Summer Grilled Peach Salad

All I have to say about this salad is... yum!!!! Such a crowd pleaser.

If you are limited on time you don't have to grill the peaches, but it definitely adds a nice touch if you do this extra step! Also If you don't have arugula you can use baby spinach or another dark leafy salad green. 

Here's how to make it: 

Ingredients:

3 large handfuls of arugula (rocket) leaves.  

1 large ripe peach (you can use white or yellow)

1/3 cup toasted pecans

1/4 cup goats cheese (chèvre)

         For Dressing:

1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:

Halve peach and remove the stone. Slice into 8-10 slices.

Grill peach slices on a medium/hot grill for approximately 90 seconds each side, or until it starts to  brown and caramelize. Remove from grill and allow to cool slightly.

Combine all salad dressing ingredients together in a cup or small bowl and put aside.

Add arugula and pecans to a large salad bowl. Toss these together with the dressing. 

Crumble goats cheese and sprinkle this over the salad. Finally add the peach slices on top.

Serve and enjoy!

Creamy Avocado Pasta Salad

This salad is oh so delicious! My stomach is rumbling as I sit here and type out the recipe. Literally.

 It gives you a nice dose of green veggies as well as protein from the quinoa pasta. If you don't have quinoa pasta at hand, you could use another whole grain pasta and toss in some hemp seeds or another protein of choice. Heres the recipe:

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 7-10 mins

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

2 cups quinoa pasta (or whole grain pasta of choice)

4 small radishes, diced

2 handfuls of baby greens (I used a blend of chard, arugula and spinach)

For avocado sauce:

1/2 ripe medium sized avocado

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1 small clove of garlic

2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast (or you can substitute this for parmesan cheese)

1 large handful baby spinach 

1/4 cup raw cashews

1/4 cup water

Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

Bring water to the boil and cook the pasta as per the directions on the packet

While the pasta is cooking, add all ingredients for the avocado sauce into a food processor or high speed blender and blend until smooth.

Once pasta is al dente, drain and then run it under cold water in the strainer until cooled. 

Mix the avocado sauce into the pasta and then toss in the radishes and baby greens. If needed, add salt and pepper to season.

 Serve and enjoy! 

Pomegranate, Walnut & Goats Cheese Arugula Salad

Serves 2-3 people.

Prep time: 5 mins for the salad and 5 mins to make the dressing

Ingredients:

2 handfuls of arugula (rocket)

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

1/3 cup soft goats cheese 

1 large, or 2 small ripe pears, sliced

1/3 cup walnuts

2 tablespoons pomegranate dressing

Directions:

Wash and dry the arugula. Crumble or dice the goats cheese. Break the walnuts into smaller pieces. 

Mix all ingredients together and then serve! 

Pomegranate Dressing

This salad dressing is so delicious! The squeezing of the pomegranate is fun, but can get a little messy so make sure you wear an apron or dark clothing!  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (or 3 tablespoons of pomegranate juice)

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 tablespoon raw honey

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Place pomegranate seeds into a sieve. Place over a bowl and begin to squeeze the seeds so the juice pops out (this is the messy part!). Squeeze until all juice has been removed.

Mix the juice with remaining ingredients and serve.

Cabbage, Beet & Carrot Coleslaw

Prep time: 5 mins

Serves- 2-4

Ingredients:

1 medium sized beet (beetroot), peeled and grated

2 carrots, peeled and grated

1 cup shredded cabbage

2 tablespoon's raisins

1 tablespoon hemp seeds

2 teaspoons lime juice

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together. Serve and enjoy!

Fall Vegetable & Quinoa Salad

This is a delicious and nutritious vegan meal however if you don't want vegan, this makes a great side dish for fish, chicken, chops or steak! I also love serving this with poached eggs & avocado.

Serves 2 to 3 as a meal or 4 to 6 as a side dish

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

2 cups vegetable stock or 1 vegetable stock cube with 2 cups water

1 1/2 cups of butternut squash, cut into cubes

1 cup zucchini, chopped into medium sized chunks

4 cloves garlic, skin on

2 teaspoons capers, chopped finely

1-2 handfuls of baby spinach (or you can use baby chard or baby kale)

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons roasted unsalted almonds

Thyme, rosemary & oregano

Olive oil

Salt & pepper 

Directions: 

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2) Place the squash and garlic onto a tray and drizzle over a small amount of olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and herbs. Cook for 15 minutes and then remove from the oven. Add zucchini to the tray and season as you did the squash. Return to the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until veggies are roasted. Garlic should be soft and mushy at this point, however if still hard, remove other vegetables from the tray and cook garlic longer. 

3) While the vegetables are roasting, place quinoa into a pot with the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes or until cooked through. 

4) For the dressing: Remove garlic from the skin and mash. Add apple cider vinegar, lemon juice & 1 tablespoon olive oil and mix through. 

5) In a large bowl, add the cooked quinoa, baby spinach, roasted vegetables and the chopped capers. Pour over the dressing and mix to combine. If needed, season with salt & pepper as desired. Serve onto a plate and top with roasted almonds. Enjoy!

Taco Salad with Smoky Lime Cashew Créma

Ingredients:

For the créma:

3 tablespoons of basic cashew cream 

2 1/2 teaspoons lime juice

1 teaspoon honey or agave

1 teaspoon of chopped cilantro/coriander (or you can use mint if you aren't a cilantro fan)

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Pinch of salt

Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

For the salad:

Handful of baby lettuce leaves (or lettuce of choice)

1 tablespoon of fresh cilantro

1/2 avocado, sliced

1/4 cup cooked black beans

1/4 medium sized red or yellow bell pepper/capsicum

1/3 cup cooked corn kernels

1/2 medium tomato, sliced or cut into wedges

1/4 cup diced cucumber

2 tablespoons of grated almond cheese (or you can use cheddar or mozzarella)

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1) For the créma: Finely chop the cilantro. Mix cilantro with the remaining créma ingredients. Adjust salt to taste. Put aside.

2) Flatten the piece of bell pepper out onto a hot, lightly greased pan. Season with salt & pepper and grill until cooked through. Remove from heat and allow to cool before slicing.

3) Place lettuce onto a plate and then add all remaining salad ingredients. Toss the salad lightly and then top with the créma. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Enjoy!