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Best Blueberry Spinach Salad with Candied Almonds

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This is a fantastic spring or summer salad with a spinach and arugula mix tossed with fresh blueberries, quinoa, and red onion. It’s topped with feta cheese and some candied almonds with a homemade blueberry vinaigrette for the ultimate OMG!

best blueberry spinach salad

 

It finally feels like spring is here!! Beautiful weather, grills being fired up, and the smell of freshly mowed grass is in the air. What is missing? This delicious blueberry spinach salad with candied almonds needs to be added to your dinner menu, that’s what!! This is a favorite salad of mine and I think it always will be!!

This is a repost from last summer but I have changed some things around and decided not to make it into mason jar salads. This salad deserves more than a mason jar. It deserves to be presented in a nice salad bowl where everyone can see how beautiful it really is!!

NEW CAMERA + STUFF

Some really exciting news around here and that is (as you have probably guessed from the previous hint) I received my new camera in the mail a few days ago!!!! Itssoamazzzzzzing!!!

I purchased the Canon EOS 6D and a new 50mm 1.8 lens. It’s funny because I hear people all the time say camera shmamera and the camera doesn’t matter because it’s me taking the pictures. However, it certainly helps. I have never been able to get the quality of photos I want with my Panasonic. I am so excited about each and every post now because I absolutely love using my new camera!! Hope you all enjoy the photos too!!

Along with my new camera has come 1) A tripod to save my shaking hands once in awhile 2) 5-in-1 Reflector Set with Stand 3) A 2nd Lowel EGO Digital Imaging Light for those days natural light is just not a possibility. These things may not seem like the most exciting purchases but they sure make the process of photography much easier!!

Now, let’s just take a moment to appreciate these fine honey roasted almonds in the making!
It’s like…YUM!!!

best blueberry spinach salad



SALADS CAN BE EXCITING TOO

Yes, that’s right! This blueberry spinach and arugula salad is incredible. It has honey roasted almonds, quinoa, cucumbers, red onion, and feta cheese that is tossed with the most de-LISH blueberry vinaigrette! This is one of my favorite salads EVER!

best blueberry spinach salad

Nothing fancies up a boring salad like honey roasted almonds. The key to great salads for me is combining textures and colors. Adding more crunch and sweetness is a quick way for me to choose salad over the rest any day. You will not be missing any form of meat in this vegetarian salad. It is perfect just the way it is!

best blueberry spinach salad

What Makes this Salad So Amazing

  1. The Honey Roasted Almonds- don’t skip out on them!
  2. Perfect Combination of Flavors all Coming Together- Blueberries and Candied Almonds Meet Quinoa, Red Onion, Cucumbers, & Feta…It Just Works and It Is FANTASTIC!
  3. Gluten Free

 

best blueberry spinach salad



best blueberry spinach salad with candied almonds

Best Blueberry Spinach Salad with Candied Almonds

Megan
This is a fantastic spring or summer salad with a spinach and arugula mix tossed with fresh blueberries, quinoa, and red onion. It’s topped with feta cheese and some candied almonds with a homemade blueberry vinaigrette for the ultimate OMG!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Salad
Servings 3 Servings

Ingredients
  

Blueberry Vinaigrette

  • 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil

Honey Roasted Almonds

  • 2 cups almonds
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons sugar + 1/4 cup for dusting later
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Salad

  • 1/2 med-lg cucumber sliced
  • 1/4 cup red onion sliced or chopped
  • 1/2 cup tri-color quinoa
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 1 cup arugula
  • 2 tablespoons feta cheese
  • 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1/4 cup candied almonds

Instructions
 

Blueberry Vinaigrette

  • Add first 4 ingredients to a blender or food processor. Pulse several times until smooth.
  • Add olive oil slowly and pulse 1-2 more times.
  • Keep in refrigerator until ready to use.

Honey Roasted Almonds

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Place parchment paper on baking sheet and evenly place almonds on parchment paper.
  • Toast almonds in oven for 10 minutes.
  • While almonds are in the oven, add honey and sugar to small saucepan and bring to boil. After mixture bubbles for 2 minutes, remove from heat and set aside.
  • Once almonds are done toasting in the oven, place them in a medium bowl and mix with honey and sugar mixture until they are all coated.
  • Place coated almonds back on parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 more minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
  • Add 1/4 cup sugar, salt and cinnamon to large bowl and stir. Break up any almond clumps and mix them in the salt, sugar, and cinnamon and toss until coated.

Salad

  • Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
  • In a medium-large bowl, add spinach and arugula. Next, add 1/2 cup cooked quinoa, cucumber and onion, roasted almonds, blueberries, and finally the feta cheese. May make ahead of time, but wait to add dressing until ready to serve.

Notes

You will have leftover candied almonds and quinoa for more salad making.
The nutrition facts label includes everything but the blueberry vinaigrette.

 

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best blueberry spinach salad

Blueberry Lemon Muffins with Pistachio Crumb Topping

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Fresh blueberry lemon muffins made with greek yogurt! Taste the hints of lemon zest and it is topped with a pistachio crumb mixture. This is an easy to make but extraordinary tasting muffin recipe that can be done in under 35 minutes!

blueberry lemon muffins with pistachio crumb topping

Photography Lately

Food and blogging; what a combination! We all like tasty food, right! Well what I like more is tasty food that looks good too. It’s more fun to eat pretty food too. When I first started blogging the whole getting food to look good in a picture was difficult and it still is at times. I’m still learning every day. There is so much that goes into taking a great food photo: you have your camera, your food, props, background boards, and lighting. Today I am excited about my new background board my husband put together for me. It really does make a huge difference when you have a few background boards to choose from when you are shooting pics of food. I feel like food just pops when on a white background board. But enough about that…because it’s blueberry muffin time!!

blueberry lemon muffins with pistachio crumb topping

Food Inspiration

Food Inspires. Wait What?!
I have always liked baking and cooking. I used to be one of those that could be content with eating the same thing most of the time, but since I have had kids that has changed. I am constantly whipping up new things in order to introduce different foods to my kids (and husband! Ha!) They usually refuse them(mainly the kids here 😉 ) but I continue to do it in hopes that one day they will try it. There are so many means of food advertising these days and I really want our kids to grow up knowing how to cook and eat in a healthy way. I have certainly opened my husband’s eyes to food. I really love seeing the range of looks on his face as we sit down to eat sometimes: 1) raised eyebrows ➡️ 2) hopefulness ➡️ 3) surprise ➡️ 4) delight. At least, I love when that is the order and not the other way around! He still reminds me of the filets I made a couple of years ago for him but overdid it on the peppercorns a little. I mean a lot.
There are endless options when working with food and the more I cook, the more new ideas come to me. My three kids are inspiration to cook healthy yet tasty food. The younger they are when they learn to enjoy fresh and whole foods, the more likely they will be to adapt a healthier lifestyle. That’s my hope at least!!



Tasty Muffins

Now on to these delicious, moist, and flavorful blueberry lemon muffins with pistachio crumb topping! WOW! Just saying that makes my mouth water. Muffins are such an easy, classic recipe that are great for breakfast, brunch, or breakfast-for-dinner kinda day. I used the crumb topping with pistachios on half of the muffins and left the pistachios out on the other half to make them kid friendly. The kids loved these muffins!
I hope you do too!

blueberry lemon muffins with pistachio crumb topping

blueberry lemon muffins with pistachio crumb topping

Blueberry Lemon Muffins with Pistachio Crumb Topping

3 Scoops of Sugar
Fresh blueberry muffins made with greek yogurt! Taste the hints of lemon zest and it is topped with a pistachio crumb mixture. This is an easy to make but extraordinary tasting muffin recipe that can be done in under 35 minutes!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 33 minutes
Course Breakfast/Brunch
Servings 12 Muffins

Ingredients
  

Pistachio Crumb Topping

  • 2 tablespoons pistachios crushed
  • 1 tablespoon butter softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons sugar

Muffins

  • 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • pinch of Kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup nonfat greek yogurt or any fat concentration you prefer
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest with large lemon may be able to use remaining zest from lemon used in topping
  • 1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375℉. Prepare muffin tin with paper liners or grease with cooking spray.
  • Combine pistachio topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.*
  • In a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt and mix.
  • Gently fold in wet ingredients into dry ingredients. This takes about 30 strokes or until you no longer see traces of flour.
  • Add 2 tablespoons batter to bottom of muffins liners. Add 4 blueberries on top of batter. Add another scoop of batter on top of blueberries, using remaining batter.
  • Top with another 3-4 blueberries and pistachio crumb topping on top of the blueberries. Press crumb topping into batter gently.
  • Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Notes

*I used 1 tablespoon crushed pistachios and used the pistachio crumb topping on 6 of the muffins and crumb topping without pistachios on the other half. Just leave out the pistachios until you add the topping to the first 6 and then mix in 1 tablespoon of pistachios for the other 6 muffins.

 

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Clean Eating Breakfast Bowl

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Blueberry Lemon Muffins with Pistachio Crumb Topping

 

Clean Eating Breakfast Bowl

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Frozen berries packed with antioxidants blended with greek yogurt for a healthy and delicious breakfast. Top this clean eating breakfast bowl with your favorite granola, seeds, fresh fruit, or dark chocolate.

Breakfast! The most important meal of the day! Some people love breakfast and some prefer to let it pass on by them without even a second glance. Why is that? I am certainly guilty of that myself from time to time. But then again, what constitutes breakfast?? Bacon, eggs, and hash browns? 1 cup cereal with 1/2 cup of milk as stated on the nutrition label? Yogurt? Glass of milk? Breakfast can be a food or beverage from any of the food groups within 2-3 hours of awakening. And today, I am a lot more excited about breakfast after making this silky smooth fruit and yogurt combo. Ya just gotta try this one.

clean eating breakfast bowl

Breakfast. Yay or Nay? My usual routine is a cup or two of my favorite coffee in the morning with a few splashes of milk in it to tame it down and I am good to go. That is unless I am moving in to a new home like this past weekend and then I need to up my breakfast game. Yup yup I am talking more like a homemade egg and sausage mcmuffin OR this crazy good clean eating breakfast bowl!

Why say yes to this breakfast bowl?
1. More energy after a good night’s rest (hopefully you get more rest than me!)
2. Lots of antioxidants to maintain optimum health
3. More motivation to turn down high cal/low nutrient dense snacks at the office before lunch

clean eating breakfast bowl

On a side note, as I mentioned above, WE ARE IN A HOUSE FIIINNALLY! Woot Woot!
And I feel so lucky. Lucky to have my laundry room on the main floor instead of walking down 3 flights of stairs at the hotel, lucky our kids have tons of room to run and play and are finally able to play with all of their toys again, which is a big deal for a 2, 3, and 5 year-old. And lucky to have an amazing husband with the three sweetest children!

So if you aren’t a breakfast eater, give this bowl a try but if you do eat breakfast this will make you like it even more! Tons of flavor and texture that totally hits the spot.

Hope you enjoy!!

clean eating breakfast bowl