Edibly Educated

Inspiration through Education

  • Home
  • Education
    • Revamp Your Pantry
    • Beginner’s Guides
    • Diet Additions
  • Recipe Index
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
    • Salads
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
    • Snacks
    • Juice
  • Lifestyle
    • Red Talk
    • 30-Day Challenges
    • Fitness
  • My Recommendations
    • Food Recommendations
    • Product Recommendations
  • About Me
    • Contact
You are here: Home / Archives for Greens

Make This Salad and Forget You Ever Disliked Kale

December 11, 2015 by Sarah

Kale Miso Radish Salad

Miso is a long time friend of mine. I mean, c’mon check out this video from over three years ago of me living on a boat in San Diego making the good ‘ol massaged kale miso salad. It was one of the first kinds of salads I really fell in love with because of how delicious you could make the kale taste with something that’s just as beneficial for you!

Miso: so what is it and why would you want to use it?

Miso is a fermented (typically) soybean paste that is used heavily in Japanese and Asian cuisine. You can also find other types of miso like azuki bean, brown rice, barley, golden millet, and chickpea. Because it’s fermented, it’s full of antioxidants and probiotics, which are crucial for keeping you healthy. If you watched the video I shared above, I briefly discuss how miso’s strong flavor is able to stand up to Kale’s bitterness. By massaging the kale with it, not only do you break down the kale and make the texture more desirable,  you’re coating it with something that is quite savory and tasty in the right proportions. You might forget you’re even eating kale!

Kale Miso Radish Salad

Here is a recipe for you to try so you don’t have to take my word for it. This salad recipe is a switch up to my original Massaged Kale Miso salad in the video. I added a bit of maple syrup to bring a sweet component into the dish and different vegetables for a new take. Hemp seeds would still taste really great on this salad as well as any other protein of your choice.

As far as buying miso, a brand I really like is Miso Master Organic, but there are many other good organic brands out there as well. Check the refrigerated section of your health food store for more options. If you’re buying a soybean miso, I would for sure get organic to avoid GMOs. I used Miso Master Organic’s chickpea miso for this recipe.

Kale Miso Radish Salad

Kale Miso Radish Salad
 
Print
Prep time
10 mins
Total time
10 mins
 
This salad combines many different flavors - sweet, savory, bitter, crisp, creamy - to deliver a delicious, nutrient-dense dish that's perfect as a meal or before one.
Author: Sarah
Recipe type: Salad
Serves: 2-4 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 green onions
  • 6 stalks kale
  • 1 cucumber, thinly sliced and halved
  • 4 small radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1 avocado, cubed
  • 1 tbsp. miso paste
  • 2 tsp. maple syrup
Instructions
  1. Take kale off each stalk and cut it up into strips. Place in a bowl with the miso paste and maple syrup and massage the kale until the miso and maple syrup coat all the pieces of kale and until the kale starts to break down and become softer.
  2. Prepare all the vegetables, mix with the kale and serve. You can either mix in the avocado with the other vegetables or just place it on top.
3.5.3208

Enjoy!

With Love,

sign 2

Filed Under: Greens, Raw, Recipes, Salads, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: avocado, cucumber, greens, kale, massaged, miso, probiotics, salad

Tahini Miso Salad Dressing + Sushi Salad

June 4, 2015 by Sarah

Tahini Miso Dressing

So now that you know how to make your own tahini, it’s time to get some ideas about dressings to make with it! No better way to start than combining it with some good ‘ol miso. I recently bought some new miso, and it’s chickpea this time! For those of you who don’t know, miso is a fermented (typically) soybean paste that is used heavily in Japanese and Asian cuisine. You can also find other types of miso like azuki bean, brown rice, barley, golden millet, and chickpea like I mentioned. Two brands that carry these different varieties and that I really love are South River Miso and Miso Master Organic. By the way, don’t get tripped up about the price tag.. you don’t use very much at all so they last quite a long time!

Miso

What is so awesome about miso?

Miso is rich in antioxidants and probiotics and because it’s fermented, it contains beneficial bacteria that is good for your gut flora, which in turn may help support both your digestive and immune system. I used to work at an Asian fusion restaurant where we served miso soup. My mom would always tell me, ‘If you’re ever not feeling well at work, make sure you have some miso soup!’ It truly is a nice little addition to your diet.

Although it’s most notable for being used in soup, it can also be an incredible addition to dressings and sauces because of it’s bold saltiness. Check out this Massaged Kale Miso salad and my rockin’ how-to video while you’re at it 😉

Tahini Miso Dressing

The first day I made this Tahini Miso Dressing I just had it on some greens just like the ones shown in the picture above. However, the next day, I went ahead and made a SUSHI SALAD and doused it with this dressing.

And guess what? The sushi salad blew my mind! I loved pretty much every bite of it.. I just made if for dinner and didn’t know it would taste this yummy so I only have some phone pics to share. There was something about all of the veggies together – the textures AND flavors – that made this a salad I will FOR SURE make again!

Start with a bed of kale and other greens (mixed greens, romaine, leaf lettuce, etc.) and top with steamed asparagus, quartered and sliced cucumber, diced red pepper, one or two diced green onions, and some brown rice. Each vegetable I used really added to the WOW factor of the salad so if you try making this, I highly recommend not skipping out on one or two of them!Sushi Salad

Next top with avocado, nori strips or cut up nori sheets (I used A LOT more than were in this picture) and the tahini miso dressing below! Sushi Salad

This dressing can not only be used as a dressing but also as a sauce for really anything lunch/dinner-related! You can change the thickness of this dressing by adding more or less water. I used 1/4 cup, and it was pretty thin so if you want a thicker paste, I would start with 1 tbsp. and work your way up depending on the consistency you’re going for.

Tahini Miso Dressing Tahini Miso Dressing Tahini Miso Dressing

P.S. Black sesame seeds rock! Not only are they really affordable (we got a 1/2 lb. bag for only $1.80), but they’re also high in antioxidants, vitamin E and may offer anti-aging benefits — yeeeeeah!Tahini Miso DressingDSC_2377 Tahini Miso DressingTahini Miso Dressing

Tahini Miso Salad Dressing
 
Print
Prep time
5 mins
Total time
5 mins
 
This simple vegan dressing adorns salads with a creamy, savory and zesty kick!
Author: Sarah
Recipe type: Dressing
Serves: ¾ cup
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup tahini
  • 2 tbsp. miso
  • juice half lemon (about 1 tbsp.)
  • 1 small clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp. coconut aminos (or tamari, nama shoyu, etc.)
  • ¼ cup filtered water
  • dash of maple syrup, to taste
  • dash of cayenne pepper, optional
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl or jar and mix well. Store in an airtight container (like a Mason jar) in the fridge for 3-5 days.
3.3.2998

If you love it, try making a double batch the next time so you can use it for multiple meals throughout the week!

With love,

sign 2

Filed Under: Dressing, Greens, Raw, Salads, Sauces, Vegan Tagged With: dressings, miso, raw, salads, sauce, sesame seeds, sushi, tahini, vegetables

Raw Avocado Lime Soup

February 22, 2015 by Sarah

Raw Avocado Lime Soup

Raw Avocado Lime Soup

Have you ever come across raw soups and wondered about them?

They are basically like vegetable smoothies that you eat with a spoon. Many are served chilled, but you can use hot water or keep it blending in a high-speed blender (like a Vitamix) to warm it up a little. Think the idea is kind of weird? Well, sometimes it’s nice to skip the sweet that comes with a smoothie and enjoy something savory, especially if you’re looking for a lunch or dinner idea.

Raw Avocado Lime Soup

Many raw soups are blended and smooth although you can certainly incorporate ingredients at the end or after blending to make more of a ‘chunky’ soup and give it some texture.

You may blend just the vegetables (like I did in this one) to make it nut-free and not creamy. However, if you’re interested in creamer-izing your soup, just add a handful of soaked cashews to the recipe!

Raw Avocado Lime Soup

Raw Avocado Lime Soup

Raw Avocado Lime Soup
 
Print
Prep time
10 mins
Total time
10 mins
 
Author: Sarah
Recipe type: Soup
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
  • ½ cucumber
  • 1 avocado
  • ½ red pepper
  • 1 small tomato
  • 1 cup water
  • Handful of spinach
  • 1 shallot and/or 2 green onions (depending on how onion-y you want it)
  • juice from ½ lime
  • salt and cayenne, to taste
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. You may use hot water, but I think it tastes better with room temperature or cold water.
  2. Enjoy!
3.2.2929

With love,

sign 2

Filed Under: Greens, Raw, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Humble Sauce

December 15, 2014 by Sarah

Because life is so full of little lessons…

sometimes you just have to name a dressing after one of them 😉

Excuse my little chin zit, I wanted my scarf to cover it but just totally failed:


I think this story and lesson is really important to share because I don’t hear pridefulness talked about much, but I still think it’s important. I can’t even count how many times I’ve been a little prideful and got put right back in my place. This instance was just another subtle reminder, and I’m so thankful for it because it got me down off my high horse. I’d rather have a flat tire now than a much worse accident down the road!

Although it can be good to take pride in your work, being overly prideful – or overconfident – can cause barriers between you and others. Humility is a respectable quality to have because it allows you to see your limits and connect with people better by accepting them just as they are. It can be a state of admitting you may be wrong, don’t know everything, or can’t do everything. I could have just admitted to myself that the snow is mean and fierce and didn’t care that my dad taught me how to drive in the snow good. But I foolishly thought that I was better and could continue going my normal speed AND THEN WHIP DAT TAIL LIKE A BOSS. The ironic part is that the slower driver was prooooobably the better driver..lol.

Anyway, throwing another salad dressing your way! I freaking love salads and homemade dressings..if you couldn’t tell  😉

Marinated Fig Dressing

The components of the salad itself included:

  • spring mix and arugula
  • sliced cucumbers
  • hemp seeds
  • goat cheese
  • soaked fig dressing (recipe below)
  • I also added avocado when I had it the next day, and it was super yummy!

Also, the organic balsamic vinegar I used is made by the brand ‘Alessi’ and is sooo delicious! It tastes like sophisticated sweet tarts. I looked to see where you can buy it online and it only comes in packs of six – but they also have a lot of other varieties on Amazon! You can browse here: Alessi Balsamic Vinegar

Marinated Fig Salad

Humble Sauce aka Soaked Fig Dressing
 
Print
Prep time
8 mins
Total time
8 mins
 
Author: Sarah
Recipe type: Dressing
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 1.5 lemons, freshly squeezed
  • 1 tbsp. raw honey
  • 5 dried figs, chopped finely or in bite-sized pieces
Instructions
  1. Combine the first 3 ingredients and mix to incorporate. Make sure the raw honey isn't clumped together.
  2. Add the figs and let the dressing marinade in the refrigerator for at least an hour to marinade. Spoon mixture over salad and serve.
3.2.2885

 

Filed Under: Greens, Salads, Vegetarian

Rooted Detox Juice

December 2, 2014 by Sarah

Here’s a little post-holiday detox juice for ya 😉

Rooted Detox Juice

But let’s talk detox really quick:

Our bodies are equipped with the ability to rid ourselves of toxins and self-heal. However, we live in an environment where we are constantly bombarded with chemicals and toxins that are not good for our health: chemicals from cleaning products and personal care products, unfiltered water, vaccines, plastics, and chemicals and pesticides in our food, to name a few. Bottom line; our bodies are overworked from trying to get rid of these foreign, and damaging, substances that are in our system. We can make lifestyle changes to help eliminate these toxins from our life, but it doesn’t hurt to give our bodies a little assistance. That’s why consuming foods and herbs that aid in detoxification is highly beneficial.

Detoxing is like doing chores around the house; you just gotta do it, or you’ll be living in filth.

One herb that is well known for its ability to detox heavy metals is cilantro. It possess properties that make it bind to heavy metals in the bloodstream, also known as chelation, and consequently, it purifies the body. Because heavy metals can harm the immune system’s effectiveness, cleansing the body of them could also lead to a more efficient immune system. Pairing cilantro with parsley is a good idea because parsley contains vitamins and nutrients necessary for chelation and helps with the removal of the toxic molecules from the body.

Rooted Detox Juice

My favorite way to consume cilantro and parsley is by juicing them, because let’s face it, how else are you going to eat a whole bunch of either of these? I do suggest making tabbouleh if you want to use a good amount of parsley in your cooking, but most recipes don’t call for that much of either parsley or cilantro. These herbs are also great to add into smoothies if you want the added fiber! Here is an idea for juicing them with some lemon and lime, which also promote cleansing, and some rooted vegetables.

Rooted Cleansing Juice
 
Print
Prep time
5 mins
Total time
5 mins
 
Author: Sarah
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 2 limes
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 bunch organic cilantro
  • 1 bunch organic parsley
  • 1 organic apple
  • 1 large handful of fresh cranberries
  • 1 beet
  • 5 carrots
Instructions
  1. Juice all ingredients and enjoy!
3.2.2802

Rooted Detox Juice

Stay tuned for more posts on detoxification and as always, happy juicing!

With love,

Sarah

Filed Under: Greens, Juice

Love Your Onion Friends

November 7, 2014 by Sarah

Looking for a great versatile food to add a pop of flavor to a variety of different dishes?

Stop your intensive searching!! Turn to some Balsamic-Glazed Onions!

These babies are delicious. Or could it just be that I am in love with balsamic vinegar? I guess just try them for yourself, and then we’ll know if my opinion is biased or not 😉

Balsamic Onion Salad

I have to give a little credit to work again for this one. We had a flatbread that had balsamic onions on it, and the onions tasted so freaking yummy on it. So I inquired (like usual).

The good news is that they’re way easy and quick to make.

The additional good news is that they’re flavor- bursting exploding good. Did I already cover that? Very well, I repeat myself.

Balsamic Onion Salad

This salad was especially fun to eat because I didn’t use any dressing. It’s one of those ‘what you see is what you get’ kind of salads. Gotta love a salad that’s not afraid to show its true colors: bed of greens, balsamic-glazed onions, goat cheese crumbles, sliced cucumber and avocado.

The reason I didn’t feel the need to use dressing was two-fold: the balsamic onions covered the flavor division nicely, and the avocado and goat cheese together add creaminess so when you mix the salad, it coats the other ingredients!

These onions are nice to keep in the fridge to add to salads on-the-go. Other than salads, you can put the onions on or with tons of things like eggs and quiches, sandwiches, lettuce wraps, quinoa/rice and sautéed veggies, homemade pizza, and proteins (chicken/steak/fish, etc.) – to name a few.

And lastly, these red onions don’t just taste good; my brother recently did a post about some of the health benefits of red onions over at Healthy Wild and Free! You better believe they are good for you, and this is a great way for you to include them into your diet 🙂

Balsamic-Glazed Onions
 
Print
Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
3 mins
Total time
8 mins
 
Author: Sarah
Ingredients
  • 1 red onion
  • small amount of coconut oil (or whatever oil you use for sautéing)
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • dash of rosemary and/or thyme (optional)
Instructions
  1. Slice up the red onion into medium-sized pieces and place in a pan with the oil.
  2. Sauté on medium-high heat for only a couple of minutes until the purple fades a little but the onions are still crunchy (about three to four minutes).
  3. Place onions in a seal tight container and cover about ¾ of the onions with balsamic vinegar.
  4. Sprinkle a dash rosemary and thyme and stir in.
  5. Place lid on and let marinade overnight in the refrigerator.
3.2.2802

Can you think of other dishes to add these balsamic-glazed onions to?

 

With love,

Sarah

 

Filed Under: Breakfast, Education, Greens, Inspiration, Salads

Five Things I Learned from my Menu Tasting at Work

November 3, 2014 by Sarah

Menu Tasting

I work at a farm-to-table fine dining restaurant in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Our menu changes seasonally, we buy as much as we can locally (we even have our own garden in the summer), and I can finally genuinely recommend dishes now.We recently started our new fall menu and had a tasting. I was told to bring my camera, and me, being the aspiring food photographer that I am, jumped on that opportunity like there was no tomorrow. Even though I had to take the pictures quick, I think they some of them still turned out pretty nice.

I also learned, realized, and was reminded of some things that are useful in my own cooking. They’re not super profound, but something doesn’t necessarily have to be profound to offer insights. I guess I could call these subtle reminders and inspirations 🙂

1. Do what you gotta do to try and eat local!

616 Tasting-27-2lamb t-bones, finger eggplants, za’atar, carrot-orange puree, chermoula

616 Tasting-21-2 Apple-ginger stuffed pork loin, currants, steel cut oats persillade, turnips, vintage port reduction

Menu Tastingturkey duo (breast and confit leg and thigh), green beans, chanterelle duxelle, cranberry polenta

At the restaurant, we have an herb garden outside in the summer and fall, and we buy local produce when it’s available. Aside from just produce, we try to get some of our meats and dairy from local sources as well; all three of the pictures above show meats bought from Michigan farms, and we also get local cheeses and amish butter.

Buying local supports the farmers in your area, and you get to see right where your food comes from and possibly get to know your farmers as well. Look for farmers and farmers markets in your area, join a CSA, or grow your own food (you can grow herbs indoors in the winter!). I recently learned about a farm here in Michigan that grows vegetables through the winter in a greenhouse, and they have a FarmBox that costs $22 for a small box or $30 for a large one. They’re dropped up at many different locations and all you do is go pick up your box each week at one of the closest locations. What a great price and way to get local, fresh, organic, seasonal produce! I’m in the process of signing up and am excited to start receiving boxes soon 🙂 I will most likely post about it all in the future so stay tuned!

2. Eat with the seasons.

I was happy to see on our new menu things like pumpkin seed puree, sour apple slaw, jicama, kohlrabi, brussel sprout leaves, gingerbread spices, butternut squash, ginger-apple stuffing, cranberries, and cauliflower.

I don’t do this as often as I could, but this one rolls right off of #1 because eating local and eating with the seasons go hand in hand. A couple benefits of eating with the seasons are enhanced flavor and nutritional value and affordability. Not only is the produce cheaper, but it also tastes better and may also have more nutrients. Seasons are apart of nature’s balance and we often forget what to eat and how to eat seasonally because of modern food processing. We have so much available to us year round, but eating seasonally is going to offer us the best tasting, most affordable foods. Look for charts that show what’s being grown in your region during different months of the year.

Menu Tastingslow-roasted short rib, pumpkin seed puree, celiriac-caper slaw, pickled mustard seeds

616 Tasting-12-2cane syrup and tequila marinated mahi mahi, braised mustard greens, sour apple slaw

3. Make your own dressings.

616 Tasting-6-2jicama, lovage, arugula, citrus segments, smoked paprika vinaigrette

From this menu, and the last one, I came to realize that making dressing is not all that hard and can actually be kind of fun. As I talked about in my last post, I don’t really like to buy conventional dressings because I’d rather skip out on some of the junk, know what all the ingredients are and experiment making simpler ones myself.

I’m a lover of greens and dressing them well helps make your dishes and salads taste phenomenal! Here are some combinations I’ve seen:

shallot, garlic, salt and pepper, dijon mustard, any type of vinegar (sherry, balsamic, white wine)

paprika vinaigrette-dijon mustard, salt and pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, honey, white vinegar, paprika

apple cider vinaigrette-apple cider, olive oil, salt and pepper, honey, lemon juice, shallot

white balsamic vinaigrette-white balsamic vinegar, shallot, garlic, olive oil, dijon mustard

You’ll notice some similarities in these dressings. Shallot and/or garlic (minced), salt and pepper, olive oil, and something astringent (usually vinegar). You can play around with proportions using these ingredients and make a dressing you like that you can keep in the fridge! Also, check out my last post titiled ‘The Pack-a-Salad Method’ to learn about more dressing ideas.

4. Vary your greens..and how you cook them!

616 Tasting-32-2black pepper papardelle, chanterelles, brussel sprout leaves, braised lamb neck and reduction, butternut squash

616 Tasting-39-2duck breast, ginger ale reduction, puffed wild rice, braised swiss chard, sliced radish

Some new greens we have on this menu include swiss chard, mustard greens, lovage, celery hearts, and brussel sprout leaves. The swiss chard and mustard greens are braised, and if you don’t know what that means exactly, neither did I.

I recently inquired about what braising entails exactly and found out that it is the process of searing – kind of like sautéing on high heat – the food first in a pan (possibly with garlic/onion/shallot and oil) and then adding a small amount of liquid and cooking it on low heat in a closed container. The greens taste really great actually by doing this because you break down some of the firmness of greens like swiss chard and you can add other flavors that cook right into the greens. It also tastes nice when eating it with the protein like the duck above. I look forward to trying this method with collard greens!

The lovage and celery hearts are both raw. Using raw greens is great for salads and garnishes to dishes. The brussel sprout leaves are cooked with the pasta dish and is a great reminder that you can cook greens (and other vegetables) into so many different dishes -pasta, quinoa, eggs, rice – during or towards the end of the cooking process. Usually you want to add greens towards the very end so they don’t get overcooked.

5. Experiment with making reductions.

I used to not know what a reduction was. Then when I did, I thought it must be complicated.

The truth is that it’s not at all. Place ingredients (below) in a pan. Boil and stir so the water cooks off in the form of steam and you are left with a thicker consistency than you started with. You should end up with a sauce-like consistency but the longer you heat, the more syrup-like consistency. Don’t ever cover the pan with a lid though because you need the water to steam off!

Reductions make for some great sauces to many different dishes. And the best part about them; they’re bold and full of character. Probably like your uncle.

You can make reductions with different combinations of some of the following:

  • vinegar (balsamic, white/red wine, white, sherry, apple cider, champagne)
  • juices (orange, cranberry, lemon, lime, apple juice/cider)
  • stock (chicken, beef, fish, vegetable)
  • garlic, onions or shallots
  • seasonings (rosemary, thyme, tarragon, salt, pepper)
  • wine (any red or white, ports)

You can just do very simple ones with just vinegar and stock, but if you love experimenting in the kitchen, play around with the ingredients mentioned above and what you have on hand! You may not want to do this often because reducing takes a little bit of time, but if you’re looking to have a nice meal and you want to add some bold flavors, this can be your answer! Just imagine your friends’ faces when you tell them you made, say, a New York Strip steak with a shallot red red wine reduction.

So, the bottom line and moral of my story here: you don’t have to pay $35 for a good home-cooked wholesome dish that features real and nourishing ingredients and tastes divine (unless you’re serving maybe 6 or 7 people, which is even better!). I used to think cooking in general was this big beast, and I didn’t want to touch it. Once I finally took the plunge and started learning about food and cooking in general, I realized that it’s such an art and a fun one at that!

And now for a little YOLO action right here:

616 Tasting-89-2 Menu Tasting

homemade brown butter cake and homemade pomegranate and pumpkin gelato

Filed Under: Education, Greens

The Pack-a-Salad Method

October 28, 2014 by Sarah

I try to make it a goal to eat some greens everyday. Most of the time, I like to consume them by enjoying a nice – usually big – bodacious salad. Sometimes I’ll even come home from work around midnight and just make a nice quick salad because I feel like I just need those greens. Here’s an example of what one looked like the other night:

Arugula Salad

(some arugula, leftover diced bok choy greens, diced radishes, sunflower seeds and my favorite organic Woodstock barbecue sauce).

I do acknowledge that some days are much harder than others for getting your greens and veggies in.

Do you ever have one of those days when you’re in quite the pinch and putting in the time to prepare, eat and clean up after making a good wholesome meal just isn’t feasible?

Time for the Pack-a-Salad Method to come to the rescue.

Now, let me try and sell you on this one.

First, some pictures:

Pack-A-Salad

mixed greens, diced green pepper, shredded carrot, kalamata olives, pumpkin seeds, random spices, and balsamic vinegar

Pack-A-Salad

Pack-A-Salad

sliced cucumbers, diced red and yellow peppers, pickled beets, mint leaves, goat cheese, sunflower seeds, balsamic glaze

Pack-A-Salad

Second, some benefits (a.k.a. why you need to implement the Pack-a-Salad Method into your life ASAP):

  • You are consuming dark, leafy greens and vegetables, thereby giving your body an assortment of vital nutrients; nutrients that will help you sustain good energy for whatever activities you are embarking on and also to support your health in general.
  • They are very quick, versatile, and easy to make. I’ve literally whipped up a salad in less than 10 minutes before running out the door (like the ones in the pictures above!).
  • There’s not much clean-up at all! A cutting board and a knife. And the bowl later on in the day. And possibly the cheese grater if you grate some carrots, but you can just slice them if you’re feeling ooober lazy.
  • You can make sure you are eating up your produce so it doesn’t go bad, and you can also use up some of your leftovers! Keep reading for more details on that.

Okay, now that you’re dying to know, here is what the Pack-a-Salad Method entails:

  1. Get a bowl with a lid; I highly suggest a 4-cup Pyrex bowl because it’s such a great size, and I love using glass over plastic (this set is my favorite if you’re looking for more sizes).
  2. Place a bed of greens on the bottom. Anything. Mixed greens, romaine, leaf lettuce, spinach, arugula, chard, beet greens, bok choy greens, kale, you name it.
  3. Cut, dice, slice, grate any sort of vegetables you have on hand: carrots, tomatoes, avocados, cucumbers, celery, radishes, scallions, pickled beets, broccoli, bell peppers. You can use leftover steamed vegetables too!
  4. Add protein. Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds. Pecans, walnuts, almonds. A hard-boiled egg. I really only add goat cheese as far as dairy goes because it’s so creamy and gives the salad an awesome flavor. You can also add organic, local, or good quality meat as well if you have some of that on hand (think leftovers again).
  5. Add some pizazz! Dried fruit (cherries, raisins, or cranberries), olives, hearts of palm, seasonings, mint leaves. Not all of that together though. Unless you want to, but I sure wouldn’t. Just any miscellaneous ingredients you think would accompany what you have already put in the salad.
  6. Dressing. I never go the conventional dressing route. Many of them are filled with lots of junk like GMO oils, sugar, corn syrup, MSG, and preservatives. There are some good organic ones out there, but I never really buy them because I like dressing the salad myself. Goat cheese and avocados are really creamy, and I love pairing those two with balsamic vinegar. You can use balsamic vinegar or glaze and olive oil. Or lemon juice or lime juice with a piece of fruit (I’ve done orange slices, grapefruit slices, mango slices, raspberries, diced apples or diced peaches!). Or whole grain mustard, honey, and lime juice mixed together for a honey mustard dressing.
  7. Place the lid on, and bring with you to your destination. Give the salad a nice little shake up before enjoying at your convenience.

Start simple and then branch out to figure out what you like. I’ve come to realize what my ultimate favorite pairings are, and I stick with those a lot. Also, you can check out some of my other salad posts to get more ideas!

Oh, and how about those sales woman tactics?! Are you just dying to try this the next chance you get? 😉

 

Filed Under: Education, Greens, Salads

Veggies for Breakfast

October 22, 2014 by Sarah

I love eating eggs for breakfast; organic, brown, free-range and local ones if I can get them.

And I know I do not stand alone; there’s a reason eggs are such a popular way to start the day. They have an astounding nutrient profile, offering such a variety of many nutrients that are vital to our health.

If I were to compare eggs to a potential dating partner, they’d be what we call the ‘total package’.

The combination of protein, healthy fats, and vitamins can give you the energy you need to embrace the day. Although eggs are high in cholesterol, they do not necessarily raise cholesterol levels in the blood. Cholesterol is an essential nutrient and our body makes cholesterol on its own so if you receive more in your diet, your body compensates by making less of it. In some studies where eggs did raise blood cholesterol, it was usually the levels of the ‘good’ cholesterol, HDL (High Density Lipoprotein), instead of the ‘bad’ cholesterol, LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein). Eggs also provide the body with choline, a brain nutrient that many people may not be getting enough of in their diet, and the carotenoid antioxidants, Lutein and Zeaxanthin, which may promote healthy eyes.

Also, since eggs are high in a variety of nutrients, particularly protein, they increase feelings of satiety and help you feel fuller longer. They are a much better alternative to other common carb-heavy breakfasts like toast, pancakes, waffles, bagels, cereal, etc.

Want to hear the best part?

Eating eggs for breakfast can be a great way to incorporate vegetables (including greens) into your first meal of the day!

You can:

1. Sauté onion, garlic, bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, celery, or any other kind of vegetable you like before adding the eggs and scrambling them. I like to fold in diced tomato or greens at the very end since they are more fragile and don’t taste as good when over-cooked.

2. Easily place your eggs on a bed of greens! I do this pretty much every time regardless if I add vegetables to the scramble or not. I like to use mixed greens, but you can use any other leafy greens like spinach, romaine, kale, chard, etc. If I’m in a hurry, I like to season the eggs with garlic or onion powder, a dash of himalayan sea salt, any other spice blend I have on hand and just place them on top of a bed of greens.

Eggs and Greens

So don’t be afraid of those eggs! And have fun making vegetables a delicious part of your breakfast 🙂

 

Filed Under: Breakfast, Greens

Juicing: Dandelion Greens

October 11, 2014 by Sarah

Have you ever heard of dandelion greens?

Although they are one of the more bitter-tasting greens, they are also among some of the most nutrient-rich as well. They are high in vitamins A, C, E and K and contain a good amount of iron and calcium! They are known for aiding in detoxification by assisting functions of the liver. If you are looking for another type of greens to add to your diet.. this is it!

Dandelion Greens

There are various ways to eat the greens, including sautéing or adding them to salads and pasta dishes, but another easy convenient way is to juice them. Just as I mentioned that they are commonly associated with detoxification, you will find these in various detox/cleanse juice recipes like the one below. This one that I made was very earthy tasting because I didn’t add any fruit. It was a little hard to drink, if I do say so myself, so if you have a difficult time with strong tastes like that, I would definitely add an apple or two (I just didn’t because I’m trying to decrease my overall sugar consumption).

Dandelion Greens

Instead of providing a recipe with amounts, I’d just like to tell you what was in this one to give you ideas so you get a better understanding of how to juice dandelion greens. And to demonstrate that it’s a good idea to juice those foods in the fridge that you need to eat up or they will go bad (like the half of a tomato I added and some beet greens that aren’t pictured hence the purple color of the juice) 😉

The juice I made had a lemon, a couple stalks of celery, ginger root, turmeric root, a cucumber, a good handful of greens, cilantro, a half of a tomato, and beet greens. Like I said, I would probably add an apple to this if I made something similar again because it was quite bitter, to say the least.

Cilantro and lemon juice are also good for detoxification and cleansing so they are good additions to any dandelion green juice.

Dandelion Juice

Happy juicing!!

Filed Under: Education, Greens, Juice, Uncategorized

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

Stay Connected

  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

Hey there!

My name is Sarah. This is a wellness blog where I hope to encourage and inspire you on your mission to healthier living. Read More…

Subscribe Below For Email Updates Including Recipes, Articles, Videos & More...

Recent Posts

  • Smoothies While Traveling: Easier Than you May Think
  • How to Make an Incredible Salad Without Using Dressing
  • How to Pick the Right CSA for You (and Your Family)
  • What is Power Ingredient of the Week?

Raw Sesame Coconut Bars

Sesame Bars-23
Doterra 5

Homemade Sesame Ginger Dressing

Sesame Ginger Dressing-30

Instagram

 Cruciferous veggies are the most powerful anticancer foods in existence. They are also the most micronutrient-dense of all the vegetables as well! Here's a perfect way to add them to your diet: mix small cauliflower and broccoli florets, shredded cabbage and carrot, thinly sliced bell pepper, cucumber and onion with a couple cloves of minced garlic and some great northern beans. Splash some high-quality red wine vinaigrette over everything and mix well  so crunchy, tasty and good for you!  Life gets busy annnnd cereal. But here's how to you can make it heartier and healthier: start with unsweetened rice/kamut/buckwheat puffs with almond/rice/coconut/cashew milk. Then spruce! Dried fruits, fresh fruits, nuts, seeds, powders. Here I added quinoa flakes, chia seeds, fresh ground flaxseed, raisins, sliced banana and kiwi, freeze dried strawberries, and goji berries! Lots of power and flavor in one lil bowl.  It's been too long  carrot, celery, cucumber, ginger, beet (and greens, radishes (and greens), lemon, lime and pineapple.  Today's breakfast is on my story! Muesli (this one is more like granola) with rice quinoa milk. I added chia and hemp seeds, cacao powder, maca powder, camu camu powder, and a sliced banana on top!
TAP

Archives

  • November 2016
  • July 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
15% OFF All Navitas Naturals Products

Copyright © 2019 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress