Gluten-Free Pasta Salad

The best way to make this recipe gluten-free is to use gluten-free pasta. Bean pastas easily fall apart in a pasta salad, so I recommend using a brown rice pasta. Jovial Foods Fusilli or Penne Pasta are my favorite: incredible flavor and holds up great with the veggies and zesty dressing.

Step 3: Make Your Own Dressing

In a mason jar or small bowl, whisk the zesty Italian salad dressing ingredients: olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, minced garlic, a few turns of the black pepper grinder.

Step 4: Drain the Pasta

Once the pasta is cooked (al dente), drain the pasta into a colander. Then run fresh cold water over the pasta. Pour the drained pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Step 5: Combine the Pasta with Half the Dressing

While the pasta is still warm, whisk the dressing again and pour half the dressing over the pasta. Toss to combine and evenly coat the pasta noodles with the dressing. This allows the pasta to soak up the amazing flavors of the dressing.

Step 6: Combine the Pasta Salad Ingredients

Add all the remaining pasta salad ingredients to the pasta: cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, salami, black olives, red onion, pepperoncini peppers, artichoke hearts, and parsley. Use your (clean) hands or large spoons to combine the ingredients.

Step 7: Add Remaining Dressing

Just before serving the pasta salad, add the remaining salad dressing and toss the salad to evenly coat all the ingredients.

If you plan to make this salad for a meal prep lunch and eat it over the next few days, add a little dressing before enjoying for lunch each day. This way the salad tastes super fresh!

Serve this Zesty Italian Pasta Salad immediately, at room temperature, or cover with a lid and place in the fridge for a cold salad to serve later.

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Zesty Italian Pasta Salad (With Gluten-Free Variation)

This zesty Italian pasta salad recipe is perfect for picnics, backyard barbecues, lunches, potlucks, a summer dinner, and so much more! Made with cooked pasta, salami, and veggies, the cold pasta salad (with homemade Italian Dressing) is flavorful, healthy, and an easy recipe to customize.

Course Appetizer, dinner, Salad

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword Gluten Free Pasta Salad, Zesty Italian Pasta Salad

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8 -10 servings (as a side dish)

Calories 421kcal

Author Kristin Marr

Cost $18

Equipment

• 1 large soup pot or dutch oven, for cooking the pasta
• 1 large mixing bowl , for making the pasta salad
• 1 small mixing bowl or mason jar, for mixing the dressing

Ingredients

Pasta Salad:

• 12-16 ounces shaped pasta such as: rotini, penne, or fusilli (I like Jovial brand Fusilli)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese cut into small, bite-sized pieces
• 4 ounces sliced salami or pepperoni or summer sausage, cut into quarter pieces
• 3/4 cup sliced black olives or your favorite olive variety, pitted
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini peppers
• 1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley flat leaf parsley

Zesty Italian Dressing:

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley flat leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano and 1 teaspoon dried basil)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Add water to a large pot. Add salt to the water. Salting pasta water is so important for flavor! I use about 1 tablespoon salt per 1 pound of pasta. Bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta to the salted water and cook according to the package directions.
• While the pasta cooks, chop the salad ingredients: halve the cherry tomatoes, cut the mozzarella into smaller pieces, quarter the salami slices, slice the olives, chop the parsley, and cut the artichoke hearts into smaller pieces. The key is to cut everything into bite-sized pieces.
  
• In a mason jar or small bowl, whisk the zesty Italian salad dressing ingredients: olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, minced garlic, a few turns of the pepper grinder.
  
• Once the pasta is cooked (al dente), drain the pasta into a colander. Run fresh cold water over the pasta. Pour the drained pasta into a large mixing bowl.
• While the pasta is still warm, whisk the dressing again and pour half the dressing over the pasta. Toss to combine and evenly coat the pasta with the dressing.
  
• Add all the remaining pasta salad ingredients to the pasta: cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, salami, black olives, red onion, pepperoncini peppers, artichoke hearts, and parsley. Use your (clean) hands or large spoons to combine the ingredients.
  
• Serve the salad immediately, at room temperature, or cover with a lid and place in the fridge for a cold salad to serve later. I think the salad tastes best after sitting in the fridge for 2-6 hours, as the flavors can marry together.
• Just before serving the pasta salad, add the remaining salad dressing and toss the salad to evenly coat all the ingredients.
  

Notes

Salad Dressing Storage: Store the remaining salad dressing at room temperature for up to 1 day, or in the fridge until ready to use.

Ingredient Substitutions: Canned or glass jar artichoke hearts can be expensive and hard to find at times. You’re welcome to skip this ingredient and add more tomatoes, olives, or peppers. Or add fresh cucumber slices instead. This salad is very easy to customize based on your preferences. The same goes for the peppers, instead use chopped fresh bell peppers or skip the pepperoncini. See variations in the article above.

Shrimp or Chicken Salad: If you want a meatier main dish salad, add more salami (8 ounces) or 2 cups of grilled chicken or cooked (peeled) shrimp.

Nutrition

Calories: 421kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 1126mg | Potassium: 268mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 766IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 175mg | Iron: 1mg

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The post Zesty Italian Pasta Salad (Easy & Quick Recipe) appeared first on Live Simply.

Step 1: Add Yogurt

First, spoon 1/2 cup of plain yogurt into a mixing bowl (or a storage container with a lid, if making for later).

Step 2: Add Honey and Spice

Add 1 tablespoon honey, cinnamon, and pure vanilla extract to the yogurt.

Step 3: Stir to Combine

Give everything a good stir or whisk to combine. Taste the dip and add a little extra honey or spices to your taste preference.

Step 4: Serve or Chill for Later

Serve the dip immeadiately, with one fruit or a plate of fruit, or place in an air-tight container and store in the fridge for later.

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Easy Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip

This easy yogurt fruit dip is a great recipe for snacking, breakfast, or dessert. Made with simple & healthy ingredients in under 2 minutes!

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip, Yogurt Dip for Fruit, Yogurt Fruit Dip

Prep Time 2 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 minutes minutes

Servings 4 ounces (1/2 cup)

Calories 32kcal

Author Kristin Marr

Equipment

• 1 mixing bowl

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or regular whole milk yogurt or dairy-free yogurt
• 1 Tablespoon honey or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or to taste

Instructions

• Add the yogurt, honey, cinnamon, and vanilla extract to a small mixing bowl. Stir to combine the ingredients.
  
• Serve immeadiately or store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. Serve as a dip (also delicious on its own for naturally-sweetened vanilla yogurt bowls) with fruit of choice. 
  

Notes

Double or triple the recipe for a party, prep-ahead family snack, or multiple yogurt bowls. 

See variations in the article above for ideas on adding peanut butter, making chocolate yogurt, or making strawberry yogurt dip with preserves (jam).

Nutrition

Calories: 32kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg

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The post Easy Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip (Healthy 2-Minute Recipe) appeared first on Live Simply.

Ingredients For This Parmesan Crisps Recipe

To make parmesan crisps you only need 1 ingredient: Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. That’s it!

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is a traditional cheese with a rich history. “Parmigiano” literally means “from Parma.” In order for a cheese to be called Parmigiano-Reggiano, it must be made using the same strict standards from 1000 years ago and can only be made in the specific provinces in Italy: Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna, and Mantova. This region has the perfect combo of climate, geography, and soil composition that gives this cheese its distinct flavor.

Parmigiano-Reggiano is made with just 3 ingredients and a natural fermentation process that makes the cheese easier to digest, naturally lactose free, and rich in nutrients:

• Milk: According to European law, the milk used to make this cheese must come from cows that eat only hay from local meadows in Italy.
• Mediterranean Salt
• Rennet: A natural enzyme to start the fermentation process. (Learn about fermented foods and why you should eat them.)

Quick Tip…

Don’t settle for imitation parmesan cheese. To find authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano, here’s what to look for:

• An engraved dotted pattern on the rind when buying in a wedge. This engraved pattern tells the story of the cheese: where it was made, how long it was aged, and its official seal of approval from the Italian government. Only the real deal will feature this signature rind.
• The symbol that bears the name of the Consortium “parmigiano-reggiano” official (see second image above). Another label that can be helpful is the DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) label (also seen in the second image above). This is helpful when buying grated cheese.

Step-by-step guide for making easy parmesan cheese crisps…

Step 1: Gather Ingredients

For this recipe, I recommend buying a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and grating it at home. You can make plain cheese crisps or you can flavor the crisps with dried spices, like oregano, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, crushed rosemary, or black pepper. Beyond these ingredients, you’ll also need a sheet pan/baking sheet and either parchment paper or a silicone silpat mat to make it easy to lift the crisps from the baking sheet.

Step 2: Preparation

Use a cheese grater to shred the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. You’ll need 2 cups of cheese to make a half sheet pan of parmesan crisps. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silpat. Transfer the mound of freshly grated cheese to the prepared baking sheet and spread the cheese in a thin layer. If you’re using any dried herbs or black pepper, evenly sprinkle the spices of choice over the cheese.

Step 3: Bake!

Transfer the baking sheet to a hot oven (425F) and let the cheese bake in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted, bubbling, and just beginning to brown on the sides. This happens very fast.

Step 4: Cool and Serve

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let it rest until cool enough to remove the parchment paper or mat from the baking sheet and transfer to a cutting board. Slide the giant parmesan crisp from the paper or mat and blot with a paper towel or cloth to remove extra oils. I’ve found this is the secret to getting the crunch you want.

Once the cheese is fully cool and crisp (as the cheese cools it will crisp up), use a sharp knife to cut the giant crisp into smaller “cheese chips.”

Enjoy the cheese chips immediately or store in an air-tight container at room temperature. The crisps will keep on the counter for about 3 days and, if stored in an airtight container, the crisps should remain crispy.

How to Serve Parmesan Crisps

A few of my favorite ways to enjoy parmesan crisps:

• As a low-carb snack (Keto folks love these chips). Serve like a parmesan chip and dip the crisps in marinara sauce, guacamole, salsa, or hummus.
• Crushed on top of a great salad as a crouton alternative.
• On the side of a soup or crushed over the top of a soup (try adding crisps over roasted tomato soup or this butternut squash soup). The kids love to dip crisps in their soup, because what kid doesn’t love dipping food?
• In the lunchbox as a side or for a school snack. A fun way to add healthy fat and protein.

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Easy Parmesan Crisps Recipe

This parmesan crisps recipe with step by step instructions for how to make easy parmesan crisps is the easiest way to make savory crunchy, cheesy, salty snacks.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword easy parmesan crisps, parmesan crisps recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 24 crisps

Calories 33kcal

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

• 2 cups Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• black pepper (optional)
• garlic powder (optional)
• Italian seasoning oregano, or rosemary (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or silpat baking mat.
• Grate the cheese using a cheese grater. Spread the cheese on the sheet pan, in a single, thin layer. It's okay if there are small gaps in the layer of cheese, it doesn't need to be a heavy layer. The cheese will melt and spread. If you want flavoring, add a few pinches of black pepper, garlic, or Italian seasoning over the top of the cheese.
  2 cups Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, black pepper
• Bake until melted and golden, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the cheese from the oven and allow to cool for about 5-10 minutes, or until you can lift the parchment paper easily and safely from the pan.
• Remove the parchment paper and melted cheese crisp from the pan. Use a paper towel or cloth towel to pat excess oil away from the cheese. Gently flip the cheese and repeat on the other side. Place the giant cheese crisp on a cutting board.
• Once fully cool and crispy, cut the giant cheese crisp into square crackers or chips.
• Place the bite-sized parmesan crisps in an air-tight container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 33kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 134mg | Potassium: 8mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 65IU | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Easy Parmesan Crisps Recipe With Step By Step Instructions appeared first on Live Simply.

Watch: DIY Charcuterie Board Tutorial

What is a Charcuterie Board?

Charcuterie itself is a French term that means the art of preparing meats (particularly pork) such as: bacon, ham, sausage, pate, etc. This word, in French, also refers to a butcher shop, where meats would be cured, made, and sold. These particular meats are very traditional in nature and were a way to preserve a bounty of meat before the age of refrigeration. Something like bacon or prosciutto (an Italian cured meat that dates back to 10BC) would be salted and cured (a natural process that occurs).

These meats, just like with many traditional methods that are trendy today (like sourdough bread and fermenting foods) have been around a very long time and are real foods. (What is real food? Read this.) Yes, there are cured meats that take major shortcuts today (just like with any ultra-processed food knock off of a traditional, real food), but cured meats shouldn’t be feared and cast aside. Curing and fermenting are incredibly traditional and a beautiful way to preserve meat before our modern age or refrigeration.

Today, a charcuterie board is usually a display of meats (and possibly cheese) along with other foods that compliment the meat, such as honey, nuts, olives.

With my DIY take on this traditional concept, I definitely take some liberties with how we make a charcuterie board, getting away from a meat heavy board (which I love, but can be quite expensive) and using whatever is my pantry and fridge to make a “grazing board” that’s inspired by a traditional charcuterie.

How to Pronounce Charcuterie

As an American, this word hasn’t been the easiest for me to pronounce and I still butcher it many times (see what I did there?). I’m not the best person to teach you the authentic way to pronounce charcuterie, but there are several audio lessons you can find online (here’s a great audio lesson).

Tools for Making a Charcuterie Board

Other than some meat, cheese, and whatever else you have in your fridge and pantry, here’s what you’ll need to make a beautiful charcuterie board (or grazing board–which is basically what you do when eating a charcuterie board: graze on all the ingredients and foods!):

• Cutting Board: A medium to large cutting board is ideal. Stick to something that doesn’t have food odors (like garlic) trapped on the board. Other options: a rimmed sheet pan (what you would use for baking) or a large serving tray.
• Serving Utensils: If you choose to use a soft cheese, you’ll need to add a cheese knife or butter knife. And if you have people outside your family enjoying the board, you may want to add little forks for the olives and meats (some people may not love multiple hands on the food).
• Small Bowls: Small bowls work great for olives, nuts, or dips that you may choose to add to the board.

 Charcuterie Board Ingredients

Here are a few ideas for what you can use to make a DIY charcuterie board (grazing board):

• Assorted cut veggies: Cucumbers, snap peas, bell peppers or mini sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes, carrots, kohlrabi, etc. Think about what you have in the fridge and what’s seasonal.
• Assorted cut or whole fruit: Cantaloupe, berries, watermelon, honeydew, grapes, avocado, cherries, etc. Think about what you have in the fridge and what’s seasonal.
• Hummus: Serve plain hummus or add variation by blending up a cooked beet, cooked carrot, or roasted bell pepper.
• Ranch Dip: Homemade ranch is always a favorite to enjoy with cut veggies.
• Pesto: Serve as a dip for veggies, crackers, pita, or toast.
• Guacamole or salsa: Serve with cut veggies and tortilla chips.
• Sourdough toasts: Brush sourdough bread slices with olive oil, and grill or broil until crisp.
• Crackers, tortilla chips, pita bread, or muffins
• Meats: Deli meat, prosciutto or salami or other cured meats, shredded chicken, grilled steak, chicken salad or tuna salad or egg salad, or hard boiled eggs. Think about adding 1-2 meat selections.
• Cheese: Parmigiano-reggiano slices, fresh mozzarella balls, different stinky cheeses (as my kids call them), cheddar, asiago, manchego, soft cheese (like goat cheese), etc. Think about adding 1-2 cheese selections.
• Honey for drizzling: Particularly if serving cheese (so good with a goat cheese or blue cheese).
• Nuts or seeds: Try roasting nuts and seeds in the oven at 325F until fragrant (about 15-20 minutes) or serving raw. Hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews are my favorite.
• Olives or pickles: Serve various olives, pickles, or fermented veggies (like fermented carrots).
• Chocolate of course!

To make a charcuterie board (grazing board), simply mix and match a few options. Serve with napkins or small plates.

Got a picky eater? Try this!

This serving style encourages exploration in children because they’re in charge of what they choose and the beautiful presentation scores some mega points. Remember, we eat with our eyes first. A charcuterie board allows your child to gain exposure to a variety of foods. Exposure is about more than just tasting a food. Exposure is also about finding, seeing, smelling, feeling, chopping, and cooking food. And, remember, a child may need to be exposed to a food 10-15 times before they’re willing to eat it.

If your child is picky about food right now, serve a charcuterie board on the weekend. Let your child pick out a new fruit or vegetable to add to the tray, or a new cheese or meat or dip. Or, ask your child to help cut the veggies or make a dip for the charcuterie board. This is a very non-threatening way to present a new food, or a food that your child has been apprehensive about in the past.

(This style of serving food is also a great way to serve a salad: build your own style. Put everything out and let your family pick and choose how they build their own salad.)

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How to Make an Epic Charcuterie Board with Pantry Ingredients

How to make an epic DIY Charcuterie Board with pantry ingredients! Use what you have in your pantry to create beautiful a charcuterie board.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, French, Italian

Keyword Charcuterie Board, Grazing Board, Snack Board

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

• cut veggies cucumbers, snap peas, bell peppers or mini sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes, carrots, kohlrabi, etc. Think about what you have in the fridge and what’s seasonal.
• cut or whole fruit cantaloupe, berries, watermelon, honeydew, grapes, avocado, cherries, etc. Think about what you have in the fridge and what’s seasonal.
• hummus
• homemade ranch dip homemade ranch is always a favorite to enjoy with cut veggies.
• pesto serve as a dip for veggies, crackers, pita, or toast.
• guacamole serve with cut veggies and tortilla chips.
• salsa serve with cut veggies and tortilla chips.
• sourdough toasts brush sourdough bread slices with olive oil, and grill or broil until crisp.
• Crackers, tortilla chips, pita bread, or muffins
• meats deli meat, prosciutto or salami or other cured meats, shredded chicken, grilled steak, chicken salad or tuna salad or egg salad, or hard boiled eggs. Think about adding 1-2 meat selections.
• cheese parmigiano-reggiano slices, fresh mozzarella balls, different stinky cheeses (as my kids call them), cheddar, asiago, manchego, soft cheese (like goat cheese), etc. Think about adding 1-2 cheese selections.
• honey for drizzling particularly if serving cheese (so good with a goat cheese or blue cheese).
• nuts or seeds try roasting nuts and seeds in the oven at 325F until fragrant (about 15-20 minutes) or serving raw. Hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews are my favorite.
• olives or pickles
• chocolate

Instructions

• To make a charcuterie board (grazing board), simply mix and match a few options.
• Serve with napkins or small plates.

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The post How Make an Epic Charcuterie Board with Pantry Ingredients appeared first on Live Simply.

I made this salad for our family’s Easter dinner and everyone raved about it, so I just had to share with you. This simple salad is a fun twist on a fruit salad. The melon salad comes together in under 20 minutes and can be prepped in advance for a summer gathering or breakfast. Summer is the ideal time to make this salad, since melons are in season and at their sweetest.

How to Make Prosciutto and Melon Salad

To make a prosciutto and melon salad, start with a melon or melons of your choice. You can use just honeydew or cantaloupe or a mixture of both. Personally, I love the look of both the cantaloupe and honeydew since the color really makes this salad a showstopper. Flavor-wise, both melons bring a refreshing, sweet flavor. I recommend placing the melon(s) in the fridge before cutting, if you plan to serve the salad right after prepping.

Here’s how easy it is to make this salad…

• First, use a melon scooper to scoop melon balls into a bowl or a serving platter. If you don’t have a melon scooper, simply cut the melon into bite-sized chunks.
• Next, scatter 8 ounces of mozzarella balls over the melon. Then arrange 3-4 ounces of prosciutto slices throughout the salad. (I like to break the slices in half with my hand so there’s not such big pieces of prosciutto in the salad). Both of these ingredients add a savory, salty flavor to balance out the sweet melon.
• Then, make the dressing by combining olive oil, lemon, and honey in a small bowl. The olive oil and lemon add a nice acidic flavor to the salad, which balances with the sweet and salty ingredients. Pour the salad dressing over the prosciutto and melon salad. There’s no need to toss anything, but you’re welcome to do so if you want.
• Finally, sprinkle mint over the salad to add a refreshing mint flavor.

Serving Ideas

This salad really has so many uses. The salad works well for a main or a side. Here are a few ideas…

• Bring this salad to a summer party or gathering. This would be such a showstopper for a backyard barbecue or baby shower.
• Make this salad for a weekend lunch. Serve it alongside a sandwich or wrap, some grilled chicken or fish, or as-is.
• Make this salad for dinner, alongside a grilled protein or something like this Instant Pot southern pulled chicken. <–All the backyard summer feels!
• Make this salad for breakfast or brunch, alongside maybe this frittata or this egg casserole or French Toast.

Time-Saving Tips for Making This Salad in Advance

A prosciutto and melon salad is super easy to toss together, since there’s no cooking required and not much prep involved, aside from some scooping of melon. If you’re looking for ways to save time or make this salad in advance for a party, backyard gathering, or a weeknight dinner, here are some ideas…

• Buy Pre-Cut Melon: You don’t have to scoop the melon into balls. That just adds a fancy and visual aspect to the salad. Instead, save time by purchasing pre-cut melon in the produce department at the store. You may just need to cut the chunks a bit smaller so they’re bite-sized.
• Prep the Salad Ingredients in Advance: I don’t recommend prepping the full salad in advance, because once the prosciutto and mozzarella are added this salad is meant to be consumed within a few hours. That said, you can make the salad dressing a couple of days in advance and store it in the fridge (just know it will solidify and you’ll need to shake it or let it sit at room temperature to bring it back to a liquid dressing). You may also cut the melon up to about 3 days in advance and store in an air-tight container or buy pre-cut melon.

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Prosciutto and Melon Salad with Honey Vinaigrette

A refreshing summer salad made with seasonal melon, mozzarella balls, prosciutto, mint, and a homemade honey vinaigrette. Serve as a side or a main.

Course Appetizer, dinner, lunch, Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword Prosciutto and Melon Salad

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings, or more for a side salad

Calories 66kcal

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

• 1 cantaloupe or honeydew OR 1/2 a honeydew and 1/2 a cantaloupe
• 1 8-ounce container mozzarella balls such as: small pearls or ciliegin style. If you can only find a large ball, tear into smaller pieces.
• 1 3-4 ounce package prosciutto
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Honey Vinaigrette Dressing

• 2 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 1-2 TB honey a light colored honey is best

Instructions

• Scoop the melon into bite-sized balls using a melon scooper. Alternatively, chop the melon into cubes. Place the balls or cubes in a serving bowl or on a platter.
• Scatter the mozzarella balls and prosciutto slices over the melon. Sprinkle the mint over the top.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the salad dressing, tasting to adjust as desired. Add more honey or lemon juice, if desired, to balance the flavor to your liking.
• Drizzle the salad dressing over the salad. Serve within a few hours of making this salad.

Nutrition

Calories: 66kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 203mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2395IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

More Summer Salads To Make

Below you’ll find a few of my favorite salads to make during the summer.

How to Build a Great Salad That Doesn’t Taste Like Crap 

Just say no to boring salads this summer with this salad guide. I’ll show you how to make a nutrient-dense, delicious salad without a recipe. Get the recipe…

Master Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

One recipe with so many custom flavor options. Start with the simple ingredient base and build from there. Get the recipe…

Marinated Chickpea Salad 

A make-ahead salad for lunch or dinner. Made with chickpeas, red onion, tomatoes, and mozzarella balls. Get the recipe…

Cucumber Salad 

One of my most popular recipes. Combine cucumbers, red onion, feta, chickpeas, and a homemade vinaigrette for a summer-inspired salad. Get the recipe…

Kale and Romaine Caesar Salad 

My favorite salad. Serve it as-is or add a protein like chicken or steak for a hearty meal. Get the recipe…

The post Prosciutto and Melon Salad with Honey Vinaigrette appeared first on Live Simply.

Florida moves to beat of her own drum and our seasons certainly are proof of this. While most of the country is enjoying cooler temperatures and will soon face the closure of many outdoor farmer’s markets, our farmer’s market season is just getting started. Here in Florida, the season runs from October through May.

During these months, I do most of my shopping at the farmer’s market. We’re part of a CSA program for both produce and meat (including eggs) and the market is the pick up location for both programs. With both CSA programs, I pay in advance and receive produce throughout the season along with my choice of pasture-raised meats and eggs.

Getting out of the grocery store for the bulk of our produce and meat, and joining a CSA and shopping at a farmer’s market, has been one of the best moves we ever made on our real food journey. Purchasing veggies, in particular, this way has opened my eyes and tastebuds to produce that I never would have seen or purchased from the store.

I’ve also learned about seasons (yes, even in Florida we have seasons for food) and how to enjoy a variety of foods in a variety of ways throughout each season. Did you know even milk and eggs are seasonal? This is the way we were intended to eat. This is what sustainable, real food looks like. It has a rhythm, a seasonal pattern, and our bodies need the variety of nutrients presented with each new season.

If you’re interested in learning more about CSA programs, check out this post. I share all the details from how to find one in your area to the cost.

As I mentioned, tomatoes are currently in season and my favorite way to use tomatoes, particularly cherry or grape tomatoes, is to roast them up. Let’s talk about how to roast the very best tomatoes and how to use them! Trust me, you need to try roasting tomatoes. Once you do, they will quickly become a favorite in your home.

To roast tomatoes, line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Then place whole (or cut) tomatoes and a few garlic cloves on a sheet pan and drizzle with a generous amount of quality extra virgin olive oil. Then generously sprinkle with salt (I like real salt). If you want something extra, sprinkle the tomatoes and garlic with dried spices, like basil or oregano.

(After our recent trip to Italy, I’ve become a bit of an olive oil connoisseur, or at least I’m trying to be. Currently, this Italian olive oil and Jovial brand are my favorites.)

Once the tomatoes and garlic have been showered in olive oil and salt, place the sheet pan in the oven and roast the tomatoes at 425F for 25ish minutes. As the tomatoes cook, the tomatoes will soften and begin to brown on the skin, shrivel up, and sweeten (due to the high heat).

Roasting tomatoes brings out a deliciously-distinct flavor profile than you’ll find with raw tomatoes. Roasting veggies brings out their natural sweetness and this certainly is evident with tomatoes. If you don’t like raw tomatoes, try roasting them! I think you’ll change your stance on not liking tomatoes. I recommend this for all veggies and veggie skeptics.

• Serve roasted tomatoes on top of a toasted baguette with pesto or ricotta: This may feel more like an appetizer but I serve this often for dinner. Add some prosciutto and salad on the side (use this ultimate salad guide to build a great salad), and you’ve got yourself an amazing dinner. Even the kids love this dinner. Don’t want to use ricotta or pesto? Use burrata (a creamy mozzarella) instead.
• Roasted tomato soup: Add a red pepper and onion and dried herbs to the sheet pan. Roast the ingredients and then blend them with broth for a flavorful tomato soup. Here’s my recipe for roasted tomato soup.
• Roasted tomato salsa: Roast up tomatoes with a poblano pepper and then blend up the ingredients to make the most incredible salsa. Try this recipe and the sheet pan fajitas that pair perfectly with the salsa.

• Mix with pasta: Toss the roasted tomatoes with your favorite pasta (I love Jovial brand) and add some shaved parmesan cheese and torn basil. If you’re feeling extra green, add some homemade pesto.
• Make summer pasta: Roast up zucchini with the tomatoes, then toss with arugula and pasta. Try this recipe.
• Frittata filling: Make a frittata (egg dish) with roasted tomatoes. This is a great breakfast to prep ahead or make on the weekend. Try this recipe for a roasted tomato and zucchini frittata.
• Make roasted tomato-basil hummus: Hummus and roasted tomatoes? Yep, the best of both worlds combine to make a savory, veggie-rich hummus. Give this recipe a try.
• Make prep-ahead lunch bowls: Chicken and veggie pesto bowls are a delicious way to use roasted tomatoes to make a prep-ahead lunch. Get the recipe.

• Fridge: Store roasted tomatoes in their juices (leftover from roasting) for up to 5 days in an air-tight container in the fridge. Use the tomatoes in any of the ways suggested above. You can enjoy roasted tomatoes cold or reheated. To reheat, warm them up in a skillet on the stove-top.
• Freezer: Store roasted tomatoes in their juices (leftover from roasting) for up to 10 months in an air-tight container or bag in the freezer. Defrost the tomatoes in the fridge and then reheat (in a skillet on the stove-top) or serve cold.

• Fermented Salsa: This probiotic-rich, gut-loving salsa is a family favorite. Even if you don’t have any prior fermentation experience, you can make this salsa. Plus, kids love it so this is a great introduction to fermented foods for the littles. Make this fermented salsa.
• Tomato and Cucumber Panzanella: A classic summer panzanella made with homemade croutons, grape or cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and fresh basil. Make this salad.
• Fresh tomatoes as a snack with homemade ranch dressing: There’s no need to actually do anything with fresh, in-season tomatoes. They are flavorful on their own. Simply serve tomatoes with with ranch dressing as a snack or as the veggie in the lunchbox.

Print

Roasted Tomatoes

The best way to enjoy tomatoes (of all kinds), in my opinion. This easy-to-make recipe is super versatile. Toss the tomatoes with pasta, make a soup, or enjoy on a crusty baguette.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword Roasted Tomatoes

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 1 pint

Calories 351kcal

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, see note below if using Roma or slicer tomatoes*
• 4-6 garlic cloves peeled and left whole or cut any large garlic cloves in half, add as many cloves as desired
• 2 TB extra virgin olive oil
• salt to taste

Special Equipment:

• sheet pan
• parchment paper

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425F.
• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper (for easy cleanup). Place the tomatoes and garlic cloves on the sheet pan.
• Drizzle olive oil evenly over the tomatoes and garlic. The oil should evenly coat the tomatoes and garlic. You can use your hands to toss the tomatoes and garlic in the oil, if needed.
• Generously sprinkle the tomatoes with salt. You can always add more salt after roasting, too.
• Place the sheet pan in the oven and roast the tomatoes for 25 minutes, or until soft, beginning to burst, and brown in spots. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

How to Use:

• Use the roasted tomatoes immeadiately to make tomato soup (will need to add a pepper and onion to the mix when roasting), to make salsa (will need to add a poblano pepper when roasting), or toss with cooked pasta (add pesto for even more flavor), to make prep-ahead lunch bowls, or served on top of a toasted baguette (add ricotta or burrata cheese to the bread before topping with tomatoes for extra yum). Or, allow the tomatoes to cool and store in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. Serve the tomatoes cold or reheat in a skillet on the stove-top.

Notes

*Use any variety of tomatoes: cherry, grape, Roma, or slicer tomatoes. For cherry and grape tomatoes, you don't need to cut the tomatoes. Roast them up whole. For Roma tomatoes, cut the tomatoes in half and roast flesh-side down and roast according to the directions above. For large slicer tomatoes, quarter the tomatoes and roast according the directions above. I like to roast 2 pints of tomatoes for pasta. This recipe may easily be doubled based on the amount of tomatoes desired. 

Nutrition

Calories: 351kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 55mg | Potassium: 1080mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 2314IU | Vitamin C: 112mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 3mg

The post How to Roast Tomatoes (Quick, Easy, and Flavorful) appeared first on Live Simply.

This isn’t just any normal salsa; it’s the best fermented salsa. A probiotic powerhouse salsa with live cultures and the most amazing flavor!

You don’t need any fermentation experience to make this easy recipe. My recipe uses a quick ferment process (ready in a couple days) and requires no special equipment. Made with fresh tomatoes, garlic, onions, cilantro, salt, and lime juice. 

Salsa Ingredients 

• 2 lbs of tomatoes (cherry or grape tomatoes work best), chopped 
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-2 hot peppers, such as: jalapeno pepper, poblano pepper, or serrano pepper, chopped (all based on personal taste; the fermentation process mellows the pepper taste so you won’t end up with a super spicy salsa)
• 2 fresh cilantro bunches, chopped
• 1 medium red onion or yellow onion, chopped (about 1-2 cups once chopped, depending on taste preference)
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 tablespoon fine salt

Tools Needed 

• 1 large bowl for mixing the ingredients together
• 2 liter tall glass jar with an air-tight lid (such as a mason jar) OR a fermentation jar with fermentation lid 
• 1 weight to weigh down the vegetables and submerge them under the surface of the liquid (weight examples: half a bell pepper, cabbage leaf, half an onion, a clean stone, or fermentation weight)

Time-Saving Tip: Use a food processor or blender to chop the tomatoes, garlic, pepper, and cilantro. Pulse the vegetables a few times (don’t blend non-stop) until chopped. This will make for a more blended (less chunky) salsa, too.

How to Make the Best Salsa (Instructions & Photos)

The Easy Process: Making fermented salsa is a super easy process (perfect for first time fermenters). If you can chop tomatoes and onions, and mince garlic, you can ferment salsa. You don’t need any special fermentation tools, a culture or whey, or prior fermentation experience. Below, you’ll find full instructions and photos to guide you.

Step-by-Step Instructions

• Step 1 Combine the Vegetables, Salt, Lime Juice in a Bowl: Cut the tomatoes into small pieces, chop the onion and spicy pepper, mince the garlic, and chop the cilantro. Add the ingredients to a large bowl, along with lime juice and salt. Mix the ingredients together.
• Step 2 Add the Vegetables to the Fermentation Jar: Add the vegetables to a tall glass jar (whatever you’ll be using to ferment the salsa). Once you’ve added the salsa ingredients to the jar, add the juice/brine found at the bottom of the bowl to the jar. Push the salsa down with your hand (fist) to ensure the veggies are fully covered in the juice/brine. This takes some faith at first, because it doesn’t seem like there’s very much juice/brine compared to veggies. But, trust me, there’s enough juice/brine to cover the veggies.
• Step 3 Add a Weight to the Jar: Once the veggies are fully submerged in the brine, add a weight on top to keep the vegetables submerged in the liquid. You can use half of a bell pepper, a clean rock, a cabbage leaf: anything that will keep the veggies underneath the juice/brine.
• Step 4 Seal the Jar & Ferment For 2 Days: Tightly seal the jar and place in a spot that’s away from direct sunlight. Ferment the salsa at room temperature for 2 day (48 hours). You should notice, after about 24 hours, small bubbles begin to form in the salsa. This is part of the fermentation process as it comes “alive” and the beneficial bacteria works to ferment the vegetables. The bubbles won’t be super fizzy or aggressive, but should be apparent. 
• Step 5 Enjoy & Store in the Fridge: After 2 days, the salsa is ready to enjoy. At this point, you can immeadiately open the jar and eat the salsa or store the salsa in the fridge. Either way, open the jar and remove the weight.

How to Serve & Enjoy

I can’t guarantee that your family will love fermented salsa, but I can say from experience that my family remains very apprehensive about fermented veggies but loves this recipe.

Sauerkraut, kimchi, or the fermented carrots that I purchase at market? Nope, they’re skeptics. Salsa, on the other hand, has been the key to introducing fermented veggies into their diet. Even Dustin, a picky eater when it comes to ferments, loves this salsa and asks for second and third helpings.

Here are a few of our favorite ways to enjoy this salsa…

• Perfect accompaniment to tortilla chips for snacking
• On top of homemade chicken nachos 
• On top of ground beef tacos 
• With sheet pan chicken fajitas 
• On top of ground beef quesadillas 
• on top of ground beef taquitos
• On top of homemade enchiladas
• In a school lunch with tortillas chips  

Helpful Questions & Answers

Can I use canned tomatoes to make this salsa? 

I haven’t used canned vegetables to make this salsa or any lacto-fermented foods. I recommend only using fresh produce to make this salsa. Save the canned tomatoes for spaghetti sauce and chili or “normal salsa.” 

Can I reduce the salt or make this recipe without salt? 

No, salt is vital to the fermentation process. Salt is what keeps the bad bacteria from overtaking the ferment. The amount of salt used is perfect for the amount of vegetables used.

My salsa has been sitting on the counter for 2 days and isn’t bubbly, what should I do? 

Fermentation timing depends on the temperature in your home. During the summer, when your home is warm, the salsa may ferment quickly, in just 24-36 hours. In the winter, when your home is cold, it may take longer. Bacteria thrives in a warm environment. Placing the jar in a warmer area (near a lamp or away from a cold draft) will help speed up the fermentation process.

My salsa has a tangy flavor. Why? 

A tangy taste is normal for fermented foods. If the salsa is too tangy, you may need to reduce the fermentation time in the future (your home was probably very warm and the salsa fermented quickly). The amount of time it takes to ferment salsa all depends on the temperature outside the jar: a warm environment will cause the salsa to ferment very quickly and the longer it ferments the more tangy the flavor. This isn’t bad or unsafe, just part of the fermentation process. 

Why Ferment Salsa?

1. Fermented salsa tastes amazing

• Fermentation adds a deliciously tangy flavor to foods. That’s all thanks to the bacteria and natural yeasts at work.
• Fermentation takes cabbage, in the case of sauerkraut, and turns it into a slightly sweet and tangy food. It takes tea and sugar, in the case of kombucha, and makes a bubbly, slightly sour tea. In the case of salsa, fermentation offers a slightly tangy flavor that’s hard to resist.

2. Gut Health & Probiotics

• When you ferment fresh salsa, you end up with a bacteria-rich food. And do you know what thrives on good bacteria? Your gut (and immune system).
• Having a gut that’s healthy and thriving is important. This is why people take probiotic pills. And while I certainly think supplements have their time and place, I believe food should always be our #1 source when possible. Instead of instantly turning to a pill, we need to get back to consuming fermented foods, just like our ancestors did for thousands of years.
• An easy, natural, and budget-friendly way to populate your gut with good bacteria is to consume more fermented foods in your daily diet. This could include fermented cheese (real cheese, not a cheese product), yogurt, sauerkraut, salsa, kimchi, and kefir (make ranch dressing with kefir).

3. Fermentation preserves the salsa 

• For thousands of years, people have fermented foods. Before refrigeration, fermentation played a major role in preserving a bountiful harvest (from the garden) or a large amount of milk (which would be turned into cheese).
• Fermentation encourages the growth of good bacteria so the bad bacteria doesn’t take over (causing food to spoil and rot).
• If you make regular salsa, it will likely go bad within a few days. When you ferment salsa, you extend the life of the salsa for up to a couple of months. 

What Else Can You Ferment?

Once you make fermented salsa, and realize just how easy it is to make your own probiotic-rich, fermented foods, you may want to branch out and try making other ferments.

I’m still in the branching out phase. I’m slowly learning how to do more, and with each success my fermentation confidence grows. Here are a few ideas for what else you can ferment…

Fermented Recipes

• Yogurt: Make homemade yogurt in the slow-cooker or use the Instant Pot yogurt method. 
• Ranch Dressing: Use fermented kefir (a dairy product) to make homemade ranch!
• Sourdough Bread: Of course, the most iconic of all fermented foods. 
• Fermented Carrots: Next on my list to make. I love the fermented carrots found at the market (from St. Pete Ferments), now it’s time to make my own.
• Fermented Salsa Verde: Branch out from red salsa with this green salsa made with tomatillos.
• Ginger Bug: This is another ferment on my list to try.
• Kefir: One of the easiest ferments you can make. Use kefir to make smoothies (as all or just some of the liquid), yogurt sticks, or Ranch.
• Sauerkraut: A classic and so easy to make.

Print

Fermented Salsa

The best homemade salsa you'll ever make and eat, and it's full of probiotic goodness. Super easy! No prior fermentation skills or special equipment needed.

Course Condiment, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword fermented salsa, lacto-fermented salsa

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Fermentation Time 2 days days

Servings 6 cups

Calories 47kcal

Author Kristin Marr

Equipment

• 1 large bowl (for mixing the vegetables)
• 1 2-liter glass jar with an air-tight lid OR fermentation jar with lid (for fermenting the salsa)
• 1 weight such as: half a bell pepper, cabbage leaf, half an onion, a clean stone, or fermentation weight (to submerge the salsa in the liquid)

Ingredients

• 2 lbs cherry or grape tomatoes chopped
• 6 garlic cloves minced, or to taste
• 1-2 jalapeño pepper chopped, or a serrano pepper or poblano pepper
• 2 cilantro bunches chopped, just the leaves not the stems, depending on taste preference. I like a lot of cilantro. You could also skip the cilantro if desired.
• 1 medium red onion chopped (about 1-2 cups once chopped, depending on taste preference)
• 2 limes juiced
• 1 TB salt I use a fine salt (meaning the grind is fine, not coarse). Use a mineral-rich salt, like Redmond's Real Salt.

Instructions

• To a large bowl, add the chopped tomatoes, minced garlic cloves, jalapeño pepper, cilantro, red onion, lime juice, and salt. Toss to thoroughly combine.
• Taste the salsa. It should be salty, but not overpowering. If you can't taste the salt at all, add a few more pinches. You don't want a super salty salsa, but you should taste the salt. The salt is key in aiding the fermentation process and keeping the "bad bacteria" from populating. I usually add a bit more salt, after the initial 1 tablespoon. Use your sense of taste as your guide.
• Add the salsa to an air-tight glass jar. I use a 2 liter jar from Fido (pictured in this post). Ball Jars also work well. You may also divide the mixture between two jars, if needed.
• Once all the salsa is added to the jar, add the brine/juice left at the bottom of the bowl to the jar.
• Press the salsa down in the jar so the veggies are fully submerged in the juice/brine. Then add your weight of choice. I've been using half a bell pepper as a weight. This is used to keep the veggies fully submerged in the juice/brine. The weight, if perishable, will be tossed at the end of the fermentation process (unless you're using a stone).
• Tightly seal the jar and place in a spot that's away from direct sunlight. Ferment the salsa at room temperature for 2 day (48 hours). You should notice, after about 24 hours, that bubbles begin to form in the salsa. This is part of the fermentation process as it comes "alive." The bubbles won't be super fizzy or aggressive, but should be apparent.
• After 2 days, your salsa is ready to enjoy. At this point, you can immeadiately open the jar and eat the salsa or store the salsa in the fridge (it will keep for a couple of months). Either way, open the jar and remove the weight. If you choose to store the salsa in the fridge, the fermentation process slows down, but the flavor will continue to develop so keep this in mind.
• Use this salsa just like any fresh salsa: topped on quesadillas, taquitos, or enchiladas, in tacos, with tortilla chips, etc.

Notes

I’ve purposely adapted this recipe to make a large amount because…

• we go through this salsa quickly 
• it does take some time to chop the veggies and I want to use my time wisely (making enough to last multiple snacks and meals) 
• it keeps in the fridge for a couple of months, so there’s no need to use it up super fast

You’re welcome to adjust the amounts as needed, just remember to also adjust the salt amount. 

Nutrition

Calories: 47kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1181mg | Potassium: 391mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 820IU | Vitamin C: 46.2mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1.3mg

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The post Fermented Salsa: The Best Homemade Salsa You’ll Ever Eat appeared first on Live Simply.

Friend, I’m here to say that, first of all, real food is about so much more than just salads or kale. We’re not going to dive deep into this chat today, but if you want to learn more about what food is, what food is not, and what real food looks like, I created this blogpost for you.

Second, green salads shouldn’t be boring, gross, a punishment, or consumed out of obligation. A salad should be something that’s incredibly delicious, satisfying, and desirable.

So many salads (too many in my opinion) just aren’t that desirable. Most of the time, they’re made with the same four ingredients: a few super dry shredded carrots, a couple of huge grape tomatoes (how does one fit this large tomato in the mouth, along with lettuce?), and a sea of romaine lettuce leaves. Then, to top if off, salads are usually served with a dressing that’s far from fresh and flavorful.

Maybe you’re reading this and thinking, Man, this girl has an issue with salad.

Or, maybe you’re nodding your head and saying, Yes, girl! What’s up with tasteless and boring green salads?

No matter which camp you’re in right now, I want to show you how to make a green salad that doesn’t taste like crap. In other words (in a language that my mom may be more improving of), let’s talk about how to make an incredible green salad that’s far from bland or boring.

1. Fresh Ingredients Matter

Quality ingredients that are fresh and in-season are going to taste 1000 times better than any veggie or fruit that was picked before its prime and then shipped from halfway across the world.  If you’ve been following me over the past year, particularly on Instagram, then you know that I’m a huge advocate for shopping seasonally, particularly from local farms or farmers markets. When you shop local,  you’re getting the freshest, most seasonal food. You’re enjoying food that’s essentially grown in your backyard. And this freshness is reflected in the taste.

If you can, get out of the grocery store this season and find a local farmer’s market, farm, or a produce stand. Here are a few ways to find local farms and farmers markets in your area:

• Weston A Price Chapter Leader: There are various “leaders” throughout the country. These leaders are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to finding local food sources in your area. And don’t feel weird about reaching out to a leader–this is their passion and the reason their contact information is listed on the website.
• Localharvest.org: An online database for farms and farmers markets. Find farmer’s markets, farms, and CSA communities (community supported agriculture) in your area.
• Eatwild.com: Another online database for farms and farmers markets, dedicated to helping people find local grass-fed meat, eggs, and dairy.

You can still build an incredible salad without visiting a farm or farmers market. To do this, focus on picking out the freshest ingredients available in the store, and think seasonally. If the romaine doesn’t look crisp and fresh, try using a different green or a mixture of greens, like watercress and butter lettuce. Use a seasonal produce guide when shopping in a grocery store. This will ensure that you’re getting the freshest produce for your salad, which means you’re also buying the most flavorful produce available. This also means you’ll avoid a salad rut, because you’ll be forced to think about using a variety of ingredients versus always reaching for tomatoes and shredded carrots.

2. Avoid Packaged Greens and Veggies

Pre-shredded, pre-chopped veggies and bagged leafy greens (the ones already cut for you) are great to use if you’re limited on time, but if you want the most flavorful salad, think about buying whole ingredients and cutting them yourself. Prep these ingredients in advance, at home, if you want to save time. For example: cut or shred the carrots and radishes and cut the cucumbers.

3. Make your own salad dressing

A salad dressing will make or break a salad. For this reason, I recommend making your own dressing. I know, you’re probably thinking, What?! First a farmers market and now homemade salad dressing?

Hold on, stick with me…

Most store-bought salad dressings are far from simple, real foods. Most are made with preservatives (which is understandable for a product that needs to last many years), hydrogenated oils, and even artificial colors and flavors. Next time you’re in a grocery store, even a place like Whole Foods, pick up a few salad dressing options and read the ingredient lists. It’s an eye-opening experience.

Aside from this, homemade salad dressing just tastes better than anything you’ll find in a store! Homemade dressing, particularly a homemade vinaigrette, is fresh and easy to customize. Once you get the basics down—mixing oil and vinegar with salt—you can customize your dressing. During market season, add fresh herbs to your dressing. In the winter, go with dried herbs from your pantry stock. Want a creamy vinaigrette? Add tahini or mustard. Want more of a honey-mustard vinaigrette? Add honey and mustard to the oil and vinegar or lemon juice base.

Of course, there are other homemade salad dressing options as well. We’ll talk more about dressing options later.

4. Mix Your Greens

We’ll talk more about this later, but it’s worth noting here. I think one of the reasons that people find salad to be boring is because most salads lack flavor and variety. To keep things from getting boring, think about variety, even with the greens you use. Sure, there’s romaine and iceberg lettuce and spring mix, but there’s also green and red leaf, butter and bibb, spinach, and arugula. Choose one leafy green or use a variety.

5. Dry Your Greens Thoroughly  

No one wants soggy greens. It’s super important to have dry leafy greens when making a green salad. Why? Because if water is left on the greens, the dressing won’t stick to the greens. The extra water will make your salad dressing taste bland, due to the added water content in your salad. Just say no to wet greens and thoroughly dry them before tossing the greens with the rest of the ingredients and dressing.

6. Use a Variety of Ingredients, Cut in a Variety of Ways 

Think about variety in terms of taste and texture. Use fresh fruits, veggies, fresh herbs, nuts, dried fruits, crispy chickpeas or homemade croutons, protein, and/or cheese to add variety to your salad. We’ll talk more about all the variety options later. And think about how to add variety in the way you cut and prepare your ingredients: thinly sliced, shaved, chopped, julienned, left whole, etc.

OXO Produce Keeper

I use these boxes for storing leafy greens. They are the best thing I’ve found for keeping my leafy greens fresh for at least a week, usually two. The boxes uses a coconut-based charcoal filter to absorb the gases let off by produce which in turn causes the produce to rot prematurely. I prefer the medium-size box. I purchased my boxes (I have two) for Amazon. You can also find them at Target.

Salad Spinner

This is one of the most-used tools in my kitchen. I use this tool to soak and clean berries and fruit (or small veggies) and leafy greens. For leafy greens, I prefer to wash my greens just before use, and then use a salad spinner to dry the greens.

If you don’t have a salad spinner (yet), wrap washed greens in a kitchen towel, fold up the corners, and swirl it over your head (like a cowboy with a lasso).

Mandoline

When it comes to veggies and fruits, think about how you can slice, chop, and dice them to create a variety of textures. Using a mandoline to slice veggies and some fruits is a great way to add slightly different textures to your salads.

Veggie Peeler

A veggie peeler is a great tool for, of course, peeling carrots or the skin off cucumbers. But it’s also a fabulous tool to help you make carrot ribbons for a salad, or add thin slices of a hard cheese like: cheddar, parmesan, or asiago.

Storage Jar for Salad Dressing

I don’t want to make a homemade salad dressing every time we enjoy a salad, so I usually make one salad dressing on Sunday afternoon (or for dinner once during the week) and then reuse that salad dressing over and over again throughout the week. I recommend keeping a mason jar around for making and storing homemade dressing. A clean glass jam jar also works well for this.

Start with Greens

Think about leafy greens as the base of your green salad. A few options, include:

• romaine lettuce: a sweet leafy green with a slight crunch
• green and red leaf lettuce: a sweet, delicate leafy green
• Boston, butter and bibb lettuce: a slightly sweet leafy green with tender leaves (my favorite leafy green)
• baby spinach: a delicate leafy green with an earthy flavor
• baby kale: a delicate leafy green with an earthy flavor
• arugula: a delicate leafy green with a peppery flavor
• watercress: a delicate leafy green with a hot, peppery flavor
• You can also use mature kale (the kale most of us find in stores), but I recommend sticking with Lacinato kale and always massaging the kale down in a bowl with a few sprinkles of salt before adding other greens and toppings. This salad recipe is the perfect example of how to do this.

Think about using one leafy green, or a variety of greens mixed together. I like to add just a few cups of lettuce and then focus on additional ingredients (like veggies, fruits, nuts or seeds, herbs, etc.). I think one reason many people don’t like salad is because most salads are lettuce heavy, meaning it’s all lettuce and very little toppings. Maybe that’s because toppings are generally seen as “less healthy” thanks to ultra-processed bacon bits and shelf-stable croutons. But that’s not the case when adding real toppings.

Veggies

Veggies are where it’s at when it comes to adding texture to your green salad. Yes, there are tomatoes and cucumbers, which are lovely. But think beyond just these ingredients. Try adding a couple (or a few) different veggies to your salad and think about mixing and matching the texture of the veggies. A few options:

• fennel: thinly sliced (use a mandoline)
• celery: chopped
• carrots: cut into sticks, thinly sliced (use a mandoline), thinly sliced into long ribbons (use a veggie peeler), chopped
• cucumbers: cut into sticks, thinly sliced (use a mandoline), thinly sliced into long ribbons (use a veggie peeler), or chopped
• kohlrabi: thinly sliced (use a mandoline)
• tomatoes: halved or whole grape or cherry tomatoes, or chopped or sliced heirloom tomatoes
• thinly sliced (use a mandoline) or chopped bell pepper or mini sweet peppers
• snap peas: one of my favorite veggies because of the crunch, chopped or thinly sliced
• radishes: thinly sliced (use a mandoline)
• green onions (white and green parts): sliced
• red onions: thinly sliced

Try slicing these veggies in a variety of ways. Use a veggie peeler to create carrot ribbons. And use a mandoline to create thin slices of radishes, cucumbers, kholarbi, and fennel. Try halving grape tomatoes, or leaving them whole.

And think beyond just raw veggies. Try roasting a tray of veggies, like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, white potatoes, beets, carrots, shallots, and/or asparagus. This roasted veggie salad (with steak) is a great example. Or try this vegetarian-friendly roasted veggie salad.

Microgreens, Shoots, Sprouts, or Fresh Herbs

This category of greens should be used in a smaller quantity than the lettuce and other leafy greens mentioned above. This tender and bold group offers a ton of flavor. Think about adding one or multiple chopped fresh herbs, such as:

• mint
• basil
• parsley
• chives

If I have fresh herbs on hand, I usually add up to 1/4 cup of herbs to a large salad. If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can add dried herbs (just a few pinches, such as: oregano, parsley, Italian Seasoning).

Microgreens, sprouts (like sunflower seed sprouts), shoots (like pea shoots), or bitter greens (like sliced endive or radicchio leaves) add variety to a salad. Some of these greens can be bitter or feel more rustic, so a small amount can go a long way. My farmers market also sells edible flowers, which are another fun addition to a green salad.

Fruit

Adding fresh fruit to a green salad can add the perfect amount of subtle, natural sweetness. Think seasonally here, as that’s going to guarantee that you’re getting the tastiest and freshest fruit. Add just one fruit to a green salad, or a couple of fruits. A few options, include:

• pomegranate seeds
• sliced or chopped avocado
• sliced peaches
• chopped or thinly sliced apples (use a mandoline)
• chopped or sliced pears
• berries: strawberries (delicious with roasted beets), blueberries, and raspberries
• sliced mango

Another option is dried fruits, like: cranberries or cherries.

Extra Crunch

Lots of things can be lumped into this broad category. This category includes anything you may want to add to a salad to give it that extra crunch. If you add crunchy veggies to your salad, you may not want to add any extra crunch. But if everything you’ve added is very soft and tender, you may want to add some extra crunch for balance and variety. Here are some extra (non-veggie or fruit) crunch options:

• nuts or seeds: raw or toasted, such as: pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, pistachios. (To toast nuts or seeds at home, place them on a sheet pan and bake at 325F for 15-20, until fragrant.)
• hemp seeds
• sesame seeds
• Grains: cooked quinoa, einkorn (yes, the actual grain, not the flour), millet, bulgur, or barley
• crispy chickpeas: this is my go-to option! So good, so crunchy. To make crispy chickpeas, add about 1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas to a sheet pan. Toss with a bit of olive oil (a couple of tablespoons). Bake at 400F until crispy. I use chickpeas cooked in my Instant Pot.
• tortilla or corn chips: this is a great topping for a taco salad. Add crushed tortilla chips or corn chips to the top of a salad. I like Siete, Jackson’s Honest, or RW Garica brands.
• homemade croutons

Protein

For a heartier salad that’s more of a complete meal, think about adding a protein. This may look like:

• smoked salmon: found in most grocery stores
• home-cooked salmon: grilled or baked salmon, then shred and add to the salad
• tuna: canned tuna, or even a scoop of tuna salad
• ground beef: for a taco salad
• shredded or sliced chicken: roast up a chicken and use some of the shredded meat in a salad, or cook a couple of chicken breasts and slice
• chopped home-cooked bacon
• hard boiled eggs: halved or sliced. I love to use the Instant Pot to make perfect eggs.
• cheese: my favorite salad addition

Cheese

And now we’ve come to my favorite part of a green salad: cheese.

Now, I’m not talking about a processed cheese product. What I am talking about is real cheese. This means cheese that is produced with real milk or cream through a culturing/fermentation process. Fake cheese is usually labeled as a “cheese product” and has a long ingredient list, such as: cheddar cheese, whey, water, protein concentrate, milk, sodium citrate, calcium phosphate, milkfat, gelatin, salt, sodium phosphate, lactic acid (as a preservative), annatto and paprika extract (for color), enzymes, Vitamin A palmitate, cheese culture, and Vitamin D3.

Real cheese is made with, for example, just: milk, rennet, enzymes, salt.

Real cheese is full of nutrients and it’s easy to digest because of the beneficial enzymes. I recommend purchasing blocks of cheese and crumbling the cheese at home. This will ensure you’re not getting extra, unwanted ingredients that are added to prevent the pre-crumbled cheese from sticking together. When it comes to adding cheese to salad, here are a few suggestions:

• crumbled feta
• shaved (use a veggie peeler) parmesan or asiago
• fresh mozzarella balls, or torn mozzarella from a large ball
• shredded, sliced, or cubed cheddar cheese
• crumbled blue cheese
• goat or sheep’s milk cheese: there are a variety of options in this category

Salt and Pepper

Before we talk about salad dressing, it’s important to mention salt and pepper. I highly recommend adding a couple of pinches of salt and pepper to your salad before dressing. I like to use a mineral-rich salt, like Redmond Real Salt, so it’s not just a flavor enhancement but also a great source of minerals. I find this enhances the overall flavor of the salad.

Salad Dressing

Now we’ve come to the end of our salad making, so it’s time for the dressing. And you already know my advice: make your own dressing. I’m not suggesting that you make anything complicated. Keep it simple. Here are a few suggestions for homemade dressing:

• customizable vinaigrette
• ranch dressing
• Caesar dressing

You don’t have to dress the salad before serving, but it will ensure the best flavor since all the ingredients will be evenly coated with the dressing. Never overdress a salad with dressing. Add a bit, toss with your hands and then add more, if needed.

Adding a dressing isn’t just fun and flavorful, it’s also very beneficial for the body and digestion. The fat and acid found in salad dressing, like a homemade vinaigrette, actually help you better digest all the raw veggies in the salad.

There’s no right or wrong way to make a salad. The key is to experiment and don’t be shy. Start with a leafy green base (some sort of lettuce or leafy green suggested above). The greens will have a larger ratio, generally, than any other topping you choose to add.

From there, add a variety of ingredients, like: veggies, fruits, nuts or seeds, cheese, etc. You can choose just one topping for a super simple salad, two toppings, or a ton of different toppings. When you build a salad, think about ingredients and textures that balance each other out. For example: delicate greens with some thinly sliced, crunchy veggies for delicate crunch and a small amount of fresh herbs or dried herbs. Then, finally, top off the salad with a homemade dressing of your choice.

As you begin creating salads, using a variety of ingredients, you’ll find combos and flavors you love. The key is to be adventorous and experiment.

That said, I’m going to share some green salad recipes below, just to give you a starting point. But, remember, the heart and soul of today’s chat is to provide you with a guide so you can think outside the box and begin creating your favorite green salads.

Green Salad Recipes to Try 

• Easy Weeknight Salad
• Kale and Romain Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons
• The Easiest Ever Side Salads You Need to Memorize ASAP
• Mega Crunchy Romaine Salad with Quinoa
• Greek Wedge Salad
• Thai Mango Salad with Peanut Dressing
• Favorite Green Salad with Apples, Cranberries, and Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds)
• Beet Salad Balsamic Mustard Dressing
• Warm Autumn Spinach Salad
• Spinach Berry Salad

The post The Ultimate Green Salad Guide: How to Make A Salad That Doesn’t Taste Like Crap appeared first on Live Simply.

1. My hair has gone through a lot of changes over the past five years. Lol, that’s random but true. Just dig through the blog and you’ll find photos of short hair Kristin, brown hair Kristin, long hair Kristin, and blonde hair Kristin (my natural color).
2. I’m a huge advocate for food prep! I haven’t always been a food prep loving gal. When I was a stay-at-home with little kiddos, I had more time to spend in the kitchen and loved the ability to make food in the moment. Now that I work full time and have kiddos in school, food prep is the key to keeping our real food lifestyle possible. As Robin Long said in our recent podcast chat, “There are seasons to our life and we need to remember to adapt to our seasons.” Adding food prep to my Sunday schedule is my way of adapting to our current season of life.

When I talk about food prep, I’m not talking about spending an entire weekend making “all the things.” What I am talking about is an intentional action of making a few foods, during a dedicated time, in order to prepare for the week ahead. See an example of this food prep here.

Food prep has become a form of self-care for me and my family. It’s a way of saying “yes!” to our health and wellness in an intentional way.

I rotate between the foods I prep on Sunday, but some things remain consistent. I always cut up some veggies, like carrot and celery and cucumbers and bell pepper. And to go along with the veggies, I usually prep a dip. Our favorite dips right now are hummus and homemade ranch.

I use ranch for lunches and snacks (alongside cut veggies) and as a salad dressing. Get the recipe for homemade ranch.

Hummus is also used for lunches and snacks (alongside cut veggies or crackers), and sometimes a spread for sandwiches and wraps.

Hummus can be changed up to include veggies in the actual dip. Beet hummus has become one of our favorite veggie-based hummus variations, followed by roasted carrot hummus.

Now, if you’re not a beet fan, beet hummus may not sound super appetizing. I get it. But trust me, a former beet hater, beet hummus is absolutely delicious and beautiful. Roasting the beet before blending it with the chickpeas is the key to creating the subtle and delicious flavor. Roasting veggies naturally brings out their sweetness, which is exactly what happens with the beet. The end result is a beet hummus even beet haters will love.

I like to roast a few beets in advance, on Sunday morning while I’m showering and getting ready for church, and then use one beet to make hummus later that afternoon. The other beets are cut in half, stored in the fridge, and used to make smoothies (this beet smoothie is my fav) throughout the week or chopped up and added to salad.

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Roasted Beet Hummus: The Pink Hummus Kids Love

A vibrant, fresh pink hummus made from dried chickpeas and a roasted beet. Even beet "haters" will love this hummus and want to double dip. 

Course Appetizer, Condiment, Side Dish

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword Beet Hummus

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 2 cups

Calories 1270kcal

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

Instant Pot Chickpeas:

• 1 lb dried chickpeas
• 1 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp salt *
• 8 cups water

Beet Hummus:

• 1 small/medium beet
• 1/3 cup tahini found in most grocery stores, I like the 365 brand from Whole Foods
• 2 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon juiced, about 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 garlic cloved minced
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
• 2-4 TB cold water

Special Equipment:

• Instant Pot
• strainer
• food processor
• sheet pan

Instructions

Cook the Chickpeas:

• Rinse the beans and pick out any undesirables (stones, etc.) Add the beans to the Instant Pot. Add all the ingredients listed under "Instant Pot Chickpeas": chickpeas, olive oil, garlic cloves, bay leaves, salt, and water. 
• Lock the lid on and set the Instant Pot to Manual, High Pressure for 35 minutes. The valve on top should be set to Sealed. 
• Once the beans are done cooking, let the pressure release naturally for 30 minutes before releasing the remaining pressure (use a hot pad holder or towel) and opening the lid.
• Remove the aromatics (bay leaves and garlic). Use a sieve to separate 1 1/2 cups of beans from the water. You'll use the separated beans to make hummus. Drain the rest of the beans from the liquid, if desired. If you're storing some of the beans in the fridge, I recommend storing in some of the cooking liquid.

Roast the Beet:

• While the beans cook in the Instant Pot, roast the beet in the oven. To do this, preheat the oven to 400F.  
• Trim any leaves/stems from the beets and rinse the beets under water to remove any dirt. Wrap each beet (cook as many as desired, but you'll only need 1 beet for this recipe) in parchment paper and place on a sheet pan. You can see how I do this in the photos above. 
• Cook the beets in the oven until tender, about 45 minutes, depending on the size of your beets. This time will greatly vary depending on the size of your beets. Once your beets feel soft to touch, they're ready. 
• Allow the beets to rest for about 10 minutes to cool and then remove from the parchment wrapping and remove the beet peel with your hands. The peel should slip right off the beet now. As mentioned, you'll only need 1 beet to make the hummus. I usually roast 3-4 beets at a time. Store any extra beets in an air-tight container in the fridge. I love to add beets to salads or morning smoothies. 

Make the Beet Hummus:

• To a food processor bowl, fitted with the S blade, add the tahini, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and salt. Pulse until creamy, stopping to scrape the sides of the food processor (removing the lid), if needed. This will take about 30-60 seconds. 
• Add the cooked chickpeas (1 1/2 cups) and 2 tablespoons of cold water. Pulse until blended, adding more water through the chute of the food processor as needed to reach the desired consistency. I usually add about 4 tablespoons total. 
• Finally, add 1 cooked beet. You'll want to cut the beet into chunks before adding to the food processor. (I recommend 1 beet, but if you love beets then 2 might serve you better.) Pulse the hummus with the beet chunks until it turns bright pink and the beet is fully blended with the hummus. Serve the hummus immediately, or store in the fridge in air-tight container for up to 5 days. 

Notes

 

Ideas for Enjoying Beet Hummus: 

• Spread on sourdough toast and then top the beet hummus with 1/2 a smashed avocado mixed with a splash of lemon juice and salt. Top this with a few slices of radish and pea shoots or microgreens. AMAZING!!!! We had this exact toast in Germany over Christmas and I've been recreating it at home. 
• Serve the beet hummus with crackers (Jovial einkorn crackers or Simple Mills are my favorites), slices of pita, or veggies. This is a great lunchbox idea, too. 
• Spread the hummus over bread or a tortilla to make a wrap. Fill the wrap or sandwich with your favorites: meat, veggies...

*Personally, I use more than 1 teaspoon of salt. I use 1/2 tablespoon; however, I know everyone has a different taste preference when it comes to salt. 

The cook time is based on 30 minutes of pressure cooking and 30 minutes of natural release. Keep in mind, it will take the Instant Pot an additional 20-30 minutes to actually come to pressure and cook the beans. Learn more about how to use your Instant Pot, here. 

How to use extra cooked chickpeas: Freeze the extras in a bag or container to make hummus again in the future (you’ll want to defrost the beans before making hummus), or turn on your oven and roast the extra beans to make crispy chickpeas--at 400F with olive oil on a sheet pan until crispy-- an amazing salad topping or snack. 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 1270kcal | Carbohydrates: 152g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 1866mg | Potassium: 2242mg | Fiber: 42g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 40.3mg | Calcium: 344mg | Iron: 16.6mg

The post Roasted Beet Hummus: The Pink, Vegetable-Based Hummus Kids Love appeared first on Live Simply.

Today’s hummus is slightly different than other hummus recipes because it doesn’t start with canned beans. Instead, this recipe starts with dry beans which are cooked in the Instant Pot (or electric pressure cooker of your choice). I know, we’re breaking out the Instant Pot, again. That, my friend, is because the Instant Pot is such a fantastic tool for simplifying food prep (or just making meals on the spot).

During my food prep session last Sunday, I used my Instant Pot three times, to make four different meal components: eggs, black beans, a whole chicken, and chicken broth (after de-boning the chicken). Since I only have one Instant Pot, this took a number of hours to accomplish, but nearly the entire food prep session was hands-off. Talk about simplifying food prep and life!

The base of this recipe starts with inexpensive dried beans, a pantry staple in my kitchen.

If you haven’t cooked dried beans in the Instant Pot before, and you have an Instant Pot, you need to do this ASAP. What are you waiting for? Dried beans cook to perfection when cooked under pressure. And, since the pressure cooker can improve the digestibility of the beans, you don’t need to soak the beans in advance. This means a package of dried beans may be cooked, without any soaking, in about 90 minutes. That’s seriously amazing!!

In this recipe, I recommend cooking 16 ounces or 1 pound of beans. While you won’t use all of the cooked beans to make hummus, you’ll be using your time wisely and efficiently.

Use some of the beans to make today’s hummus recipe or beet hummus (a beautiful pink hummus that’s won my daughter’s heart and tastebuds–recipe is coming), freeze the extras in a bag or container to make hummus again in the future (you’ll want to defrost the beans before making hummus), or turn on your oven and roast the extra beans to make crispy chickpeas (at 400F with olive oil on a sheet pan until crispy– an amazing salad topping or snack).

Once you turn dried chickpeas into tender, cooked chickpeas, remove the amount of beans needed from the Instant Pot (1 1/2 cups) and use your food processor to make homemade hummus.

I know, I’m asking you to use two appliances here, but both appliances are definitely ones I recommend having or purchasing in the future. I’m not a big appliance advocate, besides the standard oven and fridge (and dishwasher), but there are a few tools that make a real food lifestyle easier. A food processor and Instant Pot are definitely on that list. 

The food processor will turn the beans, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, and other ingredients into a delicious spread of homemade hummus. And let me just say, homemade hummus tastes 1000 times better than store-bought hummus! It’s fresh and vibrant.

Use the hummus as a dip or a spread for sandwiches or wraps. My kids love hummus in their lunchbox, accompanied by veggies, crackers, or cut pita. And I love having hummus in the fridge for snacking.

Food Processor Alternative: If you have a high-speed blender, you can try using it to make homemade. I personally haven’t had good success using a blender to make homemade hummus. A blender is great for liquids, but doesn’t do as well with blending dry ingredients. 

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Homemade Hummus Using the Instant Pot

Use your Instant Pot to make homemade hummus. This recipe starts with dried beans cooked in the Instant Pot (or electric pressure cooker of choice). 

Course Appetizer, Condiment, Side Dish

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword Hummus

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2 cups

Calories 1272kcal

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

Instant Pot Chickpeas:

• 1 lb dried chickpeas
• 1 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp salt *
• 8 cups water

Hummus:

• 1/3 cup tahini found in most grocery stores, I like the 365 brand from Whole Foods
• 2 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon juiced, about 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
• 2-4 TB cold water

Special Equipment:

• Instant Pot
• strainer or mesh sieve, for the beans
• food processor

Instructions

Cook the Chickpeas:

• Rinse the beans and pick out any undesirables (stones, etc.) Add the beans to the Instant Pot. Add all the ingredients listed under "Instant Pot Chickpeas": chickpeas, olive oil, garlic cloves, bay leaves, salt, and water. 
• Lock the lid on and set the Instant Pot to Manual, High Pressure for 35 minutes. The valve on top should be set to Sealed. 
• Once the beans are done cooking, let the pressure release naturally for 30 minutes before releasing the remaining pressure (use a hot pad holder or towel) and opening the lid.
• Remove the aromatics (bay leaves and garlic). Use a sieve to separate 1 1/2 cups of beans from the water. You'll use the separated beans to make hummus. Drain the rest of the beans from the liquid, if desired. If you're storing some of the beans in the fridge, I recommend storing in some of the cooking liquid. 

Make the Hummus:

• To a food processor bowl, fitted with the S blade, add the tahini, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and salt. Pulse until creamy, stopping to scrape the sides of the food processor (removing the lid), if needed. This will take about 30-60 seconds. 
• Add the cooked chickpeas (1 1/2 cups) and 2 tablespoons of cold water. Pulse until blended, adding more water through the chute of the food processor as needed to reach the desired consistency. I usually add about 4 tablespoons total. 
• Remove the lid from the food processor and spoon the hummus into a storage jar or a bowl (if using immediately). The hummus will keep for up to 5 days, when stored in the fridge in an air-tight container. (I shared my favorite fridge storage containers in this post.)

Notes

*Personally, I use more than 1 teaspoon of salt. I use 1/2 tablespoon; however, I know everyone has a different taste preference when it comes to salt. 

The cook time is based on 30 minutes of pressure cooking and 30 minutes of natural release. Keep in mind, it will take the Instant Pot an additional 20-30 minutes to actually come to pressure and cook the beans. Learn more about how to use your Instant Pot, here. 

How to use extra cooked chickpeas: Freeze the extras in a bag or container to make hummus again in the future (you’ll want to defrost the beans before making hummus), or turn on your oven and roast the extra beans to make crispy chickpeas--at 400F with olive oil on a sheet pan until crispy-- an amazing salad topping or snack. 

Nutrition

Calories: 1272kcal | Carbohydrates: 152g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 1866mg | Potassium: 2242mg | Fiber: 42g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 40.8mg | Calcium: 344mg | Iron: 16.6mg

The post How to Make Homemade Hummus Using the Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker Recipe, Make-Ahead Snack) appeared first on Live Simply.

CSA is short for Community Supported/Sustained Agriculture. Crop Share is another common term for this.

A CSA allows consumers to support local, small farms and provides these farms with the assurance (through an upfront financial commitment) that consumers are invested in their hard work and future harvest. The consumer (that’s you and me) pledges to pay a farm upfront for future harvest shares provided by the farm. The farm pledges to grow, tend to, and deliver the harvest to the customer over a certain period of time. A CSA can be strictly for produce, while others may include meat, eggs, milk, and even cheese. Of course, this depends on what the farm grows or raises, or if the farm partners with another farm in the area (think: a veggie farm partners with a dairy farm).

A CSA is a win-win for both the consumer (fresh, affordable, nutrient-rich food) and the farm (financial support to run operations and make a living from the local community).

In a day when romaine lettuce and beef are recalled, I can’t think of a better way to get to know your food source than through supporting local farms. A CSA allows us to do this is in a very intimate way.

Last year, after enjoying a CSA program from Little Pond Farm (the local farm we decided to partner with), I wrote a post answering your questions in detail: how much it costs, how to find a CSA in your area, what our CSA looks like, etc. If you’re interested in learning more about a CSA, check out this post.

One of the benefits of joining a CSA, or just getting out of the supermarket and visiting a local farmer’s market, is the exposure to “new” foods. Of course, these foods aren’t “new” but to the average supermarket shopper–where the shelves generally lack a ton of variety–there are so many new foods to explore.

Last year, I was challenged for the first time to venture out of my weekly broccoli purchase and reach for new-to-me veggies. I didn’t know how to use most of the veggies, but I was determined to experiment. With the help of the farmers (they are super knowledgeable about how to use the food they grow and raise) and Google (you can find anything with Google), I fell in love with roasting beets to use in a variety of ways (smoothies, on top of salads, mixed with chickpeas to make hummus), kohlrabi (make this winter slaw, it’s so good), and pea shoots. The list could go on…

Florida is slightly different than the rest of the country in that we don’t have a true winter season so our markets and CSA programs run from October through May. Summer is like our winter, as it’s too hot for anything to grow.

I truly missed getting our veggies from Little Pond Farm (our CSA program) over the summer. I also found myself back in a broccoli-at-every-meal rut. I was literally counting down the weeks until the market and our CSA program were ready to share a harvest again.

One of the foods I looked forward to enjoying again was pea shoots. Before joining the CSA with Little Pond Farm, I had no idea what a pea shoot was or how to use pea shoots.

What is a Pea Shoot?

Pea shoots are basically the vines of a young pea plant. The vines are 100% edible, both the leaves and stems. Pea shoots have a delicate flavor (a mix between young peas and baby spinach) and may be cooked like baby spinach. I love to add pea shoots to stir-fry like this recipe, blended in smoothies, used in place of lettuce on sandwiches or avocado toast (my favorite), or blended with olive oil and nuts/seeds to make a pesto. Of course, being a plant and a leafy green, pea shoots are packed full of nutrients.

If we’re friends over on Instagram, you know that I’ve been making pea shoot pesto regularly since October (the start of our CSA and market season). I never tire of homemade pesto, and pea shoot pesto is one of my favorite versions of pesto. Pea shoot pesto is incredibly easy to make and has a mild flavor compared to the robust flavor of basil pesto.

Pesto may be used in a variety of ways, so it’s a great food to make on the weekend and store in the fridge for use during the week (hello, food prep). My favorite way to use pesto is tossed with warm pasta (Jovial brown rice pasta is my favorite) and roasted tomatoes. Pesto may also be used as a dip for veggies or spread on crackers, in place of marinara sauce on homemade pizza, or as a spread for sandwiches. Another idea is to mix pesto in meatballs for additional flavor and nutrients (similar to this recipe idea).

While I highly recommend visiting a local farmer’s market, where you’ll easily find pea shoots, you can also find pea shoots at many health food stores. If you can’t find pea shoots, you can always make this pesto with basil or try a combo of half basil and half baby spinach for a different twist.

When it comes to making pesto, the best cheese to use is Parmigiano Reggiano. This cheese adds saltiness and a ton of flavor to the pesto.

The making of Parmigiano Reggiano dates back almost 1,000 years. Today, Parmigiano Reggiano must meet very strict quality standards, which are rooted in the tradition of a natural, artisanal cheese-making process.

According to European law, one of the many requirements for a cheese to be labeled as “Parmigiano Reggiano” is that the entire process must take place in the place of origin – a very small, very beautiful region in Italy. The region in which this 1000 year-old tradition was created.

Parmigiano Reggiano is made using a traditional fermentation process and 3 ingredients: milk, salt, and rennet. The milk comes from cows that are fed forage from local meadows (never treated with pesticides). The salt is Mediterranean sea salt. And rennet is a natural enzyme that is used to jump-start the fermentation process.

The result of this fermentation process is a food that’s not only delicious but also good for you: gut-loving probiotics, zinc, iron, manganese, biotin, copper, & B6. The process also eliminates lactose which means that people with lactose intolerance can enjoy the cheese without negative effects.

It’s important to know you’re getting the real deal, so when purchasing Parmigiano Reggiano, look for the words “Parmigiano Reggiano” engraved in a dot pattern on the cheese rind. If you don’t see this pattern, it’s not the real deal!

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Pea Shoot and Pumpkin Seed Pesto (A Nutrient-Rich, Nut-Free and Basil-Free Pesto)

A unique twist on traditional basil pesto. A mild pesto made with pea shoots and pumpkin seeds. 

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Pea Shoot Pesto

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 ounces (3/4 cup)

Calories 226kcal

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds unsalted, you can use raw or roasted pumpkin seeds
• 1 small garlic clove
• 2 cups packed pea shoots may also use: radish tops, basil, spinach, arugula, or carrot tops
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1 lemon juiced
• 1/2 tsp salt to taste, this will depend on the saltiness of your cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Special Equipment:

• food processor
• mason jar or storage jar with a lid, if storing in the fridge

Instructions

• Place all the pesto ingredients, except the oil, in a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are crumbly.
• Slowly add the oil while pulsing the food processor, adding enough oil to reach the desired consistency (1/2 cup is recommended). The final pesto should have some "bite" (it won't be completely smooth). 
• Use the pesto immeadiately and/or store the pesto in an air-tight jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.  Alternatively, you can also freeze pesto in ice cube trays (this makes for the perfect amount) and store in a bag or container in the freezer for several months. 

Notes

Ideas for how to use the pesto: Toss with fresh pasta and roasted tomatoes (roast cherry tomatoes with a splash of olive oil at 425F until soft, about 25-30 minutes), spread the pesto on a wrap or bread to make a sandwich, replace your favorite pasta sauce with pesto sauce, replace pizza sauce with pesto sauce on homemade pizza dough, or toss with roasted veggies.

Nutrition

Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 274mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 2g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Vitamin C: 63.9mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 0.7mg

The post Pea Shoot and Pumpkin Seed Pesto (A Nutrient-Rich, Nut-Free and Basil-Free Pesto) appeared first on Live Simply.

Beets: It took me nearly 28 years to even try a beet. 28 years! Now, I enjoy beets regularly in a morning smoothie, or even mixed with a leafy green salad.

Avocados: There’s something about the soft texture and bland flavor of avocados that just sends my tastebuds into panic mode. After years of experimenting with avocados, I’ve found that I actually love avocados when prepared in certain ways: mashed with lemon juice and salt and then spread over toast or large rice crackers, made into guacamole, or blended into a smoothie.

Olives: My only exposure to olives as a child was the black olives on the veggie delight pizza my parents would religiously order from Pizza Hut. These tiny circles on top of what should have been so pleasurable a food never sat well with me, so I avoided all olives up until a just few years ago. Now I enjoy olives on salads, as snacks, and add them to savory dinner meals.

The list could go on and on. In fact, at one point in my early adult life I would have been perfectly content to live off white bread, chicken nuggets, and cereal. Oh how far I’ve come! (If you’re a parent to a “picky eater”, don’t give up! Keep serving good food. There’s hope.)

What changed my mind about these foods and many others? What curbed my picky taste? The answer is simple: experimentation

Preparing food at home — and using real ingredients to prepare food — helped me realize there’s more than one way to prepare a particular food. As I learned and experimented with simple food preparation techniques like roasting or adding an acid to food to increase the flavor, my desire to try a variety of foods, prepared in a variety of ways, increased. And you know what? I soon found that I loved many of the foods I once deemed utterly inedible.

I hope this serves an encouragement to you: Don’t be afraid to prepare food in a variety of ways. If you don’t love one method, try another. There are a variety of delicious ways to eat a beet, leafy green, avocado, olive, or whatever food you may not love at the moment due to a one-time experience. Saute, roast, blend, or season and salt those ingredients. Keep experimenting.

Whether you love olives or view them as an enemy, I think you’re going to love today’s salad. That is, if you’re willing to experiment and give it a try.

This recipe uses the technique of roasting to build the flavorful base of potatoes and olives. The high temperature of the oven, along with the oil, salt, and garlic, bring out the best in the flavor and texture in both the potatoes and olives. After roasting the potatoes, olives, and garlic, the still-warm ingredients are tossed with spicy arugula, and acidic and fresh lemon juice and zest.

This warm salad with wilted arugula pairs well with any main protein: chicken, fish, burgers, steak, pork chops, etc. I usually serve the salad alongside a roasted whole chicken for a hearty, low-maintenance dinner.

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Warm Potato, Olive, and Arugula Salad

Simple, easy, and made from real food, this side salad will delight your family with its blend of lemon, garlic, and Mediterranean olives. 

Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Potato Olive Arugula Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 204kcal

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs fingerling potatoes halved
• 3 TB olive oil divided
• 4 garlic cloves mashed and roughly chopped
• 1/2-3/4 tsp salt *
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 4.6 ounce jar Mediterranean olives drained and rinsed**
• 1 1/2 cups baby arugula
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 1 TB lemon zest

Special Equipment:

• sheet pan
• large bowl

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425F.
• Place the potatoes on a sheet pan. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the potatoes. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper. 
• Roast the potatoes for 20 minutes.
• Add the olives, garlic, and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the potatoes, gently stirring to coat the ingredients in the oil (a metal spatula works well). Return the pan to the oven for 15 minutes, until the garlic is toasty and fragrant, the potatoes are soft, and the olives are warm. 
• Spoon the potatoes, olives, garlic, and olive oil remaining on the sheet pan into a large bowl. Add the arugula and squeeze the lemon juice over the top. Toss to combine the ingredients. Top with the lemon zest. Serve warm. The arugula will wilt. 

Nutrition

Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 468mg | Potassium: 774mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 45.1mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1.6mg

The post Warm Potato, Olive, and Arugula Salad appeared first on Live Simply.