"Hawaiian Inspired" Taco Salad

Aloha!  I've been absent from the blog for four weeks now as my family went for a vacation to Hawaii recently.  In coming back, there were a few days of unpacking...after that... a much needed break from the internet.  This created a quieting of the mind which is necessary from time to time to refocus on the more important things in life.  For me, it's my time with my God and my family...it's refreshing and a really wonderful chance to grow.

Hawaii - what an awesome place on earth!  It created impressionable memories and the the icing on the cake was that our family grew even closer than ever before.  Although I have lived in Europe in my mid 20's, there's no other place that has charmed me most than the islands of Hawaii.  I can't wait to go back!

When we were in Maui, I noticed that fish tacos were popular there.  My son actually enjoyed eating at a place called Coconut's Fish Cafe.  Inspired by their popular fish taco recipe, I thought of creating my own version, plant based style.  This can also be done without the tacos as an option.  Corn and corn products are considered one of those popular items that have been genetically modified.  However, this brand is the only one I trust as they do not use any GMO ingredients in their products.  Check out their website here.

"Hawaiian Inspired" Taco Salad
Ingredients (Preferably Organic

For the salad:
3 c. green cabbage, cut into strips or shredded
1 c. purple cabbage cut into strips or shredded
6-8 pcs.  Food For Life organic sprouted corn tortillas (this is frozen)

For the toppings: 
1 c. tomatoes, cut into cubes
1 c. ripe mangoes, cut into cubes
2 Tbsp. red onions, minced
1/2 to 1 piece jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1/4 c. coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. lime juice (extra lime to squeeze on top of taco)
1 avocado, sliced into segments or  into cubes 

For the dressing: 
1/4 c. tahini
1 small clove of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. maple syrup or coconut nectar
1 tsp. brown mustard
Celtic sea salt to taste (optional)
1/4 c. filtered water

Method:
1.  Prepare the cabbage and defrost the tacos.  They can also be lightly toasted if desired.
2.  Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a blender and process until smooth.  
3.  Add the dressing to the cabbage and let it sit for about 10 mins. to soften them.  
4.  Mix the mangoes, tomatoes, lime juice, half of the onions, half of the coriander leaves and half of the jalapeno. 
5.  Assemble the tacos before serving: the cabbage on the bottom followed by the mango/tomato salsa then top with more onions, jalapeno and coriander leaves and then add the avocado last.   Squeeze extra lime on top of each taco if desired.   Enjoy!

Here's a few pictures of Hawaii. More to come in the upcoming blogs.

This last shot is a picture of Austin.  He definitely enjoyed the variety of  beaches of Maui and Oahu.  I  hope you're enjoying your summer. 

Mahalo,

Lina

Austin's "Tex-Mex" Inspired Salad

Every week,  Austin has at least one or two meatless meals...he has several favourites and this salad happens to be one of those.  It would be paired with a pasta dish with hemp pesto sauce which he also loves (will hopefully post this one next week).  For me and my husband, the salad is already a perfect one-dish meal, no sides necessary.

Guacamole is popularly used as a dip...but on this recipe,  I made it as a dressing.  It has very similar ingredients but a little thinner in consistency.  We have a very active teenager and  the creamy guacamole makes for a hearty, satisfying and nutritious dressing for him .  

Austin's "Tex-Mex" Inspired Salad
Ingredients (Preferably Organic): 
 For the salad:
 1 bunch Romaine lettuce, washed, shredded and spin-dried
3 plum tomatoes, washed and cut into small cubes
1 1/5 c.  cooked black beans
1/2 to 1 piece jalapeno pepper, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
1/4 - 1/2 c. red onions, finely chopped 
1/4 c. coriander leaves finely chopped 

For the dressing: 
 1 avocado, cut and  seed removed
juice of 1 1/2 limes
2 tsp. red onions, finely chopped
 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, finely chopped
pinch of salt (or to taste) 
1/4 tsp. cumin
1 tsp.maple syrup
4 Tbsp. filtered water
1 tsp. jalapeno pepper (optional) 

Method:

1. Prepare all the salad ingredients and set aside. To make the dressing, place all the ingredients into a blender and process until it becomes creamy.  Adjust the taste or add more water if you prefer a thinner consistency.

2. Assemble the salad then add the dressing.  If you happen to have a mustard or ketchup dispenser bottle, use one to dispense the dressing.  It looks pretty expecially if you are having friends over.

Other options to add to  the salad:
cucumber
 non-GMO corn 

Last Sunday,  we had our church service at the park and then enjoyed a picnic afterwards.  It was awesome to praise God seeing all his wonderful creations.  It was also a great time to share a meal, play and share stories with friends.

It's almost the end of May and we've had a little cold spell this week.   However, summer will soon  be upon us. Have a wonderful week! 

Warmly, 

Lina

Zucchini Noodles With Rose Sauce + Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother’s Day!  I send love to all mothers out there...I hope you felt special and fab today.  I know one day is not enough for your recognition but take it all in and celebrate your day!

I’ve been absent from this blog for three weeks now.  It’s been quite busy for me.  Part of this was a trip to New York City.  The Institute for Integrative Nutrition where I'm training to become a holistic health coach held a Live Conference last week and I'm so thankful that I was able to attend.  I will be sharing about the conference on next week's post.

In the meantime, I am very excited to talk about my favourite season - spring.  If you live in Toronto like me, it’s been a long time coming.  This week the spring blooms are finally out,  the trees are no longer just branches and skeletons... their leaves are back.  How exciting to see the cycle of life moving on!

Part of spring is a different way of eating as with the new season come different harvest of foods: leafy greens, sprouts or microgreens and berries.  For me personally, my body crave for salads and green smoothies...no longer the soups and stews of winter.

 

Here is a favourite salad that we enjoy a lot at our home: zucchini pasta or noodles...UNCOOKED.  Yes you can definitely eat it raw and those days when you crave some starchy pasta, this baby is an awesome sub.  If you're familiar with raw food restaurants, this is one of their most popular dishes.  You can definitely make it at home without having to pay $14/order.  It will be just as good!  The zucchini can be spiralized by the use of this machine.   However, for budget conscious people like me, you can use this simple gadget called julienne peeler and it will do the job just the same.  Please make sure that you pick out organic zucchinis since it is now on the list of produce with high pesticide residue (please check this list). 

The dressing is my version of “Rose Sauce.” No cream necessary.  The simple creaminess here comes from hemp hearts mixed with organic sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, basil microgreens, lemon and a bit of unpasteurized apple cider vinegar.  Hemp hearts are shelled hemp seeds, bursting with proteins (10 g/3 T.), essential fats, vitamins and minerals (please check out this link).  What’s really great is that Canada is a big producer of hemp hearts...check this out.

Zucchini Noodles With Rose Sauce

Ingredients: (Preferably Organic)

For the salad:
4-5 pieces zucchini, washed, peeled and spiralized or julienned
microgreens for toppings ( I used radish)

For the dressing:
 1/3 c. hemp hearts 
3 Tbsp. sliced sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for 20 mins. in 1/4 c. of filtered water
1/4 c. basil microgreens or 6 leaves of regular basil
1 clove of garlic, pressed and chopped
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
1/2 - 3/4 c.  filtered water

Method:

1. Wash, peel (very lightly)  and spiralize or julienne the zucchinis.  Set aside.
2. Place all the ingredients for the dressing in a blender including the soaking water from the sun-dried tomato. Blend until smooth and creamy.  Adjust the taste accordingly...you may want the mixture more tart or a bit thinner so you can just add more lemon or water as you like it.  Salt or oil is not necessary as the mixture is perfect as is.  There will be some leftover of this dressing and it can be stored in a jar at the fridge.  It should be good for 2-3 days and can be used as a dressing for other kinds of salads (I love it on romaine salad) or even as dipping sauce for veggies.
3. Before serving, mix some sauce with the zucchini pasta and top with your own choice of microgreens.  

Note:  It is preferable to add the sauce just before serving as you do not want the zucchini to become watery.   Please feel free to add any toppings of your choice.  Enjoy!

I really hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day celebration.  My family went out for dinner with my mother-in-law yesterday and we also enjoyed the beautiful flowers of spring in Toronto. My mom passed away 11 years ago in the Philippines and I do miss her on this special  occasion.  She was an avid gardener and her orchids are still around to this day being enjoyed by everyone.  The pretty blooms remind me of her.  She was a very special mother to all of her 7 children and as a wife to my 89-year old father.  I miss you Mamang!

Warmly, 

Lina

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Fennel and Quinoa Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Arugula and Avocado

It's now officially spring but if you live in Toronto like me it doesn't really feel like spring at all...yet.  We had snow everyday last week but thankfully, it was mixed with some sun and some blue skies every now and then.  We tend to have the tendency to complain and be impatient...we seem to forget that there were previous years with more snowy days. I keep on wishing that next week will be a bit warmer and I think it will be.  I'm looking forward to the pretty blooms of the season.  So while waiting for that ideal spring weather and hopefully crank up the blender and the juicer, this semi-warm salad is perfect for now...comfort food for me and my family.

Fennel is one of my favourite veggies  and I've been buying them weekly for different varieties of salads.  This mixture happens to be a hearty one...great for the last snowy days of the year.  Fennel is so delicious and nutritious...it's a good source of Vitamin C, folate, potassium and fiber.  It also contains a powerful phytonutrient called anethole which has anti-inflammatory properties.  This salad is a great mix of yummy goodies and big enough for some packed lunch for the next day.

Fennel and Quinoa Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Arugula and Avocado
 Ingredients (Preferably organic) 

2 c.   thinly sliced fennel (about 3/4 of a large fennel bulb)
1 c. dry quinoa
2 c. water
5 oz.  pack of wild arugula ( read item #4 on Method)
 1  1/2 c. sweet potatoes,  peeled and cut in cubes
1 avocado cut in cubes
1/3 c. sulphite-free dried cherries (or cranberries)
 1/3 c. green onions, chopped
 1/4 c. lightly toasted sliced almonds
1/2 t. coconut oil, melted 

Dressing:  
2 Tbsp. cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
 juice of 1  1/2 lemons
2 Tbsp. sulphite-free balsamic vinegar
1/4 t. (or to taste) Himalayan Crystal salt
pinch of black pepper

Method: 
1.  Rinse the quinoa under cold water by using a wire sieve and then drain.  Put the rinsed quinoa into a sauce pan and add the 2 cups water.  Cover and bring to a boil and as soon as it starts boiling, turn the heat down to simmer.  Open the lid to prevent from  boiling over.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the water is absorbed  then the lid can be put back on.  The quinoa turns a little transparent with spiral sprout when cooked.   Fluff and let it cool down.
2.  While the quinoa is cooking,  add the coconut oil to the sweet potatoes and roast them at  at 350F (I used the toaster oven)  for about 20-25 mins.
3.  Wash the fennel, cut off the green tops and stalks close to the bulb and also about 1/4" off the root end.  You can reserve the stalks for vegetable broth or soups. You can peel off the tough outer layer but if the bulb is tender, no need to do that.   Cut the bulb in half and clean out the hard core in the middle then slice thinly.
4. You can use regular arugula leaves.  Cut the leaves into 2 segments (maybe 3 for longer leaves)  so that they are not too long and stringy and easier to manage when the salad is being eaten.   Prep the avocado, green onions and lightly toast the almonds.
5.  Place  all the ingredients of the dressing in a jar including 1/2 of the green onions and with the lid on and tightly  closed, shake until well combined.
6.  Assemble the salad in a big bowl  by mixing the quinoa, greens, fennel,  sweet potatoes and 1/2 of the dried cherries.  Add the dressing then top with avocado, almonds, the rest of the dried cherries and the rest of the green onions.  Enjoy!  

Suggestions: 
1. Feel free to use another type of greens (baby spinach, mixed greens or baby kale) 
if you happen not to be a fan of arugula.
2. Dried golden berries can also be substituted for the the dried cherries.

I hope your first week of spring was awesome!  And for the rest of us who are still waiting for that perfect weather of the season, I know it's just around the corner now and pretty soon we will be enjoying the beautiful flowers and trees all around us.

Warmly,

Lina

Blood Orange and "Spring Slaw" with Lemongrass Dressing

This weekend has been sunny and quite warmer than most of the weather that we have been seeing for the last month or two.  I went for a walk on Saturday  morning and noticed that the some of of the trees are starting to come back to life again with their leaves beginning to sprout.  I am so excited for Spring!  I can't wait to pack my winter coat and boots.  I am also excited for a new set of seasonal foods coming our way...soups and stews will be replaced shortly with salads, juices and smoothies.  

And talking about salad, here is one that I just made yesterday using blood orange which is currently in season.  These oranges look so beautiful with their crimson flesh.   They are thought to have higher levels of anthocyanin and Vitamin C than the conventional varieties. They are also smaller in size and the rind has a bright red blush.   Distinctly sweet with hints of raspberry...so perfect for salads or even for snacks.  This salad just has that refreshing flavour especially with the lemongrass dressing and this makes me want to just rush for Spring to come!

Blood Orange and "Spring Slaw" with Lemongrass Dressing
Ingredients: (Preferably Organic)
 3 blood oranges, peeled  and cut into pinwheels or in half moons
4 c. purple cabbage, thinly sliced
3 carrots, peeled and julienned
3 c. jicama, julienned
1/3 c. coriander leaves, finely chopped
1/4 c.  sliced almonds, lightly roasted

Dressing: 
 2 Tbsp. cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. roasted sesame seed oil
juice of 2 limes
1 1/2 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 Tbsp. Bragg liquid aminos
2 stalks lemongrass, inner portion only, finely diced
pinch of black pepper

Method: 
1.  Remove the outer and hard portions of the lemongrass.  You can slightly pound it before dicing in order for its flavour to be released.  Mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a jar and with the lid tightly closed, shake a few times until well combined. 
2. Wash and prep all the vegetables and set aside.  Dry roast the almonds. 
3.  Cut both ends of the oranges then stand the fruit on one of its cut ends.  Cut away a section of the peel and the pith from top to the bottom and continue around the fruit until it's completely peeled.   Slice the oranges thinly in pinwheels or in sections depending on your choice.  Mind you I wasn't too perfect in removing all the pith and in slicing them thinly.  Not too worry, they will still look pretty.  Set them aside until you are ready to assemble the salad.
4.  Mix all the veggies with half of the coriander and half of the almonds.  Add the dressing.  Before serving, arrange the blood orange slices on top of the veggies then garnish with the rest of the coriander and top with the rest of the almonds.  Enjoy that burst of wonderful spring colours! 

How awesome looking is this! 

It's March break for our kids this week.  I sincerely hope that we can all have a wonderful time with them!  And by the way, bring home some flowers too and enjoy their fragrance!

Warmly, 

Lina

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