Greek Chop Salad

3 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 c. Leeks, sliced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
4 c. shredded Brussel Sprouts (you can use a food processor for this)

1 15oz. can Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. Green Beans, **blanched and chopped
1/4 c. Sun Dried Tomatoes (if in oil, reduce amount used with leeks)
1/3 c. Broccoli Sprouts
2 tbsp. Dried Cranberries
2 tbsp. chopped or sliced Almonds (I used raw, unsalted almonds)
1/4 c. Parsley, chopped
Juice of 1 Lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large skillet.  Saute'  leeks for 5 minutes until soft.  Add in garlic and cook another 30 seconds.  Toss in shredded brussel sprouts along with balsamic vinegar and cook, stirring occasionally for another 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Let cool.

While brussel sprouts are cooling, combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl.  Toss with brussel sprout mixture.

**To blanch green beans,  add them to a pot filled with boiling water and cook until tender, 4-5 minutes.  Remove from boiling water and immediately transfer to a separate bowl filled with ice water to cool (this stops the cooking process and allows the beans to retain their vibrant green color).  Drain and chop.

Mexicado Salad

2 Avocados, cubed
1/3 c. Cactus, diced
1/3 c. Roasted Corn (I used Trader Joe's frozen brand, defrosted)
1/2 c. Heirloom Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 Green Onions, chopped
1 Jalapeño, diced (if you want it spicier, add some of the jalapeño seeds)
1 clove Garlic, pressed
1/4 c. Cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1/2 Lime
Zest of 1 Lime
1 tsp. Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Eat as is or toss with some fresh, crunchy romaine leaves for a more "salady" salad.

Sweet Arugula Salad

Sounds like an oxymoron. Arugula? Sweet?  I thought arugula was supposed to be kinda bitter, mustardy tasting.... well not with the addition of these natural sweeteners!  The combination of sweetness with the arugula and fennel create the prefect balance of flavors that leave you wanting more.  I actually contemplated eating this for dessert haha, just kidding...almost.

6 oz. Arugula
1/4 Apple, cut into matchsticks
1/2 Fennel Bulb, mandolined
1 small Yellow Beet, shredded
1 handful Raisins, soaked
1 Red or Sweet Onion, mandolined and marintaed (recipe below)

To soak the raisins, simply place them in some water for about 10 minutes.  This allows them to become softer and juicier.  After the raisins have been soaked, remove them from the water and toss all of the ingredients together.  I like to dress my salads with a little extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice, but this salad doesn't need much.

MARINATED ONIONS
1 Red or Sweet Onion
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
1/2 tbsp. Agave Nectar

Mandoline the onion very thin (I used the 1.3 setting on mine).  Toss with soy sauce and agave.  Allow to marinate for 5 minutes.

*I didn't use all of the marinade to dress the salad.  I recommend a small spoonful or whatever wants to cling onto the onions.  Agave is naturally very sweet, so you can be the judge as to how sweet you'd like your salad.

Yet Another Kale Salad

Farmers' market kale obsession.... I promise I'll come up with something different.  I just cant resist raw kale with some sweet dried fruit and roasted seeds. 

4 c. chopped Black/Dino Kale, chopped

2 Golden Beets, shredded

2 Green Onions, thinly sliced

1/4 c. dried Cranberries

1/2 c. mixed Sprouts (mung, radish, broccoli, alfalfa, etc.)

2 tbsp. roasted Pumpkin/Sesame/Sunflower seeds (or a mix of)

Citrus Vinaigrette

I LOVE this mixed nut and seed snack for topping this salad. The seasoning and combination of nuts/seeds are perfect for this salad!  I usually get them at Whole Foods, but sometimes you can find them at your local grocery store :)

Kale Salad

4 c. Dino or Black Kale, chopped
1/4 c. Red Pepper, diced
1/4 c. Fennel, diced
2 tbsp. Red Onion, minced
1/4 c. Raisins or Cranberries
2 tbsp. Sunflower or Pumpkin Seeds

Juice of 1/2 a Lemon
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Red Wine Vinegar
2 tsp. Olive Oil

Place chopped kale in a large bowl.  Add in lemon juice and salt and massage kale until it starts to become soft, about 3 minutes.  Add in red pepper, red onion, fennel and raisins. Toss to combine.  Refrigerate for an hour to let marinate.

Just before serving, toss with red wine vinegar, olive oil and sunflower seeds.

Barley Salad

This salad tastes great on it's own or can be used for stuffing. It has a tangy, fresh taste that's perfect lunch. I used this recipe to stuff portobello mushrooms and it turned out delicious!

1/2 c. Barley
1/2 c. Vegetable Broth or water

2 tsp. Olive Oil
2 Shallots, minced
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 Zucchini, chopped
1/4 c. Artichokes in oil, chopped
1/4 c. Kalamata Olives, sliced
2 tbsp. Parsley, chopped
Season with salt and pepper

Bring a half cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in barley, cover and reduce heat. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool.

In a separate pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in shallots and cook 2 minutes. Add in garlic and cook another minute, stirring as to not let it burn. Add in zucchini and cook 3-5 minutes until it begins to soften. Lower heat and add in artichokes, olives, salt and pepper. Add in parsley at the last minute. When the barley has finished cooking and cooled, add it in with the vegetable mixture.

Makes 2 servings

Portobello Steaks

Portobello Mushrooms have a naturally meaty, earthy flavor, and are often substituted in the place of meat dishes and burgers.  They also easily absorb flavors which make them incredibly versatile and juicy!  Here, I decided to marinate and stuff them in an Italian style.  I must say, my favorite way to eat them is between two buns, but this is a nice change.

2 Large Portobello Mushrooms

1/4 c. White Wine

1 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

1 tbsp. Olive Oil

1 tbsp. Soy Sauce

1/2 tsp. Dried Basil

1/2 tsp. Thyme

1 tsp. Dijon Mustard, whole grain
2 cloves Garlic, minced

Clean mushrooms and remove the stems.  Place the mushrooms in a dish with gill sides up.  Combine all of the marinade ingredients and pour over the gills of the mushrooms and use hands to coat the bottoms.  Marinate for at least an hour.

From here, you can bake, broil, or grill the mushrooms.

I baked mine at 375 degrees for 10 minutes , gill side down, then flipped and stuffed them with the Barley Salad, and baked them another 5-10 minutes, depending on the size of the mushroom.

Spinach & Shaved Fennel Salad w/ Red Pepper Dressing

Roasting one little red pepper for this dressing sounds like a lot of work, but its really not.  Especially if you're preparing something else time consuming for dinner.  You could just do what you have to and forget about the pepper.  If that doesn't convince you, you can always buy them pre-roasted.  Just make sure to use a whole pepper, not one thats fallen apart, and rinse off the liquid its contained in.

6 oz. Spinach
1 small Fennel Bulb, shaved on the mandoline (or very thinly sliced)
1/4 c. Fresh Basil, torn
1 recipe for Red Pepper Dressing (below)

Toss spinach and basil with red pepper dressing and top with shaved fennel.


RED PEPPER DRESSING
1 Red  Bell Pepper, roasted
1/4 c. Silken Tofu
1 tsp. Lemon Juice
1 tsp. Olive Oil
1 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1 small clove Garlic
1/4-1/2 tsp. Salt
1/8-1/4 tsp. Pepper
1 tbsp. Basil, chopped

Pre-heat the oven to 375.  Remove the stem and seeds from the pepper.  Rub with olive oil and roast on a baking sheet lined with foil for 40-45 minutes, turning halfway through.  Transfer the pepper to a paper bag and close to let the heat from the pepper steam off the the skin for 15-20 minutes.  By this time, the skin should easily be peeled away from the meat of the pepper.

Combine all of the ingredients, aside from the basil, in a food processor and process until completely smooth. Then add in the basil and process another 20-30 seconds until it has been chopped smaller and integrated with the rest of the ingredients.

Edamame Salad w/ Avocado Wontons

EDAMAME SALAD
3/4 c. Bell Pepper (red or yellow), diced
3/4 c. Cucumber, diced
1 Carrot, shredded
2 c. Frozen Shelled Edamame
7 oz. Arugula

Cook edamame according to package directions and cool. Combine bell peppers, cucumber, carrot and edamame. Toss arugula with desired dressing (I used a miso dressing). Divide arugula among plates and top with edamame mixture. Serve with avocado wontons.

Serves 3-4

WONTONS
3/4 c. Cremini Mushrooms, chopped
2 Green Onions, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Ripe Avocado
2 tsp. Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Sirracha
1 tsp. Lemon Juice
1 tbsp. Cilantro, chopped
Wonton Wrappers
1 tbsp. Sesame Oil

In a small pan, heat a little bit of olive oil. Add mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes until beginning to soften and brown. Add onions and garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from heat.

In the meantime, mash the avocado in a bowl. Stir in soy sauce, sirracha, lemon juice, cilantro and mushroom mixture.

Lay out some wonton wrappers in a single layer. Fill each with a scant 1 tbsp of filling. Using your finger, rub the edges of the wonton with some water and top with another wrapper Press edges to seal two wrappers together. (You may also cut off the excess wrapper around the corners if you'd like, just make sure to seal the edges back up.)

Heat 1 tbsp of sesame oil in a pan. Add a few wontons and fry about 2 minutes until browned and crispy. Flip and fry another minute or two. Transfer cooked wontons to a rack or plate lined with paper towels to drain and cool. Repeat process with remaining wontons.

Saute'ed Southern Greens and Butternut Squash Salad

This is the first post in my new blog!  And look how colorful and delicious this side dish/salad is!  Its super easy to make and the spices allow you to alter it for any occasion.  Make it spicy, make is southern, make it for Thanksgiving (you better believe I did).  Oh, and I live by Trader Joe's.  Just grab a bag of their prepared southern greens blend (but you can use any combination of your own such as swiss chard, collard greens, mustard/turnip greens) cubed butternut squash (I cubed my own 'cos I already had it) and dried cranberries.  Enjoy!

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
10 oz mixed southern greens
4 c. butternut squash, cubed
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 c. veg. broth/water
1/2 c. dried cranberries

Pre-heat oven to 400.  Toss cubed butternut squash with 1 Tbsp. of olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, thyme, sage, coriander, salt and pepper.  Roast in a single layer on a baking sheet for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally, until browned and tender.

After squash is done, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute' 5 minutes until translucent.  Add garlic and saute' another minute.  Add greens and toss to coat with olive oil.  Saute' another minute.  Add broth or water, reduce heat to low and cover to steam for 4-5 minutes.  Remove lid and add cranberries and roasted butternut squash.  Cook until heated through, about 1-2 minutes more.  Season with salt and pepper if you wish, but remember to taste first!