Dressing-Free Greek Salad

What You'll Need:
3/4 of a cucumber, diced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 c. (approximately 20) pimiento stuffed manzanilla olives, rinsed and minced
1/4 c. red onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 haas avocado (or any small avocado), diced
3.5 oz reduced fat, low-sodium crumbled feta cheese

What To Do:
Mix cucumber, tomatoes, olives, onions and bell pepper in a large bowl.  Gently mix in diced avocado and feta cheese. Tastes best when served chilled.

Tip:

*To reduce sodium content further: make sure to rinse the olives; you can reduce the amount of olives as well.

Spicy Tempeh Salad

Yield: 3 servings 

What You'll Need:

1 package Home style Tempeh - spicy veggie (I got mine from Whole Foods)

1 (8 oz) canned corn

1 c. green leaf lettuce, chopped

1/4 c. red cabbage, chopped

1/4 c. crushed olives (about half of a 4 oz can)

2 Tbs diced red onion

2 Tbs diced green onion

2 Tbs diced red bell pepper

2 Tbs minced cilantro

1 tsp low sodium soy sauce 

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp rice vinegar (optional)

Sweet and spicy spring roll dipping sauce (made with red chillies, garlic, vinegar, etc; can be found in Asian section of grocery store)

Shredded soy cheese (to sprinkle on top)

What To Do:

Cut tempeh into 1/2" cubes; saute over med-high heat with olive oil, rice vinegar and soy sauce in a frying pan for about 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown.  Once tempeh is cooked, remove from heat.  Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl, combine corn, lettuce, cabbage, olives, red onion, green onion, bell pepper and cilantro; mix well.  Add in cooked tempeh and toss.  Before eating, drizzle sweet and spicy dipping sauce over salad as a dressing and sprinkle with a little bit of soy cheese. 

Tips:

*If you prefer, you can also grate or crumble the tempeh instead of cutting in to cubes

*To give the tempeh a slightly smoked flavor, try adding 1/4 tsp liquid smoke

*Try adding 1/2c cooked quinoa (boiled in 1c. veggie broth for about 15-20 mins) for added flavor and protein 

*You can mix the dressing into the salad before serving-- you will need about 3 1/2 Tbs, or to taste of dressing for the entire salad.

*This is a spicy salad! If you don't like food with too much heat, try regular flavored tempeh instead of spicy

Nutrition facts are an estimation of
1 serving; based off of an on-line tool 

Roasted Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Dressing

What You'll Need:

1 c. quinoa, rinsed

2 c. low-sodium vegetable broth (msg-free is always good too)

1/4 c. red bell pepper, diced (approximately 1/2 of a medium sized pepper)

1/4 c. celery, diced (approximately 1/2 of a stalk)

1/4 c. red onion, diced (approximately 1/4 of a small onion)

1/4 c. black beans

1 1/2 Tbs. cilantro, minced

1 Tbs. green onion, chopped

1 Tbs. crushed black olives

2 large cloves of garlic, minced (approximately 1 Tbs)

1/8 c balsamic vinegar

2 tsp olive oil

dash of coriander powder

dash of cumin powder

What To Do:

In a dry frying pan, roast the rinsed quinoa over high heat (stirring frequently) for 3-4 minutes.  Add in the 2 cups of vegetable broth and bring to a boil.  Once the quinoa boils, reduce the heat and simmer (medium) for approximately 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and the grains are soft and sprouted (spiraled).  Once cooked, remove from pan and place in a medium to large-sized bowl to cool slightly.

In a frying pan (you can use the same one if you want), heat 1 tsp of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Saute the fresh minced garlic for about 1 minute, or just until it begins to turn golden.  Add diced onion and continue to saute for an additional 1-2 minutes. After a couple of minutes, add in the diced celery and saute for another 1-2 minutes. Remove sauteed mixture from heat and place in the same bowl as the quinoa.

Add in the bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, olives and black beans; toss well.

In a separate bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp olive oil, coriander powder and cumin powder; whisk all together with a fork.  Pour over the quinoa mixture and toss well.

It tastes best when served chilled!

Tips:
*You can add diced chicken to this as well to make it more filling - I haven't tried it yet, but I think a light honey-glazed, grilled and diced chicken breast might taste good