mediterranean salad

this salad is light, easy, healthy and absolutely perfect to eat all spring and summer long.  i love adding it to this plate for a complete meal.  and, i am very proud to say, the parsley in this came from my herb garden.  it was the first time i’ve “harvested” and it was so satisfying to just wander into the back yard and pick my own herbs. i am mildly impressed with myself for that one. i do have to tell you, i feel funny writing out instructions for how to make this because it’s just so simple and i usually just throw it together with no rhyme or reason. but here goes! 

the what:

2 cups diced cucumber

2 cups diced tomatoes

1 cup red onion, cut into small quarter moons

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1/2 tablespoon of mint

2 tablespoons dried peruvian olives or kalmata olives, sliced

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

juice of 1/2 medium lemon

sea salt

the how:

chop all veggies and combine with parsley, mint and olives. for the dressing: in a seperate bowl mix olive oil, red wine vinegar & lemon juice. add 3/4 of dressing to the salad and mix well.  season with sea salt to taste.  enjoy!  

red quinoa & sun-dried tomato salad

one of our favorite things to do on the weekends is have picnics in our backyard- music, beers, good food, sunshine. it’s the best way we relax. a few weeks ago we got a salad from lemonade that was so amazing that i had no choice but to recreate it and add it to our summer rotation. and in doing so i learned just how easy it is to make your own sundried tomatoes, and how insanely tasty they are compared to the store-bought kind. you must make this sald.  must.

the what:

11 ripe vine grown organic tomatoes (or 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes)

2 tablespoons of basil, finely chopped

2 cups of cooked red quinoa, chilled

1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes

1 1/2 tablespoon walnut oil

1 tablespoon mirin (rice vinegar)

1 tablespoon agave syrup

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

sea salt

olive oil

the how:

slice vine ripened tomatoes in half, scoop out all seeds and slice into 3/4 inch pieces

place on pan for baking with skin side down and sprinkle liberally with sea salt 

let the slices sit with the salt for 10 minutes, it will help to dry out the pieces and shorten your baking time

preheat oven to 150 degrees (i used a toaster oven since our conventional oven didn’t go that low)

drizzle olive oil over slices and bake for 6-8 hours, or until they have dried out!  * these can be stored in a jar with olive oil and used on sandwiches, in pasta dishes, on salads, with  couscous… they’re perfect with pretty much anything! 

place the sun-dried tomatoes in the fridge to chill.

for the dressing: in a small mixing bowl combine walnut oil, mirin, agave syrup, apple cider vinegar and 1 tsp of sea salt

in a medium serving bowl combine quinoa, cherry tomatoes, basil, 3/4 cup of chilled sun-dried tomatoes, and dressing.  mix well.  serve immediately, preferably at your own backyard picnic. enjoy!

savoy cabbage, tangerine and black radish salad

aren’t black radishes amazing?  i owe this entire post to them. they beckoned me at whole foods the other day, begging to be made into something beautiful. the salad itself is only four ingredients but is so yummy you’d think it was more complicated. and that, my friends, is just how i like it: fancy in appearance, simple in execution. and above all: delicious. recipe after the jump.  i hope you like it too!

the what:

1 small/medium head of savoy cabbage

4 tangerines

2 black radishes

1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

sea salt and cracked black pepper

the how:

- if possible, make the dressing in advance by combining the olive oil, vinegar and maple syrup and the juice of two tangerines.  add salt and pepper to taste. let sit until ready to serve the salad.

- slice cabbage in half and then slice halves into half moon pieces. transfer to medium serving bowl

- peel remaining 2 tangerines and add to sliced cabbage

- slice black radishes (very thinly if possible) and add to bowl

- mix in hazelnuts, dressing and season with salt and pepper to taste

- get fancy, serve it with your favorite sourdough or some homemade gazpacho! (which i should probably learn how to make because i’m seriously obsessed!)

strawberry rhubarb apple oatbake

this breakfast treat was born out of an impulse rhubarb buy and inspired from this recipe. oh me oh my, i wish you could have seen me strutting around the kitchen like a top chef when i tasted it. that’s totally obnoxious normal, right?!  it all stems from what a clustercuss i’ve always been in a kitchen and my newfound prowess.  just support me in this, if you will.

now, how do you feel about eating something healthy for breakfast that tastes like freaking dessert?! because that’s what we have here my friends, strawberry rhubarb apple oatbake. formerly known as healthy-breakfast-that-tastes-so-much-like-dessert-it-seems-i’ve-reached-the-pinacle-of-my-life.  it’s the kind of dish you can feed your in-laws and have them worshipping at your feet.  and best of all, it’s only 6 ingredients and pretty much foolproof.  i know, i know, you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop. but get this, THERE IS NO OTHER SHOE!   enjoy.

the what:

2 fuji apples, peeled and very thinkly sliced

3 cups of sliced strawberries

4 cups of rhubarb, chopped

2 cups of almond milk

2 1/2 cups of whole rolled oats

1/2-3/4 cup agave syrup 

the how:

- preheat oven to 350 degrees

- peel and thinly slice apples, slice strawberries, chop rhubarb into bite size pieces

- place apple in bottom of 9X13″ pan, cover with strawberries and then place the rhubarb on top

- drizzle with agave syrup {use more or less depending on how sweet you like your breakfast} and then add almond milk

- spread oats on top and bake until the apples are soft.  i wish i had a time to give you, but i forgot to set a timer!  i think it was a little over an hour. {i know, this is amateur hour)  it’s easy enough to check, just keep an eye on it to make sure the oats on top aren’t burning and you basically can’t go wrong.  

- serve warm, for breakfast. vegan coconut vanilla bean ice cream optional. yes, for breakfast. no shame!

*other yummy eats i’m dreaming of making here

ginger broccoli with forbidden rice

this is one of those easy peasy throw together meals that will satisfy you in a hot second. well, at least it will if you love ginger and broccoli like i do- pretty much like a fat kids loves cake (thanks for that one 50 cent)

recipe after the jump

the what:

6 cups chopped broccoli 

2 cups of forbidden rice, cooked

3 tablespoons chopped ginger

3 tablespoons mirin (available in the japanese section of your market)

3 tablespoons tamari

pinch of red pepper flakes, or more (optional)

1 tablespoon maple syrup

sesame seeds

the how:

cook two cups of forbidden rice (in my rice cooker i prefer 2 cups of rice to 2 1/4 cups of water)

chop broccoli into florets, set aside. i love the stems of broccoli too, if you haven’t tried eating those, chop them into chunks and include in your measurement. the bottoms of the stems can get tough and inedible, so make sure you’re taking note of the tenderness.

mix ginger, tamari, mirin, red pepper flakes and maple syrup.

in a large sauté pan, cook broccoli and 2/3 of ginger mixture on high heat.  if the broccoli starts to stick, add a little water or more of the ginger sauce.  

once broccoli has reached your texture preference, remove from heat.

serve in small bowls, with a couple spoonfuls each of rice and broccoli.  mix the broccoli and rice, add a little extra ginger sauce if you’d like and then sprinkle with sesame seeds and eat up! * i also added a little siracha to mine before eating, love that extra spice!