Mexican Corn w/ Cilantro + Lime

Summertime sweet corn!  Combine some common Mexican flavors with sweet summer corn and you have a delicious, tangy, savory, warm {or cold} salad.

Organic Corn + Pasture Butter + Lime + Cilantro + Chili

Equipment: Cutting Board, Knife, Standing Grater or Microplane Rasp Zester, Medium-Size Sauce Pan, Medium-Size Mixing Bowl

Mexican Corn w/ Cilantro + Lime

• 3 ears non-GMO organic corn
• 2 tablespoons pasture butter (See Resources)
• Handful cilantro, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder blend (I use Simply Organic)
• 1/2 teaspoon tabasco or hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)
• Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons raw parmesan cheese, finely grated, divided 

1.  Prep corn - remove outer husks down the ear of the corn to the base.  Using clean hands, strip away the silk from the corn by hand.  Stand the corn up on a cutting board using one hand to hold the top of the corn and the other to hold the knife - carefully cut the kernels off of the cobb, set aside.  Prep cilantro - wash and chop, set aside.  Prep lime - wash and cut in half, set aside.  

2.  In sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat.  Add corn kernels and stir to coat with butter.  Cook for about 2 minutes or until they are slightly cooked but still have some bite/crunch (you don't want to overcook the corn).

3.  Remove from heat and add corn to mixing bowl.  

4.  Add chopped cilantro, chili powder, hot sauce, sea salt, lime juice and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese to the corn, mix until everything is coated and evenly distributed.

5.  Serve warm or refrigerate and serve cold.  Garnish with remaining 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese.

Yield: 3 servings       

This post is part of Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simple Sugar & Gluten Free.

Taco Salad w/ Cilantro-Mint Guacamole Sauce

This is my absolute favorite taco salad.  The Cilantro-Mint Guacamole Sauce is unbelievably good.  You might want to double the batch so you have extra to eat with some chips.

Taco Salad w/ Cilantro-Mint Guacamole Sauce

Equipment:Cutting Board, Knife, Food Processor, Large Saucepan

Cilantro-Mint Guacamole Sauce

·      1 cup cilantro

·      1 cup mint leaves

·      1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

·      Zest of 1 lemon

·      1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

·      6 cloves garlic

·      ½ teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

·      ¼ teaspoon kelp granules (See Resources)

·      1 ripe avocado, remove pit, quarter

Taco Meat

·      1 ½ tablespoons pasture butter or coconut oil

·      1 pound grass-fed ground beef (See Resources)

·      3 cloves garlic, grated or minced

·      1 tablespoon chili powder blend

·      1 teaspoon cumin

·      1 teaspoon dried oregano

·      ½ teaspoon coriander

·      ¼ teaspoon kelp granules (See Resources)

·      ¼ teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

Salad & Optional Toppings

·      Mixed greens of choice, I use Red Leaf Lettuce

·      Seasonal chopped veggies – cucumber, red bell pepper, etc.

·      Grated raw cheddar cheese

·      Cultured sour cream

·      Kimchi

·      Hot sauce

1.    Wash produce for the Cilantro-Mint Guacamole Sauce. 

2.   Fit food processor with metal “S” shaped blade – add cilantro, mint, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, salt, kelp, and avocado.  Pulse until combined and smooth.  Set aside.

3.   Prep garlic for the ground meat – remove skin/peel, grate/mince garlic cloves.

4.   In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt fat of choice.  Add ground beef, garlic, chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, coriander, kelp and salt.  Break up meat with spoon, stir to combine seasonings, cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes.  Remove from heat, set aside.

5.    Prep optional toppings for the taco salad.

6.   Add mixed lettuce greens to a deep bowl, top with taco meat, seasonal chopped veggies, grated cheese, Cilantro-Mint Guacamole Sauce, cultured sour cream, kimchi and hot sauce.  Serve immediately and enjoy every bite.

Taco Salad w/ Cilantro-Mint Guacamole, Cultured Sour Cream, Raw Cheddar Cheese, Cucumbers and Kimchi

Yield: Makes about 3-4 servings.

This post is part of Monday Mania @ The Healthy Home Economist,  Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Fat Tuesday at Real Food Forager, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Allergy-Free Wednesdays Blog Hop @ Gluten Free Pantry, and Whole Foods Wednesday @ This Chick Cooks.

Creamy Herb Chicken Salad w/ Pomegranate

I LOVE this chicken salad!  I know, there are so many chicken salad recipes out in recipe land, but this one truly is a favorite of mine.  

The pomegranate arils add such a beautiful color to the salad.  When you bite into them, the juice pops in your mouth and adds such a wonderful sweet flavor.  The creaminess comes from my absolute favorite salad dressing, which is made from ground sprouted sunflower seeds.  The combination of the herbs, the sweet pomegranate arils, the crunch from the celery and the creaminess of the dressing is absolutely divine!  

Enjoy!

Creamy Herb Chicken Salad w/ Pomegranate

Make up a batch of this to have ready for the next day.  It's perfect to serve to guests and makes great appetizers in lettuce cups for parties too!

Equipment: Food Processor, Large Mixing Bowl, Cutting Board, Sharp Knife, Medium Mixing Bowl, Small Fine Mesh Strainer

• 1 3/4 cup Creamy Herb Dressing (recipe x 3)
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup pomegranate arils (juice sacs w/ seeds) + filtered water
• 3-4 celery stalks with leaves, thinly sliced
• Shredded meat from 1 whole pasture roasted chicken*
• 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, stems removed

1. Prepare Creamy Herb Dressing, set aside.  [Note: This dressing can be made up in advance and stored in the refrigerator.]

2. Prep and wash the pomegranate.  Cut pomegranate into quarters with a sharp knife.  Place pomegranate sections in a bowl of filtered water, then gently roll out the arils with your fingers.  Remove white pith and any other parts of the pomegranate.  With a small fine mesh strainer, strain out the water leaving the pomegranate arils behind, set aside.  [Note: The arils are ready to eat now (eat whole arils, seeds and all).  Eat or store (in the refrigerator) whatever arils you don't use in this recipe for later.] 

3. Wash and prep the celery.  Thinly slice celery stalks and place pieces into a large mixing bowl, set aside.  

4. Shred roasted chicken, add shredded meat to large mixing bowl with celery, stir to combine.  

5. Add Creamy Herb Dressing and fresh thyme leaves to the chicken-celery mixture and stir to combine.  

6. Add pomegranate arils to the chicken salad mixture, GENTLY fold in the arils (if you stir too hard, the juice sacs will open and release the juice into the salad, if it happens to some arils, don't worry, it just adds a beautiful pink color to parts of the chicken salad). 

7. Serve cold or store in refrigerator for later.  Make sure to garnish with extra pomegranate arils.  

Yield: Makes about 4-5 cups chicken salad.

Note: This chicken salad is delicious the next day too!  

Storage: Store in the refrigerator, keeps well for 2 days.

Serving Suggestions: Serve on a bed of mixed lettuce greens, place in lettuce cups for small appetizers, serve for lunch or a snack with some raw veggies.  

* If you are a Northern California resident, check out my favorite pastured chicken from Cache Creek Meat Co.  They sell at farmers markets in Sacramento, Davis and Elk Grove as well as select grocery stores. 


This post is part of Monday Mania @ The Healthy Home Economist, The Homestead Barn Hop @ The Prairie Homestead, Melt in Your Mouth Monday @ Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, Weekend Gourmet Blog Carnival @ Hartke Is Online, Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Traditional Tuesdays @ Cooking Traditional Foods, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free, Gluten-Free Wednesdays @ The Gluten-Free Homemaker, Hearth and Soul Hop @ Premeditated Leftovers, Healthy 2day Wednesdays @ day2dayjoys, Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Lunchbox Love @ Allergy-Free Vintage Cookery, and Made From Scratch Tuesday @ From Mess Hall to Bistro.

Sushi Salad

This salad is so delicious, it ranks in the top 5 salads I have ever had.  It was inspired by a recipe from a cooking class I took many years ago.  I don’t remember who taught the class, but I do remember how good this dish was.

This salad is perfect year round, just make sure to use vegetables that are in season.  Get creative and add whatever vegetables you like.  This also makes a great vegetarian or vegan meal. To make the salad vegan, make sure to omit the honey and use a different unrefined sweetener. 

I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I do. 

Sushi Salad

This salad is so good!  These Asian inspired ingredients add a wonderful fresh flavor to the salad.  Enjoy it for lunch, dinner or a snack.  I even love this for breakfast.   

Equipment: Medium Saucepan w/ Lid, Large Mixing Bowl (non-metal), Small Jar w/ Lid or Small Bowl, Medium Mixing Bowl (non-metal)

• 1 cup sprouted brown rice (See Resources)


• 1 ¾ cups filtered water


• Lettuce greens, washed and dried


• ½ cup organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg Raw ACV)


• ¼ cup organic extra virgin olive oil


• ¼ cup raw honey or sweetener of choice (I use local raw clover creamed)


• 2-3 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated


• ½ teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)


• ½ teaspoon organic kelp granules (See Resources)


• 2 carrots, peeled and diced


• 2 lemon cucumbers or 1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced


• 1 ½ cups daikon radish, peeled and diced


• 1-2 ripe avocados, cut into chunks


• 2 sheets toasted organic nori/seaweed (See Resources)

Optional Additions to the Salad:

• Lacto-fermented raw Kimchi


• Wasabi


• Extra toasted organic nori


• Hot sauce

1.     Cook sprouted brown rice.  Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add rice, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer.  Cook about 30 minutes until water is absorbed when you look in the saucepan.  Remove from heat and let stand covered for 10 minutes. 

2.    Prep salad greens.  Wash and dry lettuce.  Tear into small pieces.  Set aside. 

3.    In a small jar or bowl, combine apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, honey, grated ginger and sea salt.  Cover jar with lid and shake or stir in bowl to combine.  Set aside.

4.    Tear nori into small little pieces, set aside.

5.     Prep carrots, cucumbers, daikon radish and avocados.  Set aside.

6.    In a large mixing bowl, combine warm cooked rice with the ½ of the ginger-vinegar dressing.  Add kelp granules and stir to combine. 

7.     Add diced carrots, cucumbers and daikon radish to the rice mixture.  Stir to combine.

8.    When ready to serve gently fold in the avocado and nori to the portions of rice salad that you’re going to eat. 

9.    In a medium-size mixing bowl, toss the lettuce with the remaining ginger-vinegar dressing or just enough to coat the lettuce.  If you have some leftover, add it to the rice salad mixture.

10.    Serve greens on plates or large bowls and top with rice salad.  Serve with extra nori pieces and optional kimchi, wasabi or hot sauce.     

Yield: About 4-6 servings.

Tip: Make the salad dressing in a jar ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

Note: The rice and veggie salad keeps well in the refrigerator, so store leftovers and eat the next day.
    
Vegan-Option: Remove honey and substitute with unrefined sweetener or choice.

This post is part of Wellness Weekend @ Diet, Dessert and Dogs, Fresh Bites Friday @ Real Food Whole Health, Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade, Living Well Blog Hop @ Jo's Health Corner, Freaky Friday @ Real Food Freaks, Foodie Friday @ Not Your Ordinary Recipes, Allergy Friendly Friday @ Cybele Pascal Allergen-Free Cuisine, and Whole Health Weekend Link-Up @ Nourishing Treasures.