Salads – Page 3 – Lollipopsicle

September 19, 2013

Autumn Rotini

I really like pasta salad, although it isn’t really salad is it? Well either way today’s recipe is a simple plant based pasta that is as tasty as it is festive. I still had a beet and a bunch of gorgeous chard from the bounty given to me by my friend Heidi, so I decided to make a healthy pasta that would reflect the color change that accompanies the season and also tastes great. I used roasted garlic as a base for the sauce, and quickly cooked the chard with the pasta, I utilized some pantry staples and fancied it up with some organic micro greens, instead of the parsley I would normally use. I think it turned out great, and the kids wanted seconds, so that is usually a good sign.

You will need:

1 lb. dried rotini pasta

1 medium beet

1 bunch of chard,

1 handful micro greens if you can’t find these substitute with your favorite fresh herb or even shredded lettuce

1 can of chickpeas drained, rinsed and dried well

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1 head garlic, sounds like a lot but it totally mellows when roasted

2 tbsp. Olive oil

Splash of balsamic

Salt and pepper

Pre-heat your oven to 375, wrap your beet in foil, place in oven. Chop the top off of your garlic then wrap in foil and set it next to your friend Mr. Beet. On a sheet pan place chickpeas, paprika and a pinch of salt, toss them together till the chickpeas are coated with spice, place in oven. Chickpeas will be done after about 30 minutes, they should have a crispy outside and soft inside, check them after 20 minutes to get desired doneness. Garlic should take about 45 minutes, set aside. After about an hour your beet should be done. When they have cooled enough to handle squeeze garlic out of its shell, and dice beet.

Cook rotini in salted, boiling water, for 5 minutes, then add chard, cook another 5 or so minutes, drain. In a large bowl place roasted garlic, oil, balsamic and a pinch of salt and pepper, mix. Add hot pasta and chard, stir well, add chickpeas and micro greens. Serve! Great hot or cold.

September 10, 2013

Veggie Summer rolls with Peanut sauce

Wow! If today were a candy it would be “Hot Tamales”! I know I should really be excited, soaking in all the vitamin D I can get before we get six months of straight rain and gloom. Last week was fall-like with the cool breeze blowing and a few showers here and there….I loved it! I thought we were done with the heat and humidity….NOPE! Not wanting to heat up the kitchen, I figured today was a great day for summer rolls, sometimes called salad rolls, they are a delicious way to get your veggies. Mine are completely plant based and I didn’t add the extra rice noodles that are traditional, I just added some extra veggies.

To make six rolls you will need:
6 rice paper wraps ( I used Blue dragon brand, and totally loved them)
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks or you can grate them
½ Cup jicama, cut into matchsticks or grated.
½ red bell pepper, sliced thin
½ block firm tofu sliced, you can fry or bake it…I like it as is so I used it plain you can also sub chicken or shrimp
2 Cups baby lettuce, I used a sweet blend, you can sub shredded cabbage or red leaf lettuce
12 stems of cilantro, I use it stem and all
3 green onions, cut lengthwise
Sweet chili sauce or peanut sauce get the recipe here
Divide all veggies and tofu into six separate piles, dividing evenly all ingredients. In a shallow baking pan, add an inch or two of hot water, place rice wrapper in water for 20 seconds or so, they should be malleable, if they are still stiff in certain spots soak a bit longer. On your soaked wraps place veggies and tofu side by side, roll up burrito style, making sure they are tight. I like to leave on side open, just for presentation but that is optional. Repeat with remaining wrappers, fridge em’ till you are ready to serve. I like to cut mine like sushi rolls and serve with cold beer and peanut sauce….yum.

September 1, 2013

Roasted Sweet Potato with Tahini Kale slaw

This might just be the best Kale slaw recipe ever! Kale is a veggie that everyone should get used to eating, it’s very healthy but can sometimes get a bad wrap because folks don’t know how to work with it. Growing up I only saw kale used as a garnish for plates, haha, but then one St Patty’s day my mom found a colcannon recipe and since then I have loved it. I’ve tried a lot of kale salads here in P-town, but I really love the one at Wholefoods markets. I’ve read a lot of blogs trying to copy the Wholefoods garlic tahini dressing, and after trying a few different ones, I think I figured it out…..The potatoes for this recipe are basically this recipe, cut in half, with only one type of potato, same method though, but you could use squash or whatever roasted veggies you like.
Slaw:
1 bunch Kale, stemmed and chopped, I used Lactinato, but curly is fine too.
Rinse and stem kale, chop, and place in a bowl, crush the leaves until they turn bright green and shrink in size. Top with dressing.
Dressing:
¼ Cup Tahini
¼ Cup water
¼ Cup apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 tbsp. Bragg’s liquid aminos
¼ Cup nutritional yeast
In a blender combine all ingredients until smooth, if you don’t have a blender you can hand mix it, just make sure your garlic is minced very small.
I top my slaw with the roasted potatoes, black sesame seeds, sunflower kernels, and some cilantro, of course all of these are optional and easy to change out with what you have on hand. This is a great way to introduce plant based recipes to those who aren’t familiar or skeptical. Try this at your next pot luck!

July 27, 2013

Golden beets with amaranth and raw hazelnut pesto

Whoa Nelly, it’s basil season! Green herbage in general is exceptional this time of year in the Pacific Northwest. I scored today at the farmer’s market I really did! I got some gorgeous “loose” meaning not “perfect” golden beets, whatever a perfect beet is, for $1 dollar a lb! I got the most gorgeous bunch of amaranth and basil for $2 dollar a bunch, which basically looks like an herbal bridal bouquet. Of course our friends at the hazelnut booth had their wonderful raw hazelnuts, so I was set. In my never ending quest to lose 30 lbs. and be free of my ever annoying body issues, I have been trying to adhere to Dr. Furhman’s 6 week all plant based, non-processed diet. Well actually I am on day two, and gotta say it isn’t so bad, it’s kinda great, I am of course not cutting my coffee consumption, and only reducing my beer, we went to the Oregon brewer’s fest yesterday…haha! So today’s recipe is entirely VEGAN! My friend Jenn finally convinced me to give it try after we discussed our similar baby weight, retaining weight while nursing trials, she finally lost her remaining lbs. by doing Dr. Fuhrman’s plan, which she still quite strictly adheres to. Don’t be fooled this salad is delicious, healthy, plant based, oil free, and local! It would be great topped with goat cheese or grilled chicken or fish.
You will need:
2 medium beets, I used golden, I boiled them skin on for about 25 minutes, if you cut them first it will take less time to cook them. Cool, peel, slice.
2 cups of amaranth leaves or greens of choice, arugula would be great
¼ cup diced red peppers, mainly for color, use tomatoes if you prefer
Hazelnut pesto dressing:
¼ cup raw hazelnuts, soaked for 20 minutes in hot water
¼ red wine vinegar
¼ water
2tbsp soy sauce or Bragg’s
1 cup fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
Ground black pepper
Blend like the dickens, meaning till smooth, if you have a vitamix that is easy…if you have a stick blender like me it takes a bit of effort but this is totally amazing, considering its low on salt and only has the natural unprocessed oils from the hazelnuts.
Assemble anyway you like and eat! Serves two as a meal.
As for my quest for health, I will keep you updated, but I do like learning all types of cookery and I think the more you know about each genre the better you get, and I am very new to this type of cooking but thus far I find it fascinating!