Note: this piece first appeared as the April 2008 ClarkWellness.net Recipe of the Month.
Serves 4
This delightful salad is bursting with the delicious flavors of spring. Tender green asparagus joins whole-grain superstar quinoa, sliced carrots, and fresh herbs to produce a simple, easy side dish perfect for a quick weeknight meal. Add some lean protein for an instant entrée. Serve warm or at room temperature.
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup sliced fresh asparagus, blanched
1 cup sliced carrots, blanched
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients and serve.
Note: this piece first appeared as the August 2007 ClarkWellness.net Recipe of the Month.
Serves 4
Red wine vinegar pairs perfectly with ripe August tomatoes. Be sure to choose the highest quality ingredients you can find—the essence of what you use really shines through in this simple recipe.
4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons sliced fresh basil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Place the tomatoes in a serving dish. Sprinkle the basil, olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper on top. Serve immediately.
Note: this piece first appeared as the March 2007 ClarkWellness.net Recipe of the Month.
Serves 4
This delicious salad includes healthy amounts of essential fatty acids from walnuts and walnut oil. The recipe is so quick and easy that it can be thrown together even on a busy night to add some extra nutrition (and yumminess) to any meal. Umeboshi vinegar is a Japanese condiment available in the Asian/macrobiotic or vinegars section of the natural foods store; daikon is a large white Japanese radish also available in natural markets.
2 large carrots
2 medium to large daikon radishes
3 tablespoons walnut oil
1 to 2 tablespoons umeboshi vinegar
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted if desired
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Peel the carrots and radishes and grate them. Toss to combine. In a separate small bowl, combine the walnut oil and umeboshi vinegar. Whisk well and pour over the vegetables. Toss well. Sprinkle walnuts and parsley over the salad.
Note: this piece first appeared in the October 2006 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.
This is a refreshing, sweet take on slaw.
Serves 4
1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
1 Granny Smith apple, cut into matchsticks
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks or shredded
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon prepared mustard, such as Dijon
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
2 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine the cabbage, apple, carrot, and scallions in a serving bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix together the apple cider vinegar, brown rice syrup, ground coriander, mustard, parsley, and olive oil. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, and serve immediately.
For written instructions, see the original post: Spinach-Walnut-Strawberry Salad
Begin with baby spinach leaves (proportions are up to you, or you can use my suggestions in the recipe archive — I think it’s easier and more fun just to freestyle it!). Place them in a serving bowl.
Add some chopped walnuts. You can toast these beforehand, if you like.
Slice some fresh strawberries or other colorful fruit and add them to the salad.
And chop up some scallions and add these as well. The scallions provide a nice touch of unexpected flavor in this salad.
Instead of a dressing, I like to add some brown rice vinegar to taste, along with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Note: this piece first appeared as the June 2006 ClarkWellness.net Recipe of the Month.
Serves 4
This classic salad combination is simplified here with brown rice vinegar in place of a heavier dressing. Use any fresh berries you like — I think ripe, red strawberries provide a beautiful contrast to the green spinach.
2/3 cup walnuts, toasted if desired and roughly chopped
6 cups baby spinach leaves, washed and dried
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
3 green onions, sliced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
brown rice vinegar to taste
Combine the walnuts, spinach, strawberries, and green onions in a large serving bowl and toss gently. Sprinkle with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and brown rice vinegar to taste. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Note: this piece first appeared in the May 2006 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.
Serves 2 to 3
2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup sliced or chopped cucumber
1/4 cup minced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh scallion
chopped fresh mint and parsley to taste (tabbouleh traditionally uses a LOT of parsley and mint!)
juice of 2 lemons
1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt to taste
Combine the quinoa, cucumber, red onion, scallion, and herbs in a serving bowl and set aside. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. Chill before serving.
Note: this piece first appeared in the April 2006 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.
Serves 6
1 bunch rainbow chard, stems removed, leaves finely chopped
2 cups shredded red cabbage
3 carrots, grated
1 cup toasted walnuts
2 large cloves garlic, pressed
1/4 cup brown rice vinegar
1/3 cup walnut oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
Combine chard, cabbage, carrots, and walnuts in a large serving bowl and set aside. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the garlic, brown rice vinegar, and oils. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to mix. Serve.
Note: this piece first appeared in the August 2005 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Yields: 4 to 6 servings
4 to 6 large handfuls of mesclun salad mix, rinsed and dried
1/4 cup roasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds
6 red radishes, thinly sliced
grated carrot, thinly sliced cucumber, and/or chopped celery (optional)
brown rice vinegar to taste
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a large bowl, toss together the mesclun mix, seeds, radishes, and other vegetables, if using. Sprinkle the salad with brown rice vinegar to taste. Season with sea salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Note: This piece first appeared in the July 2005 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.
Prep time: 10 to 15 minutes
Cooking time: 3 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
3 cups sliced asparagus
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 cup shredded green cabbage
2 cups snow or sugar snap peas
2 cups mung bean sprouts (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped mint
1/4 cup toasted chopped peanuts
1/2 cup apple juice or cider
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons mirin (rice wine; available in Asian section of large supermarkets or natural food stores)
2 tablespoons tamari or shoyu (natural soy sauce)
1 tablespoon no-taste oil, such as sunflower, safflower, or canola
1/4 bunch watercress
Chopped green onions and whole mint leaves to garnish
Steam asparagus until tender, about 3 minutes. Refresh in cold water and drain. In a serving bowl, toss asparagus with red and green cabbages, snow or sugar snap peas, mung bean sprouts (if using), mint, and peanuts. Set aside.
Whisk together apple juice or cider, rice vinegar, mirin, tamari or shoyu, and oil in a small bowl. Pour over salad. Serve salad over watercress and garnish with green onions and whole mint leaves.
