Beet and Kale Salad Recipes & What to do with Mint

I've been getting spearmint and peppermint from one of my CSA shares.  

What to do with it??

You can make  Spearmint or Peppermint Infused Water

Infused Water~

Thank you Penni Shelton of Raw Food Rehab

This batch of water includes

fresh spearmint

1 organic navel orange

goji berries

liquid stevia

I placed this in the fridge overnight and it was ready in the morning.

I waited to add the stevia to each glass.

Mint tea's help the body to stay cool in the heat.  I try to keep some in the fridge all summer long.

Or make some Tabbouleh~

Tabbouleh

1 bunch of parsley~chopped fine

1 bunch of cilantro~chopped fine

4 tomatoes~diced

4-6 stalks of celery~diced

4 green onions~chopped

2 c. cooked quinoa or for all raw use hemp seeds

1/3 c. lemon juice

1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 t. cumin

2-3 T. fresh MINT

black pepper to taste

Tonight we enjoyed this Tabbouleh with lemon Tahini dressing (tahini, lemon juice, Bragg's Liquid Aminos and water to thin)..I like to drizzle this dressing over my salad. On the table was garlic hummus and warm pita bread. 

We also recieved Beets in our share.

Here is one of my favorite raw recipes:

Beet Salad

1 bunch of beets peeled and shredded

5-6 cloves of garlic minced

1/4 c. ev olive oil

1/4 c. lemon juice

dash of salt

dash of ground cloves

mix and let marinate for a bit.

Did you know that  CLOVES neutralize garlic breath?

Remember clove gum?

I used to love it!

This is not garlic clove. 

KALE SALAD

1 bunch of kale

radished~diced

mini sweet pepperrs~chopped

chives~finely chopped

Chinese Five Spice to taste

 lemon juice

extra virgin olive oil

Himalayan salt

handful of raw pumpkin seeds

Cheezy Kale Salad

not pictured

1 large bunch of kale cleaned, de-stemmed and shredded

in blender:

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

1/4 c. Bragg's liquid Amino's

1/2 c. filtered water

1/3 c. tahini

1/4 to 1/3 c. of  raw sesame seeds

2 garlic cloves

Himalayna  salt to taste

1/4 c. nutritional yeast

blend until smooth and pour over kale massage and let sit in fridge or eat right away if you cannot wait!

Mediterrianean Kale Salad~pictured above

kale

yellow bell peppers

olives

olive oil

lime juice

Himalyan salt

Remember to smile today

and be kind to those you meet

you never know what someone is going through

CSA share Week 20 of 25 and Recipes for Your CSA Share

 

Top left corner and clockwise!

Beets with tops (slightly hidden~you can see the tops)

bag of basil, arugula, dill and hot peppers

5 lbs of tomatoes (I ordered these as an extra item)

radishes

variety of sweet peppers

2 heirloom tomatoes

bag of sweet potatoes

kale

bag of mixed salad greens

                                                                                                                                             

Basil~a gift from a friend!

I am dehydrating it for the winter

Pictured are dehydrated sweet peppers.  The aroma in the house is amazing while these are drying!

SUN-BURNED BELL PEPPERS & WHAT TO DO WITH THEM

The picture below is how they looked before I sliced them in the food processor and the images above are what they looked like before removing the sunburned spots.  Most folks would not want these peppers, but they are perfectly fine.  Sometimes they will get sun-burnt in the field, just like we burn when we are out in the sun too long.  I admit they do not look appetizing, but they taste perfectly delicious after removing the spots.

Recipes of the week for your CSA share!

Look below for ideas for using your CSA share...be creative according to your family's taste.

Kale and Garbonzo's and Sweet Potatoes~not pictured

Cheezy Kale Salad~pictured below

KALE SALAD

1 bunch of kale

radished~diced

mini sweet pepperrs~chopped

chives~finely chopped

Chinese Five Spice to taste

 lemon juice

extra virgin olive oil

Himalayan salt

handful of raw pumpkin seeds

BEET SALAD

1 bunch of  beets

garlic~to taste..I use lots

lemon juice

extra virgin olive oil

Himalayan Salt

dash of ground cloves

Oriental Kale Salad~

not pictured

2 bunches of kale cleaned and shredded

1 red bell pepper diced

handful of raw pumpkin seeds

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 c. lime juice

garlic to taste

Chinese Five Spice~lightly sprinkled over the top

Mediterrianean Kale Salad~pictured above

follow the link for a video

kale

yellow bell peppers

olives

olive oil

lime juice

Himalyan salt

CHEEZY KALE CHIPS

not picturedIngredients:

2 heads of Kale, Washed and Torn~SIT ASIDE

3/4 cup Tahini
1/4 cup Tamari
1/4 cup Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup Water
1/4 cup dried onions
1 clove garlic
1 lemon (juice of)
dash of Sea Salt
1/3 cup of nutritional yeast

Blend everything but the kale until it is creamy and pour over kale and massage into it and let it sit for 10 mins.
spread on Teflex sheets and dehydrate at 115 until crispy.
I had some leftover sauce so I cleaned and de stemmed some rainbow chard and used the rest of it on it. I'll let you know how it turns out.

The weather is just right for a nice warm soup!

Sweet Potato Lentil Soup

10-12 c. water

1/2 red onion chopped

4 garlic cloves minced

14 oz of lentils rinsed and drained

1/4 to 1/2 c.  wild rice or another grain of choice (optional)

4 stalks of celery chopped

2 carrots diced

2 sweet potatoes peeled and diced

2 t. rosemary

1 t. oregano

2 t. sea salt or real salt or Himalyan salt

1 t. Italian seasonings

1/4 c. Seitenbacher vegetable broth

1/4-1/2 c. nutritional yeast

strip of wakame or sea veggie of choice (optional)

put all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil, then simmer until done

I try to make my soups early in the day and then place them in the crock pot on warm then they are always there waiting to be eaten

or my favorite way to make soup is to place all the ingredients in the crock pot overnight on a low setting and it will be done in the morning, then stir the ingreds and set to keep warm setting

This is what I am doing with my bag of mixed greens this week!

Layered Salad

in a 9 X 13 dish layer

Mixed baby greens or greens of choice

1 c. chopped celery

1 bunch of green onion chopped

1 bag of frozen peas

1/2-1 c. of raw walnuts broken up

I ladded 1 red/yellow or orange bell pepper chopped  

diced radishes are optional

Cheezy Mustard Dressing

1 small jar of Vegenaise

1/4-1/2 c. nutritional yeast

1/4-1/2 t. dried mustard

1-2 T. lemon or lime juice

water to thin

blend  and store in fridge..this will make more than you need for this salad

Here is an idea for using your fresh Basil

Basil Pesto

In Vita-Mix, food processor or Magic Bullet place:

small handful of basil

small handful of pine nuts

1 large clove of garlic

dash of Himalyan Salt

splash of lemon juice

Blend until smooth and enjoy!

You can use this as a dip, mix into zucchini noodles or as a spread on raw crackers

CSA Share Week #6

CSA week 6~starting top left and going clockwise~

Kale

Beets with greens

bag of mixed salad greens

4 summer squash

bag of shell peas

spearmint

chives

garlic scapes

parsley

kohlrabi

radishes

I could hardly wait to get started!

The radishes were intense. I ate a few and chopped some into the kale salad

KALE SALAD

1 bunch of kale

radished~diced

mini sweet pepperrs~chopped

chives~finely chopped

Chinese Five Spice to taste

 lemon juice

extra virgin olive oil

Himalayan salt

handful of raw pumpkin seeds

BEET SALAD

1 bunch of  beets

garlic~to taste..I use lots

lemon juice

extra virgin olive oil

Himalayan Salt

dash of ground cloves

Week 3 CSA Share and Mimi Kirk's Raw Cookies!

The picture above is my full CSA share with the exception of some missing strawberries. I was cleaning them when I realized I had not taken my pic for the week's share.

Starting in top left corner and going clockwise:

Purple kale

bag of mixed salad greens

lemon balm & apple mint

sorrel (is hidden)

chives

parsley

green ice lettuce

asparagus

snap peas

strawberries

This picture includes more of the same.  I was generously gifted by a friend of ours that will be leaving the country to go on a mission trip.

Purple Kale Salad

2 bunches of kale including stems

(the stems were sooo tender and tasty I chopped them up and added them to the salad)

1 bunch of chives including the tops

8 mini sweet peppers diced

1 bulb of garlic

handful of diced celery

EVOO

lemon juice

Bragg's Liquid Aminos

drizzle of toasted sesame oil

dash of Himalyan Salt

1 c. soaked and drained pumpkin seeds

Mimi Kirk's book, "LIVE RAW" ~  came in the mail last week!....it was autographed and a special dog tag necklace was included.

Mimi was voted the sexiest vegetarian over 50 years old in 2009!  In fact Mimi is 72!

Great book Mimi! The pictures are gorgeous and the slick pages are wonderful to have while working in the kitchen...just in case of a spill.

This book is full of yummy recipes and tons of information.

I caught Mimi's Video a couple of weeks ago on how to make raw cookies...so I HAD to make them.

I modified my recipe by using coconut butter instead of coconut oil and added vanilla.

I ate too many!

I've posted Mimi's how to video below. You can find Mimi on Facebook or at her site Young on Raw Food

Enjoy!

Banana Puddin' & Recovery Smoothie

After my morning walk with the ladies of our community it was time for a recovery smoothie and a bowl of my daughter's Banana Puddin'

Green Smoothie

1 c. water

1 banana

1/2 white peach

1/2 container of blackberries

big handful of spinach

1 celery stalk

2 radish leaves with stems

 (yes, I said leaves)

dash of cinnamon

couple drops of liquid vanilla creme stevia

ice

BLEND & ENJOY

While taking care of our bills my daughter popped into the room and grabbed the camera.

Yesterday in our CSA share we received a multitude of Greens, so I thought I'd indulge myself and not let anything go to waste....

Kale  Salad

&  Other  Bitter Greens

layer bottom of bowl with 2 swiss chard leaves chopped

2 flowering stalks of arugula (from my garden)

2 radish leaves and stems diced

Top with Kale Salad

and

2 radishes diced finely

grape tomatoes

dulse granules

This is a very Green & Bitter Salad.  Unless you like it this way...leave out the extra bitter greens and just try the Kale Salad recipe, which is very good.

Greens have a multitude of benefits. Check out this link for the Importance and Health Benefits of Greens this list is not exhaustive but has some basic information.

Greens are great for alkalizing, detoxing, cleansing and building the body!

Get your greens on today!

The average adult should be consuming approximately 2 bunches of greens each day for optimal health according to Victoria Boutenko author of, "Green For Life"

Remember to be thankful today!

We all have something to be thankful for.

Breathe Deeply

Love passionately

and

   Smile!!!

Get Alkalized!!

Alkaline Lunch!

Beet Salad, Oriental Kale Salad and blended Soup/Salad

Oriental Kale Salad

2 bunches of kale cleaned and shredded

1 red bell pepper diced

handful of raw pumpkin seeds

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 c. lime juice

garlic to taste

Chinese Five Spice~lightly sprinkled over the top

Blended Soup/Salad

2 roma tomatoes

2 large stalks of celery with leaves

2 big handfuls of Gourmet Salad Greens

1" of  fresh jalapeno with seeds

lime juice

water to make it blendable

I blend mine of #3 of my Vitamix for a soupy coleslaw texture.  You can blend it to a smooth consistency if you like.

Sprinkle with dule and nori granules

For good health we need to keep our diet to about 75-80% alkaline. Do you know what that means and why? Read about the PH Scale here and how it relates to your health

Click here for links to alkaline food list, the PH scale

Educate yourself, you are worth it!

Today I also had some Super Green Juice made with tons of kale and kale stems, broccoli stems, collard green stems, celery, cuke, beets, lemon, ginger and stevia

and

Carrot, apple, ginger juice

and a

Green Smoothie

raw almond milk

1/3 of a banana

handful of berry blend~raspberries, blackberries, blueberries

2 handfuls of spinach

So far it has been an alkaline day!

Did you know that almonds are alkaline and contain calcium?

Fresh Almond milk is a great substitute for cow's milk.

Here is a great video on how to make your own Almond Milk

What's on Your Table? Mediterranean Kale Salad, Monthly Veggie haul and Sprouting

What's on your table??

This is todays munchies

That is Paul Newman's Vegan Poppy Seed Dressing for my daughter and her broccoli...

This is Jennifer Cornbleet's recipe for

Mediterrianean Kale Salad

follow the link for a video

kale

yellow bell peppers

olives

olive oil

lime juice

Himalyan salt

Today Kristen Suzanne of Kristen's Raw posted what is in her fridge, freezer and counter...so for lack of a better idea on my part I took some pictures of what I purchase for the month from our produce distributor.

Most items I purchase are organic...but some are not.

This may seem like a lot of veggies but I feed three adults and one teen a very high raw diet which includes juicing.

case of cukes, celery and spinach

top shelf~coconut water kefir, broccoli in bag, miso

in drawer~Volcano organic lime juice, carrots,  (Earthbound Buttery spread and vegan sour cream~not veggies-these come from my co-op buying group)

third shelf~blood oranges, in bags are more kale

in bottom drawer~in bags...romaine lettuce

This is coconut water kefir~it is usually in the fridge, but I ran out of room

This is one of my freezers~Greensuperfood powders, hemp powder in front

sunflower seeds, hempseeds, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, sprouted almonds, sprouted walnuts,

flaxseeds(brown and golden) in the back Ruth's Hemp protein powder...a snow/ice ball my daughter got out of our front a yard, sesame seeds

on the bottom I have several jars of almond pulp from making almond milk

In my other freezers I keep frozen fruits for smoothies, ginger,  frozen veggies, chia seeds, raw almonds, raw walnuts, cacao nibs, barley powder, carrot powder, beet powder, pumpkin seeds, sunflower and sesame  seeds, wheatgrass seeds, mung beans for sprouting and other sprouting seeds, raw trail mix,

for non raw meals I keep green and red lentils, organic brown rice & bulgar, sprouted Ezekiel bread and tortillas

My Crown Berkey and some organic banana's ripening up...hopefully

Top shelf~TJ's pitted prunes, pulp from juicing this a.m., broccoli seeds, green onion, Green Juice,

drawer~baby carrots,

second shelf~green peppers, colored peppers, in the bags~red beets with tops (in the background are cultured ginger carrots, a jar of black beans and a jug of Matt's organic OJ)

third shelf~ more spinach for green smoothies

bottom drawers~ Gourmet salad greens

I keep this in cold storage in my Sunroom, which is not heated.  I cover these boxes with blankets to insulate.

Pictured is a case of Granny Smith Apples, a case of organic bananas, bosc pears in closed box, topped with some ripe bananas

front~roma tomatoes, grape tomatoes

On Kristen's blog the issue of Green Bags came up, as to whether or not they actually keep produce fresher longer...

I tried them and they do work...I had some broccoli in one and it kept for a month with no change.  I was shocked!  

You will notice that I bag mine greens in grocer bags...I place a paper towel at the bottom and top and tie them tightly and my produce keeps very nicely this way.  If my items are especially wet, I will change the bag and paper towel out regularly to keep it from getting soggy.

This is what is growing in my window sill..

 alfalfa sprouts,  radish sprouts and in the jar are  more alfalfa sprouts.

WHAT YOU PLANT IS WHAT YOU GROW....

WORDS

ACTIONS

REACTIONS

LOVE

WHAT YOU ARE PLANTING?