Dinner

Chicken Fajita Soup has all the spicy flavours of a fajita, served up in a warming bowl of soup. It’s easy and clean eating, perfect for meal prep, and loaded with extra fibre thanks to the white beans!

How is February treating you? I’m not going to lie. I feel like February is kicking my butt a little bit. And it’s all pretty much due to the weather.

This is the time of year when winter really starts to wear on me and I long (or whine is more like it) for spring. It seems so close, yet so far away.

And as I write this, the wind is howling outside (and has been for days), and I’m huddled in a blanket, with my hands sticking out to type on my keyboard. (I should probably invest in a snuggie, hey?!)

So what does a food blogger do to warm up on cold winter days? Recipe test soups, of course! And I’ve got a few lined up to share with you over the next few weeks, starting with this Chicken Fajita Soup.

What is Chicken Fajita Soup?

As you may have guessed, it’s all the flavours of a chicken fajita brought together in a hot and slurpy bowl of soup! And it doesn’t get more warming than this on a chilly winter day.

This recipe was inspired by Clean Eating Magazine’s recipe for Chicken Fajita Stew. I just loved the idea of fajita flavours in a soup, so I tweaked the recipe and made a few additions to put my own spin on it. And it couldn’t be easier to make. You likely have everything you need in your pantry and freezer to make this right now.

What ingredients do you need to make Chicken Fajita Soup?

• Skinless, boneless chicken breast or thighs

• Red peppers

• Yellow onions

• Store-bought or homemade chicken broth

• Can of diced tomatoes

• Can of white kidney beans (or cannellini beans)

• And just a few spices to make a homemade fajita seasoning

Tips for making Chicken Fajita Soup:

• Be sure to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs to reduce the amount of grease in the soup.

• Roast the chicken completely, and shred it before adding to the soup.

• To save time, you can use a store-bought rotisserie chicken. Just shred and season it with the fajita mix before adding to the soup.

• Once the soup is assembled, bring it to a boil and warm the soup until it’s just heated through. Don’t over-cook the soup as the peppers and onions will get too soft.

• I like to use no-salt added broth, tomatoes and beans so I can control the amount of salt in this soup. If you use regular or reduced-sodium products, just be mindful that the soup will be a little more salty.

• If you don’t have or like white beans, you can substitute black beans or red kidney beans, or leave them out all together.

• To make this soup more like a stew, just use less broth and/or add more chicken, veggies and beans.

What toppings go with Chicken Fajita Soup?

• Air-fried tortilla chips (a personal fave!)

• Store-bought grain-free bean chips or seed crackers

• Avocado chunks or guacamole

• Fresh cilantro

• Freshly squeezed lime juice

• Sour cream and cheese (if you don’t mind a bit of dairy)

Some other Crumb Top Baking soup recipes to keep you warm:

• Dairy-Free Seafood Chowder

• Easy Bone Broth French Onion Soup

• Instant Pot Spicy Tomato Chickpea Soup

If you make this Chicken Fajita Soup, I would love to hear about it in the comments below. Or take a pic and share on Instagram by tagging @crumbtopbaking.

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Tuscan Salad with Farro and Fig Tahini Dressing is hearty and flavourful, loaded with Mediterranean flavours, fibre and protein, and topped with a thick and creamy fig dressing! Add this salad to your meal prep routine for a filling lunch or dinner option.

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY VALLEY FIG GROWERS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BOB’S RED MILL. AS ALWAYS, ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. THANKS FOR SUPPORTING THE BRANDS THAT MAKE CRUMB TOP BAKING POSSIBLE.

I’m so excited to be teaming up with Valley Fig Growers and Bob’s Red Mill to bring you this recipe for Tuscan Salad with Farro and Fig Tahini Dressing. I’m using Blue Ribbon Orchard Choice California Mission Figs and Bob’s Red Mill Organic Farro to create this recipe. And I’m sharing it as part of their January series on meal prepping to help you reach your SMART goals.

 

SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based. When it comes to eating a little healthier or a little cleaner, applying these elements to your goals is important for success.

And making time for meal prep is a great way to stay on track to meet your healthy eating goals. I’m a huge proponent of meal prepping, so before I share the recipe for this Tuscan Salad, I thought I would share a few meal prep tips that work for me.

Tips for meal prepping to stay on track:

• Focus on the meal that’s your greatest challenge: It’s not always possible to prep meals and snacks for the entire week, so focus on your greatest pain points. I have time in the morning to cook breakfast, so I tend to focus my meal prep efforts on lunch and dinner, which are busier times of day for me.
• Prep mix and match items: While meal prepping full meals is helpful (i.e. soup, chili), I also like to meal prep specific items that I can mix and match to create different meals throughout the week.
• Meal prep a diverse range of foods: To help mix and match, I like to have a variety of veggies, protein and fibre prepped and ready to go as sides, mains and/or salad toppers. This could include roasted sweet potatoes, cooked chicken or fish, washed and cut veggies, and cooked quinoa or farro.

• Focus on meals that are quick and easy to assemble: If your prepped meal still takes a lot of time to assemble, this defeats the purpose of meal prepping. So focus on preparing ingredients that can be pulled together as a meal in 10-15 minutes.
• Have healthy snacks ready to go: When your stomach starts to growl mid-afternoon, having prepared snacks at your finger tips is essential. Homemade oatmeal muffins or granola bars are great, as are portable fruit such as bananas and apples. I also like to have pre-packaged snacks, such as dried figs, stashed in my purse for hunger emergencies. (You never know when you might get stuck in traffic!)

This Tuscan Salad has been one of my favourite meals to prep lately. All of the ingredients are cooked and prepared ahead of time, which makes it easy to whip up as a quick and hearty salad for lunch or dinner.

Some tips for making Tuscan Salad with Farro and Fig Tahini Dressing:

• The dried figs are soaked in hot water before being puréed into the dressing. This is an important step as it softens the figs and helps create a smooth and creamy texture.
• The dressing can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for a few days. Just give it a stir and add to the salad when ready to serve.
• I purchased pre-washed and chopped kale to save time. Ready to go spinach, arugula or romaine lettuce would also work nicely.
• I enjoy cold farro on this salad, so cooking it in advance and storing it in the fridge works perfectly. If you prefer warm farro, you can still cook it in advance, just re-heat it in the microwave before adding it to the salad.
• You can prepare all of the salad ingredients in advance and assemble when ready to serve. Or assemble the salads in individual containers for grab and go lunches during the week. Just add the dressing when ready to eat.

If you make this Tuscan Salad, I would love to hear about it in the comments below. Or take a pic and share it on Instagram by tagging @crumbtopbaking. And be sure to check out @valleyfig and @bobsredmill to see what other meal prep tips have been shared throughout January!

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With a smooth and creamy cashew base, this Dairy-Free Seafood Chowder is sure to satisfy your seafood chowder craving! It has chunks of potatoes, carrots and celery, along with a generous amount of scallops, salmon and shrimp, which all sit in a thick and savoury broth. One bowl makes a filling meal!

It’s been unseasonably cold here so far this winter. So along with my plans to hibernate in the house until April, I’ve been craving all the warm comfort food I can get.

I know I’m not alone. While January food trends often involve smoothies and salads, they also involve warming soups and hearty meals. So today’s recipe for Dairy-Free Seafood Chowder is a warming soup that is also a hearty meal!

I haven’t always been drawn to seafood chowders. But somewhere along the way, it became one of my go-to appetizers to order whenever we dined out. There is something about the creamy texture and the chunks of seafood that is so tasty and satisfying.

Dairy, however, has become my enemy in recent years. And cream based soups, which are just so darn good, have become pretty much off-limits. So my creamy soups either have puréed veggies as their creamy base, or a non-dairy milk like coconut or almond milk.

But if you recall my obsession with cashews lately (hello, creamy cashew onion herb dip!), you know where this recipe is headed.

I added puréed cashews as the cream base, and it worked out perfectly. It added the texture and consistency you would expect in a chowder, and even re-heats beautifully in the microwave.

Needless to say, I’m pretty much in love with this seafood chowder. I’ve made two batches in the last week, and after I finish every bowl, I proclaim my love for it as if it was the first time I tried it! (I’m pretty sure I’ve startled my husband a few times when I do this!)

And it’s pretty easy to make too. In about an hour you can have this cozy goodness prepped for your weekday dinners!

Some tips for making Dairy-Free Seafood Chowder:

• Soaking the cashews is key for that creamy texture, so don’t skip this step. While I soak them in hot water for a short amount of time, you can also soak them in cold water over night and get the same result.
• This recipe calls for fresh bay leaves and thyme, but you can also use dried herbs. If you use dried bay leaves, just double the amount. However, if you use dried thyme, you will want to reduce the amount to one-third. I’ve included the quantities for both fresh and dried herbs in the recipe.
• I used no-salt added chicken broth because I like to control the amount of sodium in my recipes. If you use regular broth or reduced-sodium broth, you may want to reduce the amount of salt you add to the chowder.

That’s it folks! If you make this Dairy-Free Seafood Chowder, I would love to hear about it in the comments below. Or take a pic and share it on Instagram by tagging @crumbtopbaking.

Stay warm and cozy!

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If you’re looking for an easy way to ease back into your meal prep routine after the holidays, this Winter Citrus Crunch Salad is the perfect solution. It’s fresh and flavourful, with crumbled blue cheese, crunchy veggies and walnuts, and a tangy citrus dressing.

When I say easy, I really mean it. This was a ‘clean out the fridge’ meal that I put together on New Year’s Eve. I wasn’t planning to share it, but it turned out so well, I thought it would be the perfect salad to kick off the new year.

Here’s what you need:

• Store-bought coleslaw mix
• Baby spinach
• Grape tomatoes
• Clementines
• Walnuts
• Blue cheese
• Oil, vinegar, orange juice and spices for the dressing

That’s it! If you have 10 minutes, you can whip up this Winter Citrus Crunch Salad for weekday lunches, or as a side salad for dinner. Add some pre-cooked chicken or salmon to make it an all-in-one meal!

Some tips for making Winter Citrus Crunch Salad:

• If you can’t find pre-packaged coleslaw mix, any mix of crunchy veggies will work in this salad. You can even shred your own cabbage and carrot, or use shredded brussel sprouts or a broccoli slaw mix.
• I used baby spinach, but other greens such as kale or arugula would work too. If you go with larger leaves or greens, you may want to chop them so they mix well with the coleslaw veggies.
• The walnuts add the crunch, but if you don’t have or like walnuts, you can add almonds or pecans. You can also substitute sunflower or pumpkin seeds for a nut-free salad.
• For the winter citrus element, I added clementines, but other types of citrus such as blood oranges or tangerines would work nicely too.
• I used no-sugar added orange juice in the salad dressing, but you can also use freshly squeezed orange juice.
• Blue cheese adds a punch and pairs nicely with the salad dressing, but if blue cheese is not for you, try another flavourful cheese like feta or goat cheese.

If you make this Winter Citrus Crunch Salad, I would love to hear about it in the comments below! Or take a pic and share on Instagram by tagging @crumbtopbaking.

And if you’re looking for other flavourful salad recipes, be sure to check out the following on Crumb Top Baking:

• Winter Sunshine Salad with Citrus Honey Dressing

• Berry Citrus Kale Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

• Kale Caesar Salad with Shrimp and Garlic Lime Tahini Dressing

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Rosemary Roasted Root Vegetables with Kale is a hearty vegetarian side dish that’s perfect for your holiday gathering. It’s made with beet, carrot, parsnip, butternut squash, red onion and kale, and topped with goat cheese and pumpkin seeds for added taste and texture!

Hey there! Happy Thanksgiving weekend to all my Canadian friends. I’m dropping in with a quick recipe today just in case you’re looking for a last minute side dish for your Thanksgiving feast. This one is going to be on our table tomorrow, in addition to turkey, ham, sweet potato mash, roasted baby potatoes, green beans and brussel sprouts. Oh, and stuffing and gravy, because the hubby will not be a happy camper if his turkey is not piled high with stuffing and gravy.

So this side dish of roasted root vegetables was totally inspired by a lunch I recently had at a local restaurant. Hubby and I went for lunch last weekend, and I had this amazing spinach salad with roasted root vegetables. It was a small salad, so it didn’t quite satisfy my hunger, but the combo of vegetables was delicious. And it was all topped off with goat cheese and pumpkin seeds. The goat cheese was a bit melty on top from the warm vegetables and the pumpkin seeds added a nice little crunch!

So after we left lunch, I stopped at a local market, picked up a range of root vegetables and immediately went home to try to recreate the salad.

This recipe for roasted root vegetables is perfect timing for those of us living in Newfoundland. It’s root vegetable season, so it’s totally our time to shine!

I know, it’s really the small things that excite me, but I don’t always have the luxury of assembling my salads with all locally grown produce. So I’m taking advantage and making this recipe as much as possible over the next few weeks.

Tips for making Rosemary Roasted Root Vegetables with Kale

• I used kale in this dish as it’s locally grown and the heartiness pairs nicely with the root vegetables. But you could absolutely use spinach, or even arugula.
• The root vegetables are simply roasted with oil, salt, garlic and rosemary. I used fresh rosemary as I had some leftover from another recipe but you could also use dried rosemary (just reduce the amount to one tablespoon), or change it up with fresh thyme or oregano.
• To prepare the kale, I just massaged it for a few minutes with a sprinkle of salt. Once the vegetables were roasted, I added the kale and let it sit for a few minutes so the kale could wilt a bit.
• If you don’t have access to some of the root veggies in this recipe, you can always substitute. Other types of squash or sweet potatoes would also work in this dish.
• I like my roasted veggies on the firmer side, so if you prefer them a little softer, just roast them longer. Keep in mind that the butternut squash cooks a little faster than the other veggies, so you might want to cut the squash in larger chunks.

If you make this Rosemary Roasted Root Vegetables with Kale I would love to hear about it in the comments below. Or take a pic and share it on Instagram by tagging @crumbtopbaking.

And if you’re looking for other Thanksgiving side dishes, you can always check out the following recipes on Crumb Top Baking:

• Blackberry Chia Cranberry Sauce

• Roasted Red Pepper and Butternut Squash Soup

• Roasted Balsamic Beet Salad with Maple Walnuts

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Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Halloumi Cheese is a flavourful one-pan meal from The Ultimate One-Pan Oven Cookbook. It’s loaded with spinach, roasted tomatoes, eggplant, red pepper, onion and garlic! It’s also served with a side of halloumi cheese and parsley pesto for added taste and texture!

*I’m sharing this recipe as part of my review of The Ultimate One-Pan Oven Cookbook. I received a complimentary review copy of this cookbook from Manda Group and Page Street Publishing. All opinions are my own.

About The Ultimate One-Pan Oven Cookbook

The Ultimate One-Pan Oven Cookbook is by Julia Konovalova of Imagelicious. It was released in August 2018 and features complete meals using just one sheet pan, roasting pan, dutch oven or casserole dish.

One pan meals don’t necessarily mean quick and easy (although some of the recipes in this cookbook definitely are), but it does mean clean up is quicker and easier!

I love a cookbook with variety. It makes me feel like I get more bang for my buck. And this one definitely includes variety. The recipes range from decadent to healthy, and cover every meal of the day, including appetizers and desserts. Julia also includes notes on substitutions for many of her recipes.

There are also photos throughout the cookbook, and most of the recipes include ingredients that are commonly found in your fridge or pantry. For me, these are two important features of any cookbook!

It was difficult selecting just one recipe to make and feature in this post. But I had most of the ingredients for this roasted vegetable salad, even the halloumi cheese, so I thought it was meant to be.

Some tips for making this Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Halloumi Cheese

• This recipe calls for Roma tomatoes, and I suggest sticking with that tomato variety. They are meaty and a little less seedy, so perfect for roasting. The first time I made this salad I couldn’t find Roma tomatoes at my local grocery store, so I used vine tomatoes, and they turned out a little bit too mushy for my taste.
• The original recipe notes that the vegetables should be roasted for 30-40 minutes. I like my roasted veggies on the firmer side, so I roasted mine for 30 minutes. You could even get away with 25 minutes.
• The first time I made this salad, I added the halloumi slices to the veggie pan for the last few minutes of roasting, as the recipe calls for. But the second time, I decided to just fry the slices in a frying pan. I know, not quite a one pan meal, but I wanted my halloumi extra crispy!
• The second time I made this salad I didn’t quite have enough spinach, so I used some arugula too. The peppery arugula was a nice pairing with the roasted vegetables and pesto.
• Speaking of pesto, I prefer mine a little thinner, so for the pesto salad dressing I added extra oil and lemon juice. This addition is reflected in the recipe below.

Other Notable Recipes from The Ultimate One-Pan Oven Cookbook

There are so many other recipes I want to try in this cookbook. The following are a few at the top of my list:

Easy Cranberry-Pecan Granola, page 16

Oven-Baked Maple Sriracha Bacon, page 27 (for the hubby, of course 😉 )

Beet and Goat Cheese Tart, page 142

Simple Apricot and Plum Cobbler, page 162

If you make this Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Halloumi Cheese or purchase The Ultimate One-Pan Oven Cookbook, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below!

Credit: The Ultimate One-Pan Oven Cookbook, by Julia Konovalova © Page Street Publishing, 2018.

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Easy Bone Broth French Onion Soup is made with bone broth beef protein powder, lots of onions, garlic and herbs, and topped with everything bagel seasoned croutons and gruyère cheese.

*This post features gifted product from Organika and includes information regarding an Instagram giveaway. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support Crumb Top Baking!

Happy first week of Fall! As you can tell, I’m bringing some more cozy, comfort food to you today and this time it’s in the form of cheesy, garlicky French Onion Soup.

I was planning to share my recipe for grain-free pumpkin waffles today, but the weather has quickly turned cold around here (we’re talking hat and mitts to go out for an evening walk), so I’m craving all the warm and hearty meals these days. Pumpkin treats will just have to wait a little while longer!

This French Onion Soup recipe was actually my husband’s idea. When I recently won some collagen powders and bone broths from Organika, my husband suggested using the bone broth to make French onion soup. And quite surprisingly, he has been eating it too! Okay, he doesn’t eat the onions, but he’s all over the broth, croutons and cheese. So I consider that a win!

While I’m using Organika’s bone broth beef protein powder in this French Onion Soup recipe, they also have a ginger beef flavour and a few different chicken bone broth powders too. I’m looking forward to trying all of those in various recipes soon.

And if you’re curious about their collagen powders, I’m hosting a giveaway over on Instagram for a set of three different collagens. So if you’re interested in giving collagen a try, head on over to my post to check out the details on the giveaway. You have until October 1st to enter!

  

What is Bone Broth?

Bone broth is rich in vitamins and minerals and is created by slow boiling animal bones, such as chicken, cow, turkey and so on. Boiling the bones slowly allows the collagen and gelatin to extract into the broth, and both are important proteins for connective tissues and for maintaining healthy bones. For more information on the benefits of bone broth, I found this article interesting.

If you don’t have time to make your own bone broth, that’s where bone broth protein powder can be convenient. You just dissolve the powder in hot water, and it becomes an easy to use bone broth! Organika’s beef bone broth is sourced from grass-fed cows and is simmered for 24-48 hours to extract the maximum amount of nutrients.

Tips for making Easy Bone Broth French Onion Soup

• Believe me when I tell you that you need to sauté the onions for an hour to reach maximum flavour. I really wanted to make this a quick stove top recipe, but caramelizing the onions takes time and adds so much flavour. So no shortcuts here folks. The recipe is easy, but not quick!
• Similarly, the soup should simmer for at least 40 minutes after the broth and herbs are added to allow time for the flavours to blend.
• If you don’t have powdered bone broth, you can use store-bought beef broth, or veggie broth for a vegetarian version. I would opt for the no-salt added broth as this allows greater control over the amount of salt added to your soup.
• I added everything bagel seasoned croutons to this soup, which I highly recommend. I make these croutons all the time for soups and salads. The garlicky flavour from the everything seasoning goes perfectly with the flavours in this French Onion Soup.
• Be sure to top your croutons or bread with finely grated gruyère cheese as it will melt more uniformly, and seep into the soup, creating a slightly thicker and cheesy texture.

If you make this Easy Bone Broth French Onion Soup I would love to hear about it in the comments below, or post a pic to Instagram by tagging @crumbtopbaking.

And if you’re looking for other cozy comfort foods, you can always check out the following recipes on Crumb Top Baking:

• Roasted Red Pepper and Butternut Squash Soup

• Instant Pot Spicy Vegan Chili

• Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

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Instant Pot Spicy Vegan Chili is hearty, flavourful and comes together in less than an hour. It’s loaded with vegetarian taco meat, as well as black beans and peppers, so you get a dose of fibre with a spicy kick!

Are you sensing a trend on Crumb Top Baking lately? I share a lot of different clean eating recipes, but I usually focus on breakfast dishes, clean sweet treats and healthy snacks. But lately, I’ve been posting a few more vegetarian and plant-based recipes. This isn’t strategic on my part. It just reflects the types of food I’m enjoying right now. And this Instant Pot Spicy Vegan Chili is definitely one that’s being enjoyed right now!

I promise more sweet treats are coming soon, but with fall just a day away and the cold weather quickly creeping in, I’m all about the cozy, hearty meals.

Vegetarian Taco Meat

So I mentioned that this chili includes vegetarian taco meat. Well, if you remember these Loaded Vegetarian Nachos from a few months ago, you know exactly what I’m talking about. This ‘taco meat’ is just mushrooms and walnuts pulsed in the food processor, and sautéed with jalapeños, red onion, lime juice and spices.

I was inspired to add walnuts to vegetarian taco meat after reading Pinch of Yum’s Cauliflower Walnut Taco Meat recipe, and I’m so glad I gave it a try. The texture resembles ground beef, and I’ve been obsessively making it for months!  For this chili recipe, I just kicked up the jalapeños and red onions, but everything else stayed the same.

Slow Cooker or Instant Pot?

Okay, here is my big disclaimer – I am a die-hard slow cooker fan! I love cooking pork, beef and chicken in my slow cooker. You can set it and forget it, and it always turns out so perfectly moist and tender.

Soups are great in the slow cooker too, and I even have a slow cooker chili recipe that I make quite a bit. And yes, it’s vegetarian!

So with all the slow cooker action, my Instant Pot often gets stored away in the corner, only to be used when I want to make a creamy soup – like this one or this one!

The good news? I’m slowly getting the hang of my Instant Pot, and this spicy vegan chili is definitely an Instant Pot winner. It’s super quick and easy to make, but tastes like it has been simmering on the stove for hours. It’s perfect for Sunday meal prep, but also great for busy weeknights. You can whip up a batch in less than an hour, so you can have dinner on the table in no time!

With a few Instant Pot successes under my belt, you can bet I’ll be sharing a few more Instant Pot recipes over the coming months!

So, I’m curious. Are you a slow cooker or Instant Pot fan?

A few tips for making Instant Pot Spicy Vegan Chili

• It’s called spicy, but this chili can be as hot or mild as you like. I would say the recipe, as it’s written, is mildly spicy. If you like your chili super spicy, just add more jalapeño peppers, crushed chipotle peppers and/or chili powder. And if you like it a little less spicy, just cut back on those ingredients.
• To get this recipe started, you need to sauté the ‘ taco meat’ in the Instant Pot. This requires constant stirring to help prevent the mixture from burning. I usually spray the Instant Pot insert with cooking spray in addition to adding the extra virgin olive oil. You will still get a little bit of burning on the bottom of the pot, but in my experience, this washes off fairly easily. (And the little burnt bits add flavour to the chili!)
• This chili only cooks for 18 minutes on high pressure. This amount of time ensures the vegetables don’t over-cook. If you prefer your veggies a little softer, you can always cook the chili for longer (but I wouldn’t go past 25 minutes).

If you make this chili, I would love to know what you think in the comments below. Or take a photo and share to Instagram by tagging @crumbtopbaking.

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Kale Caesar Salad with Shrimp and Garlic Lime Tahini Dressing! This one is loaded with kale, shrimp, coconut bacon, everything bagel croutons and a homemade garlic lime tahini dressing. It makes a great side salad or meal on its own, and it’s dairy-free with a grain-free option!

So various versions of this salad have been on repeat in my house for the past few weeks, and I’m not even a huge fan of caesar salad! It’s always my husband’s go-to salad, but I usually go for a salad that’s full of colourful veggies and topped with a light and fruity vinaigrette.

Then, I came across a recipe for coconut bacon in Clean Eating Magazine, and I began thinking of all the ways I could add coconut bacon to my life! My first stop was this Kale Caesar Salad, and I’ve been loving it ever since!

But before we get too deep into all the ingredients that go into this salad, we should probably discuss the garlic lime tahini dressing, because let’s face it, the dressing makes the salad.

Garlic Lime Tahini Dressing and Good Gut Fuel

This recipe is actually from my friend Helene, who blogs over at All the Verdure. Helene recently launched an e-book called Good Gut Fuel, and she was kind enough to provide me with a complimentary copy so I could give a few of her recipes a try.

Good Gut Fuel is full of tips on good digestion and digestion friendly ingredients, and it includes 10 recipes based on those ingredients. This dressing was the first recipe I tried, and I immediately thought it would go perfectly with this Kale Caesar Salad!

This dressing is thick and creamy, and only requires 6 ingredients – tahini, garlic, lime, salt, pepper and water. The garlic and lime flavours shine through, and balance out the tahini. And you don’t need to break out your blender for this dressing. Just whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl and done!

Now that we have the dressing taken care of, let’s tackle the rest of this salad!

Some tips for making Kale Caesar Salad

• Sometimes I like to go grain-free, so I’ve also made this salad with roasted chick peas instead of croutons. I use the spicy chick pea recipe from these zoodle bowls.
• If you’d like to make a vegan version of this salad, just leave out the shrimp and ensure your tamari for the coconut bacon is vegan.
• If you opt for shrimp in your salad, I like to cook mine with a bit of avocado oil and Trader Joe’s chili lime seasoning. But you can season it anyway you like. Grilled also works well in this recipe.
• This salad is perfect for meal prepping or making ahead for potlucks. Just prepare and store all of your ingredients separately, and assemble just before you’re ready to eat it. If you assemble it too far in advance, the croutons will get soggy.

This recipe might seem a bit involved, but I promise it’s not that difficult to make. If you give it a try, I would love to read about it in the comments below! Or you can always snap a pic and share it on Instagram by tagging @crumbtopbaking.

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This Blueberry Peach Quinoa Salad is summer in a bowl and perfect to feed a crowd at your next BBQ! Loaded with greens, quinoa, blueberries, peaches, pecans, feta and topped with a tangy blueberry peach balsamic vinaigrette, this one is delicious, hearty and easy to make!

*This post uses gifted product from Sutter Buttes Olive Oil Company. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make Crumb Top Baking possible.

Happy July! How is summer treating you so far? I gotta say, summer is just teasing us here in Newfoundland. We’ve had a few nice days, but for the most part, it has been cold and dreary. That’s not completely unusual in these parts, but it’s still disheartening. When the sun is shining, everything seems just a little rosier, don’t you think?

Thankfully, it looks like temperatures are warming up this week, so I’m getting my BBQ sides in order for lots of grilling!

A few weeks ago, I shared this Spicy Jalapeño Turkey Burger, and I’m not going to lie, it has been on repeat in my house despite the lack of BBQ weather. And lately, And I’ve been pairing these burgers with this Blueberry Peach Quinoa Salad. It’s the perfect summer meal!

I eat a lot of salads. Most days, I have one for lunch or supper. So I’m not sure why I haven’t shared more salads here on Crumb Top Baking. I’m hoping to change that over the summer and share a few more salads….balanced with frozen treats of course! Because that’s what summer is all about, right? Light food and frozen desserts?!

But for now, let’s focus on this Blueberry Peach Quinoa Salad.

When I say this salad is easy, I’m not kidding. It comes together quickly and it’s totally customizable. Other than the essentials of blueberries, peaches and quinoa, the rest is really up to you!

Tips for making this Blueberry Peach Quinoa Salad

• This recipe is for a family sized salad, but if you want individual servings, you can just quarter the recipe.
• You will need 5-6 cups of greens for this salad. In the photo above, I used a mix of chard, kale, beet greens and boston lettuce. But I’ve also made it with arugula and spinach. Just use whatever greens you have on hand.
• I also added a cup of fresh cilantro as I love the flavor twist it adds. If you’re not a cilantro lover, you can omit it or use fresh parsley instead.
• This recipe calls for grilled peaches, but if you’re pressed for time, you can use sliced or chopped peaches.
• To keep it simple, I used raw pecan halves in this salad, but you can also use chopped pecans, or even candied pecans. Walnuts or sliced almonds would also work well.
• If you want to make this a heartier dinner salad, you can add some grilled chicken, tofu or shrimp!

Perhaps the best part about this salad is the blueberry peach balsamic vinaigrette. It’s sweet and tangy, with a slight creaminess and a pop of colour that takes this salad up a notch!

I recently received some free products from Sutter Buttes Olive Oil Company, one of them being a peach balsamic vinegar. I knew I wanted to try this vinegar in a homemade vinaigrette, and given it’s peach season, what better salad to pair it with than a blueberry peach salad!

If you haven’t tried homemade vinaigrettes yet, they are so easy, and much better for you than most store-bought dressings. This one blends together the peach balsamic vinegar with blueberries, evoo, and honey. It’s pretty basic, but adds a tang and sweetness to the salad, and pairs nicely with the salty feta cheese sprinkled on top!

And if you can’t get your hands on some peach balsamic vinegar, no worries. I’ve included an alternative recipe in the notes that uses peaches and regular balsamic vinegar!

If you decide to make this Blueberry Peach Quinoa Salad, I would love to hear about it in the comments below.

And if you’re looking for some other salad inspiration, be sure to check out the following recipes:

• Spicy Salmon Pasta Salad

• Berry Citrus Kale Salad

• Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad

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Spicy Jalapeño Turkey Burgers! Does summer grilling get any better than this? These juicy burgers bring on the heat, with the added flavours of cilantro, onions and lime juice! Pile on your favourite toppings for a quick and easy weeknight dinner!

Dropping in with a quick recipe today for these Spicy Jalapeño Turkey Burgers. Since Father’s Day is this weekend (I know – where is June going?) and backyard grilling is the perfect way to celebrate, I thought it was a great time to share these burgers with you guys!

Also, this is my go-to burger recipe that I’ve been making for years. So I’m a bit embarrassed that I haven’t shared it with you yet!

So what makes these Spicy Jalapeño Turkey Burgers so great?

• The recipe works with ground turkey, chicken or beef. So it’s versatile. Yay!
• It’s spicy! If you love spicy – like jalapeños, cayenne pepper, cumin, smoked paprika – this burger recipe is for you.
• The combo of the onions, cilantro and lime juice adds a little flavour twist that just takes these burgers to the next level.
• They’re also clean eating…..and super easy to whip up. You can cook them in a skillet on the stove top, or throw them on the BBQ for a quick and healthy meal that has minimal clean up!

Ways to enjoy these Spicy Jalapeño Turkey Burgers

• My favourite way is with a generous serving of guacamole, with some big, leafy greens, a thick slice of tomato and a few rings of raw red onion (as pictured below).
• I’ve also been known to enjoy this turkey burger with a slice of cheddar cheese, lots of mustard and a dill pickle. Sometimes you just gotta keep it simple, right?!
• While I haven’t tried it yet, my next variation will involve sautéed mushrooms and spinach, topped with some feta cheese. You may find that creation on my Instagram feed in the near future.
• When I make burgers, I use a multi-grain One Bun. But when I want to go grain-free, I usually dress these turkey patties up in leaves of boston lettuce. The patties also work well crumbled up on a salad or mixed in with some eggs! Again, versatile! 😉
• And, of course, you might want to consider pairing this burger with a cold beer or a tall glass of sangria! Just sayin’!

So how would you dress up one of these Spicy Jalapeño Turkey Burgers? Let me know in the comments below! And have a great Father’s Day weekend!

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Creamy Avocado Mac and Cheese is about to become your new best friend! It’s vegan, gluten-free and loaded with healthy fats and fibre! So you get your cozy comfort food, while enjoying a lightened up meal for spring!

Happy Spring!

Hello friends! So we finally made it to the start of spring! Does it feel like spring where you live? It’s still a tad chilly here, and I’m still rockin’ my winter coat and boots, but I have high hopes that my spring wardrobe will make an appearance soon.

In the meantime, I have the perfect meal for this in between weather. This Creamy Avocado Mac and Cheese doesn’t actually contain any cheese (insert my husband’s distraught face here!), but it’s so creamy and filling, you’d never know it’s dairy-free!

So why go vegan with your mac and cheese?

You don’t have to follow a strict vegan diet to enjoy vegan mac and cheese. While I still eat meat, poultry and eggs, over the past few years, I’ve developed a slight sensitivity to dairy. I can eat certain kinds of yogurt, and I still enjoy a little bit of cow’s milk and certain cheeses in moderation, but for the most part, I limit my dairy intake (I miss you ice cream!).

Since I try to cook and bake with minimal dairy products, I’ve ended up creating some vegan recipes along the way. For instance, last week’s chocolate whiskey tart was vegan, and I’m also a huge fan of nice cream desserts.

Lately, with winter lingering, I’ve been missing the comforts of a good ol’ mac and cheese. So I set my sights on creating a vegan version that was lighter tasting but still filling. The brilliance of a vegan mac and cheese is that you can eat clean while still enjoying the coziness of thick and creamy comfort food!

You can use a number of different ingredients in your vegan mac and cheese to create the creamy, cheesy texture. For instance, recipes may call for blended cashews, nutritional yeast, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, coconut milk, or even vegan cheeses.

For this Creamy Avocado Mac and Cheese, I was actually inspired by my friend Christie who blogs at Christie at Home. Her recipe for Basil Rosé Pasta includes a cashew cream that was so delicious, I had to incorporate it into the avocado sauce for this mac and cheese recipe.

Christie’s recipe involves soaking cashews in water and blending them with garlic until creamy. I used this as my base, and then added an avocado, almond milk, salt, red pepper flakes and nutritional yeast.

What is nutritional yeast?

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I use nutritional yeast occasionally in recipes, such as in hummus and pesto. Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast that has a cheesy flavour, so it’s sometimes used as a substitute for cheese. It also has a flakey texture and melt-in-your-mouth quality, so it works well sprinkled on hot popcorn or pizza.

I used a generous amount of nutritional yeast in this avocado cream sauce. We’re talking in the sauce, in the pasta and sprinkled on top!

Bringing it all together

I also said this Creamy Avocado Mac and Cheese was gluten-free. Well, that’s because I used green pea rotini. Have you ever tried it? It’s made from green pea flour, so it’s not only gluten-free but it’s grain-free and a good source of fibre and protein. You can obviously use any kind of pasta you prefer. I just like the added bonus of making a grain-free pasta dish.

Aside from the cashews soaking overnight, this mac and cheese comes together rather quickly. It doesn’t require any baking. Just blend up the avocado cream sauce, cook the pasta and mix together. Throw in some additional veggies (totally optional) and serve it up!

If you like this recipe, please feel free to share it on Facebook or Twitter, or save it on Pinterest for later! And if you make it, I would love to hear about it in the comments below!

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Serving up another spicy recipe today with this Spicy Tomato Chickpea Soup!

Okay, you could definitely say I’m a bit obsessed with spicy dishes lately. Last week, it was this spicy sweet potato breakfast bowl, and a few weeks ago it was this spicy sweet green pea soup.

What can I say? The heat from the peppers and spices is keeping me warm this winter! 😉

And while spring is just a month away, I’m still in cozy soup mode. Anyone else? There’s just something about a warm bowl of soup on a cold night that is just so filling and comforting.

Soup also makes awesome meal prep, and when you add an Instant Pot to the mix, you’ve got yourself a quick and easy weekday meal.

This Spicy Tomato Chickpea Soup is the second Instant Pot recipe I’m sharing on the blog.

I know, only two! I’ve had my Instant Pot for a few months now, and I’ve been testing a lot of recipes. While I still prefer my slow cooker for some recipes, I love making soup in the Instant Pot. It’s just so quick and easy, and clean up is minimal, especially when you don’t have to worry about your soup boiling over onto your stove top!

This Spicy Tomato Chickpea Soup includes some basic pantry staples like canned tomatoes, chickpeas and red kidney beans, along with some chopped onion and spices (hello garlic and smoked paprika!). For extra heat, I add a few Thai peppers, but you can definitely leave them out (or seed them) if you prefer a milder taste.

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can easily make this soup on the stove top. You will just need to adjust the cooking time and simmer the ingredients a little longer.

As a bonus, this soup is thick and creamy without adding any kind of milk or cream. The fibre packed beans and chickpeas create all the thick and creamy texture you need! So it’s not only dairy-free, but nut-free too.

If you’re not a fan of soup, no worries. This Spicy Tomato Chickpea Soup is so thick and spicy, it will remind you more of a chili than a soup. So grab your crusty bread or nacho chips, and dig in! Or, if you like things on the lighter side, you can add a heaping mound of arugula massaged with evoo and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Either way, this one will keep you warm and fueled until spring! 😉

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