Magenta Dream Salad

A delicious kale salad, plus an orange segmenting tutorial!

This is one of my all-time favourite salads (although I love all salads with fruit, avocado and nuts). It's sweet, slightly creamy, fresh, crunchy, contains jicama, and is an absolutely gorgeous shade of pink!

This also contains kale, which we should all know by know is a powerhouse of vegetable nutrition, and also tastes great in salads after a good massage.

This is my first dinner in my month-long raw food experiment, and it was delicious! I did have to eat about half of it before I was full, but I didn't mind one bit! I know tahini isn't raw (unless you specifically buy raw tahini), but I'm going to allow myself a few small cheats, as long as they're only condiments and I don't have them too often, or too much of them at once.

First of all, if you don't know how to segment an orange, here's how:

first, slice off the top an bottom

then cut off the rind with a knife, cutting in a bit of a curve to
get all the pith

your orange should know look like this

cut the orange out from between the membrane

 I usually like to cut the orange segments in half so more bites have orange in them, but this is optional.

Magenta Dream Salad

Ingredients

2 bunches kale, thinly sliced
1 fennel bulb, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 medium-smallish beets, grated
1/2 small jicama, cut however you want (I can never figure out the best way to cut jicama for salad, so just do whatever you think is best. I cut it into flat squares)

use about this much ginger, or more

3 oranges, 1 zested
1 tsp grated ginger
1 avocado, thinly sliced, slices cut into quarters, the riper it is the creamier the salad will be
2 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
pinch of salt
pepper, to taste
1 tsp honey, optional
2 Tbsp tahini
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (toast them if you're not eating raw)

Directions

1. Whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, tahnini, salt, pepper, honey (if using), ginger, and orange zest.

2. Put the kale in a bowl or on a large cutting board. Pour the dressing over it.

3. Cut the segments out of the oranges over the kale, so the juice falls on it. Once all the segments are cut, squeeze the remaining pulpy stuff so the juice falls on the kale, then discard.

4. Using your hands, squeeze the kale and mix it up with dressing; "massage" it.

5. Toss the kale with the fennel, beets, jicama, orange segments, and walnuts.

6. Eat it right away, or allow to marinate for stronger flavours and softer kale. Kale salads keep well without turning limp and soggy like lettuce salads.

7. Enjoy!

before tossing

after tossing

This post has been shared with Healthy Vegan Fridays.

Guacamole Zucchini Noodles

The main reason I bought a mandoline was to make zucchini noodles. And I have to say, they are amazing! They taste great, and they have that noodle-y feel, and they're healthy! What's not to love? Spiralizers and julienne peelers also work, but I wanted a multi-purpose tool. Too bad it's extremely dull and can't cut much. Oh well. I guess that's what I get for buying the cheapest mandoline available. Makes great zoodles, though.

I wanted to keep these raw for the health benefits. I also thought a creamy sauce would taste much better than a tomato-based one, and wouldn't be as watery. I've eaten spaghetti squash with tomato sauce, and trust me, it isn't good. So I just tossed the noodles with some leftover guacamole and served it with tomatoes and leftover pork for a delicious and super-quick dinner. The creaminess of the guacamole, the fresh, sweet, and acidic flavour of the tomatoes, and the rich, crispy, salty meatiness of the pork went wonderfully together to create this delicious dish!

If you want to make this dish raw and/or vegan, just leave out the pork, it'll still be good!

Zucchini Noodles with Guacamole

makes 1 serving

Ingredients

3 very small zucchini, cut into noodles

1/2 avocado

lime juice, to taste

salt, to taste

1 tomato, cut into thin wedges

cooked pork meat, preferably fatty and crispy, chopped and heated

Directions

1. Mash the avocado with a fork or puree in a food processor, for a creamier sauce.

2. Add lime juice and salt to taste. Mix it all together.

3. Toss the zucchini noodles with the guacamole.

4. Garnish with the tomato and top with the pork.

5. Enjoy!

Spinach, "Rice", and Egg Soup

This is a very simple, yummy soup. The inspiration comes from a recipe in the De Luca's cookbook. Enjoy!

Spinach, "Rice", and Egg Soup

Ingredients

9 cups stock (chicken is best)

1 cauliflower, riced (chopped in a food processor until it's the texture of rice)

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 cups spinach, coarsely chopped

4 eggs

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

fresh grated nutmeg, to taste

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Bring the stock to a boil in a large soup pot.

2. Add the cauliflower and simmer until tender.

3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and cook the spinach until wilted. Set aside to cool.

4. Whisk the eggs with the nutritional yeast, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

5. Mix in the spinach.

6. Stir the egg mixture into the stock. Let the soup heat up for a few minutes.

7. Taste and adjust seasonings. 

8. Serve with a sprinkle of extra nutritional yeast, if desired.

Thai Peanut Slaw

I find most coleslaw pretty disgusting. It's just gloopy, way too sugary, and is made basically with equal parts cabbage and mayonnaise. And sugar. If you're lucky, there might be some carrots thrown in. This can be described in one word: ick. I also don't really care for the coleslaws made with an oil and vinegar dressing. I like my raw cabbage creamy. But not with mayo made from genetically modified rancid yellow seed oils. So there's a bit of a dilemma. Luckily, like all problems consisting of a yearning for creaminess and a refusal to achieve said creaminess with GMOs, this can be solved with coconut milk. I love coconut milk.

Best brand, thick and creamy
and only contains coconut milk

Like bacon, caramelized onions, and peanut butter, coconut milk makes everything better. :D And this recipe includes coconut milk, peanut butter, and onions! (well, the onions are fried, not caramelized, but close enough.) Sadly, no bacon. :( It probably wouldn't work with the other flavours. The other flavours, by the way, are Thai. Yes, I love Thai flavoured things. I wonder if it has something to do with my love of coconut milk and peanut butter? Especially since Thai food is one of the few ways of incorporating both those foods into vegetables, so it's healthier and it keeps you from eating an entire jar of peanut butter in one sitting. Anyway, this was delicious if I do say so myself. But really, how can you go wrong  with coconut milk and peanut butter? (By not adding enough, that's how!) :D So enjoy your coleslaw, because it can be much more interesting and delicious and healthy than cabbage and mayo.

One final note: while writing this, I suddenly thought, sprinkling of shredded coconut. And tamarind in the sauce. Why do I never get these ideas while I'm cooking? It was terrific without these additions, but it would be nice to add them. A fancy drizzle of tamarind puree would be really pretty.

Thai Peanut Slaw

Ingredients

1/2 head cabbage
2 carrots, grated
1 red bell pepper, very thinly sliced
1 onion, very thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, halved lengthwise and very thinly sliced
2-inch knob of ginger, half of it grated, half of it cut into very thin matchsticks
1-2 Tbsp coconut oil (enough to fry the onions, garlic and ginger)
salt
1 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup peanut butter
juice of 1 lime
2 tsp tamari or nama shoyu
red pepper flakes, to taste
1/2 english cucumber, very thinly sliced
cilantro sprig, tamarind puree, and/or shredded coconut to garnish

Directions

1. Lay the cucumbers in a ring around the edge of your serving dish (this is optional, it adds to the presentation. You could also just cut the cucumber into very thin noodle-type threads and add them in with the other vegetables).

2. Combine the cabbage, carrots, and peppers.

3. Heat the coconut oil over high heat.

4. Add the onions, garlic, and ginger matchsticks. Fry until crispy, stirring frequently. Remove to paper towels to drain and sprinkle with salt.

5. Whisk together the coconut milk, peanut butter, lime, tamari, red pepper flakes, and the grated ginger. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. 

6. Toss together the sauce, the vegetables, and the fried onion mixture.

7. Place in the serving bowl with the cucumbers, sprinkle with shredded coconut, drizzle with tamari puree, and garnish with cilantro, if using.

The Best Breakfast Ever!

So I recently had a really delicious breakfast, and even though it's so simple it doesn't really count as a recipe, it was so delicious that I thought I'd have to post it!

 So I took 2 slices of extremely delicious pastured bacon (from Harbourside Farms) and stuck them in a dry frying pan on medium-low heat. I let them cook until they were crispy-chewy, then I set them aside, turned the heat to medium-high and added about 1/2 box of brown button mushrooms, sliced, into the remaining bacon fat. I fried them until they were almost fully cooked, then I added some fresh thyme, some salt, and some pepper. I then turned the heat to low and removed the mushrooms.

At this point, if the pan is dry again, add some coconut oil, butter, etc. I then fried a beautiful pastured egg, sprinkled it with salt and pepper, and served it with the bacon, mushrooms, some avocado and some tomato wedges. Cherry tomatoes would just be outstanding!

So I guess it's basically bacon and eggs, but it was sooo delicious! Maybe it's just because it's been so long since I've eaten bacon and eggs? Well, it's still delicious, fast, and easy, so if you have a little extra time or want a breakfast that's a little extra special, make this!

Moroccan Veggie Burger

My first attempt with spinach and fresh tomato. Not bad, but
I much preferred the toppings included in the recipe.

While this recipe was delicious, I just keep imagining how amazing it would be to have some slices of juicy, tender lamb in addition to the veggie burger... Oh my goodness, that would be amazing. If you have lamb, add that. Luckily, it's still great without the lamb. I mean, there are roasted vegetables, dried apricots, peanut butter, spices, and caramelized onions. Come on. If there are caramelized onions, you know it has to be good.

The head chef at the cafe where I volunteer (and have lots of fun experimenting with whacky brownie flavours, including almond apricot with a tahini-lemon-honey swirl) would say that this burger has too much going on. Maybe she's right. But I don't really care. I just know that it tastes good, and that's all that really matters. On second thought, maybe the lamb would be a bit over the top. Maybe just stick with this.

One last note: these are huge, as in piled-high huge. You may need to use a fork and knife to fit it into your mouth. You could also leave the bun off, since you're probably not going to need it to pick up the burger anyway, and I don't think it really added much. I actually preferred mine without it.

Moroccan Veggie Burger

A complicated but delicious recipe

Burger

1 large sweet potato, cooked and mashed (about 2 cups)
2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 cups cooked black eyed peas
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup raw cauliflower rice (cauliflower pulsed in a food processor until it's the texture of rice)
1/4 dock flour (or other flour of choice, it can be any kind)
2 Tbsp ras el hanout (or more, if you like things with really bold flavours, I usually end up adding more)
salt, to taste

Sauce

1 cup canned tomatoes
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp ras el hanout
chicken stock, to thin (although, if you happen to have any lamb stock lying around, that would be amazing)

Toppings

1 eggplant, sliced into rounds
3 bell peppers, thickly sliced (or just quartered)
olive oil
salt and pepper

3 onions, sliced (you can use less, I just like to smother everything I eat with caramelized onions, so I like having leftovers. Just decrease the amount of apricots accordingly)
3/4 cup dried turkish apricots, chopped
oil or fat, to fry the onions
salt, to taste

optional: sprouts, cooked kale (kale would be amazing)

Bun

cauliflower bun (optional)

I suggest having the buns made in advance if you're using them. In fact, it would be much easier if you made most of the components in advance, since there are a lot of them. The burgers, caramelized onions and sauce can all be made in advance.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400*F.

2. Coat the eggplant and peppers with olive oil, salt and pepper.

3. Put the eggplant in the oven. It will take about 1-1 1/2 hours to roast. Flip somewhere around halfway.

4. Meanwhile, make the burger, just mash everything up and combine. If you want it really smooth, put everything in a food processor, but I think it's better left a bit chunky. Taste a bit, and add more salt or spices if necessary. If it's not thick enough, add more flour.

5. You can either fry the burgers or bake them, which I find is both easier and they stay together better. Just put them on a baking sheet in circular burger shapes and pop them in the oven on a different oven rack from the eggplant. Bake until they start to brown, for me that's about an hour, but my oven takes long, so just check on them. Add the peppers to the eggplant now.

6. Heat the oil over medium-low heat.

7. Add the onions (for the topping) and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1/2 hour or until caramelized.

8. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Saute the onions and garlic in a bit of oil in a pot until browned.

9. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and simmer while everything else is cooking.

10. When the onions are almost done, sprinkle with just a little salt and add the apricots. Stir together and add water or stock if it gets dry (and it probably will). Cook for another 5 minutes or so.

11. If you're using the buns and made them in advance, pop them in the toaster or a toaster oven to heat them up.

12. Assemble the burger. Put down a layer of sprouts on the bun, if using (if you're not using the bun, just put them on top of the burger), add the caramelized onions, place a burger on top, drizzle with sauce, add the roasted eggplant and peppers, and finally top with another bun (if using).

13. Attempt to eat with hands, then give up and just enjoy with a fork and knife. 

14. Take a nap, that was very filling and took a lot of work!

If this looks like too much for you, just make the burger and
bun a smaller size.

Middle Eastern Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce wraps are delicious and middle eastern food is delicious, so the combination is natural. I love things like falafel, lamb kabob, and chicken shawarma, but since those usually come with refined wheat pita bread and meat of unknown origins, I don't really enjoy them very often (although I could eat falafel more often, it's just that with my mini food processor it's too much work, and deep frying them tastes best but that requires lots of expensive fat and I'm too lazy.)

Chicken shawarma from the best Lebanese place in the city, Baraka Pita Bakery.
So good, but the chicken was almost certainly fed GMOs and the pita is made from wheat. :'(

Anyway, if you're lazy like me and don't want to spend lots of money on pastured meat and paleo almond meal wraps, you can still make use of the fresh goodeness of middle eastern food. Just make lettuce wraps! Admittedly, they won't be as good as the beef donair or lamb kabob from Baraka, but they still taste good, and they're healthier, cheaper, and easier to finish. So get some fresh veggies and enjoy some delicious lettuce wraps!

Middle Eastern Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce wraps are a very imprecise, so just stuff as much stuff in the lettuce as you want, the amounts don't really matter.

Ingredients

10 large leaves romaine lettuce
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 or 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges or slices, or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 english cucumber, thinly sliced lengthwise and cut in half crosswise
20 kalamata olives, cut in chunks
about 20 lactofermented rutabaga strips

tahini sauce

1/4 cup tahini

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 clove garlic, minced

salt, to taste

cayenne, to taste

2 Tbsp olive oil

water, to thin

2 tsp za'atar

optional: hummus, chickpeas, lamb, or chicken can be added to make the wraps more filling, and green onions, parsley and lebanese pickles would also be good additions, and if you don't want to use lactofermented rutabaga, you could just use pickled turnips, which are more traditional (see, this recipe is flexible!)

Directions

1. To make the tahini sauce, just whisk everything together or combine in a food processor or blender. Add enough water to achieve your desired consistency. If you're whisking, the tahini may clump a bit, just add more water or stir it for a little longer.

2. Distribute the vegetables (and olives and optional additions) evenly in each of the lettuce leaves. Place them in the bottom half, where the stem is stiffer.

3. Drizzle with the sauce.

4. Fold the top half over and fold the sides under.

5. Serve, with more tahini sauce if desired.

Wonderful Pork Hocks

I love pork hocks. The first time I bought some, I only bought them because they were one of the cheapest cuts of meat available. Since then, I've learned how wonderful these neglected little bits of meat are.They have many uses, and the meat is rich and fatty and full of porky goodness. Honestly, is there any better meat than pork? Especially if they're heritage Mule Foot and Berkshire Pigs, which have really flavourful, rich, and fatty meat.

Pork hocks are kind of like pig ankles, they're the cut right above the feet (which are also really great). The stuff I get includes meat, bone, skin, and fat. This is great, because I can use them for so many things!

The skin

Soup is the best thing to make with pork hocks, and I'm going to share a recipe for a soup/stew with pork hocks. Soup is best because not only do you get an amazingly delicious pot of soup, but you also get skin for cracklings, fat for cooking with, and if you don't use the meat in the soup, you can use it for other things. Maybe carnitas, cooked in the fat? Mmmm, that would be yummy. But I'm using the meat in the soup... hmm... Nope, I'll stick with the soup. It tastes just as great and it'll last longer.

To make the soup, first I cooked the hocks overnight in the slow cooker on low with some water and apple cider vinegar after letting it sit in the vinegar water for a few hours (pork needs to be marinated in an acidic medium). In the morning, I separated the meat, bones, skin, and fat. The meat gets chopped up and is later tossed into the soup, the bones remain in the soup, the fat can later be rendered and used for cooking, and the skin can be fried for cracklings. Mmmm, those cracklings were just stinkin' DELICIOUS! Crispy, fatty, salty, chewy, yummy, porky goodness. I don't even know how to "properly" make cracklings. I just sprinkled the softened skin with salt and pepper, cut it into chunks, and stuck it in a frying pan. You don't even need any oil because the fat that sticks to the skin is more than enough. Yeah, as delicious as the meat is, I think the skin is definitely the best part. Bonus: the skin spent some hours in the broth, giving it enough time to infuse the soup with lots of that wonderful, healing substance known as gelatin.

Mmmmm... cracklings

Black-Eyed Pea and Pork Hock Soup/Stew

Just a warning, this does take a long time (as in, make it the day before you want it), but most of that time is just waiting. Also, this makes a lot, so you'll have leftovers for later in the week or to freeze. And this is definitely worth the wait!

Ingredients

2 large pork hocks

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 huge onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

4 carrots, chopped

optional: 2 bell peppers, chopped

2 medium sweet potatoes

1 tsp each: thyme, oregano, rosemary, smoked paprika

2 bay leaves

8 cups soaked black-eyed peas (more or less, depending on whether you want a soup or stew)

28 oz can of whole tomatoes, chopped, or can of chopped tomatoes

2 bunches kale, thinly sliced or chopped (if you can get collard greens, definitely use them! Superstore has a very limited greens section, so I chose kale) cabbage could be nice, if you want to try something different

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. The day before you want some soup/stew, put the pork hocks in a slow cooker with the apple cider vinegar and cover with water. Refrigerate for a few hours, it doesn't really make a huge difference how many; do this either in the morning or afternoon.

2. Turn the slow cooker on to low and let the hocks cook overnight.

3. Separate the skin form the fat, the fat from the meat, and the meat from the bones. Throw the bones back into the broth. Chop the meat into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Keep the fat, render it, and use it for other dishes. Fry the skin with salt and pepper to make cracklings (have it with your breakfast instead of bacon!)

4. Add the black-eyed peas, onion, garlic, celery, carrots, sweet potatoes, spices, bay leaves, tomatoes, and optional bell peppers to the broth with the bones. Cook on low. (You don't really need the amount of time, do you? I just say it's finished when I want dinner. Or, just cook until everything's tender. Most things take about 8 hours on low.) You can add some water if you want it soupier.

5. About 30 minutes before the soup/stew is done, add the kale and meat and cook until the kale's wilted.

6. Add salt and pepper, then taste to adjust for seasonings.

7. Serve with some paleo cornbread muffins, and enjoy!

Garden Vegetable Nori Rolls

Nori rolls are great for lunches, snacks, or side dishes! You get all your veggies conveniently wrapped up in a sheet of seaweed, which itself is very healthy. They're also super easy to make, no special sushi equipment required!

Garden Vegetable Nori Rolls

Ingredients

1/2 bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 carrot, shredded

3 inch piece of cucumber, julienne

1 avocado, thinly sliced

3 romaine leaves or the equivalent in other lettuce, thinly sliced (or if you're using baby greens, just leave them whole)

1 tomato, thinly sliced

4 nori sheets

optional: anything from your garden! spinach, zucchini, snap peas, even sprouts!

Directions

1. Have a nori sheet in front of you, shiny side down, with the lines running horizontally.

2. Place 1/4 of the sliced avocado near the bottom of one of the nori sheets. (you could also mash the avocado and spread it on. Leftover guacamole works great for this!)

3. Pile on 1/4 of each of the remaining toppings.

4. Starting at the bottom, roll everything in the nori tightly to create a firm roll. Dab a little water on the last centimeter from the end to help the nori stick.

5. Repeat for the other 3 rolls.

6. Starting with the first roll you made, slice crosswise with a very sharp knife. (I don't have a sharp enough chef's knife, so I usually use a sharp serrated knife.)

 

Avocado Sauerkraut Nori Rolls

This is one of my favourite nori rolls! Avocado and sauerkraut taste great together, and it's an easy way to consume more lactofermented foods. If you have some on hand, try adding some cucumber matchsticks, it's delicious!

Avocado Sauerkraut Nori Rolls

Ingredients

1/2 avocado, thinly sliced

1/4 cup sauerkraut

2 cups of mixed lettuce, or more (however much you can pack into the roll!)

2 nori sheets
optional: some cucumber, cut into matchsticks

Directions

1. Have a nori sheet in front of you, shiny side down, with the lines running horizontally.

2. Place 1/2 of the sliced avocado near the bottom of one of the nori sheets. (you could also mash the avocado and spread it on. Leftover guacamole works great for this!)

3. Pile on 1/2 of the sauerkraut and greens, and cucumber if using.

4. Starting at the bottom, roll everything in the nori tightly to create a firm roll. Dab a little water on the last centimeter from the end to help the nori stick.

5. Repeat for the other roll.

6. Starting with the first roll you made, slice crosswise with a very sharp knife. (I don't have a sharp enough chef's knife, so I usually use a sharp serrated knife.)

If it's really difficult to cut, wait a few minutes for the
avocado to soften the nori

Super easy and delicious! 

Spring Salad

A yummy, crunchy, fresh salad filled with springtime vegetables! Now, if only the weather would cooperate and realize that it really is spring! Anyway, even if the sunshine's running a bit late, this is a very enjoyable and filling salad that will make you dream of melting snow. Maybe it can even distract you long enough for spring to come. If only.

I find that the ripe avocado and lemon juice makes enough of a dressing to coat the vegetables and leave the salad with a light, mild, fresh taste, but if you like you can add some pepper and a drizzle of olive oil if you want it to be less light and mild. Just do so sparingly.

Black-Eyed Pea Chopped Spring Salad

Ingredients

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1/3 cup cooked black eyed peas

1/2 avocado, cut into a dice

1 large radish, chopped

1/2 cup or more sugar snap peas, coarsely chopped

2 inch chunk of cucumber, chopped

1 romaine heart, thinly sliced or chopped

1/4 large fennel bulb (or 1/2 a small one), chopped

fronds from the fennel bulb, chopped

1 green onion, thinly sliced

juice of 1/2 a small lemon

optional: other fresh herbs

Directions

1. Toss everything together.

2. If the black eyed peas you used weren't salted, add a bit of salt to the lemon juice before tossing with the rest of the salad.

Fennel-Tomato Ceviche Salad

Most raw foodists are vegan. If you buy industrialized meat, I can understand that. Personally, I think that if you get meat from a good source, it's fine to eat raw. Well, unless it's pork or poultry. If you're not vegan, things like ceviche and steak tartar are a great way to enjoy the benefits of raw foods. Raw meat is actually really good for you. This is a delicious way of consuming healthy raw fish! If you are vegan, or a raw vegan, you could probably just substitute some sliced mushrooms for the fish. This can be a light lunch or an appetizer.

Fennel-Tomato Ceviche Salad

Ingredients

1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1 tomato, cut into 16 wedges

1/2 radish, very thinly sliced

1 cup fresh raw fish, thinly sliced (I used salmon)

1 ancovy, minced

1/2 tsp green peppercorns, minced

1 tsp capers, minced

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/8 cup olives, chopped (I used kalamata)

pinch of salt

fennel fronds, chopped

balsamic vinegar 

olive oil

Directions

1. Combine the fish, anchovy, peppercorns, capers, lemon, scallion, garlic, olives, and salt in a bowl. Marinate in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

2. Arrange the fennel, tomato and radish on plates. It looks really pretty if you alternate the slices in a pinwheel formation.

3. Top the vegetables with the marinated fish.

4. Drizzle with a bit of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. 

5. Top with fennel fronds. Enjoy!

Lactofermented Rutabaga

Have you ever heard of lactofermenting? It's kind of like pickling, but instead of cooking the canned stuff, you just let it sit so that good bacteria grows and keeps bad bacteria from forming. Lactofermented food is probably the easiest, tastiest, and cheapest way of consuming probiotics. If you do it right, it can also be the healthiest! For more information on lactofermenting and why it's so good, read this. (There are also lots of great recipes for lacto-ferments on that site.)

Lactofermented foods should be part of your daily diet. My favourite vegetable ferments are sauerkraut, ginger carrot, lacto-fermented beets, and lacto-fermented rutabaga. Kombucha, kefir, fermented condiments, sourdough and yogurt are also good sources of healthy bacteria. I constantly have kombucha brewing, and it's one of the most delicious fermented food there is (well, it's actually a drink, but you get my point).

The recipe that I'm going to share today is for lactofermented rutabaga (you can also use turnips, they're pretty much the same, rutabagas are just cheaper here). I like them best when fermented with some brine from fermented beets (you could also use beet juice, or just add a few chunks of beets), because then they turn the most gorgeous shade of bright pink!

Lactofermented rutabaga can be used in salads and lettuce rolls (great with avocado), in falafel wraps, wrapped in other ways (especially good with tahini sauce), or as a garnish. These make seriously beautiful garnishes.

Lactofermented Pink Rutabaga

Ingredients

1 large rutabaga or 2 turnips, cut into matchsticks

1/2 to 1 cup leftover brine from fermented beets or beet juice, optional (you can also just throw a few chunks of beets in with the rutabaga)

water, to cover (preferably filtered)
1 Tbsp salt, or 2 Tbsp if not using leftover brine

Directions

1. Pour the brine and salt into a large jar, or two medium jars (whatever can hold all the rutabaga), stir until the salt is dissolved.

2. Put the rutabaga in in the jars/jars.

3. Add water to cover, leaving at least 1 inch of air at the top of the jar.

4. Close the lid, then leave the jars to ferment for about 3 days.

5. Refrigerate after they have finished fermenting.

These are extremely versatile! Use then in salads, as a garnish, in nori wraps, or other wraps! They taste especially good with middle eastern/lebanese foods, like falafel.

Here are some recipes that include lactofermented rutabaga:

roasted vegetables on raw rice (as a garnish)
warm salad (as a garnish)

rainbow kale salad

This post was shared at: Fight Back Friday April 19th

Turkey Vegetable Soup

This works with chicken too, just use two carcasses instead of one, or halve all the other ingredient amounts. Yummy turkey soup is a great way to warm up, get healthy if you're sick, stay healthy if you're not, or just to enjoy! It's also really quick to make if you have the stock and meat on hand.

Turkey Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

1 meaty turkey carcass, made into stock, meat reserved and chopped (include 1 bay leaf and a large chunk of ginger in the stock, remove the meat as soon as it's cooked then add the bones back to the pot to keep simmering)

2 stalks of celery, sliced

2 medium onions, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

2 bell peppers, chopped (yellow, orange ore red is best, and a combination looks really pretty)

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 bunches of kale, thinly sliced

1 tsp each of thyme, sage, basil, oregano (dried, or triple quantities if fresh)

2 tsp dried rosemary (or 2 Tbsp fresh)

optional: 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp turmeric (for a slight curry flavour)

salt and pepper, to taste

2 Tbsp oil

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot.

2. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until lightly browned. 

3. Add the celery and carrots and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Add the bell pepper, cook for another 2-3 minutes.

5. Add the garlic and all other seasonings. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

6. Pour in the turkey stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the vegetables are just tender.

7. Add the kale and turkey meat. Cook until the kale is wilted and all vegetables are tender. Taste to adjust for seasonings.

Rainbow Kale Salad

Not only is this salad yummy and amazingly healthy, but it's beautiful too! We all know that we're supposed to "eat the rainbow", and now you can eat the whole rainbow in one salad! This salad is fresh and vibrant and full of lots of healthy things.

Rainbow Kale Salad

Ingredients

1 bunch kale, thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced, slices cut in half (or use a mix of yellow and red pepper for even more colour!)

1 carrot, shredded

1 cup sugar snap peas, chopped

1/2 cup or more lactofermented rutabaga

1 avocado, thinly sliced, slices cut into quarters crosswise

2 Tbsp sunflower seeds, sprouted or soaked about 8 hours

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp lime juice (or half a lime)

salt and pepper

optional: cherry tomatoes, fresh herbs, radishes

Directions

1. Pour the olive oil and lime juice on the kale. Add a pinch of salt and a few gratings of freshly ground pepper. Message the dressing into the kale.

2. Combine the kale with the rest of the ingredients. This salad is best if you leave it to sit for a while, so the kale has a chance to soften.

This is a great salad to take for lunch because you can put
the dressing on ahead of time and the greens won't wilt!

Ginger-Lemon Salmon Veggie Salad

This is a delicious, fresh tasting salad. It can be made all raw if you use raw (sushi-grade) salmon, or leave it out altogether. It's crunchy, yummy and healthy!

This was originally meant to be a seaweed salad, since I'm trying to get more seaweed into my diet, but I kept adding so many other ingredients that the seaweed went from being the star of the dish to just another vegetable in the salad. Personally, I think it's much better this way, because you're still consuming super healthy seaweed, but the taste (which many find disagreeable) is mostly covered up. Feel free to add more seaweed if you actually like the taste, and be grateful that you do. Not all of us are so lucky.

Seaweed Salmon and Vegetable Salad

Ingredients

213g can of wild salmon

1/2 up to 2 cups seaweed, any kind, soaked (soaking time will vary with seaweed variety)

1/2 cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks

1 bell pepper, yellow or red or a combination, sliced very thinly

1 carrot, cut into strips with a vegetable peeler (or cut into very fine julienne)

1 avocado, half of it cut into small chunks, other half reserved

3-5 leaves romaine, very thinly sliced

1-inch knob of ginger

juice of 1/2 lemon

salt and pepper, to taste

pinch of red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Drain the seaweed, flake the salmon with a fork. Combine salmon, seaweed, cucumber, bell pepper, carrot, the cut half of the avocado, and the romaine in a large bowl.

2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.

3. Pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Enjoy!

Optional: top with toasted sesame or sunflower seeds

Roasted Vegetables on Raw "Rice"

I'm not really into completely raw meals, but I do see the benefits of eating raw foods. So I compromise. This dish is one of those compromises, and I think it actually tastes better since it's half raw! The light freshness of the "rice" is a great contrast to the warm and heavy roasted vegetables. The roasted vegetables complement the rice in every way; taste, texture, weight, flavour, and colour! The rice is has fresh, springtime flavours and the roasted vegetables are salty and savory, warm and filling!

This seriously might be one of the best things I've ever made. Plus it's super healthy! What more could you want?

Roasted Vegetables on Raw "Rice"

Ingredients

2 parsnips, coarsely chopped

4 large radishes, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup (packed) fennel fronds

2 Tbsp (packed, or more, to taste) parsley

2 green onions, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup tahini

juice of 1/2 a lemon

tiny pinch of salt

2 eggplant, sliced into rounds

1 bunch asparagus, woody ends removed

1/2 to 1 pound new potatoes (I used purple ones, but any colour will work)
3 bell peppers, cut into sixths, optional
olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
lactofermented rutabaga, optional, to garnish

Directions

1. Turn oven to 425*F.

2. If you want, you can salt your eggplant by sprinkling salt on the slices and letting them sit for about 30 minutes, then draining them. This is supposed to draw the bitterness out, I don't really find that it makes a difference, so this step is optional. 

3. Coat the eggplant, potatoes, optional red pepper and asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper. Coat vegetables separately, except for the pepper and potatoes, which can be combined. Eggplant is very absorbent  it will require a lot of olive oil. 

4. Place the eggplant on a wire cooling rack and place the cooling rack on a baking tray. Place this in the oven. Roast for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the eggplant is starting to brown, flipping once halfway through.

It's best to have only one layer of eggplant,
but I only have one cookie sheet

5. The potatoes and peppers only need to be roasted for an hour, the asparagus only need about 15 minutes. 

6. Meanwhile, put the parsnips, radishes, fennel, parsley, and green onions in a food processor. Process until the vegetables are just slightly larger than grains of rice.

7. Whisk together the tahini, lemon juice and pinch of salt in a small bowl. Add to the parsnip mixture. Pulse just until everything is combined.

8. Plate the rice and top with the roasted vegetables. Garnish with the lactofermented rutabaga, if desired.

Beautiful as well as delicious!

Half-Raw Veggie Ribbons

I try to consume lots of raw foods because they're super good for you, but I don't really like eating raw food for dinner. Sure, I can munch my way through entire jicamas, handful after handful of sugar snap peas and cherry tomatoes, multiple carrots and peppers; I love raw fruit and salads (both kale and lettuce) are delicious (plus raw nuts are delicious, but I need to stop eating so many of those), but I don't really like making an entire meal out of raw foods. They're just not filling or substantial (although it might help if I had a dehydrator. Maybe I should ask for one for my birthday. Are you reading this mom?). So I came up with a compromise. This is about half raw, but you can play with the proportions a bit, adding more raw vegetables or using a larger spaghetti squash. You could also make this entirely raw by substituting raw zucchini or other veggie noodles for the spaghetti squash and using homemade coconut milk. Whatever you do, this is sure to be a delicious meal! It's creamy, fresh, healthy, filling, and you can slurp it up like real pasta (although it really doesn't taste anything like pasta. It's still delicious though)!

Creamy Thai Vegetable Ribbons

Ingredients

1 spaghetti squash, halved, seeds removed
1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
salt and pepper
1 small or 1/2 large bunch kale, very thinly sliced
1 small or 1/2 large red pepper, very thinly sliced
1 carrot, cut into ribbons with a vegetable peeler

Sauce

1/2 can coconut milk
1/2 avocado
1-inch knob fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
red pepper flakes, to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin
pinch of coriander
salt, to taste
juice of 1/2 lime

Directions

1. Turn your oven on to 375*F. Brush the insides of the squash with coconut oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Roast cut-side down for about 45 minutes, or until squash is just tender (but much less tender than other squashes are when deemed ready).

2. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Put everything in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

3. Using a fork, separate the strands of the spaghetti squash. Put the squash in a bowl and allow it to cool.

4. At this point, I like to add all the kale so the residual heat from the squash softens it. I don't know if this makes the kale lose all it's raw properties, so if you don't want to do this, message some of the sauce into the kale to soften it a bit.

5. When the squash is cooled, add the rest of the vegetables and the sauce and toss to combine.

6. Serve, topped with something crunchy like nuts or seeds (optional). Enjoy!

I topped my bowl with chopped walnuts and kimchi

Thai Green Soup

I actually made this as a sauce for curried mushroom and butternut squash cabbage rolls (sounds really really weird, but it actually tasted great-I'll post the recipe tomorrow!), but it made too much, so I ate the leftovers as a soup. It's creamy and green, and it's super healthy and delicious. Did I mention it's easy? Just throw everything in a blender! This tastes great cold, warm, and room temperature. Making your greens into this silky smooth and deliciously creamy soup is a fast and easy way to eat lots of them! If you get sick of eating this as a soup, just use it as a sauce. I bet it would taste great on spaghetti squash, meat, fish, eggs, or as a salad dressing. Experiment, you might find something delicious!

For extra flavour, add broth instead of water

Creamy Green Soup

1 bunch kale, lightly steamed (or raw, if you're not concerned with oxilates)
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen and defrosted/steamed with the kale
1 handful parsley
1/2 avocado
juice of 1 1/2 limes
1 can coconut milk
water, to thin

Directions

1. Throw everything in a blender and puree until smooth and creamy. Add enough water to achieve desired consistency.

Look how bright and vivid the green is!

2. That's it!

Fully blended soup

Stuffed Acorn Squash

A yummy, delicious, and filling veggie-based meal (this can be vegan, just use vegetable instead of pork stock and choose a vegan cooking fat. Chicken or beef stock could also be subbed for the pork).

Cabbage-Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients

1 small or 1/2 large cabbage, thinly sliced
1 box of mushrooms, sliced
2 onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp hungarian paprika
1/2 tsp sage
1 tsp rosemary
salt and pepper, to taste
cooking fat of choice (bacon/pork fat reccomended)
1/4 cup concentrated pork stock, optional (this is just regular stock boiled until most of the water has evaporated)
2 acorn squash, cut in half and seeds removed
the squash seeds, cleaned and toasted
salad with tomatoes and ACV dressing, optional, to serve

Directions

1. Roast the squash cut-side down at 375*F until tender, about 45 min-1 hour.

2. Heat the fat in a large dutch oven or heavy pot on the stove.

3. Add the onions, and cook over medium heat until brown.

4. Turn up the heat, add the mushrooms and cook until brown.

5. Lower the heat to medium-low, then add the garlic, cabbage and pork stock. Stir, then add the seasonings.

6. Cover and cook until the cabbage is tender, adding extra water if needed, about 30 min.

7. When the cabbage mixture is done, check the seasonings and spoon it into the bowls formed by the acorn squash. Return to the oven and cook for about ten minutes. 

8. Sprinkle with toasted squash seeds, or any crunchy topping of your choice, such as toasted nuts or other seeds. Alternately, top with cheese and broil until melted.

 9. Serve on a bed of salad with tomatoes and an apple cider vinegar dressing.

This looks especially nice if you arrange the tomatoes in a
circle around the squash.