RECIPES: Paleo-compliant salads for summer
Everyone likes a great summer salad, right? And us chronic illness warriors know how important eating healthy is, so here are several recipes for salads with a huge YUM factor!
The first is:
Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad
1 lb Roma tomatoes
1 English cucumber
1/2 medium red onion, sliced
2 avocados, diced
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil or sunflower oil
Juice of 1 medium lemon (about 2 Tbsp)
1/4 cup (1/2 bunch) cilantro, chopped*
1 tsp sea salt or 3/4 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
*Note: if you aren’t keen on cilantro, fresh dill is a good substitute
Instructions
Place everything but olive oil and lemon in a bowl and combine, then top with the oil and lemon.
The next is:
Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Chicken
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon golden balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh tarragon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 6 cups loosely packed fresh spinach
- 6-8 large strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 1 avocado, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
- 3-4 thinly sliced rings of red onion
- ¼ cup feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
Instructions
- Whisk the extra virgin olive oil with the balsamic vinegar, sugar, tarragon, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl until blended.
- Place the chicken breasts in a shallow bowl and cover with half of the dressing, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Spray a grill pan or 12-inch non-stick pan with cooking spray and heat to medium high. Place the chicken breasts on the hot grill pan. Cook for 3 minutes then flip the chicken breasts. Cook for another 3 minutes, and turn. Reduce the cooking temperature to medium low and cook the chicken for 20-25 minutes more, turning every 5 minutes or so. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken, but it will be done when it hits 165 degrees internal temperature. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes then slice into ¼ inch slices.
- Arrange the spinach, strawberries and red onion in a bowl. Lightly toss with the remaining dressing. Add the avocado, sliced chicken and top with feta and almond slices. Serve immediately.
And the next:
Asian Cabbage Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing
Serves 8
Author Chrissie (thebusybaker.ca)
- 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons liquid honey
- 2 cloves minced or pressed garlic
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- a pinch sea salt
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 4 teaspoons vegetable oil coconut oil also works
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- a dash sriracha
- 1 small green cabbage shredded
- 1/2 small red cabbage shredded
- 3 large carrots peeled and shredded
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts
Instructions
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Add the peanut butter, honey, garlic, ginger, sea salt, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, oils, and sriracha to a medium bowl and whisk well until combined.
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Add the shredded green and red cabbage to a large bowl, along with the shredded carrots.
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Pour the dressing over the shredded veggies and toss well to coat.
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Serve with the chopped green onions and chopped peanuts on top for garnish.
This salad is best enjoyed the day it’s made, but the dressing can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. Using coleslaw mix from your grocery store also works well for this recipe as another way to save time!
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- 1/2 lb sirloin steak, (grilled or pan-seared first, then sliced)
- 4 cups greens – we used Romaine lettuce
- 1/4 cup red cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 yellow cherry tomatoes
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
- 1 avocado, pitted and sliced
- 3 Tbsp of avocado oil or olive oil
- 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp paleo mayo
- 1 small to medium garlic clove, pressed
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pat dry and season steak with your favorite prepackaged seasoning, or sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Cook on well-oiled grill or in a cast iron pan (along with 1 Tbsp of oil) over medium-high heat about 5 minutes per side for medium rare steak. Remove from heat, place on plate and tent with aluminum foil for 10-15 minutes before slicing crosswise into thin strips.
- Arrange salad ingredients on plates as desired, or place in large bowl and toss
- Add dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until combined. Pour over salad as desired.
The last:
Spelt Salad with Apples, Cheddar and Scallions
- 1 cup uncooked spelt prepared according to package instructions
- 1 juice of lemon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 ounces sharp cheddar cut in bite-sized cubes
- 1 cup diced apples
- 1/2 cup scallions minced
- 1/4 cup parsley minced
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Prepare spelt according to package instructions and place in a large salad bowl.
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Drizzle lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper over the bowl and toss well until spelt is evenly coated in vinaigrette.
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Stir in cheese cubes, apples, scallions and parsley. Toss again and check for seasoning before serving.
The Chronic Illness Warriors 