Easy Mexican Salad Three Ways at Once - Whole30, Vegan, Vegetarian!

Easy Mexican Salad Three Ways at Once - Whole30, Vegan, Vegetarian!
(*Picture to come!)

This one is easy to throw together and satisfy three different audiences - Whole30 adherents, vegan/no dairy peeps, and vegetarians/'fickletarians' (as I affectionately call my little picky eaters).

Ingredients (makes 4 total servings - assumes 1 Whole30, 1 vegan, 2 vegetarian):

Base salad-

1 bag of your favorite greens from TJ's (I like green leaf lettuce mixed with shredded carrot and radicchio)

1 zucchini, diced

1/3 white onion, sliced

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Garlic powder to taste

Paprika to taste

4 large mushrooms, sliced

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

2 radishes, thinly sliced

1/4 red bell pepper, diced

Handful fresh cilantro, chopped

1 avocado, diced

Juice of half a lime

Additional options based on eating style-

3 oz. Whole30-compliant meat of choice (cooked chicken or steak/brisket works well), reheated and chopped

1/2 can cooked black beans

1/2 can cooked corn kernels

Handful shredded TJ's Mexican cheese blend

2 handfuls broken tortilla chips (I save the small bits at the bottom of the bag for this purpose!)

Handful raw pepitas

1/4 cup cooked brown rice

1/2 habanero, finely diced

Non-Whole30 dressing-

3 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. coriander powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Black pepper to taste

1 Tbsp. honey

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Directions:

1.  In a saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil and zucchini.  Sprinkle with garlic powder and paprika, mixing well and stirring regularly.  Continue for a couple of minutes and add onion and lime juice.  Continue stirring and cooking for several minutes until soft, then remove from heat to cool down.  (You can then cook the bell pepper the same way if you want to keep it separate from the other veggies because your fickletarians don't want it touching their other veggies; if they're cooler than mine, then you can cook the bell pepper along with the zucchini and onion.)

2.  Combine greens, mushrooms, tomatoes, radishes, cilantro, and avocado.  Mix well.  Once cool, add zucchini/onion mixture and mix well.  Be careful to overmix at any point because avocado will get smushy and thereby render itself inedible for fickletarians.

3.  For Whole 30 option, remove serving from main bowl and put in separate bowl.  Top with meat and half of pepitas (and some habanero, if desired).  (Add 1/2 cooked bell pepper here if you're being held hostage by fickletarians.)  Drizzle with Whole30 compliant dressing, such as olive oil and lemon juice.  

4.  Add corn and beans to main bowl and mix.  Mix dressing ingredients separately and stir into salad.  

5.  For vegan option, remove serving from main bowl and put in separate bowl.  Add rice, remaining pepitas, and habanero if desired.  (Add bell pepper here if you've given over your life to fickletarians.)

6.  For vegetarian/fickletarian option, set tortilla chips on a large plate and sprinkle with cheese.  Microwave for approximately 15 seconds.  Mix 'nachos' into salad and serve. Watch fickletarians pick through the salad with their grimy little fingers, scooping out the chips and cheese until you beg, plead, and cajole them into eating the rest of it.  As they do, watch their faces as they realize with horror that this is a salad that they actually LIKE!  ;)

LIFE'S A BEACH PASTA SALAD

Perfect for an impromptu beach trip or summer potluck!

Ingredients:
(Makes 4 side dish portions or 2 entree portions)

1/2 package orzo pasta
4 carrots, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 green onion, sliced
1 can artichoke hearts, drained & excess liquid squeezed out, chopped
1/2 can garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Olive oil
Dried dill, 2 shakes
Dried oregano, 1 shake
Dried thyme, 1 shake, rubbed between fingers to release flavor
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Cook orzo according to package.

2.  While orzo is cooking, nuke carrots and zucchini in a bowl covered with microwave-safe plastic wrap with a bit of water, stirring once during cooking, until tender but not overly soft (approximately 3 minutes total).  Drain and thoroughly rinse cooked veggies with cold water.

3.  When orzo is done, immediately drain and thoroughly rinse with cold water to stop cooking.  Place in large mixing bowl and stir in a bit of olive oil.  Add veggie mixture and green onion to mixing bowl and stir gently.

4.  Add all remaining ingredients to bowl, mixing gently but thoroughly.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

5.  Serve with crusty French bread.

Notes:

*Try to make a couple of hours ahead and chill in fridge - flavors blend marvelously!

*To pack for the beach, make far enough ahead that toasted bread and pasta salad have a chance to thoroughly cool down before putting in cooler.

*Would be good with small, previously-cooked/thawed shrimp added and/or a shake of red pepper flakes.

*Add whatever your child's favorite veggie is to increase likelihood of consumption!  Also, using bread as a "spoon" makes eating it more fun!

*Kids can help by stirring all ingredients.

ZESTY TOFU SALAD

Ingredients:
(Makes 2 entree portions)

Several leaves green lettuce, chopped
Handful shredded/chopped green cabbage
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 carrot, diced
3 shitake mushrooms, diced
1/2 brick firm tofu, cut into 1/2" cubes
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 Tbsp. + 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp. + 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. crushed garlic
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. crushed ginger
3 Tbsp. orange juice
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
Black pepper, to taste
Lemon juice, just a squeeze

Directions:

1.  Heat canola oil in wok over high flame.  Add tofu and mushrooms, stirring gently.

2.  Continue cooking tofu, allowing it to just start to brown on one side before stirring and turning, unsticking as you go.

3.  Add 1 Tbsp. sesame oil, 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar, 1 Tbsp. garlic, and 1 Tbsp. ginger to the wok, stirring to coat tofu thoroughly.

4.  Continue cooking tofu until browned on all sides.

5.  Combine all remaining veggies in medium bowl.  Lay cooled tofu over the top.

6.  Mix orange juice, soy sauce, black pepper, lemon juice, and remaining garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and rice vinegar in a small bowl.  Pour over salad and serve.

Notes:

*Great to take with you to work or school for lunch.  Just separate the tofu from the veggies and keep dressing in a small container.

*To make kid-friendly, cook veggies (minus lettuce and cabbage) with tofu and add spinach leaves.

ROASTED VEGETABLE & MAHI MAHI SALAD

Ingredients:
(Makes approximately 4 entree size portions)

1 package Trader Joe's frozen mahi mahi
1/2 package Trader Joe's fresh asparagus (approximately 5 thick stalks)
3 thick-sliced rounds eggplant
1/2 red bell pepper, thickly sliced
Several mushrooms, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 package Trader Joe's butter lettuce & raddichio mix
Olive oil
Trader Joe's poultry seasoning
Black pepper
Salt
Garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
Several Tbsp. balsamic and/or red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. non-fat yogurt

Directions:

1.  Thaw fish by running package under hot water for several minutes, flipping and moving occasionally.  Rinse and pat fish dry.

2.  Cover eggplant slices with salt and set aside to drain in the sink. After 10 minutes, rinse and pat dry.

3.  Heat a grill pan over a medium-high heat.

4.  Lightly brush asparagus, eggplant slices and bell pepper with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder.  Lay on the grill.

5.  Allow vegetables to cook until just starting to blacken, flipping and rearranging as necessary.  Remove from grill pan and allow to cool.

6.  Preheat broiler.

7.  Lightly brush fish with olive oil and sprinkle each side with poultry seasoning.  Grill each piece of fish until grill marks appear on both sides.  Transfer to a foil-lined baking pan and put in broiler for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until fish is cooked through and flaky, then set aside.

8.  Once grilled veggies are cool, chop all.

9.  In a large bowl, combine lettuce mixture, mushrooms, tomato, and grilled veggies.

10.  In a small bowl, mix several tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, oregano, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, lemon juice, yogurt, and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir vigorously with a fork until well-combined.

11.  Pour almost all dressing over salad and mix very well with tongs until all veggies are thoroughly covered.  Divide evenly into flat bowls.

12.  Cut fish into long slices and lay several pieces on top of each bowl of salad.  Pour remainder of dressing over the top of each salad and serve.

Notes:

*Surprisingly easy & delicious!

BUFFALO CHICKEN SALAD

BUFFALO CHICKEN SALAD
(Makes 2 entree portions)

Ingredients:

1/2 package Trader Joe's organic baby spinach (approx. 3 oz.)
1/4 red onion, sliced
4 mushrooms, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
6 baby carrots, sliced
1 Trader Joe's free range, organic chicken breast, rinsed, patted dry, and sliced into 4 equal-sized pieces
1/4 bottle Louisiana Wildly Wicked Chicken Wing Sauce (or other hot wing sauce)
2 (or more) Tbsp. butter
Several Tbsp. Trader Joe's ranch dressing (or other ranch or blue cheese dressing)
Several Tbsp. vegetable oil
black pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
chili powder, to taste

Directions:

1. Split spinach into two plates or pasta (wide, shallow) bowls.
2. Top each bowl with equal parts carrots, onion, mushrooms, and celery.
3. Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium-low heat.
4. Add chicken and cook 3 minutes.
5. Sprinkle chicken with pepper, garlic and chili powder; flip and cook 2 minutes.
6. Flip chicken and sprinkle other side with pepper, garlic and chili powder; cook 1 more minute.
7. Remove chicken to paper towel and turn heat off under pan.
8. Melt butter in pan, add wing sauce and stir until mixed.
9. Slosh chicken around in sauce mixture until coated well on both sides.
10. Remove chicken to cutting board; slice into bite-size pieces; split equally between salad bowls.
11. Drizzle remaining sauce mixture from pan over chicken.
12. Drizzle ranch dressing over salad.

Notes:

*Always take meat recipes proferred by a vegetarian with a grain of salt.

*It's a good idea to have a splatter guard over the pan when cooking the chicken, unless you enjoy having people stare at your chest trying to decipher what is all over your shirt.