Rainbow Detox Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing

It’s Spring Season and high time for a fresh new salad!

We are loving this Colourful Salad in our household so far - it’s fresh, filling, and rich in punchy flavour!

As usual, I recommend doubling the dressing recipe, just to have an extra delicious sauce lying about for roasted/steamed veggies, sauteed kale/chard, or just incase you feel like bulking up this salad with quinoa, rice, or making it into a meal with some baked chicken or tofu.
And if you’d like to add a bit more protein to this salad, feel free to top it with some cooked chickpeas or lentils, quinoa, or baked chicken/tofu.

Rainbow Detox Salad

3 cups finely chopped kale leaves
2 cups loosely chopped baby spinach
2 cups finely chopped red cabbage
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
⅓ cup thinly sliced green onions
½ cup toasted sunflower seeds
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced (optional)
Carrot-Ginger Dressing
1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1 Tbsp honey or maple syrup
1 Tbsp white miso
½ tsp toasted sesame oil
¼ tsp salt
Fresh black pepper

• To make the salad, combine all ingredients, except avocado, in a large bowl. 

• For the dressing, combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

• To serve, toss the salad with enough dressing to coat and top with avocado. Note: this salad is best once it has marinated a little in the dressing - ie. for lunch, toss it with dressing in the morning.

As always, if you’ve enjoyed this salad, please leave a comment and let us know 😊

Creamy Turmeric Tahini Dressing

This dressing is an absolute stand-by in our house, I use it all the time.  We love it on a mixed green salad with chopped veggies, toasted almonds, and fresh sprouts, but you could use it on a quinoa or rice salad, in a veggie rice bowl, or straight up as a veggie dip. You may just want to double the recipe…it can disappear quickly. Enjoy!

Creamy Turmeric Tahini Dressing

3 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp tamari
1 clove garlic minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp fresh turmeric, minced or 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil
1-2 tsp maple syrup

• Place all ingredients in a blender and combine until smooth.

Simple. Delicious. Nourishing. Versatile.
Enjoy 😊

Creamy Vegan Coleslaw with Tangy Cashew Dressing

We often don’t give coleslaw enough credit. It shows up around bbq season as a potluck companion, weaving in and out of our spring and summer evenings without much fuss: neither a fan favourite, nor a neglected dish.
When asked about coleslaw, most just shrug with a bit of a “meh” approach.
Poor coleslaw.

Let me attempt to change your thoughts on coleslaw, my friend.

There’s a few ways to “do” coleslaw.

#1: Dump out a plastic bag of pre chopped cabbage and squeeze on top some kind of goopy dressing containing weird ingredients coming from a weird package .
#2: Buy a head of cabbage, shred it, add mayo + celery salt + lemon and call it coleslaw.
#3: Put a little thought and time into your coleslaw making: finely shred cabbage by hand, add a few other tasty vegetables, some fresh herbs, and create a delicious & health supportive dressing that serves both your body AND your taste buds 😋

In general, the more you put in to your food, the more you will get out of it.
And a little effort can really go a long long way!

What I love about this recipe is that it’s versatile, but also a bit more interesting than your average bag + dressing coleslaw 😉. I’ve tossed in some shredded kale and fresh herbs for green, added flavour, but also to increase the nutrient quotient of the dish. The dressing is practically a nutrient powerhouse all on its own, with fermented coconut milk, cashews, fresh lemon, apple cider vinegar, and garlic!

What’s in it for you?

• Cabbage: anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antioxidant, supports digestion, cardiovascular function & boosts immunity. High in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, folate, and Vitamin C.

• Kale: supports healthy skin & hair, improves digestion, reduces inflammation, lowers blood pressure, improves vision and is anticancer. High in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, Vitamin C, A, & K, and folate.

• Coconut Kefir: detoxifying, promotes healthy gut bacteria & improved digestion, reduces inflammation, supports liver & brain health, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-candida, and supports a strong immune system.

• Lemon: improves heart health, prevents kidney stones, reduces indigestion, detoxifying, promotes healthy teeth, hair, & skin. High in Vitamin C, calcium, & potassium.

Creamy Vegan Coleslaw with Tangy Cashew Dressing

Ingredients:
Serves 8 - 12
1 large head of green cabbage, shredded thin
1/2 large head of purple cabbage, shredded thin
1 bunch of lacinato kale, stemmed & chopped thin
3-4 large carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 bunch of parsley, chopped
1/2 bunch of dill or cilantro, chopped
1 bunch of green onions, diced
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
Dressing:
1/2 cup cashews, soaked overnight (see note)
1 cup coconut kefir or yogourt (preferably homemade - will post a recipe for this soon!)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp Dijon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh pepper
2 tsp maple syrup for a sweeter dressing (optional)

• Prep the salad by preparing all ingredients, except sunflower seeds, and tossing them in a very large bowl.

• For the dressing, combine all ingredients in your high speed blender and combine until smooth.

• Toss the salad with the dressing until evenly distributed and well coated. Allow to marinate for at least 2 hours before serving.

• Before serving, add in your toasted sunflower seeds and garnish with more fresh herbs if desired. Enjoy!
  
  
  

Yam & Quinoa Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing

I am a die hard salad lover, I’m not gonna hide it!
But even for us die hards, you really must continue to mix it up in the kitchen or the salad ho hum boredom, can’t stand that same bloody balsamic vinaigrette one more day, takes over. During the winter months, it’s a great move to mix in some seasonal root vegetables with your leafy greens to shake up the salad routine. By also adding a high protein & complex carbohydrate component in the quinoa, this salad is a well rounded meal that will last you quite a few days!

Why we love Yams 🧡

• Yams are a great source of vitamin C, fibre, potassium, manganese, and B vitamins

• Yams are a starchy vegetable, made up of carbohydrates and dietary fiber which helps stabilize blood sugar levels - beneficial for diabetes

• They are known to reduce cardiovascular disease due to their high B6 content

• High in antioxidants and beneficial to proper function of the immune system

• Rich in minerals: vitamin A, C, B, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin and folic acid, as well as calcium, copper, potassium, manganese, iron and phosphorus

• High vitamin A contained in the yam is converted into beta-carotene which helps to maintain healthy mucous membranes in the eyes, aiding night vision and age related vision loss, and also supports healthy bone development and provides protection from lung and mouth cancers

Why we love Quinoa 💛

• Quinoa is gluten-free, high in protein and one of the few plant foods that contain all nine essential amino acids

• It is high in fiber, magnesium, B vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E and various beneficial antioxidants

• Contains plant compounds called flavanoids known for their anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-cancer, anti-depressant qualities

• Is low on the Glycemic Index which makes it great for stabilizing blood sugar levels

Yam & Quinoa Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing

Ingredients:

1 medium sized Yam, cut into 1” cubes
1-2 Tbsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp salt
Fresh pepper
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
2-3 cups packed spinach leaves, chopped small
1/4 cup minced red onion
1 red pepper, diced small
1/3 cup toasted sesame seeds
2 Tbsp hemp hearts
1/3 cup fresh cilantro (optional)
For the Sesame Ginger Dressing:
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced or grated
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp tamari
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
Fresh pepper
Instructions:

• Toss cubed yams in melted coconut oil and season with salt & pepper. Roast @ 375F for 25 minutes or until cooked through but not mushy. Cool slightly.

• Cook quinoa by combining dry quinoa with water. Season with a little salt and 1 tsp of coconut oil, if desired. Cool slightly.

• For the dressing, combine all ingredients in a glass jar and shake or stir until well combined.

• In a medium salad bowl, combine all salad ingredients with a fork. Coat with roughly 1/4 - 1/3 cup of the dressing, adjusting seasonings and volume of dressing as you go. Note: start with a smaller amount of dressing and add a little more at a time so as to not have it be too soaked.

• Will keep up to 5 days in the fridge.
  

If you try this recipe, PLEASE let me know how it turned out & how much you loved it (and even if you didn’t 😉) AND if you’d like more recipes like this one, sign up for the Newsletter below!

My ongoing advice for this New Year of 2019: EAT MORE PLANTS!!