Ingredients:
1 bunch arugula, bottom stems removed
1 bag Mizuna or Tatsoi
2 cups lettuce
1 cup Greek olives, pitted and sliced
½ cup Lemon Parsley Vinaigrette (recipe below)
1 cucumber sliced 1/8-inch thick (I use the English cucumber)
1 pound cherry tomatoes
1 sweet pepper, thinly sliced
1 red onion, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
¾ pound feta cheese, crumbled
Directions:
1.Place all the greens into a large serving bowl. Add the sliced olives, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, peppers, and red onions; toss with the vinaigrette. Top with the feta cheese and garnish with pita bread wedges.
Makes 8 servings
Lemon Parsley Vinaigrette Dressing
Ingredients:
¾ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1 cup olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Directions:
1.Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and use a hand whisk or blender to mix the ingredients until thoroughly incorporated.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons peanut oil
3 cups shitake mushrooms, sliced
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
dash of Tabasco sauce
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ cup red onion, diced
6 cups fresh spinach, trimmed and washed, and torn
2 cups arugula
¼ cup Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe below)
Directions:
1. Heat peanut oil in a sauté pan.
2. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and cook until dry. Remove from the hat and add the vinegar, salt, pepper, and Tabasco. Cool completely.
3. In a small skillet, sweat the onions in the olive oil over medium- heat, until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Allow to cool.
4. Toss the mushrooms, onions, spinach, and arugula together with the vinaigrette. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Ingredients:
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups olive oil
Directions:
1. Whisk together the red wine and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. Adjust the seasoning as desired. Refrigerate until needed. Whisk to recombine before using.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1½ pounds broccoli florets
1 cup sweet pepper, cut into thin strips
½ cup padron peppers, sliced thinly (optional)
½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Directions:
1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, reduce lemon juice by half and stir it into the butter. Refrigerate if needed.
2. Bring water to a full boil in the bottom of a steamer. Arrange the broccoli and peppers on the steamed rack so that the pieces are not crowded. Place the steamer rack on top of the boiling water and cover. Steam the vegetables for 3-5 minutes, or until just tender.
3. Remove from the steamer and place on a platter. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon butter.
Makes 6 servings
This dish is so easy to make. Hearty and delicious, it improves with time.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 cups squash, small dice
1 cup tomato, seeded and diced
3 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons chicken or vegetable broth
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
¼ cup lime juice
Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the squash and tomato and sauté until the squash is tender, about 4-5 minutes.
2. Add the chickpeas and enough broth to keep them moist. Stew until heated through, about 6-7 minutes.
3. Add the cilantro and season to taste with the sea salt, black pepper, and lime juice.
Makes 8 servings
Broccolini, commonly known as a super food, is the star player in this vegetarian noodle dish. High in fiber, broccolini is also a good source of vitamin B-6, which is more difficult to find in a vegetarian diet. Broccolini is also rich in calcium and vitamin C. Couple this with all the vitamin A, folate, and potassium in the arugula, you have one great-tasting healthful salad.
Ingredients:
SALAD:
6 ounces rice noodles or noodles of your choice
2 cups broccolini, cut up
4 cups arugula (or mizuna)
1 cucumber, sliced
½ cup peanuts
DRESSING:
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1½ tablespoons honey
12-16 drops toasted sesame oil
12-16 drops chili oil
¼ cup sesame oil, untoasted
sea salt
Directions:
1. Boil noodles until just soft; do not overcook, about 3 minutes for rice noodles. Rinse in cold water.
2. Boil or steam broccolini for about 2 minutes, until crisp-tender.
3. Clean the arugula or mizuna, or use a combination.
4. To make the dressing – mix all the ingredients together. You can play with the toasted sesame and chili oils to get the flavor you like. When adding salt, remember the noodles are bland and the dressing might require more salt than expected.
5. To compose the salad, make a bed of greens. Layer the noodles. Then the cucumbers, peanuts, and dressing.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2-3 pounds carrots, cut into sticks
water, about 2 quarts
one of the following:
1 tablespoon sea salt or
2-3 teaspoons sea salt and ¼ cup whey or
a starter culture such as Caldwells Cultured Vegetable Starter Or Body Ecology Starter Culture and salt as indicated by instructions for the specific culture you are working with.
Directions:
1. If using just salt or salt and whey, dissolve the salt in water and add the whey if using. If using a starter culture, prepare the liquid according to the package instructions.
2. Place the carrots sticks in the jar and pour the liquid over the carrots. Ideally the carrots should be submerged under the liquid. Cover with cheesecloth and place in a cool, dry area and ferment for 2 weeks or longer at room temperature.
3. Once the fermentation period is complete, the carrots can be removed and put in a storage container if desired. Store cultured carrots in the refrigerator.
Makes approximately 2 quarts
Both recipes can be made the day ahead. The salad can store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, and the dressing can store for 5 – you may need to add a little lemon juice/water to the dressing before serving, as the tahini tends to thicken over time.
Ingredients:
SALAD:
4 small beets
4 radishes
2 oranges
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
sea salt
black pepper
2 cups arugula
2 avocadoes
DRESSING:
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
¼ cup fresh cilantro
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup tahini (sesame seed butter)
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup water
1 large clove garlic
1 teaspoon sweetener of choice
½ teaspoon sea salt
Directions:
1. To make the salad: Slice the beets and radishes with a madoline slicer or very thin with a sharp knife, and transfer to a bowl. Peel oranges, making sure white part is removed. Slice oranges into thin segments, add to bowl. Add mint, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Mix well, and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.
2. To Make the Dressing: Combine dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth and creamy. If the mixture is too thick, add water until desired consistency is reached.
3. To Serve: Place arugula, and 2 tablespoons dressing into a bowl and mix well. Transfer to 4 serving plates. Layer salad mixture – about ½ cup per plate – on top of greens. Drizzle with remaining dressing and top with avocado slices.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
8 sweet peppers
2 summer squash, cut in half lengthwise and scored crosswise across the top
olive oil for brushing
¼ stick unsalted butter
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
Directions:
1. Prepare the barbeque to medium-high heat. Grill peppers until charred on all sides. Transfer to a paper bag; roll top to close tightly. Let steam for 10 minutes. Peel and seed peppers. Cut onto ½-inch strips.
2. Brush squash with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until charred in spots, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover to keep warm.
3. Melt butter in a heavy, large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pepper strips. Saute until heated through, stirring often, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in ¾ cups basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon into the center of a large platter. Arrange squash around the peppers. Sprinkle remaining basil over and serve.
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1-2 bunches chard, stems removed and set aside, leaves cut into bite-sized pieces and stems chopped finely
¼ cup olive oil
¾ cups finely chopped leeks, white part and only the tender green part
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons capers, chopped
sea salt
Directions:
1. Bring extra large pot of salted water to a boil. Add chard and stems and blanch until just tender when the leaves begin to turn bright green, about 2-3 minutes. Drain and run under very cold water to stop the cooking process.
2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté until tender, but not brown, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and capers; stir 1 minute. Stir in the chard and sauté until heated through, about 3-5 minutes. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Remember, the capers are salty so you may not even need to salt! Taste before you add the salt. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
8 tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups white corn kernels cut from cob
2 cups chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup chopped tomatoes
3 cups ¼-inch cubes summer squash
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Directions:
1. Core whole tomatoes creating a 21/2-inch opening at top. Using a melon baller, scoop out tomato, transferring juices and pulp to a small bowl for filling. Turn tomatoes upside down, onto a paper towel to drain.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat 1-2 minutes. Add corn and toss until tender and beginning to turn color, 2-3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the corn to a medium bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes. Using a garlic press, squeeze in garlic, stir 30 seconds. Add chopped tomatoes and reserved tomato pulp and juices. Saute until tomatoes are soft, about 5 minutes. Mix in squash, cilantro, oregano, and corn. Saute until sauce thickens and squash is just tender, about 8 minutes. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
3. Arrange tomato shells, cut side up, on a small baking sheet. Spoon in filling, mounding high. Let tomatoes stand at room temperature.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake tomatoes until filling is just heated through and tomato shells are just tender, about 25 minutes.
Makes 8 servings