Salad Archives - Page 5 of 8 - Coconut and Berries

Super Sauerkraut Slaw

Yes I do already have slaw recipes on the blog…My Cabbage, Apple & Pomegranate Salad with Ginger-Almond Dressing and my Asian-style Cabbage Slaw. What can I say? I like cabbage!

It’s another vegetable that doesn’t get much positive attention but I’m sure that’s because people have been fed it either boiled until it’s grey and lifeless, or in a coleslaw drowned in mayonnaise, rather than crunchy and vibrant as it is in a slaw.

I hope I’ve convinced you because this salad has a double dose of cabbage! As well as the shredded red cabbage I’ve added a good scoop of raw sauerkraut to the mix too. There’s been a lot of buzz about fermented foods over recent months and sauerkraut falls into this category. Made from just cabbage and salt and left to ferment it’s teeming with good bacteria which we need to keep our digestive systems in balance. A happy tummy is so important as digestive health plays a key role in every aspect of the body’s functions.

I’ve been using the variety pictured above from Raw Health but should really start making my own as it’s so easy and cheap. If you are going to buy it make sure you get the unpasteurized kind (found in the refrigerated section) if you want the health benefits.

I threw in lots of other vegetables to this slaw for a real veg-fest! Cooling cucumber and radish, fennel for that tasty bite, kale for the all-important green factor and a large handful of fresh mint. It was wonderfully refreshing.

Super Sauerkraut Slaw:

1/2 Small head red cabbage, thinly sliced
1C (packed) Chopped kale
1 Fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/4 Red Onion, thinly sliced
1/2C Sliced radishes
1/2 Medium cucumber, thinly sliced
3/4C Raw, unpasteurized sauerkraut, well drained
2-3 Green onions, sliced
Large handful of roughly chopped mint
3T Olive oil
2T Apple cider vinegar
1T Agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener, e.g. maple syrup, yacon syrup, etc.)
1/2T Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste

Toss together all the vegetables in large bowl. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the salad. Toss well. The flavour is best after leaving this salad to sit for a few hours so the vegetables can soak up the flavours and soften slightly.

Cabbage, yay or nay?

If you’re new to Coconut and Berries, Please sign up for email updates and join me elsewhere: I’m on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram (@coconutandberries), Google + and Twitter!

Chickpea Salad Stuffed Avocados

Gosh, two weeks into January already! How time flies. How is everyone doing on their goals for the New Year? Hopefully if you have made resolutions then they’re healthy and realistic .

I like to think I eat pretty well most of the time but finding what makes me feel best is definitely a journey. If you’ve been reading you’ll know that I’ve been eschewing sugar and sweeteners of any kind for some time now. I don’t think this will be a permanent change (at least I hope not!) but it has given me the opportunity to assess how much I was eating and realize that, even if the sugar was of the “healthy” kind and a lot of it from fruit, that amount wasn’t working for my body. Some people thrive on lots of fruit but I’ve been feeling better eating more savoury foods and a greater amount of fat and protein.

This was a light lunch I put together and exactly the kind of food I’m enjoying at the moment. I’ve been eating probably an avocado a day for the past week! I don’t know how I didn’t use to like them, they’re just so darn delicious. I’m sure you know they’re overflowing with nutrients too.

Along with chickpeas for a concentrated source of protein and several other flavour-boosting ingredients, this salad is tasty, nourishing and sustaining.

I thought the little “boats” looked cute stuffed with the salad but if you’re not concerned with presentation then you could just add a big scoop on top of your salad or eat it as a dip with your favourite crackers or corn chips.

Chickpea Salad Stuffed Avocados

Yield: 2 Servings

Chickpea Salad Stuffed Avocados

Ingredients

1 C Cooked chickpeas (well-cooked) (RAW option: Use sprouted chickpeas)
1 Small clove of garlic, minced (optional)
1/2 C Grated carrot
1 Green onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp Olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp Lime juice
1 tsp Tamari
Dash of cayenne pepper
Black pepper
1 Large OR 2 small avocados
1/4 C Fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Instructions

Roughly mash the chickpeas in a bowl using a strong fork. I like to leave about half whole.
Stir in garlic through to pepper.
Slice the avocado(s) in half, remove the pit and scoop out the flesh from each half with a spoon.
Dice the avocado flesh into small cubes. Mash half of the avocado into the chickpea mixture then gently fold in the rest along with the fresh coriander.
Spoon the mixture into the empty avocado skins and serve immediately.
Serves 2

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/01/13/chickpea-salad-stuffed-avocados/

I’m sharing this recipe at the “Clean Start” potluck party over at Pure Ella and the weekly link-up, Wellness Weekends.

What fruit or vegetable are you loving right now?

If you’re new to Coconut and Berries, Please sign up for email updates and join me elsewhere: I’m on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram (@coconutandberries), Google + and Twitter!

Cabbage, Apple & Pomegranate Salad with Ginger-Almond Dressing

I called out to my Facebook followers this afternoon asking whether they’d prefer me to post a salad or dessert today and surprisingly the jury was divided! Sorry to those who wanted dessert but I went for my Cabbage, Apple & Pomegranate Salad. Hopefully you won’t be too disappointed with my offering…

I know some might not think a salad appropriate for this time of year, but I beg to differ. Salad can be satisfying all year round in my book. I love my roasted roots too but even in the winter sometimes I feel like something a little fresher and don’t want to turn on the oven. This salad uses all seasonal ingredients- cabbage, apple and pomegranate, and the rich, nutty dressing with just a touch of ginger is naturally warming.

Aren’t those pomegranate seeds beautiful?! I’ve had pomegranates many a time but each time I open one I can’t help but marvel at how gorgeous they are. Those sparkling, jewel-like seeds clustered together….perfection in nature!

I wonder if you know about the amazing technique to easily seed pomegranates without creating a gigantic mess? Remove the seeds underwater! You just crack open the fruit, submerge it in a bowl of water and gently pry the seeds out with your fingers. The seeds will sink and the pith will float so you can easily skim it off. For full details see here.

The dressing is what really makes this salad sing. I did a lot of taste-testing while making it but luckily still had the perfect amount to generously coat everything. I added hemp seeds mainly for the health benefits but they also provide creaminess together with the almond butter. They do have a distinctive taste which I know not everyone’s fond of, so if you’re one of those people feel free to use another 2 Tbsp of almond butter instead. Adjust ginger to taste as well.

Cabbage, Apple & Pomegranate Salad with Ginger-Almond Dressing

Ingredients

1/2 Medium-sized head of green cabbage, shredded
1/4 Red Onion, very thinly sliced
1 Medium Eating Apple, thinly sliced (tossed in juice of 1/2 a lemon)
1/3-1/2 C Pomegranate Seeds

Dressing

2 Tbsp Almond Butter (mine is unsalted, if you’re is salted you may like to decrease or omit salt listed)
2 Tbsp Hemp Seeds
1 Tbsp Agave Nectar
1/4 C Fresh Orange Juice
1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1-2 tsp Minced Fresh Ginger
1/4 tsp Salt
Black Pepper

Instructions

Combine cabbage, onion and apple in a large bowl. Tossing the apple in lemon prevents browning and adds a touch of tang to the salad.
Blend all the dressing ingredients together until smooth. If using only almond butter than you can whisk this together by hand.
Add the dressing to the salad and toss well. I used all of it but, depending on the size of your cabbage, you may not need it all.
Remove to a serving dish, top with a few grinds of black pepper and scatter over the pomegranate seeds.
Enjoy!

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2013/12/11/cabbage-apple-pomegranate-salad-with-ginger-almond-dressing/

Do you eat raw salads all year round? Favourite uses for pomegranate seeds? I’ve got plenty of seeds left!

If you’re new to Coconut and Berries, Please sign up for email updates and join me elsewhere: I’m onFacebook, Pinterest, Instagram (@coconutandberries), Google + and Twitter!

Butternut, Barley & Lentil Pilaf

Hope everyone had fun at the Virtual Vegan Potluck at the weekend! I was happy to bring my dessert along to the party and enjoyed seeing what everyone else came up with.

I’d been doing well so far this autumn in avoiding any lurgies but I finally succumbed to a cold over the weekend- I’m blaming my Mum who came to visit last week, and she’s apparently blaming her boyfriend (Thanks James!). It takes a lot to keep me out of the kitchen but admittedly my energy was pretty zapped and cooking wasn’t high on the list of things I felt like doing at the weekend.

All the same, a girl’s got to eat- “feed a cold” and all that. Not to mention I wanted to share a new dish with you today, so I pulled myself to my feet and into the kitchen, and this is what I came up with.

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like roasted squash. It’s probably the highlight of the season’s vegetables for me. Roasted with spices and olive oil then combined with chewy barley, lentils, a few extra accents and a sweet and tangy dressing, this really hit the spot. I made a large batch too so if my energy levels are dragged down this week I’m good to go with a nutritious meal waiting for me in the fridge.

Since the blogosphere is abuzz with talk of Thanksgiving, not much more than a week away (!), I couldn’t help but think of my American readers when making this dish. It would be a good one to serve on the big day- colourful, vibrant, tasty: a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Butternut, Barley & Lentil Pilaf

Yield: 4 servings as a main, 6-8 as a side

Ingredients

Pilaf:

1/2 C Pearl barley (For GF use Brown/Wild Rice or another hearty GF grain)
1/2 C Puy lentils
Small Butternut squash (approx 680g/1 1/2lb), peeled and cubed
1 Tbsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp Ground cumin
1/2 tsp Ground coriander
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Garlic powder
Large pinch of salt
1/3 C Raisins
1/3 C Pumpkin seeds, toasted (reserve 1-2 Tbsp for topping)
1/3 C Finely chopped red onion
1/2 C Roughly chopped parsley

Dressing:

3 Tbsp Orange Juice (fresh)
1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Extra-virgin Olive Oil
Salt + Pepper (to taste)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200C/400F
Cook lentils & barley in two separate pots according to package instructions. Barley typically takes 40-45 minutes and Puy lentils approx 25 minutes. When al dente, drain and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine cubed squash with olive oil, spices and a large pinch of salt. Spread in a layer on a baking sheet and roast for approx 25 minutes, or until soft when pierced with a fork.
Meanwhile, whisk together the dressing ingredients and add to barley and lentils along with the raisins, pumpkin seeds and red onion. Toss well.
Finally, fold through the roasted butternut and the parsley, transfer to a serving dish and scatter the remaining pumpkin seeds on top.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2013/11/18/butternut-barley-lentil-pilaf/

Are my US readers ready with your menus for Thanksgiving yet? What will you be making?

If you’re new to Coconut and Berries, Please sign up for email updates and join me elsewhere: I’m on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram (@coconutandberries), Google + and Twitter!

Review & Giveaway: “tibits at home”

If you saw my last post you’ll know that I had a lovely meal at tibits vegetarian restaurant last week. I don’t know when I’ll next be able to make an escape to London to visit again, but, luckily for me, tibits have their own cookbook so I can recreate the restaurant’s dishes at home!

(All images are my own)

The book “tibits at home: stylish vegetarian cuisine” was released last year and features 50 recipes in total, many for dishes you’ll see on tibit’s “food boat” as well as some new ones too. The book is divided into four seasonal sections, reflecting the importance tibits pays to seasonal ingredients in their restaurant. Although the book is not exclusively vegan, the recipes using dairy and eggs are are mostly easy to veganize with a few simple substitutions.

The book pretty accurately reflects the way I like to eat- whole foods and interesting flavours, with influence from cuisines around the world. The book definitely wouldn’t look out of place on an elegant coffee table as the pictures, at least one for each recipe, are simply stunning.

I like to try out a few recipes before reviewing books so headed to the autumn and winter sections and chose 3 dishes.

Since I’m back into pasta I honed in on the “Linguine with pumpkin and chard”. This recipe as written isn’t actually vegan but I swapped out the double cream for canned coconut milk and found it still plenty rich for me. The sauce is lovely and lemony and lightens up this winter-warmer.

You might remember I mentioned a “dried green bean salad” we sampled from the “food boat” at the restaurant. As this is one of their signature dishes it’s featured in the cookbook and they actually sell the beans themselves- I, of course, had to pick up a bag.

After a soak and a simmer for half an hour they rehydrate but keep a satisfying, chewy texture. A balsamic marinade, a generous helping of walnuts and some sautéed onion is all that’s needed to turn them into something special.

I thought I’d make a sort of pick ‘n’ mix lunch with a few different dishes, like our meal at the restaurant, so opted for a second salad to have with the dried bean dish. I’d just recently picked up some Camargue rice to try so the “Red Rice Salad” was an obvious choice.

If you haven’t tried this variety of rice I’d recommend you do. Brown rice is a staple in my diet but this is quite different. It has a stronger flavour and a bit more bite to it. The dish was well-spiced but not overly so, making it ideal to serve alongside a couple of other salads.

Tibits have kindly agreed to let me share this recipe with you:

Red Rice Salad:

160g(1C) Camargue Rice
1 Red & 1 Yellow Pepper
1 Courgette
1 Bunch of Parsley
2T Rapeseed Oil
3T White Balsamic Vinegar (You can find this in most well-stocked supermarkets)
1t Chilli Oil (I used a pinch of chili flakes instead)
1t Fine Sea Salt
1T Tomato Paste
1/2t Hot Curry Powder
1/2t Mild Paprika
1/2t Ground Coriander
1/2t Ground Cumin

Method

1 Bring the salted water to the boil, add the rice and cook for 30 minutes. Drain in a sieve and chill under running cold water. Rinse well.

2 Chop peppers and courgettes into 1 cm dice.

3 Wash the parsley, shake well and chop finely.

4 Put the remaining ingredients into a bowl and mix well, add the rice.

5 Add vegetables and parsley, mix well and refrigerate.

Tip: rice grown in the French Camargue region, gets its red colour from the high clay content of the soil. Camargue rice is untreated and unmilled ’brown’ rice. It has a mild nutty flavour and stays grainy when cooked. Alternatively, you can use Riso Venere (Italian black rice) for this recipe.

Preparation time: 30 minutes

It’s GIVEAWAY time! Tibits are offering a copy of the cookbook to one UK reader. To enter, do any one or all of the following things and leave a comment for each letting me know that you have done so. The more you do the more chances to win you have!

1. Leave a comment on this post

2. “Like” Coconut and Berries on Facebook

3. “Follow” me on Twitter

4. Tweet about the giveaway and post the url in the comments.

Giveaway ends Thursday 21st November 12am GMT. Winner will be picked randomly and contacted by email within 48 hours of the closing time.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes, but, as always, all opinions are my own.

Hope to see you all back here on Saturday for the Virtual Vegan Potluck. I’m in the “dessert” category! Can’t wait to share my recipe.

Sign up for email updates and join me elsewhere: I’m on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram (@coconutandberries), Google + and Twitter!