Category Archives: Salad recipe

Wakame Miso Nut Crumble – a perfect salad tune-up!

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Another day with the same salad? Healthy snacks nowhere to find?
There is help! If you have a dehydrator or kind-of-modern oven this recipe will brighten your day!

Wakame Miso Nut Crumble
Makes about 4-5 dehydrator trays

  • 400g Almonds, soaked over night
  • 300g Pumpkin seeds, soaked over night
  • 300g Sunflower seeds, soaked over night
  • 300g Sesame seeds, soaked over night
  • ½ c chia seeds
  • 25g dried Wakame sea weed (1 bag), crushed and soaked for 2 hours
  • 3 T Tamari sauce
  • 4 T Brown Rice Miso
  • 1 T Honey or coconut flower nectar
  • 3 cloves of Garlic, minced (Microplane)
  • 2 t natural sea salt
  • ½ t mild chili powder
  • 1 lemon, juice
  • 1 lime, juice
  1. Rinse the soaked nuts and seeds. In a food processor pulse the almonds and pumpkin seeds into a coarse crumbly texture.
  2. Combine everything in a large mixing bowl and stir well. Let it sit for a while for the seaweed and chia seeds to soak up some of the moisture of the mix. That will help sticking things together when dry.
  3. Spread loosely onto Teflex sheets so that enough air can flow through the clusters and the wet mix does not touch the tray above.
  4. Start dehydrating at around 145°F, turn down gradually to 115°F and eventually to 105°F. If you have an Excalibur dehydrator make sure to rotate the trays horizontally from time to time and also rotate from the centre out to the top and bottom rack.
    Should the oven be your only gadget, set the temperature on low: 50°C, turn the fan on, leave the door slightly ajar and go for it! Yes, a few baking trays will do.
    Dehydrate till crisp and completely dry.
  5. Enjoy as crumble over your salads or as individual snack.

Miso Wakame Crumble dry

Miso is one of the few soy-based foods I would actually use. Tamari is the run-off/whey from the Miso production.

Enjoy!
René
🙂

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Kale Salad – a delightful surpise and classic in our kitchen

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Here is a staple salad that can be made all year round – given you grow the kale yourself. As any hardy vegetable (see Cabbage Cranberry Salad), kale becomes soft and palatable when massaged with a bit of natural salt, lemon juice and oil. This will make an instant dressing. For a more creamy version just massage the avocado with the kale from the start.

Kale salad, ready to serve

The more colourful ingredients you can use the more alive your final salad will look. Fresh corn, orange bell peppers, sprouts, olives, heritage tomatoes, red radishes, etc.

And here is the basic recipe:

  • 1 big bunch kale, stems removed
  • ½ tsp natural sea salt
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 avocado seeded, peeled and diced
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • ½ yellow bell pepper, finely diced – as confetti
  • 1 medium tomato, diced
  • ½ bunch curly parsley, chopped
  • 1T sun dried tomato powder*
  1. Destem the kale.  Cut the kale into thin strips (chiffonade).
  2. Neglecting the avocado cubes, tomatoes and parsley, put all the other ingredients into a big mixing bowl and massage well by using your hands in order to soften the kale.
  3. Add the avocado cubes and parsley and toss well with your hands.
  4. Fill a bowl with an abundant amount of massaged kale and form a little mold in the centre. Place 2 T diced tomato in the centre mold and sprinkle yellow bell pepper confetti around it.
  5. Serve with crackers or focaccio bread.

*Sundried Tomato Powder can be made by dehydrating organic (the dark ones, without sulphites) sundried tomatoes and then grind them in a high speed blender. Keep the powder in a jar in your pantry as a savoury condiment for other salads.

Variations: Play with whatever is in season. You can virtually vary any of the other ingredients. Just remember, to soften kale or hardy vegetables by massaging you will need some natural salt. Acid (from citrus or vinegar) and fat will help to soften the vegetables and distribute the flavours.

Love it up!

Gala 'loving it up'.

Interesting combinations for kale can be created with orange juice, cucumbers, raisins, pine nuts etc. Edible wildflowers make great garnish!

Eat the salad either from a bowl or roll a portion into a lettuce leave or quarter sushi Nori sheet.

Enjoy!

René

🙂

Wildflower Salad

Ultimate Salads and Magnificent Dressings – Get creative with your salads!

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Chad's Red Radish and Microgreen Salad

Do you love your salads? You make 2 or 3 regularly. Right?! They work and are ok, but don’t really excite you and your family any longer.

Ever wondered if there is more out there to learn about salads and how to vary them? Is there more than ‘Thousand Islands’ dressing out of a bottle? …and how do I do it?

Greek Salad with Almond Feta

Here is a chance to expand your repertoire dramatically and to reclaim the position of your family’s favourite chef. That will get the kids away from those TV cooking shows and back to their PlayStation 🙂

I’m happy to announce our next Raw Food Class at the Wise Cicada on
Thursday, March  8th, 2012, 7-9.30pm

Moroccan Carrot Salad

At this food demonstration class you will learn:

  • How to make a variety of simple, yet delicious salads for every day and season, as well as for special occasions.
  • How to make delicious dressings with what you’ve got in your fridge, pantry and garden.
  • How to flavor balance your dressings and how to achieve the right texture, color and mouthfeel.
  • Ideas for dehydrated snacks and other additions to top your salads.

Your investment: $60.-/person

Full recipe booklet, flavour balancing chart and samples included.

You will learn how to confidently prepare a variety of great salads that will please and entertain both you, your family and friends.

Fine Dining Salads

Join us for an entertaining and fun-filled evening that will raise your awareness and knowledge level around the preparation of delicious salads and dressings.

Booking essential. Space is limited to 20 students.
Book your space today!

Call René on 027 555 1622 or send us a message via our Contact Page.

See you on March 8th!

René

🙂

Wildflower Salad

Moroccan Spiced Carrots

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Here is a beautiful alternative to the good old carrot, apple, lemon juice and raisin salad, ok ok, beetroot is cool too 🙂

You might have been lucky to see me sampling this salad at Remuera New World this afternoon. If not, here is the recipe. Needless to say that organic is best! New season’s organic carrots are on the shelves now. Go get’em!

Moroccan Spiced CarrotsCarrots with Moroccan Spices

Serves 4

  • 4 carrots, very thinly sliced or grated
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley
  •  ¼ cup chopped walnuts
  •  ¼ cup sultanas
  •  2 Tbsp lemon juice
  •  1 Tbsp olive oil
  •  ¼ cup fresh orange juice
  •  dash ground cumin
  •  dash cayenne pepper
  •  dash cinnamon
  •  ¼ tsp natural sea salt or to taste
  •  fresh ground pepper to taste
  1. Combine the carrots with the lemon and orange juice, olive oil, and sea salt
  2. Massage or toss well.
  3. Add the other ingredients and toss well to combine.

Note: Alternatively to using the individual spices Cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cumin and black pepper I like to use 1/2 tsp of a brilliant North African ‘Ras El Hanout’ spice blend by chef Greg Malouf. His blend contains also cardamom seeds, turmeric, coriander and many others. It just gives this salad an even more exotic and rounded flavour. You can buy this specific spice blend form New World Remuera. The salad is available there too – at the deli counter. Yes I will restock tomorrow – beside doing a Sauerkraut food demo! See you in the afternoon!

'Mandolined' carrots

A good workout on the mandolin

Have fun playing and watch your fingers!

René

🙂