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30 Minutes or Less

Gyro Salad with Tzatziki Dressing (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

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tzatziki dressing being poured over a gyro salad

This gyro salad with (dairy-free) tzatziki dressing is loaded with fresh flavor! Easier and healthier than classic gyro wraps, this salad comes together in under 30 minutes. Make this protein and veggie-packed meal on a busy weeknight when you’re craving something delicious and nutritious!

tzatziki dressing being poured over a gyro salad

So basically, I woke up one morning craving a gyro. Though when I searched for recipes, they all seemed way too complicated (yes, even for me) to make. And that my friends, is how the gyro salad was born. I wanted to keep this Greek-inspired recipe as similar to the traditional gyro wrap as possible. Therefore, I was sure to include every classic seasoning, herb, and flavor. The only thing I changed for this gyro salad was the method! First, you sautée the ground meat instead of baking and slicing it. Then, you quickly mix together the homemade tzatziki dressing with just a few simple ingredients. Lastly, you throw all of the ingredients in a bowl, drizzle it with that tangy dressing and enjoy! Also, I’m just going to say it, I could drink this tzatziki dressing with a straw – it’s that good!

What You Need To Make Gyro Salad with Tzatziki Dressing

Ground Beef + Ground Lamb – These two meats are traditional to any gyro recipe. If you’re not a fan of either ground meat, you can easily leave it out! Also, feel free to use ground turkey instead.

Dairy-Free Sour Cream – I use and love Kite Hill Dairy-Free Sour Cream. It’s deliciously creamy, perfectly tangy, and tastes incredibly similar to the real thing. However, any dairy-free sour cream would work here. And if you can’t find dairy-free sour cream, a dairy-free plain and unsweetened yogurt will also do the trick!

Fresh Dill – The star herb of this gyro salad show! Fresh dill brings on much of the irresistible flavor of this dressing. I highly recommend you use fresh dill instead of dried dill, it simply won’t taste the same. Additionally, you’ll be able to sprinkle any extra fresh dill on top of your finished gyro salad for even MORE delicious flavor!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

  • Use Regular Sour Cream: Feel free to use an equal amount of regular sour cream if you’re not dairy-free!
  • Add Feta: For all my cheese-lovers out there, a sprinkling of crumbled feta cheese would make the PERFECT addition to this gyro salad.
Gyro Salad with Tzatziki Dressing (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
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Gyro Salad with Tzatziki Dressing (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: MainCuisine: GreekDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Total time

25

minutes

This gyro salad with (dairy-free) tzatziki dressing is loaded with fresh flavor! Easier and healthier than classic gyro wraps, this salad comes together in under 30 minutes. Make this protein and veggie-packed meal on a busy weeknight when you’re craving something delicious and nutritious!

Ingredients

  • For the gyro meat:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1/2 onion, finely chopped

  • 1 pound ground beef

  • 1 pound ground lamb

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 tablespoon dried rosemary

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • For the dairy-free tzatziki dressing:

  • 1 cup dairy-free sour cream, see Notes

  • 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  • For the salad:

  • 6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped

  • 1/2 red onion, sliced

  • 1/2 cup kalamata olives

  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced

  • 1 cup cucumber, sliced

  • 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped

Directions

  • Add all gyro meat ingredients to a large skillet over medium heat and cook until meat is no longer pink, breaking it up in the process. Strain any unwanted rendered fat from the meat.
  • Add all tzatziki dressing ingredients to a small bowl and mix together to combine.
  • Assemble salad ingredients in a bowl, then top with gyro meat and tzatziki dressing.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Dairy-Free Sour Cream: Feel free to use dairy-free plain and unsweetened yogurt or regular sour cream in its place.

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Dairy-Free

Vegan Graham Crackers (gluten-free)

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overhead image of vegan graham crackers on a table

These vegan graham crackers are also gluten and refined sugar-free! This easy recipe bakes up deliciously soft cookies and crumbly cookies. Enjoy these vegan graham crackers with a thick slather of peanut butter, some toasted marshmallows and melted chocolate, or simply on their own as a healthy snack or dessert!

vegan graham crackers witha glass of almond milk and rolled oats

I’d like to start off by thanking the person that first invented s’mores. Graham crackers are great, but let’s be honest they’d be nothing without the s’more. S’mores put graham crackers on the map. And it wasn’t until I had leftover boxes of this crispy cookie lying around from s’more-making that I realized how perfect they truly are. They’re soft, light, crumbly, and not to sweet. Graham crackers deserve a moment of their own and I am here to give them that. Think about this for a second – why don’t we place this sweet cracker in the same lineup as say a chocolate chip cookie? They are more than worthy of standing alone in my opinion. Not convinced yet? OK OK just make this vegan graham cracker recipe yourself and you’ll understand.

What You Need To Make Vegan Graham Crackers

Oat Flour – I love baking up my gluten-free treats with oat flour! Not only is it inexpensive, but it’s super easy to acquire. I highly advise against purchasing pre-made oat flour, it’s simply not necessary. Instead, purchase a big bag of oats then grind them in a food processor or blender to make your own cheap and easy oat flour. Oat flour gives these vegan graham crackers their irresistibly soft texture. It also make them healthier and more nutritious!

Maple Syrup – Just a touch of maple syrup gives these gluten-free cookies a bit of caramel color and flavor. You’ll notice that I keep the amount of sweetener in this recipe low because these vegan graham crackers really don’t need much! Maple syrup is a delicious natural sweetener and much healthier than any refined sugar.

Vegan Butter – I use and love the Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks in my vegan/dairy-free baked goods. Though any vegan butter will work here, just be sure to melt it completely before adding it to this recipe. You could also sub the vegan butter for melted coconut oil or regular butter if you’d like!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Add Dairy: Feel free to use regular milk and butter in place of the almond milk and vegan butter in this recipe.

Make it Nut-Free: Use soy, hemp, or coconut milk instead of almond milk to make this vegan recipe nut-free.

Add Gluten: I haven’t tested this myself, but you can try using 2 cups of all purpose flour instead of oat flour. If you give this a try, start with just the 2 cups then add a bit more flour until a dough forms. And of course, let me know how it goes!

Vegan Graham Crackers (gluten-free)
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Vegan Graham Crackers (gluten-free)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

16

cookies
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Chilling time

1

hour

These vegan graham crackers are also gluten and refined sugar-free! This easy recipe bakes up deliciously soft cookies and crumbly cookies. Enjoy these vegan graham crackers with a thick slather of peanut butter, some toasted marshmallows and melted chocolate, or simply on their own!

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups oat flour, see Notes

  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar, see Notes

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup vegan butter or coconut oil, melted

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

  • 1/4 cup almond milk

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  • Mix together the oat flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
  • Add in the melted vegan butter, maple syrup, almond milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until a dough forms.
  • Cover and transfer dough to the fridge for 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Remove dough from fridge and roll out on a floured surface to 1/4-inch thick.
  • Cut dough into 2-inch squares, transfer to a baking sheet, poke the top of each graham cracker with a fork, then bake for 10-12 mintues.
  • Remove from oven, then let cool slightly on a baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Oat Flour: Make oat flour by grinding rolled oats in a blender or food processor until a fine flour forms and no large oat pieces remain.
  • Coconut Sugar: Feel free to use cane sugar or white sugar in place of the coconut sugar in this recipe!

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Desserts

Vegan No-Churn Chocolate Ice Cream (refined sugar-free)

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three cones of vegan chocolate ice cream lying on a table

No ice cream machine necessary for this easy three ingredient vegan chocolate ice cream! This non-dairy frozen dessert is perfectly chocolatey and sweet. With minimal time and effort, you’ll have an irresistible vegan summertime (or anytime!) treat.

three cones of vegan chocolate ice cream lying on a table

The Story Behind This Recipe

What most people don’t know about me is that my first job ever was actually at an ice cream shop. I worked there almost all through high school (before my dairy-free days) and ate ice cream literally every. single. day. Ohhhh what I wouldn’t do to have my high school metabolism again! So as you can imagine, once I went dairy-free in college I deeply, and I mean DEEPLY, missed ice cream. Back then, vegan/dairy-free ice cream wasn’t much of a thing. My options were typically limited to sorbet, which is already made without dairy. And while sorbet definitely helped cool me down and curb my sweet tooth, I longed for a big ole’ cone of classic chocolate ice cream.

These days, vegan ice cream isn’t nearly as hard to find, but what is hard to find is one that checks off all my boxes. I don’t want any funky ingredients such as fake sweeteners, gums, etc. Those cause just as much of a digestive nightmare for me as eating regular ole’ ice cream does. And most importantly, I don’t want to have to sell a kidney to afford it! The better the ingredient list, the more expensive it almost always is. Therefore, I came up with this vegan chocolate ice cream to both suit my needs and save me some money (because it’s either my bi-weekly manicure or $10 pints of ice cream, and I’d choose the former any day!).

The no-churn part of this recipe simply derived from the fact that I don’t own an ice cream maker. I’m looking into purchasing one now, but until I find one that doesn’t take up half of my freezer I will continue to make this no-ice-cream-machine-necessary recipe!

What You Need to Make Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream

Full Fat Coconut Milk – None of that low-fat or lite coconut milk here! We need all that luscious healthy fat to achieve a thick and smooth texture. You could even use two cans of coconut cream if you’d like, only adding to the creaminess of this vegan chocolate ice cream.

Coconut Sugar – Coconut sugar keeps this three ingredient vegan chocolate ice cream completely refined sugar-free. This natural sweetener is more nutritious than regular sugar and contains 25% less sucrose than white sugar. Though if you don’t have coconut sugar, you can easily swap this out for cane sugar or white sugar if you’d like!

Cocoa Powder – This ingredient seems pretty self-explanatory. However, I will say that if you’d like you can substitute cacao powder for the cocoa powder in this recipe. Cacao has more nutrients and antioxidants than cocoa powder and would make this three ingredient vegan chocolate ice cream that much healthier.

Vegan No-Churn Chocolate Ice Cream (refined sugar-free)
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Vegan No-Churn Chocolate Ice Cream (refined sugar-free)

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Freezing time

8

hours

No ice cream machine necessary for this easy three ingredient vegan chocolate ice cream! This non-dairy frozen dessert is perfectly chocolatey and sweet. With minimal time and effort, you’ll have an irresistible vegan summertime (or anytime!) treat.

Ingredients

  • 2 (14 ounce) cans full fat coconut milk or coconut cream, see Notes

  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar

  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder

Directions

  • Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
  • Transfer to a parchment-lined container and freeze for 8 hours or until firm.
  • Remove ice cream from freezer 10-15 minutes before serving.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Coconut Milk: I used Let’s Do Organic heavy coconut cream for this recipe, but any full-fat coconut milk or cream will work!

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30 Minutes or Less

Sous Vide Asparagus

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fresh lemon being squeezed over sous vide asparagus

This sous vide asparagus is incredibly tender and delicious! This method yields perfectly cooked asparagus with minimal effort every time.

fresh lemon being squeezed over sous vide asparagus

If you own a sous vide throw ya hands in the aiiiiiir! I’m still pretty new on the sous-vide-scene, having only owned mine for a few months now. Though I gotta say, I already can’t stop using it! The sous vide is the new crockpot in my opinion. It gives you the magical ability to throw something in there, then return to a perfect meal or side dish without worry every time. This sous vide asparagus is no exception to that. Except, thanks to asparagus’ quick-cooking abilities, you’ll only need to leave it to cook for about 10 minutes. Once done, you’ll have the tastiest, most tender fool-proof asparagus of all time!

What You Need To Make Sous Vide Asparagus

Asparagus – This easy vegetable pairs well with most meals, making it a year-round favorite. Though when cooking asparagus, there is always one thing to cook in mind – it cooks quickly. Despite setting the sous vide to a pretty low temperature, you will still only need to set the time to 10 minutes. Your cook time may vary slightly, depending on the thickness or thinness of your asparagus. Though my recommendation is to start slowly, give your asparagus a quick check, then continue to cook if needed. I used pretty medium-sized asparagus and found that just 10 minutes left my asparagus tender with a slightly crunchy bite – yum!

Butter – The butter is used for flavor in this recipe, and just a tablespoon gives delicate asparagus that delicious savory taste. I used vegan butter since we like to keep things dairy-free around here, though any kind of butter will do! You can even leave the butter out altogether if you’d like.

Lemon Juice and Zest – A touch of lemon right before serving brings some freshness back into the sous vide asparagus. Lemon juice and zest is totally optional in this recipe, but highly recommended!

Why Sous Vide?

  • The sous vide does an incredible job at keeping the temperature consistent, giving you amazing results every time.
  • Cooks slower in seasoning, giving the flavors time to permeate and develop throughout the food.
  • The sous vide does all the work for you – just set it, then walk away and return to a perfectly cooked meal or side dish!
Sous Vide Asparagus
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Sous Vide Asparagus

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: SidesDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Total time

15

minutes

This sous vide asparagus is incredibly tender and delicious! This method yields perfectly cooked asparagus with minimal effort every time.

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch asparagus

  • 1 tablespoon butter (I used dairy-free)

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  • Fresh lemon juice and zest, optional

Directions

  • Toss all ingredients to a zip-top bag, toss asparagus in bag to coat in spices then remove air from bag.sous vide asparagus process photo 1
  • Drop in sous vide bath set to 180° Fahrenheit (or 82° Celsius) for 10 minutes. If the bag floats to the top, add a few metal utensils to help weigh it down.sous vide asparagus process photo 1
  • Remove bag from bath, then remove asparagus from bag and finish off with fresh lemon juice and zest.sous vide asparagus process photo 3

Notes

  • If you’re not vegan or dairy-free, finish this asparagus off with some shredded parmesan cheese for even more flavor!

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30 Minutes or Less

Gluten-Free Pasta Salad (Dairy-Free)

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gluten-free pasta salad in a big bowl with a wooden spoon

This gluten-free pasta salad recipe will be on repeat all summer long! A quick and easy homemade Italian dressing is the cherry on top of this delicious dish. Make this simple gluten-free pasta salad for your next summer barbecue or party – everyone (including gluten-eaters) will love it!

gluten-free pasta salad in a big bowl with a wooden spoon

Pasta salad has always been my favorite part of every summer barbecue. Even as a child, I’d fill my paper plate to the brim with pasta salad and nothing else. There’s just something about a chilled pasta salad in the warm weather that is so light and fresh, yet satisfying. Most pasta salads contain both gluten and dairy, but making one without is surprisingly easy! I opted for brown rice pasta since it has the best taste and texture when chilled. And I simply left out the cheese while boosting the flavor of this dish in other ways to make up for it. This gluten AND dairy-free pasta salad won’t leave you feeling deprived, like at all. Enjoy this recipe as a side to virtually any meal, or if you’re like me – find the biggest plate you can, fill it up and eat it on its own!

What You Need To Make Gluten-Free Pasta Salad

Gluten-Free Pasta – Brown rice pasta reigns supreme in both taste and texture. While you can definitely use whatever kind of gluten-free pasta you’d like for this recipe, I highly recommend you give brown rice pasta a try. And not just any brown rice pasta, I specifically recommend the Tinkyada Brown Rice Spirals. I bought mine at Whole Foods, but have seen them at a variety of grocery stores. Now, if you’ve been reading my blog for a little while now, you know that I live and die by the Jovial Brown Rice pasta. However, when cold, Jovial brand pasta tends to get hard and chewy – which is not ideal for a pasta dish we plan on enjoying cold. Therefore, of all the gluten-free pasta brands I have experimented with for this gluten-free pasta salad recipe, I found Tinkyada to be the best!

Pepperoncini – We loooove pepperoncinis around here. I love having a jar in my fridge to add to any and all salads, while my boyfriend is obsessed with putting them on his sandwiches. If you’ve never had/heard of pepperoncinis (you’re missing out) they’re mildly spicy pickled peppers. Most commonly sold whole, you’ll want to slice them before adding them to your gluten-free pasta salad. If you’re sensitive to spice, I recommend slicing and using only the bottom half of the pepperoncinis. The closer to the stem you get, the hotter that part of the pepper will be.

Salami – Any kind of salami will work in this recipe! My only recommendation would be to avoid using thinly sliced salami. Try purchasing a whole salami and slicing into bite-sized pieces yourself. Feel free to go as big or as small with these pieces as you’d like.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: Use chickpeas instead of salami, or just leave that part of the recipe out altogether!

Add Gluten: Feel free to use regular pasta instead of gluten-free pasta in this recipe.

Add Dairy: Throw a little mozzarella into this gluten-free pasta salad if you’d like.

Gluten-Free Pasta Salad (Dairy-Free)
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Gluten-Free Pasta Salad (Dairy-Free)

4 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: SidesCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

30

minutes

This gluten-free pasta salad recipe will be on repeat all summer long! A quick and easy homemade Italian dressing is the cherry on top of this delicious dish. Make this simple gluten-free pasta salad for your next summer barbecue or party – everyone (including gluten-eaters) will love it!

Ingredients

  • For the pasta salad:

  • 1 pound gluten-free pasta

  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced

  • 1/2 cup black olives, sliced

  • 1/2 cup pepperoncini, sliced

  • 1 cup basil, chopped

  • 1 – 2 cups salami, chopped

  • For the dressing:

  • 1/2 cup olive oil

  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, see Notes

  • 1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup)

  • 1 garlic clove, chopped

  • 1/2 tablespoon salt

  • 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning

Directions

  • Cook pasta according to package directions.
  • While pasta cooks, make the dressing by adding all ingredients to a jar, securing with a lid, and shaking to combine.
  • Let the pasta cool before adding all ingredients to a bowl and tossing together.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Apple Cider Vinegar: You can use lemon juice or white wine vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar if you’d like.
  • Prep this gluten-free pasta salad ahead of time and let it chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving to give the flavors time to develop!

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