soy free

Quick Lettuce Tacos

/ ktbuchs87

It might be meteorological fall, but the weather outside still says summer.  Actually, it oppressively wraps it’s humid arms around you and forces summer upon you.  Once again, the sweat is inescapable and there is no way I’m making hot or heavy meals. Quick Lettuce Tacos | Life Healthfully Lived Continue reading →

Spiralized Greek Salad

/ ktbuchs87 / 2 Comments

Last week Adam and I headed to Millennium park to hear the Grant Park Orchestra play Mozart’s Mass in C minor.  You might not know, but I actually have a degree in music and while I don’t do much with it at this point in my life, I still love listening to performances.Spiralized Greek Salad | Life Healthfully Lived

This concert in the park was a lot like Ravinia.  Free for the lawn seats and you can bring a picnic and chairs and set up camp while listening to some good music.  You can pay to sit in the bowl of the park, but why pay when you can still hear the performance AND eat.  Food and music.  My two loves. And Adam, of course.

So I knew I needed to come up with some simple and easily transportable food for dinner.  I tried out these bean burgers from Minimalist Baker and they were phenomenal.  I had mine wrapped in butter lettuce and got a few buns for my bread-loving husband.  I also came up with this simple Greek salad but added a little twist by spiralizing the cucumbers.  The dressing is equally as simple and it also works great as a marinade (more on that in a later post….)

Whether you have a concert in the park or a summer party to attend, this is a great dish to bring along.   If you have time, make it the night before so the dressing can really soak into the salad.  This is one of those dishes that taste better over time.

Spiralized Greek Salad Spiralized Greek Salad | Life Healthfully Lived

  • 1 large cucumber
  • 8 oz of cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup red onion, diced
  • 2/3 cup Kalamata olives, sliced
  • 1 green pepper, sliced thinly

For the dressing: 

  • 1 tsp dried minced garlic
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp spicy mustard
  • 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  1. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
  2. Rinse and dry the cucumber and then spiralize.  If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can also slice the cucumber however you would like.  Once you spiralize the cucumber cut up the noodles a little so they are easier to manage.  Place into a large bowl.
  3. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and then add the rest of the vegetables to the cucumber.  Stir to combine everything.
  4. Quickly stir the dressing again and then pour about half of it over the salad.  Stir everything so all the vegetables are coated and then cover and store in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.  You can add more dressing before eating if needed.  Spiralized Greek Salad | Life Healthfully Lived

I know I have been giving you a lot of simple recipes lately and A LOT of recipes that don’t require a heat source.  It’s summer.  It’s hot and ridiculously humid.  And honestly, I’m struggling to come up with a ton of super creative meals lately.  I know I’ll get my creative juices flowing again soon, but for now I’m just going to share the few things I have going on in my kitchen right now.  Thanks for sticking around and enjoy!

Basil Hummus Dressing

/ ktbuchs87 / 2 Comments

Yes, I know I didn’t put DIY Wednesday in the title of this post.  I’m not losing it.  Or if you didn’t notice, I’m not a crazy person just prattling on about post titles.  Ok, maybe just a little…

Anyways, I’m starting a new “series” if you will but it isn’t really a series at all, just more helpful recipes for the middle of your week.  Wednesday is when most of us feel done with the week.  We are exactly the same amount of days away from Friday as we are from Monday and for some reason, it feels like the weekend will never get here.  We’re tired of work and we come home and realize we have nothing to make for dinner.  That’s where many of us throw in the towel and order pizza.

Or maybe you’re like me and prep a few things on the weekend so you don’t have to figure out your dinners but you are getting bored of the exact same meal and want to throw a little variety into your food.  That’s where these Wednesday recipes are going to come in handy.  They are all things that are made with simple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen and can be thrown together fairly quickly. Basil Hummus Dressing | Life Healthfully Lived

I don’t have a catchy name for these recipes yet.  I know DIY Wednesday was creative genius so I will have to top that one.  But I do know this basil hummus dressing is amazing and goes well on anything.  It’s like summer in dressing form.  Just a few ingredients and a quick whir in the blender and you can use this for salad, coleslaw, chicken, fish, zoodles, or as a dip for vegetables.  Plus, if you want to keep it bean-free you can just use a few tablespoons of raw cashews that have been soaked in hot water for 15 minutes to thicken your dressing.  Basil Hummus Dressing | Life Healthfully Lived

See?  I’m always thinking of solutions for you!

Basil Hummus Dressing Basil Hummus Dressing | Life Healthfully Lived

  • 1 cup packed basil leaves
  • 2 tbsp hummus OR 2-3 tbsp raw cashews soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
  • 1 tbsp shallots, diced
  • 2 cloves, garlic
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp fresh black pepper
  • 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
  1. Put all of the ingredients into the blender and blend until you have a smooth and creamy dressing.  Taste and adjust any seasonings, especially if you used cashews instead of hummus.

You can use any type of hummus you would like whether it’s your favorite store brand or your own homemade.  I just happened to have a little of my favorite hummus leftover so that’s what I used.  Enjoy!