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30 Minutes or Less

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

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close-up overhead image of mediterranean quinoa salad in a bowl.

Fresh and flavorful mediterranean quinoa salad! This simple salad recipe is loaded with healthy veggies and tossed in a simple lemon dressing. Quinoa, chickpeas, olives, sundried tomatoes, basil, and feta – what’s not to love?!

close-up image of mediterranean quinoa salad in a bowl.

What You’ll Need to Make Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Quinoa – Start with 2 cups of cooked red or white quinoa (I used white quinoa) for this recipe. To cook quinoa, simply rinse 1 cup of dry quinoa, then add to a small saucepan with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring the quinoa to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer quinoa for about 15 minutes, or until all liquid has been absorbed. Once cooked, let cool to room temperature before adding to this salad!

Chickpeas – A can of chickpeas adds some extra protein to this grain salad. However, if you don’t like chickpeas, you can leave them out. Or, feel free to swap out the chickpeas with your favorite white bean – canneloni beans or navy beans would also taste great!

Kalamata Olives – This classic mediterranean ingredient adds tons of delicious flavor to this quinoa salad! Either buy pitted kalamata olives, or slice and pit them yourself for this recipe.

Feta – Another staple ingredient in many mediterranean recipes! Feta cheese is deliciously creamy and salty, and takes this salad recipe to the next level. Though if feta’s not your thing, you can leave it out or replace if with your favorite soft white cheese.

mediterranean quinoa salad ingredients separated in a bowl.

Tips and Tricks

  • This salad is great for meal prep! You can fully prep and store this salad in the fridge for up to 4 days. The flavors will only intensify as it sits.
  • Feel free to change up this salad however you’d like! Not a fan of one of the ingredients? Either leave it out or replace it with whatever you prefer. This mediterranean quinoa salad is super easy to customize and make your own.
  • Love this recipe? Try this very similar Jennifer Aniston salad next!
mediterranean quinoa salad in a bowl with a glass of water on the side.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Gluten-Free: Surprise! This mediterranean quinoa salad is already gluten-free! Quinoa is a naturally gluten-free grain.

Make it Vegan/Dairy-Free: Simply leave out the feta, or swap it out for your favorite non-dairy feta – I love this Violife Vegan Feta.

close-up overhead image of mediterranean quinoa salad in a bowl.
5 from 2 votes

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Fresh and flavorful mediterranean quinoa salad! This simple salad recipe is loaded with healthy veggies and tossed in a simple lemon dressing. Quinoa, chickpeas, olives, sundried tomatoes, basil, and feta – what’s not to love?!
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 1 (15.5 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 English cucumber, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 red onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half
  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta

For the lemon dressing:

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Add the quinoa, chickpeas, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, kalamata olive, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and feta to a large bowl.
    mediterranean quinoa salad step 1
  • In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper until combined.
  • Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal
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Breakfast

Classic Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

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sliced gluten-free zucchini bread on a baking sheet with a knife.

This gluten-free zucchini bread is deliciously moist! It’s super easy to make and loaded with fresh zucchini. Enjoy a thick slice of this gluten-free zucchini bread with a little butter for breakfast or as a snack!

gluten-free zucchini bread on a baking sheet.

The Story Behind This Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread Recipe

My parents were those people that built a garden during quarantine. Anyone else?? And while it took a while to enjoy the fruits (literally) of their labor, oh man was it worth all their hard work! They have strawberries, blueberries, lettuce, every herb you can think of, and a whole BUNCH of zucchini. Like A LOT of zucchini. So when they sent me home a couple weeks ago with a massive bag of homegrown zucchini, I knew exactly what I was going to do with it. Though I had never made gluten-free zucchini bread before, so I took a few notes from my gluten-free banana bread recipe, tweaked things a bit, and this incredible recipe was born!

sliced gluten-free zucchini bread on a baking sheet with milk on the side.

What You Need To Make Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

Zucchini – This dark green veggie is loaded vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants! It’s also high in fiber and has been proven to aid healthy digestion. Good-for-you zucchini also flourishes in the summer months! (A big reason why my parents currently have SO much of it right now).

To prep zucchini for this recipe, simply slice off one end and run the zucchini down a cheese grater. Continue to grate the zucchini until you have one heaping cup worth of shredded zucchini. Once grated, you’ll wrap the zucchini in a dish towel and squeeze out as much of the liquid from the zucchini as possible. This summer vegetable holds on to a lot of water, and to avoid a soggy zucchini bread, you’ll want to squeeze out as much of that water as you can. Once the water is removed, you’re ready to use your shredded zucchini in this gluten-free zucchini bread recipe!

Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour – I use and love the King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour for most of my gluten-free baked goods recipes. It’s a solid gluten-free flour that holds its structure when baked and never fails me. However, you can use your favorite gluten-free all purpose flour for this recipe. My one suggestion is to always make sure that whatever gluten-free all purpose flour you use contains xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is crucial to binding and quite literally keeping everything together.

gluten-free zucchini bread step 1
gluten-free zucchini bread step 3
gluten-free zucchini bread step 4

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

  • Make it Nut-Free: Omit the almond flour in this recipe and use an additional 1/2 cup of gluten-free all purpose flour instead.
  • Make it Vegan: To make this a gluten-free and vegan zucchini bread, try using either two flax eggs, one ripe mashed banana, or 1 cup of apple sauce in place of the eggs in this recipe.
  • Add Gluten: Use 2 cups of regular all purpose flour in place of the gluten-free all purpose flour and almond flour.
sliced gluten-free zucchini bread on a baking sheet with a knife.
5 from 1 vote

Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

This gluten-free zucchini bread is deliciously moist! It’s super easy to make and loaded with fresh zucchini. Enjoy a thick slice of this gluten-free zucchini bread with a little butter for breakfast or as a snack!
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup shredded zucchini
  • 1 1/2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour, see Notes
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil or butter, melted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit and lightly grease a 9×5 loaf pan.
  • Wrap the shredded zucchini in a dish towel and squeeze over the sink to remove as much water from the zucchini as possible, then set aside.
  • Mix together the gluten-free all purpose flour, almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
    gluten-free zucchini bread step 1
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted coconut oil, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until combined.
    gluten-free zucchini bread step 2
  • Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold together until no flour remains.
  • Gently fold in the shredded zucchini until just combined.
  • Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
    gluten-free zucchini bread step 5

Notes

  • Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour: I use and love the King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour in this recipe, though you can use any all purpose gluten-free flour you’d like as long as it contains xantham gum.

    • Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal
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    Dairy-Free

    Healthy No-Bake Cookie Dough Bars

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    two healthy no-bake cookie dough bars stacked on top of each other on a baking sheet.

    Seriously delicious healthy no-bake cookie dough bars! These bars are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free. Enjoy as a guilt-free dessert or sweet snack!

    healthy no bake cookie dough bars on a baking sheet.

    What You’ll Need to Make Healthy No-Bake Cookie Dough Bars

    Almond Flour – Use blanched almond flour for these dessert bars, not almond meal. Blanched almond flour is ground finer and makes for a smoother cookie dough. Looking for more almond flour recipes? Try these!

    Peanut or Cashew Butter – Either peanut or cashew butter will work! I used peanut butter because I love the taste. However, cashew butter yields little flavor and works perfectly to hold these no-bake bars together. But whichever you use, make sure it’s both creamy and unsweetened.

    Maple Syrup – We use maple syrup in place of traditional refined sugar to keep these healthy cookie dough bars refined sugar-free. The maple syrup in these bars can easily be replaced with honey, or even your favorite sugar-free liquid sweetener for sugar-free cookie dough bars!

    Chocolate Chips – I used the Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips to keep these bars vegan/dairy-free, but really any chocolate chip will work! For refined sugar-free chocolate chips, try these date-sweetened Hu chocolate chips.

    three healthy no bake cookie dough bars stacked on top of each other.

    Tips and Tricks

    • Chill these healthy no-bake cookie dough bars in the freezer for at least one hour before slicing! Don’t rush this step, otherwise the chocolate won’t be fully set.
    • Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. Avoiding leaving them at room temperature for too long, because the chocolate may melt.
    close-up image of a healthy no bake cookie dough bar.

    Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Nut-Free: For a nut-free version of this recipe, replace the almond flour with oat flour. Also, replace the cashew or peanut butter with unsweetened sunflower seed butter!

    Make it Paleo: Make paleo cookie dough bars by using unsweetened creamy almond butter in place of the cashew or peanut butter.

    two healthy no-bake cookie dough bars stacked on top of each other on a baking sheet.
    4.24 from 59 votes

    Healthy No-Bake Cookie Dough Bars

    Seriously delicious healthy no-bake cookie dough bars! These bars are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free. Enjoy as a guilt-free dessert or sweet snack!
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings

    Ingredients

    For the cookie dough layer:

    • 1 1/2 cups almond flour
    • 1/2 cup creamy peanut or cashew butter, unsweetened
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1/4 cup coconut oil or butter, melted
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • pinch of salt
    • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

    For the chocolate layer:

    • 1 cup chocolate chips
    • 1/4 cup creamy peanut or cashew butter, unsweetened

    Instructions

    • Line a 9×5-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
    • Make the cookie dough layer by mixing together the almond flour, peanut or cashew butter, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and salt in a large bowl. Add in the chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
    • Transfer dough to prepared baking pan and press into an even layer.
    • Make the chocolate layer by melting the chocolate chips and peanut or cashew butter in the microwave in 30 second increments. Stir together until smooth, then pour and spread into an even layer on top of the cookie dough.
    • Chill in the freezer for one hour, then remove and slice into squares.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal
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    30 Minutes or Less

    Healthy Summer Fruit Crisp

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    Overhead image of summer fruit crisp in a baking dish with vanilla ice cream on top.

    A healthy fruit crisp loaded with fresh summer fruits! The perfect warm-weather dessert, best served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Super easy to make with just one bowl, in 30 minutes.

    Close-up overhead image of summer fruit crisp in a baking dish with vanilla ice cream on top.

    What You’ll Need to Make Summer Fruit Crisp

    Summer Fruit – I used fresh blueberries, strawberries, and peaches in my summer fruit crisp, but any fruit will work! Feel free to use whatever you have on-hand, or whatever’s on sale at the grocery store that week. The only thing to note is, whichever fruit you use, make sure it totals to about 5-6 cups for this recipe.

    Maple Syrup – This healthy dessert recipe is sweetened with maple syrup! It’s refined sugar-free and honestly so healthy you could get away with eating it for breakfast.

    Rolled Oats – Any type of rolled oats will do – old-fashioned, quick cook, etc. The only type of oats you’ll want to avoid for your fruit crisp topping are whole oats, steel-cut, or Irish oats.

    Almond Flour – The almond flour keeps this recipe gluten-free! However, if you don’t have almond flour, or want to make this nut-free, you can replace the almond flour with all purpose flour.

    Butter or Coconut Oil – Use whichever you prefer in your crisp! I typically just use whichever I have on-hand. Coconut oil is obviously the healthier option, but butter adds a bit more flavor, which I love.

    Overhead image of summer fruit crisp in a baking dish with vanilla ice cream on top.

    Tips and Tricks

    • Keep this recipe simple! You’ll only need one bowl, which is used to first mix together the filling, then the crisp. There’s no need to dirty any extra dishes for this healthy dessert recipe.
    • This summer fruit crisp is best served warm with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream on top. Though feel free to serve it however you’d like. On its own is delicious, or with a dollop of fresh whipped cream – yum!
    • Store leftover fruit crisp in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If enjoying leftovers, I recommend reheating in the microwave for just about 30 seconds before eating.

    Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Dairy-Free: Use either non-dairy butter, or take the coconut oil option in the crisp.

    Make it Nut-Free: For a nut-free dessert, replace the almond flour with 1/2 cup of all purpose flour.

    Overhead image of summer fruit crisp in a baking dish with vanilla ice cream on top.
    5 from 1 vote

    Healthy Summer Fruit Crisp

    A healthy fruit crisp loaded with fresh summer fruits! The perfect warm-weather dessert, best served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Super easy to make with just one bowl, in 30 minutes.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings

    Ingredients

    For the filling:

    • 2 cups blueberries
    • 2 cups sliced strawberries, or raspberries
    • 2-3 peaches, pitted and sliced
    • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    For the crisp:

    • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
    • 1/2 cup almond flour
    • pinch of salt
    • 1/4 cup butter or coconut oil, solid
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
    • Mix together all filling ingredients in a large bowl, then transfer to a 9-inch baking dish.
    • Mix together all crisp ingredients in a large bowl (you can use the same bowl you used to make the filling), then evenly sprinkle crisp over top of the filling.
    • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until fruit is soft, then let cool slightly before serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal
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    30 Minutes or Less

    Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad

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    overhead image of mediterranean grilled chicken salad in a bowl with fresh mint on the side.

    Mediterranean grilled chicken salad loaded with fresh veggies and finished off with a simple lemon Dijon dressing! Meal prep this healthy salad ahead of a busy week, or throw together for a quick, wholesome dinner. This easy and delicious meal comes together in just 20 minutes.

    lemon dijon dressing being poured over mediterranean grilled chicken salad.

    What You’ll Need to Make Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad

    Chicken Breasts – Take either two large chicken breasts and slice then into four thin cutlets, or buy four pre-sliced chicken cutlets from the store. A thinner piece of chicken cooks up faster, and locks in more flavor than whole chicken breasts.

    Dried Oregano – This dried herb is commonly found in mediterranean recipes, which is exactly why we use it on both the chicken and in the dressing. If you don’t have any dried oregano in your pantry, I highly recommend you get some. It adds tons of delicious flavor to this salad recipe!

    Lemon Juice – Fresh lemon juice tastes incredible in this lemon Dijon dressing. However, if you don’t have lemon juice, you can replace it with an equal amount of red wine vinegar.

    Feta Cheese – Feta is perfectly salty and creamy in this grilled chicken salad. Add as much to your salad as your heart (or tastebuds) desire. Or, if you don’t like feta, you can use crumbled goat cheese instead.

    Fresh Mint – Just a little bit of fresh mint takes this easy salad recipe over the top! Mint is another ingredient commonly found in Mediterranean recipes, and brings out the fresh flavors in this dish. Never tried mint in a salad before? Just trust me, it’s so so so good! But if you simply don’t like mint, try fresh chopped parsley instead.

    close-up image of mediterranean grilled chicken salad in a bowl.

    How to Grill Chicken

    • Start by seasoning your chicken very well with salt, black pepper, dried oregano, and garlic powder.
    • Preheat your grill to medium-high heat, or around 400° Fahrenheit.
    • Once preheated, place the chicken on the grill and leave to cook, without touching it, for about 4-6 minutes.
    • Then, flip each chicken breast, and cook for an additional 4-6 minutes on the other side.
    • Remove chicken from the grill and let rest on a cutting board while you prepare the rest of your grilled chicken salad.
    mediterranean grilled chicken salad in a bowl with lemon dijon dressing on the side.

    Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Dairy-Free: Either leave out the feta, or use your favorite non-dairy feta.I highly recommend this VioLife Vegan Feta – it’s delicious!

    Make it Vegan: For a vegan summer salad recipe, take the dairy-free option above, then replace the grilled chicken with either grilled tofu or grilled cauliflower steaks.

    overhead image of mediterranean grilled chicken salad in a bowl with fresh mint on the side.
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    Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad

    Mediterranean grilled chicken salad loaded with fresh veggies and finished off with a simple lemon Dijon dressing! Meal prep this healthy salad ahead of a busy week, or throw together for a quick, wholesome dinner. This easy and delicious meal comes together in just 20 minutes.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    For the chicken:

    • 1-2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut or pounded thin
    • salt and black pepper, to taste
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

    For the lemon Dijon dressing:

    • 1/2 cup olive oil
    • 1/4 cup lemon juice, or red wine vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • 1 garlic clove, minced
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

    For the salad:

    • 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
    • 1/2 English cucumber, sliced
    • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
    • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
    • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
    • 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
    • 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
    • 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

    Instructions

    • Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
    • Pat chicken breasts dry with a paper towel, then season with the salt, black pepper, dried oregano, and onion powder.
    • Grill 4-6 minutes per side, or until cooked through, then let rest on a cutting board while you prepare the rest of the salad.
      grilled chicken on a plate
    • Add all dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
      all salad ingredients in a bowl
    • Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl and toss. Then, slice your chicken and add to the salad. Finish off the salad with a drizzle of dressing, then serve immediately.
      lemon dijon dressing whisked together in a measuring cup

    Notes

  • If not eating right away, prepare the salad without the dressing, then add the dressing right before serving.

    • Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal
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