Hi Folks! Dave and I took two week-long trips in the past month, all while frantically trying to keep up at work and maintain our sanity. We got back into Denver on Saturday evening, and somehow mustered the energy to plant our balcony container garden on Sunday. (Denverites: if you have not been to Paulino Gardens -north on I-25, exit 58th ave - you MUST go! It’s a fantastic nursery and even if you don’t buy anything it’s fun to look around at all the plants. We try to make a trip up there every few months or so and always end up buying something. I swear, with all of the plants in our little 950 square foot home, we must have a mini-ecosystem or something!) I’m really excited and optimistic about our garden this year. Last year was our first year experimenting with container gardening, and it was certainly a learning experience. We’ve decided to scale it down for 2012 but still have plenty of flowers and herbs, as well as a cherry tomato plant, two small variety pepper plants, and a Lisbon lemon tree. Cross your fingers for us!
As we all know, Memorial Day weekend traditionally rings in the summer, usually with lots of outdoor parties and FOOD. In the past I have had a hard time at barbeques because there is often a lack of vegetable dishes and an abundance of junk food. Luckily, I now have a few tried and true alternatives to the junk. In the spirit of the upcoming holiday, I’m going to share a couple of my favorites with you. I hope these recipes give you some fresh ideas! Enjoy the weekend!
Refreshing Herbal Tea
For those of you who are looking for a lightly sweetened, non-alcoholic, caffeine free, and sugar free beverage, I highly suggest Stash Herbal Tea’s Wild Raspberry Hibiscus Tea. Add a little stevia powder while the tea is brewing and serve over ice with a fresh lemon wedge. Hibiscus can also help lower blood pressure!
Asian Slaw
Recently, I actually took the time to read a few articles in my Vitamin Cottage grocery store flyer and came across this delicious slaw recipe! I’d been trying to find a tasty non-mayonnaise based slaw for a while and this one is definitely a winner. Keeps well, especially at picnics or barbeques where food sits out in the heat.
6 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage (red, green, or a combination can be substituted)
2 large carrots, grated
6 green onions, thinly sliced
½ cup chopped cashews
Dressing
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
1 tablespoon soy or tamari sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons honey
Red pepper flakes to taste
Combine the prepared vegetables in a large serving bowl. In a separate bowl whisk the dressing ingredients thoroughly. Pour dressing over the vegetables and toss to combine. Top with chopped cashews and serve.
Quinoa Salad
The idea for this recipe comes from our trip to northern CA last year. My brother-in-law introduced Dave and I to quinoa through a delicious salad. I’ve since adopted a variation of the salad as a staple in my meal rotation.
8 cups fresh spinach
2 cups quinoa, rinsed and cooked
4 links chicken sausage, cooked and sliced (I recommend a chicken/feta/spinach blend sausage)
6 hard boiled eggs, sliced
3 carrots, peeled and grated
1 beet, grated*
1 pint cherry tomatoes
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup feta cheese crumbles
½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
Pepper, to taste
Fresh lemon juice, to taste
Assemble the salad and season with pepper and lemon juice. Serve with a lemon/tahini dressing or balsamic vinaigrette.
*Sometimes grated beets can turn the quinoa a shade of pink. Omit for a nicer presentation, or keep if you like pink quinoa J
