Fattoush
This dreamy Fattoush Salad recipe is fresh, light and flavorful, made with peak-season summer veggies, fresh herbs and crispy pita chips in a tangy sumac dressing, all piled over a creamy yogurt-tahini sauce.
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This dreamy Fattoush Salad recipe is fresh, light and flavorful, made with peak-season summer veggies, fresh herbs and crispy pita chips in a tangy sumac dressing, all piled over a creamy yogurt-tahini sauce.
A fresh, vibrant, Strawberry Spinach Salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing, candied pecans, and insanely delicious flavors!
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I’ve made several versions of Strawberry Spinach Salad over the years, but this by far is my favorite! It includes fresh strawberries, salty feta cheese, candied pecans, and an easy homemade balsamic vinaigrette. The textures and flavors are insanely delicious and compliment each other perfectly! It reminds you of a fancy salad that you’d get at a cafe, but you can make it at home for a fraction of the cost. This is one of those “summer” salads that I could literally eat all year long!
Strawberry Spinach Salad includes lots of wonderful flavors and textures that compliment each other perfectly. Here’s what you’ll need:
The dressing for this strawberry salad is probably my favorite part…ok it’s actually tied with the candied pecans! I started with Beth’s easy homemade balsamic vinaigrette and made one adjustment by replacing the mayonnaise with honey for a slightly sweeter taste. The results – absolutely amazing!
You can certainly use a store bought balsamic vinaigrette if you don’t have a well stocked pantry with all the necessary ingredients on hand, but I promise this homemade balsamic vinaigrette will taste wayyy better! I highly recommend you give it a try! ;)
Strawberry spinach salad stores well in the fridge for up to 3 days. In order to keep the spinach from wilting too much, it’s best to store the strawberries and the dressing separately and add them to the salad right before you’re ready to serve.
This salad makes a great lunch meal by itself, Monti and I totally gobbled it up at the test studio, but you can also add some grilled chicken or sautéed shrimp on top for a more filling meal. This salad also pairs well with other leaner protein like baked cod and pan-seared chicken.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Do you love easy summer salad recipes? Try our Creamy Cucumber Salad, Panzanella, or Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad.
Start by making the homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Add 1/3 cup olive oil, 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbsp honey, 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 garlic clove minced, 1/2 tsp dried basic, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper to a jar, bowl, or blender. Add a top to the jar and shake, whisk in a bowl, or blend until all the ingredients are evenly combined. Set the vinaigrette dressing aside.
Next make the candied pecans. In a small non-stick skillet add 1/2 Tbsp butter, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. Heat over medium heat while stirring just until the butter and brown sugar begins to melt. Add 1/2 cup of chopped pecan and stir to coat in the brown sugar mixture. Continue to cook for 2-4 minutes or until the brown sugar is fully melted (looks glossy, not grainy) and completely coating the pecans.
Remove the skillet from the heat immediately, to prevent the brown sugar from over cooking and burning. Transfer the candied pecans to a parchment lined baking sheet, spread out in a flat layer. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes and the sugar coating will fully harden.
Now prep the rest of the salad ingredients. Wash and slice 1/2 pound of strawberries, thinly slice 1/4 of a red onion, portion out 2 oz of crumbled feta cheese, and gather your cooled candied pecans.
Divide 8 oz of spinach between four salad plates (roughly 2 oz per plate) or you can add all of the spinach to a larger serving bowl. Add 2 Tbsp of the balsamic vinaigrette to each salad plate or drizzle 1/3 cup of the dressing over the bowl of spinach. Reserve the rest of the dressing to add right before serving.
Divide the toppings (sliced strawberries, sliced red onion, 1 tablespoon of crumbled feta, and 1-2 tablespoons of candied pecans) between the four salad plates or add the toppings to a larger salad serving bowl. Drizzle each salad with a little more of the balsamic dressing and enjoy!
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This luscious creamy Dill Sauce is fresh and flavorful- perfect for salmon, veggies, or use it as a dip. It’s made with simple ingredients in under five minutes!
These irresistible Zucchini Muffins are fluffy, super moist and the perfect way to use up your generous supply of summer zucchini!
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This recipe goes out to all of my fellow zucchini lovers who have an abundance of zucchini growing in their gardens right now. Or maybe you’re like me and just have extra zucchini hanging out in the fridge that you need to use before it goes bad. Either way, one of my favorite ways to use up zucchini is by making these delicious and slightly irresistible Zucchini Muffins. They’re soft, super moist and the perfect way to sneak in a green vegetable!
What I love about baking recipes is that they often include pantry staple ingredients that you already have on hand. You can easily whip up a batch of these zucchini muffins using the following:
Thankfully there is no need to peel your zucchini before grating it. The skin of the zucchini is very thin and tender, so it’s barely noticeable once baked into the muffins. Just give it a good wash with your hands or a vegetable brush and you’ll be good to go!
Allow the muffins to cool completely at room temperature before storing. You can store leftover zucchini muffins in an airtight container or a food storage bag at room temperature or in the fridge for 4-5 days. For longer storage, store in a freezer-safe storage bag for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen muffins at room temperature or microwave for about 30 seconds until warm, then add a little butter and enjoy!
Some other great ways to use up your supply of summer zucchini include making a batch of these crispy, Baked Zucchini Fries, this easy Lemon Pepper Zucchini, or baked Zucchini Slice. Other great zucchini recipes include our simple Charred Corn and Zucchini Salad or easily add sautéed zucchini to your favorite meal like this Blackened Salmon with Zucchini dish!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Next wash the zucchini well, trim off the stem of the zucchini, then grate 2 cups of zucchini (roughly about 1 lb.) and set the grated zucchini to the side.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp cinnamon until well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup applesauce, 1/4 cup cooking oil and 1 tsp vanilla extract until well combined.
Add the 2 cups of grated zucchini to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Stir until well combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the same bowl as the dry ingredients. Stir together until just barely combined and there are no traces of dry flour left in the bowl. Be careful not to overmix the batter at this point.
Divide the batter between eight greased or lined muffin wells.
Bake for about 24 minutes or until golden brown and puffed in the center. And be prepared for your kitchen to smell amazing! Allow the muffins to cool for about 5 minutes then carefully loosen the edges of the muffin with a knife. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Enjoy these soft, fluffy, and absolutely delicious Zucchini Muffins by themselves or with a little butter spread on top!
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These Chicken Lettuce Wraps are full of freshness and bold flavor, easy to prepare, and satisfying in every bite!
The post Chicken Lettuce Wraps appeared first on Budget Bytes.
Of all the small plate recipes, one of the easiest to prepare and one of my personal favorites is Chicken Lettuce Wraps. The crisp lettuce leaves hold a saucy ground chicken and vegetable mixture and every bite is full of freshness and bold flavor! If you love to make Asian-inspired recipes as much as I do, then you might already have a lot of these ingredients at home, which makes this recipe simple, easy to prepare, and satisfying in every bite!
This recipe includes 3 simple elements: a sauce, the chicken and vegetable filling and a dressing drizzled on top. The dressing is optional, but highly recommended :)
You can use a variety of different types of lettuce for chicken lettuce wraps including bibb lettuce, butter lettuce, green leaf lettuce or even romaine lettuce. We opted for these cute iceberg lettuce boats that we caught on sale, and the chicken filling fits perfectly inside each one. Bibb lettuce will wrap nicely around the filling and looks beautiful plated, but it can also be on the pricier side.
I love recipes that you can easily customize with ingredients you already have in your fridge or pantry. Here are few suggestions:
You can have chicken lettuce wraps as an appetizer or your main dish, but they also taste great paired with some coconut rice, a quick & easy vegetable lo mein, sesame cucumber salad, crispy rice noodles, or this simple cold peanut noodle salad. The noodle salad uses the same sweet & tangy peanut lime dressing so you can easily just make a full batch of the dressing and drizzle it on both!
If you’re lucky enough to have any leftovers, be sure to store the chicken filling and the lettuce separately. You can store the chicken filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Then store any extra lettuce in a food storage bag in the fridge for up to 4 days as well.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Start by making the sauce for the chicken. In a small bowl mix 1/4 cup hoisin sauce, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp rice vinegar, 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger, and 2 garlic cloves minced. Stir well and set aside.
Dice one red bell pepper. Drain and dice one 8oz. can of water chestnuts. Slice 2 green onions and give the peanuts a rough chop. Set these ingredients to the side.
Add 1 Tbsp cooking oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. Once oil is hot, add 1 lb ground chicken, crumble, and cook until browned.
Mix in diced bell pepper and water chestnuts into the skillet and saute for 2 minutes.
Pour the sauce mixture into the skillet and mix well. Continue to cook and stir for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and add 2 sliced green onions and 1/4 cup chopped peanuts. Feel free to reserve some of the green onions and peanuts to add on top of the individual lettuce wraps.
Next, make the peanut dressing. In a small bowl combine 1.5 Tbsp natural style peanut butter, 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/4 tsp grated fresh ginger, 1 lime, 1 tsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp neutral oil. Mix well.
Serve chicken filling inside lettuce with a drizzle of the peanut lime dressing and enjoy!
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This easy coleslaw recipe is the perfect side to pair with anything you’re grilling this summer! Serve it as a side dish with a pulled pork sandwich, burgers, hot dogs, and more. Coleslaw Recipe True story – I am not a coleslaw fan. I never eat colesla…
Grilled Broccolini with burrata cheese, toasted hazelnuts and basil oil- a tasty summer side dish perfect for outdoor dinners and gatherings.
This Cobb Salad is the perfect meal for warm weather days. A light, fresh, and delicious protein-rich dinner with crunchy veggies, coconut bacon, pickled shallots, and a flavorful red wine vinaigrette. Vegan-adaptable!
Wondering what to do with young pea shoots? These stir-fried pea shoots are incredibly easy to make and full of flavor; a tasty spring side dish that comes together in 15 minutes! Vegan.
I love making a batch of these easy make-ahead, high-protein Broccoli and Cheese Egg Muffins for meal prep or breakfast on the go. Broccoli and Cheese Egg Muffins These egg muffins are a great way to start the morning because they are high in protein, …