It’s been a while since I last posted a salad recipe. The last one was in goes to look it up holy cow, January 2016.
(Also, that salad recipe is great, but the pictures are so old and ugly— go look at them if you want a laugh .)
The reason for the lack of salads is that even though I love them, salad recipes just don’t do that well on the site. They’re consistently some of my least popular recipes in terms of traffic.
BUT I figured it was time to give salad another go because I’ve been making today’s salad a ton lately, and I wanted to share it with you.
I’m obsessed with it. And once you try it, I think you will be too.
It’s Shawarma Salad!
This recipe is my Pinterest-famous (pinned nearly 200k times) Chicken Shawarma recipe turned into a salad, and friends, it is so, so good.
If you’re looking for a lighter dinner that is super satisfying and easy to make, you’ve come to the right place.
How to Make Shawarma Salad
This salad starts with chicken thighs marinated in a mix of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and turmeric and then cooked on the stove.
After the chicken is done, you cook some red onions in the drippings until they are soft and slightly sweet with caramelized edges.
Serve the onions and chicken thighs on crispy romaine with tomatoes and cucumbers, and top with a quick and easy creamy yogurt dressing.
The yogurt dressing is just one container of unsweetened yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pepper, with just enough milk added to make it a drizzling consistency. It’s a great light and tangy dressing that can be used on tons of different salads.
This recipe makes about four servings (though if you really wanted to stretch it, you could probably marinate up to six thighs at a time).
It’s fabulous as leftovers, so make it at the beginning of the week and have a salad dinner for a couple of nights, or even better, pack it up for work and make all your coworkers extra jealous with your beautiful meal prepped salads.
Meal Prep Chicken Shawarma Salads
How cute are these all dressed up as meal prep salads? Wouldn’t it feel good knowing you had a couple of these in your fridge for lunches this week?
To pack these meal prep shawarma salads, I recommend these 7×5-inch Pyrex containers . They’re sturdy, stackable, dishwasher-safe, and you can bake mini cakes in them when you finish your salad. Add a little airtight container for your dressing , and you’re all set.
Salads can be eaten right out of the fridge or transfer your chicken to a plate to reheat before eating.
Shawarma Salad Recipe Notes
- I like to use chicken thighs here because they’re easy to cook and come out tender and juicy every time, but if chicken breasts are all you have, they’ll work too. Use the method from my How to Cook Chicken Breasts for Salads and Sandwiches post for best results.
- For a slightly richer dressing, you can add a bit of (delicious) fat by stirring a heaping spoonful of mayonnaise into the yogurt along with the milk.
- Finally, if you’re looking for more simple salad recipes, try this Carne Asada Salad , Asian Chicken Salad, and BLT Salad .
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- ▢ Instant-read thermometer
- ▢ Garlic press
Chicken and Marinade
- ▢ 1/4 cup olive oil
- ▢ 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- ▢ 3 cloves garlic pressed
- ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- ▢ 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
Yogurt Dressing
- ▢ 5 to 6 ounces ( 2/3 cup ) plain, unsweetened yogurt*
- ▢ 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ▢ 1 clove garlic pressed
- ▢ 1 to 3 teaspoons milk
- ▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt
- ▢ Pepper
Vegetables
- ▢ 1/4 cup chicken broth or water
- ▢ 1 small red onion cut into thin wedges
- ▢ 1 head romaine washed and chopped
- ▢ 1 cucumber peeled and chopped
- ▢ 1 large tomato chopped
Instructions
Marinate Chicken
- In a small bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients. Pour over chicken thighs and toss to coat. Return chicken to the refrigerator and marinate for 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
Prepare Dressing
- Combine yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, 1 teaspoon of milk, and salt. If desired, add more milk by the 1/2 teaspoon until dressing reaches your desired consistency. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
Cook Chicken and Onions
- On the stove, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken thighs and cook for 2 to 5 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. If at any time the outside of the chicken begins to cook too quickly and burn, turn the heat down. Transfer chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Deglaze the pan over medium-high heat with 1/4 cup of water or chicken broth, scraping all the crispy browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and add the onions. Cook onions until they reach your preferred level of doneness, 2 to 4 minutes.
Assemble
- Slice the chicken and assemble salad. Top with dressing and enjoy!
Notes
These Small-batch Sugar Cookies are perfect sugar cookies. Buttery, with slightly crisp edges and chewy centers, they’re fast and easy to make, require no chilling time, and can be made in just one bowl. Plus tips and tricks for making your perfect sugar cookie.
Hey, friend. What’s your perfect sugar cookie?
Is it a cut-out sugar cookie, a little crunchy, a tiny bit chewy, one that you can spend an hour decorating and thirty seconds eating? Then you’ll probably like these Small-batch Cut-out Sugar Cookies .
Is it fluffy, soft, and absolutely smothered with buttercream and sprinkles? Sounds like you should try these Small-batch Frosted Sugar Cookies .
But if your perfect sugar cookie is simple and buttery with slightly crisp edges and chewy centers, stay right here. I have the cookie you’re looking for.
These cute (not-so)-little Small-batch Sugar Cookies I’m sharing today are my perfect sugar cookie, and you’re going to LOVE them.
They’re superb plain or dusted with powdered sugar.
They’re fabulous rolled in crunchy sugar or sprinkles before baking.
And they’re amazing drizzled with a powdered sugar glaze. (I’ve included instructions for all three ways in the recipe, so you can make the cookie your heart desires.)
And best of all, they’re small-batch, no-chill, and easy peasy to make so any time you’re craving a sugar cookie, this recipe has your back.
How to Make Soft and Chewy Small-batch Sugar Cookies
Like my Small-batch Chocolate Chip Cookies , this is another one-bowl cookie recipe that comes together fast and easy.
You start with butter, melted if you’re in a hurry, softened if you remember to plan ahead (we’ll talk more about butter in a moment), and whisk it together with sugar.
Add an egg yolk and vanilla or almond extract (my favorite).
And stir in flour, baking soda, and salt.
That’s it.
Then you can use a cookie scoop to transfer the dough to a baking sheet or scoop into balls and roll in sugar or sprinkles. Give them a little press so they spread nicely while baking and cook for 9 to 12 minutes.
Finally, add quick glaze or enjoy them as soon as your cookies are cool enough to eat. It’s up to you.
Your Perfect Sugar Cookie
Okay, so that was how to make my perfect sugar cookie, but I want you to make your perfect sugar cookie.
And creating that cookie is really easy to do with this recipe. It’s very flexible, and by slightly changing the way you treat your ingredients and dough, you can get drastically different sugar cookie results.
If you like a cookie that’s fluffier/crunchier/softer/chewier, than my base model, one of these changes might be for you.
The Perfect Base Cookie: Softened Butter + Flattened Before Baking This is the cookie you see in the photos. Creaming butter and sugar together before adding the rest of the ingredients beats air into the dough so the cookies come out a little lighter and softer than cookies made with melted butter. Flattening before baking means that they really spread in the oven so you get nice big cookies with crispy edges while the centers stay soft and chewy.
Puffier, Soft and Chewy Cookies: Softened Butter + Not Flattened Before Baking These cookies come out slightly domed, with wrinkled tops, a soft, chewy texture, and very little crunchiness (unless overbaked).
Denser, Chewiest Cookie: Melted Butter If you like a very chewy cookie, this is the method you want to use. However, using melted butter makes a wetter, slightly greasy dough, that is a little more difficult to work with. If coating with sprinkles or sugar, I recommend scooping the dough into your bowl of sprinkles and coating before rolling into a ball. It will make the dough easier to work with.
Soft Cookie, Underbaked Center: Not Flattened + Cooled Off Tray When left on a hot tray after baking, cookies will continue to cook, so if you’re one of those people who like a slightly under-baked cookie (you know who you are), don’t flatten your cookies before baking and remove them from the tray after just a minute or two out of the oven so they stop cooking and stay soft and underdone.
Crispy Crunchy Sugar Cookie: Flattened + Baked Max Time + Cooled on Tray On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you like a cookie that’s crunchy nearly all the way through, cook your cookies closer to the max time (or over if necessary), until the edges are turning gold, and allow them to cool on the hot baking sheet so they keep getting crunchier even as they cool.
Small-batch Sugar Cookies Recipe Notes
- Correct flour measurement is very important in this recipe. Too much flour can result in cakey cookies, cookies that don’t spread, or dough that doesn’t come together. I recommend measuring your ingredients by weight ( kitchen scales are inexpensive and worth their weight in gold) or using the scoop and sweep method for measuring (stir you flour to fluff it up, scoop it into your measuring cup, and sweep off the excess with the flat of a knife.
- These are the rainbow sprinkles I used in this recipe (I LOVE them), but I’ve also tested these cookies with Jimmies and Nonpareils , and they both work great too.
- If you’d like to add a frosting instead of glaze to the cookies, try this Small-batch Vanilla Frosting, Chocolate Buttercream or any of my other small-batch frostings on the site.
- Looking for more small-batch desserts? Try these Small-batch Peanut Butter Cookies , Small-batch Shortbread , and Small-batch Vanilla Cupcakes .
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- ▢ Handheld electric mixer optional but helpful
Small-batch Sugar Cookies
- ▢ 1/3 cup ( 76g ) salted butter softened
- ▢ 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon ( 80g ) granulated sugar
- ▢ 1 large egg yolk
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
- ▢ 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon ( 98g ) all-purpose flour measured by weight or using the spoon and sweep method*
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- ▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1/3 cup powdered sugar, granulated sugar or sprinkles for rolling (optional)
Optional Glaze
- ▢ 1 cup ( 120g ) powdered sugar sifted
- ▢ 1 tablespoon milk + more to reach desired consistency
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ▢ 2 teaspoons light corn syrup *
- ▢ 2 to 4 teaspoons food coloring optional
Instructions
Small-batch Sugar Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and a line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add egg yolk and vanilla (or almond extract) and beat until well-combined.
- Add flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix until there is no dry flour left at the bottom of the bowl and the dough begins to clump.
- Divide dough into six parts and roll into balls. If rolling in sprinkles or sugar, do so now.
- Place dough on the prepared cookie sheet, well-spaced, and use the palm of your hand to press cookies out to 1/2-inch thick (no thinner).
- Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, until you see just a hint of golden color around the bottom edges of the cookies. Cool completely on the cookie sheet.
Optional Glaze
- Once cookies are cooled, in a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Stir until well-combined.
- Add corn syrup and stir until smooth. Add about 2 to 4 drops of food coloring if desired and stir until uniform in color. Add more milk if necessary to get a drizzling consistency.
- Spoon over cookies and allow 10 to 15 minutes for the glaze to set. Enjoy!
Notes
Three different recipes for quick and easy 2-ingredient pupsicles to keep your dog cool this summer.
Hey, friends, how is your summer treating you? And just as importantly, how is summer treating your four-legged best friend(s)?
Are you guys melting in the heat?
Ella and I are.
Ella, slowly melting.
The only thing keeping us from fully turning into puddles is air-conditioning and oodles and oodles of frozen treats ( Pudding Pops and Wine Popsicles for me, Watermelon and Yogurt Frozen Dog Treats for Ella).
Those watermelon treats have actually been super popular on Pinterest this summer, and because of this, I’ve received multiple requests for more pupsicle recipes.
Which brings us here today.
How to Make Dog Popsicles, AKA Pupsicles
I have a secret for you. You don’t need a recipe for pupsicles. If it freezes, it’s safe for dogs, and your dog likes it, it can be made into pupsicles.
The pupsicle possibilities are literally endless, and all you need to get started are a couple of dog-friendly ingredients ( here’s a good list people foods you should and shouldn’t feed your dog ) and something to freeze your treats in.
I own these molds which make cute bone-and-paw-shaped dog popsicles, but a simple ice cube tray will work just as well.
And once you have something to make your treats in, here are three 2-ingredient pupsicle recipe ideas to try out:
Banana and Peanut Butter Pupsicles (Ella’s Favorite) 2 ripe bananas 2 tablespoons peanut butter (without artificial sweeteners)
Yogurt and Berries Dog Popsicles 1/2 cup blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries 2 5-ounce containers plain yogurt
Pumpkin and Banana Treats 2 ripe bananas 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
For all three of these recipes, you just combine them in your mold/trays and pop them in the freezer until solid, usually about 3 to 4 hours.
Then grab a pupsicle for your dog, something cold and sweet for yourself, and the two of you can enjoy a summer that’s just a little more bearable.
What molds did you use for the pupsicles?
I used a set of silicone molds to make the pupsicles in the photos. If you’d like a set of your own, you can buy the molds here , but you can also just use a regular old ice cube tray.
Please note, these are all dog-safe ingredients, but some dogs do not process dairy well. If that’s your dog, avoid the yogurt treats, and, as always, consult your vet if you have any questions or concerns about what you’re feeding your pet.
Also, dogs should always be supervised while eating frozen treats. Do not let them wander off with a half-eaten treat as uneaten pieces can melt and stain your carpets.
This recipe calls for plain, unsweetened yogurt and peanut butter without artificial sweeteners. DO NOT use yogurt or peanut butter that has been sweetened with xylitol, as it is toxic to dogs.
More Dog Treat Recips
- Birthday Cupcake Dog Popsicles
- High-value Dog Treats
- Gingerbread Treats for Dogs and Horses
- Watermelon and Yogurt Frozen Dog Treats
2-ingredient Pupsicles (3 Ways)
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- Silicone treat molds or ice cub tray
Banana Peanut Butter Pupsicles
- 2 very ripe bananas mashed
- 2 to 4 tablespoons peanut butter *
Yogurt and Berries Pupsicles
- 1/2 cup chopped strawberries, blackberries or raspberries, pureed, or whole blueberries
- 2 5-ounce containers plain yogurt *
Pumpkin and Banana Pupsicles
- 2 very ripe bananas mashed
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree NOT pumpkin pie filling
Instructions
- If using floppy silicone molds, place them on a baking sheet or cutting board that will fit in your freezer, and clear enough space in your freezer for the molds to lay flat.
Banana Peanut Butter Pupsicles
- In a small, microwave-safe bowl, microwave peanut butter for 10 to 20 seconds and stir until pourable. To each mold, add a spoonful of peanut butter and enough mashed banana to fill the mold. Use a knife to swirl in the peanut butter if desired.
Yogurt and Berries Pupsicles
- Combine spoonfuls of berries and yogurt until molds are filled.
Pumpkin and Banana Pupsicles
- Combine spoonfuls of pumpkin and mashed banana until molds are filled.
- Freeze until solid, 3 to 4 hours. Remove treats from molds/trays and store in an air-tight freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Chicken Shawarma Salad
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- Instant-read thermometer
- Garlic press
Chicken and Marinade
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic pressed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
Yogurt Dressing
- 5 to 6 ounces ( 2/3 cup ) plain, unsweetened yogurt*
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic pressed
- 1 to 3 teaspoons milk
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Pepper
Vegetables
- 1/4 cup chicken broth or water
- 1 small red onion cut into thin wedges
- 1 head romaine washed and chopped
- 1 cucumber peeled and chopped
- 1 large tomato chopped
Instructions
Marinate Chicken
- In a small bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients. Pour over chicken thighs and toss to coat. Return chicken to the refrigerator and marinate for 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
Prepare Dressing
- Combine yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, 1 teaspoon of milk, and salt. If desired, add more milk by the 1/2 teaspoon until dressing reaches your desired consistency. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
Cook Chicken and Onions
- On the stove, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken thighs and cook for 2 to 5 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. If at any time the outside of the chicken begins to cook too quickly and burn, turn the heat down. Transfer chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Deglaze the pan over medium-high heat with 1/4 cup of water or chicken broth, scraping all the crispy browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and add the onions. Cook onions until they reach your preferred level of doneness, 2 to 4 minutes.
Assemble
- Slice the chicken and assemble salad. Top with dressing and enjoy!
