Armenia’s Cali Salad

Last year I had the pleasure to visit California six different times. During one of my visits, I was able to carve out some time and visit a very dear friend of mine who lives in gorgeous Santa Barbara. As always we had so much fun enjoying each other’s company and catching up! Closing out the visit, she served me the most gorgeous spread for dinner that was beautiful, healthy, and inspiring!

After dinner we sat by the fire with some chocolate and fruit. Catching my attention was the unique and unfamiliar fruit platter. Lying amongst a traditional spread of finger fruits (strawberries, grapes, etc..) there were these orange looking fruit that reminded me of tomatoes, but just a bit harder. Curiosity got the best of me and I immediately popped a bite into my mouth! Instantly I fell in love with this new fruit. “What is this?” I asked. “Persimmons!” my friend answered. Growing up in Brazil, living in Texas and in Europe, I had never come across persimmons before. Well, last week I am in the grocery store and what do I spot? Persimmons!!!

Eagerly, I purchased the best eight persimmons I could find to bring home and experiment with. Persimmons are winter fruits, and currently in season. The first persimmon experiment was simple, recreate my California experience with with a nutritious, diverse and filling salad. Enhancing the salad, with another winter fruit, I added pomegranate.

These two winter fruits are the anchors for my California salad with kale as the green foundation. Remember that it is important to massage the kale because it holds its texture even once dressing has been poured over it. Take your time and give the kale some tender love and care! Making the food with joy is half the fun!

Use the massaged kale as a base for any salad you enjoy!

Here’s how you can bring a piece of California to your home:

4 handfuls of Kale cut into small pieces

1 persimmon sliced into thin strips

Seeds from one pomegranate

1 avocado thinly sliced

3 tbs of hemp seeds

1/4 cup of edamame

3 tbs of pine nuts

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tbs of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Drizzle the lemon, olive oil, salt, and pepper over the kale and spend about a minute massaging the leaves. Top the salad with the remaining ingredients and enjoy!

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armenia@blissbalancehealth.com

864 551 57 31

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Receita em Português

4 punhados de Kale corte em pedaços pequenos

1 caqui cortado em tiras finas

Sementes de uma romã

1 abacate cortado em fatias finas

3 colheres de sopa de sementes de roma

1/4 xícara de edamame

3 colheres de sopa de pinhões

Suco de 1 limão

2 colheres de sopa de azeite

Sal e pimenta a gosto

Regue o limão, azeite , sal e pimenta sobre a couve e gastar cerca de um minuto massageando as folhas. Cubra a salada com os ingredientes restantes e aproveite!

Cooking, Health and Nutrition

Butternut Squash Salad

The Thanksgiving Holiday has come to an end along with an entire week of hosting family from Texas, Wisconsin, and a childhood friend from Brazil. Thanksgiving is my favorite Holiday of the year and I relish the opportunity to share such a special time with friends and family. My children also enjoy the full house of guests. We shared wonderful food, wine, and laughter this past week.

Six years had past since the last time I saw my childhood friend. Spending time with her and catching up is always a treat, and this past week was no different. It was wonderful to realize that our friendship has remained special to both of us despite the distance and time apart. It truly felt as though we had just spent time together the other day.

With all of the food that was prepared and enjoyed the entire week, the dish my friend loved the most was the butternut squash salad. I served it during our Thanksgiving Feast and even the “meat & potato” in-laws enjoyed the side! I love all things “Fall” and “squash”, so it is no surprise the salad was a favorite one of mine as well. The good news is you don’t need to wait for Thanksgiving to enjoy this beautiful and delicious salad. It is filling with plenty of nutrients that it can be prepared for a quick lunch or as a stand alone entree for dinner. This salad does takes a little planning, but it is definitely worth the little extra effort!

As always I take especial care in the creation of my recipes, so you are sure to enjoy a delicious and nutritious salad! For those watching their weight, 100 g of butternut squash contains about 45 calories. Butternut squash is also very rich in vitamin A, an essential vitamin that aids in skin repair and eyesight, and B-complex group of vitamin. Spinach brings in the calcium, the walnut provides the healthy fats, and cranberries provide the antioxidants. This beautiful combination of colors ensures that you are receiving a variety of phytonutrients from nature!

Let’s learn how to prepare this beautiful salad!

Ingredients:

1 lb of cubed butternut squash (roasted with a drizzle of olive oil, 1 tbs of maple syrup, and a pinch of salt, pepper, and cinnamon)

4 cups of spinach

1/4 cup of walnuts

1/4 cup of dried cranberries

Dressing:

2 Tbs of apple cider vinegar

1 Tbs of maple syrup

2 tsp of Dijon mustard

1 Tbs of orange juice

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

To prepare the dressing, mix all the ingredients except the olive oil. Slowly add the olive oil as you whisk all the other ingredients together. This helps to emulsify the mixture.

To assemble the salad begin by roasting the cubed butternut squash in 375 F for about 35-45 minutes. Place the spinach in a large bowl, top it with the squash, walnuts, cranberries, and toss it right before serving it with the salad dressing. Add enough dressing to taste, I usually have left over dressing that I save for future use (make sure to use the dressing within 2 days).

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http://www.blissbalancehealth.com

armenia@blissbalancehealth.com

864 551 57 31

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Receita de Salada de abobora

Ingredientes:

1 kg de abóbora em cubos (assado com um fio de azeite , 1 colher de sopa de xarope de bordo, e uma pitada de sal , pimenta e canela)

4 xícaras de espinafre

1/4 xícara de nozes

1/4 xícara de cerejas secas ou passas

Molho:

2 colheres de sopa de vinagre de maçã

1 colher de sopa de xarope de bordo

2 colheres de chá de mostarda Dijon

1 colher de sopa de suco de laranja

1/2 xícara de azeite de oliva extra virgem

Para preparar o molho , misture todos os ingredientes , exceto o azeite de oliva. Lentamente adicione o azeite de oliva como você bata todos os outros ingredientes. Isto ajuda a emulsionar a mistura .

Para montar a salada, começe por assar a abóbora em cubos em forno 200 C por cerca de 35-45 minutos. Coloque o espinafre em uma tigela grande, cubra com a abobora, nozes , e passas. Adicione molho suficiente a gosto , eu costumo deixar molho que eu salvo para uso futuro (certifique-se de usar o restante do molho dentro de 2 dias ) .

Cooking, Health and Nutrition

Move over chicken salad, chickpea curry is here!

Last week I had a friend over to test my Kale Soup recipe. Accompanying the soup, was a light sandwich with a big flavorful ethnic punch! The kale soup received a good review, but it was the sandwich grabbing all the attention. My friend loved it so much that she asked me to share the recipe on my blog. Jenna this one is for you!

Cold sandwiches with a lot of mayo are very common in the United States. Egg sandwiches, chicken or tuna salads are staples to a lot of people including myself. I remember days when I was preparing chicken salad sandwiches on croissants to my play group of friends when the children were younger. They were and are still absolutely delicious, but we can all benefit from removing a little mayo from our lives.Part of my food evolution is trying to find healthier alternatives to some of these staples.

This week’s recipe is a chickpea curry sandwich. A healthier alternative to the chicken curry sandwich. For those watching your carbohydrates or gluten intake, the filling of the recipe could also be served on top of a bed of greens such as arugula or spinach. I love to make them into wraps for my kid’s lunches! The wraps spikes the other children’s curiosity… or so I am told!

The chickpea curry filling is protein packed and absolutely delicious! Chickpeas or garbanzo beans, as they are also known, are one of the best plant based protein sources available; 100g of chickpeas contains approximately 19g of protein. Chickpeas are also a good source of iron and fiber, good allies for women’s health, weight loss, and stabilizer of blood sugar.

Tahini, my substitute for mayo on this sandwich, also is very rich in protein. It is made from sesame seeds, which we have learned in my “Guide to Seeds” is also loaded with good fats and minerals. Curry powder ties in this sandwich back with my Ayurveda roots, as the combination of spices in curry powder help with digestion, inflammation, and are very cooling to the body (great for those Pitta folks).

Have some friends over, go on a picnic, or make a batch for yourself, you won’t be disappointed with this sandwich’s performance.

Ingredients

2 cups of cooked garbanzo beans

1 carrots small diced

2 green onions sliced

1/4 cup of dried cranberries or raisins

1/4 cup of cashews

2tbs of tahini

1/4 cup of hummus

1/2 lemon

1 tbs of curry powder

Salt and pepper to taste.

Combine all the ingredients together and let the flavors infuse for at least half and hour. Serve it on a bed on greens, with your favorite whole grain bread, or as a wrap. Enjoy!

Receita em Portugues

Ingredientes

2 xícaras de grão de bico cozido

1 cenoura cortada em cubos pequenos

2 cebolinhas fatiadas

1/4 xícara de cranberries secas ou passas

1/4 xícara de castanha de caju

2tbs de tahine

1/4 xícara de homus

1/2 limão

1 colher de sopa de caril (curry) em pó

Sal e pimenta a gosto.

Misture todos os ingredientes e deixe os sabores infusão por pelo menos uma hora e meia . Sirva sobre uma cama de verdes, com seu pão integral favorito, ou como um “wrap” . Aproveite!

Meditation – Yoga- Ayurveda

http://www.blissbalancehealth.com

armenia@blissbalancehealth.com

864 551 5731

http://www.facebook.com/blissbalancehealth

Bliss Balance Health

Wellness Coaching from Within

Tag Archives: salad

Armenia’s Cali Salad

Butternut Squash Salad

Move over chicken salad, chickpea curry is here!