Broccoli, Cucumber & Napa Slaw with Coconut Lemongrass Dressing

(recipe from Clean Eating magazine)

1 English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and seeded, thinly sliced (or julienned)
2 1/2 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage
2 cups broccoli florets, plus stems (trim and quarter florets; peel and cut stems into matchsticks)
1 tsp. coconut oil
4 green onions, sliced, whites and greens divided (reserve greens for slaw)
1/4 cup finely minced lemongrass
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
5 Tbsp. coconut milk
1 Tbsp. brown rice vinegar
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Prepare dressing:  In a small saute pan on medium-low heat, melt oil.  Add whites of onion and lemongrass and cook until just softened and fragrant, 1 minute.  Add garlic and stir for 1 minute, until fragrant.  Let cool for 5 minutes.  Transfer to a blender.  Add remaining dressing ingredients and puree until smooth.  Refrigerate while preparing vegetables.

Prepare slaw:  To a large bowl, add cucumber, cabbage, and broccoli.  Pour in dressing and toss to combine.  Toss in greens of onions and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Asparagus Risotto with Oyster Mushrooms and Ginger

(recipe from The Vegan Gourmet by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler & Mindy Toomay)

5 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1 lb. asparagus
6 oz. oyster mushrooms
2 tsp. dark sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. dried red chili flakes
1/2 medium red bell pepper, diced
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 cups uncooked arborio rice
3 minced green onions

Heat the stock, soy sauce, and ginger in a saucepan until just steaming, and keep this broth handy near the stove.  Rinse the asparagus, break off and discard the tough stem ends, and cut at a slant into 1-inch pieces.  Rinse the mushrooms, pat dry, and chop coarsely.

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the sesame oil over medium heat.  Add half of the garlic and the red chili flakes and saute a minute or two, stirring constantly.  Add the bell pepper, asparagus, and salt.  Saute 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Stir in the mushrooms, add the sherry, and immediately cover the pan tightly.  Remove the pan from the heat and set aside with the lid on.

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Saute the remaining garlic for 1 minute, then add the rice and stir to coat with the oil and garlic.  Add 1 cup of broth to the rice, and stir gently until the liquid is absorbed.  Add the remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting until the liquid is absorbed before each addition.  When the last addition of broth has been absorbed and the rice is creamy and tender, stir in the asparagus and mushrooms, along with any pan juices.  Heat through for 1 minute.  Transfer to a warmed tureen or individual serving bowls and sprinkle with the green onions.  Serve very hot.

Creamy Orange-Avocado Dressing

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

3 green onions, roughly chopped
1/2 avocado, peeled and pitted
1/2 cup orange juice
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Puree all ingredients in a blender.

(This makes a nice dip for veggies, too!  Tasted great with carrots!  Is thick, clings well.)

Emerald City Salad

(recipe from teaandcookiesblog.com)

4 cups mixed greens (mix of dino kale, curly kale, chard), coarsely chopped.  Don't make this from one type of green, the mixture is important.
3 green onions, sliced thin
3/4 cup red pepper, diced
1 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
1 cup fennel bulb, sliced thin
1 cup wild rice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt

Cook the rice according to directions.  Set aside to cool.

Prep the greens and other vegetables.  Toss in a large bowl, adding the wild rice when it is cool.  Drizzle with olive oil and mix.  Add the lemon juice and salt and mix again.  Serve chilled.

(Since I brought this to work for lunches, I simply mixed the veggies and rice in a large bowl and kept that in the fridge.  Then I mixed the oil, lemon juice, salt in a small jar and added the dressing to my small container of the veggie mixture at lunchtime.  Nice combination of flavors.  Dense, chewy salad with the raw kale and wild rice.  I'm not supposed to be eating grains on my cleanse, but made this exception for wild rice since it's not technically a rice, but an aquatic grass seed.  Yum!)