Wild Rice & Fruit Salad


2 cups wild rice
1 tablespoon butter
1 red apple, cored and cut into 1/4 –inch dice
Pinch of ground cloves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4 –inch dice
1 stalk celery, cut into 1/4 –inch dice
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup currants
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add rice, reduce heat, and simmer until rice is tender and most of the kernels have burst, about 55 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside in a large bowl.

Melt butter in a medium skillet. Add apple and cloves, and sauté until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl with rice. In same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot and garlic; sauté until onions are translucent and just beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer to bowl with rice mixture; add currants. Season with salt and pepper.

Return the skillet to the heat; add apple-cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons water. Heat, whisking constantly until mixture has reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the remaining two tablespoons olive oil; set aside. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss to combine. Serve at room temperature or chilled, garnished with toasted almonds.

This makes a great potluck dish or a holiday side dish.  It’s sweet and savory and can be made a day ahead to allow the flavors to blend.

Warm Red Cabbage Salad

½ cup sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon natural cane sugar (or brown sugar)
Fine grain sea salt
Note: this step is optional – you can just use regular roasted sunflower seeds

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (or coconut oil)
1 red onion, diced
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 pound head of red cabbage, quartered and cut into thin ribbons
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary (or substitute another fresh herb)
2 ounces golden raisins (or other plump, chopped dried fruit)
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbed

a bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese to garnish

Roast the sunflower seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden brown. Sprinkle on the sugar, and a couple of pinches of salt.  Stir until the sugar melts and coats the seeds (your pan will need to be hot enough). Transfer the seeds immediately to a plate so they don’t stick to the pan. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the onion for a minute or two with a couple of pinches of salt. Stir in the garlic, and the cabbage, and a few more pinches of salt. Stir and cook for just a minute or so, or until the cabbage softens up just a touch. Then stir in the rosemary, most of the raisins, and the vinegar. The cabbage will continue to get more and more tender even after you remove it from the heat, so keep that in mind, and do your best to avoid overcooking it – where it collapses entirely. Fold in half of the feta cheese, most of the sunflower seeds, then taste. Season with more salt if needed. Serve garnished with the remaining raisins, feta, sunflower seeds and Parmesan cheese.

Recipe from Heidi Swanson’s 101 Cookbooks (http://www.101cookbooks.com/).  The original recipe came from The Complete Tassajara Cookbook by Edward Espe Brown.

Summer Corn Salad

6 ears of corn
1 large shallot, minced

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons sunflower oil

¾ cup toasted pepitas
¾ cup toasted sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

Shuck the corn and use a knife to cut the kernels from the cobs. Place the kernels in a medium bowl with the shallot while you make the dressing.

Combine the lemon juice, salt, and sugar in a small bowl or jar. Gradually add the oil, whisking vigorously until the dressing comes together. Taste, and adjust with more lemon juice, salt or sugar, if needed. This dressing should be on the sweet side, not overly tangy.

Just before serving, add the seeds to the bowl of corn along with 2/3 of the dressing.  Toss well and add more dressing to taste.  Crush the oregano between your palms before adding.  Toss one more time and serve.

Notes:  I added a handful of fresh, minced parsley for some color and extra flavor.  If you don’t have Mexican oregano you can use regular oregano or substitute fresh oregano or chives.  I used palm sugar in place of the brown sugar and olive oil in place of the sunflower oil.

Recipe from http://www.101cookbooks.com/

Sprouted Mung Beans with Walnuts and Dill

1 cup sprouted mung beans, such as TruRoots brand
2 cups very hot water
½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/3 cup chopped dill
4 scallions, white and green parts, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the sprouted mung beans in a medium bowl. Pour the hot water over them to cover; let soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.

Add the walnuts, dill, scallions, olive oil and lemon juice. Toss to combine, then season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve at room temperature.

To toast walnuts: add the walnuts to a small dry skillet over medium-low heat until they are fragrant and have slightly darkened in color. Cool completely before using.

Recipe by Esha Ray, chief executive of Enray, company that makes TruRoots products. Recipe found in The Washington Post, Recipe Section, July, 2011.

Quinoa with Broccoli & Cashews

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ medium red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
½ cup vegetable broth
½ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup quinoa
½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1 cup broccoli florets cut into bite size pieces
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup roasted cashew pieces
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic for 3 minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, vegetable broth, wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil.

Stir in the quinoa and salt. Reduce the heat and simmer covered, about 20 minutes. Add the broccoli and simmer 5 to 7 minutes longer.

Remove from heat, add black pepper and toss gently to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

Garnish with cashews and scallions before serving.

What is Quinoa?  Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is not technically a grain but the seed of a leafy plant. Its relatives include spinach, beets and Swiss chard. Due to its delicate taste and rich amounts of protein, iron, potassium and other vitamins and minerals, it is quite popular and can replace any grain. It is also a good source of dietary fiber and is easily digested. It is gluten free and has a texture similar to couscous.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

2 cups cooked quinoa
¼ cup currants (or raisins)
¼ cup chopped almonds (can substitute pine nuts, walnuts, pepitas, etc.)
½ cup diced carrots
¼ cup chopped mint
¼ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup thinly sliced scallions (white & green parts)
¼ cup lime juice
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and let sit for 20 minutes before serving to allow flavors to blend.

Recipe slightly adapted from Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body’s Natural Ability to Heal Itself by Alejandro Junger, M.D. with Amely Greeven.

Pesto Potato Salad


For the pesto:

2 cups loosely packed basil
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
1/3 olive oil (or more if needed)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Put the basil, pine nuts and garlic cloves in a food processor and blend.  Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until you get the consistency you desire.  Season with salt & pepper.


For the salad:

1 pound small fingerling potatoes (fresh from the garden is preferable)
Salt
Handful of fresh green beans, cut into bite-size pieces
4 small leeks, thinly sliced and washed

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a dash of salt and the potatoes and cook until tender. In the last few minutes of cooking the potatoes, add the green beans.  Cook only long enough to take the rawness out of them but they should still be crunchy.  Drain and move to a large bowl.  Set aside to cool.

While the potatoes are cooking, thinly slice and wash four small leeks (using white parts only).  Heat a small pat of butter in a frying pan and sauté the leeks until browned and slightly crispy. 


To serve:

Mix the still warm potatoes, green beans, and leeks with 2 tablespoons of the pesto.  Season with more salt and pepper if needed.  This dish can be served warm or chilled.

Pan-Fried Chickpea Salad

1 tablespoon clarified butter, olive oil, or coconut oil
2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
            pat them completely dry with a clean dish towel
1 cup chopped leeks
1 medium clove of garlic, minced
zest of one lemon
1/3 cup plain yogurt, Greek-style yogurt or creme fraiche
1 ½ teaspoons Indian-style curry powder (or to taste)
scant ¼ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 or 2 tablespoons warm water
½ cup of loosely packed fresh cilantro, chopped
½ cup red onion or red spring onion s, chopped
Handful of toasted, slivered almonds (or other toasted, chopped nuts)

Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet and add the chickpeas. Sauté over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until they start getting a bit golden in color. Stir in the leeks and cook until the chickpeas are more golden and the leeks have browned a bit as well, about 7-10 minutes total. At the last minute stir in the garlic and lemon zest. Remove from heat, and set aside.

While the chickpeas cool, make the yogurt dressing by combining the yogurt, curry powder, and salt in a small bowl.  If you need to thin it out a bit, particularly if you are using Greek yogurt or crème fraiche, whisk in warm water a tablespoon at a time. Taste, adjust and set aside.

When you are ready to serve the salad, toss the chickpea mixture with the cilantro and red onion. Add the yogurt dressing and toss again.  Add a handful of slivered almonds or other coarsely chopped nuts.  

Serves 4 as a side.

This recipe came from Heidi Swanson’s website 101 Cookbooks www.101cookbooks.com

Orange and Beet Salad

1 bunch of beets, leaves removed - about 4 or 5 medium sized
2 large navel oranges, peels cut off with a small knife and sliced
1 bunch of arugula leaves, cleaned, and any thick stems removed
Several thin slices of red onion
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Dressing:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp grated orange peel
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the greens away from the beets, leaving about 1/4 inch of stems. Scrub the beets and place in a baking dish (or lidded ovenproof casserole dish). Add 1/4 inch of water to the dish. Cover tightly. Place in the oven and roast small beets (three ounces or less) for 30 to 40 minutes, medium beets (four to six ounces) for 40 to 45 minutes, and large beets (eight ounces or more) for 50 to 60 minutes. They’re done when they’re easily penetrated with the tip of a knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the covered baking dish. Cut away the ends and slip off the skins and slice into thick wedges.

Whisk the vinegar, olive oil, garlic and orange peel in a small bowl to blend.

Compose individual salad plates with arugula, a few slices of orange, a few beet wedges, a few slices of red onion and a few chopped walnuts. Sprinkle dressing over the individual salads.

Serves 4.

Notes:  Beets are rich in nutrients and low in calories!  They are a natural cleanser and detoxifier and are known to nourish the bloodstream and support the liver. Look for them at the farmer’s market this spring and be sure to save the beet greens to steam or sauté for another meal.

Kale and Avocado Salad

This salad is delicious and you’ll never know you are eating raw kale!  Kids even like it!


De-stem and finely chop as much kale as you think you can eat plus a little more since it shrinks! Place chopped kale in a large bowl. Pour on some olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Massage the oil and salt (with your hands) into the leaves until the kale becomes "wilted" and glistens.

Next add ½ (or 1 small) ripe avocado and massage that into the leaves as well. Next give it a good squeeze of lemon juice and mix it all in by hand (it's messy but be sure to lick your fingers after - it's so good!). Taste test.  Add more seasoning or lemon juice if needed.  

Finally add your favorite ingredients such as scallions (white & green parts), sun dried tomatoes that have been reconstituted in water & drained or fresh cherry tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, etc.  Sprinkle in a little cayenne or curry powder if you like some spice.

Mix it all up!  That's it - so easy yet so delicious!


Recipe from Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach
http://www.karenknowler.typepad.com/