Ginger Tofu Miso Ranch- Turmeric Mint Lime Vinaigrette

31 Monday Mar 2014

Posted by cosmohippiechef in appetizer, dips, DIY, dressing, gluten-free, salad, vegan

Tags

cilantro, garlic, ginger, gluten free, lemon, miso, salad, tofu, turmeric

Food:

Ginger Tofu Miso Ranch

inspired by Bon Appetit

4oz silken tofu (I have made this with sprouted firm tofu, sprouted is better for you but it makes the dressing gritty. I like the silken better.) If you don’t eat any soy sub with 4oz of hemp seeds

3 T. miso (I change-up my miso all the time, for this recipe I used Cold Mountain organic unpasteurized red miso)

1 lemon, juice and zest

1 inch ginger, peeled and grated

2 tsp. apple cider vinegar or Honey Wine Vinegar (local)

1/2 c. Drake Family Farm Goat Yogurt

1 T. cilantro, chopped

2 T. chives, chopped

1 T. heaping homemade dry ranch mix (2T. dried parsley, 1t. dried dill, 1t. garlic powder, 1t. onion powder, 1/2t. dried basil, 1/2t. pepper, make a double batch and store in a glass container with a tight fitting lid)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place the tofu, miso, ginger, vinegar, lemon juice, zest and dry ranch into the food processor and mix well. Drizzle in the goat yogurt while the motor is running. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides, add in the chives and cilantro and pulse just to incorporate. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust seasoning.

2. Store in a glass container with a tight fitting lid and place in the fridge and let the flavors meld together for at least an hour. Eat!

We will be enjoying this dressing on my Spinach, Beet Quinoa Salad for dinners this week!

Turmeric Mint Lime Vinaigrette

inspired by Food Matters

1/4 c. olive oil

1/3 c. fresh lime juice (this was 4 limes for me)

zest from 2 limes

1/4 c. water

2 T. almond butter

1/4 c. tamari (organic gluten-free soy sauce)

2 tsp. dry kelp seasoning

2 small garlic cloves, chopped

1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1 tsp. grated fresh turmeric

2 T. fresh mint

Directions:

1. All of the ingredients go into the food processor except the olive oil and mint, mix well. Next drizzle in the olive oil with the motor running. Stop the machine, scrape down the sides and add the mint, pulse just to combine.

2. Store in a glass container with a tight-fitting lid and place in the fridge for the flavors to meld together for at least an hour. Eat!

I think this dressing would be killer on my “SLO” Salad.

Nutrition:

Tofu- In my opinion soy gets a bad wrap, maybe because we are using soy in everything and all soy isn’t created equal. I suggest you stick to sprouted tofu (sprouted anything is always better and easier to digest), tempeh, miso (which are fermented and fermented means good gut bacteria and better digestion), and edamame. Always look for Non-GMO! Silken tofu if a great veggie/plant based protein to add to your smoothies.

Miso- Miso is full of good bacteria, best when eaten raw like in this dressing to maximize all it has to offer. Can be added to soup, just remember to add it to the soup after it has been taken off the heat so you don’t kill the living bacteria. I LOVE MISO!

Turmeric- The list a benefits for turmeric is a mile long, most notable is that it is a big cancer fighter and a anti-inflammatory. I dare say that this will be the year of turmeric. Spicy like ginger, add it to soups, dressing, stir-fry’s and even juice it or add it to smoothies!

Kelp- One of the benefits for kelp is that its abundance of vitamins and minerals that promote healthy hair and skin. Kelp is mostly taken for its naturally high iodine content, which helps the functioning of the thyroid gland. Iodine is essential for the formation of thyroid hormones, which regulate the body’s energy production, promote growth and development, and help burn excess fat. It also adds a nice salty taste without actually adding salt, great sprinkled on eggs, veggies and grains.

Love:

These two wonderful tasty dressings have been on my “to-do” list for about a month! My friend Kim who runs the Downtown SLC Farmers Market asked me to come up with some fun dressings that would get you all excited for spring greens that will be popping up at future farmers market. Well, finally I am ready to share these dressings, I have made them a few different ways, photographed them twice and they are getting checked off my list today!

I am very picky about salad dressings, probably because I grew up eating my salads with vinegar and oil just like my grandpa. We loved vinegar and oil so much that when we were done with our salads if any dressing remained we slurped it up! That’s right we drank our leftover vinegar and oil! My grandpa and I also shared a love of mashed potatoes and gravy and though I didn’t share his passion for root beer floats I was always in charge of making them for him at family get togethers. Sadly my grandpa passed away two weeks ago, this is one of the reason’s I have been MIA on my blog. I am doing my best to keep up with life and it’s demands but when someone who has been a constant figure in your life passes away everything else seems to stand still, at least for me. I miss him terribly and I am trying to find peace in knowing (trusting) that him and my grandma are together and all is right in their world, whatever that may be. Sometimes the “to-do” list can wait, it is important to me that what I share with you is the best it can possibly be and from time to time that may take me just a little longer.

I love these two new dressings and I think you will to, they are very different and should get you excited about a new season of bounty headed our way. ENJOY!

Broccoli Chop Salad- Take Two

16 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by cosmohippiechef in appetizer, gluten-free, salad, Snack

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

broccoli, cilantro, gluten free, onions, peas, salad, vegetables

Food:

Broccoli Chop Salad serves 8

1lb broccoli florets

1lb romanesco, chopped

16oz bag of shelled edamame/ or peas

2 c. celery, chopped

2 green apples, chopped (farmers market)

1 c. tart dried cherries (farmers market)

1/4 large purple onion, chopped (farmers market)

1 c. cilantro/parsley/mint (you decide) leaves, lightly packed

1 c. sunflower seeds, shelled

Dressing:

1 c. goat yogurt (farmers market, you could sub with veganaise or your favorite yogurt)

1/4 c. rice vinegar

1-2 T. pure maple syrup

salt and pepper

*optional- Stilton Blue Cheese (this is a great addition if you are making this salad for a party or get together, no one minds eating all these veggies when cheese is involved!)

Directions:

1. Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil, also place a large bowl of water and ice in the sink to blanch the veggies. When the water comes to a boil drop the broccoli and romanesco into the water for about two minutes or just until their color brightens. Ladle the veggies out of the boiling water and plunge them into the cold ice bath. Drain veggies, set them aside and prepare another ice bath for the edamame, cook edamame according to the directions on the package. Then plunge them into an ice bath. Drain and set aside.

2. In a large bowl mix the dressing ingredients, taste and season with salt and pepper. Add in the onions, apples, cherries and celery. Then add the blanched broccoli, romanesco and edamame, toss to coat. Lightly fold in the cilantro.

3. Toast the sunflowers seed in a dry saute pan until fragrant and slightly toasted. Toss them over the salad. EAT!

Nutrition:

Broccoli/romanesco- Broccoli is one of the most nutrient dense foods and is super low in calories! It is especially rich in vitamin C and 1 cup has about the same amount of protein as a cup of corn or rice but less than on third amount of calories. Broccoli is also a good source of vitamins K, C and A, as well as folic acid and fiber. It also contains phytochemicals with tremendous anticancer effects.

Apples- Apples are very high in pectin, a soluble fiber that has been shown to exert many beneficial effects. Because of its gel-forming fiber, pectin can lower cholesterol levels as well as improve the intestinal muscle’s ability to push waste through the gastrointestinal tract. Basically apples will help you poop like a rockstar!

Sunflower seeds- Studies have shown that the American diet is deficient of vital nutrients such as selenium which can be found in sunflower seeds. This particular mineral has anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and antialler-genic properties. Sunflower seeds are also a wonderful source of protein, vitamin E, magnesium, vitamins B1,5 and 6, phosphorus, copper, iron, folic acid and fiber.

(Above nutrition tid bits came from The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods)

Love:

This recipe is an oldie but a goodie, I posted the original version almost 4 years ago! I can’t speak for all bloggers but sometimes it’s good to go back and revisit some of your old recipes and update them. I start to crave this recipe during this time of year because I am looking for a little crunch in my diet. After indulging in all the wonder slow cooked foods from the holidays this girl needs some fresh flavors and I just love the color and textures of this salad! I also love it with a little good quality blue cheese such as Stilton, but if you are trying to clean up your diet after the holidays just leave it out. If you want another fresh crunchy seasonal salad check this one out from last year. I hope these recipe finds you happy and healthy in this new year. ENJOY!

Harvest Zucchini Chile Soup w/ Goat Yogurt and Toum

21 Monday Oct 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in Events, gluten-free, soup

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

cilantro, gluten free, goat yogurt, local, seasonal, soup, squash

Love:

Each fall, Local First Utah hosts “Celebrate the Bounty” their annual fundraiser and gala event. Featuring some of Utah’s finest fare provided by locally owned, independent restaurants, artisans and food purveyors from across the state, “Celebrate the Bounty” is the party of the year. (Local First Utah)

Okay, truth be told I wrote this post last week but the night before I was going to post it Derek and Moudi of Laziz Foods called to tell me that we had just won “The People’s Choice Award” for our soup at the Local First Celebrate the Bounty (Oct 10). The hard part was keeping quiet until Local First could announce it last Friday (Oct 18). So now, read on!

I was lucky enough to be asked by my friends Moudi Sbiety and Derek Kitchen of Laziz Foods to participate in this years “Celebrate the Bounty”. Derek and Moudi asked me to come up with a soup recipe using zucchini and their very garlicy and very unique condiment Toum. Lucky for them I was just getting ready to test out a zucchini soup I had just seen in Food and Wine Magazine, I used that recipe as a template for ours.

The night before the event the three of us got together at the Laziz kitchen to make our creation. We were all very excited to be apart of this event for the first time and also a little nervous to be surrounded by all of the wonderful foodies and food artisans in the community that we look up to (maybe I’m just speaking for myself!). The feedback about our soup was overwhelming, everyone loved the flavor of the soup and the little “kick” at the end from the chilies. The night was a success. We had so much fun, we got to chat and meet with so many new people and we got to root on our fellow foodies, but the best part was we got to be apart of “Local First” big night. I have had to pinch myself a few times, I’m still taking it all in. ENJOY!

Food:

Harvest Zucchini Chile Soup w/ Goat Yogurt and Cilantro serves 8

3 medium zucchini, ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 medium or 1 large leek, tough green ends trimmed, pale ends chopped (make sure to rinse well)

2 poblano chilies, stems, seeds removed and cut into 1 inch pieces

½ lb roasted hatch green chilies, charred skin, stem and seeds removed, chopped

1 T. heaping ghee or local butter

1 ½ T. Laziz Toum

4 c. veggie stock

1 Parmesan rind

Salt and pepper

1 c. Drake Family goat yogurt

1 bunch cilantro

Cilantro Oil

1 c. cilantro, mint, parsley?

1 c. olive oil

Directions:

1. Place your favorite large soup pot on the stove over medium heat, add the ghee to the pan and begin to melt. When the ghee becomes fragrant add the leeks, poblano’s, and roasted chilies to the pan and begin to sauté. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the leeks become soft and caramelized 8-15 min. Take your time with this step, caramelizing the chilies and leeks will add depth of flavor.

2. Next add the zucchini and Laziz toum, stir to combine. Continue to cook with the other veggies until zucchini is still bright green but beginning to soften. Season with a bit more salt and pepper.

3. Add the broth and Parmesan rind to the zucchini and leek/ chili mixture and bring to a boil, turn heat to a medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered.

4. After 30 minutes turn heat off, remove rind and in batches begin to puree soup. Adding the yogurt and cilantro to each batch to incorporate. Taste for seasoning.

5. Soup can be served, hot or cold garnished with herb oil of choice. EAT!

Directions for herb oil:

1. Puree herb of choice and oil together, strain through fine mesh strainer.

Here are some photos from the night before the event, I was too busy the night of the event to get photo’s. You can find a few on Instargram @cosmohippiechef

EASY End of Summer Salsa

11 Wednesday Sep 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in appetizer, dips, DIY, gluten-free, seasonal, Side dish, Snack, vegan

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

cilantro, garlic, gluten free, lime, onions, seasonal, tomatoes, vegan

Food:

Easy Summer Salsa

(measurements are adjustable and not exact, trust yourself!)

1 large pint of your favorite local cherry tomatoes (I used purple cherry tomatoes from Kenyon Organics)

1/2 large onion (Farmers Market)

1 small green pepper, you could also use a jalapeno or your favorite chile (Farmers Market)

garlic (Farmers Market)

handful of cilantro (Farmers Market)

lime

Celtic salt

Directions:

1. You will need your food processor or blender. Cut the onion in half, peel it and chop into large pieces, add to the processor. Save the other half of the onion for another recipe. Cut the pepper or chile in half, remove seeds and cut into pieces, add to the processor. Smash and peel the garlic and add it to the processor with a large pinch of gray/Celtic salt. Pulse to break down the pieces.

2. Next cut the cherry tomatoes in half and add then to the food processor, add the cilantro and squeeze in the lime juice. Pulse everything together until you get the desired consistency. I like mine chopped pretty fine but not completely liquid. Use your judgement and no need to worry about messing this recipe up. Taste it, does it need more salt? lime? you decide. If it is to spicy add a teaspoon of honey. Feel free to add any spices you may like.

3. You can spoon the salsa into your favorite class container and refrigerate or grab a bag of chips and start ENJOYING!

Love:

If you give me a choice between a cookie or chips and salsa, guess which one wins? CHIPS and SALSA of course! I love salty spicy treats.

This salsa has saved my behind more than once when I have been invited to a last-minute get together and all I have to do is walk out to the garden or use what is hanging around from the farmers market. It is ridiculously easy to throw together!

I hate to call this “End of Summer Salsa” but it’s been so hot here in Salt Lake that the tomatoes are just about done in my garden. This change of season is so bitter-sweet, we suffered through an outrageously snowy winter, a short spring and a sweltering hot summer. I will miss the long nights, backyard hangouts, rained out summer weddings, early mornings at the farmers market and swinging in my hammock. Most of all I will miss the fresh local produce overflowing on my kitchen counter. I am doing everything I can to soak up the last of those summer flavors before I move on to new ones, this salsa is pure summer in a jar. Oh I’ll make salsa in the winter with my canned tomatoes but it just isn’t the same, so hurry up and whip a batch of this “End of Summer Salsa” and don’t forget the close your eyes and play back all your summer adventures with each bite. Long live summer.

Beans & Greens

26 Friday Jul 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in appetizer, beans, gluten-free, salad, seasonal

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

beans, cilantro, garlic, gluten free, kale, local, parsley, seasonal, vegan

Food:

Beans & Greens– serves 6-8

2 c. dry beans (I used Adzuki beans I get at the farmers market, Borski Farms)

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeds remove and diced (farmers market)

1/2 c. parsley, chopped (my garden)

1/4- 1/2 c. cilantro, chopped (farmers market)

1 purple onion, chopped (farmers market)

3 lemons, zest and juice

a couple of garlic cloves, chopped (farmers market, Borski Farms)

lots of greens, kale and swiss chard, chopped (farmers market, Borski Farms)

olive oil

Celtic salt and pepper

Directions:

For the beans:

1. Place the dry beans in a large bowl and cover with water, soak overnight. Drain, rinse and place beans in a larger pot. Cover with water again, maybe one inch above the beans. Turn stove to high, when the beans come to a boil let them boil for five minutes skimming off the foam. Add a piece of kombu (Kombu is a sea vegetable that adds minerals and helps tenderize the beans and reduces their gas effect!), place the lid on the pot and turn the temperature to medium-low and simmer until done. Check at 45 minutes, and then every 10 minutes till they are tender but not mushy.

2. When done, drain and set aside until ready to use.

For the greens:

1. In a large bowl, add the lemon juice and lemon zest and six turns of olive oil. Next add the cucumber, onion, and herbs. Toss. Add greens, toss again. Then add the beans, toss one more time and adjust seasoning. EAT!

A few ways to EAT:

1. Spoon some into your favorite wrap with some good quality cheese, tomatoes and avocado.

2. Pair with your favorite rice, preferably wild or brown rice and season with tamari (soy sauce), sesame oil and a squeeze of lime.

3. Top with a poached egg, drizzle with olive oil and your favorite seasoning.

Love:

There is a saying in Italian that goes “Quanta Basta!”, “a little of this, a little of that!”. Beans & Greens is just that, you can make this dish to suit your taste buds, it is just a blue print, a road map to other meals. I packaged mine all up in lunch containers, topped it with tomatoes, avocado and extra drizzle of olive oil and a slice of lemon. It would also be great left in a big bowl in the fridge and then eaten each night for dinner the ways I have listed above. It is hearty but light and is perfect in this hot weather, whip up a batch and add “Quanta Basta”. Happy Summer y’all.

Tamari Glazed Bok Choy

18 Monday Mar 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in appetizer, seasonal, Side dish, vegan

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

bok choy, cilantro, garlic, ginger, gluten free, seasonal, vegan, vegetables

Food:

Tamari Glazed Bok Choy– serves 2

2 large or 4 medium baby bok choy, cut into quarters

2 small garlic cloves, chopped

1 inch ginger, peeled and grated

2 T. mirin

2 T. organic tamari (gluten-free)

1 T. pure maple syrup/ local honey

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. ume vinegar or rice wine vinegar

1 tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. coconut oil

Cilantro and scallions- garnish

Directions:

1. Start by heating a heavy bottom pot over medium heat, add the coconut oil and let it melt. While you are waiting for the oil to melt combine the garlic, ginger, mirin, tamari, maple syrup, sesame oil, vinegar and cornstarch in a bowl, mix and set aside.

2. When oil has melted place the bok choy cut side down in the oil and cook for three minutes. Turn and brown on the other cut side for another three minutes. Rotate one more time and cook for another three minutes.

3. At the end of those last three minutes pour the sauce over the bok choy and let the sauce simmer and get thick, just a few minutes. Once the sauce is thick pull of the heat. Serve immediately!!!

Love:

I have made this dish more times than I can count. The first time I made this for Billy he thought it was the best thing he had ever eaten! It was a cold snowy day and I needed something warm to hold us over until dinner, I served it over rice and it warmed us from the inside out. Now he request this dish all the time, it surprises me what dishes he’ll like and I was shocked by this one, but happy it was a hit. This is a great dish to try bok choy if you have never tried it before. Serve it with brown rice, quinoa, fish, chicken the possibilities are endless. Also, right now it the perfect time to start seeds for bok choy in the house to transplant into the garden come May! I got seeds for bok choy at the Downtown Pop Up Farmers Market this weekend, I can’t wait to have some growing in my garden this year. ENJOY!

Nutrition:

Bok Choy- Cabbage is a nutrient dense, low-calorie food providing an excellent source of many nutrients especially vitamin C, potassium, folic acid, vitamin B6, biotin, calcium, magnesium and manganese. The cabbage family of vegetables contains more phytochemicals with demonstrable anticancer properties than any other vegetable family. Consistently the higher the intake of cabbage-family vegetables the lower the rates of cancer, particularly colon, prostate, lung and breast cancer.

For another fabulous, nutrient dense, powerhouse of a recipe try my Roasted Brussels Sprout and Romanesco Soup

Farro, Brussels Sprout and Blood Orange Salad

04 Monday Mar 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in appetizer, dressing, salad, seasonal, Side dish, vegan

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

brussels sprouts, cilantro, Farro, gluten free, nuts, oranges, parsley, seasonal, vegan

Love:

If you follow me on Instagram you saw that I was gifted a whole bunch of citrus. My long time clients Erin and Trey were nice enough to share the over abundance their family had brought them from California. I couldn’t wait to get to the weekend to put it to good use. I had some Brussels Sprouts hanging out in the refrigerator as well as Farro that I brought back from Italy when we were there for the Slow Food International Conference, the perfect fixins for a salad. What I love about this salad is the light flavor with a hearty texture. The Brussels sprouts are raw but when pulled away from the pack are delicate to eat, if you have never tried Farro you must give it a try, it has a surprisingly chewy texture. We can’t forget about the blood oranges, I feel like these jewels are the beets of the citrus family. They stain your hands from their hue, and they can be used in sweet or savory dishes. Nature is so good to us, we must take advantage of our season’s bounty, that is just what I did with this dish. It will warm you like a winter dish but get your taste buds ready for the lighter flavors of spring. Enjoy!

Food:

Farro, Brussels Sprout and Blood Orange Salad serves 6-8

1 c. Farro

3 c. Brussels Sprout leaves

4-6 small blood oranges, segmented and juice reserved

3/4 c. each cilantro and parsley leaves (pull the leaves off the stem and leave leaves whole)

1/2 c. pistachios’, toasted and chopped

10 green olives (I buy Cerignola from Caputo’s Market, they are mild in flavor)

1 T. pomegranate syrup (I bought this at Black Cherry Market-great place for Mediterranean foods, good friends of our family. If you don’t have this use balsamic vinegar or Slide Ridge Honey Vinegar, I have both but thought the pomegranate syrup would add some additional color as well as sweetness.)

1/3 c. olive oil

2 1/2 oz. Snowy Mountain Creamery Feta (if you want this to be a vegan dish omit the cheese, you can find this at Liberty Heights Fresh)

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Toast the Farro in a wide saucepan over medium heat, watch it so it doesn’t burn. When nice and toasted add 1 1/2 c. water and 1/4 tsp. salt, place lid on pot, bring to a boil and then turn down to low and simmer for 15 minutes. When done, drain in a fine mesh strainer to remove any excess water. Place in a bowl big enough to toss all the ingredients together.

2. Prepare the Brussels sprouts, cut off the rough ends and lightly start pulling the leaves away from the pack, it may take 10-12 Brussels sprouts to get 3 c. of leaves and you will have tiny little sprouts let over- save those for something else.

3. Segment the blood oranges, carefully cut the rind off the oranges and then over a bowl to reserve the juice (about 1/3 c.) start to remove the orange segments. Place the segments in one bowl and the juice in another.

4. Whisk olive oil, reserved blood orange juice, pomegranate syrup and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

5. In the bowl with the Farro toss in the Brussels sprout leaves, chopped toasted pistachio’s, chopped olives, cilantro and parsley leaves. Pour on the dressing and toss lightly. Arrange the tossed salad in a pretty serving dish and place blood oranges on top. If using feta break it up the and sprinkle on top. Serve immediately.

Nutrition:

Farro- Farro is essentially a form of Spelt. Spelt’s cultivation is thought to have begun sometime during the mid- to late Neolithic (Stone Age), 6000 to 5000 B.C.E. an area that spans parts of modern Iraq, Iran and Jordan, making this one of the earliest crops grown in the Western World! Farro is an Italian staple grain, so when buying look for Farro but know spelt can be used in its place. The texture will be different. Farro is not labeled ‘organic’ but historically has been known to have not been sprayed due to the fact that it will not survive if treated with harmful sprays. Farro/Spelt is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, complete protein and fiber. Spelt is a good alternative for those allergic to wheat. The gluten found in Spelt is more fragile than that found in wheat, so it is more easily digested.

Brussels Sprouts- 1 c. of Brussels Sprouts contains more than 4 grams of fiber, they are an excellent food to reduce appetite, promote bowel regularity and prevent colon cancer. Plus, Brussels Sprouts are so en vogue these days, I remember being a kid and scared of those nasty buggers- now we eat them weekly when they are in season.

Blood Oranges- We all know oranges are great for their high vitamin C content but did you know that vitamin C and flavonoids are important for the immune system, lens of eyes, adrenal glands and reproductive organs as well as the connective tissue of our body, such as the joints, gums and ground substance. The consumption of oranges and orange juice has been shown to protect against cancer and help viral infections. Yum!

Celery Root, Apple Cilantro Salad

04 Monday Feb 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in appetizer, dressing, salad, seasonal, Side dish

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

apples, arugula, celery root, cilantro, gluten free, lemon, nuts, seasonal, tart dried cherries

Food:

Celery Root, Apple Cilantro Salad– serves 4

Salad:

1 medium celery root- peeled, sliced and julienned

2 medium apples- cored, sliced and julienned (I used 1 granny smith and 1 red variety I got at the farmers market)

1/2 c. fresh arugula

1 c. cilantro leaves- whole leaves torn off stem and lightly packed

1/2 c. pistachios- lightly toasted in a dry saute pan over med-low heat

1/2 c. tart dried cherries- chopped (you can find these in the bulk section of the grocery store, mine are from the farmers market)

juice of one lemon

Dressing:

1/4 c. yogurt (I used Drake Family Farms Goat Yogurt)

zest of 1 lemon, juice of half the lemon

1 T. olive oil

1 T. maple syrup

1 inch ginger- peeled and grated

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. After you have prepped the celery root and apple, place then in a bowl and squeeze the juice of one lemon over the juilenned pieces. Toss lightly with your hands.

2. Next add in the arugula and cilantro leaves, toss lightly.

3. In a small bowl combine the dressing ingredients, season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Divide the salad mixture between 4 plates, drizzle the dressing over the salad and top with the pistachios and tart dried cherries. EAT IMMEDIATELY! ENJOY!

*This salad is best eaten fresh, it will last up to one day in the fridge BUT do not top the salad ingredients with the dressing or nuts and cherries until ready to eat.

Nutrition:

Celery root: Celery root has a number of vitamins and minerals, most notably vitamin C, potassium and phosphorus. Can be used in mashed potatoes, stews and pairs well with meat.

Pistachios: Pistachios are good for heart health, diabetes, healthy blood, nervous system, eye health, the immune system and skin health. Great raw or slightly toasted.

Cilantro: Helps to eliminate the heavy metal build up of mercury and lead from the bones and the tissues in the body. Cilantro contains, folates, vitamin B-6, vitamin C, A, K and loads of iron and manganese.

Love:

One of the reasons I love living in Utah is the change of seasons and all the possibilities of food exploration that it brings with each changing month. I love warm savory dishes in the winter, but this last week I have been craving lighter fresher flavors, probably because we have been bogged down with loads of smog and snow. All of us are longing for our backyards and deck hang outs, but for now we will have to settle for Super Bowls parties and hopefully some cuddling for Valentine’s Day (I have a love filled recipe coming up next week, stay tuned!). In the meantime we can start by enjoying this refreshing, light and crunchy salad that is a vacation in your mouth. Especially after the Super Bowl junk food you might just need this salad to get you back on track. Celery root is a fun seasonal veggie and thank goodness for something fresh during this time of year, it may make you long for summer with its light bright flavor, but hopefully if you are like me it will remind you that those backyards and decks are closer than we think.