CARROT GINGER SALAD DRESSING

One of my favorite places to shop is our local Trader Joe's market.  I am there at LEAST every three day if not every other day!   They have unique items that you don't find at regular grocery stores and many gourmet / healthy items at very reasonable prices.  I was on the run last Friday day and went in and grabbed this Spinach Salad and fell in love with Carrot Ginger dressing they used.  

I found a wonderful recipe on Epicurious that I used to make this one and it is fabulous!  And the good news is that it is raw, for all you raw food enthusiasts.

Here's the recipe...

CARROT GINGER SALAD DRESSING

1/2 lb carrots (3 medium), coarsely chopped

1/4 cup chopped peeled fresh ginger

1/4 cup chopped shallots or the bottom half of green onion stalks

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil or olive oil

1/4 cup water

Pulse carrots in a food processor until finely ground (almost puréed). Add chopped ginger, chopped shallots, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt and pulse until ginger and shallots are minced. With the motor running, add oil in a slow stream.

Transfer mixture to a blender. Add 1/4 cup water and blend until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Thin dressing with additional water if desired. 

Cooks' note: Dressing keeps, covered and chilled, 1 week.

I hope you enjoy it as much as my friends and I did!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH POTATO SALAD

 

 

 

I don't know about you, but I grew up eating potato salad.  My mom, even though she is from Japan and only came here in her early twenties, perfected, in my opinion her potato salad recipe. It was the best!  She even created her own potato salad recipe using Kabocha (Japanese pumpkin), which my sister and I love!

 

I've been craving potato salad so I decided to make a butternut squash potato salad and added in a little green.  It was delicious!  I used my Raw Mayonaise recipe to bring it all together.   Here it goes, I got all the ingredients at Trader Joes too.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH POTATO SALAD

1/2 pound Butternut squash , steamed and cubed

1/2 pound Baby Potatoes - I used Dutch Yellow and left the skin on, steamed and cubed

1/2 organic broccoli crown, flash blanched

1/2 red onion chopped

1 avocado cubed

1 tablespoon dill

Raw Mayo to your liking but not too much, I used about 4 tablespoons

Sea Salt and black pepper to taste.

Give the avocado and lemon or lime bath to help with the blackening of the avocado.  Then, mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and serve.  This salad is best eaten fresh.  I hope you like it as much as I do.

Check out the health benefits of butternut squash from Whole Living:

NUTRITION BREAKDOWN

Per 1 cup cooked, approximately 205 grams

Calories: 82 kcal

Fat: 0.2 g

Vitamin A: 1,144 mcg = 163 percent* of DRI**

Vitamin B6: 0.3 mg = 20 percent of DRI

Vitamin C: 31 mg = 41 percent of DRI

Folate: 39 mcg = 10 percent of DRI

Potassium: 582 mg = 12 percent of DRI

* Percentages are for women 31 to 50 years old who are not pregnant

** DRI, Dietary Reference Intake, is based on National Academy of Sciences' Dietary Reference Intakes, 1997 to 2004

Enjoy.



CURRENTLY SNACKING ON... MEXICAN CHOCOLATE

Trader Joe's Stone Ground Salt & Pepper Dark Chocolate

This chocolate is extremely tasty as a hot cocoa...a bit strong alone...can't wait to try it on a dessert.

Magazine: Dwell 

Mug: Anthropologie