Vegetarian Lunch: Black Rice Salad with Avocado and Grapefruit. When I'm working from home, hearty salads are a lunch staple.
I don't often allow myself enough time to make a full meal with meat or fish, but I also find cold sandwiches to get old and repetitive. What solves that old and repetitive problem? A colorful, fragrant, seasonal grain salad. Back in the Bay Area, there was a little corner grocery store in Oakland that would make this very simple black rice salad with chopped green onion and whatever colorful, seasonal produce was available. I decided it was about time I tried to replicate that salad using produce I can't seem to get enough of right now: grapefruit and avocado.
If you've never tried black rice (often referred to as forbidden rice or Japonica black rice), it has a pleasant chewiness that makes for a most satisfying salad. The citrus dressing is mild and cuts the bite of the bitter grapefruit. Black Rice Salad with Avocado and Grapefruit Serves 4 as a side portion Rinse the rice and drain in a fine-mesh strainer. Mediterranean Cauliflower Couscous Salad — Recipes from The Kitchn.
Ahhh, couscous!
The food so nice they named it twice. Except this isn't really couscous. It's cauliflower. And I feel like I won a gold medal in the kitchen when my couscous loving husband didn't bat an eye while he gobbled up this "pretend" version. I'll be the first to admit I don't usually like when food is referred to something it's not. Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables we grow on our farm. Cauliflower is so tender in the spring that it seems silly to toss it in the oven. The mediterranean flavors really shine in this simple spring salad and the roasted chickpeas add a lovely crunch.
Mediterranean Cauliflower Couscous Salad with Roasted Chickpeas & Lemon Dressing Serves 4 to 6 For the chickpeas: 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas OR 1 (15-ounce) can drained, rinsed and patted completely dry 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 tablespoon olive oil Preheat the oven to 400°F. Recipe Notes (Image credits: Andrea Bemis) Quinoa Super Salad with Ginger Lime and Sweet Chilli Dressing. When The Health Bay invited me to take part in a January healthy recipe challenge, I knew which recipe would be perfect for sharing this month.
It’s one of my family’s all-time favourite salads, packed with vibrant colours, contrasting textures and dressed in the most delicious tangy vinaigrette. It also happens to be brimming with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, so it’s great for keeping our immune systems strong and warding off those nasty Winter bugs. Forget chips and chocolate, this is the food I most often crave. Every time I eat it, I feel so energized. My body feels like it’s literally zinging from all that goodness.
The salad contains two complete sources of protein – quinoa and edamame beans – which, combined with the healthy fats in the dressing, help to keep you feeling full up for longer. Quinoa is widely available these days. To save time in the week, I often cook a double batch of quinoa, then we use one batch for salad and the other for a hot main meal. Ultra Creamy Hemp Salad Dressing (nut-free, oil-free) + Delicata Squash Salad. A blog reader recently challenged me to create a nut-free, creamy salad dressing.
You know I love a good challenge and I’m always happy when you give me recipe ideas and let me know what you are struggling with. It’s not always easy cranking out an endless supple of recipes, so I always appreciate any inspiration and guidance I can get. I first asked Julie if she has tried my beloved (nut-free) Lemon tahini dressing. The only problem is, she is allergic to sesame seeds as well, so that dressing was not an option.
I was totally stumped for ideas, until I spotted my bag of hulled hemp seeds… Yes, hemp seeds turn wonderfully creamy when blended. Of course, hulled hemp seeds (also known as hemp hearts) are nutritional powerhouses. Making this dressing is also a total breeze. PS- You’ll be seeing much more of this Delicata squash. PPS – I put about 3 times this much salad dressing on after photographing. Yield3/4 cup + 2 tbsp dressing Prep Time Cook time Total Time Ingredients: Gluten free magazine september 2014 by yum. gluten free magazine.