figs, halved
  • 1/ 4 cup pumpkin seeds
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400° F
  2. Toss potatoes with oil and spread onto a baking sheet to roast for 40 minutes or slightly browned
  3. Meanwhile prepare quinoa and render bacon on the stove for 10 minutes
  4. Let potatoes and bacon cool for five minutes before tossing with arugula, figs and pumpkin seeds
  5. Dress with your favorite vinaigrette or make one with 3 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 Tablespoon of your favorite vinegar, cracked pepper and salt to taste
  6. Best at room temperature

 

Celery and Grapefruit Salad

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Celery_Grapefruit_Salad_loHappy 2017! Naturally, my first post of the year is a salad. Even though I’m not a big new years resolution kind of gal, I certainly can appreciate the need to eat better after too many cookies. Seriously, I made my peppermint cookies at least a half dozen times over the course of a month. Could. Not. Stop.

This time of year is tricky when it comes to seasonal produce or lack there of but one thing I seem to always have on hand is celery, my soup staple and dip boat. This salad is chalk full of the refreshing and crunchy vegetable and even includes the greens so don’t pitch ’em. You could easily use some fancy oils like hazelnut or walnut for more complex flavors but the salad is good as is and who wants to go buy an $8 bottle of oil that will likely go rancid before using it all. Practicality wins in my book!

Celery and Grapefruit Salad
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 3 celery sticks
  • ½ chopped fennel bulb
  • 1 grapefruit, peeled and sliced to your liking
  • 2 T roughly chopped celery leaves
  • 1 scallion, thinly sliced crosswise
  • 3 T hazelnuts or walnuts, roasted and chopped
  • ½ teaspoon minced garlic
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ⅛ cup lemon juice
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Roast hazelnuts or walnut at 350 F until brown (about 5 minutes) cool completely before roughly chopping
  2. Mix together grapefruit, celery, fennel, celery leaves and green onion into a medium sized bowl
  3. Whisk together minced garlic, oil and lemon juice and drizzle into the salad
  4. Toss and garnish with chopped hazelnuts and salt and pepper

 

Kale Beet Salad

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kale_beet_salad_loGeez. The holidays aren’t even upon us and I’m already throwing kale onto the site. I can’t apologize. This recipe was pretty much by accident and turned out delicious so I must share it. I’ve been wanting to post a kale recipe but I’ve ESPECIALLY been wanting to make a recipe with toasted walnuts because they are the BEST complement to any salad.

Now since I can’t add two recipes with my software, below is the hemp dressing I whipped up that paired well:
HEMP VINAIGRETTE
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 Tablespoons olive or avocado oil
1 teaspoon maple syrup (omit for Whole30)
1 teaspoon hemp seeds

Kale Beet Salad
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 3-4 beets, cooked, peeled and quartered (I used the packaged kind all ready to go)
  • ½ bunch (or about 6 leaves) of dino kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
  • 2 slices of red onion, quartered
  • ½ cup of dried apple slices, cut up
  • ½ cup of toasted walnuts, chopped, (to toast place on a baking sheet into the 400° oven for 5 minutes or slightly darkened)
Instructions
  1. Toss all the ingredients together
  2. Drizzle with the dressing and toss again with your hands, paying special attention to coat the kale

 

Watermelon Salad

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watermelon_salad

It’s summer in full swing which means loads of fresh produce with little effort, right?! That’s been my motto anyways. I feel way more like a prep cook just slicing and dicing. I also have a wedding I’m bridesmaiding in a matter of days so all baking and sweet dishes are going to have to wait till after. Let’s just say I’ve been scheming an ice cream dessert for quite a while I hope to attack. Oh and that breakfast cookie I teased everyone with on instagram.

Watermelon has been so incredible these last few weeks and my family has already eaten three whole ones. The girls devour it. I’m an overachiever myself. This salad has made it especially wonderful. It’s a play on an appetizer a friend of mine introduced me to years ago that included buffalo mozzarella. That would also make a great addition to the salad if you can eat cheese. That or feta or ricotta salata.

Watermelon Salad
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: American
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 cup cubed watermelon
  • 1 cup halved tomatoes, cherry or grape
  • ¾ cup diced seedless cucumber
  • small bunch of mint, finely diced
  • small bunch of basil, finely diced
  • (optional) balsamic vinegar
  • (optional) honey
Instructions
  1. Prep first 5 ingredients and mix into a bowl
  2. Whisk balsamic and honey together or use a already prepared glaze to drizzle over the salad

 

Egg Salad with Beets

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EggSaladwithBeets

Growing up, my Dad owned a a chain of sub shops called Pickle Barrel. One of his pride and joy recipes was his egg salad. His secret ingredient was Miracle Whip but I don’t eat the stuff anymore. I’m not even sure what it’s made of but egg salad is still a favorite of mine I just make it with mayo. This one is made with beets for some extra nutritional value and tartness. I ate it on some celery sticks but it tastes just as good on a crusty roll or cracker, according to my husband.

Egg Salad with Beets
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 5 hard boiled eggs
  • 2 Tablespoons mayo
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • ½ cup roasted beets (I used the jarred trader joes variation)
  • 1 Tablespoon diced red onion
  • salt and pepper
  • (optional) 1 teaspoon fresh dill
  • bread, celery sticks, cucumber, field greens or whatever vehicle you prefer
Instructions
  1. Mix eggs, mayo, dijon, beets, red onion, dill, salt and pepper in a bowl.
  2. Serve with your preferred vehicle

 

Taco Salad

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Taco_SaladRemember when Taco Salads were considered the Big Mac of salads. Loaded with unhealthy ingredients fooling you into thinking you were eating something healthy because it was a salad. Yeah, I’m all for that. Why not really? You’re still eating vegetables whilst consuming the fats. It’s better than eating a burrito or sandwich in my opinion. So this version is my indulgent vegan salad. I can’t do cheese or sour cream obviously so why not load it up with stuff I can eat that’s not necessarily good for me. Insert- corn chips. A very under appreciated chip. They are so good and crunchy and really only three ingredients. Corn, oil and salt. I still haven’t reintroduced beans into my diet but if I could I’d add them to this bowl too. Or whatever meat you might like. I just wanted to keep this one vegan. To your health!

Taco Salad
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 1 serving
Ingredients
  • 2½ cups romaine, chopped
  • ½ bell pepper, julienne
  • ½ cup plantain chips (I used the trader joes brand)
  • 4 cherry tomatoes, sliced
  • ½ Tablespoon red onion, finely diced
  • ½ avocado, diced
  • 1 Tablespoon salsa verde (I used a packaged guacamole mix from Fonterra)
  • ⅓ cup corn chips
  • Dash of hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
  1. Mix avocado with salsa verde
  2. Place romaine, peppers, tomatoes, and chips into bowl
  3. Top with the avocado mixture and onion
  4. Sprinkle salad with hot sauce

 

Green Salad with Chicken and Mustard Vinaigrette

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Chicken Field Green Salad with Mustard VinaigretteIt’s been too long since I’ve posted anything green. The holidays kind of got the best of me and to be honest, I’ve been in a bit of a funk ever since. I was certain all this uber clean eating and less alcohol would take care of it but I think this deep freeze is to blame. The next few days are supposed to be better (like 15 degrees instead of -15 degrees for all you non-northerners). Hopefully a little child’s play like sledding or skating will take care of these blahs. That and finishing up the maddening documentary, Making a Murder. I go to bed pissed off almost every night we watch it. When does New Girl start? Ok, I’ll stop my whining now.

I’ve been hesitant to post salad recipes because they are a no brainer in my world. I make them often so I’ve had a lot of practice however, I’ve been told to keep giving ideas. If you want to substitute things like pears for the beets or pecans for the pistachios, that would also make a lovely combination. Remember the formula, something sweet or tangy, something salty, something crunchy and of course, the greens.

Chicken Field Green Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • SALAD
  • 3½ cups field greens or green mix of any variety
  • 1 cooked chicken thigh or small breast, sliced
  • 1 large already cooked beet, diced (jarred or steamed work too)
  • ¼ cup shelled pistachios, salted
  • VINAIGRETTE
  • 1 Tablespoon oil of choice, I used Pistachio
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, I used stone ground
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
  1. Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients together
  2. Toss salad ingredients together with vinaigrette

 

Wilted Spinach Salad

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Wilted_Spinach_SaladAnyone else wishing for snow to cover all the grayness? I’m fighting the lack of sunlight and brown, dead ground with some green-action in the kitchen. Seriously, I bought poundssss of spinach this week. It’s a miracle cure.

I had never eaten a wilted spinach salad till working at an italian restaurant in my early 20s. I was instantly in love. While back in Iowa over Thanksgiving, my Mom served almost the exact same salad I remember from the restaurant so I asked her to share her recipe so I could dissect it and of course, make it my own. It’s really the perfect salad during these cold-ish December days.

Wilted Spinach Salad
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: American
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
  • 4 slices of thick bacon
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • ⅓ cup champagne or white wine vineagar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons mayo
  • 6-7 cups spinach
  • ½ pine nuts (optional)
Instructions
  1. Render bacon until cooked to your liking (I prefer the oven for 10 minutes at 400ªF on a foil lined baking sheet)
  2. Use one tablespoon of the bacon grease to oil a frying pan and set to medium heat
  3. Sauté onions until softened, about 10 minutes
  4. Add vinegar and honey and bring to a simmer
  5. Add bacon, cut into small strips
  6. Add mustard and stir until dissolved
  7. Remove from heat and add mayo, stir until dissolved
  8. Drizzle the mixture over 2 cups of spinach for each serving and garnish with pine nuts

 

Chicken Sausage Salad

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chicken_sausage_saladI’m usually the person that brings a salad to pot luck functions because so many salads have cheese on them which means I’m S.O.L. There’s a basic equation when thinking about a salad I heard years ago that I try to follow.

1) Start with your base green or filler

2) Add some protein

3) Add something salty or crunchy

4) Finish with something sweet or tangy

This delicious tangy salad follows that equation and it’s super easy to put together. Aidell’s Chicken Sausage makes it extra easy because it’s already cooked. All you have to do is heat it up.

Chicken Sausage Salad
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: American
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 2 chicken apple sausages
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 2 granny smith apples, diced
  • ¼ cup red onion, diced
  • ½ cup walnut pieces
  • 1 T hemp seeds
  • 1 T olive oil
  • ½ T apple cider vinegar
Instructions
  1. Cook sausages per package instructions, I prefer to pan fry or grill.
  2. Slice the sausages.
  3. Toss with the spinach, apples, onion and walnuts.
  4. Dress with olive oil and vinegar.
  5. Garnish with hemp seeds.