Quinoa and Bean Summer Salad

(recipe from The Kinfolk Table by Nathan Williams)

1 cup quinoa
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Sea salt
2 cups water
One 16-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
One 16-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, chopped
1 cucumber, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the quinoa under cold running water in a fine-mesh sieve until the water runs clear.  Heat 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add the quinoa and 1/2 tsp. salt and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until beginning to dry and turn golden.  Add the water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, until all of the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender.  Fluff the quinoa with a fork and transfer to a salad bowl.  Cool completely.

Add the black beans, chickpeas, bell pepper, cucumber, vinegar, lemon juice, and remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil and toss to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Massaged Kale & Wild Rice Salad

(Recipe from Amazing Grass)

2 cups baby kale
3 Tbsp. olive oil, plus a drizzle for massaging
1 large cucumber, peeled and diced
1 large grapefruit, peeled, segmented and chopped
1 cup cooked wild rice
1/4 cup diced red onion
Juice of 1 large lemon
2 tsp. honey
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped raw walnuts
Large pinch fresh lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste

Using your hands, massage the kale with a drizzle of olive oil in a large bowl.  Add the cucumber, grapefruit, rice and onion.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, honey, and cayenne pepper; sea salt and pepper to taste; whisk to combine.  Drizzle over the salad mixture and toss to combine.  Top with walnuts and lemon zest and serve.

Mediterranean Crunch Salad

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans
1 cucumber, chopped
1 cup small broccoli florets
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup finely sliced kale, tough stems removed
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
2 Tbsp. finely chopped Kalamata olives
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (I used dried thyme)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Chill at least 1 hour before serving.

(Easy!  So yummy!)

Yellow Gazpacho

(recipe from Real Simple magazine)

2 lbs. yellow beefsteak tomatoes, halved crosswise
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 small white onion, peeled and quartered
1 small garlic clove, peeled
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 small cucumber, diced
1 small orange or red tomato, diced

Working over a large bowl, squeeze the yellow tomato halves to release the seeds and juices.  Reserve the liquid.

Combine the squeezed yellow tomatoes and salt in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.  Transfer to the bowl containing the tomato pulp and juice.  Add the onion, garlic, and lemon juice to the food processor or blender and puree until smooth.  Add the onion liquid into the bowl containing the tomatoes.  Add the jalapeno, cilantro, cucumber, and diced tomato and mix well.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

(Allow time for the soup to sit in the refrigerator a while for the flavors to blend and mellow.  [The onion was a bit too strong for me after it first was made, but eased after a while in the fridge.]  This is very tasty and easy to make!  And colorful!)

Thai Veggie Salad

(recipe from PureWow)

Salad:
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
3 cups snow peas, thinly sliced
3 carrots, thinly sliced or shredded
1 bunch radishes, thinly sliced or shredded
1/4 red cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded
1/2 English cucumber, cut into strips
1 cup dried mango, thinly sliced
2/3 cup peanuts, chopped
3/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

Dressing:
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbsp. sesame oil (I used olive oil)
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Sriracha sauce
1/2 cup seasoned rice-wine vinegar
1/3 cup peanut butter (I used tahini)

Make the salad:  Toss all the salad ingredients together in a large bowl.

Make the dressing:  In a medium bowl, whisk all ingredients together until the dressing is smooth.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.  The salad gets better as it sits, and will keep up to three days in an airtight container in the fridge.

(Awesome salad!  I love chopping veggies, and that is a time-consuming part of this recipe.  I did use a food processor for the carrots.  Brought this salad to an island gathering by putting all the veggies mixed in a large ziplock bag and keeping the dressing separate in a small jar.  When ready for dinner, simply combined and served.  So easy!  A nice and convenient alternative to leafy greens for a salad, though you could probably serve this over a bed of leafy greens.  Everyone loved it!  Very flavorful.)

Green Ginger Smoothie

(I have it written on a yellow sticky note - not sure where it came from!)

2 handfuls spinach
juice of 1/2 lemon
1-inch knob ginger, peeled (I don't peel mine)
2 pears
1 small cucumber
1 cup water

Blend!

(I actually use these ingredients, but differ the amounts: one pear, part of a cucumber, smaller piece of ginger.  I also add celery and aloe juice.  Pears make nice smoothies - a little grainy, but interesting.)

Petra's Green Smoothie

(recipe from Healthy Girl's Kitchen)

Handful of kale, especially the stalks
4 stalks celery
1 cucumber
2 apples or one ruby red grapefruit, or sometimes both

Blend!

(I altered the amounts on this one to make a smaller portion: handful of kale, 1 stalk celery, 1/2 a cucumber, one apple, 1/2 a grapefruit (I also made one with just 1/2 a grapefruit, no apple).  It still made two good-sized portions.  Very tangy and vibrant!)