JAPANESE INSPIRED SALAD WITH BEETS, HARICOT VERTS AND HEIRLOOM TOMATOS WITH SWEET SESAME SEAWEED

 

 

 

 



It's interesting how, once you start eating healthy, especially raw, your body craves it.  I love that feeling.  Tonight I was craving something crisp and tangy.  I also wanted to use the Sweet Sesame Seaweed I picked up from Trader Joe's the other day.  So perfect, I thought,  let's do a Japanese inspired salad with a Ponzu sauce!

 

This is super simple and easy.  The only thing is that you will need a few key ingredients to make the ponzu sauce.  This recipe is for a single serving.

 

JAPANESE INSPIRED SALAD WITH BEETS, HARICOT VERTS AND HEIRLOOM TOMATOS WITH SWEET SESAME SEAWEED

 

For the salad

 

12 pieces of haricot verts, french cut

1/2 a beet, peeled and julienned

1/2 of a firm green heirloom tomato, julienned (you can also substitute this with daikon radish or jicama)

1/4 cut Sweet Sesame Seaweed from Trader Joe's (any kind of dried seaweed will work, cut into strips with scissors)

Sesame seeds

 

For the ponzu sauce

 

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, more to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, more to taste
1 tablespoon cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons good-quality soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 tablespoon mirin
Pinch cayenne

This is my quick version.  If you are interested in making a full batch check out this recipe on The New York Times Dining and Wine page recipe of the day.

Mix all the ponzu sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.

 

Put each salad ingredient into individual small bowls and pour in equal parts of the ponzu sauce into each bowl and marinade for a few minutes.  Plate each salad ingredient onto a plate in layers, drizzle on more ponzu sauce as desired, sprinkle on the sesame seeds  and seaweed and serve.  Super simple and easy.   

 

Enjoy!



ROASTED VEGETABLE + PEPITA SALAD WITH CRANBERRY QUINOA

Written by contributor Yumi Payne of Nastukashii.

Hello to all 'A Simply Raw Life' readers!  Thank you for stopping in.  I'm sure you've been enjoying all of the posts here as I have.  It's definitely sparked a lot of inspiration and motivation.

This salad has kind of a mouthful of a title, but I like getting an idea of what's in a dish by just knowing it's name.

Roasted vegetables are one of my favorite things to nibble on.   One of my go to side dishes is roasted carrots in olive oil & fennel seeds.  Super tasty.  Here, I added a few more things to go with...

Quinoa, nuts and seeds are always a tasty and filling addition to any salad.  All measurements are approximate.  Go with what balance you would prefer and have fun with it!

ROASTED VEGETABLE + PEPITA SALAD WITH CRANBERRY QUINOA

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 dozen carrots - sliced

1/2 red onion - sliced

1 red bell pepper - sliced

extra virgin olive oil

1-1/2 tbsp fennel seeds

salt & pepper to taste

2 medium sized zucchinis - sliced

a few dashes of chili powder

1/2 cup roasted salted pepita seeds

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

mixed greens

Preheat oven to 425F.  In large bowl, combine carrots, red onion, bell pepper.  Drizzle with enough olive oil to coat vegetables after they are tossed. Add fennel seeds, then sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste. On rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper,  spread out vegetables in even layer.   Roast in the oven for approximately 40-45 minutes or until edges have browned a bit.  

While veggies are roasting, cook quinoa per directions on bag or box.  Remove from pot.  Add a cranberries. Allow to cool.  Then, heat grill pan over medium-high heat with about a tbsp of olive oil.  Add sliced zucchini pieces in one layer.  Add salt & pepper and chili powder to taste.  Grill in pan until tender.  Remove from pan. Allow to cool.  

After vegetables are done roasting, allow to slightly cool.  In large serving bowl, add mixed salad greens, quinoa/cranberries, pepita seeds, zucchini, and roasted vegetables.  

Toss and enjoy with salad dressing of choice.

Thank you to A Simply Raw Life for having me over!

SUMMER PEACH SALAD WITH PEPITAS

Summer is rolling quickly past us here in Los Angeles.  I am a bit sad by it because the weather in Southern California is quite nice year round.  It's hot where we live in the summer, but we can drive 20 minutes to be near the beach and have fabulous weather.  I've been eating a lot of peaches for breakfast, raw or in smoothies this summer, but I thought what about in a salad?  I've seen a few recipes that use nectarines and so I thought, why not, let's try it! 

PEACH SALAD WITH PEPITAS

1 package arugula salad mix (spring mix or baby greens will works too)
1 organic cucumber (I made strips with my vegetable peeler to change it up)
1-2 organic roma tomatos, to your liking
1/4-1/2 chopped red onion to your liking (you can also use green onion)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
2 peaches, sliced
1/2 cup Pepitas, or more if you'd like

DRESSING:

Creamy Cucumber Avocado Dressing - find the recipe HERE

Mix all the salad ingredients in a big bowl, plate, drizzle on the dressing and serve.

This salad is so refreshing!
I hope to do one more peach recipe tomorrow to get ready for the long weekend.


Enjoy!


Photo: Taken by Felicia using iPhone 4, Summer Peach Salad, Creamy Avocado Cumumber Dressing, Plate from Ikea, paper from Michaels.

SUPERFOOD: VEGAN WARM BLACK RICE SALAD, GREEN & HEARTY

Last nights favorite ingredient:  Black Rice

My husband was craving something a little less raw last night.  He's been doing real well with eating what I eat these days whether it be raw, vegan or vegetarian.  Such a trooper!  So I thought, yea, I will make him something hearty and tasty.  I really, really love black rice.  I picked up a package at Whole Foods the other day so perfect, I thought.  This one is imported from Thailand. On the package it said:  "Originally the proprietary rice of emperors, black rice is a member of the "royal family" of food because of the minerals, antioxidants and natural-occurring amino acids contained in it."   When you cook this rice it is soooo aromatic and delicious smelling!

In an article I read on Huff Post, it was interesting to note that research was presented at the 240th national meeting of the American Cancer Society, brought out the Baltimore Sun.  The findings show that just a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries, but with less sugar and more fiber and vitamin E antioxidants," said Zhimin Xu, associate professor at the Department of Food Science at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, the paper reported. He said it is even better than brown rice, and considered a more healthful alternative to white rice. Black rice is also rich in iron and fiber and has a deep, nutty taste.

It's a rich source of anthocyanin antioxidants -- also found in red grapes, strawberries, red wine, red cabbage, red onion, and blood orange juice. Anthocyanin antioxidants have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, CBS News reported.

I guess we are on the right track then, right?

My husband was eating a bowl of this in the living room and shouted out to me that it was super delicious.  Yay!  Mission accomplished! 

Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

Black Rice, cooked per instructions. 

Haricot Vert, Chopped, Raw or Quick Blanched*

Sweet Potato, steamed and cubed (another superfood!)

Sweet Corn raw, cut from the cob

red onion chopped

Kale, chopped up small

DRESSING:

Olilve Oil

Salt

Pepper

If you are a vegetarian and want to throw in some cheese, some crumbled goat cheese would be really nice.

Cook the rice and let cool down a little andToss all the ingredients together in a large bowl while the rice is still a little warm, but not hot. Drizzle on lightly some olive oil and a few pinches of salt and pepper to taste, toss again and serve.  (This salad is also good with most of your favorite salad dressings.)

*For vegetables you don't like to eat raw, you can quick blanch them to cook them slightly and give them more greenness.  Put the Haricot Vert in a strainer, boil some water in a small pot.  Once the water is boiled pour it over the Haricot Vert, then it through some cold water and serve or use.

I really enjoyed this salad.  Black rice is definitely my favorite rice right now, hands down.  I know I will be eating this again.  

I hope you do too!

P.S. Oh I forgot to mention that I threw in some black lentils that I had left over...yum!