As Spring begins to approach us, we look towards new growth, new life and optimistic things coming our way for the whole world inshaAllah. This salad I just made actually made me feel happy and energized, perhaps because of the bright and varied colors ad their super healthy ingredients I couldn’t hold back from sharing immediately. And, if you buy the shredded carrots this salad literally takes about 5 minutes to make! How perfect is this going to. be during Ramadan when you need a healthy, quick salad for Iftar…
INGREDIENTS
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 purple onion, thinly sliced (you can soak these in water for about 20-30 minutes to soften their intensity if you have the time and/or inclination to do this)
To your salad bowl, add the carrot and onion. In a separate cup or bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pour the liquids over the veggies then place the avocado slices on top. Mix gently so as not to mush up the avocados. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I’ve been making several dishes this week with white navy beans (“kuru fasulye” in Turkish, which actually translates to haricot beans in English). This recipe for Summer White Bean and Tomato Salad is one of the lightest and is perfect for a hot summer day. It’s so quick to make once the beans have been cooked.
I soak the beans for at least half the day and then boil them in a large pot and they cook really fast that way in comparison to other beans. They’re usually done in under an hour (2 -3 cups dried beans). Of course you can find cooked beans in the grocery stores and that’s even faster for you.
To the beans, I simply add fresh and juicy tomatoes (they help to create a really nice juice with the olive oil), fresh parsley, salt and pepper and olive oil. All of this is to taste, because we all have preferences for salt and pepper. I’m a bit generous with salt and olive oil and even sometimes the black pepper, too. You can do as much or as little as you like.
To serve this dish, it’s pretty versatile. It’s delish on top of salad greens or as a side dish to meat or fish (especially fish since it’s so light- in that case I might add a little fresh minced garlic to the beans). By itself it’s also delicious with some rustic bread dipped into the olive oil of the salad.
I really hope you’ll try it because it’s not only simple and easy to make, it’s also full of healthy ingredients and protein, which is great for vegans and vegetarians.
https://billydoemeats.com/?sca_ref=612140.OUBMoNQMp3As we begin to enter the New Year soon, wouldn’t it be nice to actually maintain a goal of eating healthier by cooking more at home, making food from scratch and making a habit out of knowing exactly what’s in your food? Not to mention the inevitable draw this has for other family members in the home and the resulting bonding time with your children when you’re cooking around them and/or inviting them to help you…
Well, when it’s said like that it’s got to be something you’ll want to eat, right?
Start off by sautéing the chicken. It’s an easy process but one in which if you know and master one simple trick, you’ll never have dry boneless chicken again: just memorize the fact that the pan has to be covered at some points. That’s how the meat retains its moisture.
In this recipe, I’m only using one boneless breast, but I cooked two so that I could whip up more of this salad the next day since the dressing is so good and there’s plenty leftover from the recipe I’m going to give you.
How to get moist on the inside and nicely browned meat on the outside:
I use just a bit of olive oil in the pan, not more than 2 tablespoons, and let one side cook thoroughly. The rule of thumb is to leave it alone and let it brown for about five minutes, but the real test of knowing is that when you try to push it over to the other side if it gives easily and turns without a fight, it’s ready; if not- leave it alone until it is.
Then, you do the same thing on the other side and once that browning has happened again, you’ll now cover the pan and turn the heat down to low. Leave there for a few minutes then turn the heat off and let the meatrest. That means, leave it in the pan a few minutes more before even thinking about cutting into it. This is where the moisture retention truly happens.
Now, and only at this point, are you ready to cut into it- or should I say instead that the meat is ready for you.
Now I’ve got all my essentials laid out to finish the dish. The scene below is for the video the was taped to show you how to make this dish. That’s not ready yet, but once it is we’ll post it back here. For the Ranch Dressing, my essential ingredient is Mountain High Yoghurt. It’s halal-certified so that means there isn’t any funny stuff inside of it- no gelatins or emulsifiers to give us any doubt about its origin. Just the real, good stuff. So, that’s why I’m using it. We’re also using it in this particular recipe because we’re encouraging everyone to find recipes and ways that that last portion of yogurt inside the tub can be finished up. You know, whenever you’re making recipes you use big chunks of the yogurt but what do you do with that last 1/3 or smaller portion of the yogurt? If you’ve got ideas, tell us in the comments section below or use the hashtag #finishthetub and tag @mountainhighyoghurt and @myhalalkitchen on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook so we can see and possibly share your ideas, too!The salad is super easy to pull together once the chicken is cooked. In fact, you can even cook the chicken the night before and put the remaining ingredients in containers for work the next day where you can easily throw it all together for lunch at your desk- although that’s not encouraged, but just to demonstrate that it really is that simple. Just heat the chicken thoroughly prior to eating- unless you’re okay with it being cold.
To make the dressing you simply combine a few ingredients: yogurt (I like the whole milk yogurt and this recipe has been tested using that), buttermilk, heavy whipping cream, salt and black pepper. To lighten it up you could use milk instead of whipping cream but again we tested this recipe over and over again for taste and texture and this was the best ratio and texture of all the varieties of creams used. To go vegan would be an entirely different story, so let’s leave that variation for another day…
The other few ingredients are Romaine lettuce (I suppose you could use iceberg, too, if you like), good croutons, and Parmesan cheese.
Your colleagues will be drooling over your lunch, which is fine because this recipe makes enough for you to share, and share you should… How are YOU going to #finishthetub?
Is it just me or are there cookies everywhere, right now? Not to mention cakes, chocolates, candy canes and the like. Even if one doesn’t celebrate Christmas, it’s still part of the social scene and family gatherings that just can’t seem to be avoided- and who refuses good chocolates, anyway? I’m not complaining, but I do need to have a plan for healthy recipes that help to compensate for all those sweets- and get me back on track quickly.
That’s where I turned to the beloved salad, and the Saffron Road products you hear me talk about so much. I often talk about their Crunchy Chickpeas, their halal broths, and conveniently made gluten-free dinners, but I want to remind you about their ready-made chicken products like the Tandoori Seasoned Chicken Nuggets. I’ve used these before on pizza and that was a hit. Now, this salad is another big hit at home, too. The recipe is super simple, too.
Most of the ingredients for this recipe are actually for the dressing: Olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate vinegar……and spices: dried parsley, ginger, cumin, parsley, black pepper and fresh or dried garlic. Plus the salad greens and red cabbage for color.
Some red onions and scallions, too, if desired.
The final recipe took less than 10 minutes to pull together, if the lettuce leaves and cabbage as well as onion and scallions were prepped ahead of time. The chicken can either be microwaved or baked in the oven, which takes a little longer. I love the light but evident South Asian seasoning because it’s a taste I don’t always make at home, but when I’m craving to have it quickly (and not just in a rice dish) it’s such a welcome flavor. Surprising to some, it really works on a salad like this, too.
Enjoy, get healthy and eat lots of vegetables. This is just one way to do that and I hope you’ll try it.
On a whim, I recently made a winter salad because the citrus was just so delicious and ripe that I was actually really craving it. I posted a photo on my Instagram page and it was so well-received I thought I better put it up on the website, too. I hope you enjoy it- it’s super easy to make and quite healthy, too.
You might notice that I love the combination of spinach and strawberries, but it’s because it’s a really great one. I know in a drink (like this one) it might be odd, but in a salad it could be just as odd to some people who have never tried it. Trust me, you really should try this. It may not be the best thing to take to work or school because unless you fold it or take a knife and fork to cut it (or pre-cut it) in a circular storage, you may struggle to eat in a mess-free way- sorry!
I used really simple ingredients that you can find pretty much anywhere:
They mostly came from a Trader Joe’s shopping excursion but if you have a farmers market nearby or grow your own, that would be so much nicer:
Basically, it’s just a few simple things- olive oil, lemon, salt (I used pink Himalayan salt, but you can use any that you have), black pepper, dates, whole milk feta cheese, strawberries, sunflower seeds (although any kind of nut or seed would be nice- almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, etc.). I also use Kontos brand bread because it’s certified-halal, which means there aren’t any mono or dyglicerides or dough conditioners stemming from non-halal ingredients.
Making these are pretty simple and can be doubled, tripled, etc. very quickly for a crowd. It’s a nice idea for a spring or summer brunch in that you can make this into a buffet and people can sort of create their own version if you have all the ingredients out for them to use. You can grill or heat up the bread first, if you like.
I put the spinach on the bottom, but even before that if you have a really good homemade mayonnaise, layer that on the bottom because once you add all the ingredients plus the olive oil and lemon, it’s going to be even more delicious.
Just start adding your ingredients from there, or as they say, ‘build your salad’.
And there you have it- just use a fork and knife to cut up like a pizza or simply fold it in half, and it’s pretty easy to eat.
I loved this salad so much that I’ve made even more versions of it- check back for more ideas and let me know in the comments section below if you have your own that I should try.
For the Ranch Dressing, my essential ingredient is 
The salad is super easy to pull together once the 
To make the dressing you simply combine a few ingredients: 
The other few ingredients are Romaine lettuce (I suppose you could use iceberg, too, if you like), good croutons, and 
Your colleagues will be drooling over your lunch, which is fine because this recipe makes enough for you to share, and share you should…
Most of the ingredients for this recipe are actually for the dressing: 
…and spices: dried parsley, ginger, cumin, parsley, black pepper and fresh or dried garlic.
Plus the salad greens and red cabbage for color. 
Enjoy, get healthy and eat lots of vegetables. This is just one way to do that and I hope you’ll try it. 
