No Fuss-Thai Crunch Salad w/ a Spicy Asian Peanut Dressing

Need an easy salad to throw together with almost no prep? 

Something that can feed a crowd for a potluck or BBQ and be enjoyed by all? 

An easy meal to keep in the fridge ready for tossing with dressing for work or quick meals?

Well then this is your salad.

I call it my cheater salad because it's almost too easy. Aside from chopping green onions, which is completely optional, all you really need to make this salad is a big bowl and pair of scissors… for opening the bags. It's a staple in our rotation and delicious!

It utilizes pre prepped salad bags from your grocer and while I use a ready made dressing from Trader Joe's, I have also included an easy to make raw version as well for those not fortunate to have a TJ's nearby.

Thai Crunch Salad

Ingredients:

A bag of butter lettuce, with radichio if possible

A bag of shredded green cabbage

A bag of broccoli slaw

A bag of shredded carrots

Shelled and cooked edamame

1/2 cup cashews, preferably unsalted and raw

1-2 green onions, white and greens chopped, optional if choosing no prep version

12 ounces of Asian Spicy Peanut Dressing (optional home made version below)

Instructions:

Empty contents of bags into a BIG bowl and toss with clean hands.

Add in the topping bits and toss gently again or leave on the side for self serving.

If serving right away, go ahead and add dressing and toss. If serving a crowd all at once you may need two bottles of dressing, depending on taste preference.

Note: This is about 1/4 of the salad here in this picture.

If storing for later meals you can easy put the un-tossed salad either in bags or jars to add dressing later.

This will make approximately 6 quarts of salad as written here. Add more lettuce to the base if you want to stretch it further.

Mock Peanut Dressing

1/2 cup raw Almond Butter
1/4 cup Water
1 Tbsp fresh Lemon juice
2 tsp Agave or Coconut Nectar or Maple Syrup
2 tsp Tamari
1/2 tsp crushed Garlic (1 clove)
1/4 tsp grated fresh Ginger
dash Cayenne Pepper
dash Sea Salt

Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Store in sealed container in the fridge. Should keep 5 days. Makes 1 cup

Dressing Recipe found in Jennifer Cornbleet's Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 people, which by the way is a really great book!

I haven't ever made something from this book that we did not like.

So there you have it: My Cheater Thai Crunch Salad. I hope you give it a try and come back and let me know how you liked it here in the comments.

I'll be sharing this over at Gluten-Free Cats' Raw Thursday as well as Healthy Vegan Fridays.

NOTE: I have added Recipage to this blog so all recipes can be found indexed and ready for easy printing at the Recipe tab at the top of the page. Enjoy!

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Corn, Tomato and Green Bean Salad

This time of year, my thoughts are taken over by the fresh flavors of summer. Two of my favorites are tomatoes and corn and with the Fourth of July right around the corner and summer BBQs and get togethers in the plans, this is the perfect salad for company or anytime you want something simple and delicious.

One of my all time favorite and simple salads is this one, a Simple Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad, where the two flavors are mixed with fresh basil and shared on my old blog GettingRAW.com.

Here I've decided to update it with the addition of blanched fresh green beans and sliced red onions and with the omission of salt and oil. I think it just keeps getting better, if that's even possible.

I used fresh sweet corn here and I even cooked it but that's not even necessary. Fresh raw corn is delicious and while uncooked it remains a vegetable and not a starch in our digestive systems.

I also used two different corn strippers and have provided my reviews of how they worked for those considering such a tool. Just be really careful because I can't tell you how many friends have reported slicing their fingers with these super sharp tools. But if you want to make it even easier, you can use frozen corn.

Corn, Tomato and Green Bean Salad

Ingredients

4 ears of fresh sweet corn, shucked and silk removed, approximately 3 cups

1 lb fresh green beans, stem ends snapped off

1/2 small red onion, sliced in very thin rings and then cut in half

1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half or even quarters if big

1 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Cook the corn, if desired, about 5- 7 minutes or until tender. Remove corn from water and set aside to cool for cutting.

Place green beans in the pot and cook until tender, approximately 8 minutes. While green beans are cooking prepare a bowl of water with ice. Once green beans are done, submerge in the ice water bath to stop the cooking.

Remove corn kernels from the cob (options shown below) and place in a large bowl. Add the green beans and put the sliced onions in the ice bath while preparing the rest. This crisps up the onions while also mellowing the flavor.

When ready to serve, add all the ingredients to the bowl and toss with the balsamic vinegar.

This salad is really a winner! Enjoy!

Corn Stripper Review

I have two different strippers that I have bought over time. 

The first is the Good Cook Professionals Stripper.

This slides down over the cob and removes the corn from both sides at once. The downside is that it doesn't really adjust to get wider as you go down the cob and it works even worse with the cob inverted so it tends to cut the kernels in half and not get them all removed.

     The second one is the Kuhn Rikon Corn Stripper.

It's a little more expensive but is very easy to use. This one is razor sharp and comes with a blade cover for obvious reasons. This one cuts close to the cob and just zips the corn right off the cob. The corn comes off in sheets and is less ripped up. You get more of the whole kernels this way. This is the one that can really cut your fingers so be very careful!

I also stumbled across this great photo (sorry not sure of source) showing an easy way to both remove and catch the kernels. Had I had a Bundt cake pan handy, I certainly would have given this a try. 

This shows another simple utensil for removing corn from the cob- a sharp knife.

So I hope that was helpful. Any other good ideas out there for removing corn from the cob? I'd love to hear.

I'll be sharing this over at Gluten-Free Cats' Raw Thursday as well as Healthy Vegan Fridays and was even featured at 5 Ingredient Mondays over at Sift Stir and Savor.

Meanwhile, I hope this finds you enjoying the summer harvest of amazing produce. 

Until next time…. take care.

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Zesty Watermelon Gazpacho

Looking for something cool and refreshing to start your meal or actually be a light meal this summer?
Well then, this is it!

Chilled Watermelon Gazpacho

A light chilled soup with a little zestiness to it. Blending super hydrating watermelon and cucumbers, with a little lime, cilantro and a subtle hint of jalapeno and onion and you have this wonderful soup.

It takes only a few mints to whip up, but like most things, benefits from time to marinate and chill.  It's even better the next day, if you can wait that long.

Watermelon Gazpacho

Adapted from a recipe of Tyler Florence found here.

Serves approximately 4 as a small appetizer or 2 as a main soup. Highly recommend doubling!

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh watermelon, cubed and chilled if serving right away.

1/2 cucumber, peeled and seeded

1 large tomato

1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded

2 tablespoons red onion, diced

1/2 lime, juiced

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

salt and pepper to taste, optional

Directions:

Blend tomato, chili pepper and 1/2 the watermelon in a blender into a puree. Add the lime juice and pulse again. Add onion, the cucumber and cilantro until week blended and smooth. Salt and pepper to taste and blend again.

Chill for approximately 15 minutes minimum, if possible.

When ready to serve, pour into glasses or bowls (chilled would be a good idea) then top with remaining cubed watermelon and additional chopped cilantro, onion and even a wedge of lime.

Enjoy!

Sharing for Gluten-Free Cats' Raw Thursday as well as Healthy Vegan Fridays. Have you checked these sites out? There are some great recipes being shared both places weekly!

Until next time!

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Summer's Stone Fruit Salad

I just love this time of year!

Besides the sight of watermelon back in the stores and better yet in my kitchen, I just love seeing the stone fruits roll in. And oh, the aroma! Apricots, plums, nectarines, peaches, plums, cherries, sigh….. Just mouthwatering! I could live on these things.

Stone fruit at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market
photo source: Forks Over Knives

So as I sat looking at the assortment on my counter today, deciding which to cut up and enjoy, I thought why should I have to choose? Let's make a big party for all of them. And then a few raspberries in the fridge felt a little left out so I added them as well.

Besides just cutting all the fruit up and placing them in a bowl, which would be delicious too, I decided to poke around the net and come up with an idea for how to add a dressing and some greens to wrap it all together. I'm really working hard at getting my 1lb of raw greens minimum in per day so a salad seemed a good idea.

And it was!

I stumbled across this recipe for Stone Fruit with Toasted Almonds on My Recipes, originally from Cooking Light and with a few tweaks thought I'd give it a go. This is a little different for me as it uses a sweet wine in the dressing but it's basically a reduction sauce so little if any alcohol is left. Paired with a splash of white balsamic vinegar, it makes for a nice light dressing that lets the fruit sing.

The key to this is to use an assortment of fresh and ripe stone fruit. Go ahead and use whatever you have on hand. Below is a list of what I had that was sweet and juicy and ready to go but cherries would be a nice addition as well.

Summer's Stone Fruit Salad

This is a very simple and elegant salad using wine and vinegar to cut the sweetness while at the same time dressing the greens. Below is what I used to make this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup riesling or other sweet wine
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar or other white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon almond oil, optional
3 plums
2 peaches
2 donut peaches
2 nectarines
3 apricots
8 cups of mixed baby greens
2 tablespoons of sliced almonds
1/2 cup fresh raspberries, optional

Start with placing the wine in a small sauce pan and heat on medium high heat until the liquid is reduced down to about 2 tablespoons.

While that is on the stove, approximately 10 minutes, start pitting and slicing the fruit over a bowl to catch any of the juices and place the sliced fruit in another bowl.

When the wine is reduced, add in the vinegar and oil if using and mix with the fruit juices.

To serve, toss the salad greens in a large bowl with the fruit, dressing and slivered almonds until well mixed. Plate and add raspberries if using.

This is as delicious as it is beautiful.

As I sit here looking at the apricots in the above photo, I can't help but remember a time from my childhood when I first discovered fresh apricots. One California summer, a patient of my dad's had invited our family to come to his ranch for a dinner. We drove for what seemed like forever and then up a hill that was covered with rows and rows of trees. We had never seen a ranch and the idea that the trees had food in it never even crossed our minds.  I must have been about 9 years old and my brother was probably 5 or 6. Once inside the house, we quickly became bored and I'm sure underfoot and were sent outside to play until the meal was ready.  I was an avid tree climber at that age but my little brother not so much. We wandered around the roads for a while but eventually I had to start climbing the trees. It didn't take long up in the trees to discover the ripe fruit and even though I had no idea what it was, I tested it out. Pretty courageous of me since I was a very finicky eater and had never eaten from a tree before. I shared the bounty with my brother and surprisingly he loved them just as much. In total gluttony, we picked and ate apricot after apricot as the sun went down.

Eventually it became dark and we were called in to the house to eat but of course we were already stuffed. I'm sure I swore my brother to secrecy about our smorgasbord but not doubt we were covered in apricot juice. When my brother got sick, the gig was finally up for sure and I was in trouble.  Little brothers. What can I say.

But that memory of sitting in a tree, high up on a hill over looking a valley as the sun went down eating juicy apricots on a warm summer night will always stay with me.

I hope you have some similar fond summer fruit memories.

Sharing:

I shared this recipe over at Allergy Free Wednesday's blog hop. I hope you check it out.

Until next time….

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Mango Black Bean Salsa/ Salad

Few things are as tasty as a fresh salsa. Summer time produce makes this salsa extra special. It's a combo of ripe tangy mango, sweet corn, black beens, vine ripe tomatoes, bell pepper, lime and cilantro. Avocado is a nice bonus item as well. Serve with chips (low salt and baked) or lettuce leaf of choice or just toss it in a big salad as a dressing.

Like any medley, this salsa benefits from time to mingle, so make ahead if you like to let the flavors marry, just omit the mango until ready to serve. When you're ready to eat, add in the chopped mango and a squeeze of lime to awaken the flavors.

Mango Black Bean Salsa

This recipe adapted from Dr. Fuhrman's Immersion Excursion Recipe Book found here.

Ingredients

1 cup sweet corn, organic frozen is fine (fresh is approximately 3 ears, husk and silk removed)

2 mangoes, peeled pitted and diced

4 green onions, sliced

2 vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 bell pepper (red or orange suggested)

2 cups cooked black beans (or 2 15 ounce cans, low sodium and well rinsed)

3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

4 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 1/2 limes- reserve extra slices for serving)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1-2 cloves minced fresh garlic

1 pinch chili powder

1 avocado, diced (optional)

Directions:

Defrost corn by running in a bag under hot water or if using fresh decided if you prefer to cook it first. It's not necessary. Raw corn is quite good. Frozen corn is flash cooked before frozen so not a raw food. Either way, prepare your corn.

Add all the ingredients to a medium sized bowl and toss well. Let sit a minimum of 15 minutes for flavors to mingle. Remember to leave out the mango and avocado if not using right away. 

I always think these taste better the next day so don't be afraid to make this the night before and stir occasionally.

For a salad, chop up some romaine to serve as a bed or go ahead and toss it all together. If you expect leftovers, keep the salsa separate until ready to eat. Same goes for the avocado.

This is one of our favorite salads so I'm sure you will see a lot more variations on salsa coming up.

This was my submission over at Gluten Free Cat for Raw Thursdays (even though the beans are cooked, it's easy to just leave them out for a tasty salsa/ salad!) Also submitted on Healthy Vegan Fridays. 

Happy Summer! Hope you enjoy!

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Quick Black Bean Salad

This is one of those recipes to squirrel away for when you need something quick and amazing to bring out for a get together, potluck or Summer BBQ. It's a crowd pleaser for sure and also handy to keep in the fridge to eat as a salad or pair it up with chips as a salsa. I also like to load these kind of salads up into a romaine or endive leaf as well and skip the chips. So versatile!

Lime and cilantro are two of the key flavors with a simple drizzling of balsamic vinegar over a diced vegetable medley of corn, tomatoes, onions, water chestnuts and black beans. No salt or fats and very easy to like so even those that are not watching their health will enjoy this. Just don't tell them it's good for them.

Quick Black Bean Salad

This recipe is adapted from Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell B. Essselstyn, Jr.

Ingredients:

2 15 ounce cans of black beans, drained and rinsed well
1 large tomato or 2 medium tomatoes (I added some small heirlooms for color as well.)
1 16 oz package of frozen corn or fresh is even better if you have the chance!
1/2 Vidalia sweet onion, chopped
1 6 ounce can of sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1/2 a bunch of cilantro, chopped
1/2 lime, juiced and zested
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Add all but the lime, cilantro and balsamic to a bowl and mix well.

Add the rest and then mix it all again.

Serve on a bed of lettuce as a salad….

Or pair it up with some salt free organic chips for a dip.

It's one of those things that gets better once the flavors marinade so you can make it ahead and keep in the fridge. Just know that the water chestnuts will turn a little brownish from the balsamic vinegar once it sits together a bit.

So there you have it. A simple versatile recipe to please a crowd or just one. I hope you give this a try.  I have a feeling this will be in our regular salad rotation from now on.

This will be my submission for Healthy Vegan Fridays, which if you haven't checked out by now, is a great assortment of recipes.

I hope you are enjoying some of these simple yet healthy dishes. Drop me a comment and let me know if I'm on the right track. I'd love to hear from you.

Until next time….

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