Easy Bok Choy Salad.

MARINATED BOK CHOY SALAD

From Gone Raw

A quick, easy and super yummy asian bok choy salad. Baby or regular bok choy can be used.

Ingredients: 

5 baby bok choys

1/4 c sesame oil

1 tbsp nama shoyu or wheat free tamari

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1-2 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice

1-2 tsp lime juice

1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced

optional:

1 garlic clove, minced

shredded carrots, cherry tomatoes or other vegetable

1 tsp toasted sesame oil (not raw)

Preparation: 

Using baby bok choy, cut the stems to about 1 inch, keeping the leaves whole add all to a bowl. Combine marinade ingredients in a jar and shake well. Pour dressing over bok choy and serve immediately or marinate for 1-2 hours to let the bok choy soften. Keeps in refrigerator for up to two days.

This was a very last minute "throw something together for work" salad that I decided to make this past weekend. I made a much smaller version of it to take to work with me. I also added some baby romaine to mine, just to bulk it up a bit. It's delicious!! The dressing makes it!

Fennel Grapefruit Salad.

Fennel Grapefruit Salad.

Fennel (Anise) is one of those vegetables that most people don't use often, if ever. I have been trying to incorporate new and different produce into my diet to help get a broader range of nutrition. It's so easy to eat the same old salad! Unfortunately,  I can't take full credit for this salad. I saw a similar recipe in Raw Food Real World, but realized I didn't have all of the ingredients after I got started. I just improvised a little and the end product was quite amazing!!  

My main reason for making this particular salad today, was that I had a fennel bulb sitting in the frig just dying (literally) to be used! Poor thing was starting to dry out a bit and I just didn't want it to go to waste!  If you've never eaten Fennel, I recommend adding it to your diet now and then. It actually has a nice mild flavor and a nice crunch to it. It also has great health benefits:

*High in Iron, so it's great for anemia.

*Anetol, a component of the essential oils in Fennel, is helpful for renal colic (usually caused by kidney stones). Anetol, along with Cineole, have anti bacterial and disinfectant properties that can help with diarrhea that is caused by a bacteria, or any other problems caused by bacterias. They also have expectorant properties and can help with lung problems like congestion, cough, or bronchitis.

*It's good for the GI system and can help with indigestion, gas, and constipation. Helping the bowels move helps to get toxins out of the body!

*Female friendly:) Helps regulate menstruation by regulating hormonal action in the body. Helps increase milk production in lactating mothers too.

*It's also a diuretic (increases the frequency of urination) so it helps to remove toxic from the body and decreases swelling. 

What you will need:

Fennel Bulb sliced thinly

Mixed Greens

Grapefruit or Oranges (squeeze some of the juice into dressing)

Dressing:

1-2 tablespoons Sunflower Oil

1/2 to 1 tablespoon of Lime Juice

Pinch Himalayan Salt

Pepper to taste

I'm sorry that these are not exact measurements for the dressing. I made it pretty quickly and forgot to measure. It's delicious though, and you can't really screw it up!

Can you see how this poor fella is drying out?!

Cut off both ends of the Fennel.

Slice the bulb in half.

Remove the fibrous center by cutting a v shape. I actually missed a small part in this picture and had to go back and cut it out.

It's important to cut the grapefruit so the membranes don't remain. If you leave the membranes on it makes the grapefruit tough. Cut grapefruit in half and then cut the ends off so you can stand it upright. Slice along the membranes to remove them from the fleshy part of the grapefruit. Cut away from peel. Save any juice to add to the dressing.

Mix Fennel with salad greens and toss in Grapefruit. I used prepackaged organic herbed salad greens. It's delicious with the arugula and dill in it! Cut the grapefruit into small slices and add to salad. Top with the dressing.

Sweet Capri Dressing

SWEET CAPRI DRESSING From Kristen Suzanne:

"This dressing celebrates the Isle of Capri where they grow tons of lemons. Lemons are very good for you. They are alkalizing for your body and an excellent source of vitamin C. But, that's not all. These yellow darlings also have folate, calcium, vitamin A, potassium, and flavonoids (known for fighting cancer and heart disease)."

1/2 Cup raw olive oil

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Himalayan crystal salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Blend all ingredients together and enjoy over a fresh salad. 

Apple Cider Vinegar and Lemons are two of my favorites.

 The ingredients can be shaken together in a dressing jar.

Love it!

Italian Lemon Dressing

What do you think about salad dressings? I absolutely love them, and especially if they are not your typical store bought flavors.  Someday I'll break my husband of Hidden Valley Ranch!

So anyway, my husband and I ate dinner out the other night, and I ordered a salad. There are so few restaurants that cater to a raw diet. Ok, so there are almost zero restaurants that cater to a raw diet! A salad was the best I could do. I was particularly drawn to it because it came with a lemon/olive oil dressing. It was so amazing I had to create my own version of it!

INGREDIENTS

1 lemon juiced
1/2 cup sunflower or olive oil
1-2 inches of Italian herbs
OR if you have fresh on hand:
basil, garlic, oregano, thyme
The amounts will depend on if you're using fresh or dried. I'm sure there's some variation of flavor, but that's half the fun of making your own!

Best to use cold pressed oil.

Blend all ingredients in a blender.

 Create any mixed green salad you like and top with the Raw Italian Lemon Dressing.

Be creative!

Herbed Tomato Dressing

This is SO delicious! It makes the perfect dressing and adds just the right flavors for a fantastic salad!! I love how fresh and unpretentious it is!



I made a single serving:

1 1/2 peeled tomatoes
2 inches of Italian Herbs (you could use fresh of course, but this is much faster!)
1 tbs sunflower seeds
1/2 fresh garlic clove

Blend them all together until mixed well. I got the consistency of a thick salsa. You could of course add more tomato if you prefer yours less thick.

This salad is mixed greens with a little carrot, celery, and green pepper.

  Gourmet Garden makes an organic blend of Italian Herbs including, Basil, Marjoram, Parsley, Rosemary, Thyme, and Oregano. Quite tasty and really comes in handy when you're busy!

Enjoy!

Raw Italian Herb Dressing

I found these fresh organic herbs at our local Hyvee. I love them!

Oops! Guess I ate most of the salad before my picture!

ITALIAN HERB DRESSING
By Raw Guru

• Italian Herb Dressing
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup flax oil (or 1 full cup olive oil)
• 6 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/8 cup water
• 4 teaspoons agave
• 1 large garlic clove crushed
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning mix
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

I decided to make this dressing because it looked easy, and I'm always looking for a new way to spice up a salad! It is delicious! Gabe actually ate raw mushrooms, bell peppers, and cucumbers out of it! I'm thrilled!!

For my salad I just used mixed baby greens, celery, yellow and green bell peppers, cucumbers, crimini mushrooms, and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds on top. I was so hungry I didn't even manage to get a picture before I had consumed most of the salad!