Salad Dressing Cheat Sheet!

Summer is the perfect time to brush up on our favorite salad and dressing recipes.

Making your own salad dressing is easy, inexpensive, and often healthier than what you could buy in the store.

Plus, you can make small batches, so you always have just enough dressing to fit the meal.

This cheat sheet from Cooksmarts explains the foundation for a simple dressing, as well as variations to suit your taste. Scroll to the end for a few bonus recipes!

What's your favorite homemade dressing recipe? Share it in the comments!

The World's Best Spice Guide!

Spices are amazingly powerful! 

When used correctly, they can bring out hidden and complex flavors, and breathe new life into a favorite dish. 

They're also packed with nutrition! 

Did you know that: 

• Ginger, cloves and tumeric are anti-inflammatory
• Coriander is a great source of fiber, iron and magnesium
• Cinnamon can help manage glucose levels people with Type II Diabetese

Knowing how to uses spices is the key to unlocking their hidden health potential. 

Here's the most helpful cheat sheet I've seen to help figure out the best spice pairings, and to learn the qualities and flavors each spice can bring to the table. Did I mention it's free?

Get the full-sized guide here for free!

Amazing, right? 

For more handy kitchen guides, check out Cooksmarts! It's a fantastic website that can help with meal planning, recipes, kitchen tools and more. 

You'll be a spice guru in no time! 

Amazing Recipe alert: Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with White Beans and Kale

We all do our best to eat fresh and healthy foods. We know from experience that when we eat nutritious, homemade meals, we have more energy, we keep our waistline in check, and we feel better! 

But some weeks are busier than others, and we find ourselves turning to fast food, frozen dinners, and other processed meals that we keep in case of emergencies. Quick fix? Absolutely. But these meals can often leave us feeling unsatisfied and low on energy.

Here's a recipe from theKitchn.com to keep in your back pocket for days when you’re short on time. 

 Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with White Beans and Kale

Image: theKitchn.com

When their powers are combined, sweet potatoes, white beans and kale are a nutritional powerhouse! Besides being low in fat, calories and cholesterol, this meal is an excellent source of fiber, protein, iron, and many vitamins and minerals, including Vitamins A, B, C, and K.   

This recipe is so quick and easy, and serves a family of four – or will give you leftovers galore. For convenience, I make this recipe with dried rosemary instead of fresh, and it comes out delicious every time.

Give it a try!

Ingredients for 4 servings:

4 sweet potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 shallot, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 (4-inch) sprig fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cups (or 1 can) cooked and drained white beans

6 cups kale, trimmed and sliced into ribbons

Juice of 1/4 lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

-          Preheat oven to 400°F.

-          Scrub the sweet potatoes and prick them in a few places with a fork. Place them on a baking sheet and bake until soft all the way through, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

-          Start the beans and greens about 15 to 20 minutes before the sweet potatoes are done.

-          In a wide, deep saucepan with a cover, heat the olive oil over low-moderate heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

-          Add the garlic, rosemary sprig, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for about a minute.

-          Add the beans and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

-          Add the kale, cover the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until the kale is soft.

-          Remove the rosemary sprig, stir in the lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

-          To serve, slice each sweet potato lengthwise and push on the ends to open up the middle. Spoon the beans and greens into the center.

  

7 Minute Bean Mix: The most delicious and nutritious meal you can whip together in minutes!

This Bean Mix is so tasty, it will knock your socks off! There are very few ingredients, it’s packed with flavor, and you’ll get your protein fix…all in less than 7 minutes!

Eat it hot or cold, sprinkle it on top of a salad, pair it with some guacamole and roll it into a burrito, or blend it into a dip! There are so many variations, you’ll never be bored.  

Need more reasons to give this recipe a go? Well, for a deceptively simple recipe it’s a nutritional powerhouse! One cup of black beans will provide you with 30% of your daily protein, 60% of your daily fiber, as well as a boost of B2, B9, Iron, Magnesium and Manganese. The green chilies and lime juice are loaded with Vitamin C. Cayenne is a powerful antioxidant and is highly anti-inflammatory. One tablespoon of chili powder has almost 50% of your daily Vitamin A.

Are you still reading this, or are you rushing to the kitchen?

7 Minute Bean Mix Recipe

2 (14 oz) cans of beans, rinsed and drained  (Red, Black, White….use what you’ve got!)

1 (4 oz) can of diced green chilies, drained

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, diced

2 green onions, diced

1 tbs apple cider vinegar

1 tbs lime juice

2 tsp chili powder

½ -1 tsp cayenne (depending on how spicy you’d like it)

1 tsp salt

Over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in a little bit of olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until onion is clear.

Mix in the rest of the ingredients and set heat to low. You're done!

Enjoy this delicious meal, your taste buds and your body will thank you! 

Sesame Snackballs: The no-bake, protein-packed wonder-snack!

Looking for a snack that is unbelievably easy to make, travels well, is packed with protein (and fibers and minerals...) AND tastes great? 

Look no further: May I introduce you to Sesame Snackballs!

Sesame seeds are a nutritional secret weapon. Not only are they a good source of protein and fiber, but they’re also a great source of calcium, manganese, magnesium, and loads of other minerals.

Sesame seeds! Who knew?

When you pair up sesame seeds with the protein punch that peanut butter (and almond butter!) packs, you’ve got a snack that will give you an extra energy boost and will keep you full for hours. Bring them to work or school to fight off the mid-day sleepies, or eat them before/after a workout, or or...well, the possibilities are endless! 

Did I mention this recipe is no-bake? What are you waiting for?!

Sesame Snackballs: (makes ~24 balls)

Ingredients:

2 cups sesame seeds

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1.5 cups shredded coconut

1/2 cup agave

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup almond butter (or just add more peanut butter)

1 tbs vanilla extract

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

- Stir together sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and shredded coconut in a large bowl

- In a smaller bowl, mix together agave, almond butter, peanut butter, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Mix well!

- Add the contents of two bowls together and mix them very well.

- Use hands to form into balls. 

- Place them on a baking sheet covered with wax paper.

- Refrigerate or freeze for at least 30 minutes. 

- Keep them in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer as long as you’d like. You can pop them right into your mouth from the freezer!

(I can't find the source for the original recipe...I'll be sure to credit it as soon as I find it!)