Yield: 2 servings

Several vegetables are chopped into uniform pieces so that you taste all of them with each bite, for a satisfying one-dish meal.

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1/2 cucumber, seeded and chopped
• 1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tablespoons Lemon Herb Dressing
• 1 avocado, chopped

Equipment

• cutting board
• salad spinner
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• chef’s knife, 8-inch
• spoon
• small mixing bowl
• rubber spatula

Place the romaine, cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, and dressing in a small mixing bowl and toss to combine. Add the avocado and toss gently. Serve immediately.
 

The last two blogs talked about eating hearty portions of raw food to satisfy your appetite.  However, not all raw food ingredients should be consumed in large quantities.  That’s because raw food is healthy and nutritious, but that doesn't mean all of it is necessarily low-cal. 

Read On »

Yield: 2 cups, 1 serving

Enjoy this authentic Costa-Rican dish with any Latin American themed meal.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
1/8 teaspoon salt, optional
1⁄2 ripe tomato, seeded and diced
1⁄4 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced
1⁄2 celery stalk, diced
1⁄4 red bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons minced onion
1 1⁄2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Equipment

• mandoline (optional, for thinly slicing cabbage)
• cutting board
• serrated knife, 5-inch
• chef’s knife, 8-inch
• peeler
• citrus juicer or reamer
• measuring spoons
• medium mixing bowl
• tongs

Place the cabbage and the optional salt in a mixing bowl. Massage the cabbage for a minute with your hands to soften it. Add all the remaining ingredients and toss well. Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, Latin American Cabbage will keep for two days.

In order to keep my weight steady and my health at its optimum level, I try to limit my salt intake.  Salt causes the human body to retain water and feel puffy.  It can also put some people at risk for heart disease and circulatory problems.

Salt is not an all or nothing ingredient.  In fact, a healthy diet can have some sodium.  The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans from the Mayo Clinic recommend limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day — or 1,500 mg if you're over 50, have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.

Sodium is found naturally in foods and the pure, unadulterated flavors of fresh fruits and veggies make adding salt unnecessary.

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Grapefruit and Avocado Salad

Posted on February 07 2012 | (0) Comments
Category: Soup and Salad Recipes Tags: avocados, raw salad recipes

Grapefruit and Avocado Salad
Yield: 1 serving

Tart grapefruit complements creamy avocado and peppery arugula.

Ingredients

• 1 grapefruit
• 2 cups torn red leaf lettuce
• 1 cup arugula
• 1 tablespoon Lemon-Herb Dressing plus extra for drizzling
• 1/4 avocado, thinly sliced

Equipment

• cutting board
• serrated knife, 5-inch
• salad spinner
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• chef’s knife, 8-inch
• medium bowl
• tongs
• serving plate

Using a 5-inch serrated knife, cut off the top and bottom of the grapefruit. Then use the knife to remove the peel and white pith, and separate the grapefruit into segments. Put the red leaf lettuce and arugula in a bowl. Add the dressing and toss gently. Transfer to a serving plate and arrange the grapefruit and avocado on top. Drizzle with additional dressing. Serve immediately.