Cucumber radish salad

Servings: 5

This is a slightly altered version of the traditional Hungarian cucumber salad. My grandmother used to make it every Sunday for the whole family and I learnt it from her. Originally it is prepared with vinegar instead of lemon juice and vithout radishes, and served with a dollop of fresh sour cream on top.

Ingredients:

3 snake cucumbers (you know those really long ones)
10-12 small radishes
1 tablespoon sea salt

for the dressing:
juice of a large lemon (use the zest as well if you like - I usually do)
2 large cloves of garlic crushed
extra virgin olive oil to taste
pink Himalayan salt to taste
1 level teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika (ground sweet red peppers)
a bit or freshly ground black pepper
a pinch of cayenne
1 teaspoon agave syrup to balance the taste

Preparation:

Wash the cucumbers and cut the ends down as they tend to be very bitter.
Slice them thinly (1mm thick slices) and layer the slices with sea salt in a large colander. Place it in your kitchen sink or in a larger dish and let it sit for about 1 hour (may be longer). You will see loads of liquid coming out the cukes. Rinse them thoroughly (you don't want all that salt ending up in your salad) and squeeze as much liquid out as possible.
Mix the cucumber with the similarly thinly sliced radishes in a bowl.
Prepare your dressing: juice the lemon and mix it with all the other ingredients. Use the lemon zest if you like - it gives a nice kick to the salad.
Mix the dressing with your greens and taste it again to see if it needs anything else.
Put it in the fridge for a few hours before serving.
Enjoy!

Picnic-In-The-Park Salad

Servings: 2 - 4

This salad is made with three simple ingredients and is loaded with flavor. It makes a great side dish...even my non-Raw friends love this salad.

Ingredients:

- 2 large carrots
- one cup walnuts (whole or halved)
- one cup sun-dried cranberries or raisins (or both)

Preparation:

Grate the carrots into a bowl. Add walnuts and cranberries. Serve and enjoy! : )

Fresh Corn and Avocado Salad

Servings: 4-6

What better time to share this simple salad recipe then when the farmer’s markets, roadside stands, and grocery stores (if you must!), are brimming with tender ears of sweet corn. I created this recipe last year after learning from a local farmer that you can eat sweet corn without it ever touching a grill or a pot of boiling water. I was able to convert many naysayers last summer, and now it’s time for me to make a believer out of you!

Ingredients:

3 ears of fresh sweet corn, husked and cut from cob
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 small avocado, diced
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 Tablespoon fresh basil or cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation:

After husking and cutting corn from cob, pull out as many corn silks as possible. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Serve immediately or allow to marinate. This salad is even better the next day!

Umeboshi Plum Paste Salad Dressing

Servings: 1

Ingredients:

Organic Olive oil (cold pressed, extra virgin)
juice of 1/2 lemon
about 1/2 T Umeboshi paste (more or less to taste)
1 packet of stevia (more or less to taste)

Preparation:

Meaure all ingredients into a bowl and wisk together using a fork. If you would like go ahead and mix it around a few times in a blender but it's not necessary, ENJOY!

Balsamic Spinach Salad

Servings:

single (double up as you desire)

Fresh and leafy spinach with flavorful vegetables, and a tangy balsamic kick. This is something I've been throwing together lately as I rummage through the fridge looking for edibles. (I'm the only vegan in the house, so the fridge and pantry are usually quite stocked with all kinds of things I can't have.) Quantities are approximate; I usually just make it up as I go along.

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh spinach, washed
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
5 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 medium-sized button mushrooms, chopped
1 small ripe avocado, sliced into 8ths
handful (or more) pinenuts
olive oil
balsamic vinegar

* You can also add bell peppers. I like any color other than green. (Green is ok, but the other colors are very sweet & juicy by comparison.)
* If you're not a fan of pine nuts, try almond slices instead.

Preparation:

In a bowl, combine spinach, onion, tomatoes, mushrooms, and pinenuts. Take one 1/8 sliver of avocado, cut gently lengthwise, then dice along width; gently scrape from rind into salad mixture. Toss. Top with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste.

Delectable Avocado Dill Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 or 1 whole avocado, sliced into bite size pieces
1 green onion, sliced
1/4 large english cucumber, cut into bite size pieces
juice from half a lemon ( this may be too much for some people so start with less and add more if you think it needs it)
1/4 tspn hemp oil
1 small bunch of dill, pulled off the stem and cut into smaller pieces
a pinch of sea salt

Preparation:

Chuck all bits into a bowl, mix around, and let sit in the fridge for about an hour before serving. The avocado will get a little softer and absord some of the flavor from the bottom of the bowl. Give it a good mix around before serving and enjoy!