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Raw Salads

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Raw Kale, Mandarin, Goji Salad with Citrus Ginger Cashew Dressing

September 22, 2013 by Veronica Grace 8 Comments

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Low Fat Vegan Chef's Kale Mandarin Orange Goji Berry Salad with Citrus Ginger Cashew Dressing

Have you ever had a craving for a deeply satisfying and hearty kale salad? But you don’t want just a big pile of kale…. no you want all sorts of yummy textures and flavors in your kale salad to keep things interesting.

This is that salad.

It’s perfect for a dinner entree, a potluck, or a weekday take along for lunch. I like to make up big salads and then keep the dressing on the side that way I can have as much or as little dressing as I like and save any remaining salad in a sealed container in the fridge.



Low Fat Vegan Chef's Kale Mandarin Orange Goji Berry Salad with Citrus Ginger Cashew Dressing

Most kale salad recipes are heavily dressed with oil and salt and I find it hard to stomach. I want to taste my greens and not the oil so I paired this with a delicious homemade citrus ginger cashew dressing. It has some natural sweetness and creaminess from the cashews and is super easy to whip up in the blender with some fresh ginger and orange juice. Fresh squeezed orange juice is a great choice for liquid in salad dressings because it has some natural sweetness, and acidity and you can toss almost any fruits or veggies and/or nuts and seeds into it and blend it up.



So make up a big bowl of this hearty kale salad and you’ll have a light yet satisfying entree salad for 3-4 or a delicious side salad to serve along with baked potatoes, rice pilaff, pasta marinara and more. Enjoy!

Low Fat Vegan Chef's Kale Mandarin Orange Goji Berry Salad with Citrus Ginger Cashew Dressing

Raw(ish) Vegan Kale, Mandarin Orange and Goji Berry Salad

Serves 6-8 side servings

Ingredients:

1 head of kale, stems removed and chopped
1 head of romaine, chopped
3 cups loose packed spinach
1 english cucumber, sliced
4-5 mandarin oranges, peeled and sectioned
3 tbsp goji berries soaked and patted dry
2 cups cooked quinoa (I seasoned mine with vegetable broth) *can omit if you desire a 100% raw dish

Directions: 

1. Arrange salad greens in a large bowl and mix together.
2. Garnish with remaining ingredients.
3. Serve with dressing on the side, or toss dressing with salad for a marinated salad.

Raw Vegan Citrus Ginger Cashew Dressing

 Ingredients:

1 cup fresh squeezed clementine or sweet mandarin juice
2 medjool dates, pitted
1 tbsp Spicy Pecan Vinegar (or other fruit vinegar)
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1/2 cup raw cashews (unsalted)
Dash of salt and pepper *optional

 Directions:

1. Blend dressing ingredients together. Best used within 3 days (due to fresh orange juice which is perishable).

Additional Tips:

If you prefer to make this your weekday lunch salad for 5 days a week, arrange the salad in 5 sealable containers and store the dressing in small airtight containers.

What are your favorite ingredients to toss into your kale salad?

Filed Under: Green Dishes, Raw Entrees, Raw Salads, Raw Vegan Recipes, Salads Tagged With: cashews, ginger, goji berries, kale, mandarin, orange, orange juice, romaine

Shaved Asparagus and Spring Vegetable Salad With Basil, Mandarins and Pine nuts

June 23, 2013 by Veronica Grace 13 Comments

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I have to tell you… I am totally loving my new (but used) camera I just got! As you can see, I have some more delicious photos  to share with you. This is a shaved asparagus salad I’ve been wanting to try for a while and I just happened to have asparagus in the fridge this week so I was very excited! I’ve had many many raw dishes using shaved or spiralized zucchini (summer squash) and the asparagus can be shaved with a vegetable peeler in the same way.

This shaved spring vegetable salad is absolutely delicious and will definitely shake up your boring entree or side salad routine. You can even make this salad go even farther by incorporating baby spinach or mixed greens to make it lighter and less “noodley”.

You’ll be surprised how delicious shaved raw asparagus is, it’s quite mild and has a nice flavor to it. There’s no cooking required when you shave vegetables this thin, just like shaved or shredded beets or carrots it’s quite easy to eat.

I also added some fresh basil and red onion to kick up the flavors and am definitely going to add basil to more of my salads. It’s just wonderful! Even better if you pick it fresh from the garden. 🙂

I know you’re going to love this shaved asparagus salad as much as I did, so let’s check out the recipe!

Shaved Asparagus and Spring Vegetable Salad with Basil, Mandarins and Pine nuts

Serves 2 entrees or 4 side salads

Ingredients:

1 lb asparagus
3 small/medium zucchini
1/2 red onion
2 handfuls of fresh basil (60g)
2 mandarins, peeled or sliced and sectioned
2 tbsp pine nuts
2 cups baby spinach/spring mix *optional

Dressing:
1 cup fresh mandarin orange juice (about 5 mandarins)
1 tbsp champagne vinegar
1/4 cup pine nuts
1-2 medjool dates, pitted and chopped
5 medium fresh basil leaves
pinch of salt
dash fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Optional: toast pine nuts dry in a non stick pan over medium low heat until golden brown and set aside.

1. Hold the stem of each asparagus and lay it down on a cutting board. Shave thin ribbons of asparagus by using a vegetable peeler. (Use a sharp one! Dull ones will make this difficult.) Add tops and ribbons of asparagus to a bowl.

2. Do the same to the zucchini, lay flat on a cutting board and shave into ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Rotate zucchini to a new side once you reach the inner seeded section. Peel until all 4 sides are done. Add to bowl.

3. Slice red onion into thin slivers. Add to bowl.

4. De-stem the basil and slice into thin strips. Add to bowl.

5. Peel or slice off skin of mandarins and add mandarin sections and pine nuts to bowl.

6. Prepare dressing: combine orange juice, vinegar, pine nuts and dates in a blender and blend until smooth.

7. Pour dressing over salad ingredients and toss to combine. Refrigerate before serving if desired.

8. Serve as is, or atop baby spinach or mixed greens in bowls or plates.

Enjoy!

Variations:

If you can’t find champagne vinegar use another fruit vinegar of choice.

If asparagus is out of season, too expensive, or too time consuming to shave you can substitute more zucchini (about 3-4 more). You can use yellow and green zucchini/squash for variety.

If you can’t find pine nuts you can try pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds and toast them if desired.

 Have you ever eaten raw asparagus or added fresh basil to a salad? What did you think? 

Filed Under: Cooked Vegan Recipes, Raw Entrees, Raw Salads, Raw Vegan Recipes, Salads Tagged With: basil, mandarin oranges, orange juice, pine nuts, shaved asparagus salad, shaved zucchini, spiralized zucchini

Sweet and Savory Asian Salad with Orange Sesame Dressing

March 17, 2013 by Veronica Grace 14 Comments

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Often when I make salads at home I toss whatever I have in the fridge into a bowl and make a homemade dressing for it. This is a giant salad I made one night for dinner and it was so filling I didn’t need anything else! But I kept it lower fat by not adding anymore nuts or avocado to it and added chickpeas instead for calories and protein.

I also like to add apples and dried fruit to salads to give them more flavor and calories as opposed to lots of nuts or seeds. Salads can be much more appetizing when you make a fresh homemade dressing. Store bought dressings often contain a lot of junk and it’s super easy to make your own at home. I usually make my dressing recipes up as I go along and season them to taste. This one is no exception and I think you’ll like it!

Sweet and Savory Salad Ingredients:

6-8 cups of salad greens like spring mix, or baby greens
2 apples, peeled and diced
1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup of sugar snap peas
1/2 English cucumber, sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced *optional
2 tbsp dried cranberries

Orange Sesame Dressing Ingredients:

4 tbsp tahini (sesame seed butter)
2 tbsp orange vinegar (or other fruit vinegar)
8 dates, pitted and chopped
1/3-1/2 cup water (as needed for consistency)
Dash of salt

Directions:

1. Arrange salad ingredients into a large bowl.
2. Combine dressing ingredients in a blender or VitaMix and blend until smooth.
3. Serve and drizzle with dressing.

Additional Tips:

Use dressing within 3-4 days and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

Mix up your dressings by purchasing a few different types of fruit vinegars. Trader Joe’s makes a few varieties and so does Dr. Fuhrman (sold on his website). Having a little variety makes creating different tasting dressings so easy.

What’s your favorite salad dressing recipe?

Filed Under: Cooked Vegan Recipes, Eat To Live - Dr. Fuhrman Recipes, Raw Dressings, Raw Salads, Raw Vegan Recipes, Salads Tagged With: apple, chickpeas, cucumber, dates, dinner salad, dressing, fuhrman recipes, garbanzo beans, green salad, orange, raw vegan recipe, snap pea, tahini, tomato

Raw Vegan Recipe: Rock My Broccoli Salad with Orange Hemp Dressing

March 3, 2013 by Veronica Grace 103 Comments

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*Contest is over! I’ve chosen Tina’s name “Rock My Broccoli Salad” for the title!

Hey everyone. So I kind of need your help.

You see, I made a delicious salad the other day and I absolutely loved it, but because it has so many ingredients I couldn’t really decide on what to call it. So I want hear some suggestions from you.

In fact, I’ll even give a little prize to the person who comes up with the best name for this salad recipe. (I’m going to put it in my next salad recipe ebook you see so it needs a catchy title.)

So please let me know what name you think suits this salad and it’s ingredients that make it sound delicious and appetizing. I’ll announce the winner later this week. And since it’s open to everyone (and some of you may have already purchased one or two of my recipe ebooks) I want to offer the winner a copy of any one of my ebooks they don’t already have. So if you’ve been dying for a particular ebook, please don’t miss out on this chance to enter! Plus it’s a fun way for me to get feedback from you.

I usually stick to all raw ingredients when I make my salads and dressings, but not always. This one however is pretty much all raw and super fresh (depending on the cranberries, but you can use something else instead if you wish.)

Once this salad is tossed together with the orange hemp dressing and the avocado chunks get all broken up and creamy, it’s a super tasty and decadent salad, but it’s jam packed full of vegetables and still light. I never use any oil in my salads and try to keep them zesty and flavorful but lower fat at the same time.

If you’re going to make this salad and not use it all in one meal, it’s best to portion it out and keep the remaining dressing separate so it doesn’t wilt the lettuce. Use the dressing within 3 days as it is fresh.

Rock My Broccoli Salad

Serves 2 dinner salads or 4 side salads

Salad Ingredients:

1 small head of broccoli cut into small florets
3 cups baby spinach or spring mix
2 cups romaine lettuce
1 8 oz. package sugar snap peas
1 apple peeled and sliced into match sticks
2 small seedless cucumbers (Persian or Iranian), sliced
1 8 oz. package plum tomatoes, sliced
2 small or 1 large avocado, seeded and sliced into chunks
2 green onions, chopped
3 tbsp pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries

Orange Hemp Dressing:

1 cup fresh squeezed clementine or mandarin orange juice (please don’t use store bought it’s too sour)
2 tbsp hemp seeds
2-4 dates, pitted and chopped
dash of kelp flakes *optional
dash of salt
dash of pepper

Directions:

  1. Arrange salad ingredients into a very large salad bowl as desired.
  2. Combine salad dressing ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
  3. Serve salad and top with dressing as desired.

Additional Tips:

Store leftovers in separate containers and consume within 3 days.

**Contest Over**

Name this salad and get a chance to win a copy of any of my recipe ebooks!

Winner: Tina with “Rock My Broccoli Salad” Congratulations Tina!

Filed Under: 80/10/10, Raw Salads, Raw Vegan Recipes Tagged With: apple, broccoli, cucumbers, green onions, hemp seeds, lettuce, oranges, raw recipe, raw vegan salad, romaine, spinach, sugar snap peas

Pomegranate Apple Green Salad With Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette

December 10, 2012 by Veronica Grace 5 Comments

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The other day I went to a raw food potluck in Calgary and someone made this delicious salad that had a bunch of mixed vegetables and pomegranate seeds and it was quite delicious. So I thought why not make my own pomegranate salad for the holiday season?

To easily peel a pomegranate, you can cut it in half and fill a large bowl or sink full of water. Start peeling off the outer peel. The seeds will sink and the white parts will float so you can scoop them out and discard them. Once you’re done peeling everything apart you can drain the water and you’re left with pomegranate seeds.

(Or you can go to Costco and buy packages of fresh pre peeled pomegranate seeds in the refrigerated produce section if you don’t want to peel one.)

This is a really lovely salad that I designed to be really simple to make yet seem a little fancier. It’s got antioxidants from the pomegranate and the raspberries and omega 3’s from the walnuts (in the dressing).

I prefer to make all of my own salad dressings and not use any oil in them at all. So I used walnut pieces for healthy fats in this dressing. If you don’t have fresh raspberries right now, you can also use frozen. Just let them sit out for a few minutes to defrost a little first.

So let’s check out the recipe:

Raw Vegan Pomegranate Apple Green Salad

(With Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette)

Serves 2 side salads or 1 medium/large salad

Salad:

4-6 cups mixed greens
1-2 apples peeled and sliced
1-2 tbsp raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
3 tbsp fresh pomegranate seeds

Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup mandarin orange juice (2 oranges)
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp broken walnut pieces
2 large medjool dates, pitted
1 tbsp Trader Joe’s orange muscat champagne vinegar/other fruit vinegar/apple cider vinegar
1/8 tsp Herbamare or salt *optional

Directions:

  1. Arrange the salad ingredients in side salad bowls or a large serving bowl.
  2. Place the salad dressing ingredients into a Vita-Mix or a blender and process until smooth.
  3. Drizzle dressing overtop of salad.
  4. Serve.

Additional Tips:

Feel free to double this recipe if you’re entertaining.

What’s your favorite holiday salad? Have you ever used pomegranates in a recipe? 

Filed Under: 80/10/10, Raw Dressings, Raw Salads, Raw Vegan Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes Tagged With: apple, gluten-free, lettuce, mixed greens, oil-free, omega-3, orange, pomegranate, raspberry, raw vegan, salad, salad dressing, soy-free, walnut

Fermented Food Recipe: Applekraut by Cherie Soria

August 17, 2012 by Veronica Grace 1 Comment

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Today I have a delicious recipe to share with you from my friend Kevin Gianni’s new ebook Cultured: Learn How To Make Healthy Fermented Foods At Home.

This is a really neat recipe that everyone will be able to make no matter where they live. Apples are such an awesome ingredient to use in recipes because they work well in both sweet and savory dishes. I pretty much love apples in everything!

This recipe comes from Cherie Soria of The Living Light Culinary Institute in California. This is what she has to say about her recipe:

“This kraut is sensational!

The apple and ginger create a wonderful combination of sweetness and tang. For variety, add spices such as anise seed, curry powder,
caraway, or cardamom.

These krauts are easy to make and very health promoting. Use your imagination and see how many great flavors you can create!”

Applekraut by Cherie Soria

(Makes 1 1/2 quarts)

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized cabbage, finely shredded or ground
(reserve several outer leaves and pieces of cabbage to cover the Applekraut)
2 tart, firm apples, peeled, cored, and shredded
1 tsp freshly grated ginger root
1 tsp Himalayan crystal salt

Instructions:

  1. Put the shredded cabbage in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and massage the cabbage until it becomes very juicy. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Firmly pack the mixture into a deep glass bowl or crock.
  2. Place the reserved leaves over the top, allowing them to extend partially up the side of the crock; put a small saucer (plate) on top.
  3. Fill a clean plastic bag with grains or beans to act as a weight; place it on top of a saucer and put it on top of the leaves. Allow some space around the sides to ensure a good air supply.
  4. Cover the top with a clean dish towel. Place the mixture in a warm, dark closet for 3-4 days. (It will ferment sooner in warmer weather.)
  5. Store your Applekraut in a glass jar in the refrigerator. It will last two weeks or more, but it is best eaten soon to ensure live lactobacillus bacteria.

This recipe is just one of the 70+ found in Kevin Gianni’s fermented foods recipe book called “Cultured: Make Healthy Fermented Foods at Home.” I highly recommend it!

I know what I’ll be making today! How about you?

Filed Under: Eat To Live - Dr. Fuhrman Recipes, Raw Salads, Raw Vegan Recipes Tagged With: applekraut, apples, cabbage, fat-free, gluten-free, raw, saurkraut, soy-free

The Best Raw Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe! (Plant Based and Oil-Free)

August 6, 2012 by Veronica Grace 57 Comments

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*Plantbasedu.com was formerly LowFatVeganChef.com

Today I have the PERFECT savory salad recipe that I want to share with you. This raw vegan Caesar salad dressing probably my most requested dressing recipe. My friends and family cannot get enough of it. Whenever I make it for potlucks (even for omnivorous barbecues) it’s the FIRST salad to be devoured and people can’t stop raving about it.



They don’t care that my dressing is oil-free, dairy free, or vegan, they just know it’s freaking delicious and they want to know how they can get the recipe!

Well I don’t usually give away my top secret recipes, aside to my close friends, but I wanted to share this recipe with you today.

I don’t know if you’ve ever made your own Caesar salad dressing at home before, but there’s one ingredient in traditional Caesar dressing that just grosses me right out.

Do you know what it is?

Anchovies!

I know… who wants to eat blended fish in a salad dressing…

But this recipe is very close to tasting like a traditional Caesar salad dressing. There is one key ingredient that makes my version very tasty and savory.

It’s miso paste and this gives it that strong tangy flavour that vegan Caesar dressings are sometimes missing.



You can buy miso paste at the health food store or asian markets. There are many different types of miso, but my favourite for salad dressings and gravies is Genmai (Soy and Brown Rice) Miso Paste. You can also use miso paste to make Japanese miso soup or other sauces. If you don’t have access to miso locally, you can also get it from Amazon, so don’t worry. *For a soy free version I have now seen CHICKPEA based miso sold in glass jars at the health food store. So definitely check that out too.

Check it out below. I know you are going to love it 🙂

Raw vegan Caesar Salad

The Best Raw Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing/Dip

 

Yields about 1 cup, which covers more than 2 heads of romaine hearts chopped.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup raw cashews (or raw sunflower seeds)
1/8 cup raw sesame seeds (or raw pine nuts) or 2 tbsp tahini
1/8-1/4 cup sunflower seeds (depending how thick you want it)
3-4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-2 medium cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 tsp mild miso (I use Genmai soy and brown rice miso)
1/4 tsp kelp granules or other seaweed seasoning *optional
1/2 tsp of dried dill
2 dates or 1-2 tsp agave or other liquid sweetener
1/2-2/3 cup filtered water (to thin as desired)
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Using a hand blender or in a regular blender, combine all ingredients(starting with 1 date or 1/2 tsp agave nectar) and purée until very smooth.
  2. Taste test. Add additional dates or agave nectar, garlic or lemon if desired to achieve the taste you are looking for.
  3. Add additional water to thin dressing if desired.

Additional Tips:

This dressing will thicken after refrigeration; you can thin it by stirring in 2-3 tsp water if desired. When thick, this dressing can be used as a veggie dip.

Cashews are higher in fat than sunflower seeds, so it’s up to you which you would prefer to use. Cashews will yield a creamier dressing, but be higher in



calories.

Do you love Caesar salad? Have you ever tried a vegan version?


Filed Under: Eat To Live - Dr. Fuhrman Recipes, Raw Dressings, Raw Salads, Raw Vegan Recipes Tagged With: gluten-free, green, raw vegan, salad

Restaurant Worthy Raw Vegan Strawberry Pecan Spinach Salad

April 18, 2012 by Veronica Grace 32 Comments

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Low Fat Raw Vegan Chef's Strawberry Pecan Spinach Salad

I wanted to share this special and healthy salad recipe with you today for a few reasons. It’s also my friend Karmyn Malone’s top favourite raw recipe. She is a raw foodists and is always on the look out for delicious and simple oil free raw recipes, so this is right up her alley.

Another great thing about this recipe is that it has few ingredients and is easy to make. You don’t have to spend a lot of time making it and the ingredients are fairly easy to find at the grocery store.



As spring is here and it’s looking like it’s going to be a nice warm summer you’ll be able to make this recipe many times for yourself or for entertaining. It’s perfect to bring to a potluck, barbecue or to serve as a first course for dinner guests.

The problem with most salads is that they rely on store bought dressings that are neither nutritious or great tasting. The ones that people generally do like are full of cream and fat and are not part of a healthy life style if you eat them every day. The oil free ones are basically vinegar, sugar, salt and flavourings and after a while most people can’t stand another vinegary dressing!

I prefer to make my own salad dressings at home with fresh ingredients and combine them in a blender. You can even use a basic blender or a hand blender to make this recipe.

This Raw Vegan Strawberry Pecan Spinach Salad recipe is delicious AND nutritious! Even Karmyn’s young son Andrew loved this recipe, and as you know it can be hard to get some kids to eat raw greens and vegetables. But not Andrew, he was begging for more!

This recipe is part of my Savory Raw Dinner Recipes DVD and book collection that has received many rave reviews from friends and customers. They’re 100% oil free and much lower in fat than traditional gourmet raw salad and nut heavy entree recipes.
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For more yummy recipes go to:

Savory Raw Dinner Recipes

(We even have a 100% digital version for those who don’t want to wait for shipping!)
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With this set of recipes you’ll be on your way to enjoying more fresh salads and learn my tips and tricks for making delicious oil free low fat vegan dressings that you will actually enjoy eating! No more buying expensive store bought dressings that only last a few meals that don’t tickle your taste buds anymore.

I have to say that I wish I could have this salad right now as we bought a big bag of spinach and I’m having a craving for it! (Sadly I did not bring any chia seeds with me to Hawaii!)



Low Fat Raw Vegan Chef's Strawberry Pecan Spinach Salad

Raw Vegan Strawberry Pecan Spinach Salad

Makes 2 dinner servings or 4 side servings

Ingredients:

Strawberry Pecan Spinach Salad:

11 oz. container baby spinach leaves
2 cups of sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup red onion, diced or sliced (your choice)
1/3 cup raw pecans

Strawberry Chia Dressing:

1 cup fresh sliced strawberries
1/4 cup clementine mandarin orange juice (use the sweetest FRESH oranges you can find)
4 small dates, pitted (or you can sub 1-2 tbsp of liquid sweetener)
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp chia gel (or 1 tsp chia seeds)

Directions:

  1. Slice pecans lengthwise on a cutting board so they are in long halves. (This makes them go farther and you’ll use less in the recipe)
  2.  Arrange salad ingredients into 2 large bowls or 4 medium sized bowls for starter salads.
  3. Blend dressing ingredients together and drizzle over salad.
  4. Serve immediately.
Additional Tips:
I don’t recommend using frozen strawberries for this recipe as they are usually too tart and sour. Use dark sweet strawberries. Store bought orange juice is also not a good base for this dressing. I don’t like store bought orange juice because it’s highly processed and quite acidic compared to fresh squeezed orange juice. Clementines or mandarins are preferable because they are mild and sweet, but you can also use Cara Cara or Valencia oranges if that’s what you can find.
You can make this dressing and keep it for 2-3 days in the fridge. Raw dressings ARE perishable and will not stay fresh for weeks like cooked salad dressings. So this is best enjoyed soon after making it.

What is Chia Gel?

Chia gel is just chia seeds mixed with water. I learned this from Victoria and Valya Boutenko when I met them in my home town of Calgary.  When chia seeds absorb water they create this gel that suspends them and it great to add to dressings because it will hold it together much like oil would. So when you use blended fruits or juices for the base of your dressing it will be a little thicker and a better consistency. You can also use psyllium husk powder if you don’t have or don’t want to use chia gel. Psyllium husk powder is something people often add with some flavour to water to get extra fibre in their diet (not something we generally need as a whole food vegan) BUT it is useful in making dressings because it add some bulk to the liquid and holds it together nicely. You cannot taste it and it will not affect the flavour of your dressing. It just makes it more into a thin gel than just stay a watery dressing.



To make chia gel I mix 1/3 cup chia seeds into a container (that can go in the fridge) with 2 cups of water. You have to add chia to the water, and not pour water over the chia to prevent it from clumping together in uneven clumps. This lasts for 2-3 weeks in the fridge and you can add a tablespoon or two to your dressings or smoothies to get some whole food omega 3’s into your diet. This is more of a recommendation for raw foodists, if you’re not into raw food and won’t use this amount of chia gel you can just add 1 tsp of chia seeds to your dressing or smoothie if desired instead.

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For more information go to:

Savory Raw Dinner Recipes

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What do you think of this recipe? Have you ever had strawberry spinach salad before or chia seeds?

Filed Under: 80/10/10, Eat To Live - Dr. Fuhrman Recipes, Raw Salads, Raw Vegan Recipes Tagged With: gluten-free, oranges, pecan, raw, soy-free, spinach, strawberry

Fat Free Raw Vegan Cabbage Slaw – Costa Rican Style

January 20, 2012 by Veronica Grace 23 Comments

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Fat Free Oil Free Raw Vegan Costa Rican Cabbage Slaw Salad

Raw Vegan Cabbage Slaw Costa Rican Style

This is a really easy and fast recipe that happens to be oil free, fat free and raw vegan. When we lived in Costa Rica we would eat this salad a lot and it’s a staple dish because cabbage is so abundant there. Most of the tender lettuces don’t last very long in the humidity down there even in the fridge, but cabbage never had a problem. So we ate a lot of cabbage while we were there. The Costa Ricans use VERY SIMPLE seasonings to flavour their dishes, this one only has a balance of lime juice and salt. You don’t have to add the salt, but it’s used to help wilt the cabbage and to cut the acidity of the lime and make it tangy. The tomato adds some juiciness to the recipe as well, so make sure you use a good tomato.

If you get store bought coleslaw mix you can have this salad ready in minutes and then put it in the fridge while you prep your main dish.

I’ve served this to raw foodies and non raw eaters and both love it as a tangy topping to latin style dishes. Typically this Costa Rican cabbage salad would be eaten with seasoned rice and black beans which is also called gallo pinto.

Cabbage has a very nice flavour and does not require any oil. Please don’t drown your healthy cabbage in olive oil or creamy dressing! Oil free coleslaw recipes are delicious.

Fat Free Raw Vegan Cabbage Slaw Costa Rican Style

Serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients:

5 cups green cabbage, sliced (or slaw mix)
1 medium ripe tomato, diced
1/3 cup white onion, diced
1 -1 1/2 large limes, juiced
1/2 tsp herbamare or salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper or to taste

Directions:

1. Place cabbage or slaw mix into a bowl. Add tomatoes and onions and seasonings. Roughly squeeze and massage the cabbage to wilt it and make the tomatoes release their juices.

2. Taste test and add more lime or salt if desired.

3. Let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to soften before serving.

4. Serve with raw entrees or as a topping for vegan tacos or rice and beans.

Variations:

You can also add some chopped raw cilantro (coriander) or parsley if desired. Julienned carrot or celery, red cabbage, or jicama can be used to mix it up as well for more raw salad creations.

What do you think of this recipe? What did you serve it with?

Filed Under: Raw Salads, Raw Vegan Recipes Tagged With: cabbage, fast, fat-free, gluten-free, lime, nut-free, raw, soy-free, tomato

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Dr. Fuhrman
Dr. Fuhrman
Dr. Fuhrman

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