Tators! 

Tricolore Salad

Serves 2-4 | Prep 30 minutes | Cook 2 minutes, plus flavor meld of 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh zucchini, sliced very thin into half moons (Use a mandoline slicer if you have one!)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ripe Roma or grape tomatoes, seeded and diced (I used cherry  tomatoes sliced in half)
3/4 cup black olives, pitted and sliced
10-12 large basil leaves, slivered
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar ( I used an organic balsamic from Publix- greenwise brand)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Place sliced zucchini in a large colander and sprinkle generously with salt. Allow to sweat for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place olive oil and garlic in a cold, non-stick skillet, then heat over low heat until the garlic is fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. Rinse and drain zucchini; pat dry and place in a large bowl. Add the tomato, olives, and basil. Toss gently to combine.

4. In a small bowl, whisk the garlic-infused olive oil and vinegar, then pour over the vegetables and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Allow the flavors to meld for 20 minutes, then taste and adjust seasonings.

Washing My Hair With Baking Soda

Interesting concept from the webpage http://myhealthygreenfamily.com

Many were skeptical when they tried the recipe but they said they would never go back to shampoo. One woman said that her hair, which had been falling out badly for years was now healthy and full again. So....Try??? why not  

Update from heartweed- I have been doing this for a week and I can not belief how nice my hair feels- so far I will not be going back to regular shampoo and conditioner. 
Its been 8 months now -husbands gray is nearly gone and toddler uses it too. 

I  wash my hair with baking soda and I rinse it with apple cider vinegar.  I won’t call it No Poo because abbreviations have always annoyed me.  But I thought I would share my experience because every other green blogger and their dog has shared their experience.  Actually, my dog uses it too.

Why, why oh WHY would I do such a crazy thing?  Good question.  And I have good answers.  Do you know what is in your shampoo?  I mean, REALLY know?  Years ago I used Pantene Pro V.  Here is the ingredient list.

Water, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Cocamide MEA, Glycol Distearate, Dimethicone, Fragrance, Panthenol, Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyquaternium-10, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Benzoate, Ammonium Xylenesulfonate, Disodium EDTA, PEG-7M, Citric Acid, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone

Whoa whoa whoa!  What?  I am good with water.  Everything else is a chemical.  I am putting THAT on my hair and expecting it to look natural and healthy?   Look ANY of those ingredients up on the safer cosmetics database  and see which ones ARE NOT carcinogenic or at best, an irritant.  Seriously.

OK, so you can use an all natural shampoo.  They are great.  And you know what?  Once I started using a TRULY all natural shampoo my dry, itchy psoriasis on my scalp that I have been plagued with most of my life, disappeared, never to return again.  But those natural shampoos are PRICEY.  And I still am not entirely sure about all those ingredients.

What if you could wash your hair using 1 ingredient?  And actually get better results than these shampoos?  Frizzies disappear.  Dry ends go away.  All are replaced with healthy, shiny, NATURAL hair.  I mean it because I have experienced it.   Now back to where I left off.

I have been tempted to try this method of cleaning my hair for years but was scared off by the horror stories of gross, greasy, smelly hair.  Of course there were lots of success stories too.  But scalp smell is one smell I really dislike.  I also shied away from it because, well, it screams of “hippie” and I have always been concerned about what others think of me.  Funny thing is, I am a self-proclaimed ”green” blogger, and all my friends see me as being “crunchy” so I don’t know what the problem is.  Washing my hair with baking soda is certainly a conversation stopper.  But I am good at those.   You should see the effect I have on potty training conversations when I talk about elimination communication  .

So one day I ran out of shampoo.  I was using Green Beaver shampoo and conditioner, an all-natural brand made from organic, Canadian ingredients.  It worked well but was $10 a bottle.  And you know me… I like to know ALL the ingredients in my products.  This time when I ran out I took the plunge and brought out the baking soda.

1 Tbsp. baking soda dissolved into 1 cup of water.  I scrubbed it into my hair.  I rinsed it well.
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg’s Organic) into 1 cup water.  I rinsed my hair with this as I would a conditioner and then I rinsed it well.

I smelled like apple cider vinegar.  I towel-dried and brushed my hair, shook out as much water as I could, and let it air dry.  It dried quickly (no oil from a conditioner) and felt smooth, shiny and CLEAN.  Like, really clean.  No greasy hair, no smell, no nothing.  The ACV smell disappeared after my hair dried.  My hair smelled like nothing.  Seriously.  I was thrilled!  I don’t know why I was surprised because I use baking soda to clean everything else, so why wouldn’t it clean my hair?

Things you need to know:

• It doesn’t feel like shampoo.  It feels like water being poured onto your head.  And there is absolutely no lather because there is no soap.  Nevertheless, rub it  WELL into your scalp, for a few minutes, then let it sit a few minutes before fully and carefully rinsing.
• ACV rinse does not feel like conditioner.  It feels like water.  So it isn’t thick and creamy, and is more challenging to spread into your hair.  Nevertheless it works well without adding oil to your hair.  Put it on, let it sit a few minutes, then rinse it off.
• After your hair has been washed and rinsed it doesn’t feel like it does when it has been washed with shampoo and conditioned.  Wait until it is dry to give it a judgement.  My hair feels clean, smooth, shiny and healthy after it dries.
• Many people take the plunge and decide that, after washing their hair with regular shampoo and stripping the natural oils out of their hair for their whole life, they will go one WEEK without washing.  Don’t do this.  Not only is it gross, but it is setting yourself up for failure.  Your oil glands are so used to producing excess amounts of oil to keep up with all the washing that your hair will get greasy quickly.  Rather than an all out attempt to force your scalp to immediately adjust, wash your hair again when you would normally do it, with baking soda.  Do this for a week or more until you are used to washing your hair with baking soda.  Then, once adjusted, stretch it by a day.  Do that until your hair has adjusted, and then repeat.  Or, just use baking soda to wash your hair whenever you want.  It is cheap, it is healthy, and you know all the ingredients in it, unlike your regular shampoo.
• Every person is different and so oil production will be different.  Play with the amounts until you find what works for you.  If you find your hair is too oily increase the baking soda a bit.  If it is leaving your hair too dry decrease the baking soda.
• Some people prefer to use the same amounts of lemon juice and water for a rinse, instead of ACV and water.  Your choice.  I find lemon drying.
• Hair type will affect how this works too.  MANY people with very curly hair seem to love this method.  My hair isn’t curly.  It is long and straight but it works well for me.
• I use this method to clean my children’s hair, and my dog’s hair.  My husband uses it too.  If it gets in children’s eyes it doesn’t hurt.  That alone beats regular shampoo!
• Last of all, again, everyone is different.  This method may not work for you and that is fine.  There are lots of natural alternatives to regular shampoo for cleaning your hair.

Very simple to make......make your own because almost all store bought mustards are not wheat and corn free even when they say gluten free. Vinegar is normally made from wheat or corn or some other troublesome grain. The containers are normally plastic also which can leach chemicals into the prepared mustard so....on to the recipe. The author say that this recipe is similar to Frenchs yellow mustard. 

Update from heartweed: I made this and just to let ya know my mustard is still on the hot side 6 days later. Its that kinda hot that doesn't linger but goes straight up your nose for that sinus burn for a few seconds and then stops. Great for clearing the sinuses. I kinda like it! :)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup water
• 8 tablespoons dry ground mustard(cut in half next time? too hot) 
• 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. arrowroot powder (optional used as a thickener)
• 1/2 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric (for color not necessary) 
• Pinch of garlic powder
• Pinch of paprika

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan.  Whisk to combine.
2. Heat until boiling.  Simmer on low for 10 minutes or until sauce has reduced to the thickness you would like it.  Stir frequently.
3. Store in jar in fridge for up to a month.  For a more mellow mustard, allow to sit for a few days to become less hot.

Notes:

• Mustard is hot when first made.  Let is sit for a few days and it will lose much of its heat. (in fridge with lid on)
• Makes about 1 cup.
• She also says that it last about a month in fridge , at least that is as long as it last hers before eaten. She wonders if it can be canned , so do I.
• 
  

Sweet Potato Salad with Maple Dressing

10 cups, give or take, of arugula or mixed baby greens
2 cups of roasted sweet potato cubes
¼ to ½ cup of red onion slices
½ cup of mapled pecans, chopped
½ cup of feta cheese, preferably sheep or goat (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cut the peeled sweet potato into about ½ inch cubes and put in a pan with sides. Spray the top of the sweet potatoes with a olive oil cooking spray then sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Toss well and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring a few times till pierced easily with a fork. Set aside these little jewels to cool.

Place your greens in your most special salad bowl and toss in the sweet potatoes, and the onion. If you wish to dress the salad before serving, now is the time. Sprinkle the pecans and feta cheese over the salad. Save a few whole pecans halves for the top of the salad for that extra eye candy. Sometimes I place the dressing, mapled pecans and feta cheese in their own bowls next to the salad so folks can add these to their own taste. This recipe makes 6 servings.

Here is the salad dressing we live on all winter. It is so good on every salad but particularly shines in this one.

Maple vinaigrette

¼ cup of home made mayo (there is a recipe under paleo for one)
¼ cup of pure maple syrup
¼ cup of apple cider vinegar
¼ cup of oil, preferably a nut oil, like walnut
1 large shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard (recipe under paleo- because most mustard are not wheat or corn free)
1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh thyme

Put all the ingredients into the blender and let her rip! Process for about 1 minute till well blended.

These maple pecans are so delicious you will want to make extra or you will eat all of them before you get them to the salad.

Maple Pecans

1 cup of pecan halves
2 tablespoons of maple syrup

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place the pecans in a small bowl and drizzle the maple syrup over them and mix well till the syrup is hugging all the pecans in a sweet embrace. Put the pecans in a jelly roll pan that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray and bake about 10 minutes, stirring once, till the maple syrup begins to bubble. Remove from the oven and stir once before they are cool, or they will stick to the pan like you can’t believe.

HARVEST SALAD

Head of lettuce (romaine, red leaf, green leaf), washed, dried, & torn into bite sized pieces

1 apple (Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp, whatever you want--just not Red Delicious)

1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, chopped

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, Roquefort (omit to make Paleo) 

1/2 cup dried cranberries (no sugar added)

Vinaigrette: 

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 Tb mustard (regular or dijon) maybe try 1 tsp dry mustard or omit

1 tsp dried basil (crunch it in your hands to release the oils)

Directions:  Pretty straightforward, put the washed/torn lettuce into a big bowl.  Sprinkle the nuts, dried cranberries, & blue cheese on the lettuce.

In a bowl or glass measuring cup, add extra virgin olive oil & balsamic vinegar.  Add the mustard and whisk together.  It should start to combine.  Add the basil.  No need to pour all of it on the salad, but start small and mix to combine.  If you need a bit more, then add it:)

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 2 cucumbers, peeled or not – based on your preference, sliced
• 2-3 medium sized limes, juiced
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro (can also use parsley if you prefer)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. To remove some of the bitterness/spiciness from the onions, place the onion slices in a bowl, sprinkle about ½ tablespoon of salt over the onions. Rub the salt in and then cover with water for a few minutes. Then drain and rinse the onions well.
2. Place the sliced cucumbers, sliced onions, lime juice, chopped cilantro, and olive oil in a bowl.
3. Mix well, taste and add salt as needed.
4. Serve immediately or let rest refrigerated for at least 30 minutes before serving.

http://www.naturalvalue.com/got-milk

Coconut Milk 

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream

AUTHOR: Danielle Walker - AgainstAllGrain.com

SERVES: 6

• 1 can light coconut milk
• 1 can regular coconut milk
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon whole allspice
• ½ teaspoon whole cloves
• ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
• ½ cup grade B maple syrup (or honey for SCD)
• 1 cup roasted sugar pumpkin purée (canned pumpkin will also work)
• 1 teaspoon bourbon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. In a saucepan, whisk together the coconut milk, sweetener, and spices. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat immediately to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from heat.
2. Strain ice cream mixture into a bowl removing the spices, and stir in pumpkin. Cover with plastic wrap. Make sure to press the plastic wrap directly on the liquid, so there is no condensation. If water gets into the mixture, it will make your ice cream more “icy” rather than creamy.
3. Place in the refrigerator and chill until cold, at least 2 hours.
4. Remove the batter from the refrigerator and add the vanilla extract. The alcohol in the extract helps make the ice cream creamy and easier to scoop after freezing.
5. Using your ice cream maker (I use the Kitchen Aid stand mixer attachment) according to the manufacturer’s instructions, process the chilled ice cream mixture.
6. If you want to add any toppings into the ice cream, make sure to do so in the last 5 minutes of churning, once the mixture is at a soft serve consistency.
7. Turn the ice cream into an air tight container. Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ice cream so freezer burn doesn’t occur. Freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.
8. To serve, leave at room temperature for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon and pumpkin seeds.

The Secret to Homemade Mayo

Update from heartweed: If the thought of raw egg scares you then after you make your mayo add to a saucepot and heat for a minute. It does not effect the consistency but you must stir the whole time.  I made this the other day and it turned out perfect better than store bought. Although I believe you could cut the salt by half. 

Ingredients nor the technique for homemade mayo are unusual or difficult – but mixing up a batch does demand, at least for me, an extraordinary amount of patience. The payoff is worth it: light, silky, flavorful, healthy mayo you can use in salads or on top of grilled meat.

This recipe is from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook, circa 1965, so it’s pretty old school. Julia Child recommends mixing by hand. I prefer the blender; you can also use an electric mixer on a low to medium speed.

The magic of mayo is that it’s an emulsion: the oil and egg+lemon juice create a colloid (hello, fifth grade science!). You don’t need to understand all the science, but there are a few things to keep in mind if you want to be successful. I’ve had many, many mayo FAILs*… here’s what I learned to make it just about perfect every time.

1. Your ingredients must all be at room temperature; the egg, oil, and lemon juice want to mingle in a cozy embrace. UPDATE (June 7, 2010): I just made a fresh batch and I cannot stress this whole “room temperature” thing enough. I let my egg and lemon juice sit on the counter top for about 4 hours before starting the blender process, and my mayo came out perfectly, dreamily creamy (see photo below).

2. Take your time. And then go slower than that.

3. Look at the expiration date on your eggs. Add about a week. Write that date on the lid of your storage container so you know when to toss your mayo (if it lasts that long).

4. Do not use expensive, fancy extra-virgin olive oil; the olive flavor is overpowering. I use the grocery store brand “light tasting” olive oil. It barely tastes like olives which is not so good for green salads, but is awesome for mayo. (You might try Filippo Berio or Bertoli.)

Homemade Olive Oil Mayo

Ingredients:
1 egg
2 tablespoons lemon juice @ room temp
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 1 cup light-tasting olive oil (Not extra virgin. Try Filippo Berio or Bertoli.)

Directions:
1. Place the egg and lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Let them come to room temperature together, about 30-60 minutes. Add the dry mustard, salt, and  1/4 cup of the oil. Whirl until well mixed – about 20 to 30 seconds.

THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART!
2. The only remaining job is to incorporate the remaining 1 cup oil into the mixture. To do this, you must pour very slowly… the skinniest drizzle you can manage and still have movement in the oil. This takes about three minutes or so. Think about three minutes during a WOD; it’s a fairly long time. Breathe. Relax. Drizzle slowly.

If you’re using a blender, you’ll hear the pitch change as the liquid starts to form the emulsion. Eventually, the substance inside the blender will start to look like regular mayonnaise, only far more beautiful. Do not lose your nerve and consider dumping! Continue to drizzle.

If your ingredients were all at room temperature and you were patient, you will be rewarded!

NOTE: If you have a stick blender, you can simply place all ingredients in a blending jar, then whirl with your stick blender for about 30 seconds. Voila! Mayo is done.

What To Do If You Experience a Mayo FAIL

If something goes kafluey, the emulsion will “break” and you’ll be left with a jar filled with a quasi-emulsion with the consistency of, say, commercial salad dressing. DO NOT DESPAIR! It can be saved. Pour the liquid into a storage container and place it in the coldest part of your fridge. Wait a few hours (again, with the patience!), then stir vigorously. It will be slightly less thick and creamy than the full emulsion, but still delicious and useful for salads: egg salad, tuna salad, cucumber salad, etc. It will not, however, be spreadable – but we don’t care about that anyway because who among us is still eating sandwiches?!

Tropical Chopped Salad with shrimp

http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com 

Ingredients, per person:

4-6 oz. cooked wild-caught shrimp or chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/3 cup diced ripe mango*
1/4 cup diced ripe avocado*
2/3 cup diced seedless cucumber*
2/3 cup diced red bell pepper*
1 tablespoon finely minced red onion
1/2 tablespoon lime juice (i used lemon)
1 tablespoon homemade mayo (recipe is under PALEO label)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
salt & ground black pepper, to taste

*It’s really pretty and tasty if you chop all the ingredients into equal-sized pieces; I recommend 1/2-inch dice.

Peppermint Marshmallow Crunch Cookies

AUTHOR: Danielle Walker - AgainstAllGrain.com

SERVES: 2-3 dozen

Ingredients:

• • 2 large egg whites, about 4 tablespoons
• • ½ cup honey, lighter colored preferred
• • pinch of sea salt
• • ⅛ teaspoon ice water
• • ⅛ teaspoon lemon juice
• • ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract
• • optional: red food coloring  use all natural or omit 

Instructions:

1. Prepare your dehydrator or preheat oven to 170 degrees.
2. Bring 2 inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan. In a heatproof stand-mixer bowl, combine the egg whites, honey, and pinch of salt.
3. Place the bowl over the simmering water, careful not to let it touch the water. Whisk the egg whites vigorously until the mixture registers 140 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat, then transfer the mixing bowl to your stand mixer. Immediately begin whipping on medium-high until mixture has cooled and formed stiff, glossy peaks, 6 to 8 minutes.
5. Reduce speed to low and add water, lemon juice, and peppermint extract. Raise speed to medium, and whisk until combined.
6. Line trays with parchment paper then spoon meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe the meringues into star shapes or candy canes.
7. Fill a bowl with 1 teaspoon water and a 6 drops of red food coloring. Dip a Q-tip in it and lightly paint the red stripes.
8. Place the trays in the dehydrator at 150 degrees for 24 hours, then turn the dehydrator off and leave the door closed for 30 minutes.The cookies will be soft to the touch until they cool completely.
9. For the oven method – bake at 170 degrees until hard to the touch but not cracked or browned, 2 to 3 hours. Let cool in the oven with the door closed.
10. Immediately place in an airtight container as these cookies will absorb atmospheric moisture. If they get sticky, just pop them in the oven at 170 for 10-15 minutes. Cookies will keep for 5-7 days.

Dehydrator: 24 hours | Oven: 4 hours (will result in a darker colored meringue)

“Instant” Pumpkin Ice Cream

AUTHOR: Danielle Walker - AgainstAllGrain.com

It can be instant, if you prepare in advance by always keeping a few overly ripe bananas and, in this case, frozen cubes of pumpkin puree.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 banana – peel removed (the riper the better)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons grade B maple syrup or honey
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Instructions:

1. Fill an ice cube tray evenly with the pumpkin puree, making about 7-8 cubes.
2. Cover tightly with plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn.
3. Place  the banana in a ziploc bag and place it and the ice cube tray in the freezer overnight.
4. Remove the cubes from the tray and let them sit in a bowl on the counter for 10 minutes.
5. Remove the banana from the bag and place it and the rest of the ingredients in a food processor or blender.
6. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides if needed. If you have an older food processor or blender, you may need to wait a little longer to let the frozen items thaw a bit before it will be able to process for you.

*This makes a soft serve ice cream consistency. If you have the patience and want a hard ice cream, place it in a container with a cover and freeze it for a few hours.

Dairy-Free Pesto Sauce

AUTHOR: Danielle Walker - AgainstAllGrain.com

SERVES: 1/2 cup

PREP TIME: 10 mins

 

COOK TIME: 10 mins TOTAL TIME: 20 mins

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup packed basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons pignolias (pine nuts)
• 1 garlic clove
• ¾ teaspoon lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1. Lightly toast the nuts in a skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes.
2. Place all ingredients except for oil in a small food processor.
3. Slowly incorporate the oil while the machine is running, until a smooth paste has formed. Continue blending for 15 seconds to thin the sauce out.
4. Alternatively, crush all of the ingredients in a mortar and pestle and blend until smooth.

Paleo Chocolate Caramels

Ingredients:

• ½ cup honey
• 1½ tablespoons almond butter (smooth & with sea salt only)
• 3 teaspoons unsalted grassfed butter*
• 1 teaspoon water
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (or use the coating below also from against all grains)
• ½ teaspoon coconut oil
• *use raw cacao butter for dairy free

Instructions:

1. Bring the honey to low boil and simmer for 10 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally until the honey is deep amber color.
2. Remove from the heat and add the almond butter, unsalted butter, vanilla, and water. Let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan.
3. Pour caramel out onto a tray lined with parchment paper and cool to room temperature, for about 30 minutes and the caramel is pliable.
4. Gently melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl set over boiling water, or a double boiler.
5. Pour the melted chocolate into candy molds, filling half way full.
6. Pinch off small pieces of caramel and roll into a ball between your hands. Place the caramel at the center of the chocolate. Continue filling the molds to the top with chocolate.
7. Refrigerate to harden for 1 hour.

chocolate coating:

• 1/2 cup raw cacao butter
• 
1/4 cup raw cacao powder
• 2 tablespoons honey, liquified (or maple syrup)

1. cacao butter in a heatproof bowl set over a small pot of boiling water.
2. Again, whisk for 1-2 minutes until the butter has started to melt but there are still a few small solid pieces. Remove from heat, add the honey and cacao powder, then whisk vigorously to combine and make a smooth, thin syrup. If it’s too thick, you can return to the heat for 30 seconds.

Watermelon Salad with Arugula, Goat Cheese, and Candied Walnuts

AUTHOR: Danielle Walker - AgainstAllGrain.com

SERVES: 6

Ingredients:

• 6 pieces of watermelon, cut to 1 inch thickness
• 2 cups baby arugula
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup Spiced Candied Walnuts, roughly chopped See below

Instructions:

1. Using a large biscuit cutter, or just great circle cutting knife skills!, cut the watermelon slices into round circles. Use a knife to trim off any parts that make the circle uneven so it sits flat on a plate.
2. n a medium bowl, toss the arugula with the mint, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
3. Arrange the watermelon circles on a plate, then top each with a small handful of the arugula mixture (roughly 1/3 cup each).
4. Sprinkle each salad with goat cheese and the chopped walnuts, then drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the tops. Enjoy!

Candied Walnuts

This recipe calls for walnuts that have been soaked overnight in order to make them easier on the digestive system. When you soak nuts, you break down the enzyme inhibitor that makes nuts hard on your gut. You can chose not to soak them, just be aware that they will take much less time in the oven. I think soaking is important , I have been presoaking then throwing big bagfuls in the freezer  measuring out what I need for each recipe. 

ingredients:

• ½ cup raw walnuts (soak overnight in filtered water)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Drain your soaked walnuts on a paper towel then set aside.
3. Warm your honey over medium heat for about a minute, until it has liquefied. You can also microwave it for 15 seconds. Stir in the walnuts, cayenne and sea salt. Mix to combine thoroughly.
4. Bake the nuts for 20 minutes, then remove and let cool completely.
5. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a week.
6. Spread the walnuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Ingredients:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 
1 clove(s) garlic ( crushed ) 
1 teaspoon ground mustard 
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and mustard powder. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Stir in minced fresh herbs if desired.