Salads

This cucumber salad can be served on it’s own or topped on a bed of lettuce, stuffed into a pita pocket with our REAL Baked Falafel Burgers, or as part of a mezze platter, as shown below.

2 cucumbers, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
8 cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced
juice of one lime

In a medium size bowl toss the ingredients together and serve.

The REAL Mezze Platter:
Baba Ganoush
Red Pepper Hummus
Cucumber Salad

This is a variation of Chinese Chicken Salad, without the chicken and it’s heavenly. The flavors of the cilantro, scallions and peanuts really pop. It’s important to let the cabbage marinate in the refrigerator without the dressing or the peanuts. You can’t stop eating it, it’s that good.

Dressing
2 Tablespoon peanut butter (if allergic to peanuts use Sesame Butter, Tahini)
2 Tablespoons agave
1 Tablespoon Tamari (soy sauce)
1 Tablespoon water
Juice of 1 large lemon
1 teaspoon shredded fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon dry powder
1/8 teaspoon mustard powder

In a blender or with a whisk in a stainless steel bowl blend all ingredients. Adjust the thickness: if it’s too thin add a little more peanut butter/tahini; if it’s too thick add a little more water. It should be the consistency of heavy soy creamer.

Salad
1 large head Napa cabbage (shredded)
3 cups mung bean sprouts (loosely packed)
1 bunch cilantro (about one cup chopped, no stems)
1 bunch scallions (green onions) chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
1 cup unsalted, dry roasted peanuts (if allergic to peanuts use 1/2 cup sesame seeds and 1/2 cup sunflower seeds mixed)

Wash all ingredients thoroughly and either spin dry in a salad spinner or pat dry with a clean tea towel.

Shred the Napa cabbage with a sharp knife or food processor fitted with the slicing wheel (if you use the food processor you will need to do this in small batches and place in a large bowl)
Chop the cilantro — NOTE: Use only the leaves and the tender stems near the leaves (save the thick stems for juicing).
Chop the green onions/scallions, (use the entire onion, even the green part)

PLACE ALL INGREDIENTS IN THE LARGE BOWL AND ADD THE MUNG BEAN SPROUTS

Toss all ingredients until completely incorporated and let set in the refrigerator for at least a half hour. This marinates the cabbage with all of the flavors.

NEXT, mix in the peanuts (saving a few for garnish) and toss the salad with the dressing.

Serve with a side of brown rice and a few peanuts for garnish.

Be it Shakespeare in the Park or sunset on the terrace, this unbelievably simple salad of fresh green beans, yellow tomatoes, and red onions makes the perfect accompaniment to your next enchanted evening. As a side dish or on a bed of lettuce as an entree, there is no better way to celebrate the sights and sounds of those summer nights.

1 lb fresh green beans
4 large yellow tomatoes
1 large red onion
1 bunch of fresh basil (leaves only; about 1 cup loosely packed)

Wash all of the vegetables and the basil thoroughly.

Place the green beans in a steamer basket and put it in a large sauce pan with about 3 inches of water at the bottom. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer, and cover with a lid. Steam the green beans just until the color changes to a bright green. Be careful not to overcook the beans, just blanch them to a firm, ‘al dente’ texture. Strain the green beans in a colander immediately and shock them under cold running water to stop the cooking process. NOTE: If you are a raw food enthusiast, you can skip this step of steaming the green beans and use them raw in your salad.

Cut the yellow tomatoes into 1 inch chunks making sure to reserve the juice and place all in a large mixing bowl.

Dice the red onions to about 1 inch chunks.

Rough chop the basil.

Mix all of the vegetables together with the basil and dress with the tahini dressing below. Serve simply, as a side dish or on top of a bed of salad greens.

Creamy Dressing (Dairy-free)
2 tablespoons of sesame tahini
juice of one medium-sized lemon
1 tablespoon of Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
several drops of water (if needed)
fresh ground pepper to taste

Whisk the tahini, lemon juice, Balsamic vinegar and nutritional yeast together. If it binds into a paste, add a few drops of water at time until you reach the consistency of a creamy dressing.

NOTE: Salt is intentionally NOT used in this recipe, the addition of balsamic vinegar works as the acid as well as the lemon juice to bring out the flavors.

If you like the earthy tastes of pea shoots, cilantro and green onion, then this is your salad. I like serving this salad at lunch with a side of brown rice. Substitute bean sprouts if you can’t find pea shoots or if you are not fond of their flavor. You may also use peanuts and peanut butter in the dressing instead of almond butter. I find the almond butter adds a nice contrast to the overpowering flavor of the pea shoots. Add a dash of cayenne pepper to the dressing for a bit of heat. This salad is really addicting. Enjoy!

1 large head of Romaine lettuce (approximately 4 cups chopped)
2 cups pea shoots
1 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup sliced/chopped/slivered almonds (lightly toasted)

Wash and spin the Romaine, make sure it is very dry, then rough chop in one inch squares, and place in a large salad bowl. Add the pea shoots, scallions, cilantro and almonds — mix thoroughly.

Dressing
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons almond butter
1/4 cup agave
juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon shredded fresh ginger
(You may use peanut butter if almond butter is not available)

In a mixing bowl, whisk the almond butter with the soy sauce and the lemon juice. Add the agave, in a stream as you would with oil when making an emulsion. Dressing should be the consistency of heavy cream. Add in the ginger and mix. If it is too thick, add a teaspoon of water. If it’s too thin, add a teaspoon of almond butter.

Toss the salad with half the dressing and serve the remaining dressing on the side for those wanting more.

This is a REAL great salad of roasted red root vegetables served with a spectacular roasted garlic aioli. This salad is very tasty and is great as a main course salad served on top of a bed of crisp greens or as a side dish complimenting a several course meal! It is great served warm or cold anytime of year!

3 large red beets
12 small red potatoes
8 medium red carrots (use orange carrots if red aren’t available)
1 large red onion
1 tablespoon olive oil

Remove the greens from the top of the beets and save for another use. Remove the greens on the top of the carrots and use as mulch for your garden. Clean and scrub the beets, potatoes and carrots (trimming the ends of the carrots and beets) with a stiff brush and water. Make sure the vegetables are dirt-free.

Place the beets at the bottom of a large stock pot and fill the pot with water so it is just covering the beets. Open a collapsible steamer basket and place it on top of the beets. Add the carrots (cut in 2 inch pieces) and the potatoes (leave them whole). Place a lid on top and bring the pot to a boil, this allows the beets to boil and the carrots and potatoes to steam. Cook for 12 minutes or until partially cooked.

Remove vegetables from boiling water with tongs and/or a slotted spoon and cool.

Peel the beets by running cold water over them and gently rubbing off the outer skin.

Cut the beets in 2 inch chunks and quarter the potatoes. Chop the large red onion in large pieces. Mix all of the vegetables together with one tablespoon of olive oil and lay on a large sheet pan. Place the pan in a hot oven (350F) and roast for 10 minutes or until tender but not soft.

Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.

Dressing
1 bulb of roasted garlic
¼ cup of olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
chopped fresh dill

Cut the top off of a large bulb of garlic (about an 1/8th of an inch) and roast it in a small ovenproof container (covered) 30 minutes in a hot oven (375ºF) until soft — Let the bulb of garlic cool enough so you can handle it. Squeeze the softened garlic from their cloves and place the roasted garlic puree in a blender. Add the mustard, vinegar, nutritional yeast and puree. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the blender. While the blender is running on low, pour the olive oil in a steady stream while the dressing is processing and run for several seconds until completely combined, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula. You should have a thick dressing the consistency of mayonnaise. If you want a thinner dressing add a teaspoon of water (more olive oil and/or vinegar can also be added). Once you have the consistency you desire, mix in the chopped fresh dill reserving some for garnish.

Making The Salad

Combine the roasted vegetables with half of the dressing and let marinade for several minutes or, if serving cold, chill for several hours. You may serve on a bed of lettuce at room temperature or chill and serve cold as a side dish.

Garnish the salad with chopped dill and serve with the remaining dressing on the side for those wanting more of the yummy rich aioli. The aioli also goes well on lettuce or as a spread on your favorite bread or cracker or as a vegetable dip.

Not all salads need to be green to be good. When out of lettuce, I reach for the red cabbage. Shredded and tossed with creamy avocado, chewy sweet figs and tart lemon juice and vinegar and the secret ingredient, Prune Butter, you will not believe how good it is until you try it.

1 head red cabbage (shredded)
2 bell peppers, 1 red/1 yellow, diced
1 cucumber (diced: medium sized)
2 ripe avocados (diced)
1 onion (diced: medium sized; red, yellow or white)
12 dried figs (quartered)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 lemon (juiced)
2 tablespoons Prune Butter

Wash and thinly shred cabbage with a sharp knife or food processor (about a quarter of an inch thick or less) and place in a large bowl.
Add diced bell peppers, avocados, onions, cucumbers and lightly toss.

Mix prune butter with apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. Pour over salad and mix well.

Salad for Saturday evening dinner? Absolutely! REAL salads are never boring and rarely the same. And while people continue to recommend using smaller plates and eating less food, we serve our salads on 15″ chargers and fill up for seconds.

1 head red leaf lettuce, ripped into small pieces, washed and spun.
1 small cucumber, cut into 1/4″ squares (peel first if not organic)
1 block of baked tofu, cut into 1/4″ squares
2 carrots, grated (peel first if not organic
1 oz sunflower seeds
1 cup garbanzo beans
1 small avocado cut into small squares
2 Tablespoons raw black sesame butter
Juice from one lemon
1 Tablespoon walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
water

Dressing:
In a small bowl, using a fork, beat the sesame tahini with the lemon juice until smooth. Add a tablespoon of water and beat in. Continue to add water, a tablespoon at a time until a thick, smooth dressing is obtained.

Vegan Parmesan
Grind the walnuts into a powder with a mill or chop on a board into small pieces. Put in a small bowl and mix with nutritional yeast. Optional: add a small amount of red pepper or black pepper.

In a large bowl toss lettuce, vegetables and dressing together. Put salad on plate and sprinkle with vegan parmesan.

The tang is courtesy of the lemon and sesame oil vinaigrette in this salad made from a slaw of shredded green cabbage and carrots, diced red onion and mango, chopped raw almonds and sesame seeds served on a bed of romaine lettuce leaves along with baked tofu slices. Each lettuce leaf can be filled with some of the slaw and a couple of pieces of tofu, rolled up and eaten burrito-style.

Serves Four

Slaw
1 medium sized head of green cabbage
4 carrots
1 medium sized red onion
1 large ripe mango
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup sliced raw almonds
15 ounces of baked tofu (four 4 oz blocks per salad)
1 large head of romaine lettuce

Dressing
juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons of mango juice

1. Shred the cabbage and carrots on a box grater or use a food processor with the shredder disk and put in a large mixing bowl.
2. Peel a ripe mango and dice it making sure to remove all of the fruit from the large pit. (NOTE: you could use a potato ricer to gently squeeze the juice from the fruit that remains clinging to the pit and reserve it to use in the dressing)
3.  Add the mango, almonds, sesame seeds to the bowl with the slaw.
4. Dice the red onion and add to the bowl. Mix all the ingredients and set to one side.
5. In a small bowl whisk the lemon juice, sesame oil and mango juice. Add to the slaw and toss.
6. Cut the tofu into half inch strips.
7.  Arrange romaine leaves on a plate and pile the slaw in the center of the plate. As if you are making the sun’s rays, arrange the tofu around the mound of slaw, garnish with a few more sliced almonds or a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Watch how simple it is to make this great salad, Asian Slaw.

1/2 Napa cabbage
2 carrots
2 scallions, finely sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce (to taste)
juice from one fresh lime

Cut cabbage into fine strips, 1/4 wide.  A food processor can be used with the slicing blade.  Grate carrots manually or in a food processor with the shredder blade.  In a large bowl mix cabbage, carrots, scallions and cilantro. Add lime juice, sesame oil, soy sauce, and sesame seeds. Toss well. Serve immediately or chill. Can be used for a stir fry as well. Optional: add minced garlic or ginger.