Spring Wild Edibles Salad

A little sneak peak into what we like to eat these days.  All color, all beauty, good nutrition, and just plain silly fun in the garden.

We planted some magenta lambsquarters last year in the garden, and now they're everywhere (I'm actually really happy about this).  They're beautiful, full of omega 3's and make great additions to salads or smoothies. (Just please do some research first before you pull some of these out...if they are hairy, then they are the poisonous look-alike).  

Next we've got the borage flowers, again all about the omega 3's....they are colorful, vibrant, and a great addition to any salad. Great frozen in ice cubes also, for a refreshing drink. They seeded themselves this year, since our winter was so mild, but for the most part they are an annual. Save those seeds!  

My friend Wendy Weiner of the FrontYard Farmer gave me these beautiful edible chrysanthemums....I'm in love with them. Even the leaves are edible!  Thank you Wendy!

And last but not least, the wood sorrel that is in everybody's backyard, but people don't know it...tastes like a lemon on steroids, very very tart, but I so delicious! Instead of lemon in a salad, it adds a little bit of zing.  Just make sure you see the little yellow flowers, and you're good to go.  

All of these wild edibles over our spring arugula, a little toss with apple cider vinegar, flax seed oil and sea salt and it was the best salad of the season.  Enjoy!

Late-Growing Arugula Pesto

So I let my arugula grow and grow and grow.  I secretly had an agenda, you see...I love eating the flowers (1) and I was looking to save some seeds (2) and so here we are in June harvesting a cool-weather crop.  

This pesto hit the spot. Super whole ingredients, and it's done in a jiffy.   Now, if you know me, you know I don't like oil.  Or I should say, use it sparingly, only when completely necessary. Not that I'm against it for any personal or religious reason, I just figure that I can get my fats in a whole form along with some fiber and bulk, that's all.  I can either eat 120 calories of liquid and not be satisfied, or 120 luscious calories of crunch, creaminess, and satisfaction.  So we've added seeds (or nuts) to this, and have done away with the oil, and truth be told I don't miss it. It's still creamy and delish.

4 small bunches arugula, with the bottom stems chopped (this is about 1 cup a bunch, so 4 cups total - 

but just estimate, and you can alter the taste at the end).

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds*

1/2 cup sunflower seeds*

2 garlic cloves, minced fine (you can start with one if you're not a garlic fan)

salt, to taste

water, as needed

*In place of the nuts, you can also use a mixture of walnuts/cashews. 

In a food processor, process the nuts or seeds, garlic, and a little salt until everything resembles small rice.  Add in the arugula and process.  If you'd like it more thin, more like a sauce, add in water a little at a time but don't over do it.  I actually like this thick and chunky so I can spread it and it doesn't roll away from me.  

When you store it, make sure none of it is expose to air as it does turn a darker color.  Cover with parchment paper or if you have to, plastic wrap, and keep the air away from the surface.  

I like to serve it over cukes with tons of tomatoes and a little avocado on the side. If you want, use it as you would any pesto - over pasta (we use brown rice pasta when we make it).  Also, if you miss the oil you can add in some cold-pressed oil of your choice to make it more like a dressing, to put over a salad. Or, as we did below, freeze it in an ice cube tray for later, and use small portions (one ice cube at a time) to dress anything from chickpeas to sauteed zucchini, and so on.  

Loved it!

Broccoli Guacamole

I know many of you know how to make guacamole - it's relatively easy and everyone has their own preferred method and recipe.  It's so creamy, flavorful and delicious, that it's a staple in my house.  More recently, however, I've really been reaching for a different texture, almost as if the "creamy" isn't doing it for me anymore.  I know.  Hard to believe.  Most of my clients declare "creamy" as being their down fall or most popular craving, but I've really been looking for a bite, a crunch, something different.

It's quite easy to add things in to guacamole, and it puzzles me that we don't do it very often. Chopped spinach, olives, chopped cauliflower, peppers...Almost making it a guacamole salad.  This is just one way to sneak in some extra fiber, nutrients and goodness, and believe me, your kids won't notice it.  My son gobbled this up like it was nobody's business.  

You can easily double this recipe and put in a whole cup of chopped broccoli.  

1 good sized avocado (if not, use two)

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 small plum tomato, chopped fine

one slice of lime

1/2 cup broccoli, chopped fine

sea salt, to taste

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

one whole pepper, sliced into 4 big "steaks"*

Mash the avocado and garlic.  Add in the chopped tomato, squeeze the lime, and blend well.  Add in the broccoli and combine well, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  You can also add in some chipotle powder for an extra kick. Fold in the cilantro, and serve on a thick slice of pepper, as shown. 

* For the pepper, just slice off the top and bottom. Then cut the pepper into 4 equal squares and use it in place of a cracker.  I call these "steaks", but you don't have to call them anything. Just eat 'em. :) 

3-Ingredient Popsicles

June is here, and it's all about ice cream.  The kind you can eat and enjoy and not think about the calories.  The kind you can make at home with two ingredients and feed it to your kids and know that you're sneaking in whole fruity goodness without all the craziness that's found in boxed, store-bought brands. 

The fun part about this ice cream is that you can have it your way - whip it up for a soft serve feel, or put it in popsicle molds for a tasty cool treat.  Here, I show you both versions, and you decide for yourself.  The recipe cannot be simpler.

~ One can organic whole coconut milk (not the light version), refrigerated overnight

~ 3/4 bag of frozen berries (variation 1 was strawberries, the pictured version is peaches, and the one in our freezer currently is blueberry...quite possibly my favorite)

~ 1/2 dropper full of liquid stevia

Blend everything together in a vitamix until well blended.  This is a VERY soft serve and should be eaten immediately...more like a frozen pudding than ice cream. But the popsicles are totally worth the wait and unreal!

That's the equation, really, and you can use it as a template and use your favorite fruit.  Peaches, raspberries, a mixture of berries, even pear...you can also hide in whole pieces of fruit to make it look pretty as the kids are eating it.  Enjoy! We're on our third batch this week.... 

Yum...from our home to yours.