Creamy Onion Dressing

I love a creamy dressing but most of the time store bought sauces and dressings contain terrible seed oils such canola oil or sunflower oil, or they use poor quality mayonnaise and fillers that I just do not want to put in my body. I do not consume very much dairy but when I do I choose quality- grass fed, organic, no thickeners such as carrageenan or bean gum. When I make my own sauces and salad dressings I can control exactly what is in it and choose quality where I can. Because this dressing is on the thicker side it is amazing on burgers, gluten free breaded fish of chicken tenders or as a spread on sandwiches. Enjoy!

¾ cup onion (chopped small)
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
¼ teaspoon salt

2 medium size garlic cloves
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 ½ tablespoons raw honey
¼ cup extra virgin cold pressed olive oil
3 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup full fat sour cream (grassfed)
¼ cup full fat plain yogurt (grassfed)

Method
Heat a small sauté  pan on low/med heat and add the 1 tablespoon of oil or butter, add the chopped onions and salt. Place a lid over the onions until they have softened ( should take about 5-8 minutes) Remove the lid and sauté the onions until they have lightly  browned. Allow to cool and set aside.

Add the remainder of the ingredients  to a large mason jar and use a hand blender or use a Vitamix. Once everything is well combined, add the cooled onions and blend until creamy. Adjust seasoning if needed with salt and pepper and Voila!

Tahini and Honey Salad Dressing

This dressing is packed with vitamin C from the raw tahini and a touch of sweetness from the raw honey. I love this dressing on kale salad, a mixed green salad or drizzled over lightly steamed veggies. This will last in your refrigerator for at least a week but I doubt it will last that long, because you are going to eat it. Always use organic extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil and try to use quality roasted sesame oil as well, I like to use Everland brand. I used raw tahini for this but roasted tahini would be just fine and possibly taste even better. If you love garlic, please, add more! This dressing can get thicker once cooled but don’t worry, it’s allll good.

¼ cup tahini
2 teaspoons garlic or 2 medium size garlic cloves
2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons raw honey
⅓ cup water
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup rice wine vinegar

Method
Add all of the ingredients for the tahini honey dressing to a medium sized mason jar and use a hand blender or use a blender.

Tahini and Honey Kale Salad

This baby was created on a rainy day while in the lab. Having all of these ingredients I started to think about what they want to turn themselves into and this is what happened!

Salad
3-4 cups black kale (Chiffonade slice) 
2 cups curly parsley (chopped)
1 cup shiitake mushrooms
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ tablespoon olive oil
1-2  teaspoons sesame seeds

Tahini and Honey Dressing
¼ cup tahini
2 teaspoons garlic or 2 medium size cloves
2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons raw honey
⅓ cup water
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup rice wine vinegar

Method
Clean and de-stem the kale and thinly slice it (this is called chiffonade), add it to a large bowl. Clean and de-stem the parsley and chop, add it to the large bowl with the kale. In a small sautée pan add the olive oil and sesame oil from the salad ingredients. Slice the cleaned shiitake mushrooms in half and add them to the pan. Sprinkle with salt and sautée until tender. This should take about 5 minutes, remove from heat and allow it to cool.

Meanwhile, add all of the ingredients for the tahini honey dressing to a medium sized mason jar and use a hand blender to combine ingredients or use a blender. Toss the kale and parsley with as much dressing as you would like ( use your hands to get the dressing nice and snug into the kale and parsley.)  Place the shiitake mushrooms over the salad and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Gut Friendly Potato Salad

Who would have thought that delicious, creamy potato salad could actually be good for your gut microbiome. The reason why potato salad can be good for you is because you are cooling the potato before you eat it. By cooling the potatoes you are creating something called resistance starch and that helps feed your gut microbiome. Cool right? The reason why this baby is so much better for you than regular potato salad is because I am using raw fermented pickles by Bubbies which also feed your gut microbiome, and I am not using a traditional mayonnaise base for my dressing. Most commercial mayonnaises contain terrible inflammatory oils that just destroy the health benefits of potato salad. If you make your own mayonnaise with good quality organic cold pressed olive oil or avocado oil, then go for it. I hope you enjoy this healthy version, it will keep in the refrigerator up to a week.

½ cup red pepper (dice small)
1 cup celery (diced small)
¾ cup green onions (chopped thin)
½ cup *raw fermented dill pickles (chopped small)
5 cups cooked cooled potatoes (skin off, chopped medium)
1/3 cup parsley (chopped)
2 hardboiled eggs (peeled and smashed with a potato masher)

Creamy Dill Dressing
¼ cup fresh dill (chopped)
1 ½ teaspoons garlic (minced)
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons raw honey
½ cup grass fed sour cream (full fat)
¼ cup plain grass fed yogurt (thick Greek style version if possible)
1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dijon
pepper to taste

Method
Peel and cut your potatoes, simmer for about 10 minutes or until they are tender and ever so slightly brake apart with a fork. While the potatoes are simmering prep the rest of your potato salad ingredients and add them to a large bowl and set aside. Next make your salad dressing, use a mason jar and hand blender, add all of your ingredients except the freshly chopped dill and blend together. Stir in the dill and add salt and pepper to taste.

Once the potatoes are done strain them and add them back into your pot. Add about ½ teaspoon of salt to the potatoes while they are still warm, put the lid on the pot and just shake the pot around to break up the potatoes a little and mix them with the salt. (This does make a difference in the final product)
Once the potatoes have cooled, add them to your bowl with the other ingredients and then toss with as much dressing as you would like.

Marinated Asparagus

It’s asparagus season and it doesn’t last long so get them while you can. Asparagus contains a beautiful fiber named inulin and it helps nourish your microbiome. If there is one thing you want to focus on to get to your optimal health levels, it’s working on your gut microbiome.

A bunch of asparagus (lightly steamed)
1 teaspoon dijon
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic (minced)
salt and pepper to taste

Method
Lightly steam your asparagus and make sure they still have a crisp to them, it probably takes 2 minutes to steam these babies. Place them in a cold water bath after they have been steamed to retain their colour.

Make your marinade in a small bowl and toss the asparagus with it. Let sit for a couple of hrs if possible and enjoy.
These babies will last in the fridge for a good 4-5 days no problemo.

Turmeric and Omega 3 Salad Dressing

This is my go to salad dressing on a weekly basis and everyone I introduce this recipe to absolutely love it. They can't believe how delicious it is and how nutrient dense it is. The turmeric gives a lovely earthy flavour and is packed with all sorts of anti-inflammatory properties as well as the flax oil. The fresh ground pepper and flax oil help with absorbability of the curcumin within the turmeric and the apple cider vinegar increases hydrochloric acid in the digestive system and helps bring alkalinity to the body instead of acidity. For real, this dressing is amazingly good for the body!
Note- Omit honey for low carb version

1/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup organic flax oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1- 2 teaspoons fresh grated turmeric or 1/2 teaspoon dry turmeric
2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons tamari (light)
2 teaspoons raw honey
2 cloves garlic (minced) 
Sea salt/ pepper

Method:
Now, you are going to want to double this recipe, it's that good and god for you. In a mason jar add the vinegar and honey first so that the vinegar melts the honey, then just add the rest to the jar and shake it up, or you can blend it all up in a blender and it gives a creamier consistency.

Delicata Squash stuffed with Christmas Kale Salad

2 delicata squash or acorn squash
8 cups kale (cut very fine)
1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts (toast at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes)
1 cup pomegranate seeds
4 Terra Nossa Farm chorizo sausage (optional)
4 tablespoons sheep feta (optional)
1 tablespoon organic, unrefined coconut oil

Pomegranate Molasses Dressing
¼ cup organic, extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon local, raw honey
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Sea salt and pepper

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wash the squash and cut them in halve lengthwise, remove the seeds and set them aside to dry.
Season the inside of the squash halves with alittle organic olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the squash halves flesh side down, bake for about 20-30 minutes. Pierce the squash with a fork after 20 minutes, if they are tender, remove them from the oven, flip them over and set aside.

Note: You can rinse the squash seeds, dry them off, season with some olive oil, sea salt and pepper and bake the seeds as well. They should only take about 15 minutes)

 Meanwhile the squash is cooking, remove the casing layer from the chorizo sausage and slice them into pieces. Heat a large frying pan to medium heat, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and crisp up your pieces of sausage (this may need to be done in 2-3 batches, be sure not to over crowed your pan or the sausage will not crisp up.) Remove each batch of sausage and place them on a plate lined with paper towel.

While the sausage is cooking, go ahead and wash your kale leaves, dry them, de-stem them. Layer a couple of leaves of kale onto your cutting board and begin to cut them very fine (the type of cut is actually called chiffonade, check it out- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiffonade)

Place the finely chopped kale into a large bowl, warm the tablespoon of coconut oil in your hands and begin to massage the oil into all of the kale; this allows the fibre in the kale to be more easily digested! Add all of your dressing ingredients to a mason jar, shake it up, season with seas salt and pepper if needed. Note: You can always double the dressing for future salads!

Toss your salad with the dressing, add your pomegranate seeds, toasted hazelnuts and sausage and toss everything together, season with sea salt and pepper if needed. Stuff each warmed squash with the salad and garnish each squash with 1 tablespoon of sheep feta.
*This is not a strict low carb recipe but it sure is delicious!

Did you know that squash is super high in vitamin A; which we need for proper vision and to protect out cells from daily toxins.  The delicious pork chorizo sausage contains vitamin B12 which is only found in high, absorbable sources in meat products; we need B-12 in order for our brain to function properly and to give us energy!

Detox Fresh Herb and Red Cabbage Salad

1 1/3 cup kale (shredded)
1 1/3 cup carrot (shredded)
1 1/3 cup red cabbage (shredded)
1/8 cup fresh mint leaves (coarsely chopped) 1/8 cup fresh cilantro leaves (coarsely chopped)

Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt and pepper

Method:
Clean and shred your first 3 ingredients and add them to the bowl.
Chop your fresh herbs coarsely; you want big pieces of the herbs in your salad, treat them like a type of lettuce.
In a little mason jar, add all of your vinaigrette ingredients and shake them up in the jar.
Toss the salad with as much dressing as you would like and serve. 

Cook Outside the Box
Add freshly grated ginger and garlic to the dressing for a nutrient pump up and anti-inflammatory affect.
Make a wrap out of this nutrient dense salad.
Add some lightly toasted cashews or sesame seeds and give it an Asian flavour to it. Kale and Cabbage Salad

Kale Caesar Salad

Salad
9 cups fresh kale (cleaned and stemmed)
6 thin pieces of cooked pancetta
3 hard boiled eggs cut in half to make 6 portions
6 lemon slices

Crispy topping
1/3 cup gluten free breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs (Japanese style breadcrumbs)
1 1/2 tablespoons organic butter
Sprinkle of sea salt

Caesar Dressing
1/2 cup organic cold pressed olive oil
1 organic egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon chopped capers
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2-3 tablespoons fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano (use a microplane if possible)
1/2 teaspoon raw honey
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Method
Note- Remove the breadcrumbs and honey and you got yourself a low carb caesar salad
Clean and de-stem your kale; chop your kale into very fine slices, it is called chiffonade in French. Add the kale to a large bowl.
Bring your 3 eggs to a boil with the lid on, turn the heat off when it starts boiling and keep the lid on. Set the timer for 10 minute; then allow eggs to cool in cold water.
Pan fry your pancetta until crispy, then set aside on a paper towel.

Crispy topping: In a small sautée pan, melt the butter on medium heat, add your panko breadcrumbs and season with sea salt.
Allow the heat to brown the panko, once they are thoroughly browned, remove from heat and allow to cool.

Dressing: Dampen a dish cloth and wrap it up into a circle onto a cutting board so that your bowl will sit nicely onto the damp cloth. The point of this is to keep the bowl still, while you are whisking in the ingredients.
Put a medium sized glass or stainless steel bowl on top the damp cloth. You want your bowl to hug the damp cloth and hold the bowl in place. Add your egg yolk and Dijon mustard to the bowl.
Very slowly, whisk in your oils to the egg yolk and Dijon mixture; it will become very thick like mayonnaise. If you do not go slow enough you can break the emulsion and have to start over again. Add the lemon juice and vinegar this will loosen up the dressing and give it more dressing like texture.
Add the rest of your ingredients and season with salt and fresh ground pepper.
The LOVE in this kale caesar salad is the crispy panko, fresh ground pepper and white wine vinegar!

How to assemble your masterpiece?

Toss your chiffonade kale with as much dressing as you like. Separate the dressed kale into 6 big bowls.
Sprinkle the crispy panko over each salad.
Add a piece of crispy pancetta and 1⁄2 hard boiled egg.
Season with fresh ground pepper and top the salad with a lemon wedge. 

Voila! Bon Appétit.

Organic Buttermilk and White Truffle Dressing

1/3 cup organic buttermilk
1/3 cup organic, extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon white truffle oil
2 teaspoons capers
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon raw honey
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
5 fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon
1 large clove garlic

Method:
Note- Remove honey for strict low carb version
Add everything to your blender, starting with the liquid.
Blend until everything is nice a creamy.
Serve over a crisp, fresh green salad with garden tomatoes and cucumbers.
Note: If you do not have fresh herbs but only dried herbs, use less. Probably half of the amount. Fresh is better though, try hard, it tastes better:) 

Bon Appétit! 

Cook Outside the box:
This gluten free buttermilk and truffle dressing is delicious drizzled over baked wild salmon
Use this dressing for your next potato salad. Um, yum!
Use it as a dip for fresh vegetables and pita
Use the leftover organic buttermilk to make the most delicious pancakes on a Saturday morning.
Kale salad with this dressing instead, yum!
Chips and dip. OMG 

Beet and Walnut Salad

2 cups of cooked beets (sliced into circles)
1/4 cup soft French goat cheese (crumbled)
1/3 cup organic walnuts (lightly toasted at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 12 minutes)
Sprinkle of Maldon sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
Drizzle of balsamic cream (reduced balsamic vinegar)
Drizzle of organic extra virgin olive oil
Zest from an orange

Method:
Steam your baby beets until they are tender; about 40 minutes.
Cool them down and remove the skin under running water, (it makes it so much easier to remove the skin under running water)
Slice your beets into desired size circles and add them to a bowl.
Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of balsamic cream and 1 tablespoon of organic extra virgin olive oil on top of the beets
(you can add more if you like), add ½ teaspoon of orange zest, sea salt and ground pepper. Toss the beets in the dressing.
Place your beets in a pretty serving bowl.
Sprinkle beets with the toasted walnuts and soft goat cheese.
Garnish the salad with edible flowers for the LOVE.
Learn more about the health benefits of beets.

Bon Appétit! 

Raw Tahini Salad Dressing

I can not take credit for this recipe, although I wish I could because it's so versatile and delicious. This recipe came from Chad Sarno's cook book called Crazy Sexy Kitchen. I of course, tweaked it a little and I suppose I could say that the extra LOVE comes from the Sriracha hot sauce. Tahini is just finely ground up sesame seeds; Sesame seeds contain the highest source of absorbable calcium out of any food! So stop drinking cows milk to get your calcium, it is not a good absorbable source and it actually makes the body very acidic. Disease grows in acidic bodies. The tablespoon of organic olive oil isn't just for flavour, it actually allows your fat soluble vitamins to be absorbed! 

1/2 cup raw tahini
1 tablespoon organic olive oil
3/4cup water
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil
1 1/2 tablespoons organic gluten free tamari light
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Method
Place everything into a blender and blender until smooth. Once you put it in the fridge it will get thicker, you could add a little water to thin it out or just let it sit out until it reaches room temperature. Don't worry it will still taste freakin delicious.

Cook Outside the Box
Steam vegetables like kale, broccoli, carrots and sweet potato. Serve the vegetables over warm quinoa and pour some tahini dressing over the top
Make roasted vegetables or homemade falafels and top it with tahini dressing
Make a big green lettuce salad with chickpeas, red peppers, tomatoes and onion and toss your salad with the tahini dressing. Voila!

Bon Appetit!

Black Bean and Corn Salad

This black bean and corn salad is easy to assemble and fresh tasting. Black beans are loaded with a great amount of protein, fibre and iron.
Did you know that cilantro helps detoxify heavy metals from your body? Yup, it does, so eat up! 

1.5 cups cooked black beans
1 cup corn (please purchase non-gmo corn) Thank you!
1 teaspoon fresh serrano (chopped very fine)
1/4 cup red onion (diced very small)
1/2 cup red pepper (diced very small)
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped fine)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Method
Note- This would not be considered low carb or paleo.
Chop all of your ingredients according to the specified size above and add everything to a large bowl.
Toss the fresh lime juice into the bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Cook Outside the Box
Use this salad like a salsa and add some fresh chopped mango to it and freshly made corn tortilla chips
Stuff your next quesadilla with this salad and serve a kale salad on the side
Add some cooked quinoa to this black bean and corn salad and you have a fully balanced vegan meal

 Voila, Bon Appétit!

Raw Red Cabbage and Kale Salad

2 cups Black kale (Chiffonade- Cut very thinly)
1 cup Red cabbage (Chiffonade- Cut very thinly)
1 cup Red pepper (Thin slices)
1/2 cup Red onion (Thin slices)
1/2 cup mixed fresh herbs (basil, mint and cilantro)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Dressing
1 tablespoon Braggs (is a natural gluten free soy sauce, you may use tamari instead)
2 teaspoon raw honey
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 tsp red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons ginger (freshly grated)
Pepper to taste

Method
Note- Omit the honey for a low carb version.
Clean and de-stem your kale. Slice the kale and cabbage as thin as you can, add them to a pretty bowl.
Slice your red pepper and red onion as thin as possible and add them to the bowl.
Toast your sesame seeds on low/med heat on the stove top until they are fragrant and have turned golden in colour. Once cooled, add them to the bowl.
Coarsely chop your fresh herbs and toss them into the salad bowl.
Add the desired amount of dressing and toss all together. 
RAW RAW RAW!

*It is important to incorporate raw foods to your daily diet. Raw vegetables and fruit are filled with vitamins, minerals and enzymes that keep you healthy. Raw vegetables and fruits contain their own unique enzymes to break themselves down, so your digestive tract can take a little break.
This salad is filled with raw enzymes, antioxidants, B vitamins, calcium and fibre. I love to add a hard boiled egg to the top, for protein and texture.

Happy raw eating!

Black Kale Salad

I never thought I would eat raw kale salad and now Aaron and I eat it once a week at least. When you go to the grocery store you may find many kinds of kale. I much prefer using black kale or dinosaur Kale for this raw salad, it is dark green in colour and the leaves are flat and kinda bubbly. Kale contains a large amount of calcium for your bones, antioxidants which can reduce the risk of cancer and it is packed with vitamin K and C.

1 bunch black Kale
1/2  cup sliced *dried apricots (sulfate free)
1/4 cup crumbled sheep feta
2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1/2 diced avocado 

Dressing
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons flax oil
3/4 teaspoon Dijon
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated turmeric (or 1/4 teaspoon dry ground turmeric)
1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon gluten free tamari (light)
1 teaspoon raw honey (omit honey for a low carb version)
1 clove garlic (minced)
Sea salt/ pepper

Method
Clean, dry and de-stem the kale, combine a bunch in your hand and slice the kale as thin as possible, add to a big bowl. Sprinkle sliced dates, feta and toasted sesame seeds to the kale and toss with as much dressing as you would like. This salad will last 3-4 days in the fridge without the dressing!

* Originally this recipe called for 1/2 Medjool dates, I revised after diving deep into the world of sugar and how it affects our health. Dried apricots have a lot less sugar content- about 4 grams per apricot vs 16 grams per Medjool date. Dried apricots taste just as delicious in this recipe just be sure to get sulfate free. Please feel free to use Medjool dates if you would like. Knowledge is power!

Cook Outside the Box
Add some cooked soba noodles to this salad and a little sesame oil, voila! A new dish or, cook some quinoa, toss it with the kale salad and wrap it up in a gluten free tortilla with some homemade humus and fresh tomatoes. Yum!

Bon Appétit!

Avocado and Arugula Salad

This is such a simple, healthy and fast salad to prepare. I had these items in my fridge last night so Aaron and I decided to make this salad with a simple balsamic and olive oil vinaigrette.

Baby arugula (Hotchkiss is my favourite!)
Roma tomatoes
Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano ( I use a carrot peeler to shave thin slices)
Red onion ( thinly sliced)
Avocado

Method
There really is no method, just get all of your ingredients cut up appropriately and drizzle some balsamic and extra virgin olive oil on top, et voila! A master piece waiting to be devoured.

Bon Appetit!

Quinoa Salad with Black Kale

My husband and I love this salad because it is a full protein meaning it has all the essential amino acids that make up a full protein so it's like a piece of steak. I'll make this on a Sunday and leave out the dressing so that it stays fresh for about 4-5 days and I will add the dressing right before we eat it.

1 cup quinoa +1 and 3/4 cup water
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 cup black kale (thinly sliced)
1/4 cup red onion ( little tiny cubes)
1/4 cup fresh dill and basil
1/3 cup red pepper (chopped small)
1/3 cup sheep feta (crumbled)
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup raisins or cranberries

Dressing
1 garlic clove (minced)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 TBSP olive oil
Sea Salt and pepper to taste

Method
Rinse your quinoa in a fine colander before cooking.
Add the turmeric to the water and quinoa and simmer for about 15 minutes or until water has evaporated.
Take the pot off the heat and allow quinoa to sit for 5 minutes, puff up with a fork and allow to cool. With a nice sharp knife chop all of your ingredients and add them to a large bowl, once quinoa is cool add it to the large bowl. Add your olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper to a small mason jar, shake up and toss the quinoa salad.