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30 Minutes or Less

Maple Dijon Salmon Salad

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overhead image of maple dijon salmon salad in a bowl.

Buttery, flaky salmon atop a simply dressed maple dijon salad! This quick and easy recipe yields perfectly seasoned, and cooked salmon every time. A complete meal, loaded with fresh veggies, then finished off with a tangy maple dijon dressing, ready in under 20 minutes!

close-up overhead image of maple dijon salmon salad on a plate with a fork

What You’ll Need To Make This Maple Dijon Salmon Salad

Dijon Mustard – We do NOT use this ingredient sparingly in our maple dijon dressing! An entire 1/4 cup gives this entire meal tons of tangy, delicious flavor. In case you’re not familiar with this French ingredient, dijon mustard is creamier, spicier, and has less vinegar than yellow mustard. It’s a favorite in my home, for everything from sandwiches to salad dressings. It’s among one of the healthiest condiments you can use, with no added-sugar or preservatives!

Maple Syrup – A touch of maple syrup is necessary to balance out the intensely savory flavors in this salmon salad recipe. And if you don’t have any maple syrup on-hand, you can use an equal amount of honey instead.

Salmon Fillets – Feel free to use any variety of salmon fillets you’d like! Sockeye salmon and atlantic salmon are the two most common types, and are only slightly different from each other. Sockeye salmon is a bit more lean, and has a stronger fish flavor, while atlantic salmon is fattier, with a more mild flavor. I personally love atlantic salmon for it’s ultra-soft, buttery, and flaky qualities. Though again, you can use any type of salmon fillets you’d like for this lunch or dinner recipe!

Green Apple – I know, not all of us are fans of fruit in our salads. However, green apple is much more tart than sweet in this salmon salad. Also, remember we have a bit of sweetness in our dressing – so the little bit of natural sweetness from a thinly sliced green apple works to compliment that. If you don’t have any green apples, you can easily leave them out or use a red apple in its place.

Pecans or Walnuts – I have just one rule when it comes to salads, they all must include a crunchy component. A little bit of crunch goes a long way in rounding out the textures in this dish. Roughly chopped pecans and/or walnuts are a healthy alternative to standard croutons. Loaded with vitamins, minerals, and plenty of healthy fats!

maple dijon dressing being poured over salmon salad.

Tips and Tricks

  • Feel free to add or remove any salad ingredients you’d like! Not a fan of nuts? Simple leave them out. Prefer a certain type of lettuce? Then definitely use it! This super simple salad recipe is incredibly easy to customize.
  • For anyone who cooks meat or fish regularly, I highly recommend investing in a kitchen thermometer. This is the thermometer I use on pretty much a daily basis. It’s the easiest way to ensure perfectly cooked salmon every time!
  • This salmon salad can be enjoyed hot or cold! Salmon’s one of those things that tastes delicious at just about any temperature. I often double this recipe for easy grab-and-go lunches all week long – no need to reheat!
Maple dijon salmon salad on a serving platter.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Sugar-Free: For an entirely sugar-free recipe, use Lankanto Maple Flavored Syrup in place of the maple syrup.

Make it Nut-Free: Simply replace the nuts with sunflower seeds to make this a nut-free lunch or dinner recipe.

Maple Dijon Salmon Salad

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: MainDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

12

minutes
Total time

17

minutes

Buttery, flaky salmon atop a simply dressed maple dijon salad! This quick and easy recipe yields perfectly seasoned, and cooked salmon every time. A complete meal, loaded with fresh veggies, then finished off with a tangy maple dijon dressing, ready in under 20 minutes!

Ingredients

  • For the dressing:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard

  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup

  • juice from 1 lemon, see Notes

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • For the salmon:

  • 4 salmon fillets, boneless

  • salt and black pepper, to taste

  • For the salad:

  • 4 cups lettuce, see Notes

  • 1 cucumber, sliced

  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 green apple, thinly sliced

  • 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
  • Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
  • Place salmon fillets on a baking sheet and pat dry with a paper towel. Season filets with salt and black pepper, then drizzle half the maple Dijon dressing evenly over top of the salmon.
  • Bake salmon for 10-12 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into thickest end of the salmon read 125° Fahrenheit.
  • While salmon cooks, place all salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. Once salmon is done, divide salad between four plates, top each plate with a salmon filet and serve with remaining dressing.

Notes

  • Lemon Juice: If you don’t have any fresh lemons, you can use 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar in place of the lemon juice in this recipe.
  • Lettuce: Use any type of lettuce you like, I used mesclun!

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30 Minutes or Less

Avocado Pasta with Roasted Garlic and Tomatoes

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avocado pasta on a plate with a fork

Vibrantly green and irresistibly creamy avocado pasta, finished off with roasted garlic and tomatoes! Whip up this quick, easy, and healthy dinner recipe in under 20 minutes. Perfect when you’re short on time and/or craving something comforting and delicious.

close-up image of avocado pasta with roasted garlic and tomatoes on a plate

What You’ll Need To Make Avocado Pasta

Avocado – LOL, duh! Pick up two perfectly ripe avocados for this plant-based recipe. To know whether your avocados are ripe or not, give them a gentle squeeze. If the skin gives a tiny bit then they’re ready to eat! Though if your avocados feel hard as rocks, leave them out at room temperature for another day or two until ripe. I almost always buy a big bag of avocados while at the store, and use leftovers to make avocado toast in the morning – yum!

Fresh Herbs – Feel free to use any fresh herbs you’d like, or have on-hand! I used a combo of fresh basil and fresh parsley, which made for a perfectly fresh-tasting sauce. However, a bunch of fresh cilantro would taste equally as delicious.

Garlic – Plenty of garlic is necessary for this avocado pasta recipe! We pretty much use an entire garlic bulb between the roasted garlic and tomatoes, and the avocado sauce. When roasted, garlic releases intense flavor which is straight up heavenly. I could eat roasted garlic all by itself, it’s that good! Together with the tomatoes, olive oil, and a little bit of salt and pepper – the roasted garlic in this recipe is to-die-for.

overhead image of avocado pasta on two plate

Tips and Tricks

  • Use any pasta shape you’d like! I used bow-ties since they’re what I had, but shape truly makes no difference here. I can imagine this avocado pasta tastes just as delicious with spaghetti, penne, fusilli, elbows, etc.
  • Remember to reserve half a cup of pasta water! This pasta water will be added back into the pasta, after you’ve strained it, and added the avocado sauce in. The starches from the reserved water help your sauce latch onto the pasta.
  • Typically served hot, this pasta can also be served cold as an avocado pasta salad. For a cold pasta dish, cook up everything the same. Then, cover and leave to chill for about an hour before serving.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Gluten-Free: This pasta is easily made gluten-free with the use of your favorite gluten-free pasta. Now my personal favorite gluten-free pasta is Jovial’s Brown Rice pasta, and is actually exactly what I used in the photos here!

Make it Paleo/Grain-Free: For a paleo pasta, simply use zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash in place of the pasta in this dinner recipe.

Avocado Pasta with Roasted Garlic and Tomatoes

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: MainDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

20

minutes

Vibrantly green and irresistibly creamy avocado pasta, finished off with roasted garlic and tomatoes! Whip up this quick, easy, and healthy dinner recipe in under 20 minutes. Perfect when you’re short on time and/or craving something comforting and delicious.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pasta, uncooked

  • For the roasted garlic and tomatoes:

  • 1 pint grape tomatoes

  • 6-8 garlic cloves, sliced

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • salt and black pepper, to taste

  • For the avocado sauce:

  • 2 ripe avocados, peeled and pits removed

  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, parsley, and/or cilantro

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 2 garlic cloves

  • 1 lemon, juiced

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Make the roasted garlic and tomatoes by placing tomatoes and sliced garlic on a baking sheet, then drizzling with olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes or until soft and very fragrant.
  • While garlic and tomatoes roast, cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente and reserve ½ cup pasta water.
  • While pasta cooks, add all avocado sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
  • Once pasta is cooked, strain then add back into pot along with avocado sauce and reserved pasta water. Toss pasta in sauce before adding in roasted garlic and tomatoes, serve immediately.

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30 Minutes or Less

Creamy Mushroom Pasta (Vegan and Gluten-Free!)

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mushroom pasta on a plate

The easiest mushroom pasta – requiring only 7 ingredients and ready in under 20 minutes! Perfectly creamy and comforting, yet entirely vegan and gluten-free. Defying all odds with this easy, next-level-DELICIOUS mushroom pasta recipe!

overhead image of mushroom pasta on a plate with fresh sage on the side

What You’ll Need To Make Creamy Mushroom Pasta

Pasta – All pasta shapes and sizes are welcome here. I used my all-time favorite Jovial Brown Rice Gluten-Free Tagliatelle, but really any pasta will work. Spaghetti, penne, bow-ties, etc – anything and everything will taste delicious! And for a grain-free option, you can swap the pasta for zucchini noodles.

Butter – I used Myoko’s Cultured Vegan Butter in my mushroom pasta, but you can use any type of butter you’d like. Though if you’re like me and looking to keep this dinner recipe vegan or dairy-free, I highly recommend the Myoko’s butter. It’s made from simple, good-for-you ingredients, and tastes just like the real thing!

Mushrooms – I’m starting to feel like a broken record here, but again, any and all mushrooms will taste great in this dish! I picked up a mushroom variety pack from my local grocery store to keep things exciting.

Garlic – All my fellow garlic fiends, go ahead and add a few extra cloves! I love how well the garlic shines through in this super simple meal. It adds this savory, salty bite that’s seriously so good.

Shallot – Either a shallot or half of a small yellow onion will work. Whichever option you take, be sure to finely chop it before cooking. If left too large, it could get in the way of the carefully curated textures in this dish.

mushroom pasta being lifted off a plate with a fork

Tips and Tricks

  • Don’t forget to reserve pasta water! Pasta water has the perfect amount of starch in it, which will help to thicken the sauce. If forgotten, you can use either regular water or vegetable broth in its place, but risk a thin sauce that won’t lock in as much flavor.
  • Get started on the mushrooms as soon as the pasta starts cooking. The pasta will take anywhere from 7 to 12 minutes to cook, which is exactly the amount of time you’ll need to make the sauce. Therefore, time everything perfectly by having both components going at the same time!
  • This mushroom pasta is best served immediately after cooking! However, if you ever need to reheat pasta, add a little bit of broth or water to freshen it up. I recommend reheating this mushroom pasta over the stove with 1/4-1/2 cup of vegetable broth, stirring frequently until warm throughout!
overhead image of mushroom pasta on a plate with white wine on the side

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: Take my vegan option and use vegan butter instead of regular butter.

Make it Gluten-Free: For gluten-free mushroom pasta, simply use your favorite gluten-free pasta.

Paleo/Grain-Free Option: Make this a paleo pasta recipe by substituting the regular pasta with zucchini noodles, and the butter for olive oil, avocado oil, or ghee!

Creamy Mushroom Pasta (Vegan and Gluten-Free!)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: MainDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

20

minutes

The easiest mushroom pasta – requiring only 7 ingredients and ready in under 20 minutes! Perfectly creamy and comforting, yet entirely vegan and gluten-free. Defying all odds with this easy, next-level-DELICIOUS mushroom pasta recipe!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pasta, uncooked

  • 4 tablespoons butter, separated (I used vegan butter)

  • 7 ounces mushrooms, sliced

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 shallot, finely chopped

Directions

  • Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente.
  • While pasta cooks, melt two tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms to skillet and cook until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.
  • Sprinkle mushroom with salt and pepper, then add in garlic and shallots. Cook for about 2 minutes or until very fragrant.
  • Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain pasta and transfer to the skillet. Add in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and about ½ cup of that reserved pasta water.
  • Reduce heat to low, and simmer until a nice sauce forms and coats the pasta. Continue adding remaining reserved pasta water if pasta begins to dry out. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Recipe Video

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30 Minutes or Less

Thai Fried Rice with Chicken

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thai fried rice in a bowl.

A wholesome and delicious Thai chicken fried rice, ready in under 20 minutes! This healthy one-pan dinner is bursting with flavor. Fresh, savory, hearty, and oh-so satisfying – who doesn’t love a good fried rice?!

Thai fried rice in a pan with fresh thai basil on top

What You’ll Need To Make This Thai Fried Rice

Chicken – Either chicken, shrimp, beef, pork, or tofu will taste amazing in this Thai-inspired recipe. Or, you can easily omit the protein altogether. I chose chicken since it’s a crowd-favorite. But for other proteins, simply slice them into small strips or cubes, then season and cook them just as you would the chicken. For shrimp, beef, and pork adjust the cook time until they’re cooked through. Then, for tofu, simply cook until golden brown and crispy.

Cooked White Rice – The key here is cooked and cooled rice. Leftover rice works especially well since it’s dryer, meaning it’ll cook up even crispier. However, if you don’t have leftover rice, simply make a batch of rice and then leave it to cool, uncovered, for as long as possible before using it in this stir-fry. The less moisture present in your cooked rice, the better. And while white rice tastes the best in this recipe, feel free to use brown rice instead.

Oyster Sauce – What is oyster sauce, you ask?? It’s a thick brown sauce comprised of oyster juices, sugar, and salt. It’s sweet, with a hint of savory, and doesn’t at all taste like oysters in my opinion. Oyster sauce works to balance out the intensely savory flavors of this Thai fried rice.

Thai fried rice in a serving bowl with a fork and a spoon

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Paleo/Grain-Free: For a paleo meal, use cauliflower rice in place of the cooked white rice in this recipe. Also, replace the soy sauce with coconut aminos and the oyster sauce with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup.

Make it Gluten-Free: Most of this dish is already gluten-free, though to guarantee it’s gluten-free, replace the soy sauce with tamari. Tamari is the gluten-free equivalent to soy sauce and tastes exactly the same!

Make it Vegan: For a vegan Thai fried rice, replace the chicken with cubed extra-firm tofu, and leave out the eggs. Also, replace the oyster sauce with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.

Thai Fried Rice with Chicken

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: MainCuisine: ThaiDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

20

minutes

A wholesome and delicious Thai chicken fried rice, ready in under 20 minutes! This healthy one-pan dinner is loaded with flavor. Fresh, savory, hearty, and oh-so satisfying – who doesn’t love a good fried rice?!

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced

  • salt and pepper, to taste

  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil

  • 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 3 green onions, chopped (white and green parts separated)

  • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped

  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten

  • 3 cups cooked white rice, see Notes

  • For the sauce:

  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce, use tamari for gluten-free

  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, see Notes

  • 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce or chili paste

Directions

  • Season sliced chicken with salt and pepper on all sides.
  • Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
  • Add ginger, garlic, white part of green onion, and carrots to the skillet. Cook for about 3 minutes, tossing frequently, until carrots are tender.
  • Push veggies to one side of the skillet and pour whisked eggs into the other side. Gently scramble eggs until fully cooked, then combine with the veggies.
  • Add rice to skillet and mix together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl, then pour sauce into skillet as well.
  • Cook for about 2 minutes or until everything is coated in sauce, then stir in green part of green onions and cooked chicken, serve warm.

Notes

  • Rice: You can use brown rice, white rice, or even cauliflower rice in this recipe.
  • Oyster Sauce: If you can’t find oyster sauce, you can use hoisin sauce or brown sugar in its place.

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30 Minutes or Less

Quick and Easy Kale Caesar Salad

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dressing being poured over kale caesar salad

This kale caesar salad is bursting with fresh flavor! It’s hearty and super satisfying, but won’t leave you feeling weighed down. Fuel up on this healthy and delicious restaurant-quality salad for lunch or dinner!

caesar dressing being poured over a kale caesar salad

What You’ll Need

Kale – Duh! It wouldn’t be a kale caesar salad without it. There’s a pretty large variety of kale out there, and really any kind will work in this recipe. I used curly kale, but dino kale tastes just as good. To prepare your kale for this dish, start by removing the thickest part of the stem located at the base of each leaf. Once that’s gone, lay all kale leaves down on a cutting board horizontally and run your knife through them. Keep your cuts about 1 to 2-inches apart, anything bigger may become difficult to chew!

Romaine – Crunchy romaine adds the perfect, fresh bite to this healthy salad recipe! Since romaine is made up of mostly water, it’s softer and easier to chew than fibrous kale. I experimented with both a romaine and non-romaine version of this recipe, and adding in romaine is definitely the way to go! However, if you don’t have any romaine lettuce on-hand, feel free to make this salad without it.

Croutons – This kale caesar salad is allllll about a good crunch. We stop at literally nothing to add as much crunch to it as possible. Personally, I don’t think any caesar salad is complete without at least a few croutons – they’re arguably the best part! You can use store-bought croutons, but I included a note below this recipe on how to make your own homemade croutons. It’s actually super quick, easy, and that much more delicious.

Anchovy Filets – Guys, I don’t wanna hear it! Anchovies have such a bed rep, but they actually work wonders in many recipes. Also, if you think you “hate” anchovies, but enjoy caesar salads on a regular basis, then think again! Most caesar dressings contain some form of anchovies, or at least all the really good ones do. And don’t worry, 3-4 anchovy filets won’t make our dressing taste at all fishy. They simply add a delicious, briny touch that’s truly unmatched! Therefore, don’t make this recipe without them.

kale caesar salad being lifted out of a serving bowl

Add Protein

Turn this easy salad recipe into a complete meal by topping it with cooked chicken, shrimp, salmon, or some crispy chickpeas!

What Makes This Kale Caesar Salad So Healthy?

Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet! I mean, it’s a literal superfood, so it’s full of:

  • Vitamin A – strengthens immune system.
  • Vitamin K – necessary to prevent blood clotting.
  • Folate – great for brain development.
  • Potassium – aids nerve and muscle function.
  • Vitamin C – prevents chronic diseases.
  • Calcium – builds strong bones.
  • Zinc – strengthens immune system and metabolism.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free croutons instead!

Make it Dairy-Free: Either omit the parmesan cheese, or use nutritional yeast or your favorite non-dairy parmesan cheese in its place.

Vegan Option: Make this a vegan kale caesar salad by replacing the parmesan cheese with nutritional yeast, the mayonnaise with vegan mayonnaise, and the anchovy filets with a teaspoon of capers.

Kale Caesar Salad

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: Lunch, DinnerDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

0

minutes
Total time

5

minutes

This kale caesar salad is bursting with fresh flavor! It’s hearty and super satisfying, but won’t leave you feeling weighed down. Fuel up on this healthy and delicious restaurant-quality salad for lunch or dinner!

Ingredients

  • For the salad:

  • 1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped

  • 4 cups romaine, chopped

  • 1 cup croutons, see Notes for homemade croutons

  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese shreds, optional

  • For the dressing:

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise

  • 3-4 anchovy filets

  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled

  • 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

  • Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl.
  • Add all dressing ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and combined.
  • Drizzle dressing over salad, toss to coat, then serve.

Notes

  • Homemade Croutons: Slice thick, crusty bread (such as French bread) into 1-inch cubes. Place cubed bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with about a tablespoon of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt and black pepper. Bake croutons at 350° Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

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