Add this fresh tortellini salad recipe to your weekend menu, stat! It features cheesy spinach tortellini tossed in my all-time favorite green goddess dressing, layered with lemony…
Add this fresh tortellini salad recipe to your weekend menu, stat! It features cheesy spinach tortellini tossed in my all-time favorite green goddess dressing, layered with lemony fresh greens and seasoned spring or summer vegetables.
This pasta dish manages to be light yet hearty at the same time, which is a real feat. It’s quick to make, but looks impressive. It’s versatile, too—you’ll see quite a few vegetable options below. Choose raw vegetables for the simplest preparation, as I did for these photos, or incorporate some quickly blanched vegetables, like asparagus, to expand your options.
My healthy homemade green goddess dressing comes together quickly in the blender or food processor. I suggest doubling the ingredients so you can serve the extra as a veggie dip or refrigerate it for upcoming green salads. It’s really delightful to have on hand.
Choose spinach tortellini over basic cheese tortellini to incorporate even more greens. I hope you’ll give this recipe a try. This vegetarian pasta salad is a real crowd pleaser!
Whether you are preparing for an office potluck or hosting friends and family at home, these delicious sushi spring rolls are sure to impress. You can create mouthwatering rolls featuring aromatic, teriyaki tofu, creamy avocado, and crunchy cucumber. C…
Whether you are preparing for an office potluck or hosting friends and family at home, these delicious sushi spring rolls are sure to impress. You can create mouthwatering rolls featuring aromatic, teriyaki tofu, creamy avocado, and crunchy cucumber. Check out our other spring rolls recipes, like Vietnamese spring rolls, rice paper spring rolls, sushi spring rolls, and...
Bowl meals have always been my favorite type of meal because they’re super flexible, you get a lot of colors, textures, and flavors in every bowl, and they’re perfect for meal prep (I LOVE having grab-n-go lunches ready). This week, I made these Mediterranean Turkey Bowls. They’re simple, super fresh, and very filling. Plus, I can swap out ingredients depending on what I have on hand, or what I’m craving. So if you’re looking for something new, easy, and fresh to prep for lunch, give these bowls a try!
Can I Use Different Meat?
These bowls are endlessly customizable, and that includes the meat or protein. I used some ground turkey that I seasoned with garlic and oregano, but you could easily swap that out for ground beef, or make some Yogurt Marinated Chicken and chop it into pieces before adding it to your bowl.
Want to make it vegetarian? Toss some chickpeas or cannellini beans with the same seasonings that I used for the ground turkey, and maybe a small squeeze of lemon, then add them to your bowl.
What Else Can You Add?
Comb your fridge and freezer for ingredients that have a Mediterranean flair and toss ’em in your bowl! Here are a few delicious ideas:
Feta
Olives
Chickpeas
Capers
Spinach
Green Onion
Hummus
Bell peppers
Artichoke hearts
Quinoa
Zucchini (fresh or grilled)
P.S. You can also make these bowls over a bed of greens instead of a bed of rice!
How Long Do They Last?
I prepared these bowls for my meal prep and, in general, I only like to prep for four days at a time because I find that the freshness of my prepared meals degrade too much after that amount of time. So I suggest keeping these bowls for up to four days in the fridge for the best flavor and texture. These Mediterranean Turkey Bowls are not a good candidate for freezing due to the fresh vegetables and yogurt sauce.
Are They Served Hot or COld?
I love these bowls both warm and cold. When eating them just after preparation, the rice and turkey will be warm, which contrasts nicely with the fresh cold vegetables. When eating the leftovers as meal prep, I eat them cold like a salad. I think they’re delicious both ways! If you prefer to reheat the rice and turkey for meal preps, just package the rice and turkey in one container and the fresh vegetables in a separate container so you can reheat one and then top with the cold vegetables just before eating.
Make the garlic dill yogurt sauce first, so the flavors have time to blend. Stir together the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic powder, dill, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Next, begin cooking the rice using your preferred method (rice cooker or stove top). You can use any type of rice, just make sure to follow cooking instructions for the type of rice you're using.
While the rice is cooking, cook the ground turkey. Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. Once hot, add the ground turkey and continue to cook over medium heat.
When the turkey is almost cooked through, add the minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Stir to combine with the turkey and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes more or until the turkey is cooked through. Remove the turkey from the heat.
Slice the grape tomatoes in half, chop the cucumber into quarter-rounds, thinly slice the red onion, and finely chop the parsley.
When all of the ingredients are prepped, it's time to build your bowls. Divide the rice, ground turkey, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and parsley between four bowls or meal prep containers. Drizzle with the yogurt sauce just before serving and enjoy!
*You can use any type of rice (white, brown, jasmine, basmati, etc). Just make sure to follow the cooking instructions for the particular type of rice chosen. For more help with cooking rice, check out our How to Cook Rice tutorial.
How to Make Mediterranean Turkey Bowls – Step by Step Photos
Prepare the garlic dill yogurt sauce first so the flavors have some time to blend. Combine 1 cup full-fat plain yogurt with 1 Tbsp lemon juice, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp dried dill, and ¼ tsp salt. Refrigerate the sauce until ready to serve.
Next, cook one cup rice (one cup uncooked yields about 3 cups once cooked). I used a rice cooker for convenience, but if you’d like to do it on the stove top, check out our How to Cook Rice tutorial.
While the rice is cooking, prepare the ground turkey. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. Once hot, add 1 lb. ground turkey. Cook the turkey over medium heat until it’s almost cooked through. At that point, add 2 minced cloves of garlic, ½ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes more, or until the turkey is cooked through. Remove the turkey from the heat.
Slice one pint of grape tomatoes in half, chop one cucumber into quarter-rounds, thinly slice ¼ of a red onion, and finely chop about ¼ cup of fresh parsley. If you want the red onions to be a little more mild, you can soak them in ice water for about five minutes.
Once all of the ingredients are prepped, begin to build the bowls. Add about ¾ cup cooked rice to each bowl, then top with ¼ of the ground turkey. Divide the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and parsley between the four bowls.
Just before you’re ready to eat, drizzle the yogurt sauce (about ¼ cup per bowl) over top.
The weather is finally warming up, the sun is shining brightly and I am SO READY for all the fresh produce of spring and summer. These refreshing little cucumber sandwiches with a dilly cream cheese spread are the perfect light lunch for warmer weather or a snack to serve with tea or brunch, Mother’s Day, bridal showers, and more. But they’re so deliciously fresh that you’ll probably end up making them all summer long!
P.S. Bookmark this one if you grow cucumbers and are always looking for a way to use up that bumper crop! Our Creamy Cucumber Salad is great, too!
What are Cucumber Sandwiches
There are a lot of interpretations of cucumber sandwiches out there, the most basic being sliced cucumber between two slices of buttered bread, but we took our cucumber sandwiches to the next level with a tangy, dilly, cream cheese spread. The herby flavor of the cream cheese pairs perfectly with the super fresh flavor of the cucumber for an absolutely perfect sandwich. They’re usually made with a soft white bread to match their delicate flavor, but I think it would be fun to experiment with different types of bread for these sandwiches!
How to Serve Cucumber Sandwiches
These dainty little sandwiches are often cut into small bite-sized pieces and served with tea (hence the common name “cucumber tea sandwiches”), but they make the perfect appetizer for any spring or summertime gathering, like Easter, graduation parties, bridal or baby showers, or Mother’s Day brunch. Pair cucumber sandwiches with other fresh summer dishes like Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad, Lemon Cream Pie, Panzanella, or Macaroni Salad.
What Kind of Cucumbers are Best?
English cucumbers are by far the best choice for cucumber sandwiches because they have smaller, softer seeds and a thinner, softer skin. You can leave the skin on, peel, or partially peel for more color variation in the cucumber sandwiches. If using regular cucumbers, I would definitely peel them to prevent the tough skin from contrasting with the delicate nature of the sandwich.
How to Keep Cucumber Sandwiches From Getting Soggy
Cucumbers are a high water content vegetable, so if you’re not careful that water can seep out into your sandwich and leave you with soggy bread. Here’s how to keep the bread light and fluffy and the cucumbers crisp!
Make sure to spread the cream cheese from edge to edge on the bread. The cream cheese acts as a moisture barrier between the cucumbers and bread.
Don’t assemble the sandwiches too far ahead. Once assembled, serve your sandwiches within 1-2 hours.
To make the sandwiches ahead, freeze the bread, prepare the cream cheese spread, and slice the cucumbers. Keep the components separate until just before serving.
If you MUST fully assemble the sandwiches ahead of time, you’ll want to lightly salt the sliced cucumbers ahead of time and let them sit for about 15 minutes to draw out some of the water. Blot the salted cucumbers dry, then assemble the sandwiches. The cucumbers won’t be quite as crunchy this way, but it will give the sandwiches extra staying power.
What Else Can I Add?
If a recipe isn’t flexible, it isn’t for me! And cucumber sandwiches are definitely flexible. Here are some other fun ingredients you can add to cucumber sandwiches to make them your own:
Fresh herbs – parsley, mint, tarragon, chives
Spinach or baby greens – add a layer of greens for even more flavor and texture
Goat cheese – swap the cream cheese for chevre
Mayonnaise – for a creamy spread, add a couple of tablespoons of mayonnaise to the mix
Lay the slices of bread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for at least one hour. This will make slicing the sandwiches with clean edges a lot easier.
Prepare the dilly cream cheese dip. Add the cream cheese, dried dill, garlic powder, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and sliced green onion to a bowl. Whip the ingredients together until everything is evenly mixed and the cream cheese is soft and spreadable.
When you're ready to make the sandwiches, peel the cucumber if desired, then slice it very thinly.
Take two slices of bread out of the freezer at a time and spread about 1.5 Tbsp cream cheese over the surface of each piece of bread, from edge to edge. Layer the cucumber slices over one piece of bread, then top with the other slice (cream cheese side facing the cucumbers).
Carefully slice the crusts off the bread, then cut the sandwich into two or four pieces (four small pieces is great for finger foods or party appetizers). Repeat until all the sandwiches are assembled. If you have any leftover cucumber slices, place them on top as garnish. Serve within 1-2 hours of assembly.
How to Make Cucumber sandwiches – Step by Step Photos
To help the sandwiches slice easily with perfect edges, freeze the bread first. Lay the slices of bread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment. You’ll need 12 slices for this recipe, so you can do two layers of six. Freeze the bread for at least one hour.
When you’re ready to make the sandwiches, start with the cream cheese spread. Add one 8oz. block of room temperature cream cheese to a bowl along with ½ tsp dried dill, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper, one sliced green onion, and 2 Tbsp lemon juice.
Whip the ingredients together until everything is well incorporated and the cream cheese is soft and spreadable.
Peeling the cucumber is optional (recommended if not using an English cucumber). Thinly slice one cucumber.
Take two slices of bread out of the freezer at a time. Spread about 1.5 Tbsp of the dilly cream cheese spread over the surface of each slice, all the way from edge to edge.
Layer the cucumbers onto one of the slices of bread. Place the second slice of bread over top, with the cream cheese facing the cucumbers.
The bread should still be mostly frozen at this point, which makes it easier to slice. Carefully slice off the crusts, then cut the sandwich into two or four pieces (four is best if you’re planning to serve it as a finger food or appetizer).
If you have any leftover cucumber slices, place them on top for garnish, along with a sprinkle of dried dill. Serve and enjoy!
Somewhere, in the deep recesses of my kitchen drawers, lies a sushi rolling mat. I have used it once, perhaps five years ago, during my first and last attempt at rolling sushi at home. I made some lumpy rolls that day. Sushi is an art form, and it’s not a picture I can paint.
Homemade sushi bowls are the answer to my sushi-at-home conundrum. There’s no rolling involved, which means they’re much easier to make. You can get quite creative with your ingredients, too, since we’re simply piling them on top rather than rolling them up. Best of all, these fresh but hearty bowls keep me fueled for hours.
I try to serve a salad with every meal. I love adding in more greens. I few of my favorites include my Simple Kale Salad, Arugula Salad, and Easy Green Salad. I also really love this Butter Lettuce Salad. It’s easy to make but is pretty to serve …
I try to serve a salad with every meal. I love adding in more greens. I few of my favorites include my Simple Kale Salad, Arugula Salad, and Easy Green Salad. I also really love this Butter Lettuce Salad. It’s easy to make but is pretty to serve and delicious to eat. If you haven’t…
A fresh and vibrant salad that takes just 10 minutes? That’s our style, friends! This Mediterranean-inspired cucumber tomato salad is so versatile and satisfying thanks to protein- and fiber-rich chickpeas. Plus, just 1 bowl and 9 ingredients required!…
A fresh and vibrant salad that takes just 10 minutes? That’s our style, friends! This Mediterranean-inspired cucumber tomato salad is so versatile and satisfying thanks to protein- and fiber-rich chickpeas. Plus, just 1 bowl and 9 ingredients required!
It’s delicious alongside tofu, fish, or falafel wraps for an easy spring or summer meal. Let us show you how it’s done!
This VIBRANT, throw-it-all-in-a-bowl salad features crunchy cucumbers, sweet ripe tomatoes, aromatic red onion, fresh mint, and chickpeas.
Is it just us or does it seem like cucumbers repel any dressing you add to them? Not so fast! After some research and testing, we learned that smashing cucumbers helps the flavors stick around. Smashed cucumber salad to the rescue!
This Asian-inspired …
Is it just us or does it seem like cucumbers repel any dressing you add to them? Not so fast! After some research and testing, we learned that smashing cucumbers helps the flavors stick around. Smashed cucumber salad to the rescue!
This Asian-inspired take is super fresh, crunchy, savory, a little spicy, and full of ginger and sesame flavor. Plus, so EASY — just 10 ingredients, 1 bowl, and 10 minutes required.
If you thought sushi without fish or seafood was impossible, think again! Not only is it possible, but it is incredibly delicious. This easy sushi rolls recipe takes you step-by-step through how to prepare colorful and flavorful maki sushi in your own …
If you thought sushi without fish or seafood was impossible, think again! Not only is it possible, but it is incredibly delicious. This easy sushi rolls recipe takes you step-by-step through how to prepare colorful and flavorful maki sushi in your own kitchen in just an hour! There are so many delicious sushi options for vegans that...
This tofu sushi recipe combines smoked tofu, veggies, and a sriracha mayo to make delicious maki sushi rolls the entire family will love. You do not need to be a professional sushi chef to whip up this recipe. With this easy step-by-step guide, you wil…
This tofu sushi recipe combines smoked tofu, veggies, and a sriracha mayo to make delicious maki sushi rolls the entire family will love. You do not need to be a professional sushi chef to whip up this recipe. With this easy step-by-step guide, you will have your own restaurant-style vegan sushi at home in just...
I try to serve a salad with every meal. I love adding in more greens. I few of my favorites include my Simple Kale Salad, Arugula Salad, and Easy Green Salad. I also really love this Butter Lettuce Salad. It’s easy to make but is pretty to serve and delicious to eat. If you haven’t… 
