Category: Salads

Thai Ribbon Salad

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Hey there! Today I have a quick and easy recipe for you guys that you can just throw together and top with whichever protein you’d like! This Thai Ribbon Salad looks super fancy, but all you need is a veggie peeler and some veggies and you can whip it up in a snap!

In this salad I used zucchini, which is one of my favourite summer vegetables, along with cucumber, carrots, and bell peppers. Top it all of with some spinach, crispy quinoa, sunflower seeds and a protein of your choice (salmon goes amazing in this salad), and you’ve got a perfect summer salad!

Did I not mention the dressing yet? Because it’s AWESOME. I used the peanut dressing from my Asian Kale and Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing. I had to put the dressing in the name because THAT’S HOW GOOD IT IS. I’ll link to the recipe in the ingredients down below. In the meantime, lets get to the salad!

Thai Ribbon Salad

Serves: 2

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 small zucchini
  • 1 carrot
  • 1/2 a cucumber
  • 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup spinach
  • 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • 2 tbsp quinoa (optional)
  • 1 batch of Peanut Dressing
  • Protein of your choice (optional)

Directions:

  1. Using a veggie peeler or mandolin, slice the zucchini, cucumber, and carrots into thin strips. Start by dragging the peeler down the outside of one side of the veggies so that you don’t get a piece of all skin in your salad. Then continue to drag the peeler down lengthwise to create thin pieces. Once you’ve reached the middle of the vegetable, you can turn it around and repeat on the other side. It might be hard to get all the way through the middle of the veggies, so you can save that part for a lil snack later;)
  2. Toss the veg with the peppers, spinach, sunflower seeds, quinoa, and dressing. Top with a protein of your choice (or leave as is) and enjoy!

Hope you like this simple summer salad!

Yours Truly,

Olivia

Loaded Maple Balsamic Salad

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How’s it going guys? It’s starting to feel like summer vacation because the weather is finally warming up! I’m starting to establish some rhythm and being more productive, so that’s a plus. These posts are keeping me busy and thinking!

Sooooo I heard that lots of people don’t like salads. What’s up with that? I don’t know what kind of salads that they’re eating, but in my world, salads have hot veggies, cold veggies, protein, mashed avocado, and SICK dressings. Making salads is actually so much fun because you can play around with flavour combos and pretty much add whatever you want. Today I’m sharing the recipe for this Loaded Maple Balsamic Salad. And before you ask, yes, it is VERY loaded. You’ve got sauteed peppers and golden brown butternut squash, corn, carrots, cucs, spinach, avo, hemp hearts, and an awesome maple balsamic dressing. Is it even physically possible not to like that combo? I think not. Go check out the recipe!

Loaded Maple Balsamic Salad

Serves: 1 very hungry person

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

  • A handful of baby spinach
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Half a bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup cooked corn (I used frozen)
  • 3/4 cup frozen butternut squash chunks (If you don’t have these you can use roasted squash or sweet potato, and skip the steps related to the frozen squash)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 of a large cucumber, diced
  • 1/2 a large carrot, shredded
  • 1/2 an avocado, mashed
  • A sprinkle of hemp hearts

For the Maple Balsamic Dressing:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp maple syrup
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat, and add in the peppers to saute.
  3. While the peppers are cooking, bring some water to boil in a small pot and add in the frozen butternut squash chunks. Cook them for about 2 minutes, then drain and add them to the pan with the peppers.
  4. Cook the squash and the peppers until they’re soft and have some browning going on on the outside, about 6 minutes. Then remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
  5. In a large bowl, arrange the spinach, peppers and squash, carrots, cucumber, and corn. Place the mashed avocado in the centre, and top with the hemp hearts and maple balsamic dressing.
  6. Enjoy!!

I hope this salad changes your mind about salads. It’s the salad to end all salad discrimination!

Yours Truly,

Olivia;))

Beet and Parsley Salad

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Hi there! I wanted to start by letting you know that this is my 200th post!! Crazy how time flies! I’ve loved every minute of working on this site, and I want to thank you guys for all of your support. Your likes and comments mean so much! To celebrate, I’ll be posting my top ten favourite recipes sometime this weekend, so be sure to check that out;)

Today I have a very colourful and fresh recipe to share- Beet and Parsley Salad! Other than roasting the beets, this recipes calls for very little prep and is a perfect lunch or side dish. I even used pre -roasted beets to cut down on prep time. Fresh herbs are great to work with and bring so much flavour. Paired with the earthy beets they really get a chance to sing! This salad is even better when it sits overnight in the fridge because it allows it to marinate in the dressing (which is a delicious combo of fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and olive oil), but feel free to enjoy it right after you whip it up. Honestly, I wouldn’t blame you.

Beet and Parsley Salad

Serves: 4

Total Time: 10 minutes (using pre-roasted beets), 30 minutes (roasting the beets included)

Ingredients:

  • 1 beet
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1/4 of a red onion, diced
  • 1/2 a red bell pepper, diced
  • 3/4 cup packed parsley leaves (I used the flat-leafed Italian variety, but the curly leafed kind would work too)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. If roasting the beet, peel it and dice it into small cubes. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, toss the beets in some olive oil on a parchment lined baking sheet, and roast for about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before tossing with the salad.
  2. If you’re using a pre-roasted beet, make sure that it’s diced into small cubes. Toss the beet chunks in a bowl with the tomato, parsley, onion, bell pepper, lemon juice, olive oil and red wine vinegar.
  3. Season to taste with salt and pepper and enjoy!

**optional: let the salad sit in the fridge overnight in the fridge to marinate in the dressing**

Thank you so much for reading! Stay safe and I’ll see you again this weekend with my top ten favourite recipes;))

Yours Truly,

Olivia;))

Chickpea, Quinoa and Avocado Salad

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Hi guys! I hope you’re keeping busy and satying safe;)) Spring is almost here, and so I thought I’d make a fresher recipe today. This Chickpea, Quinoa and Avocado Salad is light and makes a great lunch👍👍 I used tri colour quinoa, which I discovered a year ago and it’s awesome. It’s usually the same price as regular quinoa, but it’s three different colours and looks super cool. Also, there’s soy sauce mixed in with the avo, which is one of my new favourite combos. Here’s the recipe:

Chickpea, Quinoa and Avocado Salad

Serves: 3

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 a red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • Juice of 1/2 a lime
  • 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Directions:

  1. In a small pot, combine the quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the water has evaporated, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
  2. In a small bowl, mash the avocado and add in the oil, lime, garlic, and salt sauce. Stir until combined.
  3. Mix together the chickpeas, tomatoes, and peppers in a large bowl. Add in the quinoa and mashed avocado and stir. Enjoy!

Keep cooking and stay creative my friends;)

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;))

Chickpea Salad Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

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Happy New Year!!🥳🥳🎉🎉 I can’t believe it’s 2020 and the start of a new decade!! If some of your New Years resolutions are to eat a bit healthier or try out some new recipes, than this is the place to be;)

Today I have a delicious stuffed sweet potato recipe that is great for lunch or dinner, and the chickpea salad stuffing can be enjoyed for days after as a quick school lunch. I’d like to be a bit more organized when it comes to lunches this year so that I have more time in the morning (to read books). So this recipe is perfect! Hope you enjoy;)

Chickpea Salad Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Serves: 1-2 (plus extra salad for lunches)

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 small sweet potato
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 heaping tablespoon of hummus (I used roasted red pepper flavour, but any other flavour would work)
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 small bell pepper, diced
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Wash the sweet potato and cut it in half lengthwise. Place the halves skin side up on a parchment lined baking sheet, and rub them with the olive oil. Poke a few holes into the potato with a fork, and place in the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, until soft.
  3. In a large bowl, mix together the chickpeas, hummus, balsamic vinegar, diced peppers, quinoa, and walnuts.
  4. Once the sweet potatoes are soft, scoop out some of the flesh from the middle of each half and mash it into the chickpea salad. Place the potatoes on a plate and scoop an equal amount of chickpea salad into each, saving the rest for later.
  5. Enjoy!!

First post of 2020 done! Thanks for all of your support in 2019;) Can’t wait for all of the new recipes and bullet journal spreads coming in 2020!

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;))