Nicole Alexandra

Motherhood+Lifestyle

Easy Chickpea Salad Perfect For Entertaining

Need a quick and easy meal that tastes delicious but will also impress your guests, then this easy chickpea salad recipe is perfect for you! It’s vegetarian, made with simple ingredients, and has great flavor! It’s great for entertaining, picnics, or a healthy meal prep lunch at home.

easy chickpea salad

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Chickpeas are a staple in my pantry and I make a meal with them at least once a week. My favorite way to eat them is in one of my buddha bowls, but this chickpea salad is now in my rotation as well.

I’ve gotten better at planning out my family’s meals, especially dinner. I set a menu for the week and then I pick from it each night based on what I’m feeling like eating. It has definitely made grocery shopping faster because I base my list on what I need for meals throughout the week. I also add in a take-out day to my meal plan. I have found this helps me stay on track with healthy eating, we have less food waste, and it helps me stay on a food budget. This plant-based salad is great for meal prep to eat throughout the week too.

chickpea salad recipe

Benefits of Chickpeas

Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, are not only a great source of plant-based protein but they’re high in fiber, and contain potassium and magnesium too! That’s why this simple chickpea salad is healthy, satisfying, and filling. Chickpeas are also inexpensive. I’ve bought them dry and canned and I prefer the canned version because they are much quicker. I cook my canned chickpeas in a pan over medium with olive oil, chopped onion, salt, and garlic powder.

easy chickpea salad

Easy Chickpea Salad Perfect For Entertaining

Nicole Alexandra
Need a quick and easy meal that tastes delicious but will also impress your guests, then this easy chickpea salad recipe is perfect for you! It's vegetarian, made with simple ingredients, and has great flavor! It's great for entertaining, picnics, or a healthy meal prep lunch at home.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup cucumber, chopped
  • 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup roasted & salted almonds, chopped
  • 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt, to taste
  • ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese, or feta

Instructions
 

  • Rinse and drain quinoa. Add quinoa and the 2 cups of water to a small pot and bring the water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork then set aside and let cool for 5 minutes.
  • While the quinoa is cooking, make your chickpeas. This is my super simple recipe that takes less than 10 minutes and is so delicious!
  • In a large bowl, stir together cooked quinoa, cucumber, parsley, red onion, almonds, chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
  • Gently stir in crumbled goat cheese.
  • Serve immediately or let the salad chill in the fridge for a couple hours before serving which will help the flavor meld together even more.
  • Store salad in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Keyword easy chickpea salad, simple chickpea salad

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Protein Packed Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

This healthy chocolate cherry smoothie is sure to help with your chocolate craving and tastes like a milkshake! Protein-packed to keep you full for hours! This protein smoothie is simple to make and naturally sweetened so you can feel great about adding it to your meal rotation!

chocolate cherry smoothie

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.

I’ve been loving this chocolate cherry combo for some time now. It tastes rich and decadent but it’s full of healthy ingredients! Combining frozen cherries with chocolate protein powder, spinach, and peanut butter, it’s the perfect combination.

If you haven’t tried spinach in your smoothies, you’re seriously missing out on some easy nutrition! You can’t taste the spinach no matter what kind of smoothie you put it in. It’s one of my favorite ways to get a serving or two of veggies for myself and my 4-year-old.

I love starting my day with a smoothie because I know I’m getting a super healthy and balanced meal in one glass. It’s super quick too and it’s kind of my secret to not overeating throughout the day. There’s just something about starting my day with a healthy protein smoothie that sets me up for success with my food choices for the remainder of the day.

I almost always start my smoothies with a base of almond milk, handfuls of frozen spinach, and hemp seeds. Then I add a healthy fat, in this case, peanut butter but avocado would be great too. Frozen organic cherries pair perfectly with the chocolate protein powder.

Because this chocolate smoothie is high in protein, it’s an excellent meal. I enjoy it as a protein breakfast smoothie because it keeps me full until lunch. But it’s also great as an on-the-go breakfast, lunch, or a filling snack!

Cherries not only taste amazing but they’re also packed full of antioxidants and powerful nutrients. Since cherries are the star of this recipe, let’s look at some of the wonderful benefits this fruit has to offer.

Nutritional Benefits of Cherries:

  • Packed with vitamins and minerals like Vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium
  • Rich in anti-inflammatory compounds
  • Can help in exercise recovery
  • Lowers cholesterol
  • Abundant in antioxidants
  • May aid in heart health
  • May improve with sleep
chocolate cherry smoothie

Protein Packed Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

Nicole Alexandra
Packed with antioxidants, this chocolate cherry smoothie is going to help with your chocolate cravings and benefit your health! Easy to make and super fulling, you'll want to have this smoothie on repeat!
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup almond milk or milk of choice
  • 1-2 cups fresh or frozen spinach you can't taste it!
  • 1/2 cup frozen organic cherries
  • *optional 1/2 banana (omit if watching sugar intake)
  • 1 tbsp peanut butter or any nut butter or a 1/4 avocado
  • 2 scoops chocolate protein powder (I personally love and use Orgain Simple)
  • 3 tsp hemp seeds (also called hemp hearts)

Instructions
 

Blend

Taste

  • Add extra milk if you like your smoothie more liquidy or add some ice cubes if you want it to be thicker.

Serve

Keyword smoothie, chocolate cherry smoothie, cherry smoothie, chocolate smoothie, chocolate protein smoothie

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The Perfect Salad (When You’re Craving A Sandwich But Want Something Lighter)

Everyday salad

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This perfect salad recipe is filling and will be your go-to when you’re craving a sandwich but don’t want the heaviness of the bread. It’s a quick and healthy lunch that’s satisfying and will leave you full for hours.

I’m a self-proclaimed sandwich lover. I could eat a sandwich for lunch every day. I make a pretty good one too, however, in my quest for a healthier lifestyle, I try to incorporate more leafy greens and reduce my intake of carbohydrates on most days. That’s when I stumbled upon the perfect solution – a salad recipe that nourishes my body and satiates my love for a sandwich.

It wasn’t until I was well into adulthood that I started to enjoy salads. It took me a while to figure out the perfect combination. Experimenting with salad dressing was huge for me because I don’t like most store-bought dressings, so now I always make my own.

Perfect Salad

It’s crunchy and sweet, creamy, savory, and so satisfying. If you are a turkey and cheese sandwich lover or any sandwich lover, this salad is for you! You can turn this salad into whatever sandwich you’re craving, turkey, ham, roast beef, chicken, vegetarian, etc.

This everyday salad is an excellent way to get a ton of veggies and fruits into one meal. The greens are a great source of vitamin A and calcium and the cabbage is a prebiotic plus it’s sweet and crunchy. The turkey and cheese are a delicious source of protein and the salad is really built around these two stars.

This one-bowl recipe is great for make-ahead lunches too! It’s healthy, filling, and quick to put together! It’s my go-to salad recipe most days. I still eat sandwiches of course! But this is great when I want something a bit lighter.

Everyday salad

The Perfect Salad-When You’re Craving A Sandwich But Want Something Lighter

Nicole Alexandra
This perfect salad recipe is filling and will be your go-to when you're craving a sandwich but don't want the heaviness of the bread. It's a quick and healthy lunch that's satisfying and will leave you full for hours.
It’s crunchy and sweet, creamy, savory, and so satisfying. If you are a turkey and cheese sandwich lover or any sandwich lover, then this salad is for you! You can turn this salad into whatever sandwich you’re craving, turkey, ham, roast beef, chicken, vegetarian, etc.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup greens, I prefer a combo of arugula and spinach
  • 1/2 cup pre-cut cabbage (coleslaw mix)
  • 3-4 slices deli turkey, cut into small squares
  • 1/2 apple, cut into cubes
  • 1/3 cup cheddar cheeses, cubed
  • 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • 1/3 cup cucumber, chopped
  • 1/4 avocado, cubed
  • 1/4 cup shredded carrots
  • 2 pepperoncini, finely chopped *optional*
  • 1/2 tbsp hemp seeds *optional*

Dressing

  • 1/4 cup cottage cheese
  • 1/4 cup full fat Greek yogurt
  • garlic powder, onion powder, seasoning salt, herb blend all to taste
  • 1 tbsp olive oil mayo

Instructions
 

  • Place your greens and cabbage in a salad bowl.
  • Add turkey, cheese, chopped veggies, and avocado.
  • Add your dressing, then top with sunflower seeds.

Dressing

  • Mix the cottage cheese, yogurt, and spices together and then add them to the salad. Mix to combine.
Keyword perfect salad, best salad recipe, lunch salad, everyday salad,
filling salad

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Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl

This sweet potato buddha bowl is savory, filling, and satisfying with healthy ingredients. Made with arugula, quinoa, topped with goat cheese, and a super simple maple tahini dressing!

sweet potato buddha bowl

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What is a buddha bowl anyway? There are so many versions of these healthy and delicious bowls, I never quite know what to call them. Buddha bowl, dinner bowl, harvest bowl, macro bowl, either way, it’s a bunch of your favorite healthy foods in one big bowl!

I’ve been making different variations of these dinner bowls for a while now and they are just so satisfying and pretty simple to put together. I also love how pretty you can make them look while assembling and the party in your mouth when you mix it all together…don’t get me started!

This particular harvest sweet potato bowl uses, you guessed it, sweet potatoes! Roasted to perfection, the sweet potatoes in this bowl make it hearty and filling. If you’ve never roasted sweet potatoes you’re missing out. Roasting any veggie brings out the flavor like no other way of cooking so you’ve got to try it!

With all the fall and holiday sweets and treats going around, it’s easy to fall off track this time of year. This nourishing bowl of goodness will help you get a ton of veggies in a super tasty way!

Ingredients + Substitutions:

–Leafy Greens: I personally love fresh arugula + spinach mix

–Roasted Veggies: Roasted sweet potatoes are the star of this bowl but I’m sure roasted butternut squash could work too. I also added roasted brussels sprouts since they’re in season

–Vegetarian Protein: For this particular bowl, I chose chickpeas

–Grain: I use quinoa, but you could also use brown rice

–Fruit: In this bowl, I used dried cranberries and fresh apple slices

–Seeds: Sunflower seeds are what I had on hand but pepitas would be great too

–Goat Cheese: One of my favorite cheeses and such a great flavor in this recipe, you could sub for feta too for a less intense flavor

–Dressing: Tahini + maple syrup, you could also use honey if you’re not a maple syrup fan

buddha bowls

Can I add meat to this?

Yes! I recommend chicken with this particular bowl for the best flavor medley.

Best Bowls for Buddha Bowls:

How To Make Harvest Buddha Bowls:

These bowls are super easy to make! Here’s how to put them together:

  1. Roast the sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts on a baking sheet until tender. TIP: You can do steps #1 and #2 ahead of time if you want to make this meal even quicker.
  2. While the veggies are roasting, make the quinoa on the stove. TIP: make extra for other meals throughout the week
  3. Warm and brown the chickpeas (or skip this step if you want)
  4. Place the arugula and spinach in a bowl and top with warm quinoa and chickpeas.
  5. Add the roasted fall veggies, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and sliced apple.
  6. Top with goat cheese then drizzle on the dressing for each bowl!
sweet potato buddha bowl

Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl

Nicole Alexandra
This warm sweet potato buddha bowl is quick to put together and uses wholesome nutritious ingredients that make having a healthy dinner easy! And the maple syrup-tahini dressing is amazing!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 26 minutes
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups arugula
  • 2 roasted sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup roasted brussels sprouts
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1/2 cup chickpeas
  • 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles
  • 1/4 sliced apple

Dressing:

  • 4 tbsp tahini
  • 1 tbsp pure maple syrup

Instructions
 

  • Roast the sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts if using.
  • While the sweet potatoes are roasting, cook the quinoa.
  • (optional) Heat up and brown the chickpeas on the stove in olive oil
  • Put the arugula and spinach in a bowl and top with roasted veggies, quinoa, and chickpeas.
  • Add the dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and, apple slices.
  • Mix the tahini and maple syrup together, (heat up in the microwave for a few seconds if necessary to combine the two ingredients).
  • Top bowl with goat cheese and dressing.
  • Enjoy warm for the best flavor!
Keyword sweet potato buddha bowl, harvest bowl, buddha bowl, dinner bowl

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Best Oven Salmon Recipe

This is the very best oven salmon recipe! It’s fast, so simple to make, and tastes amazing! Made with lemon, butter, garlic, and spices, it’s very flavorful.

best oven salmon recipe

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Tender and flaky, this tasty salmon recipe is perfect for a quick weekday night or a special occasion dinner.

For years I only pan-fried my salmon and while that recipe is delicious, I needed to change it up. This oven-baked salmon is so flavorful and so easy to make! I love that it’s mess-free, meaning I don’t have to dirty my cutting board and cut up raw fish. Simply put the salmon filet in a glass baking dish, season and you’re good to go!

Make it a whole meal by adding some veggies around the filet. I like asparagus when it’s in season, but green beans or broccoli rabe is also super delicious.

best oven salmon recipe

Simple and healthy, this recipe has never failed me and I make it almost every week. There is seriously not an easier recipe for baking up the most perfect, lemony, garlic-butter salmon every single time. Done it just 15 minutes, this deliciously moist and flakey salmon is one of my go-to recipes and I’m sure it will be yours too!

tasty salmon recipe
best oven salmon recipe

Best Oven Salmon Recipe

Nicole Alexandra
Simple oven-baked salmon is a healthy and delicious meal! Using only one dish, it's quick and virtually mess-free. You'll be adding this lemony garlic-butter salmon to your weekly rotation in no time!
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • 1 glass baking dish

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 lbs wild-caught salmon
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • garlic powder
  • dried herb blend I personally love and use trader joes 21 seasoning salute
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • salt and pepper (omit pepper if your dried herb blend includes it)

Instructions
 

  • Heat oven to 400 °F.
  • Grab a glass baking dish long enough to fit your salmon filet.
  • Add the olive oil to the dish to make sure the bottom is covered so the salmon doesn't stick.
  • Place the salmon skin-side-down in the prepared baking dish.
  • Evenly pour the lemon juice on the filet. Then season with a generous amount of garlic powder and herb blend to lightly cover the filet.
  • Place your tablespoons of butter evenly spaced on the salmon filet.
  • If you're adding veggies, add them now around the salmon filet. Drizzle the veggies with olive oil and your choice of seasoning (s&p, garlic powder, etc.).
  • Place your glass baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 15 min or until the internal temperature of the salmon reaches 145 °F. You can also test for doneness by inserting a fork in the salmon and twisting it a bit; the fish should be opaque and flake easily.
  • Serve warm and enjoy!
Keyword best oven salmon recipe, tasty salmon recipe, lemon garlic salmon

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