Growing up, big Mediterranean salads, lots of lean protein, rice + lentils were pretty ubiquitous at all family gatherings. My dad’s family is Middle Eastern and every single gathering was centered around food. Basically; we celebrated food. And we celebrated with food. If that makes any sense. I grew up in a largely multicultural environment, with a palate that started trying food from far corners of the world before I could even talk. My fast-talking, quick-thinking Spanish mother on the other hand- wasted no time introducing me to her part of the world, too. In fact; she started teaching me how to cook as soon as I could stand on a chair and watch what she was doing.

Watch and learn, she would say. I would ask away, she would answer away. I would unequivocally mess up her food, she kept giving me second and third chances to get it right. It was this spirit of can-do and do-if-you-can that propelled me full-force ahead into the kitchen. So much so that as I entered adulthood, I turned my passion for cooking into this blog. That’s why you’re here and that’s why I am here. To share my love for food. Good, real, unprocessed meals that will wow everyone and take minimal time on your end.

My savory recipes are all inspired by the food I grew up on with one key addition: they are all meals made simple. Variations of the classics that are simplified and some components swapped for healthier ingredients. That’s truly it.

Now let’s talk about this salad. Bold flavors like lemony chickpeas, garlic, feta, tomatoes, artichokes & beans come together on this plant-based protein bowl that will have you coming back for seconds.

This salad is: filling, hearty, refreshing, & the perfect accompaniment to your summer barbecue. You won’t believe that 90 % of it comes from cans of organic legumes like red kidney beans, navy beans, marinated artichokes & chickpeas. The rest of the ingredients you need as fresh as you can get; namely the tomatoes and goat feta. Bonus: it brings a killer dressing that’s well, transferable to ANY salad you might also attempt. It’s also highly addictive. Like, highly. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do!