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Wild Baby Greens Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette and Candied Walnuts

While spring and summer are typically the best time of the year to enjoy salads, I just can’t help but enjoy this salad as long as I can get my hands on some fresh baby greens. It is so delicious! And so healthy! Learn how to make this tasty dressing and how to candy your own walnuts with healthy ingredients.

This salad tastes like spring in your mouth! I just love it! This recipe also includes a quick and easy way to “candy” walnuts. Walnuts are great for the brain, they can decrease inflammation in the body, and they can increase immune function. They are also used in Chinese medicine to “enrich sperm” and support the kidneys and adrenals.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 5 to 8 minutes | Yields: 4 servings

6 cups mixed baby greens
1 cup raw walnut halves
½ teaspoon sea salt
1/8 cup dark agave syrup

Vinaigrette:

½ cup raspberries (fresh or frozen and thawed are fine)
2 to 3 tablespoons unrefined olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 to 2 tablespoons raspberry balsamic vinegar (if this is unavailable, just use regular balsamic)
Optional: 1 to 3 tablespoons agave or maple syrup (this will make the dressing less
tart if you prefer it that way)

1. Put the raspberries and vinegar in the blender and blend on high; add in the olive oil while the blender is on and let it blend another 30 seconds to one minute, until everything is smooth.
2. Put the clean greens either in mixing bowl or on separate serving plates.
3. Heat the walnuts in a small skillet over med/low heat. Stir every minute or so and
cook until toasted and fragrant, but not burned (5 or so minutes). Add salt and then
the agave syrup.
4. Stir the walnut mixture and then turn off the heat. Continue to stir until the nuts are “candied.”
5. Pour the dressing over the greens and then top with the walnuts. They are nice served
warm on top of the cool salad. Try this with sliced or grated apple. I have also
enjoyed this salad with a bit of feta cheese on top. Mmmmm!

Almond Butter Sauce

Do you like peanut sauce? Well then you’ll LOVE this almond butter sauce! There is a secret ingredient that makes this sauce extraordinary… Check it out to learn what it is. This is the perfect compliment to all of Tif’s Asian recipes.

Cook time: 5 minutes
Serves 4 to 6

¼ cup wheat free tamari
¼ cup agave nectar (you may wish to use more if you like it sweeter)
½ cup almond butter
2 tablespoons coconut cream
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon optional chili flakes

Put all of the ingredients into a small saucepan; heat the pan to medium low and stir until all of the ingredients are mixed well and creamy. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the contents into individual sauce dishes or ramekins.

Serve with Garden Fresh Spring Rolls or the Veggie Nori Rolls

**Agave nectar can be found in most stores, especially health food stores. This sweetener is well worth having on hand. Unlike refined sugars, agave nectar is actually a healing food. It has a lower glycemic index and glycemic load than refined sugars so it delivers the sweetness without the spiking your blood sugar levels. And to top it off, agave nectar has been found as an effective remedy against unwanted intestinal bacteria.

SMOOTHIES: “Just Desserts”

“Just Desserts” Smoothie Recipes

Orange Poppy Seed Cake

1 orange, peeled, segmented, and frozen

zest and flesh of 1 orange, peeled

2 tablespoons agave or honey

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1/2 avocado

1-1/2 cups almond milk

pale, mild greens

Blend all ingredients except the poppy seeds.  Add the seeds and stir through on low speed, or stir in manually.  Serve garnished with poppy seeds and grated orange zest.

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 Choc-Mint Pattie

2 frozen bananas, sliced

2 tablespoons raw cacao powder

1 cup ice cubes

2 drops pure peppermint essential oil

2 tablespoons agave nectar

1-1/2 cups almond milk

1 cup torn kale

Blend and top with grated raw mint chocolate.

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 Raw Vanilla Ice Cream

1-1/2 cups cashews, soaked 4 hours

1/2 cups young Thai coconut flesh

2 cups young Thai coconut water

1 cup agave and/or maple syrup

2 whole vanilla pods, quartered

good pinch of salt

Blend all the ingredients until well combined and smooth.  You may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the blender jug a few times.  If it’s too thick, add a little more liquid.  Pour the cream into ice cube trays and freeze.  Once frozen, pop them out and store in a labeled bag or container in the freezer to use as needed for adding decadence to smoothies.  To serve as ice cream, refrigerate the cream and churn in an ice-cream maker to process the frozen ice cream blocks in a high-speed blender till it reaches a soft ice cream consistency.

 

Super Green Ice Cream Variation:  Make vanilla ice cream as above and add 2 tablespoons green powder, like Deep Green Alkaliser, Vital Greens, or barley grass powder, and/or matcha green tea powder as needed when blending.