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30 Minutes or Less

How to Make Pickles

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two jars of pickles stacked on top of each other.

How to make pickles in a matter of minutes! This quick, homemade pickle brine is loaded with flavor, and made to preserve freshness. These pickles are perfectly salty, and extra crunchy!

three jars of pickles line up on a table.

What You’ll Need

Cucumbers – Either pickling cucumbers, Persian cucumbers, or an English cucumber will work! For pickling or Persian cucumbers, I recommend cutting them into spears before pickling. Though for an English cucumber, those are better sliced into 1/4-inch rounds. I use and recommend pickling cucumbers because they maintain their shape and satisfying crunch, even after pickled. However, Persian or an English cucumber still taste just as delicious using this method!

Fresh Dill – You simply can’t make pickles without fresh dill! A few sprigs of this herb help to lock in freshness and pack in tons of delicious flavor.

Garlic – Three whole cloves of garlic truly take this recipe to the next level! The pickling liquid aids in mellowing out that tangy garlic flavor, leaving you with the best essence of garlic throughout your pickles. And if you’re like me (a garlic LOVER), feel free to throw in a few extra cloves!

overhead image of pickles with garlic and fresh dill.

Vinegar – Vinegar plus water is the base of any pickling liquid. I’ve tried this recipe with pretty much every type of vinegar out there. Apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, white vinegar, rice wine vinegar – you name it, I’ve tried it! And while they all taste delicious, apple cider and white wine vinegars are my personal favorites. Though use whichever you have on-hand and/or whichever you prefer.

Salt – For extra salty pickles, add two whole teaspoons of salt to your brine. Or, for a more mild pickle, add just one teaspoon of salt. I like ultra-savory pickles – you know, the ones that make your mouth water just thinking about them – so two teaspoons did the trick for me!

Yellow Mustard Seed – While optional, a pinch of whole yellow mustard seeds add a hint of spice. A few seeds go a long way, packing in tons of flavor!

a pickle being lifted out of a jar of pickles.

Tips and Tricks on How to Make Pickles

  • Clean/rinse out your mason jars well before adding in your pickles. A clean glass jar will reduce the risk of any unwanted bacteria growing while your pickles, well… pickle. The best way to achieve an extra-clean mason jar is by rinsing it out with boiling hot water – this’ll kill most, if not all bacteria!
  • Homemade pickles will last up to three month in the fridge! And remember, the longer these pickles sit in their brine, the tastier they’ll be. But if you live in my house, you’ll know these don’t last more than ONE WEEK.
  • Feel free to switch up the ingredients in this recipe however you’d like! For spicy pickles, add in a pinch of red pepper flakes. Or, for sweet pickles, sprinkle in a teaspoon of sugar.

*These homemade pickles are gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and paleo!

three jars of pickles with garlic and salt on the side.
5 from 1 vote

How to Make Pickles

How to make pickles in a matter of minutes! This quick, homemade pickle brine is loaded with flavor, and made to preserve freshness. These pickles are perfectly salty, and extra crunchy!
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 7 minutes
Servings: 10 servings

Ingredients

  • 3-4 small pickling cucumbers, cut into spears (or 1 English cucumbers, cut into 1/4-inch rounds)
  • 4-5 sprigs fresh dill
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup vinegar, such as white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1-2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole yellow mustard seeds

Instructions

  • Place cut cucumber, fresh dill, garlic cloves, and whole yellow mustard seed into one large glass jar, or separate into 2 smaller glass jars.
  • Heat water, vinegar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until salt has dissolved completely.
  • Pour water mixture into jar(s) until cucumbers are completely covered. Secure jar with lid, then refrigerate for at least 24 hours before eating.

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal

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30 Minutes or Less

Asian Cucumber Salad

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spiralized cucumber being lifted off a plate of asian cucumber salad

Cool and refreshing Asian cucumber salad! Full of flavor, and easy to throw together in a few simple steps. The perfect side dish or healthy lunch recipe.

overhead image of asian cucumber salad on a plate with a spoon

What You’ll Need To Make Asian Cucumber Salad

Mini Cucumbers – Six mini seedless cucumbers are the star of this recipe. I cut mine into fun little spirals for my salad, but you can simply slice them instead. If slicing, I recommend a mandolin to help slice the cucumbers as thin as possible.

Fresh Ginger – Fresh ginger goes a long way in this Asian cucumber salad! Start by cutting about a 1-inch piece from a knob of whole ginger. Then, peel your ginger with either a spoon or a vegetable peeler. Once peeled, run the ginger along a microplane or the fine side of a box grater.

Rice Vinegar – For a hint of acidity, rice vinegar tastes best. However, if you don’t have any, feel free to use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar in its place.

Sriracha – While optional, I recommend a tiny drop of sriracha to round out the flavors in this recipe. For a mild version, start with just 1/2 teaspoon. Or, for a spicy Asian cucumber salad, add upwards of 1-2 teaspoons.

close-up image of asian cucumber salad on a plate

How to Cut Cucumbers

  1. Cut 1/4-inch of each end of a mini cucumber.
  2. Place two chopsticks on either side of the cucumber.
  3. Then, make thin (about 1/8-inch) diagonal cuts along the cucumber, stopping when your knife hits the chopsticks.
  4. Flip cucumber over and make the same exact cuts, in the same direction, on the other side.
  5. Lastly, cut each the cucumber in half, then add them to a bowl for this recipe!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Gluten-Free: For a 100% gluten-free Asian cucumber salad, use tamari in place of the soy sauce. Tamari tastes just like soy sauce, but unlike soy sauce, is certified gluten-free!

Make it Vegan: Use maple syrup in place of the honey for a completely vegan side dish.

asian cucumber salad on a plate with sriracha on the side
3.74 from 41 votes

Asian Cucumber Salad

Cool and refreshing Asian cucumber salad! Full of flavor, and easy to throw together in a few simple steps. The perfect side dish or healthy lunch recipe.
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 6 mini cucumbers, spiralized (see Notes) or thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and grated
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha, optional
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced
  • pinch of sesame seeds

Instructions

  • Place cucumber in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt, then let sit for 10-15 minutes while you make the dressing.
  • Whisk together the ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce, maple syrup, and sriracha in a small bowl.
  • Check on the cucumbers, and drain the water that’s gathered at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Add dressing, scallions, and sesame seeds to the cucumbers and toss to coat. Either serve immediately or let marinate in the fridge for a few hours.

Notes

  • How to Cut “Spiralized” Cucumber: Cut off each end of a cucumber, then place two chopsticks on either long side of the cucumber. Then, make thin diagonal cuts along the cucumber, stopping when your knife hits the chopsticks. Flip cucumber over and make the same cuts on the other side. Last, slice each cucumber in half, now they’re ready for this recipe!

    • Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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    30 Minutes or Less

    20-Minute Mongolian Chicken

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    mongolian chicken in a skillet

    Quick, easy, and insanely delicious 20-minute mongolian chicken! Inspired by the flavors in your favorite dish from your local Chinese restaurant – comes together in less time than it’d take you to order takeout.

    overhead image of mongolian chicken on a plate over cauliflower rice

    What You’ll Need To Make Mongolian Chicken

    Chicken Breast – Thinly slice two large, boneless and skinless chicken breasts against the grain. Once sliced, it’s ready to use in this recipe! And for extra crispy chicken pieces, we start by coating them in corn starch before cooking. However, if you don’t have any corn starch, you can use arrowroot starch or tapioca starch in its place. Or, you can skip this step altogether!

    Scallions – Slice three whole scallions (white and green part) however large or small you’d like. I typically slice mine in 2-inch pieces, since I love biting into large pieces of sautéed scallions in my mongolian chicken.

    Ginger – If using fresh, whole ginger, slice off a 1-inch knob of ginger and remove the skin. Then, run your piece of ginger along a microplane grater until its finely grated. Or, to save time, I recommend buying a jar of minced ginger, and using that in this recipe instead!

    Soy Sauce – Soy sauce is the classic addition to this Chinese-inspired recipe. However, if gluten-free, use tamari in place of the soy sauce. Or, for a slightly healthier version, use reduced sodium soy sauce instead!

    close-up image of mongolian chicken in a skillet

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Paleo: Turn this into an easy paleo dinner recipe by replacing the corn starch with tapioca starch, and using coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce. Then, serve your cooked chicken over cauliflower rice – yum.

    Make it Gluten-Free: For gluten-free mongolian chicken, make sure the corn starch you use is entirely gluten-free, and replace the soy sauce with an equal amount of tamari. Tamari is the gluten-free equivalent to soy sauce, and tastes exactly the same!

    overhead image of mongolian chicken in a skillet.

    Interested In More Chicken Recipes? Try These!

    No ratings yet

    20-Minute Mongolian Chicken

    Quick, easy, and insanely delicious 20-minute mongolian chicken! Inspired by the flavors in your favorite dish from your local Chinese restaurant – comes together in less time than it’d take you to order takeout.
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    • 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, thinly sliced
    • salt, to taste
    • 1/4 cup corn starch, or arrowroot starch
    • 3 tablespoons avocado oil
    • 3 scallions, sliced
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
    • 1 tablespoon corn starch
    • 1/2 cup vegetable broth
    • 1/4 cup soy sauce, or tamari if gluten-free

    Instructions

    • Season chicken breast with salt, then toss in corn starch to coat.
    • Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, once hot add in the chicken – cook until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
    • Lower heat to medium and add in the garlic, ginger, and scallions. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
    • Whisk the corn starch into the vegetable broth, then pour into the skillet along with the soy sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce has thickened.
    • Once thick, add chicken back into the skillet and toss in sauce, then serve.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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    30 Minutes or Less

    2-Ingredient Pineapple Ice Cream

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    overhead image of pineapple ice cream in a loaf pan

    Fresh, creamy, and irresistibly delicious pineapple ice cream! Made with just two ingredients, and in under 5 minutes. This non-dairy frozen dessert is the BEST healthy summertime treat.

    hand holding a cone of pineapple ice cream

    What You’ll Need To Make Pineapple Ice Cream

    Frozen Pineapple Chunks – Either cut, then freeze a fresh pineapple yourself, or buy already frozen pineapple chunks. For tips on how to cut a pineapple, check out my step-by-step blog post here. But if you’re looking to save some time, buy two bags of frozen pineapple chunks from the frozen aisle at your local grocery store.

    Coconut Milk – Thick and creamy full-fat coconut milk tastes best in this pineapple ice cream! However, you can certainly use a light coconut milk instead, or really any kind of milk you’d like. And if you don’t have milk, use a couple tablespoons of water. The liquid is introduced at the very end of this recipe and should be used sparingly, just until you achieve a thick and creamy consistency.

    Food Processor or High-Speed Blender – While food processors work best to make this non-dairy frozen dessert, a high-speed blender will work as well. I made my pineapple ice cream with this (super cheap!) Hamilton Beach food processor. But I’ve also tried this recipe in my Vitamix, and it worked as well – just required more stopping to scrape down the sides of the blender.

    overhead image of pineapple ice cream in a loaf pan

    Tips and Tricks

    • Start with 1/4 cup of coconut milk, then slowly add in more to blend. The frozen pineapple mixture will start out icy and crumbly, but slowly turn smooth and creamy as more liquid is introduced. It’s important to start small here, as to not risk “watering down” your ice cream!
    • Swirl in some toasted coconut or fresh pineapple chunks! Right after blending, transfer the pineapple ice cream to an airtight container and stir in any mix-ins you’d like. Or, serve this healthy dessert with your favorite ice cream toppings!
    • Depending on how solid you’d like your ice cream, either serve it right away or freeze for a few hours before eating. How solid it is may also depend on how warm it is outside. During the summer months, I certainly have to freeze this for at least an hour before scooping and serving!

    This Pineapple Ice Cream Is…

    2 from 8 votes

    2-Ingredient Pineapple Ice Cream

    Fresh, creamy, and irresistibly delicious pineapple ice cream! Made with just two ingredients, and in under 5 minutes. This pineapple ice cream is the BEST healthy summertime treat.
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings

    Ingredients

    • 4-5 cups frozen pineapple chunks, about 2 10-ounce bags
    • 1/4-1/2 cup coconut milk

    Instructions

    • Add frozen pineapple chunks to food processor and pulse until crumbly.
    • Slowly add in coconut milk, starting with ¼ cup and adding more as necessary, and pulse until smooth.
    • Either serve immediately, or transfer pineapple ice cream to a parchment-lined loaf pan and freeze for 2-3 hours.
    • To serve, remove from freezer and let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping and enjoying.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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    30 Minutes or Less

    Fresh Avocado Salad (ready in 5 minutes!)

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    overhead image of avocado salad in a bowl with lemon on the side

    This avocado salad is BURSTING with fresh herbs and vegetables! Perfectly ripe avocado, juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and tangy red onion tossed in fresh lemon juice and olive oil. This super quick and easy salad recipe comes together in one bowl, and in under 5 minutes!

    super close-up image of avocado salad

    What You’ll Need To Make Avocado Salad

    Avocados – Duh! The main ingredient, the stars of this show, are two perfectly ripe large avocados. How can you tell when an avocado is ripe? Give it a gentle squeeze, and if the skin feels firm but gives a little, then your avocado’s ripe and ready to use in this salad! However, if your avocado feels especially hard and doesn’t give at all when squeezed, then it’s not ripe and should be left at room temperature overnight to ripen.

    Lemon Juice – A squeeze of fresh lemon juice gives this salad a nice touch of acidity and brightness! The lemon juice also helps to preserve the freshness of the vegetables in this dish. Though if you don’t have any lemon juice, a touch of apple cider vinegar will work too.

    Fresh Herbs – Use any kind of fresh herb you’d like! I used fresh basil and OMG it was delicious. But I’ve also made this plant-based meal with fresh cilantro and fresh parsley, both of which were just as tasty.

    Salt – I swear by lightly salting avocado, no matter what dish it’s in. A tiny pinch of salt brings out the rich, creamy, almost buttery taste in avocado. And if you don’t already have some, I highly recommend investing in some flaky sea salt. For this salad recipe, wait until the very end to add the salt. Salt, while enhancing flavor, will also turn the avocado brown. Therefore, to keep your avocado salad looking as bright and fresh as possible, salt the salad right before serving!

    avocado salad in a bowl with serving utensils.

    Tips and Tricks

    • If you’d like to prep this recipe ahead of time, then prep all ingredients except the avocado. Once avocado is removed from its skin and exposed to air, it’ll brown pretty quickly. This browning doesn’t mean the avocado’s gone bad, and won’t at all affect the taste, though it simply won’t look as pretty. Therefore, chop and prep all other herbs and veggies, then toss in the avocado and salt right before serving to keep it looking vibrant and fresh!
    • Enjoy this avocado salad as-is, or add in your favorite plant-based protein for a heartier meal. A can of drained beans, a cup of lentils, or some crispy cubed tofu would all go perfectly in this salad! Though if not vegan, feel free to serve this salad as a side dish to roast chicken, pan-seared salmon, or really any main course.
    • Store leftover avocado salad in an airtight container. Though before securing the lid, press a piece of plastic wrap over the veggies so that it comes into contact with the top of the salad. This’ll help prevent the avocado from turning brown, and lock in freshness for up to three days!
    overhead image of avocado salad in a bowl with lemon on the side

    This Avocado Salad Is…

    No ratings yet

    Fresh Avocado Salad (ready in 5 minutes!)

    This avocado salad is BURSTING with fresh herbs and vegetables! Perfectly ripe avocado, juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and tangy red onion tossed in fresh lemon juice and olive oil. This super quick and easy salad recipe comes together in one bowl, and in under 5 minutes!
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    • 2 large avocados, diced
    • 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
    • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
    • 1/2 English cucumber, sliced
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1/4 cup fresh chopped herbs, such as cilantro, parsley, and/or basil
    • big pinch of salt
    • fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

    Instructions

    • Add all ingredients except salt and black pepper to a large bowl and toss to combine.
    • Just before serving, sprinkle in salt and black pepper, then eat immediately.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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