My “SLO” Salad w/Lemon Herb Tahini Dressing

03 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in beans, dressing, gluten-free, salad, seasonal, vegan

Tags

asparagus, avocado, brown rice, cucumber, garbanzo beans, gluten free, greens, lemon, tahini, tomatoes, vegan

Love:

My husband and I recently took a trip up the California Coast for our wedding anniversary. One of our stops up highway 1 was San Luis Obispo (“SLO”), while we were there we ate at one of our favorite Cali eateries ‘The Natural Cafe’ (we think it is a California chain), it’s not a local restaurant but they have lots of veggie friendly options. I was instructed by a friend from home to try their ‘Village Salad’ which consists of romaine lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, brown rice, tofu and a little cheese. Nothing too out of the ordinary but the brown rice was my favorite part and I couldn’t wait to get home and make my own version.

This salad came together with what I had in the house and in the garden, nothing out of the ordinary, but when I posted this picture on Instagram (follow me @comsohippiechef) I got quite a few likes and thought it was worth sharing. Instead of tofu, I used crispy garbanzo beans which I started using last summer instead of croutons, definitely a favorite in our house. I also included the brown rice which is what I loved the most about the salad we ate while we were in SLO, but I was lucky to have greens from my garden as well as the flowers that were a result of my greens bolting a little to soon. The rest of the ingredients were left over from other meals. Feel free to use what you have but I do recommend that you try the brown rice and crispy garbanzo beans. I urge you to ‘slow’ down and Enjoy!

Food:

My SLO Salad– serves 2

4 c. greens of choice, divided (I used greens from my garden)

1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed and diced, divided (I used one of those really long ones)

1 organic tomato, cut in quartered and diced, divide

1 lb. organic asparagus, tops only! Use the bottoms for the pasta dish I’ll be posting next. (I roasted these in the oven with a little olive oil and salt and pepper @375 degrees for 10-15 min)

1 avocado, cut in half and sliced, half for each salad

1/2 c. cooked brown rice for each salad

1/4 c. crispy garbanzo beans for each salad (2c. fresh cooked, or canned chickpeas, toss with 2 tsp. olive oil 1/2 tsp. salt and 2 tsp. Toum (local garlic condiment)- bake 400 degrees for 30-45 min. or until cripsy)

edible flowers (if you have them), you could use sprouts instead

half a lemon

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. I start by placing the greens on the bottom of the bowl, I squeeze a little lemon over the greens and season with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.

2. Arrange the rest of the ingredients over the greens. I gave each ingredient its own space on the greens, I think it looks really pretty this way. Top with edible flowers.

3. Eat with you favorite dressing!

Lemon Herb Tahini Dressing- makes 1 c.

1/2 c. organic sesame tahini (usually by the nut butters)

1/4 c. water

1 organic lemon, zest and juice

2 T. vinegar, I used Slide Ridge Honey Wine Vinegar

2 T. organic tamari, you could use lite soy sauce or liquid amino’s

2 tsp. sesame oil

1/4 c. fresh herbs from garden (I used a combo of mint, basil, cilantro and parsley)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Put all the ingredients in the food processor or blender. Blend until well mixed. Place in the fridge. (The dressing will thicken up in the fridge, so it is best used at room temperature.)

Nutrition:

Usually during the summer I lay off this segment, I want to have more time with friends and family while the weather is good. I hope you will understand. Spending time outdoors with the ones you love eating fresh, local and seasonal food is the best nutrition!

Stuffed Acorn Squash

27 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in Events, seasonal, Side dish

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

brown rice, cheese, garlic, gluten free, kale, local, seasonal, squash, vegetables

Food:

Stuffed Acorn Squash serves 5-10

5 acorn squash, cut in half seeds removed

1 lb. local grass-fed beef (I buy Lau Family Farms)

1/2- 3/4 lb mushrooms of choice, chopped (I used shiitake)

1 large onion, chopped

1 c. celery, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 bunch of kale or swiss chard, stems removed and leaves chopped

1 T. each rosemary, thyme and sage, chopped

1 c. cooked brown rice, millet, wild rice or non-glutinous grain of choice

3/4 c. parsley, chopped and divided

1/2 c. pecorino or parmesan cheese, grated

2 T. ghee

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees. Place the prepared acorn squash cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place the squash in the oven and bake for 30 min. Take baked squash out of the oven and set aside. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees.

2. Place a large saute pan on the stove top over medium heat , add the ghee and when melted add the mushrooms and begin to saute. Don’t touch the mushrooms for a minute or so to give them time to brown. Next add the onions, celery and garlic and begin to saute with the mushrooms, salt and pepper the veggies just a bit. Saute for 5-7 minutes.

3. Next add the beef, use a potato masher to incorporate the meat into the veggies, season with a little more salt and pepper. When the beef is just about cooked, another 5-10 minutes add the rosemary, sage and thyme. Stir to combine.

4. Pull the beef and veggie mixture off the heat and add 1/2 c. chopped parsley, cooked brown rice and chopped kale, stir well to combine all the ingredients.

5. Scoop the mixture into the acorn halves, in a separate bowl combine 1/4 c. remaining parsley and cheese, season lightly. Spoon this mixture over the stuffed acorn squash (there will most likely be extra filling, save for a snack). Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and began to brown and the mixture is warmed through. Serve hot with a drizzle of good quality olive oil. ENJOY!

Nutrition:

Grass-fed beef: http://www.laufamilyfarm.com/why-grass-fed/

Shiitake Mushrooms: These meaty flavorful mushrooms contain a substance called eritadenine, which encourages body tissues to utilize cholesterol and lower the amount circulating in the blood. Shiitake also have antiviral and anti-cancer effects.

Acorn Squash: Acorn squash is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C and beta-carotene. It is also a very good source of thiamin, vitamin B6, potassium, magnesium,and manganese, and a good source of iron. It is a great seasonal choice in place of traditional bell peppers which are a late summer crop.

Love:

I made these bad boys for my Holistic Nutrition class last weekend. I wanted to show my students what eating a more plant-based Holistic diet looked like. We started with Raw Oatmeal made with Homemade Almond Milk and served it with local Drake Family Farm Goat Yogurt, our lunch item was Lentil Stew w/Kabocha squash and for dinner we had these Stuffed Acorn Squash. When people hear the word plant-based they think vegan or vegetarian, but to me it means whole foods in the natural state that are local and seasonal, not processed packaged foods. I live by a 90-10 rule, 90% of my diet consist of plant foods, this includes beans, legumes, grains, rice, nuts and seeds, and lots of fresh fruits and veggies, the other 10% leaves room for local, sustainable QUALITY animal foods, this includes local beef and chicken on occasion, wild fish, yogurt and cheese. It’s not the quantity but the quality of the choices we make, this is what Holistic Nutrition is all about. I hope you enjoy this recipe, my students sure did!