I’ve always really liked salads.
Even before gluten and dairy were removed from my diet, I generally opted for a leafy plate of greens over pasta or a steak.
Now before you start pointing fingers and turning your nose up at the runner who loves vegetables, you should probably know that I am a dessert addict.
I will never give up my post dinner treat. I’m a child at heart. And after a hard day pretending to be a grown up, I deserve a damn cookie. But, that’s not what this post is about.
This post is about my salads and I.
The best ones are invented when I’m running low on groceries. I just have to make something work. The last time this happened I started experimenting with breakfast salads, and now I’m hooked.
As the assembler that I am, I’ve always loved how easy it is to throw together a salad.
I don’t have time for spices, preheating an oven, measuring cups, yada yada yada. When it’s time for a meal I just open up my fridge and toss ingredients together.
Okay, you got me. I actually place my ingredients on my plate ever so gently… and then I take a picture of what I’ve created.
Even so, my meals are quick to put together.
Here are a few of my favorite salad creations from the past month! Underneath each photo I listed the ingredients. Feel free to recreate them to your liking.
And if you are a photo addict like me, snap a picture, and post it on instagram. Make sure to #myheartandhamstrings so I can see it. 🙂
Summertime Breakfast Salad
(Ingredients: spinach, red quinoa, mango, cucumber, onion, and one egg over easy)
Simple Salmon Salad
(Ingredients: spinach arugula mix, carrots, cucumbers, tomato, salmon, and almonds)
Hearty Dinner Salad
(Ingredients: arugula, carrots, cucumbers, onion, tomato, roasted potatoes, and pork)
Sweet Chicken Salad
(Ingredients: spinach, onion, almonds, cranberries, clementine slices, and chicken)
And as of late, I’ve started pairing a little something extra with my salads…
Udi’s and Earth Balance both sent me a variety of products to review! I’ve been ecstatic to try so many new things in the past couple of weeks, but wanted to show you this specifically. It’s the perfect side to any salad.
This combination of the two products is my FAVORITE. A toasted everything bagel with buttery spread on top is my gluten-free, dairy-free heaven.
And just in case you didn’t believe me earlier or for some reason all that salad talk REALLY got you in the mood for a chocolate chip cookie… 😉
This was one of my masterpieces from last week. I made a gluten-free,dairy-free version of Cooking Classy’s One Big Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe :
It was incredible.
My Heart and Hamstrings 