Apple-Pear Salad with lemon poppyseed dressing

INGREDIENTS:
Dressing:
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 3-4 lemons)
1 teaspoon Dijon-style prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Salad:
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size
pieces
1 cup cashews (I like roasted and salted to balance the other flavors)
1 apple - peeled, cored and diced
1 pear - peeled, cored and sliced

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a blender or food processor, combine sugar, lemon juice, onion, mustard, and salt. Process until well blended. With machine still running, add oil in a slow, steady stream until mixture is thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds, and process just a few seconds more to mix.

2. In a large serving bowl, toss together the romaine lettuce, shredded Swiss cheese, cashews, dried cranberries, apple, and pear. Pour dressing over salad just before serving, and toss to coat.

Variation:
The original recipe called for 2 tsp diced onion, 1/2 c white sugar, and 2/3 c vegetable oil to make the dressing and added dried cranberries and 4 ounces shredded Swiss cheese in the salad. I felt like the pear and apple added enough sweetness (thus omitting the cranberries) and I wanted the tartness of the fresh lemon juice to take center stage.

Another variation I saw increased the dijon mustard to 1 Tb.

Kickin' Black Bean Salad

1 ½ C cooked brown rice, cooled to room temperature

½ C extra-virgin olive oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 C fresh lemon juice

1 bunch green onions, including green tops, cut crosswise into ¼-inch slices

2 bunches fresh parsley, chopped

4 Tbs. chopped fresh mint

4 tomatoes, cut into ¼-inch dice

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into ¼ inch dice

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, de-ribbed and cut into ¼ inch dice

1 ½ C cooked, cold black beans

Sea Salt and freshly Ground Pepper to taste

Combine the oil, lemon juice and garlic and mix it into the rice.  Add all the remaining ingredients and stir gently.  Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.  Sprinkle with a little additional salt then toss and serve.  Tastes the best at room temperature.

Kale and White Bean Crostini

Kale and White Bean Crostini

Love the idea of eating the healthy cornucopia of nutrients that is kale, but not sure how to serve it? Try this!

My sister Tiara adapted this recipe from two others she found online and sent it to me. It comes together pretty fast and the combination of textures and enticing presentation make this a fun meal to serve.

Put in a bowl to set aside

 1/2 can white beans
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 tbls olive oil
1/4 tsp lemon zest
juice of half lemon
salt and pepper
1/3 tsp rosemary crushed as small as I could get it

For the crostini

Slice a baguette 1/4-1/2 inch, sprayed with a little olive oil and
toast in oven at 350 (barely brown but very crispy) (about 10 slices)

Then rub 1/2 a clove of garlic on the warm bread

For the bean mixture

Meanwhile in dutch oven carmelize 1/2 a yellow onion in a little butter and extra virgin olive oil. When that is done, put in 1 clove minced garlic and saute till fragrant,

Add bean mixture to incorporate red pepper and lemon, stirr around a minute or 2 then put in about 6 leaves of dinosaur kale that had stem removed and were sliced into ribbons.

Stir around to coat in bean mixture and add about 1/3 cup water to help steam

Put lid on and steam for a few minutes maybe 5 but until water is mostly gone and kale is wilted down.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Sensational Salad

Sensational Salad (this is more an ingredient list than a recipe :)

1/4 Head Green Cabbage

1/2 yellow squash

4 Radishes

1/2 Zuchinni

Red Cabbage

2 Granny Smith Apples

Zest a lemon

1 medium carrot 

Squeeze Lemon for flavor

Add about 2 TBS of Balsamic Vinegar

Apple Pear Winter Salad

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup lemon juice 2 teaspoons diced onion 1 teaspoon Dijon-style prepared mustard 1/2 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup vegetable oil 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces 4 ounces shredded Swiss cheese 1 cup cashews 1/4 cup dried cranberries 1 apple - peeled, cored and diced 1 pear - peeled, cored and sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a blender or food processor, combine sugar, lemon juice, onion, mustard, and salt. Process until well blended. With machine still running, add oil in a slow, steady stream until mixture is thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds, and process just a few seconds more to mix.
2.	In a large serving bowl, toss together the romaine lettuce, shredded Swiss cheese, cashews, dried cranberries, apple, and pear. Pour dressing over salad just before serving, and toss to coat.