salads Archives | Stephanie Dreyer
   

salads Archives | Stephanie Dreyer

by Stephanie Dreyer
September 11, 2018
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ItalianSaladsSide Dishes

Roasted Vegetable Orzo

This Roasted Vegetable Orzo is a sophisticated take on the traditional Italian pasta salads I grew up with. Fresh, organic vegetables (in this case, zucchini, bell peppers and cherry tomatoes) are the key to this simple yet savory dish.

The vegetables in this Roasted Vegetable Orzo are tossed with olive oil, Italian herbs, and whole cloves of garlic (oh yeah!). To finish the dish off, I squeezed fresh lemon juice and grated Violife dairy-free Parmesan cheese (my new favorite vegan Parm!) on top.

This Roasted Vegetable Orzo is a sophisticated take on the traditional Italian pasta salads I grew up with. Fresh, organic vegetables (in this case, zucchini, bell peppers and cherry tomatoes) are the key to this simple yet savory dish.

This Roasted Vegetable Orzo is so so so good and I can’t stress how simple this dish is to make. Serve with sliced baked tempeh or tofu and dinner is served!

 

Roasted Vegetable Orzo 1 cup orzo, uncooked 1 orange bell pepper, core and ribs removed, chopped 1 yellow bell pepper, core and ribs removed, chopped 1 red bell pepper, core and ribs removed, chopped 2 zucchinis, chopped 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes 8 garlic cloves, whole 2 lemons 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 ½ tablespoons Italian seasoning Salt and pepper, to taste Vegan parmesan, such as Violife, freshly grated to serve Fresh basil, sliced in a chiffonade Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss the vegetables, garlic cloves, olive oil, and herbs on a sheet pan until coated. Roast for about 30 minutes. While the vegetables are roasting, bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the orzo according to package directions. Drain and set aside in a serving bowl. Stir the vegetables into the orzo. Squeeze the lemon juice over the mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grate Parmesan cheese on top and garnish with the fresh basil.
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Roasted Vegetable Orzo

Ingredients

  • 1 cup orzo uncooked
  • 1 orange bell pepper core and ribs removed, chopped
  • 1 yellow bell pepper core and ribs removed, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper core and ribs removed, chopped
  • 2 zucchinis chopped
  • 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes
  • 8 garlic cloves whole
  • 2 lemons
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 ½ tablespoons Italian seasoning
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Vegan parmesan such as Violife, freshly grated to serve
  • Fresh basil sliced in a chiffonade

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Toss the vegetables, garlic cloves, olive oil, and herbs on a sheet pan until coated. Roast for about 30 minutes.
  3. While the vegetables are roasting, bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the orzo according to package directions. Drain and set aside in a serving bowl.
  4. Stir the vegetables into the orzo.
  5. Squeeze the lemon juice over the mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Grate Parmesan cheese on top and garnish with the fresh basil.

This Roasted Vegetable Orzo is a sophisticated take on the traditional Italian pasta salads I grew up with. Fresh, organic vegetables (in this case, zucchini, bell peppers and cherry tomatoes) are the key to this simple yet savory dish.

 

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by Stephanie Dreyer
April 15, 2018
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LunchSalads

Cruciferous Crunch Salad with Tangy Tahini Dressing

Get your cruciferous veggies on with this crunchy and tangy salad. I used a salad mix from Trader Joe’s as the base, but you can also make your own from scratch using cabbage, Brussels sprouts and kale.

Try this Cruciferous Crunch Salad for a zesty lunch option. The tangy tahini dressing gets better the longer it marinates, so make it in the morning on Monday and enjoy it all week long.

The salad dressing is everything in this salad. Its tangy and salty – full of umami flavor. I have to hold myself back from eating the whole bowl! My 12 year-old daughter loves the taste too – a great way for me to get her to eat kale and cabbage!

Try this Cruciferous Crunch Salad for a zesty lunch option. The tangy tahini dressing gets better the longer it marinates, so make it in the morning on Monday and enjoy it all week long.

This salad gets better the longer it “marinates,” so I typically make it in the morning while I am prepping breakfast and lunches for the kids. I refrigerate it until lunch so that the flavors have time to meld.  Slice in the avocado just before serving.

Try this Cruciferous Crunch Salad for a zesty lunch option. The tangy tahini dressing gets better the longer it marinates, so make it in the morning on Monday and enjoy it all week long.
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Cruciferous Crunch Salad with Tangy Tahini Dressing

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Author Stephanie Dreyer

Ingredients

  • 1 bag of Trader Joe’s Cruciferous Crunch Blend (or 3 cups chopped curly kale, 3 cups shredded red and green cabbage, and 3 cups shaved Brussels sprouts)
  • 1 jar capers, drained
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 6 teaspoons tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
  • 2 small organic avocados, chopped

Instructions

  1. Whisk together the vinegar, tamari, tahini and nutritional yeast.
  2. Stir in the vegetable mix and combine well.
  3. Add in the capers and the garbanzo beans. Mix well.
  4. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Stir in the avocado just before serving. Stores well in an air-tight container (without the avocado) for 3-4 days.

Try this Cruciferous Crunch Salad for a zesty lunch option. The tangy tahini dressing gets better the longer it marinates, so make it in the morning on Monday and enjoy it all week long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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by Stephanie Dreyer
September 6, 2017
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LunchSalads

Kale Harvest Grains Salad

We’ve had a few cooler days the last week or so and although, I am not quite ready to give up summer, my body has been craving heartier salads than the usual bowls I tend to throw together. The Harvest Grains blend from Trader Joe’s is one of my favorite side dishes, but I was inspired to turn it into a salad for a beach outing last weekend. The grain medley includes Israeli couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans, and red quinoa. It’s all kinds of awesome and makes a great alternative to pasta in a traditional pasta salad, which is what I was craving when I created this Kale Harvest Grains Salad recipe.

The grains blend is tasty on its own but I added more flavor with some cubed dairy-free mozzarella, sliced baby tomatoes and chopped basil. When it comes to dressing, any vinaigrette will do. I made a homemade Greek style dressing with Penzey’s Spices Greek seasoning blend. It wouldn’t be a salad without some greens! I started with the Power to the Greens blend from Trader Joe’s (kale, chard, and spinach) and topped it with the grains salad mixture and drizzled it all with my dressing. It’s a simple yet satisfying recipe that I have been enjoying all week. I hope you do too!

If you try my Kale Harvest Grains Salad, please be sure to tag me. I love to see your creations with my recipes!

Kale Harvest Grains Salad

The grains mixture stores well for about 3 days. Store your greens and dressing separately until you are ready to eat it. It also makes a great lunch to pack for work.

 

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Kale Harvest Grains Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 package Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Medley
  • 2 cups Imagine No-Chicken Broth
  • 1 cup chopped basil
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced
  • 4 ounces dairy-free mozzarella, diced
  • 2 cups mixed greens (such as kale, chard and spinach)
  • Greek or Italian Salad dressing vinaigrette (such as red wine or balsamic)

Instructions

  1. Prepare grains medley according to package directions, using the broth. Set aside to cool.

  2. While the grains cook, chop the basil, slice the tomatoes and dice the cheese. Prepare the salad dressing if not using store-bought.

  3. Fluff the grains medley with a fork and add the basil, tomatoes and cheese.

  4. Place two cups of greens on a plate, along with a 1/2 cup of the grains salad mixture. Toss with 1-2 tablespoons of dressing.

  5. Store leftover greens, dressing, and grains salad separately for additional servings.

Kale Harvest Grains Salad

 

 

 

 

 

 

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by Stephanie Dreyer
August 2, 2017
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GreekSalads

Mediterranean Pearl Couscous Salad

During these warm summer days, all I want to eat is salad! But, sometimes I crave something a little heartier from the salad family…which takes me back to my days by the pool as a kid. My aunt would fill a huge Tupperware bowl with a delicious pasta salad. It was full of raw veggies and my favorite – olives! She’d toss it all with Paul Newman’s Italian dressing and we’d feast on it all day.

This salad is my Mediterranean twist on the traditional pasta salad. I don’t need many reasons to whip up a spread, but give me some guests (even if they are impromptu), and you can guarantee that I will use it as an excuse to throw together a few appetizers or a meal for everyone to enjoy. That is exactly what happened when I created this recipe for Mediterranean Pearl Couscous Salad.

Mediterranean Pearl Couscous Salad

It was a weekend of busy. Wonderful busy – seeing friends, family popping in during an out-of-town visit, other family coming over to watch a movie. So much fun! We had just gotten home the night before so I knew I was going to have visitors for lunch, but had not thought about what to make. I settled on paninis (my favorite go-to lunch for feeding a crowd) and thought I would make my roasted vegetable orzo salad to go with it. I had a few zucchinis to use thanks to the bounty I was gifted from my dad’s best friend, which was one of the key ingredients. After checking my pantry, I realized I was missing a key ingredient – orzo – so I used pearl couscous instead. I also realized I had an abundance of cherry tomatoes to use (also from my dad’s best friend), and decided to roast those with the zucchini.

As I roasted those, I saw some artichoke hearts and kalamata olives calling my name, so the dish instantly transformed into a whole other recipe altogether. One of my favorite moves is the shredded parmesan cheese from Follow Your Heart. I use any excuse to sprinkle it on everything! That was the final touch to this recipe, and my Mediterranean Pearl Couscous Salad was born. I hope you enjoy this salad doing something fun this summer with lots of friends and family!

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Ingredients

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 1 zucchini, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
  • 1 can quartered artichokes, in water (drained)
  • 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, sliced in half
  • 1/2 cup basil, sliced in a chiffonade
  • 8 oz pearl couscous
  • 1/2 cup shredded vegan Parmesan cheese, (such as Follow Your Heart)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Greek seasoning blend
  • Juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Spread the zucchini, tomatoes and garlic on a baking pan. Drizzle on the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Mix the vegetables so that they are thoroughly covered with the oil and seasonings. Roast for 30 minutes.
  3. While vegetables are roasting, prepare the couscous according to package directions. Drain and cool when cooked.
  4. In a large bowl, combine the lemon juice, 1/4 cup of olive oil, and the Greek seasoning blend. Whisk together until well blended.
  5. Stir in the couscous, artichoke hearts, roasted vegetables (with juices), basil, and Parmesan cheese.
  6. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Mediterranean Pearl Couscous Salad

 

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