Name: Roasted Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained; 2 tsp olive oil; 1/2 tbs salt or to taste; 1 tbs black pepper; 4 cups romaine lettuce- roughly chopped; 2 cups baby tomatoes ( I used heirloom)- halved; 2 mini cucumbers- cut into circles; 1/2 cup green onions- cut into small pieces; 1/4 cup tahini; 1/4 cup lemon juice; 2 garlic cloves- minced; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1/2 tsp salt or to taste; Water to thin dressing-if needed

Roasted Chickpea Salad with a delicious creamy tahini dressing is light, crispy, healthy and full of so much flavor! Vegan & Gluten-Free.

Roasted Chickpea Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

Roasted Chickpea Salad with a delicious creamy lemon tahini dressing is light, crispy, healthy and full of so much flavor! This Roasted chickpea salad is also vegan & Gluten-Free.

Love me some good salad!

Crispy chickpeas, a quick yummy tahini dressing, TONS of flavor, and a recipe that can be easily prepared in less than 30 minutes make this salad one of my favorites!

How to get your Chickpeas ready for baking:

Rinse and drain a can of cooked chickpeas and pat dry well with a paper towel, then season with salt, black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil coating the chickpeas completely. Spread them out on a baking sheet coated with non-stick cooking spray. Roast them for about 25 minutes on high heat, shaking the pan once halfway through, and there you have it! Delicious roasted chickpeas!

Roasted Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Crispy chickpeas, a quick yummy tahini dressing, TONS of flavor, and a recipe that can be easily prepared in less than 30 minutes make this salad one of my favorites!

Ingredients

For the Chickpeas

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tbs salt or to taste
1 tbs black pepper

For Salad

4 cups romaine lettuce- roughly chopped
2 cups baby tomatoes ( I used heirloom)- halved
2 mini cucumbers- cut into circles
1/2 cup green onions- cut into small pieces

For Tahini Dressing

1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 garlic cloves- minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
Water to thin dressing-if needed

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Coat a baking tray with cooking oil spray.
Rinse and drain chickpeas, patting them dry using a paper towel.
In a large bowl, combine chickpeas, salt, black pepper,and olive oil. Mix well until chickpeas are completely coated.
Transfer chickpeas to the prepared baking tray, spread out and roast in oven for 25 minutes, shaking pan halfway through.
While the chickpeas are roasting, in a large bowl, mix lettuce, cucumber, baby tomatoes and green onions together. Set aside.
In a meduim size bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt and olive oil. Right before serving, toss tahini dressing with the salad mixture and top with roasted chickpeas.
Serve and enjoy!

Caprese Asparagus Salad

I still can’t believe it is finally summer time here in NY! And I’m absolutely loving it! I’ve been enjoying all of the summer side dishes, like this asparagus salad. Today, I’m sharing with you another favorite simple asparagus recipe: Caprese Asparagus Salad.

If you are looking for a delicious, yet quick side dish to make, Caprese Asparagus Salad topped with Mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and a balsamic glaze is definitely the answer!

How Long to Bake Asparagus?

About 10 to 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Here are some simple steps to to perfectly cook these green stalks:

Prep: Cut off the woody ends of the asparagus and toss away. Arrange the asparagus stalks on a foil or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Season:Toss the asparagus with olive oil and black pepper to coat.
Bake: Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Add cheese, bake for another 5 minutes. You know your Asparagus are ready, when the largest stem is fork tender.

Caprese Asparagus Salad

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

If you are looking for a delicious, yet quick side dish to make, Caprese Asparagus salad topped with Mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and a balsamic glaze is the answer!

Ingredients

1 lb asparagus- stalks trimmed
4 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
1 tsp Black pepper
2 cups cherry tomatoes- halved
1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp Fresh basil- chopped
Balsamic glaze- for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Line a baking pan with a foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Arrange the asparagus on one side of the baking sheet in a row on one side of the baking pan.
Arrange the cherry tomatoes in a row on the other side of the pan.
Drizzle the top of the asparagus and cherry tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Place the sheet pan in the oven and cook for 10 minutes.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and top the asparagus with the shredded Mozzarella cheese. I used Mozzarella balls cut into small pieces.
Place back in the oven and continue to cook until the cheese is melted. This will take about 5 minutes.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the asparagus on a serving plate. Top the asparagus with tomatoes. I arrange the tomatoes to cover the melted.
Add a coat of fresh basil over the tomatoes.
Drizzle the balsamic glaze on top and serve.
Enjoy!

Notes

Raspberry Balsamic Glaze is my favorite for this recipe, but any other regular balsamic glaze will work just fine.

Asparagus Salad

A delicious colorful asparagus salad loaded with heirloom cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, topped with a light garlic -lemon and olive oil dressing. This asparagus salad is bursting with flavor! Best of all, it comes together In less than 10 minutes!

Prep Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 5 mins Yield: 4

Ingredients:

1 lb asparagus – ends trimmed
1 cup heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
8 ounce mozzarella balls
2 tbs fresh mint leaves, minced
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp salt or to taste

Instructions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add asparagus to boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes.
While asparagus is cooking, prepare the dressing by combining the garlic, salt, lemon juice, lemon zest, mint and olive oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
Drain the asparagus and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Place asparagus on platter and top with tomatoes and mozzarella balls.
Drizzle with dressing and toss lightly.
Enjoy!

Simple Shrimp Salad

By far the most delicious shrimp salad that I’ve ever made! You will love this simple shrimp salad made with cooked shrimp tossed in with vegetables and balsamic dressing.

This shrimp salad can be served as a side dish but is also perfect as a main course for lunch or dinner. I used fresh medium sized raw shrimp, but you can use frozen bags. Just make sure to thaw the shrimp as directed on the package (usually overnight in the refrigerator in a colander with a bowl underneath; or more quickly in a colander under running cold water if you decide to make it the same day).

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:

For the salad:

3 to 4 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
2 avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced
1 medium romaine lettuce (5 to 6 cups chopped)

For dressing:

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt or to taste
3 tbsp olive oil

For the shrimp:

1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp black pepper
pinch of salt

Instructions:

For shrimp: In a large non-stick pan over medium high heat, swirl in 2 Tbsp butter. Once butter stops sizzling, add shrimp in a single layer, add a pinch of salt and let cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until each side turns pink. Set aside to cool. Shrimp cooks quickly!
For dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk in balsamic vinaigrette, salt and olive oil until the dressing thickens and an emulsion forms. Taste and adjust quantities as desired.
For salad:
- In a large bowl, mix in all the already chopped vegetables.
- Slowly drizzle the dressing and mix gently until all the vegetables are covered well.
- Add the shrimp and toss to coat.
- Drizzle balsamic glaze and serve. (optional)

Yum Yum! Everything about this shrimp salad is good!

Fattoush Salad

There are two types of people in the world; Fattoush salad people and Tabbouleh salad people. These are two of the most recognizable Lebanese salads. In my family, the decision to make one or the other with dinner is a constant source of conflict.

Fattoush salad combines all of my favorite fresh vegetables in one delicious bowl. The toasted pita bread adds some crunchy contrast and the generous dash of sumac gives Fattoush its distinctly awesome flavor.

Everyone makes Fattoush salad differently, but here is my recipe! 🙂 In my recipe I use broccoli because my boys love this little addition, however broccoli is not a typical Lebanese Fattoush ingredient.

Fattoush Salad

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Fattoush salad combines tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, radishes, and onions in one delicious bowl. The toasted pita bread adds some crunchy contrast and the generous dash of sumac gives Fattoush its distinctly awesome flavor.

Ingredients

2 loaves pita bread
1 tsp Sumac
salt to taste (start with 1 tsp)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
1 heart of Romaine lettuce, chopped
2 cucumbers, chopped (I like to use the mini cucumbers)
4 tomatoes, chopped into medium-sized pieces
1 small onion, chopped into thin pieces
2 cups chopped parsley leaves, stems removed
4 radishes ( cut into circles)
1 cup chopped broccoli (optional)

Instructions

Toast the pita bread in your toaster or bake it in the oven until it is crispy but not browned, this will take about 5 mins and let it cool.
Break the pita bread into pieces and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, broccoli, radishes and parsley.
Add salt, sumac, apple cider, balsamic vinegar and mix well.
Add the oil and toss lightly.
Finally, add the toasted pita bread and toss one more time.
Enjoy! 🙂

Notes

Fattoush goes really well these dishes:

Lebanese Chicken and Rice

Mujadara

Baked Salmon

The best Lebanese Tabouleh salad recipe.

Tabbouleh Salad Recipe

Tabbouleh salad is one of the most recognizable Middle Eastern dishes. It is very simple, made out of very finely chopped parsley, tomatoes, onions, and bulgur wheat mixed with pomegranate molasses , lemon juice and olive oil. There many different recipes , but this is the one that I grew up with.

Serves: 4-5 people Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Here are some important tips:

Use a sharp knife
Parsley should be chopped as finely as possible. I would not recommend using a food processor because the parsley can come out soggy.
Bulgur wheat can be purchased as coarse or fine. The fine type works best.
soak the bulgur wheat with water until slightly softened, drain
Finely dice the tomatoes and onions
Serve your Tabbouleh with lettuce or cabbage, which can be used as an edible spoon to scoop with, or munched on the side.

Ingredients:

- 3 parsley bunches
- 5 tomatoes
- 1/2 cup super fine bulgur wheat
- 1 medium size white onion
- Salt
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3-4 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses

Instructions:

Wash the bulgur wheat and set aside to let it drain
Wash and dry the parsley and tomatoes. ” Parsley should be completely dry before chopping”.
chop the parsley, finely dice the Tomatoes and white onions (keep all separate for now)
Add 1/2 tbsp salt to the onions.
Place the chopped veggies and parsley in a mixing bowl.
Add the bulgur heat and mix gently.
Now add the pomegranate molasses and the olive oil and mix again.
I like my Tabbouleh moist, so I usually add a few tbsp water if it looks dry.
Enjoy with your favorite entrée.