Category: Salads


Jun
2017

White Bean Arugula Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Crispy Prosciutto

categories: Appetizers, Gluten Free, Salads

Cannellini beans are the star is this light and healthy salad that’s packed with protein and fiber.

White Bean Arugula Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Crispy Prosciutto – a light and healthy salad with Italian flair, packed with protein and fiber. Gluten-free. | QueenofMyKitchen.comWhite Bean Arugula Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Crispy Prosciutto – a light and healthy salad with Italian flair, packed with protein and fiber. Gluten-free. | QueenofMyKitchen.com

White Bean Arugula Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Crispy Prosciutto is a light and healthy salad packed with protein and fiber. One serving of this delicious salad delivers a whopping 34 grams of protein and 18 grams of fiber (68% and 72% of the recommended daily allowance). If you’re looking to add more beans to your diet, this is one delicious and nutritious way to do it. Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World’s Healthiest People, claims that adding one cup of beans per day to your diet will extend your life expectancy by 4 years! (more…)


May
2017

Crunchy Chinese Chicken Broccoli Salad

categories: Chicken, Gluten Free, Healthy, Salads

Classic Asian flavors shine through in this healthy and delicious, gluten-free broccoli slaw salad.

Crunchy Chinese Chicken Broccoli Salad

Crunchy Chinese Chicken Broccoli Salad is an awesome dish with Asian inspired flavors and the main ingredient is packaged broccoli slaw so it’s super convenient to make. Years ago, I used to make a version of this salad that contained Ramen noodles. The uncooked noodles were broken apart and mixed into the salad and the seasoning packet that came with the noodles was used to make a vegetable oil based dressing to which refined sugar was added. I won’t go into the reasons one should avoid eating Ramen noodles – they are far too numerous to list here, but if you have any doubt about this just do a Google search. My quick search returned articles with titles like “Ramen Noodles May Lead to Chronic Illness” and “Why Ramen Noodles Could Cut Your Life Short”. Scary stuff. I’m all for indulging on occasion when it’s worth it but in this case, I was able to health-ify my old recipe and I think it actually tastes better now! (more…)


May
2017

Curried Cranberry Cashew Quinoa

categories: Gluten Free, Healthy, Salads, Side Dishes

A quinoa salad with a colorful assortment of healthy ingredients in a curry infused Greek Yogurt dressing.

Curried Cranberry Cashew Quinoa – A quinoa salad with a colorful assortment of healthy ingredients and a curry infused Greek Yogurt dressing. Gluten-free. | QueenofMyKitchen.com

Curried Cranberry Cashew Quinoa with Carrots and Corn – bet you can’t say that ten times fast! I wasn’t going for alliteration when I developed this recipe. My only goal was to create a curried quinoa salad, with an herbed Greek yogurt dressing, to bring to a birthday lunch I’ll be attending tomorrow. But, when I thought about the odd hue that curry can sometimes give to food, I decided the dish needed some pleasing flecks of color so I added cranberries (red), carrots (orange), and corn (yellow). I also knew I wanted some type of a nut in this dish, and cashews were a natural choice since they are often used in curry recipes. So, that’s how this recipe ended up with such a catchy title. I hope the birthday girl likes curry! (more…)


Apr
2017

Mix & Match Salad

categories: Healthy, Salads

The Recipe Redux is a group of like-minded food bloggers whose mission is to inspire the food lover in every healthy eater and inspire the healthy eater in every food lover.  Each month members post recipes to their blogs following a theme set by the group moderators.  Click the Recipe Redux link at the bottom of this page to see links to all the posts for this month’s challenge.

Mix & Match Salad – This basic recipe is your guide to creating an endless number of delicious salads AND a great way to reduce food waste! | QueenofMyKitchen.com

I’ve made Mix & Match Salad in countless variations for as long as I can remember. The recipe consists of four ingredients I always include – avocado, hard-boiled eggs, trail mix (one with dried fruit, nuts, and seeds), and tomatoes – along with other ingredients that vary depending on what I have on hand, what leftovers I need to use up, and what I, and my family, are in the mood for. Below are some of the variable ingredients I like to use in this salad. The key is to pick ingredients (one from each category) that complement one another and then make a vinaigrette that pulls all the flavors together. The possible combinations are endless! (more…)


Mar
2017

Cucumber Antipasto Salad

categories: Gluten Free, Healthy, Salads, Side Dishes

A simple and healthy throw-together salad with classic antipasto flavors.

Cucumber Antipasto Salad - A simple and healthy throw-together salad with classic antipasto flavors. | QueenofMyKitchen.com

Cucumber Antipasto Salad is a ridiculously easy throw-together salad with classic antipasto ingredients. It takes just a few minutes to prepare and yields eight to ten servings, so it’s a great dish for entertaining. The crunchy cucumber provides a nice contrast to the soft and silky artichokes, peppers, and mozzarella cheese. Dressed in a simple lemon vinaigrette with a generous smattering of fresh dill throughout, this healthy and tasty salad is a real crowd pleaser. (more…)


Mar
2017

Dill Pickle Chopped Chicken Salad

categories: Chicken, Gluten Free, Healthy, Salads

A sophisticated chicken salad with dill pickle flavor – colorful, delicious, and super crunchy.

Dill Pickle Chopped Chicken Salad - A sophisticated chicken salad with dill pickle flavor - colorful, delicious, and super crunchy. Gluten-free. | QueenofMyKitchen.com

There are countless ways to make a mayonnaise based chicken salad but an essential component is something with crunch. A crunchy ingredient provides a nice contrast to the soft, creamy texture of the chicken. Celery usually plays this role solo, but in Dill Pickle Chopped Chicken Salad the crunch factor is amplified big-time with the addition of dill pickles, bell pepper, and apple. You’ll love this unique twist on classic chicken salad, especially if you’re a pickle lover. (more…)


Feb
2017

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Over Crispy Cauliflower Cakes

categories: Appetizers, Gluten Free, Healthy, Salads

A sensational salad made from Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, two vegetables once considered boring and unglamorous. 

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Over Crispy Cauliflower Cakes - Thinly sliced Brussels sprouts slaw served over crispy cauliflower cakes, dressed in a lemon vinaigrette and topped with bacon and walnuts. A sensational salad made from two vegetables once considered boring and unglamorous! | QueenofMyKitchen.com

Brussels sprouts have made an amazing transformation. These little winter cabbages have gone from being one of the most reviled vegetables a decade or so ago to being trendy and gourmet today. Their rise in popularity over the past few years can be partially attributed to restaurant chefs who began roasting, sautéing, and grilling Brussels sprouts in various creative ways. Home cooks followed suit and soon Brussels sprouts were everywhere – on TV, in cooking magazines, and in new, flashier packaging at grocery stores. Brussels sprouts have traditionally been thought of as a cooking vegetable but we’re now seeing them used raw, in salads so I jumped on the bandwagon and created Shaved Brussels Sprouts Over Crispy Cauliflower Cakes. This salad is so delicious!  (more…)


Nov
2016

Baby Kale Caesar Salad with Cauliflower Fritters

categories: Appetizers, Gluten Free, Healthy, Salads

An inventive take on a classic Caesar salad that substitutes baby kale for romaine lettuce and cauliflower fritters for croutons.

Baby Kale Caesar Salad with Cauliflower Fritters - An inventive take on a classic Caesar salad that substitutes baby kale for romaine lettuce and cauliflower fritters for croutons. | QueenofMyKitchen.com

What do you get when you take a classic salad and mix it up with some trendy ingredients? Baby Kale Caesar Salad with Cauliflower Fritters! Although I love Caesar salad I’ll confess that I’ve just about had it with seeing it on virtually every menu. No matter what kind restaurant you’re at – whether fancy and upscale, or casual and pub-like – you’ll almost always find Caesar salad being served. It’s a bit overdone, in my humble opinion. That’s what prompted me to create this delicious salad which is an inventive take on a classic Caesar salad that substitutes baby kale for romaine lettuce and cauliflower fritters for croutons. (more…)


Oct
2016

Rainbow Veggie Hummus Bowl

categories: Gluten Free, Healthy, Salads, Vegan

The Recipe Redux is a group of like-minded food bloggers whose mission is to inspire the food lover in every healthy eater and inspire the healthy eater in every food lover. Each month members post recipes to their blogs following a theme set by the group moderators. This month’s recipe challenge is plant power bowls.  Links to all Recipe Redux posts appear at the bottom of this page.

Rainbow Veggie Hummus Bowl - chock-full of colorful, nutrient dense vegetables and delicious plant protein. Served with gluten-free Almond Flax Pita Bread that’s a cinch to make! | QueenofMyKitchen.com

This Rainbow Veggie Hummus Bowl is chock-full of colorful, nutrient dense vegetables and delicious plant protein. You’ll be very full and feeling super healthy after consuming it! Eating a colorful variety of whole, unprocessed plant foods is the easiest way to ensure that your body is getting all the nutrients it needs. For example, lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, is what gives tomatoes its gorgeous red color, and beta carotene, responsible for the orange hue in sweet potatoes, keeps our bones strong and our eyes healthy. So, as you’re shopping for plant foods think about a variety of colors – it’s a simple tip that can help ensure good health and the bonus is getting to eat something that is not only delicious, but visually appealing. (more…)


Oct
2016

Curry Chickpea Chicken Salad

categories: Chicken, Gluten Free, Healthy, Salads

A unique and healthy take on traditional chicken salad that uses almond butter in lieu of mayonnaise.  Gluten-free and dairy-free.

Curry Chickpea Chicken Salad - A unique and healthy take on traditional chicken salad that uses almond butter in lieu of mayonnaise. Gluten-free, dairy-free. | QueenofMyKitchen.com

Traditional chicken salad is comprised of cooked, shredded (or cubed) chicken in a mayonnaise based dressing, and usually includes chopped celery and parsley. From here the variations are endless and almost always delicious. Curry Chickpea Chicken Salad turns the classic preparation on its head by using an almond butter dressing in lieu of mayonnaise, and infusing it with curry – a fragrant blend of spices that pairs remarkably well with chicken. Throw in some chickpeas, cranberries, carrots, cashews and apple chunks and you’ve got a truly unique, and super healthy chicken salad that still manages to taste comforting and familiar. (more…)