Refuel and Relax!
May 18, 2010
Today on Rogers TV Ottawa I was asked to create a post-race meal in preparation for the National Capital Race weekend May 29 and 30. The event includes a family 2km and 5km, 10km, half-marathon and marathon races; all events are sold out. Movement to Health has about 100 people training for this event and we are all looking forward to it. The meal I’ve created is easy to make, since you’ll be tired after your run and is filled with foods to help you muscles recover quickly after your race.
- Anti-inflammatory foods: ginger, pineapple, and jalpeno peppers
- Hydrating foods: cucumbers and pineapple
- Essential fatty acids: walnuts – good for your joints
- Easy to digest protein and fibre: quinoa – rebuilds muscles and keeps you full
- Good fats: avocado, olive oil, walnuts – adds healthy calories and studies show refueling after a long run with fats trains the body to burn fat on your next long run
Enjoy and good luck at the races!
Menu: Start with a big class of iced green tea, then rehydrate further with the Gazpacho and enjoy a side dish of Quinoa Salad. Put your feet up and relax!
Pineapple-Cucumber Gazpacho
From: Raw Food Real World
Serves 4-6, serve chilled
- 4 cups chopped peeled cucumber
- 4 cups chopped pineapple
- 1 cup fresh pineapple juice
- 1 green onion, white and 1 inch of green, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 handful cilantro leaves
- 3 tablespoons cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil
1. In a blender, add 3 cups each of the cucumber and pineapple, the pineapple juice, green onion, lime juice and salt. Blend until smooth. Add the remaining 1 cup pineapple and 1 cup cucumber, the handful of cilantro, and 1-1/2 teaspoons of the oil. Pulse the blender quickly a few times – the gazpacho should remain chunky. Taste for seasoning
2. Drizzle with a bit more oil and garnish with cilantro before serving
Quinoa Salad with Shredded Carrots and Ginger-Curry Vinaigrette
From: Once Upon a Tart by Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audureau
Makes 8 servings
- 3-4 medium carrots peeled and coarsely grated
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 up chopped walnuts
- 1 cup quinoa rinsed well
- 2 cups cold unsalted water (for the quinoa)
- 1 recipe Ginger-Curry Vinaigrette
- Place the 2 cups unsalted water and the rinsed quinoa in big saucepan, and bring them to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15-18 minutes. Put cooked quinoa in a large bowl and cool slightly
- Add the grated carrots, walnuts and the chopped cilantro to the bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad, and toss with a big spoon. Serve warm, chilled or room temperature.
Ginger-Curry Vinaigrette
Makes ¾ cup
- Juice of 1 lemon 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp Madras curry powder
- A few turns freshly ground pepper
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Whisk all ingredients except olive oil together in a small bowl. Add the olive oil in a slow, thin stream, whisking as you go to form an emulsion.
Windy, Rainy but Strong and Powerful 21.1km
May 5, 2010
Windy, rainy but strong and powerful that sums up our 21.1km run in preparation for the National Capital half-marathon race May 30th.
The weather as we set out was terrible – 6 degrees and pouring rain – “oh well”, we all thought “if we can run in this we can run in anything come race day.” So off we went. We chose a route that took us through various local neighbourhoods so we could avoid the 30+ km/hour winds and a route that was familiar so we could visualize feeling strong at various kilometre markers then using this to keep us focused and energized on race day.
Everyone finished totally pooped and very happy the run was over, no chatting, no post-run coffee, we all got home as quick as we could, heading for a hot shower.
I usually have a smoothie after I run but the idea of something cold just didn’t appeal this morning – Super coach Tonja was with me this morning and we decided on OATS – yum, hot satisfying comfort food. Tonja whipped up our fortifying pot of oats made with soy milk and filled with berries, banana, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, hemp and topped with maple syrup – it was delicious
Oats are an amazing power house of nutrients and anti-oxidants, making them the perfect post-run food
According to whfoods.org, oats and whole grains in general are an important dietary sources of water-soluble, fat-soluble, and insoluble and antioxidants. The long list of cereal antioxidants includes vitamin E, tocotrieonols, selenium, phenolic acids, and phytic acid. These multifunctional antioxidants come in immediate-release to slow-release forms and thus are available throughout the gastrointestinal tract over a long period after being consumed.
Whole grains are also an abundant source of plant lignans, which are converted by friendly flora in our intestines into mammalian lignans, which is thought to protect against breast and other hormone-dependent cancers as well as heart disease. In addition to whole grains, nuts, seeds and berries are rich sources of plant lignans, and vegetables, fruits, and beverages such as coffee, tea and wine also contain some. When blood levels of enterolactone were measured in over 800 postmenopausal women in a Danish study published in the Journal of Nutrition, women eating the most whole grains were found to have significantly higher blood levels of this protective lignan. Women who ate more cabbage and leafy vegetables also had higher enterolactone levels.
Oats gain part of their distinctive flavor from the roasting process that they undergo after being harvested and cleaned. Although oats are then hulled, this process does not strip away their bran and their germ allowing them to retain a concentrated source of their fibre and nutrients. For minimal processing and best retention of enzymes choose your oats from the top half of the list.
- Oat groats: unflattened kernels that are good for using as a breakfast cereal or for stuffing
- Steel-cut oats: featuring a dense and chewy texture, they are produced by running the grain through steel blades that thinly slices them.
- Old-fashioned oats: have a flatter shape that is the result of their being steamed and then rolled.
- Quick-cooking oats: processed like old-fashioned oats, except they are cut finely before rolling
- Instant oatmeal: produced by partially cooking the grains and then rolling them very thin. Oftentimes, sugar, salt and other ingredients are added to make the finished product.
- Oat bran: the outer layer of the grain that resides under the hull. While oat bran is found in rolled oats and steel-cut oats, it may also be purchased as a separate product that can be added to recipes or cooked to make a hot cereal.
Tonja’s Powered-Up Oatmeal
Serves 2
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup soymilk
- 2/3 cup Old Fashioned Oats (we would have used steel cut oats if we had enough on hand)
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 2-4 tbsp hemp hearts
- 2-4 tbsp organic raisins
- ½ banana, sliced
- ½ cup or more of blackberries and sliced strawberries
- Maple syrup to taste
Directions
- bring water and soymilk to a boil, immediately reduce heat to simmer and add oats, stir so they don’t clump, simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently
- add pumpkin seed, sunflower seeds, raisins and hemp, cook for 5 minutes
- add banana and berries and heat through
- top with maple syrup
- Enjoy with a cup of steaming green tea
Running Like The Wind
April 24, 2010
Wow we ran 16km with the half-marathon group this morning and we were flying! Our long run pace has certainly improved and the goal of my group to run the Ottawa Half-Marathon in 2 hours is within our reach. We all agreed that our speed work with coach Sherry and consistent training has totally paid off.
Here’s a link to the route we did this morning; leaving from our Studio in Westboro
At this point in the training what we eat after the long run becomes very important. Our total weekly volume of mileage is reaching it’s peak and if you don’t refuel well it’s very hard to keep your tank topped up!
One of my favourite post-run smoothies is an adaptation of the Bee Protein Smoothie from Raw Food Real World – a great raw food book. This smoothie is packed with protein and with all the essential amino acids our body needs to build and repair
Bee Protein, adapted from Raw Food Real World
Serves 2 – 4
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp almond butter
- 2 cups coconut water or water (you can get coconut water at Herb and Spice or Rainbow)
- 1 cup diced mango
- 1 cup frozen diced banana
- 1 tbsp hemp protein
- 1 tbsp bee pollen (can get at the Superstore, lots of protein amino acids and enzymes, gives you energy)
- 2 tbsp raw honey (unpasteurized so it retains vitamins, minerals and enzymes)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Blend until smooth and creamy
Clean Burning Fuel
April 15, 2010
Eating for Energy and a Vegan Diet
Here at Movement to Health we receive lots of inquiries regarding how to ‘properly’ adopt a vegan diet. Many new vegans take out the meat but don’t add in the appropriate whole foods to create a balanced diet, here are some quick tips to make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need:
- The first key is to eat a whole foods diet, this is a diet of nutrient-dense foods that will keep you full and energized. It includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, beans, nuts and seeds, eaten simply or combined to make breads, cereals, muffins, sandwiches and soups.
- Fruits are cleansing and healing with an abundance of vitamins and minerals and even most sour or acidic tasting fruits are alkaline forming and are a nice balance to acid forming grains, meats and dairy
- Vegetables are rich in complex carbohydrates making them a great source of energy. Almost all vegetables are alkaline forming
- The richest source of essential minerals are sea vegetables such as nori, dulse, arame, wakame and kombu. They feature all the trace minerals necessary for human function and are rich in amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.
- Whole grains are an excellent source of energy and digest more slowly than processed grains, this allows for sustained energy and added fibre, so you feel full longer.
- Before you cook grains such as brown rice, make sure to soak them over night with a tbsp of apple cider vinegar, doing this makes the grains easier to digest so more nutrients can be absorbed
- Legumes such as beans, chickpeas and lentil grow in a pod. They are nature’s power foods rich in protein, iron, calcium and b vitamins. They are best soaked for 12 hours with apple cider vinegar before you cook them, change the soak water before cooking
- Nuts have a higher content of complete protein than all other plants, with the exception of soybeans, Nuts nourish the brain, nerves and skin, raw nuts are also the best source of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. It is also best to soak nuts and seeds for a few hours before you eat them, rinse well and drain and dry on a paper towel and store in the fridge for a few days
Protein- substitute meat with legumes and do not make the mistake of simply replacing meat with soy-base products. Soy is best eaten as a condiment not as a meal staple, no more than once or twice per week; it should be organic and fermented such as tempeh and miso.
To obtain enough protein in the diet you just need to eat a variety of healthy protein sources throughout the day, such as legumes, grains (particularly quinoa) and nuts and seeds. You do not need to combine complimentary protein sources at each meal as was once believed; the body can combine, store and use amino acids.
Iron– Even though meat is high in iron, many meat eaters are anemic. More iron therefore is not always the answer. There are many ways to ensure adequate iron absorption, one is to take vitamin C with meals, this increases iron absorption by 2-3 times. Good vegetarian sources of iron are whole grains, beans and legumes (you must soak them to release the phytic acid that can inhibit the iron absorption), green leafy veggies, dried fruit, pumpkin and sesame seeds and organic blackstrap molasses.
B12- to ensure adequate B12 intake people eating a vegan diet should take a supplement and should be taken with food.
Calcium - According to Michael Murray author of the encyclopedia of Healing Foods, dairy consumption may be linked to conditions such as cancer, asthma, obesity and osteoporosis. One cup of cow’s milk has 297 mg of calcium, as you can see below there are many non-dairy calcium sources. Colin Campbell author of the China Study has also linked the protein in dairy to development of many cancers.
Non-Dairy sources of calcium: Food source = 1 cup, Calcium content in mg
- Almonds, 380mg
- Broccoli, boiled 75mg
- Carrots boiled, 48mg
- Collard greens, cooked 357
- Kale cooked, 94mg
- Kelp raw, 336mg
- Kidney beans boiled, 50mg
- Sesame seeds, 1,400mg
- Spinach cooked, 245mg
- Swiss chard, 102mg
Putting it together- The examples below provide suggestions for incorporating complete protein combinations with tips to ensure maximum iron absorption
1) Protein source – Grains & Legumes + a Vitamin C source for maximum iron absorption
- Whole grain bread and baked beans + green salad
- Whole grain crackers and lentil soup + carrot sticks
- Brown rice and tempeh + tomato sauce
- Quinoa and vegetarian chilli + green salad
- Pita and hummus + lettuce and tomatoes
- Whole grain cereal and rice milk + blueberries
- Veggie burger and whole wheat bun + sprouts and pickles
2) Protein source - Grains & Nuts or Seeds + a Vitamin C source for maximum iron absorption
- Whole grain bagel and nut butter + apple
- Whole grain bread and tahini + banana
- Muesli and nuts And apple + fresh fruit
3) Protein source – Legumes & Nuts or Seeds + a Vitamin C source for maximum iron absorption
- Black bean dip with sesame seeds + raw veggies
- Vegetable stir-fry with almonds With raw veggies + green salad
Follow the above examples and you will have energy to burn!
Kid-Friendly Quinoa Sushi
April 12, 2010
Here is a delicious kid-friendly recipe forwarded by local foodie Korey Kealey of FoodThought.com. This protein-packed vegan recipe from Lucy Waverman’s Globe and Mail article, is an easy and delicious version of sushi. Using nori as a wrap instead of bread reduces your processed-food intake, reduces calories and ups your intake of minerals.
According to WHFoods.com “Sea vegetables contain the broadest range of minerals of any food, containing virtually all the minerals found in the ocean-the same minerals that are found in human blood. Sea vegetables are an excellent source of iodine and vitamin K, a very good source of the B-vitamin folate, and magnesium, and a good source of iron and calcium, and the B-vitamins riboflavin and pantothenic acid. In addition, sea vegetables contain good amounts of lignans, plant compounds with cancer-protective properties.”
And of course using quinoa instead of white rice ensures this version is high in protein (even without traditional fish fillings) and high in fibre and B-vitamins. Enjoy!
Lucy’s Recipe Note: Rinse the quinoa before cooking it to remove the powdery residue. Wash it under cold water until the water runs clear. You might be tempted to put wasabi in these rolls, but its flavour doesn’t work well with the quinoa. I used avocado for the kids, which they did not like, but you can fill them with anything you wish.
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
- Pinch salt
- 1 English cucumber
- 1 red pepper
- 1 large avocado
- 6 nori leaves
Method
Place water in a pot and bring to boil. Add quinoa, cover, turn heat to low and cook for 12 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed. Add seasoned rice wine vinegar and salt and stir until combined. Remove from heat and let cool on a cookie sheet.
Cut cucumber, red pepper and avocado into long julienne strips. Cut each nori leaf in half, lengthwise.
Lay one piece of nori so that the longest edge is facing you on a bamboo rolling mat. Sprinkle on ¼ cup of prepared quinoa and use damp fingers to press it into an even rectangle leaving ¾-inch of nori uncovered at the top. Lay a row of each vegetables down the middle of the quinoa. Using your rolling mat as a guide, compress and roll sushi into an even cylinder. Repeat with remaining ingredients until you have 12 rolls. Let stand a few minutes to soften nori and cut into pieces to serve. Serve with soy sauce for dipping. Serves 6.
Earth-Friendly Easter
April 3, 2010
The question always arises during holiday meals – as a vegan, what do you eat?
Well I try and create a balanced meal with tons of flavour, veggies, grains, plant-proteins and always dessert! One of the things I love most about eating a vegan diet is I am doing my part to help Mother Nature. A vegan diet, as opposed to a meat -centered diet, has been proven to produce less green-house gasses, less pollution, and uses less of our precious natural resources especially water. This year the spring equinox and Easter so close together and the weather so beautiful it truly feels like a time of renewal and that Mother Nature is smiling! I like to think of my Easter meal as a gift to Her. Enjoy
Menu:
Avocado Soup with Mango Salsa
Quinoa Corn Salad with Spring Greens
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lemon Drops with Coconut and Cranberry
Avocado Soup with Mango Salsa
Adapted from Living Raw food by Sarma Melngailis
Serves 2.
Ingredients:
For the soup:
- 3 small hass avocados or equivalent, peeled and chopped
- 1 stick of peeled and chopped celery
- 1 handful of fresh cilantro/coriander leaves
- 1/2 cucumber, roughly chopped
- 2 cups water
- Juice of 1 lime
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Finely grated zest of one clementine
- Few pinches of ground sea salt
- Pinch of ground cumin
- Pinch of ground coriander
For the salsa:
- 1 Mango, diced
- 1 Clementine, each segment peeled and chopped
- 1 Red bell pepper, diced
- Leaves from a few sprigs fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped
Method:
Blend all soup ingredients. Mix salsa ingredients together. Put the salsa in the center of the bowls, then pour soup around.
Quinoa Corn Salad
From Rebar Modern Food Cookbook
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups corn, fresh or frozen
- 1 small red onion, minced
- 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
- ½ red pepper, finely diced
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 3 scallions, minced
- 2 tbsp finely minced chives
- 1 tbsp salt
- ½ tsp Tabasco sauce or to taste
Method:
1. Place quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and rinse thoroughly with cold, running water. Bring water to a boil in a small pot, add the quinoa and the salt and bring to a boil again. Cover and reduce heat to low for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and keep the pot covered for an additional 5 minutes. Strain off any excess liquid and spread the quinoa out to cool on a tray while preparing the remaining ingredients
2. Steam or lightly sauté corn until just tender and cool to room temperature. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss. Season with additional salt, pepper or hot sauce to taste. Serve with fresh lime wedges.
3. Option – serve the salad on a bed of Spring Greens or Baby Spinach
MTH Lemon Drops with Coconut and Cranberry
Ingredients
- 1-1 1/4 cups ground almonds or store-bought almond meal
- 1 cup soft dates – chopped
- 3/4 cup coconut
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp agave nectar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- dash sea salt
- grated lemon rind of 1/2 lemon
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup dried cranberries sweetened without sugar
Method
Combine almonds and dates in food processor and pulse a few times to get everything well combined
Add remaining ingredients except cranberries and pulse to combine again
Dump into a big bowl, add water if it’s too dry or a bit of coconut or more ground almonds if too wet
Add dried cranberries. Roll into small balls and flatten slightly
Store in Freezer – yummy!
Favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe created by Dreena Burton from her amazing cookbook, Vive le Vegan. Check out her blog post for the recipe
The Vegan Cook’s Bible
March 29, 2010
The soup recipe is from The Vegan Cook’s Bible by Pat Crocker, it’s an excellent resource for expericnced cooks and those new to Vegan cooking. I choose this recipe because our Bryson Farm delivery this week included most of the veggies used to make this deep, rich soup, including mushrooms, carrots, sweet potatoes and onions; enjoy!
Roasted Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup
Serves 6
10 oz mushrooms cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup cubed sweet potato or squash
4 cloves garlic
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1/4 cup red wine or grape juice
1/2 cup wild rice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
6 cups vegetable stock
1 can (19 oz) black beans rinsed and drained
1. Preheat Oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet and spread mushrooms, sweet potato and garlic in one layer. Drizzle 2 tbsp of the oil, tamari and rice vinegar over the vegetables. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until slightly softened. Add carrots and cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened.
3. Stir in roasted mushrooms, sweet potatoes, garlic and any pan juices. Add red wine and cook, stirring often, for 3-5 minutes, until wine is evaporated. Stir in wild rice, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook stirring for 30 seconds to mix well. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes, or until rice is tender. Add black beans and cook for 5 minutes or until heated through.
Feels like Spring!
March 2, 2010
What an amazing run today. Here is a link to a great 9km loop from the Movement to Health studio, Kirkwood at Richmond Rd in Westboro ( make sure to refresh the webpage link when it pops up).
The sun was shining, the birds were singing and I think I even got a tan.
Here is the smoothie I had when I got back
Springtime Smoothie (measurements are approximate)
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen mango
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1/2 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup fresh pea sprouts (from Bryson Farms)
1 big scoop Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer
Blend until smooth and enjoy!
Holiday Goodies
November 13, 2009
Yesterday I got my hair cut and when I booked my next appointment, it was right before Christmas! Yikes. So of course I got thinking about holiday baking and healthy, yummy, treats filled with holiday flavours.
The two truffle recipes below require no cooking – yahoo, and you only dirty one bowl – yahoo again. These were two-thumbs-up approved at yoga class this morning, and are a super healthy alternative to traditional holiday baking with lots of sugar and white flour. Hey, we had them for breakfast , and they would be great after a long run or hard workout! ENJOY
Note: These truffles have ground almonds as their base. You can finely grind almonds in a food processor, purchase almond-meal from a health food store or well-stocked grocery store, or if you make your own almond milk, use the pulp. Store truffles in the fridge for a few days or freezer for up to 2 months
Cinnamon Ginger Truffles with Cranberries
2 C Almonds, finely ground
1 T Cinnamon
1 t. Ginger
1/2 t. Nutmeg
1/4 t. Cloves
1/2 C Agave
1/2 C Dried Cranberries
1/2 C Raisins
Optional – dried coconut
In a mixing bowl combine ground almonds, almond meal or almond pulp (see note above) and spices. Add cranberries and raisins and agave and stir until well combined.
With slightly wet hands, roll into balls. If desired, roll truffles in dried coconut.
Almond Truffles
1 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup raw almond butter
1/4 cup raw cacao powder
1/4 cup raw agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch of celtic sea salt
Optional – cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
In a mixing bowl combine ground almonds, almond meal or almond pulp (see note above) and remaining ingredients.
With slightly wet hands, roll into balls. If desired, roll in cocoa powder or raw cacao powder.
Summer Salads
August 26, 2009
Here are three delicious salads/veggie dishes that we enjoyed this past week at the cottage. The Panzanella Salad can be whipped up in 20 minutes – it is delicious. We made the Kale and Cabbage salad twice for 2 different parties and it was a hit each time, left-overs are the perfect post-workout fuel when stuffed in a whole grain pita. Don’t be intimidated by the Beet Ravioli, it’s pretty easy to make, you do need a mandoline to get the slices nice and thin, we enjoyed these on the dock with friends! Happy Eating!
Beet Ravioli with Pine Nut Ricotta
From the Balanced Plate by Renee Loux.
3 large or 6-8 small beets, peeled and sliced thinly on a mandoline
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp soy sauce
sea salt
Ricotta Filling
2 cups pine nuts
1-2 cloves garlic
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp coconut butter
3-4 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 cups basil chiffonade
Steam the sliced beets for 3-5 minutes, marinate in remaining ingredients for 15 min to 1 hour or in fridge for up to two days.
Combine remaining ingredients except the basil in a food processor and blend till very smooth. Fold the basil into the pine nut ricotta.
Place single slices of marinated beets on a serving platter. Place 2 tsp or so of ricotta on each beet slice, top with another slice and gently press. Serve a room temperature.
Summer Panzanella Salad
This recipe is from Moosewood Simple Suppers Cookbook, we added organic sprouts and had a feast for three people. This would be a perfect, simple, post-workout meal. YUM!
1/2 loaf of crusty Italian or French bread (whole grain if possible)
4 tomatoes
5 oz fresh mozzarella (we used L’Ancetre)
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup pitted olives
I tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper
Cut bread into 1/2 inch thick slices, grill on BBQ till lightly toasted. Cut bread into cubes.
Meanwhile, prepare the following ingredients and place them in a serving bowl. Cut tomatoes and mozzarella into 1/2 inch cubes. Peel and thinly slice red onion. Cut basil leaves into thin strips and cut olives. Add the vinegar and oil to the bowl and toss well. Add the bread cubes to the bowl toss and let sit for 10 minutes.
Kale & Red Cabbage Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette
Adapted from ‘Dinner at Jen’s’, O-Magazine September 2009.
Salad
I can black beans drained and rinsed
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper
kernels cut from three ears of corn
2 bunches of Kale, washed, dried, middle stem torn out, shredded
1/2 small head red cabbage, shredded
5 plum tomatoes seeded and diced
2 avocados peeled and diced
1 bunch cilantro coarsley chopped
1/2 cup goat cheese feta crumbled
Vinaigrette
Juice of 1 lime
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 medium shallot chopped
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cumin
3/4 cup canola or olive oil
To make salad, put black beans in a large bowl, mix in cumin and chili powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper, add remaining salad ingredients.
Make vinaigrette buy combining all ingredients, add to salad. Toss lightly to combine, let sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the kale to soften. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Enjoy!
