Thai Spring Salad

This is a beautiful spicy thai salad. A great side to a beef or chicken stir fry, thai greens or rice paper rolls. 

Ingredients
1/2 purple cabbage, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 bunch of mint
1/2 bunch of thai basil 
1 small chilli 
Sesame seeds

Dressing 
3 tsp olive oil
2 tsp sesame oil
A dash of apple cider vinegar
1 tsp of honey
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method
1. Chop all veggies into desired pieces. I choose julienne carrots because I like the crunch.
2. In a separate small bowl add dressing ingredients and mix well.
3. Add dressing to salad and wholah you have a beautiful salad. 

Broccoli Salad

Summer is well on it’s way! The flowers have bloomed, the sun is shining and the new seasons produce is out and about. It is now time to introduce more raw food to encourage your body’s natural cleaning process.

Broccoli is in season and its beautiful green florets are a perfect for eating raw, steamed or baked. Broccoli is one of the vegetables included in the “dirty dozen” so make sure it is organic to avoid toxic chemical exposure. 

Why you should eat broccoli:

• Broccoli is from the Brassica family that includes kale, cauliflower and cabbage; known for their anti cancer properties.
• Contains chlorophyll the substance that gives plants their green colour, a powerful substance that helps clear your liver as well as having many other amazing benefits.
• Helps with your bodies own detoxification system by activating detoxification enzymes in your system.
• Broccoli also has anti-inflammatory properties.

  Raw Broccoli Salad

1 bunch of broccoli

½ onion (either Spanish or white)

Black and white toasted sesame seeds

Dressing

2 tsp of tamari

1 tsp of olive oil

2 tsp sesame oil 

1 tsp brown rice vinegar

1 tsp of raw honey

Method

1. Break the broccoli into tiny florets
2. Chop the onion into very small pieces
3. Toss together with sesame seeds
4. Mix the dressing together in a small bowl and pour over the salad
5. Garnish with sesame seeds

Heirloom Radish and Garden herbs

After spending a week in the Blue Mountains I am starting to get back in the swing of things. I have been taking care of chickens, ducks and the most amazing garden, I defiantly miss it! This is a beautiful salad  I made from the garden and the local co op. I saw these heirloom radishes at the co op grown by local growers and I just had to buy them. I used fresh garden herbs and rocket and the combination is a perfect mix of bitter herbs. The slight bitterness of the salad help to digest fats and simulate digestion. Serve this with a fatty friend like meat or cheese and you will not feel bloated after.

Radishes are an undervalued vegetable in my eyes. This humble root veg is packet full of vitamin C and is a powerful anti congestive.  This means is helps with asthma and other respiratory conditions. It also improves metabolism and improves blood circulation. A fun fact is that it is a great breath freshener, so no need for nasty breath mints that are loaded with aspartame.I have always loved radishes, it bring back memories of my child hood. My mum used to make sandwiches with cottage cheese and radishes when I came home from school. Coming from europe  she grew up with it so she used to it all the time in her cooking. The nostalgia of them make my heart warm and fuzzy. Include a little radish into your life you will be delighted with the taste and health benefits.

Ingredients

2 large handfuls of rocket

1 handful of parsley

1 handful of mint

Handful of dandelions

Couple of butter head lettuce leaves  

1 bunch of heirloom radishes

Method

Pick herbs from garden :)

Cut radishes into thin slices.

Toss and serve with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper.

Beet Salad

This recipe is courtesy of my friend who brought this dish over the other night when I invited her over for dinner. It was so delish I had to post it. 

1 cup of quinoa (soaked overnight)

1 large beetroot

1 medium onion

Handful of sunflower seeds

2 handfuls of rocket

1/2 bunch of coriander

Coconut oil

Splash of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Bake beetroot in the oven for about an hour or till tender

2. While the beetroot is baking, chop onions into thin stripes and gently caramelise on a low heat with a spoonful of coconut oil.

3. On a dry pan, pan fry  pre-soaked sunflower seeds till they start to pop like pop corn. Keep your eye on these, they don't take long and burn quickly.

4. Boil a cup of water and place quinoa in rapid boiling water. Boil for 5 - 10 mins.

5. When the beetroots are ready cut into small pieces and chop coriander.

6. Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. This can be served warm or at room temperature if you want it served at room temperature wait till ingredients have cooled down then toss.

7. Dress with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Lentil Salad

 Lentils are an excellent source of fibre and iron. They also contain a considerable amount of protein with 1 cup having approximately 18 grams. Lentil are also a delicious source of folate which is needed to help protect against birth defects. So why do the rest of us need folate? Well folate is needed to help with brain function and helping in preventing conditions such as depression. It is also needed for the production of red blood cells which will help prevent against anaemia and heart related conditions. Eat some lentils and reap the benefits!

1 cup of cooked lentils
2 carrots
1/2 onion finely chopped
Coriander
Cold pressed olive oil
Lemon

Cook lentil till soft.
Set aside and let them cool.
Finely chop carrots, onions and coriander.
Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice and toss.

Braised Fennel and Radish Salad

Ingredients

Couple of carrots

1 fennel bulb

Bunch of radish

Spinach

Dressing

Olive oil

Rosemary

Agave Nectar

Salt and pepper

Lemon

Method

Mix the Dressing ingredients into a bowl and whisk

Chop the carrots and radish

Mix radish and carrots in with the dressing

Pan Fry the radish and carrots

Chop the fennel and char on the pan, only use a small amount of oil to caramelise. Both sides should be blackened slightly. 

Place in a bowl with salt and pepper and your done!

Feta and Roasted Pumpkin Salad

My mid week pick me up salad.

Ingredients

Marinated feta

Couple of handfuls of rocket 

1/2 can of chickpeas

1 cucumber

Handful of a variety of seeds

1 tbs flaxseeds

1/4 pumpkin

1 chilli

Method

Cut up your pumpkin into small pieces.

Place into roasting tray and season with chilli, pepper dried oregano.

Roast at 180 degrees for about 45 mins or when soft

While thats roasting, on a dry pan pan fry the seeds (not flaxseeds). Once they start to pop they are ready.

Put aside to cool down.

When the pumpkin is soft put chopped veggies and rocket into a large bowl.

Sprinkle the seeds and rum the feta on top.

Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic.

Devine!

Silver beet and Dutch Carrot Salad

Leafy green vegetables support the health of our bodies in a number of ways.  Dark leafy green vegetables, like spinach, kale and collard greens, are high in calcium, magnesium and B vitamins. The B vitamin group is responsible for the health of our nervous system.It's no surprise that they contain a number of nutrients that are clinically proven to boost our moods and improve vitality.  When a deficiency is present, we may suffer from feelings of depression, irritability and mental fatigue.  The calcium present in leafy greens sends a signal to your brain to release happy neurotransmitters; and with just as much absorbable calcium as dairy, you're guaranteed to feel the good vibes pulsing within.  Magnesium, found abundantly in dark leafy greens, helps to produce and support seratonin in the brain; thus improving our mood. 

Make sure to eat a serving of dark leafy vegetables everyday.

Ingredients

1 bunch of dutch carrots

1/2 bunch of silver beet

2 beetroots

1/2 purple cabbage
1 chilli

salt, pepper and olive oil to taste 

Method

Cut carrots into halves and roast in the oven with garlic, salt, pepper and chilli. This should take between 45 mins and 1 hour.

Peel beetroot and grate in raw.

Grate purple cabbage.

Cut silver beet to small pieces and add in raw.

After the carrots have cooked let cool and add into salad.

Yum this salad is amazing and perfect for passover!

Raw Asian Cabbage Salad

For the salad:

1/4 cabbage

1 bock choy

Alfalfa Sprouts

For the dressing:

1/4 tamari sause

1/2 cup of olive oil

1/4 cup sesame oil

Salt and pepper

Sesame Seeds

2 tsp raw organic honey

Squeeze of lime juice

2 clove sof garlic

Mix in jar together. This will keep for a couple of weeks.

Spring Salad

This spring salad is extremely easy and healthy; perfect for a hot spring day (like today). Quinoa is one of those amazing things that has so many benefits. It is high in protein and contains no gluten making it a great thing to have in the kitchen pantry. Quinoa contains high amounts of magnesium. Magnesium is involved in more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It is particularly good for heart health and especially beneficial for your bones as well as muscle and nerve function.

What you will need

1 cup of quinoa

1 avocado

1 bunch of cherry tomatoes

1 bunch of mint

1/2 cup of sunflower seeds

1/2 Lemon and olive oil

 Method

Soak sunflower seeds overnight for better digestion

Boil quinoa for ten minutes

Add all ingredients into a bowel