The Secret To Balanced Full Meal Salads

To me, this time of year is a bit of a tease. The long, warm days of summer have arrived. But the summer foods haven’t yet. Soon local farmers and our backyard gardens will be busting with veggies and fruit. Until then we can nourish our cravings with full-meal salads using the veggies and fruit that are available now. It’ just takes a bit more creativity.

Full-meal salads are my absolute go-to during the summer months. And, with the growing trend of salads-in-a-jar, I can see that others are catching on.

The secret to a perfectly balanced full-meal salad (that will actually fill you up) is to include whole grains, protein and healthy fats as well as all those veggies. I also like to include some fruit for a sweet note. 

Here are two of my favourite full-meal salads with ingredients that we can get this time of year. You’ll notice that there aren’t amounts listed for the salad ingredients – make as much or as little as you want.


Thai- Inspired Brussels Sprout Salad

Inspired by: Food and Wine Magazine, February 2015

This salad gets better when the Brussels Sprouts marinate in the dressing for a few hours - making this the perfect salad to making in the morning and bring to work for lunch

Salad Ingredients:

Cooked short grain brown rice 
Steamed edamame 
(not in the pods) 
Brussels sprouts 
Apples

Dressing:

1/3 cup lime juice
3 TBSP fish sauce
2 TBSP hemp or flax oil
1 TBSP brown sugar
(coconut sugar would be a 
great alternative)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Directions:


In a small bowl, mix the dressing ingredients together, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Wash the apples and Brussels Sprouts, removing the apple core and the outer leaves and stems of the Brussels Sprouts. Slice thinly (I use my Cuisinart but a mandolin would work too).
In a large bowl, toss the salad ingredients with the dressing. 





Pistachio-Sweet Potato Salad


Inspired by: Alive Magazine

This salad gets better when the Brussels Sprouts marinate in the dressing for a few hours - making this the perfect salad to making in the morning and bring to work for lunch


Salad Ingredients:

Sweet Potatoes 
(baked, cooked)
Pistachios
Raisins
Granny Smith Apples



Dressing:

1/4 plain yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP garam masala or 
curry powder
Salt and Pepper


Directions:


In a small bowl, mix the dressing ingredients together.
Dice the sweet potato and apple into similar size pieces.
In a large bowl combine the salad ingredients. Toss in the dressing.
Enjoy!











For ideas of how to change what you’re eating, check out my free resource: How to Eat Healthy to Boost Your Energy: 10 Steps that Even Healthy Eaters Miss at www.KristenYarker.com/womens-nutrition (Guys: head over to www.KristenYarker.com/mens-nutrition)




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Tomato Salsa with Cucumber "Chips"

From: Food and Wine

Get ready for Super Bowl weekend with a delicious healthy take on the traditional chips-and-salsa combo that is nearly fat-fee and refreshing.
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large seedless cucumber, sliced 1/4 inch thick


Directions:

In a bowl, toss the tomatoes with the onion, cilantro, jalapeño and lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Serve the salsa with the cucumber chips for dipping.

Glory Bowl

Ingredients:

1 Cup Brown Rice
1/2 Cup Beets
1/2 Cup Carrots
1/2 Cup Sunflower Seeds
1/2 Cup Spinach
1/4 Cup Alfalfa
1 Avocado
1/2 Cup Tofu or Chicken
1/4 Cup Cilantro

Dressing:
1/4 Cup Miso
1 Lime
1/8 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Cup Water
1 Clove Garlic
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/3 Cup Tahini
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce

Directions

1. In small pot, start cooking the brown rice with 2 Cups water and 1 Cup of brown rice.

2.  While Rice is cooking, Grate the raw beets and carrots
3. Finely shred the spinach and dice the avocado.

4. In a blender, blend together the miso, lime juice, vinegar, 1/2 cup of water, garlic, soy sauce and tahini.  Slowly drizzle in the Vegetable oil as it can get too thick.

5. Once your rice is done cooking, layer the ingredients as follows:  Rice, a little of your dressing, Beets, Carrots, Spinach, Avocado, Alfalfa, Chopped Cilantro, Sunflower Seeds, and the rest of your dressing. 

Summer Sweet Corn Salad

Adapted from
Taste of home



Ingredients

Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Lime Juice
1/4 tsp Salt
1 - 1 1/2 cups fresh corn
1 - 1 1/2 grape tomatoes
1 cup chopped cucumber
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 Tbsp fresh minced basil
1/4 cup crumbled Feta
Optional:
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce

Directions

De-cobb your corn and separate to remove any remaining corn silk.

Cut your grape or cherry tomatoes in halves and chop your cucumber into equivalent pieces. You can also use Zucchini for this, you just may need to make a little extra dressing to compensate for it being less juicy than cucumber.

In a large skillet, cook and stir corn in 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium-high heat until tender.

Transfer to a salad bowl; cool slightly.

While it cools, In a small bowl, whisk 4 teaspoons oil, lime juice, salt and hot pepper sauce.

Add the tomatoes, cucumber, onion and basil to the corn. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.

Let stand for 10 minutes before serving or refrigerate until chilled.

Sprinkle with the feta cheese crumbles just before serving.

Makes about 4 servings.

Pickles! Simple Dill Recipe

I absolutely love pickles, especially cucumber pickles, and my husband loves to experiment with different flavours. I thought, since anyone growing Zukes or Cukes would be drowning in them right now, I would share a traditional dill and garlic recipe. So, no need to foist the extras on the neighbours! (Unless you want to, of course)

Ingredients
Anything you want to pickle!
- Cucumbers
- Broccoli stems
- Asparagus
- Carrots
- ect...

4 cucumbers ( 3 - 4 inches)

4 cloves garlic
1 cup Fresh Dill, chopped
1 tsp Coriander seeds
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Whole peppercorns
1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 cup Water
1 tbsp Sea Salt
Optional:
1 Lime (juiced)

Any glass container with a lid that seals, regular glass tupperware works great!

 
Directions

Pour water into a large bowl, about 2 cups, then mix in and dissolve the salt. Once salt is completely dissolved add the apple cider vinegar. Then, add all of your other herbs and spices. Let this mixture sit while you prep your cucumbers.

(I've added lime juice as optional, since the hint of citrus is really nice to add to pickles during the summer and the price just dropped back to something reasonable this week.)

Give them a quick wash to remove any excess dirt residue, then cut them into quarters. If you prefer whole cucumber pickles, then be aware that they will take a bit longer to "cure" before being ready to munch on.

Bathe your cucumbers in the pickling liquid for about two hours (three hours for whole cucumbers). If they start floating, just set an upside down pot lid on top to submerge them.

Afterwards, separate the cucumbers into your glass containers, then pour the pickling mixture into each container to fill it. Seal it up and refrigerate.

The usual wait time is about 2 days for really lightly flavoured pickles and 1 week for a good strong flavour. They keep for about 1 month.

Enjoy!

Test the pH of your Soil

Some plants do better in more acidic or more alkaline soil. To test what type of soil you have take about ¼ cup of soil each in two shallow dishes. Mix both dishes with distilled water to create mud. Add vinegar to the first dish; if it starts fizzling you have alkaline soil. If there is no reaction, then sprinkle baking powder in the other dish. If it bubbles, it’s acidic. No reaction to either? It is too close to neutral to create a reaction. For more acidity: add sulfur, pine needles, or cottonseed meal. To make it more alkaline: add lime or wood ash.

Guasacaca

Brought you from
My Own Kitchen

My husband's family is quite the mix. With Italian and German ancestry and born and raised in Venezuela, the meals that come out of our kitchen are both diverse and delicious. Today I have a recipe for Guasacaca - whose name is derived from the word Aguacate (Avocado).

Ingredients

1 medium onion
2 ripe avocados
1 large red pepper
2 cloves garlic
Fresh Parsley
Fresh Cilantro
3 tbsp Vinegar
1 Lime Juiced
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
1 cup olive oil

Optional:
Hot sauce or jalapeño

Directions

1. Peel and Pitt the avocados, then chop roughly.

2. De-seed the pepper and chop roughly.

3. Peel garlic cloves and onion and chop roughly.

4. Remove stems from Parsley and Cilantro leaves.

5. Put everything except the olive oil into a food processor and blend until mostly smooth. Then slowly start adding the olive oil until completely smooth.

6. Make about an hour before you plan to serve it.

Optional:
7. If you want a chunkier style Guasacaca, then have an extra avocado set aside, peeled, pitted, and cubed. Gently mash in the extra avocado chunks about 5-10 minutes before serving.

This sauce is great for putting on any kind of cooked meat or starchy side dish. 

Lime Shortage

Due to a couple major tropical storms along lime growing regions of Central America, lime supplies have been reduced drastically. With them coming over the border at an extreme $110 per case, up from the usual $20-25 per case, it's likely that we won't be able to include them in your bins for a little while. Sorry! On the plus side, I've heard that strawberry season is starting off beautifully and that more and more BC farmers are planting organic in green houses, so we'll be seeing local organic greens even earlier than usual this season.

Making Scents at Lakewood Lye

Growing up, dad was always telling us “never wash the car with anything that has harmful chemicals, it goes straight to the ocean.” For some reason, that never seemed to equate to hand soap as well until long after I was already an adult. After that, it was a long and arduous search for soaps I could use without hurting either the environment or my own skin. This last November I had the great fortune of being hired at Green Earth Organics and discovered Lakewood Lye’s products. Three different bars have already made their way home with me and I’m eager to try the rest as well.

Nicole has been making soap for over 10 years now, ever since she took a class from an experienced soap maker in her community. She began selling locally almost immediately and, two years ago, officially registered Lakewood Lye as a business. “I wanted to see if I could work from home and turn my soap making “hobby” into a viable business that would allow me to have time for my 3 children.” Soap making at home has even turned into a family project, with her eldest daughter helping to cut the soaps, package them for market, and even wash the dishes! I imagine washing soap making dishes must be a bit easier more interesting than doing the dinner dishes.

Lakewood Lye’s products are always “100% natural” and contain only 4-6 ingredients. Usually, 3 types of vegetable oils, one essential oil (or a blend, but NEVER any fragrance or artificial scent mixed in), and natural earth clay as a mineral and detoxifyer, and sometimes a small amount of oatmeal, almonds, honey, or goat's milk. “I believe the clays I use make my product very unique - other soap makers make one or two types of soap with clay in them, but each and every type of soap I make contains a different type of clay, to both mineralize the skin, and act as a draw for toxins and impurities, which are absorbed daily through our skin from the environment.  So they take out the bad, and deposit the good.”

My personal favourite (so far!) is the cinnamon spice, which uses red clay and ground coffee for a nice exfoliating effect with cinnamon essential oil to provide its signature scent. Nicole also does seasonal soaps; I recall a lovely orange and black swirled one which was inspired for Halloween. (I took that one home too!) When asked what was on the line-up for spring and summer she shared, “right now it’s Coconut Lime, a very fresh bar loaded with green clay, lime essential oil, and shredded coconut.” Another popular product line not currently listed on her website is her bath salts. “There's one called Lemon Lime Escape that customers have been really loving - It's a combination of Epsom salts, Sea Salts, and Lemon and Lime essential oils.”

Considering that her customer base is almost 100% local, it comes as no surprise that she spends quite a bit of time giving back to her community. Nicole often donates soap to local women’s shelters and various other charities, as well as partners with “Mis’ cel’ la ‘ny” a charity organization that runs a thrift shop on Hastings Street to raise money for re-training women who have come out of substance abuse programs and women’s shelters. 40% of all profits from Lakewood Lye soap sold on site at the thrift shop go straight to “Mis’ cel’ la ‘ny.”

Green Earth Organics is eager to hear from you, if there are any Lakewood Lye products you are interested in that we do not carry, please let us know!

Cucumber Melon Salsa

Makes about 3 cups of salsa

INGREDIENTS

1 Cucumber, finely diced
2 cups of melon (cantaloupe or honeydew work equally well here), finely diced
1/4 cup of red onion or sweet onion, finely diced
1 fresh hot red or green chile, minced (omit the seeds to mellow the heat)
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Eat immediately or chill in the fridge to let flavours blend a bit more. Perfect with grilled fish or chicken, but also just right for a summer snack. Serve with tortilla chips or just a spoon.

Citrus-Ginger Syrup for Fruit Salad

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup fresh lemon or lime juice
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp grated lemon or lime rind
1 tsp grated orange rind
3 cups of fresh fruit salad

DIRECTIONS

Combine first 6 ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. While whisking constantly, simmer for about 5 minutes or until reduced to 1/2 cup. Remove from heat and allow to cool briefly. Stir in the lemon/lime and orange rinds. Pour syrup over fruit; toss gently to coat. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Thai-Style Yellow Rice

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 to 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup English peas, removed from pods
1 roma tomato or 1 small field tomato, diced
2 cups jasmine rice or basmati rice
4 cups (minus 2 Tbsp) chicken broth or vegetable broth
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tbsp of lime juice)
2 Tbsp tamari
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 to 1/3 tsp saffron (optional)
Handful of fresh basil or cilantro, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

Warm a deep pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat. Add the onion, garlic, and pepper flakes/cayenne. Stir-fry for about one minute, until fragrant, then add the red pepper, peas, and tomato. Stir-fry for one more minute.

Add the rice and stir to coat, then pour in the broth. Add the lime juice, tamari, turmeric, and saffron (if using). Stir well.

When the broth begins to bubble, cover tightly with a lid and reduce heat to low. Allow rice to gently simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed. Give the rice a gentle stir, put the lid back on, turn off the stove, and leave the rice to sit on the off, but hot, burner for at least 10 minutes and up to one hour.

Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Top with a little fresh basil or cilantro.

Tofu and Plum Kebabs

INGREDIENTS

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp freshly grated lime zest
3 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 package extra firm tofu, drained, patted dry, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 bell pepper, any colour, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 Italian plums, pitted and cut into quarters or sixths

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice and salt. Set aside 3 tablespoons of this marinade in a small bowl and add the tofu, peppers, and plums to the remaining mixture in the large bowl. Toss to coat.

Preheat a grill to medium-high.

On 10-inch skewers, alternate between tofu cubes, pepper pieces, and plum pieces. Discard the marinade. Grill the kebabs, turning once, until the peppers are cooked and the tofu and plums are hot, about 8 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved dressing and serve hot.

Tastier Hydration

Everyone knows we should drink plenty of water every day for good health, but not everyone finds plain water very palatable. Many flavoured waters in the store contain undesirable sweeteners and artificial flavours, and they are expensive too. If you want to add some variety to your hydration, here are some ideas:

Herbs and Spices: Mint leaves are an obvious choice, but parsley can be very refreshing too. Crush the leaves a little before adding them to your water. For a bit of spice, try some freshly grated ginger instead.

Citrus Fruits: Slices of lemons, limes, oranges, or grapefruit, or some combination, are delicious additions to water. If you do this very frequently, however, you may want to think about the effects of the citric acid on the enamel of your teeth. You can minimize the possible side effects by rinsing your mouth with plain water after your citrus water, drinking with a straw so the liquid by-passes your teeth, and waiting at least an hour after drinking before brushing your teeth.

Cucumber: A spa classic, which is very refreshing.

Berries: Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries all release a lovely flavour and colour into your water. Just cut or crush a few of the berries into your water.

Vinegar: Many people say that once they've acquired a taste for apple cider vinegar in water, they begin to crave it. Apple cider vinegar has some health benefits of its own, and it is supposed to act as an appetite suppressant.

Sea Salt: A tiny pinch of sea salt adds interest to your water, helps the body absorb the liquid more quickly, and can replace salt lost through sweat on hot days or during workouts.

If you prefer your water bubbly, you may want to look into carbonating your own water at home. It is cheaper and less wasteful than buying bottles of the stuff, and is made very easy by simple machines that use refillable CO2 cartridges.

Virgin Sangria

INGREDIENTS

2 black tea bags
3 cups pomegranate blueberry or pomegranate cherry juice
1 cup orange juice
3 or 4 cups of fresh fruit, such as strawberries, lemons, limes, oranges, apples, or grapes, sliced
2 cans of ginger ale or sparkling lemon lime soda

DIRECTIONS

Pour 2 cups of boiling water over the tea bags and steep for 5 minutes. Discard the tea bags.

In a large jar or pitcher, combine the tea, juices, and fruits. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, though overnight is best.

Just before serving, stir in ginger ale or soda. Serve in glasses over ice.

Tangy Kiwi Salad Dressing

INGREDIENTS 

3 kiwis

1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger

5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp lime juice, or the juice of 1 lime

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Peel the kiwis and chop coarsely. 

Puree all ingredients in a food processor. Season to taste and add more olive oil, lime juice, or a splash of water if the dressing is too thick.

Serve chilled over your favourite salad. It is especially good on spinach salad.

Cantaloupe Salad with Cilantro and Lime

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp lime juice (or the juice of one fresh lime)
4 tsp honey
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro or mint, plus more for garnish (optional)
Sea salt, to taste
1 small cantaloupe, cut into 1-inch cubes

DIRECTIONS

Combine the lime juice, honey, cilantro or mint, and salt together in a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.

Toss the cantaloupe with the lime-honey dressing until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, to allow the flavours to meld.

Serve chilled, garnished with extra cilantro or mint if desired.

Alternative: Try mixing cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon instead of just cantaloupe. For an elegant salad, use a melon baller instead of cubing the melon.

Thai Mango Tofu

INGREDIENTS  

Mango sauce:
 3 fresh ripe ataulfo mangos or 2 of a larger type of mango, fruit scooped out (or use canned mango)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1.5 Tbsp tamari
2 Tbsp vegetable broth
Juice of 1/2 lime or 1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 thumb-size piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp turmeric
Zest of 1 lime

Tofu dish:
1 bell pepper, any colour, chopped
3 to 4 Tbsp coconut milk (optional)
2 blocks of extra firm tofu, cubed
1 fresh ripe mango, cut into chunks (optional)
1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Place all the "mango sauce" ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process well, until more or less smooth. Taste-test the sauce. Add more sugar if you find the sauce too sour, more red pepper flakes if not spicy enough, more broth if not salty enough, and more lime juice if too sweet or salty. Set aside.

In a wok or sauce pan over medium-high heat, add the mango sauce and the bell pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer (medium to low heat). If sauce becomes too thick, add 3 to 4 tablespoons of coconut milk or water. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until pepper has softened slightly but still retains some crispness.

Add the tofu cubes and gently stir to cover them with sauce. Add the additional chunks of mango if using. Simmer briefly, just until everything is hot. Serve over jasmine rice, sprinkled with fresh cilantro if desired.

Mango and Avocado Sandwich

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup mayonnaise or Vegenaise
1/4 cup fresh cilantro or fresh basil, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp lime juice
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
8 slices bread (multigrain is particularly nice)
8 leaves of lettuce or 1/4 lb spring salad mix
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
1 avocado, pitted and thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, blend together the mayonnaise, cilantro or basil, lime juice, sea salt, and pepper. Toast the slices of bread.

Spread half the toast with the herb-lime mayonnaise. Top with lettuce leaves or salad mix and slices of mango and avocado. Cover with remaining toast and serve immediately.

Lime and Butter Delicata Squash

INGREDIENTS

2 delicata squash, halved and seeded
3 Tbsp butter, softened
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp chile powder, or to taste
1/2 tsp lime zest (optional)
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).

Place the squash cut side down into a baking dish. Pour water into the dish to about 1/4 inch deep. Bake in preheated oven until the squash's flesh pierces easily with a fork, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, blend the butter with the lime juice and chile powder in a small bowl. Mix in the lime zest, if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the butter mixture into the cooked squash, and serve immediately.