Creamy Tahini Caesar Dressing

Hello friends! Hope everyone had a good weekend. If you follow me on Instagram you know it was a harder weekend for me. I can’t say that each year the weekend gets easier for me but I can say that I’m learning how to honor it, how I respond to it, and what I need to get me through it. It’s certainly a process but I’m learning and it is nice to be able to be honest with myself and allow myself the time and the space to reflect and fill my mind and time with things that nurture and continue to help me heal. For anyone who has lost someone close to them, I know we all have a different journey. This is part of mine and I just wanted to share a little of that with you this morning as it is a part of what makes me who I am today.

TODAY, however, is the start of a new week and I want to share with you a dressing that I have been loving lately. I typically always make my salad dressing from scratch because, with the right ingredients, you can make a dressing yourself better than anything you can buy off the shelf! My husband and I tend to like simpler dressings and my usual go-tos are a balsamic vinaigrette, a honey Dijon vinaigrette, or a champagne vinaigrette. Which dressing we use depends on the items in our salads. I’ve really never been a huge Caesar dressing girl and my experimenting with making homemade Caesar dressings has left me with the same final conclusion - just not a huge fan. HOWEVER, I discovered this Tahini Caesar dressing in my Cookie + Kate cookbook a few weeks ago and it has quickly become a staple on my lunch salads that I take to work! I’m sure it could also make a great addition to other entrees or side dishes or to my Vegetarian Sweet Potato that I published a while back. I highly recommend you visit her blog, which I have linked below. I believe you can find this dressing there (not positive b/c I got it from her cookbook). I really wanted to have the recipe in this space and be able to share it with you and so I have included it below. I talk about this cookbook a bunch because it’s another one of my go-tos when I want a hearty vegetarian option for dinner or lunch. I highly recommend you visit her blog or get her cookbook (this is not sponsored, I just really like her cookbook)!

I’ll be enjoying this dressing later today, but before I head out to the office, I’m sharing this dressing with you here.

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

Tahini Caesar Dressing

By Kathryn Taylor (Cookie and Kate blog)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup tahini

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 to 1 1/2 lemons)

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 2 tablespoons water

• Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, combine the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, mustard, and salt.

2. Whisk until blended, then add the water and whisk until you have a smooth, blended tahini sauce.

3. Season generously with black pepper (about 10 twists).

4. The dressing should be tangy, like classic Caesar dressings. If it’s overwhelmingly tart or too think to pour, whisk in an additional tablespoon of water. Mine was pretty thick so I ended up whisking in probably about 2 more tablespoons of water.

Honey Dijon Chicken Salad: Dairy Free Chicken Salad

This week I want to share with you guys one of my go-to chicken salad recipes. It’s so simple but makes simple baked chicken wayyyy more exciting. Growing up I did not like chicken salad because I always felt like it was more mayonnaise than chicken and the mix-ins. So, I started coming up with my own recipes! I posted one of my favorites a long time ago (this confetti chicken salad) and now I’m sharing this variety. It’s such a simple solution to making sure there is something for lunch each day and I promise it’s more meat and mix-ins than mayo. Actually this variety doesn’t have any mayo at all. I typically throw it together on a Sunday afternoon or a Monday night after work. It probably takes a total of 45-ish minutes to put together, prep to plate, but about 20 to 30 of those minutes are hands-off to free you up for other things!

Hope you make time to try this recipe and that it gives you some simple lunch or dinner solutions!

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

HONEY DIJON CHICKEN SALAD

Makes about 3 cups

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (should make about 3 cups cooked chopped)

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey

• 1 cup diced celery (about 2 to 3 large stalks)

• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cook chicken according to instructions for my Tender Oven-Baked Chicken. (Or use your own favorite cooking method for simple chicken)

3. While chicken bakes in the oven, whisk together the olive oil, Dijon mustard and honey.

4. Set aside.

5. When the chicken is done, allow to cool slightly.

6. Once cooled slightly, dice chicken into bite-size chunks and add to a medium mixing bowl.

7. Add honey dijon dressing to the diced chicken, mixing well to incorporate all of the dressing with the chicken.

8. Add in the diced celery and dried cranberries.

9. Mix everything well to combine all ingredients so that when served, each person gets sweet tangy bites of chicken, tart cranberries and a crunch of celery in every bite.

10. Enjoy!

NUTRITION NOTES:

A recipe packed with protein and vitamin B12

NUTRITION INFO (per 1 cup):

413 calories, 43 grams Protein, 14 grams Carb, 18 grams Fat, 0.8 grams Fiber, 1.5 grams Iron, 33 mg Calcium

Salmon Nicoise Salad

Hello, friends!  It's been quite a while since my last post.  This season has been a packed one that seems to have flown by.  I was super excited to get away this Memorial Day weekend.  Kyle and I took a trip to the ranch, which meant no phones or computers or social media - just family, exploring, reading, writing and grilling.  It was just the right balance of exploration and rest. We navigated our way along streams that opened to fresh pools of cold water surrounded by the greenest grass (a very unique find in the Texas - New Mexico desert) and we made ourselves at home on the large rocking chairs that lined our front porch with plenty of reading and writing material in hand (& morning visits from our peacock friend, which you know about if you saw my IG post, ha).  Given the time and lack of technology, I got to catch up on all of my fun reading, brainstorm new recipes and articles, and start making progress on recipes I have been wanting to post for some time now.

As summer is quickly approaching, I thought getting my Salmon Nicoise Salad up would be a good first step.  It's fairly simple to throw together and, although a salad, it is hearty enough for a filling and satisfying weeknight or weekend dinner.  Not only is it simple and filling but wild salmon is also reaching its peak season as we speak, making it a perfect time to give this recipe a try!  Parts of this salad can also be prepped ahead of time, which is great if you're making this for company and want more time to talk and hang out vs being in the kitchen. I'm excited to finally get this recipe up and here it is - my Salmon Nicoise Salad.  It's recipe that friends and family have enjoyed these last few months and I think you will enjoy as well!

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

SALMON NICOISE SALAD

Serves 3 - 4

INGREDIENTS (for Salad):

• Two 6-ounce salmon filets

• 1/8 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

• Pepper, to taste

• 1 medium lemon, sliced into 6 thin slices

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, diced (about 4 cups diced raw)

• 2 teaspoons olive oil, to cook potatoes

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced lengthwise

• 1/2 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed

• 1/4 cup Kalamata olives (drained of juice)

• 2 tablespoons capers (drained of juices)

• 3 cups mixed greens

• Champagne Vinaigrette - see recipe below

INGREDIENTS (for Dressing):

• 4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

• 2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar

• 1 teaspoon honey

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

DIRECTIONS:

Dressing whisked!

Olive mix & greens tossed together with dressing and added as base of dinner plate

Layer roasted sweet potatoes, steamed green beans & flaked salmon to dish. Serve with the roasted lemon slices.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and place both salmon filets on baking sheet.

3. Sprinkle salmon filets with a pinch of salt and cracked pepper (<1/8 teaspoon salt on each).

4. Top each salmon filet with 3 slices of lemon, covering the length of the filet and set salmon aside.

5. Line separate large baking sheet with parchment paper (may need 2 - see step #7).

6. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the sweet potatoes, 2 teaspoons of olive oil and 1/8 teaspoon of salt.

7. Spread the potatoes out onto the large prepared baking sheet (use 2 baking sheets if the pan gets too crowded).

8. Place sweet potatoes in the preheated 400 degree oven on the top rack and cook for about 35 minutes, flipping the potatoes about 15 - 20 minutes into cooking. If cooking potatoes on bottom shelf, turn or stir about 10 minutes into cooking to prevent burning on one side.

9. While potatoes cook, add capers, olives, tomatoes, and mix greens to a bowl and set aside.

10. Now start the green beans.. Fill a medium pot with about 1/2 - inch water and bring to a boil. Add the steamer basket to the pot followed by the green beans. Cover the pot and allow beans to steam about 5 minutes. After the beans have cooked, turn the burner off but leave beans in the basket covered to stay warm.

11. When the potatoes have about 15 minutes left, add the salmon filets to the oven and cook for another 15 - 20 minutes (cooking time of salmon will vary. A general rule is to cook the salmon 10 minutes for every inch thickness).

12. While the salmon & sweet potatoes cook, make the dressing by whisking together all dressing ingredients. Or add to a small jar and shake really well!

13. Add about 1 tablespoon of the dressing to the greens-caper mix and toss to combine.

14. After the last 15 minutes, remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and turn the oven on broil, cooking just the salmon filets about 1 more minute. The lemons will brown and caramelize slightly. Remove from the oven.

15. Now that all items are cooked, to a dinner plate: Place 1/2 salad mix. Add 3/4 cup green beans to one side of plate. Add 3/4 cup of sweet potatoes to another side of plate. Flake the warm salmon in the middle.

16. Serve with the remaining dressing, caramelized lemon slices and warm crusty bread.

17. Enjoy!

NUTRITION NOTES:

Green Beans:  folate, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A

Sweet Potatoes:  beta carotene (vitamin A), vitamin C, B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese

Lemons: vitamin C

Dressing:  monounsaturated fat, vitamin E

Salmon:  omega 3 fatty acids, protein, B12, selenium

Spinach:  vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, iron

FUN NUTRITION FACTS - SALMON

Did you know what the different types of salmon mean?  I didn't really until recently when I asked the man at the fish counter about it and then read an article on it in my new Cook's Illustrated magazine.  Yes, knowing the difference between these can play a role in what you choose from a nutrition perspective, but it may also help your friend or family member like salmon!  Salmon can certainly be a fishier fish, but some varieties are more mild than others.  Here is a brief rundown of what I now know....

WILD SALMON (Coho / King / Sockeye) - leaner, tougher, a stronger flavor

FARM RAISED (Atlantic / King salmon) - milder flavor, more omega-3's (fattier fish), a softer, flakier texture (some say "buttery").

Want more details on the salmon varieties?  There's a good overview here. (Thanks Cook's Illustrated!) or here (thanks Food & Nutrition magazine)!