I love salads! With summer around the corner and having so many choices in fruits and veggies, it’s the best time to be creative and experiment. It’s great fun putting the basics together, then grabbing leftover meat, chicken and fish, blueberries and strawberries, then raiding the pantry for nuts and seeds! I have a few favorite salads I make every summer, but every year I think most of us like trying some new, easy and healthy recipes.
It’s so easy to get our daily requirement of 9 servings of fruits and vegetables in just one super salad! Top with some feta or goat cheese and a snappy dressing and you’ve got dinner AND tomorrow’s lunch!
Here’s a beautiful and tasty salad recommended by my friend, Natalie Oliva, chef extraordinaire and blogger at the GourmetGamine.com.
This healthy roasted pepper and white bean salad is as easy to prepare as it is delicious.
Charred Red Pepper, White Bean, and Arugula Salad
(created by Natalie Oliva – inspired by a recipe from Martha Stewart Living)
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 large or 4 organic small red bell peppers
3 can organic white cannellini beans
¼ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano
Kosher Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon pine nuts, toasted (optional)
Micro greens for garnish (optional)
* Microgreens are the shoots of salad vegetables such as arugula, Swiss chard, mustard, beetroot, etc., picked just after the first leaves have developed. You can grow them or find them at farmer’s markets and health food store.
Instructions:
• Drain and rinse the white beans and set aside.
• Combine lemon juice, garlic clove, salt, pepper, and 5 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil until emulsified or well combined into a vinaigrette.
• Wash and dry exterior of red bell peppers. Turn gas burner on medium/high and place pepper directly on flame. Let cook, turning occasionally with tongs, until all sides are charred and blistered. Remove from heat and place in a bowl. Cover with a plate until cool. Once cool, peel skin with paring knife, cut in half and remove seeds and stem and cut into small diced pieces.
• Toss red pepper, white beans, chopped parsley and lemon vinaigrette.
• Arrange on a platter and top with arugula, pine nuts and micro greens (if using).
• Sprinkle with grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Bon Appetit!
Click here for a printable recipe card.
If you missed Natalie’s guest blog post on bone broth, check it out here… click here.
A couple months ago I wrote about the skintastic benefits of coconut oil. Our good friend and neighbor, Beccy, cooks with it a lot and asked me to write more about integrating it into daily cooking. That being said, here are two amazing salad dressings made from super healthy coconut oil.
Turmeric is another healthy spice and gives a dressing a bit of a nice kick!
Lemon Coconut Salad Dressing
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon organic coconut oil
½ teaspoon organic molasses
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon paprika
Kosher or sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Zing Factors:
These rich – in- antioxidants items can be added to any dressing
½ teaspoon chia seeds
½ teaspoon turmeric
Instructions:
• In a small microwave bowl, add the coconut oil and molasses. Microwave on high for 15 seconds to melt the oil and molasses.
• Add the rest of the ingredients, including chia seeds and turmeric, if desired and mix well to combine.
• Pour the lemon and oil dressing over chopped salad ingredients of your choice.
•Toss, toss, then toss some more.
Click here for a printable recipe card.
Coconut oil, along with lemon and other ingredients makes for a delicious, healthy salad dressing!
Coconut Oil Salad Dressing with Balsamic Vinegar
This is one dressing you can indulge in! Studies show that eating veggies consumed with a healthy dose of fat is best for lowing risk of coronary heart disease!
Ingredients:
2/3 cup organic coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
½ Tablespoon raw organic honey
1 small garlic clove, smashed
½ teaspoon dried oregano
Unprocessed sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Balsamic vinegar, along with coconut oil and other ingredients, makes for another yummy salad dressing!
Instructions:
• Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well-blended.
• Add to your favorite dressing vessel and let stand for an hour before refrigerating.
• Lightly shake before pouring on your salad.
*Because this dressing has olive oil in it, it won’t harden on cold greens. However, this dressing will set in the refrigerator, once it cools, so set it out on the counter or put in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes to bring it back to a liquid state prior to using.
Click here for a printable recipe card.
If you aren’t used to cooking with coconut oil, salads are a great place to start this summer! Give these dressings a try and let me know your favorites! And if you have others you use with coconut oil, I’d love to know and share with our readers!
Here’s to healthy, tasty, SCRUMPTIOUS salads this summer!
Here’s to Healthy Salad Supping!
Sources:
Coconuts and Kettlebells
Fuel for Thought
Gourmet Gamine
If you “Like” this post, I’d be thrilled if you’d share it.
JUL
