Thai Noodle Salad.

After attending a lake birthday party this last week I had a pretty intense craving for Thai Noodle Salad since the birthday girl had made a batch for her party but I didn’t get to try it. My typical experimental brain hit the web Monday morning to find a simple recipe that I could quickly whip up and voila, I found one that I happened to have (most) all of the ingredients!

We tested it out last night after a longish run (4 miles) in the heat. I would definitely tweak a few things next time just to experiment with taste but overall I would say it’s a keeper. Also noted, we served it hot but traditionally after mixing all the ingredients you would chill it in the fridge and eat cold.

Ingredients:

• Rice Noodles
• Sauce:
  • Soy Sauce
  • Sesame Oil
  • Honey
• Seasonings (I used Garlic Sea Salt, Terriakyi Ginger mix, and Crushed Red Peppers)
• Vegetables (I used a mixed bag I had in the freezer)
  • Broccoli
  • Carrots
  • Mini Corns
  • Snap Peas
  • Onions
• Optional Meat Topping (I had some Trader Joe’s Potstickers on hand that we through on top but shredded chicken or pork would also be delicious!)

Directions: 

• Soak rice noodles in a pot or bowl for ~30 minutes. We placed our noodles right in the pot we would boil them in and went for a run. 
• Boil noodles on high for about 5-7 minutes.
• Sauté veggies in a pan with olive oil until crispy.
• Mix sauce in a small bowl. I used about a 1/4 tbsp of seasme oil, 1/2 cup of soy sauce, and 1/2 tbsp of honey but this will depend on the amount of noodles you are cooking. 
• Drain noodles, return to pan, add sauce mixture, and cook on low so sauce absorbs into the noodles.
• Add veggies to the noodles. Continue to cook for about ~5 minutes or while cooking meat.
• Cook optional meat.
• Hot: Serve in a large bowl with a cold drink! 
• Cold: Place mixture in a large bowl, set in the fridge for a few hours, then enjoy!

 

Caprese Quinoa Salad.

My biggest concern with holidays is the lack of healthy options that are usually available for big meals. We are all prepared to indulge to some extent but I also enjoy balance. I’ve come to an age where I can tell if I don’t get enough vegetables in within a day and trust me, I don’t end up being very pleasant by the end of the day. Which means it is very important for me to have some kind of greens on my plate almost every meal. This dish is an excellent protein packed, healthy side option if you are already a fan of caprese salad.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 package of Mozzarella Pearls
• 1/4 cup fresh Basil leaves (torn to small pieces)
• 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/8 cup Olive Oil
• Half diced Cucumber
• Salt + Pepper

Directions:

• Bring 2 cups of water to a boil on stovetop. Pour in quinoa and shimmer until water is fully absorbed.
• Transfer cooked quinoa into medium size bowl.
• Add in all other ingredients and blend.
• Chill in the fridge for 3 hours – 3 days. Flavors will intensify and absorb over time.
• Enjoy!

This is my new favorite sunny day, porch relaxing dish.

Cheeseburger Salad.

My new favorite obsessions: The delicious Cheeseburger Salad.

I whipped this bad boy up last night after hot yoga and it was nothing short of heaven. I’m a big fan of ground beef so am always looking for new recipes to incorporate it in to.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 Ground Beef
• 1/4 c. diced peppers
• 1/4 c. diced onion
• 1 c. butter lettuce
• 1/4 c. Mozerella cheese
• Homemade Ranch to desire (secret tip: I almost always have a jar of this whipped up in my fridge for almost every meal)

Directions:

• Brown the ground beef in a pan on medium heat. At the same time, in the same pan, sautee peppers and onions. Cook until desired browning of meat.
• Top cooked ingredients in a bowl with lettuce, cheese, and ranch.
• That’s it!

No wonder I am so obsessed with this recipe right now.

Namaste.

Homemade Ranch Dressing.

I shared a bit about this earlier on my Instagram story today but yesterday I whipped up some homemade ranch dressing. If you’re looking to cut some of the calories or sugar from salad dressing then you need to try this homemade ranch. I’m obsessed! I like to top salads and meats with it as well as dip veggies in it, so it is obviously an exact substitute for the regular hidden valley. And trust me, you’re not even going to miss the original.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp basil, dried
• 1 1/2 tsp Dill, dried
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 tsp Onion Powder
• 2 tsp Parsley, dried
• 1 can Coconut milk, full-fat
• Black Pepper (to liking)
• 1 tsp Nutritional Yeast
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
• 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar/Red Wine Vinegar

Directions:

• Blend all ingredients in a bullet or blender
• Enjoy!

Asian Chicken Salad.

Salads do not need to be boring!

I use to HATE salads. I would say naive things like “I feel like I’m chopping on a tree!”. But through the years, I’ve experimented plenty to find out which ingredients I actually really enjoy and have learned that I actually love and sometimes crave a good, hearty salad.

After a busy weekend of eating out way too much, it’s been nice to be in my new place and cook up my own meals. I’ve been in an Asian phase lately which is where I pulled my inspiration. I whipped up this simple salad this beautiful sunny afternoon with 6 ingredients.

Ingredients:

• Rotisserie Chicken
• Teriyaki Sauce
• Spinach
• Trader Joe’s Miso Salad Dressing
• Trader Joe’s Fat Free Feta Cheese
• Mixed Stir Fry Veggies

Directions:

1. Shred the rotisserie chicken. If you’re making the salad just for you then baggy up the chicken into 3-4 bags and freeze the remaining chicken to use for later. If you making a salad for a group then feel free to use the entire chicken.
2. Place shredded chicken into a frying pan or wok. Drizzle with teriyaki sauce and heat on medium heat for 2-5 minutes.
3. If you’re using microwavable veggies, cook accordingly. If you’re using fresh veggies, sauté in a frying pan over high heat.
4. Top spinach with Miso salad dressing, cooked chicken, cooked veggies, & feta.
5. Serve & enjoy!