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30 Minutes or Less

Spring Mix Salad with Blueberries, Almonds, Feta, and Honey Vinaigrette

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Close-up overhead image of spring mix salad in a bowl.

Fresh and seasonal spring mix salad with blueberries, almonds, feta cheese, and a simple honey vinaigrette! The perfect warm-weather lunch or side dish, loaded with healthy ingredients.

Overhead image of spring mix salad in a bowl with water on the side.

What You’ll Need To Make Spring Mix Salad

Spring Mix Lettuce – Spring mix is a simple assortment of dark leafy greens. Each brand makes theirs a little differently, but every batch of spring mix is flavorful and super healthy. If you can’t find any spring mix, you can certainly turn this into a spinach salad instead, with 5 ounces of fresh baby spinach.

Sliced Almonds – Every salad needs a little crunch! I love buttery, lightly toasted sliced almonds in my spring mix salad. However, if you don’t have any almonds, any chopped nut will go great in this recipe. Or for a nut-free version, add in some roasted sunflower seeds instead!

Feta Cheese – Some salty feta cheese takes this spring mix salad over the top! Add as much to your salad as your heart desires. Or, if you don’t have any feta, a nice soft goat cheese also tastes great here. And for a vegan or dairy-free option, simply leave the cheese out of the salad – still super tasty!

Honey – A touch of honey balances out the otherwise extremely savory vinaigrette. With plenty of balsamic vinegar, the vinaigrette needs a little sweetness to help mellow it out. And for a vegan version, replace the honey with two tablespoons of maple syrup.

Honey vinaigrette being poured over spring mix salad.

Tips and Tricks

  • Dress the salad right before serving! Avoid storing this salad already dressed, since the vinaigrette will cause the spring mix to wilt. So if prepping ahead of time, keep the honey vinaigrette on the side until ready to eat.
  • Have fun with this healthy salad recipe! This simple lunch or side dish is a great way to use up any fresh veggies or berries you might have on-hand. Strawberries taste delicious in place of the blueberries, and a yellow onion can be subbed in for the red onion.

Add Protein

For a heartier meal, add any of the following:

Spring Mix Salad with Blueberries, Almonds, Feta Cheese, and Honey Vinaigrette
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Spring Mix Salad with Blueberries, Almonds, Feta Cheese, and Honey Vinaigrette

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: Sides, LunchDifficulty: Easy
Servings

6

side servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

0

minutes
Total time

5

minutes

Fresh and seasonal spring mix salad with blueberries, almonds, feta, and a simple honey vinaigrette! The perfect warm-weather lunch or side dish, loaded with healthy ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 1 5-ounce package spring mix lettuce

  • 1 cup fresh blueberries

  • 1/2 English cucumber, chopped

  • 1/2 red onion, chopped

  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds

  • 1/4 cup feta cheese or goat cheese

  • For the honey vinaigrette:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons honey

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

  • Assemble all salad ingredients in a large bowl.
  • Make the dressing by adding all ingredients to a jar with a lid, secure the lid then shake until combined. Drizzle over spring mix salad and enjoy!

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Dairy-Free

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Icing

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healthy carrot cake muffins with cream cheese icing on top, stacked on top of each other.

Perfect carrot cake muffins, made healthy! Gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free, yet oh-SO delicious. These healthy carrot cake muffins come together in just one bowl, in about 30 minutes!

What You’ll Need to Make Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins

Oat Flour – You can either buy pre-ground oat flour, or simply grind oats into a flour yourself. I always make my oat flour myself because it’s cheaper, and super easy. To do this, place rolled oats into a blender and blend until a flour forms, and no large oats pieces remain.

Apple Sauce – If you don’t have any apple sauce, feel free to use 1/2 cup of mashed banana instead! Though if you do use apple sauce, please make sure it’s unflavored and unsweetened for this recipe.

Maple Syrup – These refined sugar-free carrot cake muffins are naturally sweetened with maple syrup. I love the flavor of maple syrup in these muffins, you won’t even miss the sugar. However, if you don’t have any maple syrup, you can use an equal amount of honey instead!

healthy carrot cake muffins with cream cheese icing on top and milk on the side.

Tips and Tricks

  • Avoid over-mixing the muffin batter! If you mix too much, your muffins will turn out tough, instead of soft and tender. Therefore, mix all ingredients until just combined, then stop.
  • Let these healthy carrot cake muffins cool completely before icing. I know it’s tempting to ice and eat these delicious little muffins right away. But if they’re too hot when iced, the icing will melt and slide right off. So practice some self-control, and leave them to cool for at least 20 minutes first!
  • These muffins are best stored at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to three days. However, if you live in a warm climate (or are baking these in the summer), you may want to consider storing them in the fridge. If stored in a very warm place, the cream cheese icing may spoil.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: While I haven’t tested this option myself just yet, you should be able to make these vegan carrot cake muffins by substituting the eggs for flax eggs! Or, use this Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer in place of the eggs in this recipe.

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Icing
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Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Icing

5 from 2 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: Snacks, DessertDifficulty: Medium
Servings

12

muffins
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

30

minutes

Perfect carrot cake muffins, made healthy! Gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free, yet oh-SO delicious. These healthy carrot cake muffins come together in just one bowl, in about 30 minutes!

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs

  • 1/2 cup apple sauce, unsweetened

  • 1/2 cup maple syrup

  • 1/4 cup milk, I used non-dairy milk

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 2 cups oat flour

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup shredded carrots

  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

  • 1/4 cup raisins

  • For the cream cheese icing:

  • 1/4 cup softened cream cheese, I used non-dairy cream cheese

  • 3 tablespoons softened butter, I used non-dairy butter

  • 2 cups powdered sugar

  • 2-3 tablespoons milk, I used non-dairy milk

  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a muffin tin with muffin liners.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, apple sauce, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla extract.
  • Add in the oat flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until everything is just combined.
  • Then, fold in the shredded carrots, chopped walnuts, and raisins until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
  • Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted down the center of one muffin comes out clean. Remove muffins from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
  • While muffins cool, make the cream cheese icing by adding all ingredients to a bowl and whisking until smooth and well-combined. Then, spread or pipe cream cheese icing on top of each cooled muffin.

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30 Minutes or Less

La Scala Chopped Salad aka “The Kardashian Salad”

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close-up overhead image of la scala chopped salad

I found myself in a salad rut recently. While I LOVE my buffalo chicken salad, it was getting kinda old. So I switched things up this week and added this La Scala chopped salad into the rotation, along with another reader fave, the Jennifer Aniston salad. I simply assemble the salad, portion it into four containers, then store the dressing separately – and it’s been awesome having a quick and easy lunch ready to go every day of the week!

If it’s good enough for a Kardashian, then it’s good enough for me! That’s my motto when it comes to this salad. While I haven’t personally been able to try the original La Scala chopped salad, I scoured the internet for the exact ingredients and recipe to bring you this incredibly delicious replica. It’s fresh, crunchy, full of flavor, and super easy to make. I just know you’re going to love it!

overhead image of la scala chopped salad in a bowl with parmesan cheese on the side.

What You’ll Need to Make the La Scala Chopped Salad

Lettuce – Any crunchy lettuce will work! La Scala uses iceberg lettuce, but I prefer romaine (it has more flavor, in my opinion). Whatever lettuce you use, chop it into small pieces – just like La Scala does!

Chickpeas – Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas, then add to your salad. Chickpeas offer a nice bit of protein to this easy lunch recipe. However, if you don’t have chickpeas, feel free to use any white bean you’d like. Navy beans or cannelloni beans would also taste great!

Italian Salami – Chopped Italian salami adds so much flavor to La Scala’s chopped salad. I recommend using deli salami, and slicing it into strips. Or, you can buy a whole salami, then fully slice it yourself! For a vegetarian/meatless salad, simply leave the salami out.

Mozzarella Cheese – Fresh shredded mozzarella is best, but pre-shredded works as well!

dressing being poured over la scala chopped salad.

Tips and Tricks

  • To meal prep this salad, simply make the salad and divide it between four containers. Then, whisk together the dressing and store separately. When ready to eat, pour dressing over your salad and enjoy!
  • This La Scala chopped salad is gluten-free! However, if you want a little extra crunch, a small handful of croutons makes a delicious addition to this salad.
  • This “Kardashian” salad recipe is also great for a crowd! Toss together in a big bowl, then bring it to your next potluck or dinner party. Everyone will go crazy for this hearty and oh-so satisfying side dish!
la scala chopped salad in a bowl with a fork.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: For a completely plant-based La Scala salad, simply leave out the salami and swap the cheeses for your favorite vegan cheeses. I love Myoko’s Cashew Milk Mozzarella and Violife’s Vegan Parmesan Cheese!

Make it Dairy-Free: Similar to the vegan options, either swap out the cheeses for your favorite non-dairy cheeses, or leave them out of this salad recipe altogether.

close-up overhead image of la scala chopped salad
3.62 from 89 votes

La Scala Chopped Salad aka “The Kardashian Salad”

The La Scala chopped salad is widely known as a Kardashian favorite – and it’ll quickly become your favorite, too! Super quick and easy to make, with only a handful of simple ingredients. Make this famous Los Angeles salad at home in just 5 minutes.
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 head lettuce, finely chopped (iceberg, romaine, etc.)
  • 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 pound Italian salami, chopped
  • 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese

For the dressing:

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl and toss.
  • Add all dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
  • Drizzle dressing over salad right before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal
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30 Minutes or Less

Buffalo Chicken Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing

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Close-up overhead image of buffalo chicken salad in a bowl.

Surprisingly simple, but totally delicious buffalo chicken salad! Complete with a homemade ranch dressing, this healthy recipe is FULL of delicious flavor. Quick and easy to make, it’s perfect for meal prep!

overhead image of buffalo chicken salad in a bowl with homemade ranch dressing and buffalo sauce on the side.

What You’ll Need to Make Buffalo Chicken Salad

Chicken – Start by either slicing and pounding chicken breasts until thin, or make your life super easy and buy pre-cut chicken cutlets! Or, if you’re not up for the extra step and can’t find chicken cutlets, then simply cook whole chicken breasts for your salad. If taking this option, you’ll likely need to cook the chicken for 4-5 additional minutes each side. To check if your chicken is fully cooked, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of a breast. Once the thermometer reads 165° Fahrenheit, then you’re chicken is cooked through and ready for this salad recipe!

Buffalo Sauce – I make my own buffalo sauce for this buffalo chicken salad because it’s truly so easy. However, you can totally buy pre-made buffalo sauce instead, if you’d like. For the homemade buffalo sauce, all you’ll need is hot sauce, melted butter, and honey – that’s it!

Ranch Dressing – Again, I made my own ranch dressing for this salad. But you can buy bottled ranch instead, if that’s more your thing. If I’m short on time or looking for a short cut, I use this Primal Kitchen Vegan Ranch Dressing – it’s lighter and healthier than most other ranch dressings on the market!

Blue Cheese – Salty, tangy blue cheese crumbles are the cherry-on-top of this buffalo chicken salad! Though you can totally add any kind of cheese you’d like to this meal. Or, for a non-dairy salad, leave the blue cheese out altogether.

homemade ranch dressing being poured over a buffalo chicken salad.

Tips and Tricks

  • Meal prep this buffalo chicken salad ahead of a busy week! It’s the perfect grab-and-go lunch recipe. To do this, prepare the salads, then store the buffalo sauce and ranch dressing separately. When ready to eat, dress the salads and enjoy!
  • Feel free to switch out/swap in any ingredients you’d like! This salad is super simple, and easy to customize – so have fun with it and don’t be afraid to make it your own.
  • I always recommend dressing this salad right before serving! Leftover salad (without dressing) will stay fresh in the fridge for up to four days.
buffalo chicken salad in a bowl with a fork.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Dairy-Free: For a dairy-free salad, leave out the blue cheese and make the homemade ranch dressing with mayonnaise, instead of Greek yogurt.

Make it Vegan/Vegetarian: Make some simple plant-based swaps to turn this into a vegan buffalo salad recipe! Replace the chicken with chickpeas – toss them in the chicken seasoning, then roast them in the oven at 350° Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy. Also, leave out the blue cheese and use a vegan mayo or plain vegan Greek yogurt to make the ranch dressing.

Buffalo Chicken Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing
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Buffalo Chicken Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing

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

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Total time

15

minutes

Surprisingly simple, but totally delicious buffalo chicken salad! Complete with a homemade ranch dressing, this healthy recipe is FULL of delicious flavor. Quick and easy to make, it’s perfect for meal prep!

Ingredients

  • For the chicken:

  • 1-2 pounds chicken breasts, cut or pounded thin (or chicken cutlets)

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • salt and black pepper, to taste

  • 1 tablespoon oil

  • For the buffalo sauce:

  • 1/2 cup Frank’s hot sauce

  • 1/4 cup melted butter

  • 3 tablespoons honey

  • For the ranch dressing:

  • 1 cup mayo or plain Greek yogurt

  • 2-3 tablespoons milk

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

  • 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped

  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  • For the salad:

  • 1 bunch romaine, chopped

  • 2 celery stalks, chopped

  • 1 avocado, sliced

  • 1/2 English cucumber, chopped

  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots

  • 1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped

  • 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Directions

  • Pat chicken breasts dry with a paper towel, then season on both sides with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then sear chicken breasts 4-5 minutes per side or until cooked through.
  • Make the buffalo sauce by whisking together the hot sauce, melted butter, and honey in a small bowl.
  • Make the ranch dressing my whisking together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
  • Assemble the salad with romaine, celery, avocado, cucumber, carrots, blue cheese, and the cooked chicken, then top with a drizzle of buffalo sauce and ranch dressing.

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30 Minutes or Less

Classic Rigatoni Bolognese

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close-up image of rigatoni bolognese with parmesan cheese, toasted breadcrumbs, and chopped parsley on top.

A wholesome and comforting rigatoni bolognese! Ground beef, sautéed veggies, red wine, tomatoes, and classic Italian seasoning. This delicious meal comes together in one pot, in under 30 minutes!

overhead image of rigatoni bolognese on a plate with red wine and chopped parsley on the side.

What You’ll Need to Make Rigatoni Bolognese

Ground Beef – I recommend a lean ground beef for this recipe! Also, remember to season it with plenty of salt in the first step.

Italian Seasoning – If you don’t already have Italian seasoning in your pantry, you MUST go get some. It’s a staple in my Italian home, and adds the perfect blend of dried herbs to whatever I’m cooking. Italian seasoning is essential in this rigatoni bolognese, so don’t even think about going without it!

Red Wine – A touch of dry red wine contributes tons of depth to this dish. However, if you don’t like or have red wine, you can use 1/2 cup of beef broth instead.

Rigatoni Pasta – Rigatoni is the perfect pairing to this homemade bolognese sauce! Its wide opening allows plenty of room for the sauce to fully wrap around each noodle. Though if you don’t have any rigatoni, feel free to use whatever pasta you have on-hand! Spaghetti bolognese is always delicious, too.

rigatoni bolognese on a plate with a fork and spoon.

Tips and Tricks

  • Want to make this rigatoni bolognese in the Instant Pot? Follow my Instant Pot bolognese recipe, then serve over rigatoni!
  • The longer you let the sauce simmer, the more flavorful it’ll be. This recipe requires just 15 minutes of simmering, but if you have the time – leave it to simmer even longer! You can simmer this sauce for up to an hour for TONS of flavor.
  • Prep a double batch of this bolognese and store half in the freezer for a later date! To freeze this sauce, let it cool completely then store in an airtight container. It stays fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months!
rigatoni bolognese on a plate with red wine and cheese on the side.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan/Vegetarian: For a vegetarian rigatoni bolognese, replace the ground beef with two cans of drained lentils!

Make it Gluten-Free: Use your favorite gluten-free rigatoni, I love this brand.

Classic Rigatoni Bolognese
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Classic Rigatoni Bolognese

4 from 3 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: MainDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

25

minutes

A wholesome and comforting rigatoni bolognese! Ground beef, sautéed veggies, red wine, tomatoes, and classic Italian seasoning. This delicious meal comes together in one pot, in under 30 minutes!

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 pound ground beef

  • salt, to taste

  • 1 onion, finely chopped

  • 1 celery stalk, finely chopped

  • 1 large carrot, finely chopped

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1/2 cup dry red wine, or beef broth

  • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

  • 1 pound rigatoni pasta

  • fresh grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions

  • Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add in the ground beef and a big pinch of salt. Cook until beef is no longer pink, breaking the beef apart with a spoon as it cooks.
  • Once beef is cooked through, add in the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Cook until veggies are soft, about 3 minutes.
  • Add in the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, and red wine. Cook for about 5 minutes, using your spoon to scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
  • Pour in the jar of crushed tomatoes with its juices, reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
  • While the bolognese simmers, cook rigatoni pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain pasta from water.
  • Remove bolognese sauce from heat, add in cooked pasta, and stir to coat pasta in sauce. Serve warm with fresh grated parmesan cheese on top.

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