photo credit - donielle

When it comes to summer meals, light and refreshing is usually what comes to mind. But the bounty of summer produce does more than excite out palates! Fresh greens satisfy the need to crunch, yet offer our bodies a much-needed rest from the heavy meals of winter and help cleanse our bodies. Fresh herbs bring flavor to dishes that cause your taste buds to dance and you can once again enjoy your food and the new flavors summer brings.

Summer for me also brings a time where I’m able to once again break free from our little one acre of space, the roads clear enough to travel on, the children easier to corral out the door without being hidden under 5 layers of clothing. We get to spend time with friends; to play, to talk, to eat. This recipe stems from such a gathering last week, where my children and I were blessed to be fed by a good friend. The longer I’ve lived my life, the more I want to experience new flavors, and this one truly ‘hit the spot’ so to speak. So much so, that I bought the ingredients for it the very next day.

photo credit: donielle

Simple Green Salad

Ingredients
1 bunch romaine lettuce, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 bunch (approx 5) green onions
1 medium cucumber
3 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tsp fresh squeezed lemon
1/8-1/4 tsp seasoning salt (to taste)

Method of Preparation

1. Wash and chop all vegetables and dill, and place in a large bowl.

2. Pour the remaining ingredients over the veggies, and toss to coat.

Serves 2 large salads or 4 side salads.

All images and content are protected under US copyright laws, please do not copy and paste.

photo credit: donielle ©

The change of seasons brings about new menus and new flavors; spring brings lightness to our meals with fresh produce. This salad not only brings a lot of color to your plate, but a variety of nutrients as well – many of them offering cleansing properties to your body.

Colorful Spring Salad

1 cup red cabbage, sliced thin
2 cups shredded carrots (about 3-4)
1 apple sliced thin (green or slightly sour for premium taste)
2-3 stalks of celery, sliced thin
5 Tbsp mixed nuts and seeds (pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)

Dressing:
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (juice from 1/2 lemon)
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp raw honey
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
optional – 1-2 tsp grated ginger

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and serve immediately or keep in fridge for up to two days. This salad is also tasty on top of a bed of greens.

*this post is linked to Real Food Wednesday

When I first posed the idea of running a whole foods holiday carnival with some blogging friends of mine, I decided early on I wanted to do the salads. For the one and only reason of stretching myself and doing something new. At the time my family and I were completely grain free. Now I can say we’re about 80% grain free and still gluten free as many members of my family do amazingly better sans gluten.

So my recipe may surprise you.

A. Lot.

While googling fall salads I came across one based on wheat berries. It was beautiful and festive, but I quickly moved on. Everything else I found was heavy (combined with a heavy holiday dinner – ummm, no) or much of the same boring green salads we’ve all come to know and love.  I also know many of my readers have no problems with wheat or gluten, and it’s not something I think everyone should go without because not everyone is intolerant to gluten. So without further ado, I bring you….

Spelt Berry and Red Fruit Salad

• 1 cup spelt (or wheat) berries
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (or one cup fresh – but dried actually works best with this recipe!)
• 1 large fugi, or similar tasting, apple
• juice from one large orange (or about 1/3 cup)
• 1/2 cup pecans (soaked and dehydrated)
• 3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

For the spelt berries, what you’re going to want to do is soak them the night before you cook them in warm water and about 2 Tbsp whey. This will make them more digestible and lessen the phytic acid within them. Once soaked for at least 12 hours, simmer for one hour, or until soft yet chewy. Strain and rinse.

As you begin assembling the salad, juice the orange and place into a bowl with the dried cranberries. (the reason dried berries work better – they soak up the goodness and flavors of the oranges)

Chop the pecans and cut the apples into small, bite sized pieces, leaving the skin on.

Strain cranberries out of the orange juice (keep the juice!) and gently mix together the spelt berries, apple, and cranberries in a medium-sized bowl.

Lightly whisk together the raspberry vinegar, oil, reserved orange juice, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir into the salad mix and let sit for at least 30 minutes. You can also make this the night before and save yourself time during the day of a large holiday meal!

Serve cold or at room temperature, and by itself or with a few accompanying greens.

The slightly sweet and citrus flavors lighten the flavors of the meal in a very simple, yet effective way!

Gluten Free Option: Forego any grains completely! Mix all ingredients together and gently mix with a few cups of fresh salad greens right before serving!

The best part about this Real Foods progressive dinner is that you get to participate as well! Link up any new or old recipe below! (you can also link up to the previous weeks courses: soup and appetizers)

How to leave a link:

• Copy and paste your permalink (direct url) into the form below along with your name and recipe name
• Links can be new or old, but leave a link back to this post within it. If it’s an old post, you might want to let your readers know that you’re participating so that they can see all of the recipes posted as well.
• Recipes must be made with “real” food, not composed of boxed, canned, and processed foods.

All images and content are protected under US copyright laws, please do not copy and paste.