Chickpea Caesar Salad

What’s your favorite type of salad?

For some RANDOM reason I’ve been obsessed with caesar salad for the past year. This is random because I used to HATE caesar salad. I think I honestly just hated the idea of it, since a lot of caesar dressing contains dairy and anchovies (*gags*). It turns out I just needed to find an anchovy-free dressing and give caesar another chance.

My current favorite caesar dressing is from Trader Joe’s – it’s new and happens to be vegan! It’s so easy to make a delicious salad with this dressing, romaine, parmesan, and chickpea “croutons” (recipe below). I’ve been eating it non-stop for lunch!

Makes 1 large salad, plus enough chickpeas for 1-2 more salads

Chickpea Croutons

• 1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed (1 ½ cups)
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Drain & wash a can of chickpeas, then pour them onto a hand towel & dry them.
3. Add chickpeas to a medium-sized bowl with oil, salt, garlic powder, & paprika. Add more paprika if you want more of a “kick.” Mix until all chickpeas are coated.
4. Pour chickpeas onto a baking sheet topped with parchment paper. Roast for 15 minutes, take out & toss, then roast for 15 more minutes.
5. Let them cool for like 20 minutes before eating them. Trust me, they’re so much better & crunchier when they are cool! 

Salad Assembly

• 1 head romaine
• 2-3 Tablespoons Trader Joe’s Caesar salad dressing
• 2-3 Tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chickpea croutons

1. Wash & chop a small head of romaine lettuce, then put it in a big bowl.
2. Pour in caesar dressing & parmesan. Toss it around with tongs until all the romaine is coated.
3. Serve into a big bowl. Add a large handful of chickpea croutons on top. Enjoy!

Gingery Veggie Stir-Fry

I’m all about using fresh vegetables in the summer. We have a square foot garden at my cottage, which is where I live in the summer. I live in the cottage, not the garden btw. I may eat a bag of baby carrots a day, but  I’m not THAT much of a rabbit.

We grow all kinds of vegetables in our garden, but the plants that thrive there are broccoli, green beans, swiss chard, lettuce, and kale! I used three of those five fresh vegetables in this stir-fry, which is one of my go-to summer meals. It has a great natural flavor thanks to the fresh veggies, but it also has a little kick from the ginger and garlic.

fresh veggies from our garden  : green beans, broccoli, and swiss chard

I use the vegetables we have on hand when I make this stir-fry. I often just step outside and grab veggies from the garden! No worries if you don’t have a garden. You can just use whatever veggies you have in your kitchen for this stir-fry! This ginger / garlic combo tastes great with almost any vegetable (although I’m not sure how great it would taste with beets or cucumbers…).

It is the perfect light summer meal, but it also makes a great side dish. I can see this being served at a dinner party, as a potluck dish, or as a side to a veggie burger!

Enjoy one of my favorite simple, flavorful, and fresh meals!

serves 2

*This is a very “laid back” recipe. Below is what my mom and I usually stir-fry, but you can add and subtract as many veggies as you’d like!*

• 1 head broccoli
• 1 head cauliflower
• 1-2 cups beans
• 1-2 ears of corn
• 1 onion
• 2 tomatoes
• 1-2 cups swiss chard (3-6 large leaves)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1-2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger OR you can use squeeze-able ginger like the one linked HERE.
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Chop the veggies into bite-sized pieces.
2. Spray / oil a large pan with cooking spray / olive oil.
3. Add the veggies to the pan. Turn the heat on the pan to medium-high. Sauté the veggies (stir them back and forth with a spatula) until the swiss chard is wilted and the veggies are a tiny bit brown and look ready to devour! Pour the veggies into two bowls, season with more ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper (if desired) and enjoy!

Have a happy, veggie-filled day!

xx Ellie

The Beirut Salad

This salad is inspired by one of the salads I devoured in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam during my Asian adventure last month. My mom and I ate at the restaurant that served this salad three times in one week because their food was so delicious! If you’re ever in Ho Chi Minh City, go to Au Parc because their salads are gigantic, tasty, and super filling! They also have succulent juices and smoothies. Needless to say, it was my favorite lunch spot during the trip!

This was the perfect salad to enjoy on a snow day (I didn’t have school due to lots and lots of snow)! Really, it’s perfect for any day because it doesn’t take long to make, it’s healthy, but it’s also filling! Enjoy!

inspired by “the Beirut” Salad at Au Parc in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

serves 1

• 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1 inch sections
• 2-3 handfuls of mixed greens
• 1/8 cup of sunflower seeds
• 1/8 cup cranberries
• 1/4 cup lentils, cooked
• your favorite salad dressing*

Cook the lentils. Meanwhile, peel the sweet potatoes and slice them into 1 inch cubes. Put them on a baking sheet and bake them in the oven at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes, or until they are soft and golden-brown in color. Throw some mixed greens into a whopping bowl and top them with the sweet potato cubes, cranberries, sunflower seeds, the cooked lentils, and your favorite dressing! Toss the salad, then dig in!

*At Au Parc, they served this salad with a pomegranate dressing. Since pomegranates are not in season where I live, I just topped this salad with a simple balsamic vinaigrette. Let me know in the comment section if you find a great salad dressing to complement this salad!

The original Beirut salad at Au Parc in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.I enjoyed this cinnamon banana coconut smoothie at Beirut, too!

Have a great day and stay warm if it’s cold where you live!

xx Ellie