CARROT SALAD with garbanzos and chili-lime dressing

This is a recipe born out of my desire to enjoy one of my favorite restaurant's salads at leisure. I find it to be a great spring go-to. Light and fresh yet maintaining a certain kind of density that is satisfying without dropping like a boulder in the gut. The best part? It get's better with age. Make the full batch as shown below and enjoy all week. Play with different ways to garnish and test a few base grains. Take it outside, sit in the grass and soak up all the earth has to offer.

May spring fill you with random creativity and the feeling of being fully alive.

Peace.

[THE RECIPE]

20 medium to large carrots, peeled and thin-sliced at a diagonal
15-ounce can of garbanzo beans [I love Eden brand] or 2 cups homemade
1/2 red onion, cut in half and finely sliced
6 radishes, cut in half and finely sliced
1 heaping tablespoon ghee or avocado oil
sea salt
ground pepper

Bring to boil a medium size pot of water. Add sliced carrots and blanch for two minutes. Eliminate heat, pour carrots into a strainer over sink, and rinse with very cold water. Let sit for 5 - 10 minutes to allow water to fully drain.

Meanwhile, dump garbanzo beans into a fine mesh strainer and rinse well with cold water over sink. Shake to remove any remaining water. Heat 1 heaping tablespoon of ghee or avocado oil in a large skillet or frying pan. When hot but not smoking, carefully add garbanzo beans and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Shake pan frequently to stir. Sauté for 3 - 5 minutes or until beans just begin to show golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool in pan for a few minutes.

Place carrots, sautéed beans, onion, and radishes. Gently mix with wooden spoon. Add half of the dressing and stir until dressing thoroughly coats the vegetables. Taste and add more dressing as needed.

For best results, make a day in advance and refrigerate over night. Serve room temperature over a bed of rice or quinoa and garnish with toasted almonds, fresh cilantro or parsley, avocado, and remaining dressing.

For the Dressing:

1/4 cup maple syrup [more to taste]
juice of 4 limes
2 - 3 teaspoons of chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
salt, to taste [start with 1/2 teaspoon and add as needed]
ground pepper, to taste
1 loosely packed cup fresh cilantro leaves
3/4 - 1 cup avocado oil or olive oil

Place all ingredients except oil and cilantro in a blender or medium size glass jar with tight fitting lid. Blend on low-medium to combine or shake well for 1 - 2 minutes. If using blender, turn on low and slowly drizzle oil into blender container until dressing begins to thicken. Dressing consistency should be more than watery yet not thick. Add cilantro and blend on medium-low to combine. Cilantro should look like small flakes. If your using a glass jar, add oil and shake for 2 minutes until dressing thickens. Add finely chopped cilantro and shake once more.

TWO SUMMER SALADS, ONE HERB DRESSING

Every March it happens. I become so giddy with the idea of fresh herbs I start, what seems like, way too many seeds. Then July rolls around and I am so grateful for the endless supply of basil and other decidedly "summer" flavors. I've been enjoying this dressing alongside almost every meal, preferably while sitting on the patio with a small glass of coconut water kefir.

The dressing is really easy to make and, if you don't have a garden, you can easily find herbs in bulk at your local Farmer's Market. Don't let a missing herb stop you - blend together whatever combination suites you and sub herbs you love for ones you may not favor. This recipe is a combination of my favorites but really, go nuts with whatever you've got.

Within this post you'll also find two of my go-to salads. I love the balance of raw greens with cooked vegetables and tend to make a large batch of the veggies so I have them at the ready when meal-time rolls around.

[HERB DRESSING RECIPE]

Note: This recipe makes a larger batch, about 4 or 5 half pint jars. I make large batches of this dressing and freeze it in small glass jars for a bit of summer flavor come winter chill. 

2 cups organic, extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. sea salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 c. Genovese basil leaves
2 c. roughly chopped chives
1 c. lemon or lime basil [optional, if you don't have this simply add another cup of the Genovese basil]
1 c. parsley leaves
6 sprigs tarragon leaves

Optional Additions: toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds; toasted walnuts; nutritional yeast; garlic - raw, powdered, granulated, or roasted; onion powder; cayenne pepper

Pour oil into a large blender or food processor. Add salt and pepper. If you have a blender with a tamper you can layer all of the herbs [except the Genovese basil] into the blender and blend to smooth. Add the Genovese basil and blend again to smooth. If you are using a food processor or basic blender, add herbs in stages and blend to smooth before adding the next herb. Mixture should be thicker than standard dressing. If you prefer a pour-able dressing you can add a bit more oil and a couple pinches of salt.

Store in an airtight glass jar or freeze in small glass jars for winter use. I love this dressing with just about everything: salads, butternut squash hashbrowns, zucchini pasta, quinoa, fish, etc.

[CUMIN CARROT-RADISH + HERB QUINOA SALAD RECIPE]

4 - 5 medium size carrots, rinsed and sliced
8 - 12 radishes, rinsed and sliced
1 - 2 T. coconut oil or ghee, melted
4 T. whole cumin seeds
1 tsp. sweet paprika
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 c. cooked soaked and sprouted quinoa* [this is a great way to use leftover quinoa from a previous meal]
1 T. herb dressing [see recipe above]
large handful baby greens or salad blend, rinsed and spun dry
1/2 avocado, sliced
1 - 2 T. raw, unpasteurized sauerkraut [optional]**
1 T. extra virgin olive oil [optional, I love using a lemon-flavored oil with this salad]

Place cumin seeds, paprika, a pinch or two of sea salt and ground pepper in a spice grinder or dry vita-mix container. Grind until seeds are powdered. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a baking sheet, toss carrot and radish slices with oil or ghee. Sprinkle ground cumin mixture over the oil-coated vegetables and mix well [using your hands works best here]. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft when poked with a fork.

While vegetables are baking, heat quinoa in a cast iron skillet over medium heat for about 5 - 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low and add herb dressing. Toss until quinoa is well coated.

Arrange greens on plate of choice. Drizzle with olive oil and layer warmed herb-quinoa, roasted vegetables, avocado, and sauerkraut. Enjoy immediately or cool.

*Soaking and sprouting quinoa really improved digestibility. Place quinoa in a glass jar and cover with double the amount of water. You can add a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar to increase the benefits of soaking. Cover with cheese cloth or mesh sprouting lid and let stand for 12 hours. Drain water, rinse, drain, and rinse. Place in jar in a warm, light area and rinse once or twice throughout day. Sprouts should appear in 24 - 36 hours. After sprouts appear, rinse and drain once more. Place in a pot and fill with just enough water to cover quinoa. Cover, bring to boil, and reduce heat to low until all liquid has been absorbed. Let stand covered for 10 minutes and then fluff with a fork. 

**Raw, unpasteurized sauerkraut is packed with friendly bacteria. It's a great addition to any meal. If you purchase, make sure it is from a reputable source.

[GREEN BEAN + QUINOA SALAD RECIPE]

2 c. fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch size pieces

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1/2 c. cooked soaked and sprouted quinoa* [this is a great way to use leftover quinoa from a previous meal]
1 T. herb dressing [see recipe above]
large handful baby greens or salad blend, rinsed and spun dry
1/2 avocado, sliced

1 small cut of wild-caught, sustainably harvested fish of choice [I enjoy salmon or halibut]

1 T. + 2 tsp. coconut oil or ghee

Warm one tablespoon of oil or ghee in a medium-sized cast iron skillet or medium. Add onion and saute until very soft and just beginning to brown. Add garlic and saute for a minute or so. Toss in cut green beans and saute until beans are bright green [or yellow or purple depending on variety] and just beginning to soften. Remove from heat and set aside. 

In another small skillet, heat cooked quinoa over medium heat for about 5 - 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low and add herb dressing. Toss until quinoa is well coated. Add quinoa to cooked green beans and set aside. 

In the same skillet used for quinoa, warm 2 tsp. coconut oil or ghee over medium-high heat. Rub fish filet with sea salt and freshly ground pepper [you can be generous here!]. Carefully place filet in pan with oil and cover. When first side is browned flip and return cover. Cook until desired level of done-ness has been reached. You could also bake or broil fish if preferred.

If beans and quinoa have cooled, warm over low heat. 

Arrange greens on plate of choice. Layer with warm herb-quinoa and sauteed beans, avocado, and fish. Enjoy immediately or cool.

*Soaking and sprouting quinoa really improved digestibility. Place quinoa in a glass jar and cover with double the amount of water. You can add a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar to increase the benefits of soaking. Cover with cheese cloth or mesh sprouting lid and let stand for 12 hours. Drain water, rinse, drain, and rinse. Place in jar in a warm, light area and rinse once or twice throughout day. Sprouts should appear in 24 - 36 hours. After sprouts appear, rinse and drain once more. Place in a pot and fill with just enough water to cover quinoa. Cover, bring to boil, and reduce heat to low until all liquid has been absorbed. Let stand covered for 10 minutes and then fluff with a fork. 

THREE WINTER SALADS + ONE DRESSING

Okay, salads are easy. I mean really easy. This makes salads perfect for the 5 o'clock "what's for dinner?!" panic and something I rely on for many of our summertime meals.

However, winter makes finding fresh local greens and the standard cucumber + tomato combination next to impossible or really, really expensive [both in transport and in purchase].

Yet I love and crave salads and have come to anticipate each season's special twist. So here are three of my favorite winter-friendly salads I make more than I care to admit.

I encourage you to drop into a winter Farmer's Market or find a local farm with a winter CSA option available, stock up on these veggies, and enjoy warm salads all winter long. I like to make these in the full batches and save for easy lunch options. All three also make fantastic sides for holiday celebrations.

[DRESSING]
This is the dressing you will use on all of the salads below.

1 part of equal parts raw cider vinegar + lemon juice [1/2 cup is a good place to start]
1 part extra virgin olive oil [1/2 cup is a good place to start]
1 - 2 T. raw local honey or maple syrup [adjust to taste]
2 - 3 tsp. gluten-free Dijon mustard [adjust to taste]
large pinch or two of sea salt

Place all ingredients in a glass jar and seal with tight fitting lid. Shake vigorously for a minute or so until all of the ingredients have been incorporated.


[WARM BEET SALAD]
Serves 2

1 large beet - washed, peeled [optional if using organic beets], cubed
1 large carrot - washed, peeled [optional if using organic beets], sliced
1 - 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
small handful [about 2 T.] cashews - slightly crushed and toasted*
2 - 3 T. dressing [recipe shown above], adjust to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the chopped beets and sliced carrots on a stone or parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss until all pieces are covered in oil. Place in preheated oven and roast for 10 - 15 minutes or until vegetables are just soft.

Remove from oven, spread onto plate or bowl and toss with a couple tablespoons of dressing. Sprinkle with toasted cashews and serve warm.


[WARM BROCCOLI + KALE + WHITE BEAN SALAD]
Adapted from Whole Living Magazine: Issue No. 73 / January-February 2013, p. 51
Serves 4 - 6 

3 c. broccoli, stalk + leaves + florets, rinsed and cut into chunks
1 large bunch of Lacinato or favorite kale variety, washed and chopped
3 c. white beans, soaked and cooked
1/2 c. chopped parsley [if available]
1/3 c. toasted sunflower seeds*
2 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 - 1/3 c. dressing [recipe shown above], adjust to taste

Steam cut broccoli stalk[s], leaves, and florets until bright green and just soft but still a bit crunchy [about 3 - 5 minutes]. In a large cast iron skillet, saute kale in 1 T. of the olive oil over medium-high heat until the kale is bright green and just soft. Place broccoli in a large food processor and pulse to chop into small pieces. Place into a large glass bowl and repeat with the kale and parsley. Place with chopped broccoli, cover, and set aside. In same large cast iron skillet pour in remaining 1 T. olive oil and bring to just hot. Carefully add beans, toss and let sit a minute or so. Stir and repeat. Beans should begin to brown on edges. Remove from heat and add to bowl with broccoli, kale, and parsley. Add toasted sunflower seeds and dressing and gently toss it all together adding more dressing if necessary. Serve warm.



[WARM KASHA SALAD]
Adapted from Delicious Living Magazine: November 2013 Issue, p. 34
Serves 4 - 6

6 cups of loosely packed arugula, rinsed and spun or patted dry
1 medium to large onion, chopped
1 1/2 c. sliced celery [may be available at Farmer's Market into November] - rinsed and sliced
1 large or 2 small kohlrabi - rinsed, peeled, and chopped
2 large radishes - rinsed and chopped
1 - 2 medium-large carrots - rinsed, quartered, and sliced
1 - 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 c. hulled, gluten-free buckwheat groats or kasha [soaked for 4 - 6 hours, drained, and rinsed]
4 c. pure water
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 c. pumpkin seeds, toasted*
1/2 - 3/4 c. dressing [recipe shown above], adjust to taste
Roasted white or garbanzo beans ["Mildly Spicy" recipe], optional

In a medium sized stainless steel saucepan bring 4 c. water to boil. Add salt and soaked buckwheat groats. Cook for 7 - 10 minutes or until just soft. Drain in a fine mesh strainer, rinse briefly with cold water, place in glass serving bowl, cover and set aside. In a large cast iron skillet place oil and onion. Bring to sizzle and then reduce heat to medium low, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and just transparent. Add celery and carrots and cook for a few more minutes. Add kohlrabi and radishes and cook another few minutes or until vegetables are just soft and warm but remain crunchy. Remove from heat and add to cooked buckwheat. Sprinkle in toasted pumpkin seeds, dressing, and stir until well mixed. Place about 1 cup of arugula on 6 plates [or simply in a large serving bowl] and top with a large scoop of the warm kasha salad. Garnish with roasted white or garbanzo beans [optional] and serve warm.


*To toast nuts or seeds: If you have a toaster oven, spread nuts or seeds out on a baking sheet. Using the "Toast: 1" or lowest setting, cook until beeper goes off. If you are using a skillet: place nuts or seeds in skillet and bring heat to high. Toss continuously until nuts / seeds become slightly browned, adjusting heat as necessary. If you are using an oven: place nuts / seeds on baking sheet and place in 300 degree preheated oven. Watch carefully and remove when they are slightly browned or smell really nutty.

GARDEN POTATO SALAD

Dinner time tends to be a bit hectic in my family. It typically begins with my husband walking through the door, welcomed by "aaaahhhhhhh!!!!!" [and other excited baby babble] and "Hey Dad! Look at this!" from the two-year old as I am working [sometimes frantically] my way through dinner prep. After a quick change from work to relax clothes we gather around the table, my daughter says a prayer [possibly the best part of my day, especially now that she improvs], and within minutes hear "all done, I'm ready to play". We attempt some quick conversation hoping to catch up on the day, finish the meal, and before I know it what should be a sacred time of family bonding has been overcome by trying to get food in our bellies before the next demand. Just like that we're on to play time, clean up, bed-prep, bedtime, post-kid work, and off to bed ourselves.

And then, the other day, everything changed.

Rather than business as usual, we grabbed our picnic trays, carried our meals down to the patio overlooking the pond, and gathered under the umbrella in the late afternoon sun. When my daughter declared done, we set her down to roam the flowers, look at bugs, and ponder a variety of things that caught her eye. We sank into our chairs, ate slow, talked and listened, and lingered at the table laughing at our daughter's antics and our own ridiculous jokes. We talked about our day, reflected on things we had learned, and for moments simply sat in the silence taking in the sounds of a little girl's laughter, a baby's coos, the songs of birds, and a bullfrog calling out here and there.

It was beautiful.

So the next evening we did it again.

And it too was beautiful.

What I realized was, once we removed the distractions that the walls of our home contain, we were set free to just be. To enjoy the company of those around us without seeing the dishes, the clean up, the toys, the phone, and all of the other things that easily pull us away from the table and time as a family. Nature has a way of coaxing us to sit and stay. To slow down and take in the blessing and beauty that surrounds us everyday.

Being outdoors pulls typical tasks from mundane to magical. Exactly what was intended, I think.

And so, tonight, we will do it again.

We'll grab our picnic trays, hoist the baby on our hip, and trek down the stairs to the patio to sit and eat and talk and laugh and watch and listen.

And I imagine it will be beautiful.

May you find a way to pull your family or your friends or yourself outside for a meal. May you put aside the work and the hassles and the time and simply be.

And may you be so blessed by the beauty you find when you do.

[THE RECIPE]

Special Note: Although cucumbers are not in season quite yet, many farmers have greenhouse cucumbers that they bring to the Farmer's Market beginning in late spring. Hunt down your nearest market and you might just be pleasantly surprised what you will find! Take liberties with this recipe and adjust the salad throughout the season, using summer squashes and cherry tomatoes in summer, root veggies in winter, and loads of spring greens in the spring. To make it a fruit salad, sub the veggies for fruit, parlsey and chives for mint, mustard for honey or maple syrup, olive oil for walnut oil, and add just a touch of salt.

For the dressing:

1/2 c. cashews, soaked* or sunflower seeds
pure water to cover cashews
2 T. raw apple cider vinegar
1 - 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/8 c. extra virgin olive oil
sea salt to taste

Place soaked cashews* in a high speed blender and pour in water, enough to just cover the cashews. Add remaining ingredients and blend on high until very smooth. The consistency should be just in between runny and thick. Add a little more water if it is too thick or more oil if it is too thin. Refrigerate until ready for use.

*To soak cashews either place nuts in a glass jar, cover with double the water, and refrigerate overnight or place nuts in a glass jar, cover with double the boiling water, and soak for 10 - 15 minutes.

For the salad:

4 - 6 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 bunch of radishes [about 6], rinsed and finely chopped
1/2 - 1 cucumber, rinsed and cut into small pieces
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
handful of green beans [if frozen, steam until just warm], cut into 1/2-inch pieces
fresh parsley, finely minced
fresh chives, finely minced
pinch or two of smoked paprika [regular paprika is fine here as well]
sea salt to taste

Place prepared potatoes in a steam basket and steam until just barely soft. Remove from heat. Add carrots to the top of the potatoes and cover to stand over residual steam [no heat necessary] for about 5 minutes. Once the carrots are just a touch soft [but still crunchy], place in a large bowl and set in refrigerator to cool [or freezer to speed up the process].

Once the potatoes and carrots are no longer hot [can still be a little warm], mix in remaining ingredients. Pour sauce over veggie mix and toss until salad is thoroughly covered.

Return to refrigerator to set for 15 - 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.

This is wonderful served with a side of sauteed asparagus.